How to Give Thanks

November 15, 2023 at 2:36 pm | Posted in Biblical Thanksgiving, Uncategorized | 2 Comments
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“Thanksgiving” is an interesting word. We normally think of the second half of it, and apply it (correctly) as an obligation. We owe thanks to someone (most notably God!), and so it is right and good that we give it to Him. However, we need to also remember that the reason for the “thanks” is that He has first given something to us. Thanksgiving is the arena of receiving AND giving.

Psalm 100 was probably sung or recited during the ceremony of peace offerings, as described in Leviticus 3 and the second part of Leviticus 7, or perhaps when a worshiper brought a sacrificial animal or grain offering to the gates of the Tabernacle. It highlights for us five ways to give thanks:

1. Give thanks harmoniously.

1 Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. 2 Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.

Psalm 100:1-2

Our thanksgiving as Christians ought to be expressed and acknowledged together with other believers in common unity and peace, with one accord. Our individual reasons for gratitude ought to be blended together in harmony, just as our thoughts, attitudes, and actions ought to be in harmony with God’s own will and Word.

2. Give thanks happily.

The joy in our hearts ought to be expressed outwardly as we demonstrate our appreciation to God with praise on our lips and smiles on our faces.

3. Give thanks humbly.

Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Psalm 100:3

It ought to be kind of obvious, but sometimes we overlook the fact that the blessings for which we are giving God thanks are undeserved blessings. We are His people because He made us His people. He is the Shepherd who rescued us and made us His sheep and provides for us and protects us and makes us to dwell in a bountiful pasture. We are thankful to know that He is God and we are not.

4. Give thanks here.  

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

Psalm 100:4

We need to show up for corporate gatherings of thanksgiving. It is one thing to be sedentarily thankful – thankful in our private thoughts, devotions, and meditations – but it is another thing to be actively thankful: arising and going forth to meet with His people in a formal way at a certain time for an intentional occasion.

5. Give thanks hopefully.

For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

Psalm 100:5

Be thankful for what God has done in the past. Be thankful about what He is doing in the present. But do not forget to thank Him for what He will do in the future. He is going to keep being faithful to His covenant for generations to come, and forever.

Bible Study as a Means of Grace (Part 2)

November 9, 2023 at 4:32 pm | Posted in Means of Grace | 5 Comments
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The Holy Scriptures are sufficient, inspired, infallible, and inerrant. Another attribute of God’s Word is its perspicuity. Does this mean we can call it perspicuous? Perspicacious? I’m not sure what the correct adjective would be, but what it means is that the principles and precepts in the Bible can be understood by believers. Its essential truths and fundamental messages are clear to anyone who will read them honestly.

The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.

Psalm 119:30 (emphasis added)

Scripture is profitable for doctrine: instruction and teaching concerning what is right. It is profitable for reproof: conviction or testing by evidence concerning what is wrong. It is profitable for correction: showing us how to change from wrong to right, and from fallen to upright, and from crooked or perverse to straight. The Bible “straightens us out.” It is profitable for instruction: ongoing nurturing and training, which includes chastening in love.

Here are some practical ideas from the Bible itself to apply to your Bible study habits:

1. Study the Bible in community.

10 And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

Acts 17:10-11 (emphasis added)

2. Study the Bible daily (or at least regularly).

The Christians in Berea had an eagerness to hear the Word of God, and they did not trust a proclamation about it that could not be independently confirmed by reading and studying it, and specifically by reading and studying it in COMMUNITY.

3. Study the Bible by committing it to memory.

11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. 12 Blessed art thou, O Lord: teach me thy statutes. 13 With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth.

Psalm 119:11-13

Bible study should be accompanied by prayer. Ask the Author of the Word to teach it to you.

4. Study the Bible with joy.

5. Study the Bible through meditation.

14 I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches. 15 I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways. 16 I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.

Psalm 119:14-16

In community we converse with others about the Bible. In meditation we converse with ourselves about it.

6. Study the Bible with wonder.

Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.

Psalm 119:18

Have curiosity when studying the Word. Look for surprising and unexpected things in it. Ask the Lord to break the chains of your preconceptions.

7. Study the Bible as a priority.

I prevented the dawning of the morning, and cried: I hoped in thy word.

Psalm 119:147

Study the Bible at the beginning of an enterprise and at the conclusion of an enterprise.

8. Study the Bible as a performance review.

Mine eyes prevent the night watches, that I might meditate in thy word.

Psalm 119:48

Meditate on the Word at the beginning of the day and at the end of the day, at the beginning of a project and at the end of a project.

9. Study the Bible intellectually.

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Romans 12:2

Don’t underestimate the Holy Spirit’s ability and willingness to boost up your intelligence, understanding, and reading comprehension.

10. Study the Bible humbly.

For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

Romans 12:3

Try not to see yourself as the hero in every Bible story you read. Try to see yourself as the sinner in every Bible story.

11. Study the Bible cooperatively with other disciplines, such as prayer and ministry.

2 Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables. 3 Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. 4 But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word. 5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch: 6 Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them. 7 And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.

Acts 6:2-7

While studying the Bible, don’t just sit, soak, and sour. Instead, sit, soak, and serve.

Comfort One Another

August 7, 2023 at 1:23 pm | Posted in Biblical comfort, Uncategorized | 3 Comments
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The only thing in this world that holds any real hope for people who are grieving the death of someone they loved is the Word of God.

Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.

Psalm 116:15

What is precious about the death of a loved one? Not his absence, for he will be missed. Not the hope of a replacement, because the people we love can’t be replaced. Not a eulogy, because no matter how good or bad the words spoken, they will be forgotten. No, the death of someone we love is precious because it brings about two things:

First, it brings the people left here to carry on an important encouragement: the encouragement to turn to one another.

13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

I Thessalonians 4:13-18 (emphasis added)

“Comfort one another.” True comfort is not found in ourselves. It is not found in drugs. It is not found in songs or music. It is not found in lashing out in anger. It is not found in alienating the people around us who don’t understand us or who annoy us. The Bible doesn’t even make this a suggestion – it makes it a command: Comfort ONE ANOTHER.

The first precious thing – the first valuable thing – the first redemptive thing – about the death of a loved one is that it can bring people together. It can prompt you to be patient, to bear one another’s burdens, to forgive one another, to put aside the past, and lean on each other, and start over.

The deceased person may not have left behind a treasure chest full of gold or a huge portfolio of business investments to fight over. There may not be some great ceremonial reading of a will. But, more often than not, what the deceased person leaves behind is common bond among people who loved him. And his death will be precious – and it will be MEANINGFUL – if you can love and support and care for and comfort ONE ANOTHER.

I said before that the death of a loved one is precious in two ways. The second way is that God uses death as a warning, as an illustration, and as a proof that every single one of us, because the common experience of death, are going to see Him – much, much sooner than we think.

God is made you and God loves you, but God is also just and righteous. You and I have sinned against Him, and justice requires punishment for sin. How can a just God also love and forgive those who have taken his precious gift of life and used it against Him? Only the Gospel of Jesus Christ answers this question, and the death of someone you love forces us to at least consider the answer.

Hope and Urgency

May 17, 2023 at 2:55 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments
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To the chief Musician, Al-taschith, Michtam of David; when Saul sent, and they watched the house to kill him. 1 Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God: Defend me from them that rise up against me.

Psalm 59:1

There is some disagreement as to which genre Psalm 59 should be classified under. It seems most likely to be a psalm of lament, but, considering that it deals with situations faced by a king under attack from those who seek to take his life, at least one commentator classifies it as a royal lament.

Also, as with many of the Psalms, there is no clear consensus about the exact meaning of its preface. Obviously, we do know that David wrote it, or that it was written for David. It appears that it was to be given to the chief musician in the Tabernacle, whose name was Al-taschith, but “altaschith” means “do not destroy,” so perhaps this was not really someone’s name, and was instead a command or instruction: “Do not destroy this psalm.” To further complicate things, though, “do not destroy” might have been the name of a tune or a piece of lyricless music that was used for several songs. And to top it off, nobody really knows for sure what a “michtam” was. The best guess is that a “michtam” was a “golden” (precious) psalm, lending support to the idea that Psalm 59 is both a royal psalm and a lament.

What is more clear is the occasion which prompted its writing: I Samuel 19:11-18. Therefore, the key theme of the psalm is deliverance.

2 Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, and save me from bloody men. 3 For, lo, they lie in wait for my soul: the mighty are gathered against me; not for my transgression, nor for my sin, O Lord.

Psalm 59:2-3

There is both hope and urgency expressed here. A plea for urgent delivery does not always indicate a lack of trust. God does not expect us to ignore our circumstances or to indolently state, “Everything happens for a reason.” The Psalms teach us the permissibility of passion – a raw and real relationship with God.

God knows what our enemies are plotting, planning, and even doing, way before we do.

5 Thou therefore, O Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel, awake to visit all the heathen: be not merciful to any wicked transgressors. Selah. 6 They return at evening: they make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city.

Psalm 59:5-6

These were not Godly men with a reasonable difference of opinion over whether Saul should be succeeded by David. No, these were unclean and vicious animals prowling for David’s life.

7 Behold, they belch out with their mouth: swords are in their lips: for who, say they, doth hear? 8 But thou, O Lord, shalt laugh at them; thou shalt have all the heathen in derision.

Psalm 59:7-8

Their words were mean and nasty, their threats were fierce, and the danger they posed was real, but God is not intimidated. David really had to shake himself to remind himself of this unseen reality, which was more real than the visible world.

Joy and Lament

May 2, 2023 at 1:56 pm | Posted in Biblical joy | 1 Comment
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When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream.

Psalm 126:1

Psalm 126 was written at the fulfillment of the post-exilic return from Babylon, which Isaiah and Jeremiah had prophesied would happen after 70 years of captivity. In 537 B.C. King Cyrus suddenly and without warning issued the decree that the exiles could go home. They began to leave in 538 B.C. It happened so suddenly and unexpectedly that it was like they were dreaming. It didn’t seem real (despite the prophecy). Then the dreamlike unreality shifted to joy.

Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them.

Psalm 126:2

There are dirges in the Bible (sad songs), but most singing in the Bible is a sign of great joy. This psalm is a community lament psalm, but it is also a psalm of ascent. The “thens” in Verse 2 indicate steps upward. The gentiles in Canaan weren’t happy that Judah was being allowed to return, but they were forced to confess that the God of the Jewish people had done something great for them.

The Lord hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.

Psalm 126:3

This was their song, but the lament has to do with the rain that would be needed if they were to successfully survive in a ravaged land.

Turn again our captivity, O Lord, as the streams in the south.

Psalm 126:4

God’s salvation initiates hard work, not vice versa.

They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.

Psalm 126:5

Tearful sowing results in joyful reaping, both literally and evangelistically.

He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

Psalm 126:6

Your Time is Gonna Come

April 6, 2023 at 4:49 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments
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And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.

Psalm 37:6

The righteousness that the Lord shall bring forth shall be very apparent: as noticeable and obvious as the sun on a cloudless day at noon.

Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.

Psalm 37:7

It is difficult to “rest” in the face of dominating evil.

Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.

Psalm 37:8

Controlling anger and giving up the opportunity to vent wrath is a difficult challenge.

For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.

Psalm 37:9

This was more than inheriting the land of Canaan. This was a promise that those who trusted patiently in the Lord would inherit the whole earth.

For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.

Psalm 37:10

The time of the apparent prospering of the wicked will seem like a short time to them, and their complete annihilation will seem sudden.

But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

Psalm 37:11

What is shown on a cosmic scale in Psalm 2 is described here on a more personal level:

12 The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth. 13 The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.

Psalm 37:12-13

Perhaps you have warned someone that was mistreating you that there would eventually be a day of reckoning, by saying, “Just wait and see. Your time is coming.” Here, the Lord is able to laugh at the wicked because He knows their day is coming.

The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation.

Psalm 37:14

The wicked rule by intimidation and force.

Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.

Psalm 37:15

Deliverance often happens when defeat seems imminent, because then God is the one Who obviously gets the glory.

A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.

Psalm 37:16

This is reiterated throughout the Bible: righteousness is its own reward.

For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the Lord upholdeth the righteous.

Psalm 37:17

The arms of the wicked aren’t everlasting, but the Lord’s arms are.

The Lord knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever.

Psalm 37:18

Quiet, humble, “ordinary” obedience – unnoticed by others – is observed closely by the Lord.

19 They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied. 20 But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away.

Psalm 37:19-20

We shouldn’t be too pious to acknowledge that there will be some satisfaction when things are rectified.

The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth.

Psalm 37:21

Here we can contrast greed and its dissatisfaction, versus generosity and the contentment it breeds.

For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off.

Psalm 37:22

Now the psalm shifts from focusing on the condemnation of the wicked to the blessings of the Godly, which include guidance, perseverance, the provision of material needs, and the ability to bless others and to influence them for God:

23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way. 24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand. 25 I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. 26 He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed.

Psalm 37:23-26

However, we must not get complacent.

27 Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore. 28 For the Lord loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. 29 The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.

Psalm 37:27-29 (emphasis added)

This idea of dwelling means active dwelling: exercising dominion.

The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment.

Psalm 37:30

We have a duty to impart this wisdom to others.

The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.

Psalm 37:31 (This is the verse I intend to show my wife the next time she tries to cajole me into participating in a country music line dance, so that we don’t have a repeat of the time I inadvertently turned “The Freeze” into a mosh pit.)

Delighted and Dwelling, Not Fretful and Forsaken

March 30, 2023 at 2:18 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments
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Psalm 37 is described as a Psalm “of” David, which some some commentators find ambiguous, saying that it could mean that the Psalm was written BY David or written FOR David.

Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.

Psalm 37:1

There is not a clear recorded episode in the Bible of a specific incident in David’s life which inspired this Psalm, but, being in the category of “wisdom” Psalms, it would be a more general or at least topical Psalm about a common idea or several varied life principles.

I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.

Psalm 37:25

This leads us to believe that it was written when David was old. It is an acrostic poem in the original Hebrew, with every other verse beginning with a word that starts with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. This was probably meant to be a mnemonic device. It is also didactic in nature. It is a “teaching” Psalm, and the verses are addressed to people, not to God, the way some other Psalms are. Wisdom literature in the Bible can seem a little random to us, but the overarching main theme of Psalm 37 is how to think about, and live in, a world where the wicked seem to prosper.

The first lesson is not to fret, or be anxious, about the seeming success and dominance of the wicked, and not to be jealous of them. There are many reasons for this, but perhaps the most obvious is: Their prosperity is not going to last long.

For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.

Psalm 37:2 (I like to call this the “Lawnmower Verse.”)

In addition to remembering that the prosperity of the wicked is fleeting, we need to learn the not-so-secret of real success and prosperity:

Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.

Psalm 37:3

This is a general principle, but also a specific reference to Old Covenant promises.

Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

Psalm 37:4

The context here is not tricking God into giving us less-than-spiritual desires. It’s to find our real delight in Him, and then HE will be the desire of our hearts. However, in keeping with a common idea in wisdom-genre principles, there can be an application for the Lord blessing us with service and gifts in the things to which he created us to be predisposed.

Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

Psalm 37:5

The word translated as “commit” is a more vivid picture in Hebrew than in English. It’s the idea of “rolling” a burden off our shoulders and onto the shoulders of the Lord. In I Peter, Psalm 37:5 is referenced as the idea of “casting” our cares upon Him. When someone asks you, as a Christian, “How do you roll?” you can tell him, “I roll the way of the Lord – the way of trust and hope (“He shall bring it to pass”).

The Fate of Stray Dogs

February 27, 2023 at 3:23 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments
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Those who vent their anger against us for following Christ may very well mean to carry out their threats, but we do not have to be afraid. Certainly, God Himself is not intimidated. We can be brave and respond correctly only by trusting Him.

10 The God of my mercy shall prevent me: God shall let me see my desire upon mine enemies. 11 Slay them not, lest my people forget: scatter them by thy power; and bring them down, O Lord our shield.12 For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips let them even be taken in their pride: and for cursing and lying which they speak.13 Consume them in wrath, consume them, that they may not be: and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob unto the ends of the earth. Selah.

Psalm 59:10-13

Those verses are a good example of Biblical imprecation: correctly and justly calling down God’s wrath on the wicked. The psalmist, in Verse 11, asks God not to slay them too quickly, as though he wants their punishment to be drawn out. This is not said out of sadism, but, as shown by Verse 13, so that everyone can take in and clearly see the justice of the Lord.

14 And at evening let them return; and let them make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city. 15 Let them wander up and down for meat, and grudge if they be not satisfied.

Psalm 59:14-15

In some cases, it is often said, a dog’s bark may be worse than his bite, but this does not always hold true. Some dogs bark loudly and bite hard, but, ultimately, a pack of wild dogs poses no real threat to well-organized and defended city. These dogs, being untamed and masterless, are condemned to remain outside the city, hungry, scorned, unwanted, and unwelcome. Without a master, they, by default, must be their own masters. Human beings, though, who act like wild dogs, not wanting to be mastered by anyone else, wind up being ruled by someone, anyway (themselves or Satan or both), and they are subject to the worst bondage, and, ultimately, destruction.

Mighty in Mischief

February 23, 2023 at 1:43 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments
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The story behind Psalm 52 starts in I Samuel 21, featuring an ominous mention of a man named Doeg, and continues in I Samuel 22. Doeg was an Edomite, descended from Esau. The Edomites were still at odds with the descendants of Jacob all these centuries later.

17 And the king said unto the footmen that stood about him, Turn, and slay the priests of the Lord: because their hand also is with David, and because they knew when he fled, and did not shew it to me. But the servants of the king would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priests of the Lord. 18 And the king said to Doeg, Turn thou, and fall upon the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned, and he fell upon the priests, and slew on that day fourscore and five persons that did wear a linen ephod. 19 And Nob, the city of the priests, smote he with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and sucklings, and oxen, and asses, and sheep, with the edge of the sword. 20 And one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David. 21 And Abiathar shewed David that Saul had slain the Lord’s priests. 22 And David said unto Abiathar, I knew it that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul: I have occasioned the death of all the persons of thy father’s house. 23 Abide thou with me, fear not: for he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life: but with me thou shalt be in safeguard.

I Samuel 22:17-23

Doeg and Saul plotted wicked plots and schemed wicked schemes. David often found himself in dire straits as he tried to serve the Lord with integrity while being attacked by those who had no such qualms about their lack of integrity.

This is the background of Psalm 52, and it is a tough psalm to classify. It contains a lament, thanksgiving, and some imprecatory elements. One commentator called it a psalm of trust. It causes us to think about how the faithful respond to the arrogance and scheming of the wicked.

Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God endureth continually.

Psalm 52:1

This is an example of Biblical sarcasm. Doeg and Saul were more mighty in boasting than they were in what really counted.

The tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.

Psalm 52:2

Contrary to the popular proverb, words can do more damage than sticks and stones. Gossip, slander, schemes, deceit, flattery, false teaching, and the alienation of beneficial companionship are just some of the forms of mischief that can result from an evil tongue.

3 Thou lovest evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah. 4 Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue.

Psalm 52:3-4

The next verse contains jussive verbs, but in an optative sense: threats disguised as wishes.

God shall likewise destroy thee for ever, he shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place, and root thee out of the land of the living. Selah.

Psalm 52:5

These men who were mighty in mischief would be destroyed like a torn-down building, and plucked out like coal from a fire. They would be torn out of the arms of their families and made homeless without tents. They would be uprooted like trees.

The righteous also shall see, and fear, and shall laugh at him:

Psalm 52:6

This is the laughter of joy AND relief that happens when a seemingly formidable enemy is exposed as puny.

Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength; but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness.

Psalm 52:7

We must not trust in our own strength and resources. We should ask the Holy Spirit to make us weak when we are tempted to practice wickedness, so that it is quickly exposed and forsaken.

But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever.

Psalm 52:8

Contrast the uprooted tree of Verse 5 with this green olive tree, capable of producing six gallons of oil per year, and which may be fruitful for hundreds of years. 

I will praise thee for ever, because thou hast done it: and I will wait on thy name; for it is good before thy saints.

Psalm 52:9 (emphasis added)

We want others to notice our dependence on God.

Turn Us Again

January 23, 2023 at 5:03 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments
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Psalm 80 is a psalm of lament, but not a personal or individual lament of the psalmist. It is a community lament and a plea for deliverance. It is not a Davidic psalm. It is from a later time, closer to the time described in the Book of Jeremiah. It was most likely written near the end of the conquest of Israel (the northern tribes) by the Assyrians. Judah (the southern tribe) and Israel were not friends at that point, but what happened to Israel was a shock to Judah, and, although it did not ultimately move the people of Judah to repentance, it did provoke some level of sympathy, which we can see in this psalm.

The preface says, “[To the chief Musician upon Shoshannimeduth, A Psalm of Asaph.]” The musical tune to which the psalm was to be sung was known as the “Lilies of the Covenant” or “of testimony.,” and the reason why this tune had that title is uncertain. It may have been a reference to Israel/Judah’s precarious position as a lily among thorns (pagan nations). Asaph here, who was most likely used by the Holy Spirit to write it, was not the Asaph who was David’s chief Levite musician, although he may have been a descendant who was named after him. Another possibility is that they were still using music written by the original Asaph. Few Biblical details are murkier than some of the superscriptions to the Psalms.

The imagery and the metaphor in the first verses of Psalm 80 are of an endangered flock with the Lord as their rescuing Shepherd. Faithful shepherds lead, protect, provide, give tender care to, rescue, and often steward their sheep. This is an excellent metaphor for Jesus. He is ordained and anointed by God the Father to do all these things for us. As sheep we are not expected to be smart enough or strong enough to get along with Him (otherwise we would not need a shepherd), but He keeps us eternally secure because we belong to Him.

Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth. Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh stir up thy strength, and come and save us. Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.

Psalm 80:1-3 (emphasis added)

Sometimes we think that God will help us if we can just turn back to Him, as though we could start the process of repentance in our own strength. We make the mistake of thinking that we don’t need to cry out for help until we’ve exhausted – or at least expended a little of – our effort first. Here, the people recognized that they needed to turn back to God, but they even needed Him to do that for them. God does not despise the weak and the needy. Those are the groups He helps. God grants repentance and causes His grace to land on us. That, and only that, is our hope of salvation. “We SHALL BE saved.”

The people wanted His face to shine, but isn’t the face of the Father of Lights, in whom is no variableness nor shadow of turning, always shining? This is what they meant:

The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.

Numbers 6:24-26

This is sometimes called the benediction. Fathers and parents are supposed to pray this for their children. We are supposed to pray it for our nation. It’s not just that God’s face would shine, but that it would shine upon US. Just a favorable look from God in our direction can change our whole lives. It can change the course of history.

Then comes the lament section of the psalm. In Psalm 80:4-6 the manna and the water had become tears to eat and drink. The laughter is a derisive laughter: not a “laughing with,” but a “laughing at.” No one enjoys being a laughingstock. God’s provision had been neglected and they had turned inward to themselves, and, as a result, they were left starving and dying of thirst. God’s people had become a child’s toy of contention and strife among the pagan nations, a people of no consequence other than a political pawn or a spoil of war. So the refrain, “turn us again,” is repeated, but with a slight addition:

Turn us again, O God of hosts, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.

Psalm 80:7 (emphasis added)

This time the image is not a shepherd. It is the image of the Commander of the angelic armies of Heaven. Their very own history was a story of God fighting for them and securing them a place in this world – a place from which He might be advertised and testified about as the only true God. In Verse 3 it was “O God” (Elohim). Now in Verse 7 it is “O God of Hosts” (Elohim Saba – or Sabaoth), God of war. They wanted the “adult” – the real God – to come back into the room and stop the spoiled bullies from tearing them limb from limb. They wanted Him to demonstrate His rightful ownership over them and care for them.

Part of this lament is an admission and confession of the people’s history.

Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt: thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it.

Psalm 80:8

This is no longer the metaphor of the Shepherd caring for His sheep, but another one that is also very common in the Bible: the husbandman or vinedresser, and the vineyard. Israel was the vine brought out of Egypt and planted in the promised land of Canaan. The Book of Joshua is about the Gardener clearing the land of weeds and thorns, and making it fertile. Notice the pronouns in Verse 8. God gets all the credit and glory for this. It was something done TO them, not something God helped them to do on their own.

Thou preparedst room before it, and didst cause it to take deep root, and it filled the land.

Psalm 80:9

The land of Canaan ultimately became known as the land of Israel or Judah. At the apex of King David’s rule it stretched over a relatively large area:

The hills were covered with the shadow of it, and the boughs thereof were like the goodly cedars.

Psalm 80:10

The kingdom was bounded on the north by Lebanon (cedars).

She sent out her boughs unto the sea, and her branches unto the river.

Psalm 80:11

It was bounded by the Mediterranean Sea on the west, and by the Euphrates River on the east. The south is not mentioned, probably because Egypt and the Sinai desert is from where God’s people had come.

Verses 12-16 describe some of the destruction which could happen to a vineyard, and all the most severe dangers are mentioned: the border broken through and torn down; fire; wild beasts; vines cut down. We don’t want to pessimistically fantasize, but we might do well sometimes to imagine what could happen to the things we hold dearest if we turn away from God. I doubt we can really conceive all the ways that God’s grace and mercy daily restrain our destruction from coming upon us. When His vineyard is fallen into chaos and unfruitfulness He comes as a warrior to defend it.

Although Psalm 80 is not traditionally considered a Messianic psalm, there is a clear Messianic reference at the end:

Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, upon the son of man whom thou madest strong for thyself.

Psalm 80:17

In those days the listeners and the lamenters would have seen this as a reference to a descendant of David, but it is clearly about Jesus, too, who was and is the ultimate and greater heir of David

So will not we go back from thee: quicken us, and we will call upon thy name.

Psalm 80:18

“Quicken us” means make us alive. Having put all their trust in God to help them when they, like Israel, could not help themselves, they repeat the refrain for the last time. Israel did not repent (turn), but they know that God can turn them.

Turn us again, O Lord God of hosts, cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.

Psalm 80:19

“We shall be saved” is passive tense. It is something done to us – for our good, yes – but also for the glory of the Lord God of Hosts.

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