Psalm 27:13 English Standard Version (ESV) I believe that I shall look^[a] upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!

Footnotes ^[a]  Other Hebrew manuscripts Oh! Had I not believed that I would look

Psalm 27:13 King James Version (KJV) I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

Psalm 27 has a periscope vision offered by the NASB that calls this psalm “a psalm of fearless trust in the Lord.” It is why “I had fainted” was added in the KJV where there are no Hebrews words given to be translated. That is why the ESV omits those 3 words.

This psalm is written in a time when David was under attack. The inclusion of “I and fainted” is an emotional appeal which is common in warriors who have lost trust in the heat of battle. It does not speak to all warriors, only some. It is common enough to address and why it might have been added in the KJV. It does not change the meaning but does add some human perspective.

It is how some see it by faith. That does not mean all will see it and it does not mean that those who do are wrong. It is not about right or wrong, it is about being touched. We should be mindful of that when we hear others express perspectives we do not share.

Is their perspective theologically dangerous? It might be that their expressions have not matured. We do not expect children to speak as mature adults nor adults as children. It is also possible that their perspectives have been tainted by others who had influence over their lives. We often find that when God leads us to a new church for a season we take our learned behaviors with us. Some minor examples are the way baptisms are performed, how and when the Lord’s Supper is shared or even what it is called.

No issue should become a point of division. We should seek unity of faith.

Exodus 4:6-8 English Standard Version

⁶ Again, the Lord said to him, “Put your hand inside your cloak.” And he put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous like snow. ⁷ Then God said, “Put your hand back inside your cloak.” So he put his hand back inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, it was restored like the rest of his flesh. ⁸ “If they will not believe you,” God said, “or listen to the first sign, they may believe the latter sign.

Some of us have witnessed the affliction of God’s people and their miraculous healing. For those who already believe it is a sign that our faith in Christ is true. For others it is an opportunity to witness the presence of God in the body of Christ. Sadly what God said in verse 8 may have its negative affect. They may not believe the later sign.

I cannot speak to those who are so stiff-necked that they refuse to turn from their unbelief to accept the presence of God in those moments. Does that mean they will not be saved? No, but there can be no salvation without the acknowledgement of the presence of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

⁵ “that they may believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.”

The sole purpose of the signs is to believe in Him who has proven Himself to be that God and no other.

Moses was a witness and spoke for God. Jesus was a witness and spoke for God. The Apostles were witnesses and spoke for God. They all spoke for this God and no other.

Nowhere on earth has any other god proven Himself as God. There is no other God and yet some will refuse the signs before their very eyes.