Bible TimePsalm 56: North Korea Detonates N-Bomb
About 12 hours ahead of theoretical, the North Koreans detonated a test explosion of a nuclear device. Said to be of the same strength as a Hiroshima. The United Nations called a special session in response.
Psalm 56
Theoretical Time:
- 13000-05-04 22:7:03 AA
- 2009-05-25 15:52:00 TMMT
- 2009-05-25 13:31:06 GMT
- 2009-05-25 09:31:06 EDT
Psalms 56
1Be merciful to me, god; for man has trampled me under foot; all day long the fighting oppresses me.
2My enemies have daily trampled me under foot; for many warriors have risen against me.
3I do not fear during the day, because I trust in you.
4In god I will be glorified, in god I have put my trust; I will not fear what man can do to me.
5All the day long they conspired against me and they devised evil against me.
6They will wait in hiding, they will watch my steps, inasmuch as they wish for my death.
7He has no deliverer, they have said, Condemn them with the condemnation of the Gentiles.
8God, I have declared my faith to you; record my tears before you in your book.
9Then will my enemies turn back; and I will know I have a god.
10In god, I will praise his word; in Yahvah, I will praise his word.
11In god, I have put my trust; I will not fear what man can do to me.
12To you, I will perform my vows, god; I will offer them to you with thank offerings.
13For you have delivered my soul from death and my feet from stumbling, that I may be pleasing in your sight, god, in the land of the living.
North Korea
At 00:54 GMT on May 25, 2009, 9:54 AM local time in North Korea, there was what was initially recorded as a 4.7M earthquake. Later it was learned that the event was a detonation of a nuclear device by North Korea.
Later in the day there was a test firing of yet another round of missiles able to deliver a nuclear payload.
The United Nations called a special session even later in the day, with at least one report of meetings beginning around 2:00 PM. The spread of the timing for this headline is thus across the expected theoretical time. The 9:30 AM New York time for this Psalm matches the time of when most UN staffers would be coming in to work.
The text of the Psalm deals with fear of what someone might do, and international fear of North Korean nuclear weapons appears to be motivation as to why the country continues to build and test such devices. The Psalmist teaches to trust in God and not fear men, no matter how big their bomb.