heyirishman

Fast For The Invisible Children

2006-10-11T17:19:00.000-07:00

Invisible Children

I was teaching a peace and justice class to my juniors last year and one of my students gave me this movie called Invisible Children. She wanted me to play it for the class during one of our double periods. It was about a crisis happening in Uganda. It thought “why not”? So I played the movie for my class. It was excellent. The story goes like this:

These American guys, (friends) heard about an unjust war taking place in Uganda, but they didn’t know very much about it. So, they decided to travel there to find out what it was all about. They brought their cameras, intending to bring back some footage. The ended up finding out a lot more than what they expected. They discovered that thousands of little children are—currently—being forced into a war as mercenaries. We’re talking about 10, 12 year old children! They are stolen and are then trained for war. They become so immersed in killing that, all they can think of is blood. Little children cry as they tell their stories. They cry out to God for help.

The footage that the guys took was made into the film Invisible Children. They sell this film on their website, which is dedicated to relieving the children from their suffering. Also, they sell bracelets, which are made in Uganda, by those children who have not been abducted. These bracelets are to remind us of the suffering children. The money that is made is put back into the community in Uganda. Initially, they planned on building a new town for the people, but now the money is being put into education.

Oftentimes, many of us today hear of so many atrocities happening all over the world, that we figure we cannot wage a sufficient war against all of them, or any of them. We take a look at all of the evils in the world and give up before even trying. And when it comes to something like a crisis Uganda, which is so far away, we tend to think that we cannot have any impact there. Because nowadays we have the T.V. etc., we hear of so many atrocities all at once. And what happens is we get overwhelmed. Sometimes we just say a prayer to keep our consciences quiet for a time. But what happens after a while is we become complacent and even comfortable in our powerlessness. And the end result of all of this is that we train ourselves to be learn to be unloving. But God wants us to be actually running in this race.

So let me tell you what I have in mind. An acquaintance and I have decided that we will fast on Oct 18th for the Invisible Children. We decided that if we try to take on just some of what these poor children suffer each day, then God will be pleased. Perhaps God might even be moved to have mercy on them. My friend and I decided to email all of our friends about this and to invite them to join in the fast. So hopefully, if you are reading this, you too will email your friends and family etc. It would be amazing if hundreds and hundreds of people were fasting on this day for the Invisible Children of Uganda. Jesus suffered for us. All I'm suggesting is that it would be great if we could follow His example. The little cross we plan on picking up is the cross of hunger, and the slight suffering that comes with that.

If you decide to join in this fast, it would be really encouraging to know about it. Please email me so that I can count up the number of people and post it on my blog. Thay way, when you fast, you can do so knowing that so many others are out there fasting. Knowing that there are others involved can help us be all the more excited about it.

If you desire to buy the DVD Invisible Children or the bracelets for their cause, please go to www.invisiblechldren.com

If you decide you will fast for the children in Uganda, please email me here at damienjconnolly@hotmail.com and I will add your name to the number, which will get posted on this blog.

It must be made known that this fast is about the Invisible Children. Not me. Not my friend. Not anybody...except for the Invisible Children. It is also worth noting that this fast is an interdenominational effort.

Finally since I am the one calling this fast, I feel obliged to say that I am not promoting pregnant women fasting, little children fasting, elderly people fasting, and (of course) fasting for very long periods of time. Please use your wisdom. And if you do fast, please use your wisdom when coming off of your fast (they say that a small salad is a good thing to eat after a fast).

Ps. If you want to email your friends about this fast, you are more than welcome to copy this post into an email, if you feel it would help to explain the situation.

Psalm 21 (g)

2006-04-12T08:58:00.000-07:00

8 All they that saw me have laughed me to scorn: they have spoken with the lips, and wagged the head.

9 He hoped in the Lord, let him deliver him: let him save him, seeing he delighteth in him.

Here we have the despicable attitude of all those who surround Jesus. Jesus said nothing. Nothing could be said. They did not deserve his words. Therefore, silent he kept.

10 For thou art he that hast drawn me out of the womb: my hope from the breasts of my mother.

11 I was cast upon thee from the womb. From my mother's womb thou art my God,

Most translations render the word “for” as “yet.” The Word Biblical Commentary completely leaves out the word “but” or “yet.” In the WBC, the sentence reads: “you are he that hast drawn me out…” In my opinion, the verse is trying to convey the idea that “even though this is happening to me, I trust in you. It is the most natural thing for me to do. Because that is what I have always done, from the time of my infancy. I've always been trusting in God.”

12 Depart not from me. For tribulation is very near: for there is none to help me.

Even though David/Jesus asked God in verse 1 “why have you forsaken me?” here David/Jesus asks God not to depart from him. How can this be? Is David contradicting himself? Certainly not! There is therefore, a sense in which God is with David/Jesus, even though, by all *appearances* he is not with him. But that is the point—God had abandoned Jesus only by outward appearances. This verse then, seems to destroy the Calvinist notion that God completely turned his back on Jesus as he was dying on the Cross. The Calvinist notion is that Jesus actually became sinful with mankind’s sins as he was dying on the Cross and that God punished Jesus for the sins of mankind instead of punishing mankind. But, this cannot be. Jesus was a “Spotless Lamb.” In the Old Testament, only spotless lambs could qualify to make up for sin. How could a spotted lamb make up for sin? Jesus—God could never be sinful.

Jesus’ prayer is for God not to depart from him. And God did not depart from Jesus. Jesus is saying to God: “don’t depart from me because I have no one else to help me.” The point is, at a time when everyone else had abandoned him—even his own friends, the one person who did not abandon Jesus was God, the faithful one. Jesus’ own disciples (save John) abandoned him as he was being scourged and beaten.

Psalm 21 (f)

2006-04-05T17:52:00.000-07:00

5 In thee have our fathers hoped: they have hoped, and thou hast delivered them.
6 They cried to thee, and they were saved: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.
7 But I am a worm, and no man: the reproach of men, and the outcast of the people.

David contrasts his present situation with that of his ancestors. They were faithful to God and God was faithful back. But David finds that God is not faithful to him. There could only be 2 possible reasons for God’s seeming faithlessness:

(a) God is not holy, or
(b) David was not as holy (worthy of God’s faithfulness) as he thought he was.

David has already dispelled the notion that God is not holy by referring to “our fathers” and how God always came through for them. But now he must deal with the remaining question...the question of whether David himself is holy and deserving of God’s faithfulness.

Now, David knows in his heart of hearts that he has been faithful to God. But the world looks on at him and calls him a “worm.” This is the very same word that Bildad the Shuhite used to describe Job. Here are his words (Job 25):

2 "Dominion and awe belong to God;
he establishes order in the heights of heaven.
3 Can his forces be numbered?
Upon whom does his light not rise?
4 How then can a man be righteous before God?
How can one born of woman be pure?
5 If even the moon is not bright
and the stars are not pure in his eyes,
6 how much less man, who is but a maggot—
a son of man, who is only a worm!"

Bildad’s comment is interesting because Bildad did not believe that Job was holy, innocent or just. Hence he called him a "worm." Granted Bildad seems to call all of mankind a worm; nevertheless, this is the word that sticks in Job’s mind.

Back in psalm 8, David praised God’s creation. He said, “what is man that thou art mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?” David then went on to say that God had placed man in a privileged position in the order of creation. Mankind has been placed over every other created thing (inicluding worms!). In fact, all created things have been “placed under his feet.”

Here is psalm 8 again:

4 What is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?
5 You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings [c]
and crowned him with glory and honor.
6 You made him ruler over the works of your hands;
you put everything under his feet:
7 all flocks and herds,
and the beasts of the field,
8 the birds of the air,
and the fish of the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas.
9 O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Yet Bildad’s comment lowers man’s dignity below the level of a worm! How can he say that?

Thus, when David/Jesus, in the midst of trial and suffering exclaims that he is a worm, he is not saying that he is a worm in *his own* estimation. Far from it! Because David/Jesus knows that he has been faithful to God; he knows that he does not deserve his present fate. What David means is that all those who surround him consider him to be a worm; and by worm, he means a low-life. When people see David they judge him to be scum...faithless, and unholy.

When Jesus quotes from psalm 21, he is basically alluding to the experience of both David and Job. He is saying that he feels judged by all who surround him, just as David and Job felt judged. They judge him to be an unworthy sinner because he is suffering like an unworthy sinner who is forsaken by God. David felt abandoned by God, Job felt abandoned by God and now Jesus feels abandoned by God and treated as a sinner.

Oh Jesus, what you went through for us. In our estimation you are the King of Glory! Have mercy on us all.

Psalm 21 (e)

2006-04-04T18:11:00.000-07:00

What exactly is verse 3 saying?

This is a tough question to answer, because each translation places a different emphasis on a different part of the verse. For example, the NIV stresses how God IS holy (irrespective of anyone’s belief), whereas the RSV stresses how God is APPRECIATED for his holiness by the people. Given the flow of the psalm, I would have to say that the RSV sounds better. Let me explain.

So far, David is saying how he is experiencing God as distant. This would seem to suggest that God is not holy (objectively). But then, according to the RSV, it is almost as if David said (this is a long paraphrase):

“But this is completely unlike You! You have NEVER been know to forsake ANYONE! I mean, all throughout our history, you have come to save those who have been faithful to you (which I will talk about in the next verse). All of our ancestors have known and have experienced your faithfulness to them. Therefore, no one has EVER known you to be an unholy God. For crying out loud, “you are enthroned as the Holy One, you are the glory of Israel.” No one knows you as anything else other than Holy. Your seemingly unholy disposition towards me now, is at complete odds with all the records."

This is what I think the verse means.

God be with you this Lent as you study his sacred Word.

Psalm 21 (d)

2006-04-04T09:27:00.000-07:00

Here are some different translations of the next verse (4/3)

DR: But thou dwellest in the holy place, the praise of Israel.
NIV: Yet thou art holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.
RSV: Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the praise of Israel
KJV: But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.
NAB: Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the glory of Israel.

It is hard to tell which words are the original words. I don’t think anybody knows for sure. But that shouldn’t stop us from at least hypothesizing.

So far in this psalm, David has been explaining how abandoned he feels. This would naturally lead others to think that God is not holy, since He is not being faithful to David, as David had been to Him. By all appearances then, God would seem to be anything but holy. Anyone who would let his own greatest fan, greatest worshipper, greatest friend etc. die without extending an arm of help...surely that person cannot be reckoned as holy. Surely David had been wrong about God all along. And herein lies the problem. Just a few psalms earlier, David was telling the world, “to the faithful, he shows himself faithful.” But now, God seemed to be anything but faithful. By all appearances then, God seemed not to be holy, for he seemed to have abandoned David.

But when David cries out “but/yet you are holy…” he is saying that what is occurring to him does not reflect God’s holy character. David is saying, “despite the present circumstances, despite all appearances, you ARE holy.”

Psalm 21 (c)

2006-03-31T08:33:00.000-08:00

Translations of verse 3

DR: O my God, I shall cry by day, and thou wilt not hear: and by night, and it shall not be reputed as folly in me.

KJV: O my God, I cry in the day time, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent.

NIV: My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest

RSV: O my God, I cry by day, but thou dost not answer; and by night, but find no
rest.

Again, we have the same old problem with translation. Usually, I am really into the DR, but in this case, as with the last verse, I will side with the NIV and RSV. This is because the DR doesn’t make much sense in light of the rest of the psalm. For before this verse, David laments the fact that God does not hear him, and after this verse, David expresses how he is looked upon as a fool for his faith in God. The only way the DR can work is if we interpret it to mean that despite the seeming fact that God has abandoned David (and is abandoning David), he is still convinced that his crying will, ultimately, not be in vain. He is sure that God will deliver him. This is what he means by “it shall not be reputed to me as folly.”

That said, I do find myself siding more with the NIV and RSV, because the above reconciliation of the DR with the overall meaning of the psalm is a little forced. And for someone expressing great feelings of agony, such words of quiet confidence do seem out of place. I think we will be safe therefore with the NIV, which in fact also makes reference to the KJV.

The references to “day” and “night” are striking. David cries in the “day” but feels that his cry does not reach God’s ears. He also “cries” at night, but he “finds no rest.” We must ask ourselves what kind of “rest” David is talking about here. Is it physical rest, or is it spiritual rest. Or perhaps David is speaking of resting from his crying (which seems to be the meaning implied by the KJV). David has been known to “labor in his groaning” (Ps 6).

In saying that he finds no rest, David is craving heaven where we will be able to enjoy eternal rest with our God. Parenthetically, the number 666 is generally associated with the devil. But it can also signify a state of unrest. David finds himself stuck on the number 6, as it were and is reaching out for 7…but is unable to grasp it. The one positive thing about David’s experience however, is that he has not stopped searching for rest. But in not giving up faith, David “attained to a better resurrection” (Heb 11:35) in the end.

Psalm 21 (b)

2006-03-31T07:23:00.000-08:00

Translations of verse 2:

1. Far from my salvation are the words of my sins.
2. WBC: “My moaning is of the distance of salvation.”
3. “my roaring is the distance of my salvation.”

The problem with not knowing Hebrew, is not knowing Hebrew! What is the most correct translation of this verse? Which do we go by?

If 1 is correct, then David is saying that he ought not to be suffering since he has put his sins behind him. He has entered into the realm of grace and should be suffering (mortally) any more.

If 2 or 3 is correct, then David/Christ would be “moaning” or roaring because he suffering. But how are we to understand “moaning” or “roaring” as “the distance of my salvation”? This could mean:

(a) When he stops moaning/roaring he will be saved, OR

(b) David feels that God is immensely far away.

I bleieve that b is the correct option. But what is “the distance of our salvation” anyway? Well, when Adam and Eve sinned, they put a great distance between mankind and God. This distance needed to be bridged, but no man could bridge the gap. Only an infinitely perfect God could bridge that gap. And that gap was bridged by Jesus as he died. This is what I understand as the “distance of salvation.”

Therefore when David says: “my roaring is the distance of my salvation” he means that his roaring, his crying out to God for mercy, is not reaching God’s ears. His cry for mercy is just leaving his lips…he feels that his cry goes up, but it fades away into the wind. The infinite gap between him and God is too much. He cannot cry any louder, he cannot roar with any greater efficacy. His cry can only go so far…but it does not reach the ears for which it was intended. As David was suffering, he felt “forsaken” by God. He felt that even his most earnest cries faded into the distance, but could never reached God, because God dwelt in a place infinitely far away.

Psalm 21 (a)

2006-03-26T18:22:00.000-08:00

Psalm 21 is well known for the fact that Jesus quoted it as he hung from the Cross. Unfortunately however, that is about as much as we know of the psalm. Very few of us have made the time to look at the psalm in detail to try to understand it at all. When we understand the whole psalm we will understand a whole lot better what Jesus meant when he quoted from it. We can be sure that Jesus knew this psalm (and all the psalms!) by heart.

Of all the verses in psalm 21, the opening line is the least well known. This is probably because many have written it off as being part of the title, which is not inspired. However, this first verse is inspired indeed. Its words are quite enigmatic:

1 Unto the end, for the morning protection, a psalm for David.

Immediately, we find ourselves with many questions. What is the morning protection? Is this psalm to be prayed in the morning? Is it to be prayed at night, in anticipation of the morning? Did David write this psalm himself, or was it written for him? Is this even the correct translation of the verse?

It is interesting to note how the Word Biblical Commentary translates this verse:

“For the musical director. According to the Doe of the Dawn. A psalm of David.”

What a difference! The WBC tells us that the Doe of the Dawn was probably a musical piece which is meant to accompany the psalm, hence the request for the musical director. Here also, it is intimated that David is the actual composer of the psalm, rather than just the recipient thereof.

For now, we will let verse 1 rest. We will come back to it later.

2 O God my God, look upon me: why hast thou forsaken me?

Up till now, we were told that God responds favorably to David whenever David calls. For example: “God knows the way of the just” (Ps 1:6). We are told: “I have cried to the Lord with my voice and he hath heard me from his holy hill” (Ps 3:5); “When I called upon Him, the God of my justice heard me” (Ps 4:1); “…the Lord shall hear me when I shall cry unto him” (Ps 4:4); “For to thee will I pray: O Lord in the morning thou shall hear my voice” (Ps 5:4); “Depart from me all ye workers of iniquity: for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping” (Ps 6:9); “When my enemy shall be turned back: they shall be weakened and perish before thy face” (Ps 9:4); “Have mercy on me, O Lord: see my humiliation which I suffer from my enemies” (Ps 9:14); “Thou seest it [the wicked in action], for thou considerest labor and sorrow that thou may deliver them into thy hands” (Ps 10:14); “The Lord hath heard the preparation of the their [the poor] heart” (Ps 10:17); “His eyes look on the poor man; his eyelids examine the sons of men” (Ps 10:5); “For the Lord is just, and hath loved justice: his countenance hath beheld righteousness” (Ps 10:8); “By reason of the misery of the needy, and the groans of the poor, now will arise, saith the Lord” (Ps 11:6); “how long dost thou turn away thy face from me?” (Ps 12:1); “Consider and hear me O Lord my God” (Ps 12:4); “The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there be any that understand and seek God” (Ps 13:2); “I set the Lord always in my sight, for he is at my right hand that I be not moved” (Ps 15:8); “I have cried to thee for thou O God hast heard me: O incline thy ear unto me and hear my words” (Ps 16:6); “But as for me, I will appear before thy sight in justice: I shall be satisfied when thy glory shall appear” (Ps 16:15); “Praising, I will call upon the Lord: and I shall be saved from my enemies” (Ps 17:4); “In my affliction I called upon the Lord, and I cried to my God: And he heard my voice from his holy temple and my cry before him came into his ears” (Ps 17:7); “And the Lord will reward me according to my justice; and according to the cleanness of my hands before his eyes” (Ps 17:25); “They cried, but there was none to save them: to the Lord, but he heard them not” (Ps 17:42); “He hath set his tabernacle in the sun…” (Ps 18:6); “May the Lord hear thee in the day of tribulation: and defend thee out of Sion. May he be mindful of all thy sacrifices…The Lord fulfill all thy petitions” (Ps 19:7).

We see that practically ALL of the quotations confirm the fact that David knows that God sees him. God sees David’s good life and is pleased; and God sees the wicked and is displeased. David has had a very intimate relationship with God all his life. Experience has shown him that if he is faithful to God, God will not forsake him. The only exception to this however is psalm 12:4 which reads: “how long dost thou turn away thy face from me?” (Ps 12:1). This shows us that at least once in his life, David felt God had abandoned him. But in the end, God showed himself faithful to David. His experience must have taught him that when God seems not to be listening (Ps 12:1), he is really listening. Thus, when we read in psalm 21: “why hast thou forsaken me,” we must remember that we have seen this before.

There is a big difference between psalm 12 and 21 however. The feelings of abandonment are so much stronger in psalm 21. The reason is because in psalm 12, the abandonment (in the proper sense of the term) had not as yet truly come. In psalm 12 David seems more anxious about the *possibility* of abandonment. For instance, he prays “enlighten my eyes that I may never sleep in death: lest at any time my enemy say: I have prevailed against him.” Psalm 21 on the other hand, tells us how the enemy *is* shaking his head etc. at David’s abandonment by God. And the feeling of lonesomeness and abandonment is so much more acute.

Quick Synopsis and a Short-Cut to Ps 21

2006-03-25T17:49:00.000-08:00

I have to admit, my study of the Psalms is sinking a little. Trying to find the connections between them is very difficult. The connections that I see may only be connections in my mind. But I figure that if after studying the psalms I discover that the psalms are actually pieced together in a haphazard way, then at least I learned that much. At least I am trying. For now, I am jumping ahead to this psalm (21) because it is interpreted for me by the New Testament Passion scene. Jesus quotes from this psalm as he is being crucified. So, I am going to this psalm to get my bearings straight.

So far in my interpretation, I have seen all the psalms leading up to this point, David’s/Jesus’ death. Psalm 1 told us that there are wicked people, psalm 2 told us that the wicked people don’t like us, psalm 3 told us that the wicked people really don’t like us, psalms 4 and 5 tell us that we can pray against the wicked, even while we try to convert them (see earlier installments) psalm 6 tells us that we need to be humble in the presence of the wicked, psalm 7 tells us that the wicked will do their best to give us a guilt trip in order to slow us down, psalm 8 tells us the wicked have no excuse (God has been patient and merciful to them from day 1) psalm 9 tells us that we should look forward to the judgment of the wicked since they have made us suffer so, psalm 10 tells us that the wicked are “practical atheists”—they choose to disbelieve there is a God because there is no sign of His justice in the world, psalm 11 tells us that as we persist in the Christian walk, many will fall away and lose their faith to join the wicked, psalm 12 tells us that God has decided to act “now” on behalf of the righteous servants who are suffering at the hands of the wicked. (But this deliverance is forestalled). Psalm 13 David tells the wicked they are fools because he knows their end is coming, in psalm 14 David spells out for the wicked what they ought to be like to get to heaven, psalm 15 tells us that David’s body will not be corrupt forever (God will raise it) thus solidifying in our minds the notion that David is to die soon; psalm 16 shows us that as we near our hour of death, we need to pray for the grace of perseverance and salvation; it also tells us how David prayed to be delivered from the “wicked one”; psalm 17 shows us that if we live good and faithful lives, we can expect God to be faithful to us when we die.

Psalms 18, 19, 20 will be left alone for the time being. I will come back to them later. For now, I will explore psalm 21.

Stay tuned…

Psalm 17: Can We Expect God's Deliverance?

2006-03-21T15:45:00.000-08:00

Towards the end of psalm 17, we read: “50 Therefore will I give glory to thee, O Lord, among the nations, and I will sing a psalm to thy name.” Why does David want to sing a psalm to God and to give him glory among the nations? The answer is because David is filled to overflowing with faith in God’s future deliverance. He is confident that God will deliver him and that he will be awarded “according to the cleanness of his hands.”

David is almost ecstatic. He begins to become overwhelmed with the holy and dependable character of God. He starts speaking about how trustworthy God is, how faithful God is, how dependable God is. Thus, David can be certain that he will be delivered, first of all because he himself has lived a blameless life, but second of all because God is faithful, and will award David “according to the cleanness of his hands.” There is no use in David living an exemplary life if God is fickle and not dependable. But here, both sides of the equation are in place. David’s righteousness coupled with God’s faithfulness will result in salvation; but for now...praise

The fact that God will reward the good and punish the wicked is already an established theological fact: "To the innocent you show yourself innocent, but to the perverse you show yourself peverse." But established theological facts do nothing to the soul unless mixed with faith. Here, we see that David’s faith is alive and well! He knows God from his past deliverances. He has had much experience with God over his life. Indeed, God may have been allowing difficult situations to enter into David’s life for the singular purpose of preparing David for this very hour. But, now the training is over, and David is ready for the final hurdle...death.

At this point, it is worth noting the words of Dr. Craigie. Commenting on verses 26-28 of psalm 17, Craigie said the following:

"From a theological perspective, the passage must be understood in context; the righteousness of the psalmist placed him in that intimate relationship with God from which he could not call upon God in distress and expect God's deliverance. He lived a life of moral integrity, he had walked in God's ways and avoided wickedness, he had lived within God's judgments and statutes and had been blameless, yet nevertheless he had been attacked by enemies. But the assault of enemies had not been a consequence of his behavior; it did not reflect divine judgment. So he had been able to call for divine deliverance, and deliverance had come. That deliverance was a reflection of God's fair dealings with him" (Word Biblical Commentary, Vol. 19, pg. 174).

Dr. Craigie also says that God’s deliverance “...was cause for thanksgiving, but not for surprise, for God acted toward mankind in a comprehensible fashion (vv 26-28). There was a reciprocal dimension to the relationship with God, by which the faithful, the blameless, and the pure could expect God’s faithful response, which the twisted could expect tortuous returns.”

Therefore, if we live good and upright lives, we too can expect God's deliverance. Not because we are so holy and righteous in and of ourselves, but because God is dependable and is faithful. Is this not cause for rejoicing? Praise God!

See how easy it is to end up praising God when we think of his faithful charactar??

It is with this same sense of praise that David begins the next psalm. As he said in verse 50: “50 Therefore will I give glory to thee, O Lord, among the nations, and I will sing a psalm to thy name.” So, in psalm 18, we read of the beauties of God, which flow from a heart mindful of the perfection of God's holy and dependable character.

May we learn to be holy, that we too, with David may render such fitting praise to God!

Psalm 17: Second Half

2006-03-20T17:48:00.000-08:00

We see that so far, this psalm has been shifting from looking to the future (v. 1-4) and looking to the past (v. 5-20). But, at verse 21, David begins to look forward again to his expected deliverance (deliverance from the power of death?). For example he says “And the Lord will reward me…and will repay me” (v. 21); “I shall be spotless with him: and shall keep myself from my iniquity” (V. 24); And the Lord will reward me” (V. 24); “…thou wilt be holy,” “thou wilt be innocent…,” “thou wilt be elect…,” “thou wilt be perverse” (v. 26-27), “thou wilt save the humble people, but wilt bring down the eyes of the proud” (v. 28); “…I shall be strengthened…I shall go over a wall” (v. 30).

31 As for my God, his way is undefiled: the words of the Lord are fire tried: he is the protector of all that trust in him.

After saying that he “will” be saved because of his righteous character, David then moves on to provide another proof for his future deliverance. Perhaps David had lived a good life, perhaps he was blameless, perhaps he never displeased God—but if God is not a holy God, who rewards the good, then all of David’s actions are to no avail. It is almost as if David anticipated his hearers say: “yea, we all know you are good, but what about your god; how do you know he will reward your goodness? After all, you are dying at our hands! How can you trust a God who lets you die at our hands?” So here, David speaks for God. He tells us how holy God is. Since God is holy, he will, definitely save David. God’s words are “fire tried.” David has no cause to distrust God’s words. He feels that God’s promise can be depended on.

32 For who is God but the Lord? or who is God but our God? 33 God who hath girt me with strength; and made my way blameless. 34 Who hath made my feet like the feet of harts: and who setteth me upon high places. 35 Who teacheth my hands to war: and thou hast made my arms like a brazen bow. 36 And thou hast given me the protection of thy salvation:

David knows that even though his body be destroyed by the evil one, his soul will live in God’s protection.

…and thy right hand hath held me up: And thy discipline hath corrected me unto the end: and thy discipline, the same shall teach me.

God’s discipline hath corrected David “unto the end,” that is to say, unto physical death. God never stops correcting us. But David says this as though he is proud of God the Father.

37 Thou hast enlarged my steps under me; and my feet are not weakened.

Imagine Jesus carrying his cross, falling. But he gets up and continues toward his destination. Is it too much to imagine that as he was walking through the city, he had these words in his mind? “My feet are not weakened.”

38 I will pursue after my enemies, and overtake them: and I will not turn again till they are consumed. 39 I will break them, and they shall not be able to stand: they shall fall under my feet. 40 And thou hast girded me with strength unto battle; and hast subdued under me them that rose up against me.

Again, the possibility that these words can be applied to the sacrifice of Jesus is very strong. It seems possible that as Jesus approached Calvary, he spoke these words to himself: “I will pursue after my enemies,” for there on the Cross, he defeated his enemy, making a public spectacle of them. There on the Cross, Jesus “overtook” his enemies. As Jesus was hanging, in a divine turn of events, the reality of it is that his enemies were not “able to stand.” They “fell under his feet” (literally). There on the Cross, Jesus’ enemies who rose up against him, were “subdued under” him. Yet, this prayer is uttered before the Cross. David prayed this prayer as he approached his own death. Jesus would have prayed it also, as he approached his.

41 And thou hast made my enemies turn their back upon me, and hast destroyed them that hated me. 42 They cried, but there was none to save them, to the Lord: but he heard them not.

Verses 41 and 42 are again hearkening back to the previous battles that David had fought and won. These previous victories give him the resolution he needs to press on.

43 And I shall beat them as small as the dust before the wind; I shall bring them to nought, like the dirt in the streets.

In verse 43 David looks forward again to what he “shall” do to his enemies. He will beat them as dust...the same dust that according to psalm 1, will get blow away.

44 Thou wilt deliver me from the contradictions of the people: thou wilt make me head of the Gentiles.

David/Jesus “will” be delivered from the “contradictions” of the people. By contradictions, it seems that David means “hypocracy.” David/Jesus sees his own “religious” Jewish people as living a contradiction. The claim to be loyal to God, but in reality they are perverse. And, as stated earlier, God will reward the perverse with perversity! David/Jesus feel like they are surrounded by hypocrites—people who claim they are holy, but are not. And it is these very “holy” people who seek to destroy their lives.

The “people” are the Jews, and the “Gentiles” are the gentiles. Essentially, there is a lot resting on this battle. To win this battle is to become head over the Jews and Gentiles; that is, the whole world.

45 A people, which I knew not, hath served me: at the hearing of the ear they have obeyed me.

Again, David is switching back to the past tense. In verse 44, he says that God will make him head of the Gentiles but now in verse 45 he is saying that “a people which I knew not hath served me.” Which people does David have in mind? The Canaanites?

46 The children that are strangers have lied to me, strange children have faded away, and have halted from their paths.

??????????

47 The Lord liveth, and blessed be my God, and let the God of my salvation be exalted: 48 O God, who avengest me, and subduest the people under me, my deliverer from my enemies. 49 And thou wilt lift me up above them that rise up against me: from the unjust man thou wilt deliver me.

The language of “lifting up” clearly points toward the Crucifixion, where Jesus was “raised up.” Either that, or the Resurrection, where Jesus was “lifted up.”
50 Therefore will I give glory to thee, O Lord, among the nations, and I will sing a psalm to thy name.

When will David give glory to God “among the nations”? This is a very hard question to answer. What exactly does David mean? Does David mean that he will teach the nations about God? Does David mean that his deliverance will be so well known that it will give glory to God among the nations? The latter is probably what David had in mind.

51 Giving great deliverance to his king, and shewing mercy to David his anointed: and to his seed for ever.

When God saves us, he is showing mercy to David’s seed.

Psalm 17: I Will Love Thee, O Lord, My Strength

2006-03-20T10:28:00.000-08:00

1 Unto the end, for David the servant of the Lord, who spoke to the Lord the words of this canticle, in the day that the Lord delivered him from the hands of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. [2 Kings 22]

This psalm was written “in the day” that the Lord delivered David from Saul. We might want to ask what exactly “in the day” means. Was this psalm written before the Lord delivered him, or after?

2 I will love thee, O Lord, my strength:

David says that he “will” Love the Lord. Does this mean that his prayer is taking place before the deliverance?

3 The Lord is my firmament, my refuge, and my deliverer. My God is my helper, and in him will I put my trust. My protector and the horn of my salvation, and my support.

Since David is saying that he “will” put his trust in God, it seems that at least these opening verses of the psalm were written before the deliverance took place.

4 Praising I will call upon the Lord: and I shall be saved from my enemies.

Again, the words “will call” and “shall be saved” indicate that this portion of the psalm was written before the deliverance took place. The reader, however, is left wondering when this deliverance “will” take place. But for now, from verses 5 onwards, David recounts a previous victory which took place, possibly many years ago. It is not uncommon for those who are nearing death to reminisce on the high points of their lives. This is exactly what is happening here. But David is not reminiscing for the sake of self-aggrandizement. David is recounting his past victories for the sake of praising God. For in verse 4, David said: “Praising I will call upon the Lord, and I shall be saved from my enemies.” So, that is exactly what he will do from verse 5 onwards. He is praising God for some previous victory, in the hopes that God will save him from his present enemies.

5 The sorrows of death surrounded me: and the torrents of iniquity troubled me. 6 The sorrows of hell encompassed me: and the snares of death prevented me. 7 In my affliction I called upon the Lord, and I cried to my God: And he heard my voice from his holy temple: and my cry before him came into his ears. 8 The earth shook and trembled: the foundations of the mountains were troubled and were moved, because he was angry with them. 9 There went up a smoke in his wrath: and a fire flamed from his face: coals were kindled by it. 10 He bowed the heavens, and came down: and darkness was under his feet.

Some of the language used by David to describe his prior victory does seem Apocalyptic. For example: “the earth shook and trembled” etc. seems to indicate that when David was saved, many Apocalyptic signs accompanied his deliverance. Whether these signs are purely symbolic of what may have been happening in the spiritual dimension, we cannot say for sure. But, it ought not to surprise us if there were physical occurrences on earth that corresponded to the spiritual realities occurring at the same time. For we read that when Jesus was delivered from the hand of death, the earth quaked and great darkness came over the land.

It is also interesting to note that God heard David’s voice “from his holy temple.” This is the seat of victory, the position of victory. This is the place where in psalm 10 David said God was. “The Lord is in his holy temple.”

11 And he ascended upon the cherubim, and he flew; he flew upon the wings of the winds. 12 And he made darkness his covert, his pavilion round about him: dark waters in the clouds of the air. 13 At the brightness that was before him the clouds passed, hail and coals of fire. 14 And the Lord thundered from heaven, and the highest gave his voice: hail and coals of fire. 15 And he sent forth his arrows, and he scattered them: he multiplied lightnings, and troubled them.

The language of hail and fire, again does remind us of language found in the Apocalypse. Nevertheless, when the Apocalypse uses the language of hail and fire etc., it may be referring very simply to God’s various judgments and reactions towards sin taking place in history. This position has been set forth in rigorous detail by Dr. Robert A. Sungenis in his Internet Bible Study. His Catholic Apologetics Study Bible, Vol II on the Apocalypse is to be released this year. And I had the honor of helping with Study Bible—by collating and re-organizing many of his bible studies into a flowing narrative format. More on that to come! Buit keep your eyes pealed: www.catholicintl.com

The idea that “hail and coals of fire” and other physical atrocities are symbolic of God’s reactions to mankind’s free-will decisions is supported by the words, “the highest gave his voice: hail and coals of fire.” In heaven God sees all things. He witnesses evil and responds to it. In this case, David is telling how, in times past, God witnessed his suffering and responded accordingly. And God responded to David’s suffering by speaking some command, which no doubt was executed by his angels. God speaks to his angels/ministers who execute God’s will on earth. It is for this reason that St. Thomas Aquinas called the angels “God’s second causes.” So, God issues a judgment in response to mankind’s suffering and his response is so filled with passion for the suffering victim, that it is described in volatile terms (hail and coals of fire etc).

16 Then the fountains of waters appeared, and the foundations of the world were discovered:

We can attempt to interpret these words literally, but given the highly symbolic language in use, it is best to also consider this symbolic language. We might however, wonder what is being symbolized by fountains of waters appearing or the foundations of the word being discovered. This language could mean that when God judged the wicked for their persecution of David, He uncovered all their sins, so that they had no where to hide. The same language is apparent in Apoc 6 where we read that, at the end of the world, the wicked people looked for even the mountains to fall on them in order that they might hide from the Lord. But by then, the heavens and the earth had passed away and everything was laid bare.

At thy rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the spirit of thy wrath. 17 He sent from on high, and took me: and received me out of many waters. 18 He delivered me from my strongest enemies, and from them that hated me: for they were too strong for me. 19 They prevented me in the day of my affliction: and the Lord became my protector.

We might ask what exactly David means by, “the prevented me in the day of my affliction.” Prevented him from what?

20 And he brought me forth into a large place: he saved me, because he was well pleased with me.

The “large place” is similar to the firmament of verse 2. It is also reminiscent to the Land of Promise which the Israelites entered into after the wilderness sojourn. This language also reminds us of an earlier psalm where David said that God “enlarged" him.

21 And the Lord will reward me according to my justice; and will repay me according to the cleanness of my hands: 22 Because I have kept the ways of the Lord; and have not done wickedly against my God.

At this point in the psalm there is a change in direction; we go from looking to the past to looking to the future. Up till now, David had been looking back to a time when God delivered him. His past achievements/victories give him courage. Here, David reminds himself of his present crisis. But, his present crisis is not so dauting now that he reflected on how God saved him in the past. Indeed, here, David continues the thought he had at the beginning of the psalm: "I will love you." He is filled with love for God (even though he is in the midst of a crisis) because he is fully sure that God will save him, just like he did in times past.

Why will God save David? God “will” reward him according to his justice because he has been keeping the “ways of the Lord” (hard ways). Simple as that. He also says that he has not done wickedly against God. David is confident that he has been living a good life...and his salvation is a direct reward for his upright living. He knows for sure that he has been on the straight and narrow. He has no doubt that he has been on the straight and narrow. He has strived to keep his conscience clear. He has not retaliated and has always thanked God. Therefore, he has remained blameless throughout all his sufferings. He knows that God will reward him for the way he has been conducting himself in this life. Indeed, God will reward him from the abundance of his mercy, not because he legally has to do so.

We ought all desire to be able to pray this prayer. We ought all live such exemplary lives that we can pray this prayer. We should take courage that one day we will pray this prayer. Don’t let someone tell you that you are evil and that your works are filthy rags. They are filthy rags only if you use them to corner God into owing you heaven. But if you use your good words to promote justice and love, they your good words are truly acts to celebrate and to be rewarded. When Job was suffering he knew that he was not to blame. This is why St. Paul calls us to keep a clean conscience before God and man. We too are called to the same mentality as David and Job, two righteous saints of God.

23 For till his judgments are in my sight: and his justices I have not put away from me. 24 And I shall be spotless with him: and shall keep myself from my iniquity. 25 And the Lord will reward me according to my justice; and according to the cleanness of my hands before his eyes.

Again, here we see the absolute single-mindedness of David. He sees the goal and will not stop for anything. He presses on for the prize which is his.

26 With the holy, thou wilt be holy; and with the innocent man thou wilt be innocent. 27 And with the elect thou wilt be elect: and with the perverse thou wilt be perverted.

And why will God reward David? The answer is plain. Because God is holy, and because he will not reward faithfulness with wickedness. David explains that with the holy, God will be holy; that is to say, God will reward holiness with holiness, he will reward innocence with innocence, but whoever tries to corner God into OWING him salvation, as if God was some Divine Employer - that person is perverse, and God will reward that persons perversity with the same. So, here is verses 26-27, David is explaining that God rewards us not necessarily according to the outward actions that we perform. When we perform "good deeds" God will be looking into our hearts to see what is motivating us. If we are motivated by holiness or innocence, our reward will be good. If we are not motivated out of love for God, he will know, and he will not be fooled.

28 For thou wilt save the humble people; but wilt bring down the eyes of the proud.

When David mentions the eyes of the proud, he is referring to the perverse attitudes that one can adopt toward God--the attitude that we can use God to get us to heaven by doing good things (outwardly).

29 For thou lightest my lamp, O Lord: O my God enlighten my darkness. 30 For by thee I shall be delivered from temptation; and through my God I shall go over a wall.

When David fought off the fortified cities as he would have, on more than one occasion, needed to scale a wall.

Stay tuned! More to follow...

Psalm 17: Looking Forward and Looking Back

2006-03-17T07:11:00.000-08:00

David prays this psalm “in the day” the Lord delivered him from the hand of “all” his enemies “and from Saul.” We are not told whether this psalm was prayed before or after the said deliverance.

This psalm is divided roughly into two sections. In the first section, David looks to God’s future deliverance (perhaps from “all” his enemies “and from Saul”?). He says things like “I will love thee,” “I will put my trust,” “I will call upon the Lord” and “I shall be saved.” The NIV translates these phrases in the present tense and so misses this nuance. (I wish I knew Hebrew so I could figure it out for myself!). This first section lasts from verses 2 through 4. In verse 4, David says, “Praising I will call upon the Lord: and I shall be saved from my enemies.” This means that David is going to praise the Lord in order that God will be favorable to him against his enemies. But what will David praise God for? This question is answered in the second section.

The second section looks back to a past deliverance. Since, in either section, we are not told which deliverance he is referring, we do not know for sure when exactly the deliverance from “all” his enemies “and from Saul” takes place—past or future. This means that as we read the psalm, we need to keep an open mind. If (in the first section) David is referring back to Saul’s defeat, then to what deliverance is David looking ahead? Is David looking forward to his deliverance from the power of death? It would seem so, given the fact that David is now near the hour of death.

Psalm 16: Jesus' Prayer Before the Crucifixion?

2006-03-15T10:09:00.000-08:00

We all know that psalm 21 (DR) is the psalm the Jesus prayed when he was hung on the Cross of Calvary. That means that the psalms that precede psalm 22 are possibly dealing with the events leading up to that Sacrifice. It is possible then, that Jesus prayed this very psalm (Ps 16 DR) some time before or during his arrest.
1 The prayer of David.

Verse 1 says: “Hear, O Lord, my justice: attend to my supplication.” Notice that David is not afraid of saying that his prayer is a JUST prayer, “which proceedeth not from deceitful lips.” This kind of talk is almost seen as blasphemous today since we have become so afraid of coming off as all self-righteous and that. If we were to hear someone say that they prayed a “righteous prayer,” the first thing we think is: “well that person must be deceiving himself.” But, the fact is, we don’t always have to be hanging our heads pretending we are totally evil or something. I know we shouldn’t be all boastful and prideful about it, but if we do good, then we do good, and we should thank God that we can do good by his grace.

Verse 2: “Let my judgment come forth from thy countenance: let thy eyes behold the things that are equitable.” David is being judged by the wicked to be evil. The world considers him to have committed some kind of evil, for David preaches a God of justice in a world of injustice. People are attacking David and trying to kill him. But David wants God to “behold the things that are equitable.” He wants God to see how he is suffering unjustly. Jesus, who knew the psalms, likely prayed these very words as he was being persecuted.

So far in the psalms, David seems to be asking God for one of two things. He wants God to save him from his present danger so that he can continue to live on earth, or he wants God to save his soul from death and that his body be preserved from corruption. So, in one sense he is open to the possibility of death. This wavering back and forth from one to the other brings us to consider that Jesus may have prayed this psalm as he was speaking to God the Father in the Garden of Gethsemane. Here, in the Garden, Jesus prayed to God: “not my will, but thy will be done,” showing that he had consented to obey God’s will.

Verse 3: “Thou hast proved my heart, and visited it by night, thou hast tried me by fire: and iniquity hath not been found in me.” When did God try David by night? Well, in just the previous psalm, David mentioned “moreover my reins also have corrected me even till night.” It seems that these verses are related. It seems as though God was testing David’s faith in the night, but that David overcame these tests. God must have severely tested David for David says that he was “tried by fire.” When did God test Jesus by night? In the Garden of Gethsemane. Here, Jesus was arrested by Roman soldiers and was kissed by Judas. Is this not a great test? Is this not great humiliation…to be handed over by your own?

Verse 4: “That my mouth may not speak the works of men…” As God was testing David, he was tempted to renounce all belief in God. Just as Job’s wife came to him as he was being tested and said, “curse God and die,” David must have experienced a similar temptation. But he overcame the temptation. When Jesus was being questioned, he did not answer the Sanhedrin and speak back in retaliation. As Jesus was being questioned, it is very possible that he had these very words in his mind.

He continued: “…for the sake of the words of thy lips, I have kept hard ways.” By “the words of thy lips,” David is referring to God’s promise to “arise” and save David. Earlier in psalm 12, David said that these words were more pure than gold and silver refined seven times (or something to that effect). Here, we can see that David has held onto his faith in God’s promise. He has not cursed God, he has not renounced faith in God, he has kept hard ways, and all of this he has done in the midst of great persecution. Why? “For they sake of the words of thy lips”! David’s trust in God’s promise is greater than all the suffering he will endure. All throughout his temptations he “kept hard ways.” By “hard ways,” we understand David to mean “ways that were difficult to endure.”

Verse 5: “Perfect thou my goings in thy paths: that my footsteps be not moved.” David is going in God’s paths. Yet these paths are the paths of suffering. Here we can discern a faint prophetic reference to the suffering of Jesus. Though by “thy paths” David simply means that God has willed his suffering, the prophetic dimension of this verse is unmistakable. David asks for God’s help that he be able to finish out his life with unfailing faith. David wants to be faithful to the end…but he knows he can’t do it on his own. So, he asks for God’s help that his footsteps “be not moved”.

Jesus would have possibly prayed these words as he was being brought to be scourged and mocked. He beseeched God the Father for help, that he be able to reach his destination without faltering in faith and trust.

Verse 6: “I have cried to thee, for thou, O God, hast heard me:” Here, on his way to the Calvary, Jesus reminds God the Father how, last night, he cried to him in the Garden of Gethsemane. He continues: “O incline thy ear unto me, and hear my words.” Here, on his way to being scourged and mocked and beaten, Jesus will now pray to God the Father again and will place a request before him.

He asks the Father:
7 “Shew forth thy wonderful mercies; thou who savest them that trust in thee. 8 From them that resist thy right hand keep me, as the apple of thy eye. Protect me under the shadow of thy wings. 9 From the face of the wicked who have afflicted me. My enemies have surrounded my soul: 10 They have shut up their fat: their mouth hath spoken proudly.”

This is an intense prayer. Jesus asks God to “show forth thy mercies.” What is this to mean? Jesus is praying that God would have mercy on him. He, like a crying child begs God to keep him as the “apple of thy eye.” That is to say, though the world may consider Jesus an object of hatred and disgust, He wishes to be consoled with the thought that God still loves him—that God dotes on him, almost. He needs to still feel connected to God. All his friends (his apostles) have abandoned him at this point, but his enemies (the Roman soldiers and Jewish religious leaders) “surrounded his soul.”

Verse 11: “They have cast me forth and now they have surrounded me: they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth. 12 They have taken me, as a lion prepared for the prey; and as a young lion dwelling in secret places.”
This is the prayer that Jesus would have prayed when the Roman Soldiers were about to mock him and beat him and scourge him.

Verse 13: “Arise, O Lord, disappoint him and supplant him; deliver my soul from the wicked one:” Knowing that he will die, David asks God that his “soul” would escape the clutches of the “wicked one,” an obvious reference to the devil. This is precisely what Jesus would have prayed as he was being taken to be scourged and then crucified.

Verse 14: “thy sword 14 From the enemies of thy hand. O Lord, divide them from the few of the earth in their life: their belly is filled from thy hidden stores. They are full of children: and they have left to their little ones the rest of their substance.

This verse is underscoring the fact that the people of the world do not even believe in an afterlife. They look to this life only for their satisfaction. They take the pleasures of the world (which God affords them) and they horde them and surround themselves with them. They do not store up treasure in heaven where neither rust nor moth consume. They store up treasures on earth, and when they die, their treasures go to their children. But their souls, meanwhile, descend to hell.

Verse 15: “But as for me, I will appear before thy sight in justice: I shall be satisfied when thy glory shall appear.” David is setting up a sharp contrast between himself and the wicked with the words, “but as for me.” He is saying that the wicked seek fulfillment in this life, but he seeks fulfillment in the after-life…that is in heaven.

Even though the world may view them as evil and repugnant, David/Jesus will appear before God’s sight as just. God knows the way of the just (Ps 1). God knows how just David/Jesus are. Both David and Jesus say that they will be satisfied when God’s glory appears. When God’s glory “appears” means when God vindicates himself, or when God proves the evil and wicked people to have be in error all along. David knows this himself, but he can’t wait to see the looks on the wicked peoples’ faces when they finally realize that they were wrong all along. And how consternated the devil must have been when Jesus rose from the dead on the third day!

Psalm 15: Preserve Me O Lord

2006-03-14T16:47:00.000-08:00

1 The inscription of a title to David himself.

Even though David seems to have come to terms with the fact that he will die, he begins this psalm by asking: “Preserve me, O Lord.” It seems that David is not necessarily asking God to allow him to live on in this life (though that would be desirable). Rather, it seems that David is asking God to raise his body from the dead after he dies. When we buy food in the store, there are preservatives put into the food to prevent the food from spoiling. David is asking God to place spiritual preservatives into his body so that his body will not rot, but that it will be kept in tact. (It is apt to note here that many of the bodies of the Catholic Saints are incorrupt. The photos are remarkable.

See: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Hills/8437/incorrupt.html

David asks God to preserve him: “For I have put my trust in thee.” God will preserve David’s body because David put his trust in Him not because David has somehow earned it. David had to put up with the wicked people who jeered at his suffering—but David did not lose hope; he continued to trust in God. So David is asking God to see what he has put up with. He wants God to preserve him, because if he doesn’t he (and God along with him) will be laughed at by the wicked.

David then says “2 I have said to the Lord, thou art my God, for thou hast no need of my goods.” This thought follows naturally from the preceding thought. When people near the hour of death, it is natural for them to enumerate to themselves all the good things that they have done over their lives—things which they feel they ought to be let into heaven for. But David is not going to confront God with a list of his good deeds, expecting God to reward him, as though God owes him heaven. David realizes that if he is to be let into heaven, he will be let in on account of the grace and mercy of God. If God will “preserve” him because of David’s trust, God does so because he wants to, and not because he has to. That is the point. Put in plain language then, David would be saying: “Preserve me because I have continued to trust in you when the going went tough. Preserve me, because of my steadfastness, though I know you don’t have to, because you have no need of my good works.” As Paul says in Rom 11, “who hath given to God that he should return to him…”

And this is also why God is David’s God. If David were God, he would be able to preserve himself. The reason why God is David’s God, is because God has no need of his goods.

David continues: “3 To the saints, who are in his land, he hath made wonderful all my desires in them.” David, on the brink of death, in the midst of suffering, thinks of the saints who are presently in heaven. There are very few of them. For most are in Sheol, that is, the O.T. word for the abode of the dead. Those who died before the cross were either in Heaven or Sheol. David is basically saying: “everything that I want to happen to me when I die, has happened already to the saints who are in heaven. And this gives me hope and confidence.”

He says: “4 Their infirmities were multiplied: afterwards they made haste.” Here he reminds himself that while the saints were alive on earth, they had physical ailments. Yet, in time, these physical ailments left (made haste). They were healed. If “infirmities” does not refer to physical ailments, it most likely refers to their enemies, the wicked people.

Next: “I will not gather together their meetings for blood offerings: nor will I be mindful of their names by my lips.” This sentence makes it seem as though the “infirmities” spoken of in the previous verse were in fact the saints “enemies.” For, this verse would otherwise seem to abruptly speak of wicked people. David is saying that there is no way he will join the wicked. Not now. Not after enduring so much. Not when he is at the final hurdle.

Next: “5 The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and of my cup: it is thou that wilt restore my inheritance to me.” This is an interesting verse. Whereas the wicked hanker after the things of the world, the righteous people seek the Lord. God is the portion of their cup…not land or riches or anything like that. Heaven is being with God. It is not a place where God just happens to be. But the interesting part of this verse is where David says that God will “restore” his inheritance to him. We ask ourselves, what does he mean by “restore”? Has David already been to heaven? It would seem that here, this psalm is speaking in the person of Jesus. After Jesus died and was arisen, his inheritance (heaven, God the Father) was restored to him. But in what sense can this make sense for David? Hmmmmm….

Next: “6 The lines are fallen unto me in goodly places: for my inheritance is goodly to me.” The 12 tribes were really 13 tribes. But the Levites did not receive any portion of land as such. That was because the Levites were supposed to be looking to their heavenly land. David, as priest (“Levite,” though from Judah), prophet and king, says that the lines of his inheritance have fallen in good places. This means that everything inside the lines is desirable. All those things that fall without the lines are not desirable.

Then: “7 I will bless the Lord, who hath given me understanding:” David understands that this world is passing and that our true inheritance is to be achieved after death. David also understands that the way to life everlasting is through the “way” of suffering. This deep insight/understanding gives David comfort and causes him to praise God, despite of the difficult situations he finds himself in.

Then: “moreover my reins also have corrected me even till night.” ?

Verse 8: “I set the Lord always in my sight: for he is at my right hand, that I be not moved.” David feels that if he keeps his eyes fixed on God, he will not lose hope. By keeping his gaze fixed on God, he will continue to trust God. In doing this, he says he will not be “moved.” The wording “moved” suggests being defeated, or overcome by the enemy.

Then: “9 Therefore my heart hath been glad, and my tongue hath rejoiced: moreover my flesh also shall rest in hope.” Notice how David’s “flesh” also shall rest in hope. Essentially, David is saying that though he will die (“rest”), his body will be preserved and his body will one day be resurrected.

And then: “10 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; nor wilt then give thy holy one to see corruption.” Again, when David died, his soul went to this place called hell. Now again, this hell is not the hell of the damned. It is better known as Sheol. It is the place where all pre-resurrection souls (except for Elijah and Moses and Enoch etc.) went to. When Jesus died on the cross, he went to this place called hell. There he preached to the people in Shcol. Those who accepted him were brought to him to heaven. Those who rejected Him were condemned to the hell of the damned. Here, David is saying that he will go to this place called hell. But he knows that one day, Jesus will come there to bring him to heaven. He also knows that his preserved body will be raised at the end of time, when Jesus comes back again (Second Coming).

Finally: 11 “Thou hast made known to me the ways of life,” When David speaks of the “way,” he is referring to the fact that he will have to suffer and die. God has revealed to David that he must suffer and die…but that he shall be raised again with a glorious body. One must past through the agony of the cross before one reaches the crown. This, David realizes, as he is on his death bed. And it seems that he has come to terms with his death.

And: “thou shalt fill me with joy with thy countenance: at thy right hand are delights even to the end.” The idea that in heaven we will see God’s countenance is called the “beatific vision” in the Catholic tradition. What will we do in heaven…just look at God? It seems that this is definitely one thing that we will be doing, but the rest of the verse: “at they right hand are delights even to the end” suggests that we will also be enjoying those “delights,” whatever they happen to be.

Note: the N.T. cites psalm 15 as speaking about Jesus in Acts 2:25-28

The Prayers of a Suffering Dying Man

2006-03-08T12:54:00.000-08:00

In Psalm 12 God says to the Suffering Psalmist: “I will now arise: I will protect them from those who malign them.” So far in the Psalms we are told that God *sees* what the wicked are up to and that they will therefore not get away with their evil. But now, for the first time in the Psalter God is saying that he will *act.* This statement builds suspense, for, so far we have been waiting on God to judge the wicked. We are told in psalm 10 that God has bent the bow, but now we are being told (in not so many words) that God will fire the arrows. He will blow the wicked away like chaff, as psalm 1 predicts.

God tells us that he will “arise.” This language is the language of action. As we go on to read the next few psalms we expect to read about how God comes to vanquish the wicked. But this is not what happens. We expect the very next psalm to begin: “thank you for delivering me” or “I will rejoice in thy deliverance” or something like that. But psalm 13 begins: “how long…will you forget me forever?” It would seem that a great length of time has gone by since God has promised to “arise.” It is as if David got God’s promise to arise, but it’s been a month already and how come God is taking so long?

I must admit, I find psalm 13 frustrating because after psalm 12 we have this great desire to see justice be done on earth. But now—again—that justice is forestalled, and we do now know why it is being prolonged. All we know is that hope deferred makes the heart grow sick. And just reading psalm 13 makes my heart grow sick. I want to see justice done. I want God to arise now. Like David, I don’t want to be “taking counsels in my soul” for ever. I want to experience deliverance.

The thing about psalm 13 is that David is dying. David experiences the urgency of needing God’s help. The desire for seeing justice done this side of the grave is all the more acute for him now that he is dying. So, when we read: “how long?” we might understand that in reality, a great length of time may not have passed at all. Perhaps it is simply that it *seems* like a long time to him. David might come across as a child sitting in the back of the car who asks his parents “how long more before we get there?” Thankfully, by the end of the psalm David says that he trusts in God’s unfailing love, but as the reader, we wonder when, and in what capacity, God’s unfailing love will manifest itself.

The truth of the fact is that we the readers will have to wait until psalm 18 before we witness any victory for the psalmist. In between psalm 12 and 18 then, we have a period of suspense. Psalms 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 are the prayers of a dying, suffering man. In these prayers, we read many allusions to the experience of Job. During this period—before God’s judgment/salvation comes—the psalmist will delve into more deep theological issues, the kinds of issues a dying, suffering man would relate.

So far, this is my understanding.

Psalm 14 And The Afterlife

2006-02-13T10:23:00.000-08:00

In psalm 14 (or Ps 15 if you're not reading DR), David describes the person who will “dwell in thy tabernacle.” First off, to dwell in God’s tabernacle means to dwell in heaven. Moses made the original tabernacle “after the pattern” which he saw while he saw on the mountain with God. So, either there must be a tabernacle of sorts in heaven, or the tabernacle is heaven itself. It doesn’t matter really. What matters is that David is talking about the “afterlife.” So far in the psalms he hasn’t called it “heaven” as such, though he uses the word heaven to refer to the sky. He just refers to heaven obliquely with terms such as: “thy salvation” (Ps 12:6), “the salvation of Israel” (Ps 13:7), “preserve us from this wicked generation forever” (Ps 11:8) etc. What is really interesting is the fact that in psalm 12, David is becoming more and more aware of his impending death. But in verse 5, when David comes to terms with the fact that he will die (be moved), he says that he will rejoice in God’s salvation. Surely this proves beyond doubt that the ancient Israelites believed in heaven. Even if they did not have a highly developed notion of heaven, they still believed in it.

Now, at the end of psalm 14, the psalm in question, we see another reference to heaven: “He that doth these things shall not be moved forever.” So far in the psalms, the word “moved” seems to refer to physical death. By saying that someone will not be moved forever means that that person is not going to die. This he says after he has come to terms with his impending death (They that trouble me will rejoice when I am moved Ps 12:5). This can only refer to the afterlife.

With the foregoing in mind, it is obvious to me that the psalms speak of the afterlife readily. I have often read scholars say (C.S. Lewis included), to my utter consternation, that the ancient Israelites did not have a belief in heaven as such. For them, they tell us, “salvation” is something that is to be achieved here and now. Yet, as I have been examining the psalms, I have found no support for that whatsoever. In fact, I have found just the opposite.

Question is…why does David, at this point, wish to speak of the afterlife and how to get there?

Psalm 13: Calling a Spade a Spade

2006-02-12T20:16:00.000-08:00

So far in the psalter, David has been going through a lot of changes. His faith has been laughed at by the wicked, whose injustice goes unchecked by almighty God. Noting that God is, ostensibly indifferent toward the injustice in the world, David’s friends leave their faith to follow after the example of the wicked. David is left alone to fight the good fight…to declare that God is just, despite the seemingly insurmountable evidence to the contrary. By psalm 12, David himself is on the brink of death and the temptation to bail out has become very strong. David does not want to capitulate to the evil by joining himself to their cause (in fact they have no cause). In as seemingly last attempt to convert the wicked to the Lord, David prays: “1 The fool hath said in his heart: There is no God…”

On one hand, it is almost as if David slaps himself across the cheek and says to himself: “snap out of it…wake up, God is just and his justice will come.” That is, one gets the sense from verse 1 that David is drumming this truth into his own mind for fear that he will loose faith. But the chances are (as we shall see later) David is speaking these words to the wicked people of the world. He is telling them straight. Whereas in psalm 2 he asked the rhetorical question: “Why” have the wicked plotted in vain etc., here is doesn’t bother beating around the bush. He just tells them that they are fools for doing what they are doing. He is telling them in no uncertain terms that there is no logic to their ways.

“They are corrupt, and are become abominable in their ways…” These are strong words. They are meant to wake us up. “…: there is none that doth good, no not one.” This is the plain truth that we must all face. The wicked have honored that which is vile and have magnified themselves upon the earth. But the bare truth that “there is none that doth good, not one (that is, not even himself) is intended to show the wicked the bankrupsy of their ways. Not only that, but it shows them that God is no respector of persons. They should not fear to come to God if they have the slightest inclination to do so. David is not loved by God because his is created with more dignity or something. David came to God in a state of humility and God accepted him. The same fate awaits the wicked, if they would only turn to the Lord. But they won’t. This is folly.

The following verses 2-5 record what God Himself says about the men of the world. God’s words are meant to convict the sinners to whom David is speaking. When we hear God’s words being delivered in an un diluted fashion, they are more apt to penetrate into the divide between bone and marrow, as it were. It is my belief that the quotations marks (indicating God’s speech) begin at verse 2 and end at the end of verse 5. God can speak of God since he is a Trinity of Persons; therefore the reference to God in verse 3 should not be taken as proof that God’s speech is ended by verse 3.

Since what is contained in verses 2-5 is very like what David himself just prayed in the opening of the psalm, (v. 1-2) we may be correct in saying that at the beginning of the psalm, David is repeating to himself, in summary fashion, those things which he had heard from God. Then in verses 2-5, David gives us the long version—the actual, unaltered message. No commentary needed. Just God’s Word, unplugged as it were.

“2 The Lord hath looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there be any that understand and seek God. 3 They are all gone aside, they are become unprofitable together: there is none that doth good, no not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre: with their tongues they acted deceitfully; the poison of asps is under their lips. Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness; their feet are swift to shed blood. Destruction and unhappiness in their ways: and the way of peace they have not known: there is no fear of God before their eyes. 4 Shall not all they know that work iniquity, who devour my people as they eat bread? 5 They have not called upon the Lord: there have they trembled for fear, where there was no fear.”
Here, God mentions that the wicked have no fear of God. But in verse 5, we read that the wicked people have trembled for fear “where there was no fear.” I would have to say that this is referring to the fact that the wicked were afraid to repent. They were afraid to look at themselves squarely. They are afraid to accept God’s mercy. I say this because of the wording. We read: “5They have not called upon the Lord: THERE have they trembled for fear, where there was no fear.” What is “there” referring to? It must be referring to what came before it—the calling upon the Lord. Perhaps they were afraid to confess their sins, perhaps they were afraid of rejection from God, perhaps they were afraid of humiliation. In any event, when we read these words, we realize that to continue to be prideful and arrogant in the face of a loving and merciful God, who we should not fear, is pure folly indeed. David is saying all this to try to convince the wicked to convert.

“6 For the Lord is in the just generation: you have confounded the counsel of the poor man, but the Lord is his hope.” We immediately gravitate towards the words “you have.” Who is this referring to? This must be referring to the wicked people. With that in mind, we get very strong sense that the whole psalm is directed towards the wicked generation, and so it is. This wicked generation is made up both of gentiles and David’s fallen friends. Here, David refers to himself as “the poor man.” Essentially, David is saying that despite all the advice (counsel) he, the poor man, has been giving to them, they still do not repent. So, in that sense, they confound his counsel.

“7 Who shall give out of Sion the salvation of Israel? when the Lord shall have turned away the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice and Israel shall be glad.” Here, David asks—though he seems to know the answer to the question—who will bring about the salvation of Israel (that is the predestinate). He seems to be able to see into the future to a time after the Exile, when Israel shall return to the land of Promise. This means that David knows that he will die in a world of unrequited injustice. But it seems that he is okay with that. For he knows that it will be a very long time until the Israelites return from exile. A VERY long time. But it’s worth the wait.

Psalm 12: Believing in God and Justice When We Have One Foot In the Grave

2006-02-10T16:29:00.000-08:00

David asks: “How long, O Lord, wilt thou forget me unto the end?” What does he mean by “unto the end”? It would seem likely that it means until death. Though David is okay with dying without ever seeing justice done (per psalms 9-10), he would still rather see justice done within his lifetime. And wouldn’t we all? It’s hard to suffer and suffer and never see any justice. Though we must be willing to do so, at the same time, there is nothing wrong with desiring justice here and now. David thus has 2 reasons for praying for judgment. The first is that God be honored, and the second be that David’s suffering be repaid.

He continues, “how long dost thou turn away thy face from me?” Here we can see that even though God is right there with David, His seeming absence, or lack of interest in David’s suffering hurts David. Even though he has the faith that God will save him (I have set him in safety, I will deal confidently in this regard: Ps 11) he still feels as though God has abandoned him. That is the reality he experiences.
For the longest length of time, David has had to keep saying to himself “My heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.” He has needed to think positively. How many times he has needed to combat the droning voice of the world with the affirmation that he will in fact be saved. For this reason he says: “2 How long shall I take counsels in my soul, sorrow in my heart all the day?” David is tired of all the positive thinking…he is tired of the effort that faith takes…he seems to be at a weak point. When we read these words, we wonder if David is thinking of joining his friends who abandoned ship and threw in their lot with the wicked (Ps 11). Is David considering abandoning faith too?

He asks: “3 How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?” The very fact that David asks God, “how long shall my enemy be exalted over me” shows that David has not lost his belief in God. But the reality is that David is struggling to maintain a lively faith while he is surrounded by so many faithless people. It is obvious that David could not deny the existence of God.

But, praying for help, David asks God to “4 Consider, and hear me, O Lord my God. Enlighten my eyes that I never sleep in death:” Again, David prays that he will not die in the bitter embrace of the wicked. He wants to see justice done now, not after he dies. Why? “5 Lest at any time my enemy say: I have prevailed against him.”

The Interpreter's Bible Vol 4 pg. 72, puts it nicely: "In the situation, he is perplexed by the seemingly prolonged indifference of God to his appeal for help, and harassed by the thought that in his downfall his enemies would see both a triumph for themselves and a fonfutation of the creed to which he has witnessed. But in spite of all the difficulties that mount against him, his faith not only holds firm but rises to a new pitch--ingens at laetum paradoxon."

He does not want to satisfy the evil in the wicked. He does not want them to be all smug and self confident at his death. His death would only confirm to them (in their minds) that they are in the right, that “God has not required it.”

But somehow, David knows that he will die never seeing God’s justice prevail on earth. He says: “They that trouble me will rejoice when I am moved:”

Nevertheless, he takes great confidence in the fat that there is life beyond this death, where wickedness has no foothold, and where there is only goodness. He ends on a note of confidence by saying “6 But I have trusted in thy mercy. My heart shall rejoice in thy salvation: I will sing to the Lord, who giveth me good things: yea I will sing to the name of the Lord the most high."

The point that David is trying to get across is that the rejoicing of the wicked who will “move” David is nothing to be compared with the rejoicing that “shall” be done in heaven—with the songs that will be sung “to the name of the Lord the most high.”

Psalm 12: What To Do When Even Your Friends Fall Away

2006-02-09T14:05:00.000-08:00

David cannot convince his friends that God is just and that He will return to the wicked their due. His friends have actually become wicked. He finds himself surrounded by faithless people on every turn. This reminds us of what will happen toward the end of time: many will fall from the faith. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church explains:

675 Before Christ's second coming the Church must pass through a final trial that will shake the faith of many believers.573 The persecution that accompanies her pilgrimage on earth574 will unveil the "mystery of iniquity" in the form of a religious deception offering men an apparent solution to their problems at the price of apostasy from the truth. The supreme religious deception is that of the Antichrist, a pseudo-messianism by which man glorifies himself in place of God and of his Messiah come in the flesh.575

Quotes such as this one make me believe that psalms 1-12 (so far) have been building up to the final judgment.

The temptation to give in to the apostasy has increased for David. He prays to God that he does not let go of his belief that God is holy and just. He prays: “save me, O Lord for there is now no saint: truths are decayed from among the children of men.” By “truths” he means the belief that God is just and holy and that He will come again to judge the living and the dead. When David says that these “truths” have decayed among the “sons of men” here we have an obvious reference to his old godly friends who no longer believe in a God of justice.

David then tells God how his friends: “have spoken vain things every one to his neighbor: with deceitful lips, and a double heart they have spoken.” In the previous psalm, David experienced this first hand when his friends said to him: “Get thee from hence like a bird to a mountain…the wicked have bent their bow…for what has the just man done?” These words were designed to elicit fear and hopelessness in David. But they were also spoken to each other. These “children of the sons of men” have convinced themselves that they have no power over the power of the wicked. They have abandoned ship and have cast in their lot with the wicked. He tells us that they have spoken with a “double heart,” because they give the impression that they are interested in righteousness where in reality, they are only interested in living it up, in the easy way out. In doing what they have done, they have essentially magnified themselves over and against the Lord.

God sees how even the faithful (David’s companions) are losing their faith. He sees how they are turning from Him and from the remnant of the faithful. God sees how difficult it is for the poor people of the world to compete with the wicked who exploit them. God sees how difficult it is for the remaining faithful to continue suffering through life, given that their companions, their “brothers in suffering,” have abandoned faith. Therefore, God declares, “by reason of the misery of the needy, and the groans of the poor, now will I arise.” God is ready for judgment. His saints on earth are in dire need of His help. God will not suffer his holy ones to wait one moment too long. In fact, God greatly desires that we be taken with him to heaven, but he is waiting for the right time. First, wickedness must ferment upon the earth to such a degree that God must come.

God continues: “I will set him in safety, I will deal confidently in this regard.” It is obvious from these words that God is completely concerned about his children on earth. David assures himself that God’s words are trustworthy by saying: “the words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried by the fire, purged from the earth refined seven times.”

God’s “words,” refer to God’s promise to judge and punish the wicked and to save the righteous. These words are trustworthy. Nothing should ever cause us to doubt them.

David says, “Thou O Lord will preserve us: and keep us from this generation forever.” This, for certain, shows that the ancient Israelites believed in an afterlife (forever).

Psalm 11: Some Will Fall Away

2006-02-08T12:24:00.000-08:00

Okay, so on second thoughts, psalm 11 doesn't have to do with social action. The reason I thought that is because the words "what has the just man done" can be taken in so many different ways. But now I think I have it...

Psalm 11 flows from psalm 10 beautifully. At first (just like with psalm 8), I could not see the connection. I was getting worried that my overall thesis (that these psalms are all interconnected and give us a seamless theology) was in shambles. But after I read over psalm 11 a good number of times, I became excited again. These psalms do flow into one another. Even the most abrupt changes in direction and theme are not in fact abrupt. At least so far, my studies have concluded that belief...but let’s keep studying to see where this all leads.

Psalm 10 proved that it’s hard to be a Christian. We have to live a seeming contradiction. We have to proclaim a God of justice when we live in a world of utter injustice. Either God is not concerned about the injustice; or God does not exist. Christians are laughed and jeered at, and the wicked prosper. The temptation to abandon faith is strong indeed.

In the book of Proverbs, we read the enticing words of the wicked:

11 Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood, let us hide snares for the innocent without cause: 12 Let us swallow him up alive like hell, and whole as one that goeth down into the pit. 13 We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoils. 14 Cast in thy lot with us, let us all have one purse. (Prov 1)

For many Christians, this does seem like a prospect. We might be tempted to think: “Why not jettison faith and suffering for luxury at the expense of others? Perhaps God does not exist after all…perhaps these wicked people are right!”

And so, David finds himself living in a world of wickedness with few Christian companions. And those few who are his brothers in the Faith are being enticed away by the wicked. The are starting to believe that God does not actually see their sins. They are starting to believe that God will not in fact judge the wicked. They are starting to loose hope. In psalm 11, his brothers say to him:

“Get thee away from hence to the mountain like a sparrow? 3 For, lo, the wicked have bent their bow; they have prepared their arrows in the quiver; to shoot in the dark the upright of heart. 4 For they have destroyed the things which thou hast made: but what has the just man done?”

These “Christian” companions of David seem to be losing their faith for sure. They suggest to David that he flee away to save his life. It is almost as though they are trying to drag David down to their level. They try to put fear into David by telling him that the wicked are ready for him. They tell David that the wicked “have destroyed the things that thou have made” and then they ask him: “what has the just man done?” By “what has the just man done,” they mean, “what have we ever accomplished against the wicked?” Essentially, these companions are saying to David: “Run and hide. The wicked are ready for you. There is no point in fighting against them, because in all our days of fighting against the wicked, what have we accomplished? Nothing!”

But David does not loose hope. He answers: “In the Lord I have put my trust…how then can you say to my soul….?”

It doesn’t matter if the wicked will triumph over him…it doesn’t matter if David’s efforts at exacting justice have been in vain (“what has the just man done?”) it doesn’t matter if he dies in the very arms of injustice. Why does it not matter? Because he has put his trust in the Lord! End of story. This is an unshakable, unending trust, unyielding confidence. This trust makes David confident that though God is not judging the wicked now, eventually He will judge the wicked… And judge the wicked He will.

David continues: “5 The Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord's throne is in heaven.” This is important because God’s holy temple is the place from which he issues his judgments and decrees (Apoc 4). So, essentially, David is answering his friends by saying: “God is ready for judgment…just you wait.”

He goes on: “His eyes look on the poor man: his eyelids examine the sons of men.” The poor man and the sons of men are two different kinds of people. The poor man refers to the just man who silently suffers at the hand of the wicked and the sons of men refer to either the wicked or those who sit on the fence (i.e. David’s friends). David is saying to that there is nothing that God can’t see. There is no point in hiding from him. He is privy to all that occurs on earth. Even though the wicked people “hide in the dark to shoot at the upright of heart,” God sees them, and will repay them. So don’t worry, or don’t lose faith.

Then David says: “6 The Lord trieth the just and the wicked: but he that loveth iniquity hateth his own soul.” Here David is explaining to his friends that bad things happen to good people. That’s life. This is not because God does not see, or because God does not care, or because there is no God. God lets bad things happen to good people as a test. God tested Job though he knew that Job was the most righteous man alive. And so God will test all the righteous. We must expect it. The word “trieth” carries the same meaning as “test” or “prove.” God already knows who will and who will not withstand his tests. God is essentially trying to prove to the devil who is righteous and who is not. Those who withstand his tests are indeed shown to be righteous. This knowledge should confirm us in our faith.

He continues: 7 He shall rain snares upon sinners: fire and brimstone and storms of winds shall be the portion of their cup. 8 For the Lord is just, and hath loved justice: his countenance hath beheld righteousness.”

We can see from these words that David is trying to convince his fallen companions that God IS just. He is trying to convince them that God DOES see the wickedness and that he WILL judge the wicked…in time. He sees that his companions are being tempted to “love the world,” so he says to them, “he that loveth iniquity hateth his own soul.” Obviously, David wants his companions to be saved. David also tries to convince his friends that God DOES note their justice, just as God noted Daniel’s justice. Earlier, they asked David: “what has the just man done?” as if to imply that our justice has no effect. But David is confident that our justice is effective…it accomplishes something…it draws God to judgment. But this judgment will most likely be the final judgment. We can say this, because David uses the apocalyptic language of “fire and brimstone.”

Psalm 11: Don’t Just Suffer—Do Something!

2006-02-02T17:56:00.000-08:00

Psalm 10 shows us that our patient suffering at the hands of the wicked will eventually be rewarded. Maybe not in our lifetime, but eventually… This knowledge can give us great patience as we suffer. However, as bad as the suffering is, in one sense, it can be easier to suffer at the hands of the wicked than to fight against them. What I mean is, fighting against the wicked takes energy, verve and all that kind of stuff. Suffering, on the other hand can be seen as the easy way out. For example, for someone who has been framed for stealing, it may well be easier for that person to suffer some time behind bars, than to fight to “the end” for justice. That person would have to take weeks off of work to be present at the courts etc. etc. etc. It might be easier to suffer and wait.

Suffering, as has been seen, does (eventually) bring about God’s justice. But suffering is not the only way we can call on God’s justice. As God’s children, created in his image and likeness, to whom it was said “be holy, even as your heavenly father is holy,” we are expected to exact justice here on earth in whatever capacity we can. So, just because suffering will (eventually) bring about God’s justice, doesn’t mean that it is the only way to bring about God’s justice. We can also act positively.

Thought the Gospel certainly calls us to patient suffering, it also calls us to action, to positively do whatever we can to instill justice in our society. Thus, when we are not suffering for the sake of God’s justice, we ought to be fighting for the same.

With this in mind, let us read over psalm 11.

Peace

Psalm 10: Dealing with the Athiest..Continued

2006-02-01T18:15:00.000-08:00

“But the haunting character of atheism in Ps 10 emerges not simply from the description of wicked persons and oppressors; it lies in the nature of the temptation faced by the righteous sufferer. As the psalmist develops his theme (10:2-11), reflecting upon the nature of these functional atheists, inevitably his faith and his confidence in God, in the system of morality, and in the existence of justice, must falter. It is easy to say that God exists, to affirm that morality matters, to believe in divine and human justice, but the words carry a hollow echo when the empirical reality of human living indicates precisely the opposite.” (Word Biblical Commentary, pg. 127)

These are the words of Peter C. Craigie, author of Word Biblical Commentary Vol. 19. They resonate wonderfully with all that has been said so far.

What can you say to the atheist who devises counsels against the poor (v. 2), who is praised in the desires of his soul (v. 3), who provokes the Lord (v. 4) who will not seek the Lord (v. 4) whose ways are filthy at all times (v. 5) who boasts that he will not slip, who says that he is “without evil,” whose mouth is “full of cursing,” who “sits in ambush” to kill the innocent poor man? What can the Christian say to this man when God is apparently not bothered about their conduct? If you say: “God will get you” you may never live to see the day when God actually judges them. And as you die, people will mock you and cry out: “See, I told you…God has not required it” (by “it” we mean the sinner’s blood, see Ps 9:13).

What a predicament we Christians find ourselves in! We are asked to preach justice when God Himself is ostensibly not concerned about justice. How is the Christian to live in such difficult circumstances? What can the Christian possibly say to such an atheist that might sway him? There is no more point in preaching…that will not work. David has already preached enough. All he can do is wait, and wait, and then wait, and then wait some more. Although he continues to preach (because he himself cannot tell who is beyond redemption and who is not), David must become content with the idea that he may never, in his lifetime, see the justice of God take place. But, the question is, how are we supposed to wait THAT long?

King David comes to terms with such long waiting by remembering his descendants who were slaves in Egypt for 430 years. 430 years is a LONG time. We are talking generations upon generations of people (about 11 generations). While 11 generation of suffering believers came and went, only one generation were actually alive to see the salvation of the Lord. This means that, statistically speaking, the chances of any one generation seeing God’s judgment come are quite slim. Again, this means that it’s not just a good idea to learn how to suffer patiently. It is a categorical imperative that every Christian learn to suffer patiently. But as you suffer, you can think back to the time that God saved the Israelites after having waited so long. It’s the concrete historical evidence that gives us hope. If God responded to the “cry” of the “poor” in Egypt after 430 years, then it will likely be a long time before God’s judgment comes again.

What can you say to the atheist who will not repent? Well, nothing really. But the thing is that we are not allowed to judge who is beyond repentance and who is not. We cannot read the hearts of others. We must be content with King David to preach God’s command (Ps 2, love and justice) until the day we die, content with the knowledge that we may never see justice in our lifetime. We can have such confidence because God has done it before (after waiting for a long time) and because God has promised that he will come to judge the world.

Incidentally, it is interesting to note at this point that the man who wrote the above quotation from the Word Biblical Commentary is an example of what we are talking about. I wish I could have gotten to meet him. But I was very saddened when I read that he passed away upon the completion of this monumental work. Peter C. Craige, no doubt, felt the pressure of evil presence of the wicked in this world. To be sure, he longed that their wickedness be judged. Yet, in his lifetime, such judgment never came (at least in the way he desired). Nevertheless, we can be sure that this great scholar was confident that God’s judgment would eventually come; and indeed it will...some time.

One final note: In light of the above study, it seems that we can say with confidence that the “wicked one” of Douay Ps 9:6 is very likely referring to Pharaoh. Thus in psalm 10, we are to wait patiently for God to punish the Pharaoh of our day (i.e., the devil).

Final thoughts to follow…

Peace

Psalm 10: Dealing With The Atheist

2006-01-31T19:14:00.000-08:00

In Psalm 9 David expressed how he was happy to suffer patiently, knowing that God would eventually judge the wicked. But here in Psalm 10, it seems that David runs out of patience. He starts calling on God to judge the wicked again. We do a double take. I thought David just said that he would have patience???? Why is he calling on God to judge his oppressors, when, just a minute ago, he seemed content to wait on the Lord? Well, looking at the Psalm again, I don’t actually think that David is exhibiting impatience. If he was being impatient somehow, then we would have to try to explain how he can go from patience to impatience in a matter of just a few verses. Why be so quick to label David as an emotional roller coaster? I am just tired of that kind of appraoch.

David asks “why” God doesn’t judge the wicked because he wants to probe a mystery. Back in Psalm 2, David asked “why” the wicked sin. He says, in light of the fact that they will be judged by God’s anointed, “why” do they keep on sinning? It makes no sense. That was the mystery of iniquity. But here, he tries to understand another mystery, the mystery of “why” God doesn’t judge the wicked with more alacrity. Meanwhile, “poor” David (that is, poor in spirit as well as poor in pocket) is stuck in the middle. He has to put up with the wicked with patient endurance on the one hand, and then on the other hand, he has to wrestle with the mystery as to why God doesn’t just pounce on the wicked in judgment. Well, what’s the answer? Why doesn’t God judge the wicked?

This former question, “why the wicked don’t repent?” is one that the believer doesn’t really need an answer for. If we don’t know the answer, we can still get by in our Christian walk. But the second question can pose a major difficulty to the Christian, if he finds no satisfactory answer. The Christian can be tempted (whether by himself or by outside forces) to think that because God is not judging the wicked, there may not actually be a God out there after all. Or worse yet, perhaps there is a God out there, but He just doesn’t care what the wicked do. If God is all holy, yet he does not call the wicked to account, then it must follow that either God is not holy, or God does not exist.

Such thoughts are extremely bothersome for the faithful (suffering) Christian. What’s the point in all this “patient suffering” if God is never going to call the wicked to account? Even the wicked themselves tell us that: “God will not require it.” They rub that in our faces. The Christian then, must have some kind of answer to the person who sees injustice in the world and asks: “how can we say there is a God, when this injustice goes unnoticed?” The hardest question then that a Christian can be asked is not “why is there so much suffering in the world” but “why is there so much unjust suffering in the world that goes unpunished?” Truly this is the one question that can aggravate the Christian to no end. For, the person who asks this question feels he has caught the Christian in a trap. Either God is not holy (for allowing injustice) or God simply does not exist.

Stay tuned. More to follow…

Peace

Psalm 9 (I Can’t Wait For Judgment!)

2006-01-27T18:01:00.000-08:00

Let me expound psalm 9 again. But first, here's the background...

At the end of psalm 7, David says that he will declare God’s justice. And as we read psalm 8, we expect it to be all about how just He is. But, soon we find out that psalm 8 has nothing to do with God’s justice (or so we think). Just a few verses into psalm 8 and we find ourselves thinking, "this has nothing to do with psalm 7."

But how easy it is to miss the forest for the trees. We need to see how the psalms are connected to the other. We need to take a step back and s-l-o-w d-o-w-n.

Let’s rewind a bit and review for a second. So, what is psalm 8 talking about? Put simply, it is talking about the privileged position that God has given to mankind within creation. He has placed us over it all. As we read psalm 8 we are The moved to thank God for our privileged status. We read:

“5 What is man that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man that thou visitest him?” 6 Thou hast made him a little less than the angels, thou hast crowned him with glory and honour: 7 And hast set him over the works of thy hands. 8 Thou hast subjected all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen: moreover the beasts also of the fields. 9 The birds of the air, and the fishes of the sea, that pass through the paths of the sea.

So, as we read psalm 8, it may seem to have nothing to do with God’s justice. But, earlier in the psalm we read:

“3 Out of the mouth of infants and of sucklings thou hast perfected praise, because of thy enemies, that thou mayst destroy the enemy and the avenger. 4 For I will behold thy heavens, the works of thy fingers: the moon and the stars which thou hast founded. 5 What is man that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man that thou visitest him?”

What does this mean? The answer is pretty simple. All of creation is made to glorify God. It does this by obeying His will. By nature, all of creation (the heavens, the moon and the stars, and the "suckling") obeys God. Yet, as we know from Genesis 3, mankind, the "crowning glory" of creation, disobeyed God. As Adam and Eve were disobeying God, the moon, sun and stars were obeying Him. There and then, as soon as Adam and Eve sinned, God could have destroyed mankind—justly. But he didn’t. Thus, when God judges the world on Judgment Day, he cannot be accused of being unjust. All of mankind, from Adam on, have received the most gracious arm of mercy by our God. This is why David says “5 What is man that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man that thou visitest him?” By “son of man” David is referring to the children of Adam. God keeps sinners alive even AS they sin. That is what he is marveling at in psalm 8--not just how God has given us so much, but how God has given us so much, even as we deserved not just nothing, but punishment.

Thus, even though psalm 8 talks about mankind’s privileged position in the order of creation, it does so against the backdrop of sin. In effect, psalm 8 is saying: “I can’t believe that after all we have done (and do) God has still lavished us with all things. Such a God must be infinitely merciful. Therefore, when He finally judges the wicked on judgment day, they will have no excuse." They are being judged by a most fair Judge. Psalm 8 shows us the justice of our Judge.

Bearing in mind the fact that we will be judged by the most just and fair God we could ever hope to be judged by (Psalm 8), David expresses how much he looks forward to the day when God will finally judge the wicked. He says: “3 I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing to thy name, O thou most high. 4 When my enemy shall be turned back: they shall be weakened and perish before thy face.” The words “turned back” refer to God’s judgment. When Jesus comes to judge the world, many will be turned away. In Psalm 4, David tells us that even though, “7 The light of thy countenance O Lord, is signed upon us,” the wicked have refused to acknowledge the Lord’s face. Now, David is anticipating the day when God will finally give the wicked what they have been wanting all along...absence from God’s face. The parable of the wedding supper bears this out well. They will not be allowed entrance into the celebration. The flow of both sentences is interrupted by the period between verses 3 and 4. But, as I see it, when we read both sentences without the period, it makes more sense. David is saying that he “will be glad and rejoice when his enemy will be turned back.

God has 2 reasons to punish the wicked. The first reason is because the scales of justice need to be balanced. By not judging the wicked, God would show himself to be unconcerned abut his own honor (all sin dishonors God). The second reason is because of the suffering of the righteous. David says that the wicked will perish: “for You have maintained my judgment and my cause.” By “cause” we are to read “case.” On a basic level, God will simply judge the wicked on account of their sin. But when God considers the suffering of the righteous at the hands of the wicked, he is sure to punish the wicked ever more severely.

We can imagine David pleading his case before God. He says: "Lord I am being persecuted from every direction (Ps 3:7); the wicked have increased against me (Ps 3:2). They keep persecuting me, even though I told them that their wickedness will land them in hell (Ps 1, 2, 4:3). But they ignored me. Not only that, but they have also ignored Your own face which is signed upon their hearts (Ps 4:7). But after praying for them and after preaching your command (Ps 2:6, 10-13) to them, and after asking them to repent (Ps 4:5-6, 6:11), I felt as thought I have done all I can. Therefore, I prayed that their un-repentance would be judged by you (Ps 5). I prayed against them even though I know I have sinned myself in the past (Ps 5:8, Ps 6); but I have repented (Ps 6:7). I have done the thing I whish they would do. I know that your judgment will be completely holy and just since, even now, as they sin, you keep the children of Adam alive (Ps 8:5); nay, you lavish upon them all things (Ps 8:6-9), even your countenance (Ps 4:7). They sin while the sun, moon and stars obey you. Even the babies obey you (Ps 8). But the wicked don't. Therefore, they have no excuse (Ps 8:4). So, now I look forward to your judgment against them (Ps 9:3, 9). You will judge them not only because what they do is wrong, but because of the way in which I have chosen to suffer at their hands (Ps 9:13-14). Because of my quiet suffering, their judgment will be all the more severe against them.

David is not lashing back. In fact, so far in the Psalms, the closest thing to lashing back is Ps 5. But that was an imprecatory prayer (which is prayed for God’s honor, not for the debasement of the wicked). No, David is suffering quietly. He is not retaliating. He is bearing the wrongs patiently. God sees David’s quiet suffering at the hands of the wicked, and this moves Him to judgment. The thought that his suffering will be rewarded gives David great consolation. He can bear the wrongs done to him patiently with the knowledge that one day it will be over, and that one day, his oppressors will be punished.

In verse 6 David says the following: “6 Thou hast rebuked the Gentiles, and the wicked one hath perished: thou hast blotted out their name for ever and ever.” At first sight, this would seem out of context. Here we have David looking forward to the day when his patients will be rewarded and then all of a sudden we find ourselves reading about how years ago, God punished the Gentiles. Though this may seem out of place to us, for David, is no tangent. David is referring to God’s prior judgments of the wicked for a purpose. His logic is— if God can do it once, He can do it again. If God has punished the wicked in the past, he can surely do it in the future. This thought gives David the confidence that God will (eventually) intervene.

The reference to the “wicked one” when he says, “the wicked one hath perished,” seems to be unique to the Douay Rheims version. In other versions, we read “the wicked.” So, to paraphrase David: “Lord, You did it before! In times past, you destroyed the (wicked) Gentiles.” This is most likely referring to when God saved the Israelites from the Egyptians (just a hunch). If the Douay translation is correct, then the “wicked one” may well be referring to the Pharaoh who was alive at the time. Otherwise, the “wicked one” has to refer to the devil. But, this interpretation is not allowed since the devil, in David’s time and in ours, is still active. Verse 7 recounts the victories that the Israelites had as the endeavored to conquer the land of Canaan: “The swords of the enemy have failed unto the end: and their cities thou hast destroyed. Their memory hath perished with a noise.” The fact that God, in times past “hast not forsaken them that seek thee, O Lord” (v. 11) gives David great consolation that God will intervene in the future.
For as he suffers at the hand of the enemy, he draws assurance that God “shall judge the world in equity, he shall judge the people in justice” (v. 9). David is so confident that God will intervene, that he says: “For the poor man shall not be forgotten to the end: the patience of the poor shall not perish for ever” (v. 19). The operative words in verse 19 are “to the end” and “patients.” David chooses to have patients and to wait for God’s judgment. Thought it may seem that God has abandoned the righteous, the truth is that in the “end,” God will reward David’s “patients” bountifully. This knowledge helps David not to become embittered by his circumstances. Rather, it helps him hope.

The Psalm ends with a plea that God would judge the Gentiles that they would come to know themselves to be “but men.”

Psalm 8 Doesn't Last Forever...But Our Reward Does

2006-01-16T01:20:00.000-08:00

In psalm 8 David declared God’s holiness. He did this by reminding us that even though we ought to be dead (for the original sin and all subsequent sins) God spares us (even AS we sin), waiting for us to turn to the light of repentance. God can have such patience with us because He knows that one day Jesus will come and make up for the sins of mankind. God’s “merciful justice” then, hinges on Jesus’ sacrifice. God can have patience with mankind in view of the coming sacrifice of Jesus. This shows us that we are going to be judged by the most just Judge there could be, a Judge that has done all things in his power to aquit the guilty, if only the guilty would comply. Therefore, Psalm 8 praises God for lavishing mankind with the greatest of undeserved gifts.

Psalm 8 however, doesn't last forever. What we mean by that is, as we walk our Christian walk, we can experience times of great jubliance, when we behold with the eyes of our souls the awesome things of God and the ultimate purposes of existence itself. Lost in meditation and contemplation, we temporarily forget the reality in which we live...We live in a fallen world, where sinful people surround us on every side. But, whereas normally these circumstances would move us to great sorrow and even despair, after praying psalm 8 we feel better equipt to handle the rough harsh truth about this world. Thus, psalm 9 is not a lament. It is a psalm of thanks.

David does not dwell on the wicked and on his suffering. Rather, he thanks God that his suffering has eternal value and he knows that his suffering will even be used against his foes (to judge them). After having contemplated God has a holy and benovelant Judge who has patience with mankind (to the point of dying for them), David now tries to become like God. He desires to have patients with his enemies. How could he lose patience and despair, when God has shown himself so patient with us? Even though God sees the iniquity of the wicked (which rouses His righteous anger), he can endure it because He “considerest labour and sorrow: that thou mayst deliver them into thy hands.” When God considers the suffering of the lowly at the hands of the wicked He has even more justification (and cause) for judging the wicked. That is why we can say that God can use our sufferings against the wicked.
Those opressed people (the psalmist included) are said to be "poor." This refers not only to being "poor" in body but also in spirit. The "poor" do not retaliate and blame God for their miseries. Rather, they shame the wicked by their exemplary lives. Thus, the wicked will not be judged by God’s law alone, but will also be judged against the standard of holiness which God’s saints (who they persecute) live up to.

Toward the end of the psalm thinks into eternity again. For, while we are suffering from the hands of the wicked, we can draw consolation from the fact that these sufferings will not be with us for ever. Rather, while we enjoy God’s companionship into eternity, the “Gentiles shall perish from His land.” Thus, even though he himself is undergoing great suffering at the hands of the Gentiles, he is able to thank God that his suffering is not in vain. In fact, on judgment day, his suffering will be used against his enemies, who will be turned into hell. But David’s reasons to thank God are multiplied as he remembers that his sufferings are nothing compared to the sufferings of Christ, the Son of God who, one day will come.

In their hearts the wicked convince themselves that God will not judge them. Somehow, they reason that God is too merciful to judge them as worthy of eternal doom. They fool only themselves. They block out the word of God that is stamped on their souls (the natural law) and tell themselves over and over again that God will not require their death. “32 For he hath said in his heart: God hath forgotten, he hath turned away his face not to see to the end…. 34 Wherefore hath the wicked provoked God? for he hath said in his heart: He will not require it.” By “it” the psalmist means the death of the wicked. What David is saying is that there is no better way of ensuring the destruction of the wicked than by suffering righteously and patiently at their hands. We can have patience because we know (on the strength of God’s holy character) that He will judge the wicked.

This psalm is specifically dealing with the sufferings brought upon God’s saints by the Gentiles. The psalmist asks God to place a lawgiver over them that they may know themselves to be but men. It is interesting to note that God uses the law to underscore our weakness. The law was given to the Israelites to show them how sinful they really were. But they broke all of the requirements of the law. When we read God’s law, it is like holding a mirror up to our dirty faces. We know that we must change. In short, the law humbles us. Unfortunately, the Pharisees concentrated on the ceremonial part of the law and on their own man made laws such that they neglected the very spirit of the law...the spirit of Love. In any event, the psalmist calls for a law to be given to the Gentiles, which we may suppose is for the purpose of humbling them and thus saving them--though in truth, the majority of the Gentiles will not heed this law (like the majority of the Israelites), and thus condemn themselves in the process.

In verses 6-10 the psalmist speaks of God already having already triumphed over the Gentiles. “6 Thou hast rebuked the Gentiles, and the wicked one hath perished: thou hast blotted out their name for ever and ever.” This is to be understood as prophetic. Here, the psalmist sees into the future. He sees what will happen to the Gentiles. And he is so confident that it will occur that he speaks of it as though it has already occurred. The “wicked one” is a reference to Satan. Thus, we can understand the psalmist to be peering into the future to either the Cross of Christ or the final judgment. For, at both these events, the wicked one perishes, though the second “perishing” is more final than the first. This psalm however, opens up "for the hidden things of the Son." Here, then, the psalmist gives great thanks for the future sufferings of Jesus, references to which are found in the law.

This whole psalm actually one of thanks. We go from psalm 8, a psalm which praises Gos for his merciful justice (which hinges on the sacrifice of Jesus) to psalm 9, a psalm which thanks God for his furure judgments of the wicked. God is more than quailfied to judge the wicked, again, because of Christ's coming sacrifice, but also on accound of the sufferings of the saints. In psalm 9 we see great patience and great faith. For, as much as we would like the "high" of psalm 8 to last forever, we must face the reality that as pilgrims here on earth, we are all too frequently made to suffer. Yet, we can thank God that he will reward our patient suffering, and will one day even use our sufferings to judge the evil of this world.

Pope Formosus...Excursion into the 800s

2006-01-10T18:57:00.000-08:00

Okay, I know that this is out of the ordinary, but I just had to write about it. I was reading up on my Church history the other night. Came across this incident that happened in the middle ages. We're talking the 800s. And the 800s were messy times anyway. Ever since Charlemagne died, the Holy Roman Empire declined into a major state of curruption. Simony... lay investiture...the whole bit. There were a string of pretty bad popes, one of whom was named Formosus. Notice he doesn't have the letters St. before his name. Then, there was pope Stephen IV. Notice that he doesn't have the letters St. before his name either. Well, Formosus died and Stephen became pope. Pope Stephen hated Formosus. Stephen had Formosus' body dug up from the ground (we're talking months after he was burried) and brought to trial. Formosus' stenching corpse was propped up in a chair, dressed in papal atire while pope Stephen cross-examined him (well, really there was a deacon there who was supposed to answer for him). At then end of the trial, pope Formosus was found guilty (imagine that). His three fingers (his papal blessing fingers) were cut off, his papal garb was taken off, and he was dragged through Rome and then dumped into the Tiber. Is it just me, or is this sounding absolutely crackers?

Anyway, here is what Daniel Rops has to say about the event...

"Moreover, this ignoble carnival was to have an inevitable conclusion: divine wrath caused the collapse of the Latern basilica; Stephen VI himself was overthrown by oopular indignation, imprisoned, and strangled."

Brother!

Word Biblical Commentary: Composition of the Psalms

2006-01-04T16:29:00.000-08:00

I recently got my hands on the Word Biblical Commentary, Vol 19. The author is a man by the name of Peter C. Craigie. He seems like a formidable (as in, great) scholar. Craigie leans heavily towards the documentary hypothesis (JEPD). He says that it is "firmly grounded" (pg. 29). Even though all my biblical instincts tell me to avoid the hypothesis, I am willing to listen to it, simply because it is so prevalent in scholaly circles today. It seems I need to understand the theory in order to be take any stance for or against it.

In any event, here are some of Craigie's statements:

"It is not possible to trace each step in the process from the composition of individual psalms to the compilation of the Psalter as a whole..." (pg. 28)

"If the ordering of the material within the book followed some grand design, it is no longer possible to discern that design with clarity; indeed, it is possible that there is no overall structure to the Book of Psalms. Sometimes a purpose can be seen in the placing of psalms alongside each other..." (pg. 30)

"...there is no firm internal ground for viewing each of the five books of the Psalter as a complete of self-contained unit." (pg. 30-31)

"It is not known precisely when the task of compiling the Psalter was completed. The Psalms within it come from a variety of periods--from before the monarchy (in a few cases) to after the exile. It is probable that the Book of Psalms bad reached substantially its present form by the fourth century B.C." (pg. 31)

Psalm 8: What' s So Just About God Anyway?

2005-12-22T19:16:00.000-08:00

In Psalm 8, David pauses to breath in the excellence of God’s justice, just as he said he would. All his problems melt away as he does this.

Psalm 7 - David declares God to be a just judge. He ends the psalm: "I will give glory to the Lord according to his justice: and will (7:9,11). He wants to declare God's justice, because he is confident that God will be a just judge, judging the innocent according to the innocence in them, and judging the wicked according to their works. Keep in mind that he had not yet confronted his son Absolom. David is merely finding space in his heart before he fights Absolom.

In psalm 8, David does exactly as he said he would at the end of psalm 7. So, “what is so just about God anyway? How can we be sure that he will judge us fairly?"

God didn’t have to make mankind if he didn’t want to. But, out of the kindness of his heart, he wished to expand his life to include us so that we could experience the abundance of life which he experiences. When Adam sinned, God could have rightfully taken their lives, without incurring sin. God does not owe us life. He gives it to us freely. We do not deserve life and have no right to expect God to lavish his blessing on us. However, God didn’t kill Adam and Eve when they sinned, but let mankind survive. More than that, He planned to send his Son to die for our sins. Considering all that God has done for us then, is not God’s justice marvelous? In letting mankind live, God demonstrates that he is abiding well beyond the standards of normal justice. God didn’t have to promise to send his Son, God didn’t have to die for us. God could have--justly--killed mankind. But, he didn't. Instead, he let them live. God then, is holy, holy, holy, and we can be confidend that in his judgments, he will be more than fair.

Therefore, the wicked cannot claim that they are being judged by an unfair, unjust judge, because EVEN NOW they are being extended mercy by their future judge, even though they have no right to live. God could rightfully end their lives now, if he desired. In the previous psalm, David said: "11 Just is my help from the Lord: who saveth the upright of heart. 12 God is a just judge, strong and patient: is he angry every day? 13 Except you will be converted, he will brandish his sword: he hath bent his bow and made it ready." This shows us God's extreme patience. Therefore, the wicked have no excuse. They have the light of God's conscience stamped on their soul (Ps 4) and are being extended God's mercy even now, that they might convert. They cannot claim that they are being judged by an unfair God.

Therefore, in this psalm David thinks ahead to the day when God will one day come and die for man. God will become as the wine press which is pounded and trampled upon to produce pure wine for his bride. (This is why David dedicates this psalm to the presses--which mystically, is Christ). It is as if David can see into the future, and sees the Lord Jesus Christ die for our sins. David is overcome with this deep feeling...and is overwhelmed with the thought: "What have we done to ever deserve this kind of mercy?" David sees the lengths that God goes to rescue mankind from the curse of sin, and he is amazed about what God is planning to do. There is no reason why God would be so merciful to mankind. So, while David asks "why" the evil persist in their wicked ways, he is equally overcome with the illogic of God's mercy: "5 What is man that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man that thou visitest him?" We may all ask this in amazement...what is it about us that God loves so much...for surely, no one *deserves* God.

To paraphrase David, it is as though he was saying: “you have done all this for us, you have set us over all of creation, you have made us little less than the angels...we screwed up...but you are planning on dying for us all. How merciful you are!!! What have we done to deserve such mercy?? Though we all deserve death, even now, you let us live, second by second, moment by moment, breath by breath. Your justice is mercy.”

David sees all of creation--over which man has been placed--and David sees that creation instinctively obeys God's will. Yet, man, who has been given domion over these things, shamefully disobeyed God. Mankind is shamed by the inanimate things of nature. Mankind is shamed by the sun, moon and stars. They do God's bidding. Even the little children, who lack concsious knowledge obey God on an instinctual basis. But man, disobeys God. In sinning, mankind shows that the created order is more "moral" than it.

But besides this, David looks up into the heavens and is overwhelmed with the thought: "you created all this for me?"

Glory to God!

“If I have Done This Thing” (another consideration)

2005-12-20T09:33:00.000-08:00

As David was initially fleeing from Absolom (psalm 3), he must have felt completely bewildered. He must have thought: “why is my son Absolom fighting against me.” Though he knew in his heart that this was happening as the temporal consequence of his sin of adultery (as Nathan the prophet had warned) David was still confused about what was personally motivating Absolom. In fact, as David saw it, Absolom had no real cause to fight against David, because David had done nothing wrong. This is why David calls his enemies: “my enemies without cause” (psalm 3:8).

In psalm 4, David threatened that he would “cry” out to God, that is, that he would ask God to judge his enemies (which included Absolom). In psalm 5 David prays the imprecatory prayer that he threatened to pray in psalm 4. In psalm 6, David repents and does penance for his past sins (adultery) which brought on the evil of his son Absolom. David must have figured: “the more penance I do now (psalm 6), the less my son will harm me.”

As David wrote psalm 7, he must have been preparing for a battle against his son Absolom. He knew it was coming. Absolom was going to attack David, even though David repented of his past sins, and would continue to do so (“every night I will wash my bed”). This battle was inevitable.

Here’s the mystery I am still trying to work out: David prays, “if I have done this thing..if I have rendered unto them that return me evils… What was David talking about? Earlier, we postulated that David was talking about his imprecatory prayer (psalm 5) or the curse of Sheimi (2 Sam 16). But, what we did not consider is, perhaps David is talking about how well he treated his eldest son, even after he had raped Absolom’s sister. This was surely something that Absolom was resentful about. Perhaps, Absolom wanted to seek vengeance for his sister Tamar. It might be true that Absolom wanted to kill his father, because his father did nothing to his eldest son, even though he raped Absolom’s sister.

Perhaps… Let’s keep our thinking caps on and see what we come up with next.

God bless

Son of Jemini or Benjamite?

2005-12-19T07:44:00.002-08:00

Psalm 7 starts out: "The psalm of David which he sung to the Lord for the words of Chusi the son of Jemini." [2 Kings 16]

We've got to ask ourselves, who is Chusai the son of Jemini? Well, we have already seen who Chusai is, but what about Jemini? This reference to Jemini is kind of wierd, because in other bibles, Jemini is not really mentioned. Even Aquinas uses a different translation. Aquinas has: "To the end. A Psalm of David which he sang to the Lord for the words of Chusi, the son of Benjamin." Augustine uses "son of Jemini." So, which is it, son of Jemini or son of Benjamin? Augustine V. Aquinas. Obviously, Aquinas must have had some reason to override Augustine. As if that isn't confusing enough, other translations say: Cush, a Benjamite."

Then there's the 2 Kings 16 reference to "Jemini."

After being cursed by Seimi, David explains:

"11 And the king said to Abisai, and to all his servants: Behold my son, who came forth from my bowels, seeketh my life: how much more now A SON OF JEMINI?"

There is a big difference between the Douay's 1 Kings 16 and 2 Sam 16 in the NIV, NAB, RSV and KJV. These versions use "Benjamite":

"11 And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, which came forth of my bowels, seeketh my life: how much more now may THIS BENJAMITE do it? let him alone, and let him curse; for the LORD hath bidden him.

So, perhaps the NIV etc. know something about this verse that the Douay translators didn't. It does seem that Benjamite is the correct rendering.

With that said, psalm 7 would be a psalm that prays for help for Chusai the Benjamite. As Chusai the Benjamite is off thwarting the advice of Ahitophel, David is confronted by another Benjamite, Sheimi. This Benjamite however, curses David. This Benjamite says that David is pretty much responsible for the blood of the kingdom of Saul.

However, according to Joshua 16, Chusai would be an Ephraimite Benjamite, since Chusai's dad Archi was an Ephraimite.

Interesting...

Insight Into Psalm 7 (and summary)

2005-12-16T18:08:00.000-08:00

In psalm 6, we see David do penance for past sins. He knows that his son is planing to kill him. He also knows that his son is doing this as part of his temporal punishment for his sin of adultery.

But here in psalm 7, David declares his total innocence. Obviously, he cannot be referring to the sin of adultery. But what sin is be being charged with in psalm 7? He says “if I have done this thing…”

Earlier in this blog, I noted my utter consternation at this verse. What does David insist he is innocent of? The answer may be found here--surprise surpries--2 Kings 16. Some time AFTER David prayed psalm 6, and some time BEFORE David sent Chusai to spy on Absolom and Ahitophel, we see Semei come to David in the wilderness:

“5 And king David came as far as Bahurim: and behold there came out from thence a man of the kindred of the house of Saul named Semei, the son of Gera, and coming out he cursed as he went on, 6 And he threw stones at David, and at all the servants of king David: and all the people, and all the warriors walked on the right, and on the left side of the king. 7 And thus said Semei when he cursed the king: Come out, come out, thou man of blood, and thou man of Belial. 8 The Lord hath repaid thee for all the blood of the house of Saul: because thou hast usurped the kingdom in his stead, and the Lord hath given the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son: and behold thy evils press upon thee, because thou art a man of blood. 9 And Abisai the son of Sarvia said to the king: Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? I will go, and cut off his head. 10 And the king said: What have I to do with you, ye sons of Sarvia? Let him alone and let him curse: for the Lord hath bid him curse David: and who is he that shall dare say, why hath he done so? 11 And the king said to Abisai, and to all his servants: Behold my son, who came forth from my bowels, seeketh my life: how much more now a son of Jemini? let him alone that he may curse as the Lord hath bidden him. 12 Perhaps the Lord may look upon my affliction, and the Lord may render me good for the cursing of this day. 13 And David and his men with him went by the way. And Semei by the hill's side went over against him, cursing, and casting stones at him, and scattering earth. 14 And the king and all the people with him came weary, and refreshed themselves there. 15 But Absalom and all his people came into Jerusalem, and Achitophel was with him.”

To fully understand why Semei is saying what he is saying, we will need to study the David/Saul conflict again. But before we do that, here is a summary of what we have so far:

Psalm 1 - the wicked will suffer eternal doom, but the righteous will enjoy eternal paradice. God is their judge.
Psalm 2 - David's ascention to the throne is thwarted by his enemies
Psalm 3 - David is fleeing from Absolom
Psalm 4 - David threatens to pray against his enemies
Psalm 5 - David prayes for God's justice to be done against his enemies (which include Absolom)
Psalm 6 - David does penance for his sin of adultery (which got him into this mess in the first place)
Psalm 7 - David deals with false accusiations from his enemies (Semei). David wonders if he has in fact done something else wrong to deserve Absolom's attack.
Psalm 8 - David rejoices that he has been given victory against his enemies.

This Day I Have Begotten You

2005-12-15T07:25:00.000-08:00

Just a thought...

Psalm 2 talks about how David ascends the throne as king of Israel, despite the efforts of his enemies (Ish-Boseth and Abner).

David was annointed king of Israel by Samuel a long time ago. But, in spite of this annointing, Saul continued to rule. But then, after some time, Saul died. Up till then, David was ruling at Hebron. Now, David asks God if he should go up to Jerusalem. God says "yes." So, David went up to Jerusalem. At this point, when David reaches Jerusalem, God says to David: "this day I have begotten you..."

Psalm 2 reads: "6 But I am appointed king by him over Sion his holy mountain, preaching his commandment. 7 The Lord hath said to me: Thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee."

But, we may ask, hadn't God begotten David already? Sure, God had begotten David already, but there is something about his presence in Jerusalem that marks a new birth for David. Now, David, ruling from Jerusalem is REALLY king. David's true kingship, it can be argued, begins at Jerusalem, where the Lord gives him a new birth.

The bible says that David ruled at Jerusalem 33 years. Isn't that a coincidence? This is the length of Jesus' life. But was Jesus born from Jerusalem? Well, actually, yes, he was. Jesus did not rule from Jerusalem for 33 years, did he? Well, in as sense he did. In Galatians, Paul says that "Jerusalem" is our "heavenly mother." Jesus, haveing come from the heavenly Jerusalem, was begotten from there. David is "begotten" once he reaches Jerusalem, his heavenly mother.

This day I have begotten you: What day is it that? The day he entered into Jerusalem to rule as king, preaching God's commandment.

It should come as no surprise then that many of the fathers refered to Mary (Jesus' mother) as the "city of God."

A Closer Look at Psalm 3

2005-12-15T06:12:00.000-08:00

A closer look into psalm 3:

Here is the psalm:

Domine, quid multiplicati. The prophet's danger and delivery from his son Absalom: mystically, the passion and resurrection of Christ.

“1 The psalm of David when he fled from the face of his son Absalom. 2 Why, O Lord, are they multiplied that afflict me?"

David doesn't know why everyone wants to overthrow him. His son, wanted to be king so that he could judge the people with equity. His son Absolom, felt that David was not doing a good job at judging the people. Absolom wanted to bring justice to the land. 2 Sam 15 reads:

"4 O that they would make me judge over the land, that all that have business might come to me, that I might do them justice. 5 Moreover when any man came to him to salute him, he put forth his hand, and took him, and kissed him. 6 And this he did to all Israel that came for judgment, to be heard by the king, and he enticed the hearts of the men of Israel."

This was going on for a long, long time. Forty years, in fact. But, during these 40 years, Absolom never said anything to David about this. So, how was David supposed to know. If Absolom had asked David that he be allowed to judge the people, David probably would have gave into the request, but Absolom asked no such thing. Instead, he went behind his father's back, and set up a counter kingdom.

"many are they who rise up against me."

Commentary: Absolom had a huge following. The bible says that he enticed the hearts of "all Israel."

"3 Many say to my soul: There is no salvation for him in his God. 4 But thou, O Lord art my protector, my glory, and the lifter up of my head. 5 I have cried to the Lord with my voice: and he hath heard me from his holy hill."

Commentary: God hears David from His holy hill. When David was fleeing from his son Absolom, the priests Zadoc and the Levites followed David into the wilderness. But they brought the arc of the Covenant with them. When David saw this, he told them to go back and to put the arc back where it belongs. While David was out in the wilderness, he prayed to God. God, was in Jerusalem, and His presence was in the tabernacle. This is why David says: "he hath heard me from his holy hill."

Here is what 2 Sam 15 says about the moving of the arc:

"And Sadoc the priest also came, and all the Levites with him carrying the ark of the covenant of God, and they set down the ark of God: and Abiathar went up, till all the people that was come out of the city had done passing. 25 And the king said to Sadoc: Carry back the ark of God into the city: if I shall find grace in the sight of the Lord, he will bring me again, and he will shew me it, and his tabernacle."

"26 But if he shall say to me: Thou pleasest me not: I am ready, let him do that which is good before him."

Psalm 3 continues...

"6 I have slept and taken my rest: and I have risen up, because the Lord hath protected me."

COMMENTARY: Even though David was in the wilderness, he was able to sleep well. David had some informers like Chusai, the two high priests and the high priests sons. These people informed David of any impending danger, so that at night time, David was able to rest easy. "The Lord hath protected me" refers to the protection the Lord had afforded David through the work of these men.

Back to the psalm...

"7 I will not fear thousands of the people, surrounding me: arise, O Lord; save me, O my God. 8 For thou hast struck all them who are my adversaries without cause: thou hast broken the teeth of sinners."

COMMENTARY: David knows that he will have to fight against literally tens of thousands of people. But, he does not fear. He is fearless because he is mindful of how the Lord has saved him in times past (for thou hast struck all them who ae my adversaries without cause: thou hast broken the teeth of sinners").

Psalm continues...

"9 Salvation is of the Lord: and thy blessing is upon thy people."

COMMENTARY: When David says, "thy blessing is upon thy people, he is saying that, even though his enemies are Israelites, they are not necessarily God's people. God will save those who are living according to hs will.

Some Deeper Insights Into Psalm 2

2005-12-13T17:21:00.000-08:00

I decided to look a little further into psalm 2. Here's what I got...

Psalm 2 - the wicked persist in evil, despite the warning given in psalm 1. Given the fact that they will be defeated, David cries out "why?" It makes no sense to fight against the Lord's annointed.

It is generally believed that this psalm speaks of David's acendency to the throne of Israel (v. 8). But as he ascends the throne (after the death of Saul) many competitors to the throne start creeping out of the woodwork. Abner and the Israelites dared to make Saul's son Ish-Bosheth the king. And Abner himself, became Ish-Bosheth's commander in chief. Though the kingdom of Ish-Bosheth was a continuation of the kingdom of Saul, it was a false kingdom, set up in opposition to the true kingdom of David. Whereas the Abner and the Israelites made Ish-Bosheth king, the Lord Himself had annointed David to be king.

In the end, after much fighting and killing, Abner left Ish-Bosheth to join with David. This happened for two reasons. First, Abner got sick of all the killing that was going on between the kingdom of David and Ish-Bosheth's kingdom. All this killing seemed to get them nowhere. Secondly, Abner slept with the late king Saul's concubine. Ish-Bosheth probably got worried that Abner was trying to become king by stepping into Saul's old shoes (and bed). So Ish-Bosheth asked him "why" he was sleeping with his dad's old concubine. This annoyed Abner. So he went to David's side. Abner agreed to help David to be recognized as king over all Israel.

Earlier, however, Abner had killed the brother of David's right hand man - Joab. So, just as Abner was on his way to proclaim David king over all Israel, Joab killed him. When David found this out, he mourned greatly. As such, Abner shows us that there are many people out there who, on the face of it, seem like they will never convert to the Lord. Thus, at the end of Psalm 2, when David prays that his enemies "serve the Lord with fear" we may take it that he was speaking to Abner here. And the good news is that Abner heeded David's warning. David told his enemies to convert, "lest at any time the Lord be angry, and you perish from the just way. 13 When his wrath shall be kindled in a short time, blessed are all they that trust in him." It seems that Abner converted just in the nick of time. For, shortly after he turned to help David's cause, he was killed. Thus, Abner can be called "blessed," for by coming to the light, he escaped the "wrath of the Lord."

In the beginning of psalm 2, we see that the kings of the earth and the "princes" gang up to attack the Lord's annointed. This can easily refer to the Philistines (kings of the earth) and to the Isrealites (princes). The word "princes" can refer to Saul's son Ish-Bosheth, for he was indeed a "prince." The plural "princes" is also used in sacred scripture of David's sons. Therefore, while the psalm speaks of the opposition David experienced as he became king over all Israel--first by the Gentiles and also by this own people--the psalm also points to the future, when David would experience opposition from his own family...that is, from Absolom, his third "prince."

May God bless you all as you read God's Holy Word

Some Deeper Insights Into Psalm 6

2005-12-12T17:10:00.000-08:00

So, I picked up this copy of St. John Fisher's exposition of the seven penetential psalms. I turned to the psalm 6 to check out what he had to say about it. I was really curious because, as you can see from my last post, I really want to get to the bottom of the issue...what sin is David repenting of here? I asked some of my friends, but none of them seemed to know. I checked out Augustine, but he doesn't tell us the sin. I also checked out St. Thomas Aquinas, but for some reason whoever is translating his works, didn't translate psalm 6. Perhaps he didn't actually comment on it. I don't know. Well here is what St. Fisher had to say about the matter:

"Yet notwithstanding all this [being forgiven of adultery and manslaughter], David immediately forgot the goodness of almighty God and again fell into the sin of pride, being proud of the great number and multitude of his people against the commandment of the law of God. By this, all his great unkindness was renewed more and more. What might he look forward to, then, except the punishment of God? Greatly fearing this, the was marvellously penitent, and knowing that he had grievously offended our Lord God, he asked mercy of him and made this psalm with great contrition and sorrow of soul" (Exposition of the Seven Penetential Psalms, In Modern English With An Introduction by Anne Barbeau Gardiner, Ignatius Press, 1998, pp. 7-8).

And on the next page, he continues...

"Therefore, David, considering in himself that he had grievously offended almighty God and that a man may bear and suffer his punishment, makes this prayer: that God will grant him neither to punish him eternally be the pains of hell nor to correct him by the pains of purgatory, but be meek and merciful to him" (Ibid, pg. 9).

So there you have it.

Is St. Fisher correct?

Again, the only thing that is making me iffy about this interpretation is the fact that psalm 50 deals with David's sin of adultery, which came before his sin of "pride," as Fisher labels it. But, as I said earlier, it is possible that not all the psalms are ordered in a chronological fashion.

More to follow...

What's David Repenting of in Psalm 6?

2005-12-12T11:13:00.000-08:00

In Psalm 6, David repents of his sins. But which sins? Earlier, we postulated either some recent/newly committed sin, or some past sin. The "newly committed sin" idea seems a little out of place. The only thing going for it is the fact that David seems to be looking for actual forgiveness. But then again, David may not actually be David looking for forgiveness. That David is mourning/repenting again of his affair with Bathsheba would seem likely, for the following reasons:

1. The prophet Nathan had warned David that the sword would never fall from his house as a result of his sins of adultery and murder. Absolom is now seeking the life of his father. Essentially, God is now making David suffer some tempral consequences of his actions, and He is using David’s son Absolom as the instrument through which David will suffer.

2. The many references within psalm 6 to David's having already repented would strongly suggest that the sin in question would be his former sin of adultery and murder. Moreover, when David says, "every night I will wash my bed," we can be fairly certain that he says this on account of his sin of adultery.

Unless David committed some other sin which we are not aware of at the moment, the idea that he is repenting anew over his past sin with Bathsheba seems the most likely. It does seem likely that as David is being attacked by his son (which attack is outlined in psalms 2 + 3), he is reminded in his mind’s eye that these troubles are the temporal consequences of his sins. So, after praying for judgment against the wicked in psalm 5, David repents once more in psalm 6. David knows that he cannot make the coming punishment go away. But he may be able to lessen it's blow, by repenting some more in the sight of God.

The only problem with taking psalm 6 as referring to his affair with Bathsheba is that psalm 50 also deals with David’s sin of adultery with Bathsheba. Can the same sin be dealt with in two different places? If so, then we have a strong suggestion that the psalms are not all arranged chronologically, but are arranged in some other way. It is this arrangement which way we hope to discover in our studies.

Still, at this point, we have no answer for what David was talking about in psalm 7 when he said, "if I have done this thing, if I have returned evil for evil...etc"

But let's keep studying to see what we come up with.

God bless

The Background to Psalm 7 part III

2005-12-11T18:19:00.000-08:00

So, what happened when Hushai went to Absolom?

Well, Hushai pretended to be loyal to Absolom. At first, Absolom smelt a rat. He didn't know what to make of Hushai. Why would his father's old friend want to serve him? But Hushai convinced Absolom that he wanted to serve the king--and the king was Absolom.Absolom was strongly considering an attack against his father David in order to kill him. Absolom sought the advice of Ahitophel, who said that that David should be attacked immediately. But, Absolom turned to Hushai for his advice too. Hushai--wanting to buy some time for David to gather himself--advised against the attack. Hushai spoke with such sincerity that one would almost swear that he was an enemy of David.

The words he spoke were thus:

7 And Chusai said to Absalom: The counsel that Achitophel hath given this time is not good. 8 And again Chusai said: Thou knowest thy father, and the men that are with him, that they are very valiant, and bitter in their mind, as a bear raging in the wood when her whelps are taken away: and thy father is a warrior, and will not lodge with the people. 9 Perhaps he now lieth hid in pits, or in some other place where he list: and when any one shall fall at the first, every one that heareth it shall say: There is a slaughter among the people that followed Absalom. 10 And the most valiant man whose heart is as the heart of a lion, shall melt for fear: for all the people of Israel know thy father to be a valiant man, and that all who are with him are valiant.11 But this seemeth to me to be good counsel: Let all Israel be gathered to thee, from Dan to Bersabee, as the sand of the sea which cannot be numbered: and thou shalt be in the midst of them. 12 And we shall come upon him in what place soever he shall be found: and we shall cover him, as the dew falleth upon the ground, and we shall not leave of the men that are with him, not so much as one. 13 And if he shall enter into any city, all Israel shall cast ropes round about that city, and we will draw it into the river, so that there shall not be found so much as one small stone thereof. 14

How did Hushai do it? His words were spoken excellently. He couldn't have planned it better. The words just flowed out of him. What a friend Hushai must have been! Absolom became convinced that Hushai's advice was better than Ahitoplel's.

Psalm 7 starts out: "1 The psalm of David which he sung to the Lord for the words of Chusi the son of Jemini. [2 Kings 16]." We must ask ourselves, what does "which he sung to the Lord for the words of Chusi" mean? Does this mean that David prayed psalm 7 in order that Chusi would be able to come up with "good" bad advice for Absolom? David wanted Chusi to foil the cunning of Ahitophel...but to do this, Chusi would need to become a smooth talker--a charmer of sorts. Chusi would need to be inspired by God so that he would know just what to say, and when to say it. Is this what David is praying for when he said "for the words of Chusi"? Was David praying that Chusi would speak just the right words to Absolom? It sure seems like a strong possiblity.

Now that he had bought some time, Hushai sent word to David to get ready for an attack. During this waiting period, David gained strength and prepared himself for war. And when the day came for fighting, David was victorious in battle. Ahitophel killed himself. Absolom got caught in an oak tree while riding in his mule. Later on Joab (one of David's right hand men) killed Absolom as he hung from the tree. (He did this, even though David asked his men not to touch Absolom his son. So, when word got to David that his son had been killed in the battle, David mourned greatly). As David was being restored to kingship in Jerusalem, others tried to rout him from the throne, as Absolom had done. But they too were defeated.

Now for the puzzling bit:What remains puzzling is when David says: "O Lord my God, if I have done this thing, if there be iniquity in my hands: 5 If I have rendered to them that repaid me evils, let me deservedly fall empty before my enemies."What exactly is David referring to when he says "this thing"? It would seem that by "this thing," he is referring to rendering "to them that repaid me evils..." But when was David repaid evils?The 56, 000 dollar question then is, when exacely did David "render to them that repaid me evils"? Earlier I postulated that David was referring to psalm 5, where he prayed for God's justice/judgment to be poured out on his enemies--something that could be taken as repaying evil for evil.

Let's keep studying to see where this goes...

The Background to Psalm 7 part II

2005-12-10T07:42:00.000-08:00

I just rifled through my bible last night looking for the story of David and Chusi in 2 Kings 16. It's not there. I was completely perplexed because in my Douay Rheims, psalm 7 refers us to 2 Kings 16. The story is actaully in 2 Samuel 16. Perhaps back in the day, 1 and 2 Samuel were referred to as Kings. Anyhow, here is a little of what St. Chrysostom has to say on the story. He sets it up brilliantly:

David had a son Absolom, an intemperate and corrupt young man. At one stage, he rebelled against his father, drove his out of kingship, home and country, took possession personally of everything in his stead, having regard neither for nature nor for upbringing, not for age, nor for precedent….The blessed man who had given him birth and rearing, as a vagabond and a fugitive roamed through the desert, like a refugee in a foreign land, beset with troubles that come from that condition while that rogue luxuriated in his father’s possessions. So when things were in this state, the armies arrayed with him, and the towns under his control, Hushai, an able fellow, and friend of David’s remained steadfast in his friendship in those changing times. Seeing him often wandering in the desert, he rent his garments, scattered ashes on himself, and wept long and loud, gaining some consolation from his tears, nothing else being possible. His friendship you see was not the result of circumstances , nor of power, but of virtue; hence, despite the change in government, his friendship did not change. So when David saw him behaving like this, he said to him “…..Go off to my son, adopt the guise of a friend disrupt his plans to my advantage and bring the advice of Ahitophel to naught.” Now this Ahitophel had the tyrant under his thumb, and was clever in military matters and clever in conducting battle and warfare. Hence David had greater fear of him than of the tyrant, so crafty was the fellow in his schemes.

On hearing this Hushai obeyed, and was guilty of no mean-spirited or unmanly thought. He did not say, “what if I am apprehended? What if my pretence is detected? What if my play-acting comes to light?” Ahitpohel is crafty: perhaps he will outsmart this ruse and bring it to light, and I will perish all to no purpose. With no such thought in his mind he gained entry to the tyrant’s army, entrusting everything to God and committing himself to the utmost risk…..(St. John Chrysostom Commentary on the Psalms, Translated by Robert Charles Hill, 1998, Holy Cross Orthodox Press, pp. 111-112).

What is the end of the story, and how does it effect our understanding of psalm 7 (and consequently all of the psalms)? Please check back!

God bless

The Background to Psalm 7

2005-12-09T19:56:00.001-08:00

How do I know that psalm 7 is hearkening back to psalm 5? Well, I don’t know. I made what you might call a guess. But at least I guessed. From what I have read so far, there is nothing in this interpretation that is at odds with the fathers. Did the fathers specifically say what I am saying? No. But the fathers never really sought to show how the psalms form a unit. To extend Dr. Hahn’s analogy, the fathers took all of these little gems, polished them, showed them off to the world, but never actually placed them into a necklace for everyone to see how they sparkle and shine off one another. That is what I am trying to do.

So, let’s see if my “guess” was an educated, defendable guess. Let’s start with the background to psalm 7. What does the psalm say? The psalm itself tells us that it was written by David “which he sung to the Lord for the words of Chusi the son of Jemini.” The story of Chusi the son of Jemini is told in 2 Kings 16. Since the psalm itself refers us to this story in 2 Kings 16, it might be a good idea to open up 2 Kings 16 and see what it is all about. Maybe it will help us figure out what just what David is talking about. Stay tuned...

Psalm 7

2005-12-07T18:19:00.000-08:00

This psalm specifically tells us that David sung it. David was a man after God’s own heart. Therefore, we should desire to sing this psalm too. If we can’t sing it, we should at least desire to be able to pray it with every fiber of our being.

Psalm 7 is actually, for the most part, hearkening back to psalm 5. David’s imprecatory prayer (Ps 5) was uttered in order to move God to judge the wicked. David’s personal penitential prayer in psalm 6 gives the wicked people a good example to follow. It also serves as a good antidote to any pride that can sneak into the heart after praying psalm 5. Now, here in psalm 7, David has to deal with the voices of his enemies (against whom he prayed in psalm 5).

It seems as though David is being accused of some evil act. What evil act? Well, it seems as though his adversaries are accusing him of “rendering to them that repaid him evils” (v. 4). Basically, his enemies are saying that David did not act charitably towards them, because he prayed for judgment against them. Because David prayed an imprecatory prayer against them (Ps 5), they complain that David rendered evil for evil (and no doubt, also annoyed at his psalm 6 prayer that they would, “depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity"). They accuse David of acting out of vindictive hate rather than out of love. How much we Christians can identify with this! We tell non-believers that they need to convert, we tell them that they will be judged if they don’t, we pray that God’s will be done against the unrepentant, all in an effort to save their salvageable souls, and what do we get? We get accused of being un-Christian!

David's enemies accuse him of, “rendering to them that repaid [us] evils,” because the world does not understand that God chastises those he loves. But David knows himself that when he prayed for God’s justice to be done in their lives, he was praying a just prayer, not an evil prayer. There is nothing wrong with praying for God’s justice (judgment) to be done in peoples’ lives, especially if this means that the justice/judgment released is corrective, redemptive, soul-saving justice. David does not believe for a second that his prayer was evil (something even we modern Christians may be tempted to think). Rather, “trusting in the justice of his cause,” (v. 1) David denies having selfish vindictive motives in his imprecatory prayer. What is David’s cause? The glory of God and the salvation of souls! David's imprecatory prayer of psalm 5 is a just prayer because his motivation (his cause) was just.

He then prays a prayer that would put the unrepentant to shame (a sort of elongation of psalm 6). He says, “O Lord my God, if I have done this thing, if there be iniquity in my hands: If I have rendered to them that repaid me evils, let me deservedly fall empty before my enemies.” In saying this, David shows that his imprecatory prayer was in fact sincere and that it flowed from an innocent heart. It was offered from a heart united to God’s will. No wonder the Bible says that David was a man after God’s own heart.

David continues: “Rise up, O Lord, in thy anger: and be thou exalted in the borders of my enemies. And arise, O Lord my God, in the precept which thou hast commanded….” Again, we are confronted with something that could be misconstrued as un-Christian. David asks God to be angry towards his enemies. But David tells us that if God did arise in anger, He would merely be rising “in the precept which thou [He] hast commanded.” What is the precept which God has commanded? Well, justice (and love)! God’s “anger” then, is based on his justice and love

David reminds us that “The Lord judgeth the people” (v. 9), not man. It is not mankinds place to judge the world. Therefore, in his imprecatory prayer of psalm 5, David kept from judging individual souls. Rather, for those who would be corrected by God's judgment, David had great concern.

David reminds us that God’s anger is not exercised on a whim…rather, it is something that is meditated…it is a rational anger: “God is a just judge, strong and patient…”

Finally, David warns the wicked: “Except you will be converted, he will brandish his sword: he hath bent his bow and made it ready.” Therefore, the choice is theirs, they can persist in their un-repentance and can harden their hearts to the point of no return, OR, they can convert to the truth.

David ends the psalm stating: “I will give glory to the Lord according to his justice: and will sing to the name of the Lord the most high.” Here, we can see that no matter what the wicked people may say, David will continue to give glory to God for punishing the evildoers and rewarding the good.

Question on Psalm 5

2005-12-07T06:57:00.000-08:00

Concerning Psalm 5, I was asked the following question by "Athanasius":

“What about directing the attention of Psalm 5 to those who hate Our Lord? To apostates and heretics who regularly sully his name in the filth of their "academic freedom" and what not. Could that be an appropriate use of the Psalm?”

I would like to share my answer to this question with everyone.

In this world, there are some people who will simply not accept the Gospel. These people are the ones who, if they have not already totally hardened their hearts, will eventually totally harden their hearts at some point. Then, there are the people who will accept the Gospel. At the moment their hearts may be hard, but it is possible that their hearts will become softened.

The problem (actually a blessing) for us humans, is that we don’t know, and have no way of knowing for sure, whether a person’s heart is hardened beyond the point of no return. We humans have limited insight, so all we can do is treat every person the same…that is, as though they can receive the Gospel. In that way, we become as the son which shines on good and bad, and as the rain which falls on the same.

The point is, we should never write somebody off as being reprobate, as being beyond the point of no return. We humans cannot say this of anyone, and I don’t think David does either. Only God can declare someone beyond the point of no return, because only God knows that information.

In Psalm 5, David asks God to “judge” the “unjust” and “workers of iniquity.” But are these people beyond the point of no return? I don’t think so. Near to the end of the psalm, David tells them to be “ashamed” and be “very much troubled.” He says this, I believe, because he wants them to be saved. He wants to get their consciences going, so that they would realize the error of their ways, and change. And in fact, we could argue that he calls on God to “judge” them, not only so that God would preserve his honor in their eyes, but also in order that they would experience God’s corrective, punitive hand, and change their ways.

Whether the “heretics” and “apostates” you talked about in your question are beyond the point of no return is not for us to determine. While this judgment is to be left to God alone, we, like David, should ask God to correct them and should encourage them to come to the fullness of the truth.

How the Irish Recited the Psalter

2005-12-06T17:21:00.000-08:00

While the Western Empire was falling to Germanic tribes, St. Patrick was busily converting the Irish. There, in their monasteries, the Irish monks would transcribe the Holy Scriptures....including the Psalter. In other words, while the Holy Scriptures were being destroyed on the continent by invading tribes, in Ireland they were being neatly preserved by diligent monks.

In "The Church in the Dark Ages," Daniel Rops (1950, Phoenix Press, pg. 209-210) writes:

"And, by the time Patrick died, Ireland contained so many active Christians and so many monasteries that she could legitimately be called "the isle of Saints." Isle of Saints--where, along its sunken roads, one still comes across these moving memories of her most ancient history: the menhirs, the standing stones clumsily chiselled with the Christian Chrisma... Isle of Saints--our liturgical calendar is inscribed with the sonorous names of so many of her countrymen, all too often largely forgotten to-day: Comgall, Brendan, Mochta, Kilian, Benen, Fiacre, Columba, Finian... Isle of Saints--where monasteries swarmed literally everywhere,* nurseries of intense spiritual life and culture; Kilkenny (the oldest), Clonard, Clonmacnois, and Bangor where the most illustrious, and the monks dwelling in them ran into thousands. In no other Western Country during this epoch did religious idealism burst out so powerfully as in Ireland; the asceticism of these Irish monks may appear rather excessive to us (e.g., reciting the Psalter immersed in icy water, or spending so long in prayer, arms outstretched, that the birds had time to make their nest on the praying man's head!), but their mystical yearning is no less sublime for all this. The center of a whole clan's prayer and liturgy, and also the real seat of ecclesiastical administraton, each of these monastery-bishoprics maintained around it a quite extraordinary surge of fervor. And whilst the sun of culture was setting in the West each of these centers was lighting a torch."

* In the footnote, Rops continues:

"... At this period the Irish saw everything from the monastic angle, so that for them the Pope was "the abbot of Rome" and Christ "the abbot of the Heavenly City." Their monasteries were veritable towns, sometimes containing as many as three thousand monks. Each monk had his own hut: the whole monastery could have passed for a military camp. Dom Leclercq, who remains mischievous and malicious despite his schoarship, compares these monasteries to molehills: but those who lived in them were not sedentary beings like the moles; they were like migaroty birds."

In a footnote on page 212, Ropes quotes Georges Goyau as having written the following:

"The original thing about Ireland, is that behind the starting-point of the evangelistic spirit there, we can see something far greater and finer than the vocation of a few individuals; this spirit was created and sustained by a collective impulse stemming from the whole Irish soul. The monasteries founded by St. Patrick were mission stations. Immediately they sprang up they gave shelter to a spiriual elite, spurred by the Christian Credo; no sooner was a man baptized, than he wanted to become a monk, and this in order to preach, to create other baptized folk and therefore other monks."

Psalm 6

2005-12-06T15:33:00.000-08:00

It is fitting that a humbling psalm be placed right after one that could breed pride. Though Psalm 5 is uttered from a “good will,” the temptation to pray it in self-righteousness is always there. Psalm 6 then, is a good antidote to this possible pride.

In Psalm 5, David declared the sinfulness of the wicked to God in an effort to move God to judge them. As we read it, we can even catch ourselves question David’s worthiness. We might well imagine the wicked, in response to David’s cry saying: “oh yea? What about all your sins? You’re a sinner too! Remember the time you did such and such?” It is possible then, that in Psalm 6 David is contending with the voices of his enemies who bring up his past sins. But David answers that he has already been forgiven and that he will continue to do penance for these past sins. He says, “I have labored (past tense) in my groanings (v. 7), the Lord hath heard (past tense) the voice of my weeping (v. 9), the Lord hath received (past tense) my prayer (v. 10), every night I will (future tense) wash my bed.

If Psalm 6 is not talking about David’s past sins, then it may indeed be talking about some sin just committed. In any event, we are not told what the sin is. And it is just as well. This way, we can all pray the Psalm and apply it to our lives with our own sins.

In Psalm 5, David declares that “neither shall the wicked dwell near thee, nor shall the unjust abide before thy eyes.” This verse is, in a sense, fulfilled in Psalm 6, when David says, “depart from me all ye workers of iniquity.” It is clear then, that the big difference between David and the wicked is that David repents of his sins, and clings to God's mercy, whereas the wicked do no such thing. The wicked would rather harden their hearts against God’s outstretched arm. The point of the psalm is that even if you sin, God will forgive you if you seek His forgiveness and do penance. Therefore, no one is predestined to eternal doom, except for those who wish to decend there.

As stated earlier, Psalm 5 presents a righteous man declaring the wickedness of the world and calling on God to act on their sins. Any sinner (that includes all of us) reading Psalm 5 would naturally worry about the possibility of salvation. However, after reading Psalm 6, the sinner (i.e. all of us) should be encouraged, for here we see a righteous man repent of a grievous sin and become completely righteous, to the point where he can tell the unrepentant: “depart from me you who work iniquity.” This ought to encourage us all.

The sinner will find more encouragement in verse 10, where David prays that his enemies would “be ashamed” and “very much troubled.” He says, “let them be turned back and be ashamed very speedily.” What are we to make of this? Is David praying for their conversion? It would seem, on first glance that he is merely returning evil for evil, in the sense that, since they shamed him (by bringing up his past sins) he now wishes for them to be shamed for their sinfulness. But, why not believe that David is actually praying for them here? Let them be ashamed and be very much troubled so that they turn back from the path of sin in order to be saved! There is still a glimmer of hope for these people. As much as David prays for God to judge the wicked of the world in Psalm 5, he still finds it in him to pray that these wicked people would turn to the truth. Indeed, seeing David repent of his sin should set a good example for the more hard of heart.

In the Gospel of Matthew 7:23, Jesus borrows from Psalm 6 as He informs His listeners what he will say to the wicked (who profess to having performed miracles in his name) on judgment day. We are told that He will say: “depart from me you who work iniquity.” The only problem with this is that in quoting Psalm 6, Jesus is identifying himself with a repentant sinner…for the words of the Psalm which he quotes are the words of a repentant man. The Pharisees claimed that Jesus was sinful (he cured on the Sabbath etc.). So, to all those people who implicate God by saying that He is responsible for their sin (i.e., those mentioned in Psalm 4) Jesus will say: “be gone from my sight.”

The imprecatory prayer of Psalm 5 can legitimately be prayed so long as it is not directed against any soul in particular but against an unknown group of people (known only to God). Once that imprecatory prayer is uttered, we can go on to seek the salvation of all people (which David does is asking them to be “ashamed”), knowing that God will sort the wheat from the chaff on the last day.

Psalm 5

2005-12-06T14:32:00.000-08:00

This psalm is written for “her,” that is, for the Church. The psalm will speak on behalf of the Church, which survives “unto the end.” To read this psalm, is to read a prayer that resonates in the Church throughout all history.

David asks God to understand his “cry.” By “cry” we understand that this psalm will be an imprecatory prayer. In this Psalm then, we can expect David to ask God to judge the wicked people of the world. In verse 11, David says “judge them O God. Let them fall from their devices, according to the multitude of their wickedness cast them out fort hey have provoked thee, O Lord.” This is David’s “cry.” He asks God to “understand” this cry. David does not want God to get the wrong idea…he does not want God to think that David is merely looking for personal vengeance, or that David has judged cetrtain individuals as beyond hope of redemption. Indeed, the some of the wicked people are beyond the hope of redemption but David does not determine who these individual people are. He merely acknowledges that they are out there.

David is not the vindictive type. He prays this prayer because he sees that God’s honor is being disregarded, and that it needs to be respected—period. David is concerned more for the honor of God than for bringing vengeance on his aggressors. Essentially, he is saying, “don’t take this the wrong way, but I am going to have to ask you to judge the wicked of the world who do not cease to sin against you.” David feels it incumbent on him to pray for the release of God’s judgment, not in order to satisfy any vindictive force within him, but to see that God’s honor is being upheld in the eyes of men. David doesn’t want people to think that God doesn’t care about his own honor, or that he doesn’t care about sin. It is only right that God should punish the wicked. Therefore, there is nothing wrong with David’s prayer for God to punish them, provided David is motivated by righteous desires, and provided David leaves up to God to decide precisely who gets punished. It is indeed a good and righteous thing to pray that God would judge sinners…this is why David could say at the end of the psalm, “you have crowned us as with a shield of your good will.” In effect, not to pray for God’s righteous judgment would be to allow God’s honor to be disregarded in the eyes of men, which itself is a sin of omission.

In Psalm 3 David tells us about how he “cried” to God to judge the wicked. Later on in Psalm 3, we find out how God answered that “cry.” We read (3:8): "For thou hast struck them who are my adversaries without a cause, thou hast broken the teeth of sinners." So, the point is, if God can answer an imprecatory prayer once, He can answer it a second time. In Psalm 4:4, David threatens to “cry” to the Lord again. But now in Psalm 5, David goes ahead and “cries” to the Lord, just as he had threatened to do.

What kind of judgment is David talking about? Is he talking about the final judgment, or about a corrective, punitive, temporal judgment? We would have to say that David has the final judgment in mind, for he says: “cast them out,” meaning, cast them out of heaven. In the Apocalypse, we learn how God finally answers this prayer of the Church by casting the evil people along with the evil demons into the pit of hell.

This is David's cry--that the evil be judged. But in crying out as he does, he appears to be self-righteous. This however is not self-righteousness...it is merely righteousness. David does not claim that his righteousness comes from himself, but claims that it comes from God. He says: "But as for me in the multitude of thy mercy, I will come into thy house; I will worship towards thy holy temple, in thy fear." Notice that David recognizes clearly that he can enter into God's presence because of God's mercy toward him, and not on account of of any self-righteousness.

David recognizes clearly the fruits of God's mercy and is not afraid to declare them to the world, even if the world might take offense at it. The world hears David comparing himself to them and it sounds like he is wallowing in self-righteousness...declaring how he can enter into God's presence, whereas they cannot. However, David tells the world that he can enter into God's presence for the sake of declaring God's mercy, not his own supposed self-righteousness. In effect, when he says "in the multitude of thy mercy," he is showing he wicked how easy is it to enter into God's presence...by relying on God's mercy.

Psalm 4

2005-12-06T11:11:00.000-08:00

This Psalm begins, “Unto the end, in verses. A psalm for David.” The last 3 Psalms have dealt in various ways with the fact that at the final judgment, the wicked will not stand. Psalm 1 introduced this theme; Psalm 2 explained how inconceivably illogical it is for the wicked to continue in their ways; Psalm 3 spoke about how the wicked have actually increased in number, thus their fall will be greater. Psalm 4 tries to answer the lingering “why” of Psalms 2 and 3. It deals with the events that take place, and will take place in the hearts of the “sons of men" as they proceed to the end of time. The initial words of the Psalm “unto the end,” show that the contents of this Psalm are indicative of the workings of the hearts of men in all generations right up to the end of the world.

This Psalm shows David’s tenderness toward the wicked of the world. For, they are lost—as sheep without a shepherd. He speaks to them as though they were his own flesh and blood. He wishes them to be saved. His yearning for them to be saved can be seen by his words “O ye sons of men, how long will you be dull of heart?” In other words, “WAKE UP!” It is as if David was agonizing over them. It is as if David was counting the days, waiting expectantly for them to turn to the Lord. He asks, “Why do you love vanity and seek after lying?” The same “why” of Psalms 2 and 3 is repeated here with the same sense of agony. He is still agonizing over them. Yet, these are the same people who have bandied about him (Ps 3) in order to kill him. These are the same people who have jeered at him saying, “there is no salvation for him in his God.” But David, confident that they will undergo eternal fire for their pride, and wishing them to be saved, earnestly entreats them to see the light. This, he will do “unto the end.” For, David, will always try to admonish and convert the sinner “unto the end,” just as Christ did.

David then says, “Know ye also that the Lord hath made his holy one wonderful: the Lord will hear me when I shall cry unto him.” David knows who he is talking to. He is talking to people who want to kill him. But in saying that he is made wonderful (in other words, he is glorified) David is saying, “Don’t you get it already? I am going to be saved. As sure as Jesus will be raised from the dead, I will be raised from the dead. The Lord will come to rescue me.” By “holy one” David is referring both to himself and to Christ to come. When we read “Christ” for “holy one” we may understand David to be saying “Don’t you get it? The Lord Jesus Christ has been glorified. My salvation depends on Christ’s resurrection. And, Christ’s resurrection is assured. Therefore you don’t stand a chance.” However, when David wrote this Psalm, Christ had not yet become incarnate. But David is so confident that Christ will come, die and be resurrected, that he speaks of it as though it has already happened. Thus, in these lines, we see the immense trust that David has in God.

Then David says to the sons of men, “Be ye angry, and sin not: the things you say in your hearts, be sorry for them upon your beds.” What does this mean? David tells them not to be angry, but angry at who? Does he want them to be angry at him, at God or at themselves? The answer is themselves. Augustine says, that “be ye angry” could mean “repent ye, that is, be ye angry with yourselves for your past sins, and henceforth cease to sin.” It is more likely that they will be angry towards themselves now that David has told them that they have lost the war against God. In other words, although there is no hope for them against God, there is hope for them in this life. David’s desire is that the wicked repent. Therefore, the choice is theirs. They can continue in their obstinacy, to their utter detriment, or they can see the light and turn towards the Lord. But if they turn towards the Lord, they must first repent of their sins past. In order for them to repent, they must become angry at themselves for allowing themselves to sin as they have. This anger ought to be automatic. People naturally have this anger towards themselves when they are caught in their sins. This anger can be good and useful if it turns to sorrow for our sins. However, this anger can become bad, if it makes us build a wall around ourselves and deny that we sinned at all. This anger can also become bad if it moves us to feel bad for ourselves and despair that we have no hope left in life. And again, this anger could eventually turn to envy and resentment. The “sons of men" may see their sins and become envious of David or Christ, who, unlike them, are “made wonderful.” This is why David tells them to be angry and “do not sin.” That is, he wants them to be angry, but not to let their anger lead to denial of sin, self-pity, despair, envy or resentment.

Here, David may be likening himself unto Abel, and the wicked unto Cain. It is very possible that David is trying to evoke these personages, for he uses “sons of men” which hearkens back to Genesis. Also the mention of corn, recalls the sacrifice of Cain. Abel’s sacrifice was accepted by the Lord, for he offered it in faith. Cain’s sacrifice was not acceptable to the Lord, for he did not offer it with faith. As a result, Cain became “exceedingly angry” with Abel, his elder brother. Then, God came to speak with Cain and asked Cain, “Why are you angry, and why is your countenance fallen?” Notice how “angry” Cain is. The Lord then proceeded to try to convert Cain, just as David tries to convert the wicked in the Psalm. However, as happened with Cain, the wicked do not convert.

The Lord then told Cain that if he would like, he could overcome himself. In his “anger” however, Cain did not repent of his sin. Though Cain could have channeled his anger so that it produced sorrow in his heart for his sin, he allowed his anger to grow into self-pity, despair and eventually into envy. In the end, Cain killed his brother Abel. The choice was his. He chose wickedly. After committing the sin, the Lord came to speak with Cain. Cain lamented to the Lord, “Behold, thou dost cast me out this day from thy face of the earth, and I shall be hidden from thy face, and I shall be a vagabond and a fugitive on the earth: every one, therefore that findeth me, shall kill me.” In saying this, Cain laments his life of “hard knocks.” “Poor me,” as it were. But in saying this, he continues in that self same despair that caused him to kill his brother.

In the Psalm, the wicked “sons of men," ask “who sheweth us good things?” This is difficult to interpret. However, if we place the stress on “us” rather than on “who” or “sheweth,” then we can see that the men of the earth are contrasting themselves to David. It is as if they are saying, “God shows David many good things, But what about us? Nobody ever shows us good things. If God showed us good things, then we would have some reason to repent.” In other words, the "sons of men" claim that it is easy for David to have faith in a God that will save them, since life has gone well for David. That is to say, David’s “God” has obviously blessed him. But in saying, “who sheweth us good things,” they say that it is not so easy for them to have such faith in a saving God, for this “God” has not blessed them so. Perhaps if he blessed them as he blessed David, then they might consider converting. (Shades of Job!) Essentially, these "sons of men" blame God for their life of “hard knocks.” They are angry at God. However, David shows them that their claim is completely false. For, God has indeed been with them. They have simply refused to acknowledge Him. He has, David says, signed the very light of His countenance on their hearts (v. 7). They therefore have “no excuse,” as St. Paul says. They can no longer blame God in their anger. They have only themselves to blame. The light of God’s countenance is analogous to the special “mark” that the Lord placed on Cain. This mark would be with him wherever he would go, to remind him that he can always turn to the Lord if he wanted.

In denying the very existence of God by their words, “who sheweth us good things,” the “sons of men" show themselves to be people of the earth. Cain lamented that he was cast away from the "face of the earth." In the is psalm, the wicked people also show themselves to have an inordinate attachment to the "earth." That is to say, they live for this world, and by this world. They get their inspiration from this world and work for nothing beyond this world. This is why we read that “By the fruit of their corn, their wine, and oil, they are multiplied.” What is the fruit of their corn etc. but the energy they derive from them? This means that the men of the earth are driven by the earth. Since they don’t acknowledge God, they don’t look to God for sustenance. Instead, they look to the earth. This is why David says that they are multiplied by the fruit of the earth.

David on the other hand, is a firm believer. Thus for David, the produce of this earth is simply a reminder of the eternal benefits awaiting him in heaven. The fruit of this earth is not what “keeps him going” as it were. The fruit of the earth is not what satisfies him in his inner being. The fruit of the earth is not what he has fixed his hope in. For the men of the earth, if one were to think about it, the fruit of the earth is all that there is in life. What else have they to look forward to? What hope do they have beyond this world? But not so with David! This is why he says “In peace in the self same I will sleep, and I will rest, for thou OLord singularly has settled me in hope.” David is able and willing to look beyond the mere physical to see God and his heavenly rest. David can see God in the corn, the wine and oil, which, by no mere coincidence, point toward the Eucharistic banquet in heaven.

In Psalms 2 and 3, David has been asking “why?” the wicked people of the world continue in their sin. In Psalm 4, he answers, to the best of his ability that question, taking his readers deeper into the “mystery of iniquity.” Whereas Psalm 3 discussed how the evil forces will “multiply” themselves against Christ for the great battle of Armageddon, Psalm 4 shows “why” they multiply themselves as they do. Rather than feel sorry “for” their sins, the “sons of men" feel sorry for themselves and, for all intents and purposes blame God for their shortcomings. Essentially, they say in their hearts, “if God were with us, we would not have sinned.” In thinking these things, they despair of life and accuse God of predestining them to hell. In the prosess, they accuse God of sin. They come to see life as just the here and now. They live off the earth, and do not believe in anything beyond the earth. Yet, as David plainly shows, God is with them. The very light of His countenance is singed on their souls. Therefore, they have no excuse. Whereas they can have hope if they wish, they refuse such hope, preferring to glory in the cursed fruit of this waning world.

Psalm 3

2005-12-06T11:07:00.000-08:00

By now, we ought to expect the wicked, or at least some of the wicked, turn to God in order to be “happy” with Him forever. We would expect David to have gotten through to at least some of them. For, David made it his business to preach God’s “command” to them. He warned them that Christ is set up on Mount Sion. In doing so, he warned them that they stand no chance. But here in psalm 3, we see that the wicked do not repent. In fact, the exact opposite is what happens. Rather than growing in humility, the wicked grow in obstinacy and in number. David, utterly perplexed, asks, “Why, O Lord, have those who afflict me increased in number? It makes no sense why they would increase in number for their end (utter doom) is certain. Like Pharaoh who hardened his heart with every threat issued by Moses, these wicked harden their hearts with every warning issued by David. They are completely stuck in their ways. Their hearts are hard beyond the point of no return. God has given them enough chances. Their time is running out. But as their time runs out, they bandy together for one last war against Christ. This is the prelude to the war.

David becomes surrounded by these wicked and stiff-necked people. Verse 7 tells us that David has become surrounded by “thousands” of people, all desiring his death. They surround him and taunt him by telling him that there is no escape for him…that “there is no salvation for him in his God.” When Moses was surrounded by Pharaoh’s army, Moses could well have asked, “Why, O Lord have those who afflict me increased in number?” Moses could have lost faith. Indeed, the people who were with Moses lost their faith when they saw that they were surrounded, not only by Pharaoh’s army on one side, but also by the Sea on the other side. It was as if Pharaoh’s army was whispering in the ears of the Israelites, “there is no salvation for you in your God.” The wicked people say these things in order to scare David (or any of the faithful) from faith in God. They want to convince us that God is not a faithful God and that we might as well join them. One could also argue that besides wishing to plant a seed of doubt in David’s mind concerning God’s faithfulness towards him, these wicked people, after having peddled the same party line since the dawn of time, (there is no salvation for you in Christ) have actually started to believe the lie themselves.

David says that he has “cried” to the Lord for help against his adversaries. This shows us that even though God knows our needs, we still ought to ask for them. In asking for them, we confess our total dependency on God. St. Paul tells us that we ought not to be anxious about anything, but that in everything, with petition and thanksgiving, we should lay our requests before the Lord. Paul tells us that when we do this, the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard our hearts in Christ Jesus. This is the very thing that happens to David. He lays his request before the Lord, and experiences great peace. It is because of this peace that he can sleep deeply, even while “thousands” surround him who, wishing to kill him. David says that he “will not fear.” He is completely confident that God will rescue him from the hand of the foe. He therefore, takes consolation in God, who is his “protector,” just as Moses had done before him.

David’s “cry” results in God judging the wicked. Therefore, so far in the Psalter, the word “cry” is synonymous with “imprecatory prayer.”

David calls on God to save him. It is worthy to note that the Lord heard David “from His holy Mountain.” This is God’s victory position. God did not hear David from the clouds or from the darkness or from any other place. This Mountain is akin to an army’s battle station. One may call on the army for help. But if the army is not at its battle station, then the plea will be to no effect. This “battle station” then, is the very mountain on which Jesus is set up—Mount Sion. What is meant by this is that when God hears David, He is fully ready for battle. He has taken His position. But what’s more is that this Mountain is God’s Mountain of victory. This is where the resurrected Jesus is set up. For the battle is actually already won. In fact, David is so confident of God’s help that he speaks of it as if it has already occurred, “For thou hast struck all them who are my adversaries without cause: thou hast broken the teeth of sinners.” What we can rejoice over is the fact that David was not deluding himself….the battle was in fact already won.

The Psalm is also about the Church. The worldly powers (the kings of the earth, Psalm 2) during the Church age, have been colluding, and are presently colluding, in a grand effort to rid the world of all vestiges of the Catholic Church, the ark of salvation. They will eventually surround her in the thousands, just as they surrounded the Lord Jesus, and king David before Him. As Apocalypse 16 predeicts, “they go forth unto the kings of the whole earth, to gather them to battle against the great day of the Almighty God.” This battle is known as “Armageddon.”

Psalm 2

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Psalm 2 – Even though the end of the wicked people is inevitable, they persist in their evil ways. But why? Why do the wicked people keep on fooling themselves, thinking that they can get away with it? There is no way they will get to heaven. They are fighting a loosing battle. Their battle is “against the Lord and against His Church.” How can they possibly win? They will not win. They will surely loose. Therefore there is no logic to their ways. They shoot themselves. They build a trap and fall into it themselves. They weave webs but get tangled in them.

“Why” these wicked people don’t turn from their sin is a mystery indeed. It is called the “mystery of iniquity.” This “why?” goes on forever without any logical answer. We can sense David’s utter frustration as he asks it. For surely, David wishes these people to be saved…but their persistence in their sin agonizes him, for it is getting them nowhere. In choosing evil, the wicked of the earth show themselves to be insane. But God did not create them insane. Far from it! Yet, in their pride, they prefer to be insane rather than humble themselves before the Lord.

The wicked people are grouped together as “the gentiles… and the people.” Here, Aquinas understands “the people” to stand for the Jews. That is to say, the Gentiles together with the Jews will gang up against “against the Lord, and against his Christ.” In the first place, “Christ” refers to David, because David was anointed (he was a “Christ”). But in the more obvious sense, “Christ” refers to Jesus Christ Himself, who was indeed killed by the Gentiles and Jews. As St. Peter said to the Jewish, “you, by the hands of wicked men, have crucified and slain…” (Acts 2:23).

But the wicked people are not satisfied by killing the head (Jesus) alone. They wish also to kill the body (The Church). In saying that the gentiles and Jews gang up against the Lord and his Christ, David is peering into the future. In the first place, he is prophesying about the crucifixion of Jesus. But in the second instance, he is prophesying into the distant future, that is, into the Church age. It is as though David is having a vision. He sees the Church (the Body of Christ) some time in the future being persecuted by the world, a world which endeavors to wipe the Church from the face of the planet. The world hates the Church and wishes dearly to rid itself of the “fetters” of the Church. The world will persecute the Church more and more as time passes by. Towards the end of the world, the Church will appear as though defeated. David can see how, in the future, just prior to the Second Coming of Jesus, the Church will undergo major persecution.

Next, David sees God laughing at the wicked people of the earth: “He who is in heaven laughs.” But God says the shattering statement: “I have set up my king on Sion, my holy mountain.” When the wicked people hear this, they shudder in “terror.” This is because, the wicked people like to think that they will win the war by killing Jesus (the Lord’s Christ). But now God laughs at them and shows them that thought they might win the battle, they surely have already lost the war. It is as though God is disclosing to them his secret weapon—Christ Resurrected on Mount Sion. It is as though God is saying to them “if you want to conspire against Me and cast the My fetters from you, fine….go for it! But, before you do, let me show you that you do so in vain. For just as surely as you will kill my Christ, I will raise Him up and place him on Mount Sion. Indeed, I have already “set” him up in Mount Sion. I have already defeated you.” But, in saying these words, God can be understood to be speaking to the wicked people of all ages. God says this to those who wish to killed Jesus, but also to those who wish to kill the body of Jesus—the Church. Either way, those who endeavor to kill Jesus (be it head or body) do so in complete vain. This is so, because, as we have seen, Christ cannot be defeated. The head cannot be defeated, and the Church, for its part, cannot be overcome by the gates of hell.

Now the wicked people have been shown quite plainly that there is no hope. They have been reminded by God that Jesus is most certainly set up on mount Sion. They may kill Him, and knock Him down, but the Father has raised Him up and set Him up as permanent ruler over all things. It could also be said that here the Father is showing the wicked how Christ’s sacrifice is perpetually before God’s sight as a propitiation for the sins of the world. This interpretation is possible, because of the Sacrifice of the Mass, where Christ’s sacrifice is mystically made present on every Catholic altar. On seeing this, the wicked people shudder in terror for they cannot turn back the clock. The Lord has already “set up my King on Sion” (past tense). God shows them His secret weapon and His secret weapon is invincible. This secret weapon, the Resurrected Christ, rules the world through his vicar, the Pope. It is the Pope, as Christ’s visible representative, who will continue to rule the nations with a rod of iron. Yet in spite of the fact that their enemy (Christ) is invincible, the wicked continue in their malice, in their pride…and in their insanity.

God laughs at them because God knows that they will never overturn Him. God can see the complete idiocy of their ways. Nothing is hidden from his sight. An idiot, then is someone who, even though he has been shown the logic of God’s word, continues to refuse it. To call someone an idiot then, is to call him reprobate. No man however, can call another an idiot. This is why David does not call them idiots and this is why David does not laugh at them. Rather, God laughs at them. David, for his part, merely asks “why?” Whereas mankind living on earth does not have the capacity of reading the hearts of men in order to determine whether they are truly evil or not, God, being God, can tell in an instant. Whereas mankind can only know that there are evil people in the world, only God knows for certain who is good and who is evil. Therefore it is not mankind’s place to judge others, for our judgments may well be wrong. We may deem someone evil, where they may actually be good (as has been seen in psalm 1). We may deem someone good, who may actually be evil. It is God’s job to do the judging. Not mankind’s.

While mankind must leave the judging to God (because only God can do it properly) man must busy himself with being merciful toward all people. Man must be like the sun which shines on the good and the evil. Mankind must be like the rain which falls on the good and evil. Mankind must be like the salt of the earth, bring flavor without discriminating. God will do the same, in the sense that his grace will always be available for the conversion of the evil to the good, if they would only humble themselves. So, while God laughs from heaven at those who He KNOWS are evil, David would never laugh at them, for he cannot tell for CERTAIN who is to be laughed at and who is not to be laughed at. Therefore, as God laughs at the wicked people of the world, David considers it his job to preach God’s commandment to them….that is, David tries to convert them. David doesn’t condemn them…he tries to convert them. He preaches God’s “commandment,” that is, His reign, His love. In the last analysis, we must learn from what David does. He lets God (who has the insight) do the judging, while he (who has only limited insight) does the converting. As such, David acts like God’s prevenient grace, which urges us all to seek the good and avoid the evil.

The Psalm finishes with a final warning to the evildoers to quit their evil ways, and with a subtle invitation to enter into the Lord’s fold. David cares for the souls of those who have turned from the Lord. As ruler of the kingdom of Israel, David bids them in earnest to serve the Lord, because the facts are clear: the wicked will be punished eternally, and there is no way they can contend against God’s ultimate weapon—Christ Resurrected. Yet, God will accept them if they return. And if they do, they will finally be “happy.” As Augustine once said: “Lord, you have made us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless until the repose in thee.”

Whereas Psalm 1 shows that the wicked will perish, Psalm 2 explains just how impotent the wicked are against the Lord (in that they are against Christ set up on Sion). Their complete impotency is underscored in an effort to encourage the wicked to see the light and to turn to Him.

Hahn's Intro to the Psalms

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I got this book a few years ago called "Singing in the Reign." It is written by Michael Barber. It was published in 2001 by Emmaus Publishing Company. Scott Hahn, professor of theology at the Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio, writes the foreword. On page 12, Hahn says the following:

"The problem--and it's a good problem to have--comes from our delight in each individual psalm. For each and every one is a unique poetic gem. Each psalm gleams with its own insight, its own manner of expression. Each psalm can stand on its own literary merits. Yet I maintain with a growing number of scholars, that we can't fully appreciate these gems unless we see them in their intended setting--a setting intended by their human anthologists and by their divine Author. We need to see the structural unity of the entire psalter (in its final canonical form), the narrative thread that runs from psalm 1 to psalm 150."

I think Hahn is on the ball here. When we study the Gospel of Matthew, we can take it verse for verse, chapter by chapter. But at the end of the day, we need to see how these verses play off one another. We look at the verses and chapters in their immediate and overall contexts. I think that the psalms are like chapters. They are not disjointed and disorganized, but they are perfectly arranged. One flows into the other. Each chapter contributes to the story in a very meaningful way. It is up to us to discover the assosiation or connection that ties these psalms to one another. That is what we will be trying to do in this humble series of posts. Stay tuned.

Psalm 1

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Psalm 1 introduces the theme of God’s final judgment. God will judge the world. There is certitude about God’s coming judgment. The wicked people will be sent to hell the good will inherit everlasting life. There is no other way about it. If you are a bad person, you will perish. If you are a good person, you will be rewarded. Period! So, if you are a wicked person, don’t fool yourself.

But how do you know the good person from the bad person? We are told that the good people will bring forth their fruit “in due season.” This means that there will be times when the good people of the earth will appear as not in the running for a heavenly reward. There will be times when they are sad and burdened. There will be times when it will seem as though God is not with them. But those are just appearances. Just as a tree loses its leaves in the fall, and appears to be forsaken by nature, so too the good persons of the earth will experience periods of spiritual dryness. And their spiritual dryness is eventually overcome by the fullness of joy. You see, underneath, these are good people. So it doesn’t matter what the wicked people say or think about them. All that matters is what God thinks. This is why David says: “the Lord knoweth the way of the just.” God knows the good from the bad; He does not look on outward appearances, but the inward workings of the heart.

The wicked on the other hand, can appear to be good. They can prosper on this earth. They can even fool themselves into thinking that they will get into heaven. But David reminds them that there is absolutely no way that a wicked person will get to heaven. Even if they pretended to be good, God can tell, for “the Lord knoweth the way of the just and the wicked shall perish.” If you can’t fool God, why fool yourself? One day we will all be judged. This is what we are here for….to prepare ourselves for that very day.

The mere fact that the wicked can sometimes appear to be good, and that that good can appear to be bad, can show us that it is never our place to judge anyone. God is the judge, not man. Though the final verdict rests with God as to whether a person is good or bad, we humans can judge only in a general way.

Psalm 1 has no title, and as such it serves as a title for the next few Psalms. Thus, the reader gets the sense that the following few Psalms will elaborate on what Psalm 1 introduces—the theme of the reality of Judgment Day and the certitude that on that day, the wicked will perish, whereas the good will flourish.

Excursion into the Psalms

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Why is Psalm 1 Psalm 1 and not Psalm 2? Or why is Psalm 5 not found at the end of the Psalter? There has to be an answer. Did they all just sit round one day and throw a dice in order to determine what order the Psalms should go in? Something tells me that's not how it went down. Something tells me that the Psalms are ordered the way they are for a reason. There is a reason why Psalm 10 goes before Psalm 11 etc. There's got to be. I think that we have been studying individual Psalms as if they were meant stand alone. I think that the Psalter tells a story and that each Psalm is related to the next in a very logical way. In this humble series, I hope to be able to discover just why the Psalter is organized the way it is. At the moment, I have no answers. But I hope to find answers. I hope you will join me as I study and share what I am learning. And I hope you will be able to share your insights with me too. Since we're dealing with the Psalter, no matter what, the end result has got to be good.