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Covenant Psalms: The Necessity of Obedience

Our Bible is divided up into two parts, but it wasn’t always like this. The designations “Old” and “New Testaments” are not part of the original texts of the Bible; they were added early in the third century AD when Tertullian referred to “two testaments of the law and the gospel” in his description of the Bible. But what do those appellations actually mean?

The last 27 books of the Bible form what we have come to call the New Testament. There is an interesting verse in an Old Testament book that ties the two Testaments together, and yet also serves to separate them:

“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. (Jeremiah 31:31 NIV)

The fact that this Old Testament verse is quoted in the New Testament ties the two testaments together, but at the same time we read about a “new covenant” that God will make with His people. The Greek word for “covenant” is diatheke, and is also translated “testament” and “will.” That’s why we also call the New Testament the “New Covenant.”

God made small covenants all the time throughout the history of Israel. But the Israelites understood that they were God’s people because He made a big, binding Covenant with them – the Old Covenant. Christians understand the same thing: we are made God’s people because of the New Covenant God had made with us through the atoning work of Jesus Christ:

And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks for it and gave it to them and said, “Each one drink from it, for this is my blood, sealing the new covenant. It is poured out to forgive the sins of multitudes.” (Matthew 26:28 TLB)

The blood of Jesus forms the basis of the New Covenant God is making with His people, replacing the Old Covenant. Our “Old Testament” is the history of the people (Israel) of the Old Covenant, and our “New Testament” is the story of the people of the New Covenant (Christians).

Though the Covenants have changed, God hasn’t. That’s why studying the Old Testament is so important. We, as signatories of God’s New Covenant, don’t want to make the same mistakes as those of the Old. We can learn a lot about how to live within the bounds of God’s Covenant by looking at their occasionally good example, but more often than not, their bad example. And we can see how God relates to those who live in obedience to the Covenant, and how He relates to those who do not.

Psalm 81:8 – 16

Psalm 81 is, at its heart, a psalm of adoration. It is also a Covenant Psalm. Verse 3 gives us the purpose for which this psalm was written:

Blow the ram’s horn on the day of the New Moon Feast. Blow it again when the moon is full and the Feast of Booths begins. (Psalm 81:3 NIrV)

So it seems that Psalm 81 was intended to be used during the fall festivals in Israel, including the Feast of Trumpets in connection with Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles. It’s an anonymous psalm, but because Joseph is mentioned by name in verse 5, there are some scholars who think it was written in the northern kingdom, late in the history of the divided kingdom.

God had been very good to His people down through the years. Verses 5, 6, and 7 give some examples of His goodness. In light of that, God has some simple expectations of the people who signed onto His Covenant:

Don’t have anything to do with the gods of other nations. Don’t bow down and worship strange gods. (Psalm 81:9 NIrV)

That’s idolatry the psalmist was writing about. Israel knew a lot about idolatry. In fact, if the scholars are right, then by the time this psalm was written idolatry had become the norm in Israel and the worship of Yahweh very rare. The Lord claimed the exclusive loyalty of His people. This was the most basic component of the Old Covenant and was the first of the Ten Commandments, Israel’s national constitution and spiritual manifesto.

You shall have no other gods before me. (Exodus 20:3 NIV)

The very foundation of God’s Covenant with Israel was that He did a momentous thing for them, and they owed Him for that. Giving Him their loyalty was His expectation. Perhaps that has a tinge of harshness, but that expectation is not given in isolation. There’s this:

Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it with good things. (Psalm 81:10b NIrV)

The limitless power of God gives (or should give) His people encouragement to ask for big things (“open your mouth wide”). This isn’t just an Old Covenant idea, by the way. Jesus, who established the New Covenant, made it part of His Covenant, too!

You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. (John 14:14 NIV)

You’d think Israel would hold up their end of the Covenant, but the lure of idolatry was strong and persistent and the worship of idols seemed more appealing to them. You’d think that God’s pleading with His people for their loyalty over the centuries would have been heard, yet He was ignored. This is the gist of the remainder of this covenant psalm. God delivered His people (vs. 10), but they didn’t appreciate it and rebelled (vs. 11). So God abandoned them to their own wills (vs. 12). He yearned for them to return and obey (vs. 13). God was willing to take them back and punish their enemies (vs. 14, 15) and bless them with the finest of food (vs. 16).

French novelist Alphonse Karr originally wrote:

Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.

Or as Snake Pliskin and Bon Jovi put it:

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Psalm 81 is all about Israel, but it’s message should resonate with the Church, members of the New Covenant. Sadly, many of these verses are a spot-on commentary on the lives of way too many Christians. In spite of all that God has done to save us, we ignore Him. Even though God’s one and only Son gave His very life to save us, we refuse to yield our lives in obedience to Him. We are the ones with the deaf ears, stubborn hearts and selfish ambitions now. Every sin that characterized Israel now characterizes the Church of Christ. Is it any wonder why America is declining so quickly?

So I let them go their own stubborn way. I let them follow their own sinful plans. (Psalm 81:12 NIrV)

What if the state of America is really God’s judgment on the Church and not on the sinners?

For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? (1 Peter 4:17 NIV)

Psalm 78

Psalm 78 is another covenant psalm, and it is also the second longest psalm in the psalter, clocking in at an amazing 72 verses! And while it is a long covenant psalm, it can also be called a “historical psalm,” along with psalms 105, 106, 114, and 136. The big theme in Psalm 78 is Israel’s history, with many verses recounting the things God did for His people. Generally speaking, it’s hard to get excited about Psalm 78; it could be considered depressing as you read how poorly the people responded to the all the good things God did for them.

Verses 1 – 8

The first eight verses are filled with history, or “His-story,” because they are a recital of God’s works designed to teach people – young people, especially – the unavoidable truth that disobedience always leads to disaster, on both an individual level and a national level. Both hearing “His-story” and telling it is vital and are things all believers should be doing. Pastor, author, and Puritan John Flavel was absolutely correct when he wrote:

If you neglect to instruct (your children) in the way of holiness, will the devil neglect to instruct them in the way of wickedness? No; if you will not teach them to pray, he will teach them to curse, swear, and lie; if ground be uncultivated, weeks will spring.

The state of our nation testifies to the wisdom of the Bible and, sadly, to the veracity of Flavel’s observation.

Verse 4 is an interesting principle unique to Israel:

We won’t hide them from our children. We will tell them to those who live after us. We will tell them about what the Lord has done that is worthy of praise. We will talk about his power and the wonderful things he has done. (Psalm 78:4 NIrV)

Israel never tried to cover up the failures of their forefathers, unlike other nations did and do. Nations don’t usually write volumes about their military failures, foreign policy screw ups, or ruinous economic policies they enacted. But God, in His Word, never whitewashes any of His people, not even His “heroes.” All the patriarchs and prophets of Israel were full of shortcomings and we know all about them. Abraham, Moses, David, Jonah and other men of renown all did great things for God and His people but God’s Word makes sure to record their failures, too. Why? Because the weaknesses and greatness of even the best of God’s people serve to show everybody’s desperate need for Christ’s atoning death.

A rebellious spirit: Ephraim, verses 9 – 16

Beginning at verse 9, the psalmist singles out a single tribe for special rebuke, Ephraim.

The soldiers of Ephraim were armed with bows. But they ran away on the day of battle. They didn’t keep the covenant God had made with them. They refused to live by his law. (Psalm 78:9, 10 NIrV)

Why would He do that? Was Ephraim worse than all the other tribes? Ephraim became the leading tribe of the northern group of tribes, which would eventually become the Northern Kingdom, which was frequently referred to only as “Ephraim.” The Northern Kingdom existed neck-deep in a state of almost constant apostasy. But their godless attitude really began back in Egypt! That’s a nation starting their downfall early!

He did miracles right in front of our people who lived long ago. At that time they were living in the land of Egypt, in the area of Zoan. (Psalm 78:12 NIrV)

The psalmist’s account of God’s faithful doings is briefly interrupted by yet another account of the people’s unfaithfulness.

But they continued to sin against him. In the desert they refused to obey the Most High God. They were stubborn and put God to the test. They ordered him to give them the food they longed for. (Psalm 78:17, 18 NIrV)

The psalmist does this numerous times throughout this long psalm and points out the two lessons Hebrew children were to learn from their parents: God’s unlimited love and power, and man’s persistent sin. This is also a lesson Christians need to be reminded of. God’s love is unlimited and it is undeserved. We are not loveable people, yet God loves us constantly and fully. Even when we succumb to the temptations to sin, God still loves us. The temptations never stop; they are relentless. The people of Ephraim – the Northern Kingdom – couldn’t seem to get the victory over the temptation to worship idols. Maybe you are also struggling with the persistent temptation to sin or worse, some persistent sin your life you just can seem to get a handle on. Verse 22 gives us the reason the people of Israel didn’t stop their sinning and it’s the reason why we Christians won’t stop ours:

That was because they didn’t believe in God. They didn’t trust in his power to save them. (Psalm 78:22 NIrV)

How else can you explain why God’s people rebelled? In response to all God did for them, they rebelled continually. From God’s perspective the reason was obvious: they were not overwhelmed by His ability to deliver and to provide for them. In fact, Israel was completely unconcerned with God and His wonders. With the passing of each generation, their society became more and more secular and its basic orientation was not spiritual but fleshly. Verses 61 – 64 describe what happened to their society as a result of God’s letting them go:

He allowed the ark to be captured. Into the hands of his enemies he sent the ark where his glory rested. He let his people be killed with swords. He was very angry with them. Fire destroyed their young men. Their young women had no one to get married to. Their priests were killed with swords. Their widows weren’t able to cry. (Psalm 78:61 – 64 NIrV)

Very bad things happen when God lets His people pursue the life the want instead of the life He wants for them. The lessons of Psalm 78 are simple and are as old as man. It is sin that separates us from God. God is merciful but He is also just. We deserve stern punishment, but receive grace instead. Given what God has done for us and what He promises to do for us, we Christians should stop acting like spoiled children, like the Israelites as they wandered in the desert or like arrogant ingrates like Ephraim.

Get Smart: Wisdom Psalms

Published July 11, 2015 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
Tags: Psalm 1, Psalms, Wisdom Literature

The shoephone was cool. The wisdom in Psalms is cooler.

In the New Testament, the apostle Paul wrote:

Speak to each other with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord. (Ephesians 5:19 NIrV)

We don’t know what hymns or spiritual songs he had in mind, but we do know which psalms: Any one of the 150 psalms of the Old Testament. Usually when we think of the psalms, we think of comfort and encouragement. When a believer is feeling low, nothing comforts or encourages like the Word of God and in particular a verse or two of a psalm. We don’t often think of Psalms as having much to do with wisdom, but the Psalter is actually part of the body of Biblical literature known as “Wisdom Literature,” along with Job, Song of Solomon, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes. Referring back to that believer who may be feeling low, perhaps he needs a word of wisdom more than a word of comfort or encouragement. From a distressed position, one’s view of life is often skewed; wisdom is desperately needed to see things in the right perspective.

These so-called “wisdom psalms” generally extol God’s virtues and attributes, reminding us of who God is and how He behaves. It’s important to be reminded of God’s ways and ways of thinking because we so often forget that which Job knew so well:

How great God is! We’ll never completely understand him. (Job 36:26a NIrV)

Just so. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t strive to understand as much of God as we can! But we also need to understand that there are parts of God we will never full grasp with our puny, finite minds. Given that “the fear of the Lord” is a vital component of all Wisdom Literature, knowing God involves a certain amount of awe or reverential fear.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. (Psalm 111:10 NIV)

Martin Luther thought very highly of the all the Psalms. In fact, he believed the 150 psalms to be full of the person of Jesus Christ. For example, Jesus Christ is the blessed man of Psalm 1 because He perfectly fulfilled its teachings. Jesus is the man who is planted by the river, whose leaf never wilts. With respect to Mr Luther’s opinion, Psalm 1 is about a righteous man; any righteous man. It is also the first “wisdom psalm.”

Two ways, Psalm 1

The shortest and best commentary on this first Psalm and first wisdom psalm is something our Lord Himself said in Matthew’s Gospel:

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. (Matthew 7:13, 14 NIV)

That’s really the message of this psalm. We don’t know who wrote it, but the author presents two groups of people and two ways of living. There is the way of the righteous and the way of the wicked. The righteous man is the blessed man, the one who heeds the laws of God and avoids sin. On the other hand, the wicked man who is not blessed for he deserves nothing from God. That’s an important doctrine put forth in Psalm 1; “the doctrine of rewards.” The righteous prosper and are happy while the wicked are fretful and of have a short life span. Of course, we all know exceptions to this doctrine, but the general principle is valid.

Blessed is the one who obeys the law of the Lord. He doesn’t follow the advice of evil people. (Psalm 1 NIrV)

The New International Readers Version makes the first incredibly simple. Here is a closer look at how it’s parent, the New International Version, expands verse 1 –

Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers… (NIV)

The verbs in this verse show an obvious progression. The blessed person doesn’t walk, stand, or sit with sinners. The psalmist is not teaching that believers should avoid non-believers like the plague, but rather he is teaching that believers should have nothing in common with them. They shouldn’t “walk” the way sinners do; that is, they shouldn’t live like the sinner lives. They shouldn’t “stand” with sinners; that is, believers shouldn’t be associated in any way with sinners. And the believer shouldn’t “sit” with sinners, or in other words, a believer shouldn’t become sinner. You can see the progression. When a believer lives like a sinner, he soon becomes identified as a sinner, and if he doesn’t change his way, he becomes a sinner.

This is a negative verse for it shows how the blessed – the righteous – do not live. The true believer simply does not have anything to do with the ungodly beyond being concerned about the state of their souls and doing what they can to present the Gospel of salvation to them. The believer should never consider the advice of the ungodly, especially it that advice goes against the teachings of God. Taking the advice of the ungodly leads to becoming like the ungodly. Ungodly advice leads to taking their stand on moral and spiritual issues. Jerry Bridges makes a noteworthy observation on this important issue:

The world is characterized by the subtle and relentless pressure it brings to bear upon us to conform to its values and practices. It creeps up on us little by little. What was once unthinkable becomes thinkable, then doable, and finally acceptable to society at large. Sin becomes acceptable, and so Christians are no than five to ten years behind the world in embracing most sinful practices.

The insidious nature of the world was something the apostle Paul understood all-too well.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2 NIV)

Verse 2 is the positive side of verse 1:

Instead, he takes delight in the law of the Lord. He thinks about his law day and night. (Psalm 1:2 NIrV)

The blessed man has discovered the source of lasting happiness: he loves the Word of God and he reads it and thinks about it. The old saying is definitely supported by the teaching of this Psalm:

The Christian is Bible-bred, Bible-led, and Bible-fed.

The results of godliness are described symbolically.

He is like a tree that is planted near a stream of water. It always bears its fruit at the right time. Its leaves don’t dry up. Everything godly people do turns out well. (Psalm 1:3 NIrV)

The imagery is clever. A godly person has been “planted” or as the Anchor Bible says, “transplanted” near to a life-giving source: fresh water. God is the one who did the transplanting and because God is such a big part of the godly person’s life, he is productive and attractive in all that he does. The phrase, “everything godly people do” implies that the godly man will be doing those things that God approves of, and He therefore causes to turn out right.

The remainder of this very brief wisdom psalm is devoted to the state of the ungodly. In contrast to the beautifully healthy tree of the believer, the non-believer is described like this:

They are like straw that the wind blows away. (Psalm 1:4b NIrV)

The non-believer isn’t near a life-giving source and has no roots. The psalmist likely had in mind what happened on the threshing floor, on which the chaff or straw was beaten from the wheat. This threshing floor was usually located on high ground – a hill – so as to catch with wind. Wheat and chaff were thrown into the wind together with shovels. The heavier wheat would fall to the floor while the lighter, useless chaff was carried away on the breeze.

Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. (Psalm 1:5 NIV)

This is a very significant statement about the future of the ungodly. They will, first of all, be unable to “stand in the judgment.” Actually, there are both future and present aspects to this “judgment.” Eschatologically, at the Day of Judgment the ungodly will be unable to stand before God; there is no way they will survive the judgment of God. But in their present lives, they are unable to withstand the continual judgment of God’s ongoing providential sifting of their character. Richard Sibbes, Anglican theologian, wrote this:

The wicked are but as a book fairly bound which, when it is opened, is full of nothing but tragedies. So when the book of their consciences shall be once opened, there is nothing to be read by lamentations and woes.

In other words, no matter how happy a non-believer appears to be; no matter how “together” their life seems to be, they are empty, dissatisfied, unhappy lost souls in dire need of a relationship with God.

But the psalmist also wrote that the sinner “cannot sit in the assembly of the righteous.” He is referring to the community of faith; the Body of Christ; the Church. Sinners have no place in the pew of any true church. Having said that, it should be pointed out that even the most devoted, consecrated born again believer is still a sinner. The psalmist has in mind the sinner who habitually sins; whose life is marked by persistent sin, not by a desire to wrestle with and overcome temptation.

In behind the scenes of life, God is judging people, and the purpose of His present judgment is the same as that of the final, future judgment: to eradicate once and forever evil and evildoers from His Church (Matthew 13:24 – 30; 36 – 43).

The very last verse of the great wisdom psalm is very clever and may be the best summary of a teaching in the Bible:

For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction. (Psalm 1:6 NIV)

The first phrase, “the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,” summarizes verses 1 – 3. The second phrase, “the way of the wicked leads to destruction,” summarizes verses 4 and 5. The first three words of verse 6, “the lord watches” are important to understand. The psalmst is not saying that God is a passive observer of human activity on earth. The Hebrew, yada, has reference to a concrete (not abstract), careful, sometimes guiding, personal watching over.

Psalm 1 is a great psalm of wisdom that teaches the simplest truth ever: living a God-fearing, righteous life will be rewarded while living apart from God ends badly. The first and last words of this great psalm illustrate the contrast between the godly and ungodly: blessed and destruction.

The Primacy of Praise

Published July 1, 2015 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
Tags: God's sovereignty, Psalm 33, Psalms, psalms of praise

Another group of psalms in the Psalter contains the psalms of praise. Not all the psalms speak of praising the Lord, but many do. There are many reasons to praise God and if you just take a few minutes to think about your life, I bet you could write your own “psalms of praise!” But then again, there are some people who should keep their thoughts to themselves. Democratic senator Barbara Boxer, for example.

Those who survived the San Francisco earthquake said, ‘Thank God, I’m still alive.’ But, of course, those who died, their lives will never be the same again.

Read it again, you’ll see it.

When we study the life of David, it becomes very obvious that the worship of God was very important to him, both on the personal level and on the national level. In fact, even though the man was Israel’s king, he also wrote songs to be used in worship services, organized choirs and even invented new musical instruments to add to the fullness of Israelite worship. David was a real renaissance man.

Psalm 33 – Praise God for His Sovereignty

The first Psalm of praise concerns God’s sovereignty; the fact that He is the Creator of the universe and remains its providential ruler. This psalm contains some theology that today’s Christian needs to be reminded of constantly. Look at verse 4:

What the Lord says is right and true. He is faithful in everything he does. (Psalm 33:4 NIrV)

God’s doings are always right, they are never wrong. God’s actions are not prompted by hatred or greed or selfishness. It is He who sets the standards of righteousness. All truth, all of man’s laws and justice are measured against His norm. In other words, the Supreme Court of America is not the final authority on anything. God’s Word is. There is a Higher Law above any government established on earth and the Christian is obliged to follow that Higher Law; God’s Law.

Several themes appear in Psalm 33 after the first three verses, which are essential a call to worship. These verses contain no less than five imperatives. In the psalmist’s mind, giving praise to God IS quite literally an imperative because, as he wrote:

It is right for honest people to praise him. (Psalm 33:1b NIrV)

Praising God is the normal thing for His people to do.

God is faithful, vs. 4, 5

The Lord loves what is right and fair. The earth is full of his faithful love. (Psalm 33:5 NIrV)

That God is faithful to His people is beyond dispute. As verse 4 said, God is faithful in everything He does. This means that God has never done anything in the past and will never do anything in the future that goes against His perfect character. He is faithful to His nature. Over in the New Testament, we read this:

Every good and perfect gift is from God. It comes down from the Father. He created the heavenly lights. He does not change like shadows that move. (James 1:17 NIrV)

Only good descends from God the Father; He is incapable of doing anything evil or of acting in a way that contradicts His character. There are, in all, five words in these two verses that speak to God’s character: right, true, faithful, fair, and love.

God is the Creator, vs. 6 – 9

Next to the account of Creation in Genesis 1, these verses teach clearly that God created the world out of nothing. He did it all simply by speaking.

The heavens were made when the Lord commanded it to happen. All of the stars were created by the breath of his mouth. (Psalm 33:6 NIrV)

This powerful verse is an expression of the kind of power God wields: He wills something to happen, and it happens. David didn’t fully understand it, but by the time John wrote his Gospel, what really happened at Creation had been fully realized: the Word that resulted in the material universe being formed out of nothing was really the Son of God. The glorious second Person of the Trinity was the creative force behind all that we see.

All things were made through him. Nothing that has been made was made without him. (John 1:3 NIrV)

Implicit in verses 6 – 9 is the command of verse 8 –

Let the whole earth have respect for the Lord. Let all of the people in the world honor him. (Psalm 33:8 NIrV)

In other words, in light of the fact that God created your world, He deserves your respect and your honor.

God’s role in international politics, vs. 10 – 12

Turning from God’s sovereignty in creation, the psalmist looks at His sovereignty in the politics of the nations. Just saying the word “politics” in an American church runs the risk of the person who said it being hit with flying hymnals, but the Bible makes it abundantly clear that God is intimately involved in our (mankind’s) politics.

The Lord blocks the sinful plans of the nations. He keeps them from doing what they want to do. But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever. What he wants to do will last for all time. (Psalm 33:10, 11 NIrV)

Taking verse 10 alone can leave you with the wrong impression. Nations sin all the time. Our own “godly” nation now has a culture that is so sinful a decent person has to stand downwind of it just to keep from passing out from its stench! Verse 10 must be read in concert with verse 11. When you do that, you realize the truth of the old axiom:

Man proposes but God disposes.

Man’s plots and programs are often vetoed by God, but not always. He gives nations enough rope to hang themselves. A nation’s ideas and ideals change by the decade but God’s ideas and ideals endure forever. Unlike nations that rise and fall with astonishing predictability, the God-fearing nation will always prosper.

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord. Blessed are the people he chose to be his own. (Psalm 33:10 NIrV)

You may think that verse puts America in a very precarious position. But don’t despair. You are only living here temporarily; your citizenship is really in Heaven! So, verse 10, then, does carry a special meaning to Christians of any earthly nation:

But God chose you to be his people. You are royal priests. You are a holy nation. You are a people who belong to God. All of this is so that you can sing his praises. He brought you out of darkness into his wonderful light. (1 Peter 2:9 NIrV)

God sees all, vs. 13 – 15

As noted already, God created the world. More to the point, He created the material universe. A very common idea today is to acknowledge God as the Creator, but to ignore the fact that He is also the Sustainer. God didn’t make the world to just leave it up its own devices! This group of verses reminds us that God knows all and He sees all.

From heaven the Lord looks down and sees everyone. (Psalm 33:13 NIrV)

God maintains a careful oversight of that which He created. God sees the nations of this earth; every one of them. He knows what they are doing and what they are planning. He sees you and He sees me. Absolutely nothing escapes His eyes. Not only does He see everybody, but He hears them, too.

He creates the hearts of all people. He is aware of everything they do. (Psalm 33:15 NIrV)

Do you think God is unaware of what’s happening in the Middle East? In the halls of Congress? In the United Nations? Think again! Moffatt –

He alone made their minds, he notes all they do.

God alone is trustworthy, vs. 16 – 19

The weakness of man is contrasted against the strength of God in these verses, but they also teach God’s sovereignty. Contrary to outward appearances, it’s not the size of the army that wins a battle, it’s God. It’s never a man’s strength or determination that saves him, it’s God. If the Lord doesn’t deliver, then relying on mere military prowess is useless.

A king isn’t saved just because his army is big. A soldier doesn’t escape just because he is very strong. People can’t trust a horse to save them either. Though it is very strong, it can’t save them. (Psalm 33:16, 17 NIrV)

Truly a nation’s safety depends on its relationship with God. A godly nation will endure. A nation that turns its back on God will not. This is proven in history. Rudyard Kipling’s Recessional serves as kind of a modern commentary on these thought:

Far-called, our navies melt away; On dune and headland sinks the fire – Lo, all our pomp of yesterday Is one with Nineveh and Tyre! Judge of the Nations, spare us yet, Lest we forget – lest we forget.

For heathen heart that puts her trust In reeking tube and iron shard – All valiant dust that builds on dust, And guarding, calls not Thee to guard – For frantic boast and foolish word, They mercy on Thy people, Lord!

Amen.

Amen indeed! Psalm 127:1 is a good commentary on these ideas –

If the Lord doesn’t build a house, the work of its builders is useless. If the Lord doesn’t watch over a city, it’s useless for those on guard duty to stand watch over it. (Psalm 127:1 NIrV)

Because of God’s character, He can be depended upon for deliverance as long as an individual or nation fears Him and puts their hope in Him. This is why nations rise and fall. Endurance and permanence depend on God. It was Roger de Rabutin (Comte de Bussy), the French memoirist, who famously remarked:

God is usually on the side of the big squadrons against the small.

And Voltaire observed:

God is on the side not of the heavy battalions but of the best shots.

But according to the Bible, both of these guys got it wrong.

God in redemption, vs. 20 – 22

Only redeemed people can say these words with complete honesty!

We wait in hope for the Lord. He helps us. He is like a shield that keeps us safe. Our hearts are full of joy because of him. We trust in him, because he is holy. Lord, may your faithful love rest on us. We put our hope in you. (Psalm 33:20 – 22 NIrV)

These words represent a sort of self-dedication, which can be considered an act of worship in and of itself. It’s ironic that when we dedicate ourselves wholly to God, it is we who benefit. Our hearts rejoice. We receive the benefits of His protects and love. And yet, in a way God also benefits from our dedication and consecration. John Piper notes –

The climax of God’s happiness is the delight He takes in the echoes of His excellence in the praises of His people.

Praising God should come easily for those who take God and His Word seriously. When you read this particular psalm, how can you remain silent? God’s sovereignty is not meant to instill fear or dread, but rather a sense of wonder and adoration, that leads to praise and worship.

The Necessity of Being Thankful

Published June 25, 2015 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
Tags: God's provision, Psalms, Psalms of thanksgiving

It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High… (Psalm 92:1 AV)

Like the psalmist wrote, it really is a good thing to give thanks to the Lord! For all kinds of reasons, being thankful to God is a vitally important attitude for all Christians to adopt. Being thankful doesn’t come naturally; it takes work to maintain a thankful attitude. In a world that always disappoints, being thankful can be difficult sometimes. That’s why it’s a good idea to always remember what God has done for you in the past and give Him thanks in the present. David did that all the time in his psalms: he recalled the good days of yesterday during the hard days of today. If you can’t be thankful for today, you can be thankful for yesterday. And you can be thankful for tomorrow, where God’s promises wait.

Psalm 32 – The blessing of forgiveness

Psalm 32 is a psalm of thanksgiving, but it is also one of seven penitential psalms. It holds a special significance in the life of the Christian and of the church because it is driven by God’s forgiveness of sin. David sinned and experienced God’s forgiveness firsthand, as we all have. In a sense, every believer could write Psalm 32. Dave Hunt observed –

Our love for God and our appreciation of His love and forgiveness will be in proportion to the recognition of our sin and unworthiness.

Mr Hunt is correct, for if we take our sin lightly, we will take God’s forgiveness lightly.

Blessed is the one whose lawless acts are forgiven. His sins have been taken away. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord never counts against him. He doesn’t want to cheat anyone. (Psalm 32:1, 2 NIrV)

This psalm of thanksgiving begins on the highest note possible. One who has been forgiven of his sin is “blessed.” The Hebrew word could be translated, “happy.” Indeed, what a wonderful feeling to know your sins have been forgiven and your guilt taken away.

Paul alluded to these two verses in Romans 4 when he wrote about the imputation of sin –

King David says the same thing. He tells us how blessed some people are. God makes those people right with himself. But they don’t have to do anything in return. David says, “Blessed are those whose lawless acts are forgiven. Blessed are those whose sins are taken away. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord never counts against him.” (Romans 4:6 – 8 NIrV)

The great doctrine of imputation is a precious yet misunderstood one. Verse 2 isn’t implying that there are some people who haven’t sinned or that some sinners can’t be forgiven. Every human being is a sinner, and God is able to forgive the sins of any sinner, and when those sins are forgiven, they are never brought up again. Only a person who understands what God has done can experience true and lasting happiness. Because David was living during the Old Testament dispensation, his understanding of God’s plan of salvation was incomplete, but one thing he did understand was this one big truth: God must forgive the sinner’s sin; He must remove the sin from the sinner. Nobody can be right with God until his sins are taken away. That is something only God can do for the sinner. This is cause to be thankful!

Then I admitted my sin to you. I didn’t cover up the wrong I had done. I said, “I will admit my lawless acts to the Lord.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin. (Psalm 32:5 NIrV)

Here’s another truth David understood: the necessity of confession. How can God forgive your sins if you don’t think you need to be forgiven? Good question! David found out that the more he hid his sins and the more he kept what he had done to himself, the more he suffered. That suffering helped him understand that only confessing those sins would set him free. The agony of unconfessed sin in unbearable and it robs the believer of his joy and peace, and as David found out, health.

Let everyone who is godly pray to you while they can still look to you. When troubles come like a flood, they certainly won’t reach those who are godly. (Psalm 32:6 NIrV)

Remember, God can forgive anyone. That being true, it follows that anyone can be a godly person. Anyone can pray. As far as the believer is concerned, while any kind of trouble may threaten him, it won’t harm him. Why? Because God is the hiding place for the believer. God not only forgives the sin, but He offers protection and preservation.

You are my hiding place. You will keep me safe from trouble. (Psalm 32:7a NIrV)

As was his custom, David offered a bit of instruction to those who would be reading this psalm. Some think it is the Lord who is speaking in verses 8 – 9, but it’s probably David. Forgiveness and faith must lead to obedience and righteous living. The “believing side” of the gospel must be followed by the “behaving side.” Those who have experienced such great forgiveness; those who have been blessed beyond belief; those who are full of joy because of what the Lord has done for them want to live right. They don’t need to be forced to live right.

Don’t be like the horse or the mule. They can’t understand anything. They have to be controlled by bits and bridles. If they aren’t, they won’t come to you. (Psalm 32:9 NIrV)

That’s right! True believers should not behave like animals with no understanding and no free will. We who have been forgiven of so much should want to live lives pleasing to God solely because of what He has done for us. There is a dignity in choosing to serve the Lord. True believers are not robots; they are not animals. True believers are the freest people on earth; they are the happiest people on earth; and they are the most positive people on earth not only because of what God has done for them, but because of what He is doing for them:

... the Lord’s faithful love is all around those who trust in him. (Psalm 32:10b NIrV)

Psalm 116 – The blessing of God’s compassion

Another psalm of thanksgiving is Psalm 116. In the Greek and Latin Bibles, this psalm is actually two psalms, with the first one ending with verse 9. Both halves, however, tell the story of God’s compassion and faithfulness during a time of sickness. Because of the subject matter of Psalm 116, it is one of the most personal of the psalms.

I love the Lord, because he heard my voice. He heard my cry for his favor. Because he paid attention to me, I will call out to him as long as I live. The ropes of death were wrapped around me. The horrors of the grave came over me. I was overcome by trouble and sorrow. Then I called out to the Lord. I cried out, “Lord, save me!” (Psalm 116:1 – 4 NIrV)

This psalm of forgiveness begins on a profound note. We can’t outdo God in love. We are only able to love Him because He loved us first. Fortunately for all of us, God’s love for us has nothing to do with our affection for Him or our obedience to Him. His love for us has to do with His divine character.

The writer of this psalm is happy just to be alive, and he’s not afraid to talk about it. He’s emphatic about the love he has for God. He’s not afraid to publicly declare what God had done for him. That’s not an insignificant thing for believers to do, by the way. And believers should never be ashamed to talk about the goodness of God toward them regardless of who may be listening.

“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“May there be peace and glory in the highest heaven!”

Some of the Pharisees in the crowd spoke to Jesus. “Teacher,” they said, “tell your disciples to stop!”

“I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” (Luke 19:38 – 40 NIrV)

The psalmist was at death’s door apparently; his life was in great peril. This prompted a personal prayer for deliverance and health. Norwegian theologian Ole Kristian Hallesy once remarked –

Your helplessness is your best prayer.

He’s not wrong about that. When you’ve reached the very end of your resources, you’ll finally realize that God is the one who is your Provider. He is the one who can meet your needs because His resources are inexhaustible.

I said to myself, “Be calm. The Lord has been good to me.” (Psalm 116:7 NIrV)

What a marvelous perspective this person had! And it really is counterintuitive. When you’re suffering and sick and when there is no hope in sight, most people would be hard pressed to declare: The Lord has been good to me. Quite the contrary, in fact. But the psalmist is trying to teach us something truly life changing. In the midst of a trial of some kind, never forget – remind yourself, in fact – that God has been good to you. This is especially true in light of the first psalm we looked at.

Verse 10 is an interesting admission, especially in light of what this psalmist said in verse 7. Compare the two –

I said to myself, “Be calm. The Lord has been good to me.” (Psalm 116:7 NIrV)

I believed in you even when I said to myself, “I’m in great pain.” (Psalm 116:10 NIrV)

That’s a lot of “self-talk” going on! The psalmist really was a remarkable person. He trusted in the Lord but didn’t deny his circumstances. Christians are sometimes accused of doing just that, sometimes rightfully so. In our declarations of faith and trust in God and God’s provision, we shouldn’t be afraid to acknowledge the problems we are facing. Admitting them does not equal doubt in God. Verse 10 bears that out. The apostle Paul quoted this verse (LXX version) in 2 Corinthians –

It is written, “I believed, and so I have spoken.” With that same spirit of faith we also believe. And we also speak. (2 Corinthians 4:13 NIrV)

Paul and his friends had the same “spirit of faith” as the psalmist had. That positive attitude sprang from a realization of utter dependence on God for deliverance. There’s nothing like seeing your limitations in light of God’s unlimited abilities to put things in perspective.

As with all psalms of thanksgiving, the psalmist is sure God will provide what he is asking for. There is no doubt about it. Even as he waits for his deliverance, the psalmist continues to publicly worship God. What a great testimony!

Verse 15 is a verse that is commonly recited at funerals, and it is a comforting verse. However, understanding its proper context makes it a powerful verse. Here are two translations to consider –

Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful servants. (Psalm 116:15 NIV)

The Lord pays special attention when his faithful people die. (Psalm 116:15 NIrV)

In this case, the New International Reader’s Version may be closer to what the psalmist had in mind. Contextually, the psalmist is not necessarily saying that the death of a believer is viewed as a good thing or that is pleasing to God. Rather, it means that the death of a believer is of great concern to the Lord; he takes special notice or, as the NIrV says, he “pays special attention.” The Lord sees and He knows what’s going on. The death of one who loves God is never accidental or a mistake. No believer dies “before his time.”

But for our psalmist, his time had not yet come. He had been delivered from certain death and he has made a conscious decision to redouble his efforts to serve the God who delivered him.

Lord, I serve you. I serve you just as my mother did. You have set me free from the chains of my suffering. Lord, I will sacrifice a thank offering to you. I will worship you. (Psalm 116:16, 17 NIrV)

The details surrounding this Psalm are unknown to us. It is evident, however, that all the writer’s needs had been met. His faith had been vindicated.

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Posts Tagged 'Psalms'

Covenant Psalms: The Necessity of Obedience

Get Smart: Wisdom Psalms

The Primacy of Praise

The Necessity of Being Thankful

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