‘The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.’    (Numbers 6:24-26).

My earliest memory of the above verses is the use of them at the end of School Assemblies.  Two things struck me about them.  The first was what a beautiful picture they create of God.  The second was they were by far the most coherent words uttered during the Assembly.  The Church of England School which I attended was rather liberal in its theology; hence anything that was said, other than scripture, during the assembly was generally unhelpful!

But what is it about these verses that bring people comfort in difficult times as they did for my mother when she was suffering from mental illness?

The blessing comes after the description of the Nazirite Vow (Numbers 6:1-21).  At first it might seem that the vow and this blessing have little in common.  But Gordon Keddie suggests that the placing of them together here is no accident.  In his words: ‘Holiness and blessing are inseparable.  Indeed the blessing of God precedes our desire to do his will, undergirds our present obedience and reinforces us for future discipleship.’[1]  The verses preceding the actual blessing show the Lord instructs Moses that the blessing is to be given by: ‘Aaron and his sons’ (v22-23).  Hence, in later times, the blessing was given by priests who were descended from Aaron.  Some have even surmised that it is possible that this is the blessing that Jesus gave his disciples before his ascension (Luke 24: 50-51).

The blessing itself is a three line poem.  It’s possible that with the deduction of the three occurrences of the word: ‘LORD’, the 12 words that are left represent the 12 tribes of Israel.[2]  There are basically three blessings that are bestowed upon the people.  The first blessing is that the Lord would keep his people under his protection.  The second with its phrase: ‘make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you’ indicates the Lord’s benevolence towards his people.  The last shows that he is attentive to their needs and offers them his peace.  The threefold nature of the blessing is not incidental as three’s in Jewish thinking spoke of the fullness and completeness, illustrating that the only genuine blessing comes from the Lord.

There’s something else that can also be denoted from the threefold nature of this blessing.  But as those saints of yesteryear Henry and Scott point out, what was a mystery to the Jews, the New Testament has explained.  We are to: expect ‘blessing from the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of the Father and the communion of the Holy Ghost.’[3]

The phrase: ‘So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them’ in verse 27 indicates the Lord’s ownership of his people, or as we would say in this day and age ‘Christians’.  As Gordon Keddie puts it: ‘How shall we wear his name upon our daily lives?  We have turned full circle: from consecration to blessing, to consecration again, we are called to walk with our Lord, in dependence upon his grace.’[4]   These verses, with their description of God’s character and his intentions towards his people, act as a major encouragement to live lives that reflect this!

[1]Gordon J. Keddie, According to Promise, The Message of the Book of Numbers (Darlington, Evangelical Press, 1992) 48.
[2] Gordon J. Wenham, Numbers, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Leicester Inter Varsity Press, 1981) 90.
[3] Henry and Scott, A Commentary on the Holy Bible, Genesis to Deuteronomy (London, The Religious Tract Society 1833) 275.
[4] Keddie, Numbers, 49.

This month we’re starting a new series on blessings in the Bible.

‘Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant,  equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen’ (Hebrews 13:20-21).

At first sight these verses appeared to be the kind of blessing that’s familiar if we’ve read the various letters to the churches.  But these blessings are not just a nice way to end a letter; they often illustrate things that have been raised in the letter.  So this doesn’t just give us an upbeat ending but it continues to teach and illustrate themes that are important in the letter!

The phrase: ‘the God of peace’ (v20) illustrates not just the nature of God, but shows that those who serve him can also experience peace, even in times of persecution and difficulty, something the recipients of the letter were facing.  Their salvation isn’t only in the future; it’s also in the present as verse 21 makes clear that God will equip them at this time for their service for him.

However in verse 20 the writer continues by illustrating an action of God, and also a title that would have meant a great deal to these Jewish Christians.  Firstly, God had: ‘brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus’.   It was by Christ’s death that the ‘New Covenant’ has been brought into effect.  Here the author uses the word: ‘eternal’ to distinguish this from all the covenants before it, because this one that lasts and therefore guarantees the believer complete security!  The letter has emphasised Christ’s sacrifice and priesthood as that’s an important concept to help those hearing and reading it to understand his work.

Now the resurrection is mentioned for the first time in the letter!  It hasn’t been the writer’s intention to ignore it; rather he’s been focusing on how Christ has attained his priesthood and how he now acts as an intercessor for his people.  Garth Lee Cockrell has an interesting take on this: ‘This final description of God as the God “who brought up” Jesus “from the dead” substantiates the fact that this emphasis on the exaltation was not meant to exclude but rather to include the resurrection of Christ.’[1]  The writer has emphasised in 2:14-15 that Christ has defeated the devil, and therefore the power of death, and so has consequently delivered his people.  They now live in the light of this, which the writer sums up by their pilgrimage to the eternal city (11:10 and 16).  In the end the resurrection has been implied (11:19, 35 and verse 14 in this chapter) but now the writer emphasises where the hope for this is found!

The resurrection is undoubtedly central to Christianity.  But rather interestingly, it’s the title of the raised Lord Jesus as: ‘the great shepherd of the sheep’ would have been rich in scriptural imagery for these Jewish Christians.  In John 10:1-16 Jesus uses it as a description of himself and his work, and perhaps the hearers and readers of this letter were aware of this due to the oral tradition among the Jews of the time.  But they certainly would have thought of Psalm 23 where the Lord is referred to as a shepherd.  Similar imagery is used in Isaiah 40:11 in that: ‘He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom and gently lead those that are with young.’  This pictures the Lord providing peace during a time of turmoil (which the nation of Israel was undergoing at this time).  Rather interestingly in Ezekiel 34:23 after contrasting the appalling care of Israel’s leaders with the Lord’s gracious and caring shepherd we read that the Lord will: ‘set up over them one shepherd, my servant David and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd.’  Later in 37:24 the idea of David being a shepherd to the Lord’s people is repeated.  In John 10: 11 it’s David’s greater son who says: ‘I am the good Shepherd.  The good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.’  Later in verses 17-18 Jesus claims the authority to take up his life again as: ‘This charge I have received from my Father’ (v18).  The imagery is rich here, peace can only be found in Christ’s death and resurrection.  He is the ‘Good Shepherd’ who cares so deeply for his flock and shows it by the blood of his sacrifice which introduces the ‘New Covenant’ and a new age where no further sacrifices are needed!

Although Christ’s sacrifice and resurrection are proof of a ‘New Covenant’, the emphasis at this point, is more on how it enables Christians to live for Christ.  What these verses make clear is that it’s the blood of the ‘New Covenant’ that equips us for this.  If we are living in a way that pleases God by doing his will, then it is only by his work!  Paul, when writing to the Ephesian church reminds them: ‘by grace you have been saved through faith.  And this is not your own doing; it is a gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast’ (Ephesians 2:8-9).  Even the faith to believe has been given to us, by a generous and loving God!  So it is only by the ‘New Covenant’, brought about by Christ’s work, that we can live lives which are pleasing in the Lord’s sight!  This is emphasised even more in the Greek as the word for: ‘equip’ (katartisai): ‘literally means “put in the proper condition” or “make complete.”’  It: ‘can also mean “restore”, “repair”, or “mend”.[2]  The point is when we seek forgiveness God takes sin damage people and repairs their damage lives, he fixes it so we can then be equipped.  This is immense encouragement.  It’s possible the writer, realises some he’s writing to may be wondering how they could have ever considered returning to their former religion (the reason the letter was probably written in the first place).  Maybe they were thinking: “this has damaged my witness, how can I ever hold my head up again as a Christian and witness for Christ?”  But the writer only has good news as he’s saying: “but you can because the Lord is a spiritual physician who will repair your damaged spiritual state!”  Very often the sins that haunt us are the times when we’ve failed by backsliding or failing in our witness.  Obviously this is not a small thing as they damage our relationship with Christ!  But the wonderful thing is even this damage can be repaired and healed by the physician of our souls!

There’s some debate as whether the last part of the verse is referring to: ‘the God of peace’ or to: ‘Jesus Christ’.  Some argue that the mention of Jesus at this point in the passage is only in relation to him being the one mediates the ‘New Covenant’.  However, a straight reading of the passage seems to suggest because of this work God has glorified Christ and shares his glory (see Philippians 2:9-11).  I think this is the most likely explanation.  It certainly fits with the pattern of the book which starts with the writer stating that God had revealed himself through the work of Christ as his final word (1:1-4).  Hence, with this blessing the letter is brought to a climax and fitting conclusion!

[1]Garth Lee Cockerill, The Epistle to the Hebrews, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Michigan, Eerdmans publishing company, 2012) 715.
[2] Raymond Brown, The Message of Hebrews, Christ Above All, The Bible Speaks Today (Leicester, Inter-Varsity Press, 1982) 268-9.

Bless the Lord

If, as has been surmised, the ‘Songs of Ascents’ were a collection of psalms that were edited together to give us a sense of pilgrimage, and if they were sung on the way up to Jerusalem, then this psalm has a logical place as the pinnacle of the pilgrim’s experience.  The psalms themselves have taken us through a whole range of emotions.  Early on there were psalms about being isolated from God’s people, the journey itself and then the arrival at the tabernacle in Jerusalem.  The psalms highlighted the highs and lows of a believer’s life.  But as we come to the end of these 15 psalms the focus is on fellowship.  So what we have here is probably a psalm that was sung at the end of the festival after the blessing of the High Priest and the people prepared to go home.

Some years ago I went on walking holiday near Ben Nevis in the Scottish Highlands.  I hadn’t been walking for some years and my body had changed so much that I was badly dehydrated for most of the holiday.  That, coupled with thick snow, on some of the ridges made it a very tiring holiday.  But each time I hauled myself up another mountain the view at the top made it worthwhile!  And that, I believe is the point of this psalm.  The journey up to Jerusalem could have been very difficult and tiring, not a relaxing proposition.  But once the pilgrims got to Jerusalem and worshipped they could look back and say it was all worthwhile!

The first thing we notice in verse 1 is everyone is called on to worship: ‘Come, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, who stand by night in the house of the Lord!’  Its not just the pilgrims, but the priests and others serving in the temple.  The other thing to note is this was happening all the time!  1 Chronicles chapter 9 lists those who served in the temple and it’s clear the worship went on 24/7!  This makes sense as in Psalm 121:4 we read: ‘Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.’  So there’s a simple truth to be derived, our worship is to be 24/7!  So we’re not more of a Christian when we’re in church than on Monday when we’re at work, our whole life is worship!

The phrase: ‘Lift up your hands to the holy place and bless the Lord!’ (v2) obviously applies to the priests.  In the former area I worked there was a minister who when approached on street would often say: “I’m not working at the moment.”  That raised the eyebrows of those of us who consider our calling a vocation, but it also illustrates how easy it is for to become jaded and lack the dedication to worship.  There’s an interesting New Testament illustration of this when Paul writes to Timothy. ‘I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarrelling’ (1 Timothy 2:8).  It’s clear that Paul shares the sentiments of this particular psalm!

Lastly, this was a chance to receive blessing.  ‘May the Lord bless you from Zion, he who made heaven and earth!’ (v3).  We forget; the Lord wants to bless his people!  But this also reminds us of the kind a God we worship as he is sovereign over everything in this world and universe!  So, as the High Priest gave the final blessing, it would have reinstated in the minds of the people as the reason for their pilgrimage.  They worshipped the great God: ‘who made heaven and earth!’ and yet had time for his people and wanted to bless them!

The pilgrimages’ to the various festivals showed love and obedience towards God, but the ultimate example of love is found in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus which is the ultimate source of blessing.  Paul draws our attention to Christ’s obedience in his letter to the church at Philippi.  ‘Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.  And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.’ (Philippians 2:5-8).  Christ’s obedience brings us blessing indeed!

Would you like to listen to a sermon on the passage? Bless the Lord!

When Brothers Dwell in Unity

When I worked in a music shop one of my jobs was to make sure all the guitars were in tune.  I did this by tuning each one to a well tuned piano.  However, there’s another way I could have done it and that would have been to tune one guitar to the piano and then to tune each guitar to the guitar I had just tuned.  But the problem would have been the last guitar tuned would be in tune with itself, but not necessary with the first guitar that was tuned!  Unity requires consistency.  If the songs of ascents represent the various aspects of the pilgrimage up to Jerusalem, this one represents the necessary of unity!  The pilgrimages would have been made up of extended families as in Luke’s Gospel where Joseph and Mary take Jesus to Jerusalem for the Passover and are unaware that he’s stayed behind, thinking that he was among their friends and relatives (Luke 2:41-52).  So the stress levels could have been quite high!  But it’s necessary to arrive for worship in the right frame of mind!

The first thing to note is unity is a good thing.  Now we might think that’s obvious, but Cain fell out with Abel over worship (Genesis 4:1-16) and Abraham and Lot separated due to disagreements between their herdsmen (Genesis 13:2-13).  The point is unity doesn’t come naturally and the first verse of the psalm emphasises this.  ‘Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell together in unity!’  The use of the word: ‘Behold’ emphasises that unity is an unusual thing!

David, the writer, now wants to illustrate the nature of this unity.  In Exodus 29:7 and 30:22-33 we are given an account of the ordination of Aaron as high priest.  Oil was poured on his forehead, but the psalm makes it clear he was drenched in stuff.  In other words the blessings and benefits that unity brings spreads among the Lord’s people as they are not limited.  Our worship is not limited to a Sunday!  The Sunday service is worship, but so is the ‘Church Members Meeting’.  Yet people often treat them as two totally different things in the way they conduct themselves.  I have a feeling church meetings would be very different if we regarded them as worship!  David then gives another example of the way this blessing of unity is not limited with the example of Mount Hermon.  Hermon was a large mountain whereas, the mountains surrounding Jerusalem were not.  Yet David uses the picture of the dew falling on them both and not being limited to one or the other.  There is something very refreshing about dew soaked mornings and  David is conveying unity among God’s people is refreshing.

Lastly, David points out the way true unity is found.  The examples throughout the psalm speak of unity as coming from above and when we come to the second part of verse 3 we see that real unity comes from the Lord.  The Hebrew word for the Lord here is ‘Yahweh’ illustrating unity is found in God’s covenant nature, in other words within his Law.  Tracy and I have a friend who’s been very involved in the General Synod of the Church of England and the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Council.  But a while ago she resigned.  The reason for this, as far as we can make out, is that whenever a subject was being discussed and she wanted to apply scripture, people were saying something like: “that’s all very well, but we want to listen to people’s experience”.  Getting back to my guitar illustration, the leadership of the Church of England seem more concerned about being in tune with a particular group of people, rather than scripture!  But real unity can only be found in God’s Word!  But what is rather interesting is that the Lord has: ‘commanded the blessing, life for evermore’ (v3).  It’s not just the Lord gives it; he commands unity and the blessing that goes with it from and for his people.

In the end real unity is found in God’s Word.  The churches in Galatia had embraced Jewish teaching and probably had a superiority complex because of that.  But the Apostle Paul pulls the rug from under them.  ‘There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.  And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise’ (Galatians 3:28-29).   Unity and reconciliation are only found in the ‘Word’ and that’s the Lord Jesus Christ who is the centre of all Scripture!

Would you like to listen to a sermon on the passage? When Brothers Dwell in Unity.

The Lord has chosen Zion

The background to this psalm may have been when David brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem.  As David is the subject it’s possible it was written in Solomon’s time, possibly when he dedicated the temple.

This is a psalm that looks back to the past, comments on the present and then looks to the future, all with the aim of glorifying God.  So the psalm starts by looking back at David’s life and: ‘all the hardships he had endured’ (v1).  David was very zealous in wanting to build the temple (vs1-5).  But in the end he was told, by the Prophet Nathan, that his son Solomon would be the one to build it.  However David, rather than seeing this as a knock back, prays an incredible prayer of gratitude (2 Samuel 7:18-29).  However, David did much of the preparation for building the temple so Solomon would be able to complete the task.  So, metaphorically speaking, he did not sleep or rest until he had made: ‘a dwelling place for the Mighty one of Jacob.’ (v5).  David played a part, but the Lord’s timing is always what matters and it was Solomon who completed the task!

The next section of the psalm starts to look at the present.  Admittedly it starts by looking back at the discovery of the Ark at Ephrathah and its transportation to Jerusalem, which was not without difficulty (vs6-7 and 2 Samuel 6).  But this reminds us that David had done all that was required of him.  Through David the last of the Lord’s promises in the Covenant concerning the land had been fulfilled.  So the picture here is of God working on behalf of his people.  Some commentators note that verse 8 echo’s Numbers 10:35-36 in the way the verse starts and finishes.  Yet there’s a difference as rather than this being about God’s enemies being scattered, the second part of the verse has the phrase: ‘and go to your resting place’ illustrating that the Temple is finished.

But now the temple is built and the people can enjoy the benefits of worshiping there.  So there’s a concern to get the worship right which is illustrated in verses 9-10.  The picture of priest being clothed: ‘with righteousness’ and saints shouting for joy is used to illustrate that this is pure worship that benefits the believers as they come together and enjoy fellowship with each other and fellowship with God.  In fact this would be the Old Testament equivalent of Jesus’ comment to the Samaritan woman that true worshippers: “worship the Father in spirit and truth” (John 4:23).

But now the emphasis of the psalm changes as it looks to the future and God’s promise to David (2 Samuel 7:16).  ‘Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure for ever before me.  Your throne shall be established for ever.’  We can’t be sure what David understood by this, but it would have been a great reassurance to him as he could have been thinking: ‘Solomon’s too young, how can I know he’ll manage this kind of project?’  We have the advantage of understanding this also applies to Jesus, David’s greater son.  But what David did know was he had a part in God’s plan!

The last part of the psalm (vs13-18) focuses on the Lord’s promise.  ‘For the Lord has chosen Zion; he has desired it for his dwelling place’ (v13).  Now the Lord starts to speak in the first person (v14).  He has a concern for a closer relationship with his people, one that is based on his grace and mercy.  God is proactive, he will satisfy the poor and blesses Zion.  It’s he who clothes the priests with salvation and will fulfil his promises to David (v17)!  The horn was a symbol of strength, but the phrase: ‘lamp’ is interesting as it’s used in 2 Samuel 21:17 when David was effectively retired from leading the army with the phrase: “You shall no longer go out with a us to battle, least you quench the lamp of Israel.” Here it shows the Lord’s zeal to fulfil all his promise to David and the people.

In the end the promises we see at the end of this psalm are also fulfilled in Jesus.  Just as David was a lamp to Israel, in Jesus we encounter the light of the world which is typified in his wonderful promise: “I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).  And that’s a promise and comfort to God’s people, in any day and age!

Would you like to listen to a sermon on this Psalm?  The Lord has chosen Zion.

I have Calmed and Quieted my Soul

This is a psalm of David, but there’s no indication when he wrote it.  The subject concerns being in a humble and happy state and that in itself is interesting as David had much he could have been proud of.  Yet there had been major failings in his life.  After years of struggle and hardship, where the jealous King Saul had sought to take his life, he had become King of Israel.  For the first part of his reign he had been a godly King.  Yet after his adultery with Bathsheba which led to her husband Uriah’s murder the consequences were a troubled reign!  Perhaps David is confronting his failure and realizing it’s better to be content in one’s circumstances than to pursue ambition.  It’s possible, due to the subject matter; this psalm may have been sung during pilgrimages to Jerusalem to encourage the Pilgrims to be in the right frame of mind when they came to worship at the temple in Jerusalem.

I’ve always enjoyed weight training.  But to be really successful at it, there are a list of do’s and don’ts.  For example, when it comes to training you train a muscle group hard!  But you don’t train it every day; in fact you allow 72 hours before you’re train it again.  Secondly you make sure that you have plenty of food, but it has to be the right kind of food with plenty or protein and the fat kept low if you want to build real muscle and not just bulk!  In the same way this psalm has a list of do’s and don’ts for those who are looking to grow spiritually!

So David starts off with a list of don’ts as he expresses things in the negative.  ‘O Lord, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvellous for me’ (v1).  He is not proud and he realises that there are some things are well beyond his understanding.  There’s no indication that David had ever desired the throne, and perhaps that’s why he acted wisely and humbly early in his reign.  However, perhaps power had been seductive and he had become enamoured with the benefits of kingship in that you could get away with practically anything without it being questioned!  And that had led to his downfall!  So what we’re seeing here is that discipline is essential for believers to humble themselves so they might be used by God.

Secondly, David focuses on how the believer can achieve in this happy state that is found in verse 1.  ‘But I have calmed and quietened my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me’ (v2).  He has denied himself so that he might be content.  An unweaned child has a constant craving for its mother’s milk.  But there comes a time when the child is no longer crying out in hunger so much of the time.  It’s happy and content, but still dependent!  That’s the difference that David draws our attention to.  He has a confidence in God but he’s not independent of God.  So this is faith in action, this is a ‘do’, in that David realises faith in the Lord has to be actively entered into, and this is seen in the theme of this verse.  Jesus highlights this kind of thinking in Matthew 18:3-4. “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”  Jesus shows we need to actively make an effort to: ‘become like children,’ in other words, be dependent on him, if we are to receive any real spiritual benefit!  There’s a sense of letting go and letting God, but also the believer actively seeking the Lord’s involvement in each and every area of their life.

In the last verse of the psalm David calls on Israel to put their hope in the Lord.  ‘O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time forth and for evermore’ (v3).  In a sense the psalm has gone full circle.  David’s challenge is simple.  If we want to avoid the pitfalls of pride, which are warned against in verse 1 we need to focus on the Lord.  Israel had a history of looking for solutions to their various problems in all the wrong places.  But David wants them to avoid that mistake by learning from his experience.  David doesn’t just ask Israel (and us) to give it a try; rather he is looking to what the Lord can achieve and asking the Lord’s people to actively pursue it.Because of our human nature this, as Charles Haddon Spurgeon, the great Victorian preacher, once pointed out, this is one of the shortest psalms to read, but one of the longest to learn!  Yet, if we are to be contented and happy in our relationship with the Lord, we would do well to note the do’s and don’ts of this psalm and work at putting them into practice in our Christian lives! 

My Soul Waits for the Lord

As this is one of the seven penitential psalms, it’s possible that it was sung by the Pilgrims who travelled to Jerusalem for the Day of Atonement as it would fit very well with the theme of that festival.  Some scholars have linked it to the time after Nehemiah’s reforms when, after the time he was back in Babylon, he comes back to find serious cases of spiritual backsliding.  Whatever the case, what we have here is a psalm that has the tone of someone looking to the Lord for forgiveness.

Back in my youth I was an advocate of ‘Mad’ magazine as I enjoyed its satirical humour.  In one edition they sent up the very popular game ‘Trivial Pursuit’ and one particular question particularly appealed to me.  The question was: ‘In which Star Trek episode did chief engineer Scotty save the Enterprise from certain destruction.’ The answer: ‘all of them!’ Although, as a Star Trek fan, I know that’s an exaggeration, I can’t help seeing the funny side of it as it captures the spirit of what made the program so enjoyable.  In a similar way this psalm has that spirit about it.  Looking at the beginning we ask the question: “how bad can it be?”  The Psalmist seems in the depths of despair realising his sorry state before the Lord.  But, we’re pretty sure, such is nature of the psalms that the situation will be resolved, or will be well on the way to a resolution, by the end of the psalm!

As we’ve noted the psalm starts with a note of desperation but also realism.  ‘Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord! O Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy!’ (vs1-2).  This is something that is needed today.  I often listen to Sermons from various churches, but I’m noticing more and more that there doesn’t seem to be much encouragement for self examination.  Yet the first words of Jesus recorded in Mark’s Gospel are: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand, repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15).  Now that’s a message that calls for self examination if I ever heard one!  There’s a healthy dose of realism in verse 3: ‘If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?’  The question is rhetorical, because the Psalmist knows that no one can justify themselves before a holy God!  The verse creates a picture of a courtroom setting, with witness after witness testifying against the poor Psalmist.  Yet the verse also gives us a glimmer of hope with its use of the word ‘LORD’ which is used in our translations for ‘Yahweh’ the God of the Covenant.  The Covenant was an illustration of the Lord’s love for his people.  This is something which we often miss as we often think of God’s law in terms of do’s and don’ts.  But that’s not why it was given.  Israel did not deserve or earn God’s love, yet he loved them and it was his initiative to enter into relationship with them.    ‘It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples’ (Deuteronomy 7:7).

This is typified in the next verse: ‘But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared’ (v4).  I find that verse remarkable.  The Psalmist is in awe of God.  Why?  Because he’s a forgiving God when, as the Psalmist has already pointed out, logic shows he has every right to judge!  But the nature of this verse shows how the Psalmist is overwhelmed by God’s holy and forgiving nature!  Verses 5-6 show the patience of the Psalmist.  The phrase: ‘my soul waits’ is used in both these verses and is a challenge we need to listen to when we pray.  The Psalmist fully trusts God.  His religion is not either of the heart or the mind but his whole being!  Yet that doesn’t mean that everything is resolved quickly, as the illustration of the watchman in verse 6 shows.  The role of a watchman was to warn the people of a city of impending attack and one can imagine that on a moonless night the watchman must have longed for the morning as just a glimmer of light would make his job easier.  But patience was required as the job still had to be carried out under the difficult circumstances of the night.  In a similar way the Psalmist realises patience is required when waiting upon the Lord in prayer.

The psalm concludes in a similar way with the Psalmist now calling on Israel to put their: ‘hope in the LORD’ (v7) because of his: ‘steadfast love’ and: ‘plentiful redemption.’  The Psalmist clearly sees that the Lord is the answer to both his prayer of repentance and the national need.  If the psalm was written in the days of Nehemiah when, at the end of the book, things had begun to slide spiritually, there was a need to acknowledge that and look to the Lord to: ‘redeemed Israel from all his iniquities’ (v8).  The Psalmist clearly understands there’s a sense in which in this life God’s people have never ‘arrived’.  In other words, the work of reformation and revival is always relevant to God’s people in any age or generation!  The call of this psalm is for the Lord’s people to diligently wait on him in an attitude of repentance and work for renewal in each and every generation.

Would you like to hear a sermon on this Psalm? My Soul Waits for the Lord.

Long Term Affliction

When we look back at the past we often choose to look only at the good things that have happen.  However, when we come to this psalm the writer has a completely different attitude as he looks back at a time which was far from good and then asks what he can learn from it.  But this is also, due to the call and response structure, a corporate psalm as it reflects on Israel’s state as well as the psalmist and therefore what they should learn from their situation both in the past and also present.  The answer is a great deal about the Lord’s attitude to his people!Even the most casual glance at the first two verses shows that the writer has been going through a pretty dire situation that stretches back to his youth.  This probably also acts as a reference to Israel’s time in Egypt.  I won’t bore you with the details but I was recently in correspondence with a minister over an important issue.  What’s significant is the difference between us lay in their motivation being “that’s the way the world seemed to be going today” as the justification for their actions.  Yet it really shouldn’t surprise us if we find, as Christians, that we’re often shunned by the world!  The phrase in verse 3: ‘The ploughers ploughed upon my back; they made long their furrows’, due to the nature of the psalm with both its individual and corporate view, is probably best taken metaphorically.  Just as a ploughman is systematic in his ploughing of a field, it’s probably speaking of Israel’s times of oppression by other nations and their exile in Babylon.  Yet despite this terrible oppression verse 4 shows that the Lord had intervened on their behalf as he had: ‘cut the cords of the wicked.’

Why had he acted in such a way?  Quite simply because of who he is.  He’s ‘Yahweh’ the Covenant God.  In other words, he’s the God who keeps his promises to his people.  In Deuteronomy 30:5 Moses reminds the Israelites that despite their rebellious nature, the Lord will redeem them as he will: ‘bring you into the land that your fathers possessed, that you may possess it.  And he will make you more prosperous and numerous than your fathers.’  What a great promise that was for the Lord’s people when they found themselves under pressure.  The New Testament equivalent is found when Jesus promises that he will build his church: ‘and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it’ (Matthew 16:18).  In other words, he will build it come what may!  Verse 5 reminds us if anyone picks a fight with the Lord’s people, they’ll be picking a fight with him!

The last part of the psalm encourages the Lord’s people to develop a God’s eye view of things.  When I preached this psalm the heating had failed and it was winter. The danger would have to been to see things very negatively as after all it was an evening service, there weren’t many of us and the church was freezing cold!  However, as I pointed out, to the few who were there, we are uniquely blessed.  We were coming together as a forgiven people in fellowship with the Lord and each other.  We were hearing God’s Word and therefore had the chance of being encouraged by it as we have the unique gifting of the Holy Spirit.  We have a direction in life and a future most people don’t have.  If you asked most people what their ambition was, if they’ve thought about it in the first place, they might say it’s to get the kids through college without exhausting their retirement fund, and that would be the sum of all their ambition and hope for the future!  But for believer’s, because of all the Lord has done for us, we are uniquely blessed both now and in the future!This is not the case with those who are against God’s people.  ‘Let them be like the grass on the house stops which withers before it grows up’ (v5).  In the Ancient Near East the roofs of houses were made with branches and then covered in mud.  When it was damp grass would have grown on them but when the sun was out it would be scorched and then died.  The picture is of these people being completely spiritually dead where the Lord was concerned.  The conclusion the Psalmist comes to is whatever the difficulties he and Israel have been subjected to ultimately the Lord looks after his people.

The plight of the Psalmist and his conclusions about the Lord’s faithfulness reminds me of what Paul writes to the Corinthians to encourage them.  ‘We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies’ (2 Corinthians 4:8-10).  What an encouragement for the Lord’s people then, and today when they are facing tough and difficult times.  In everything, whatever the circumstances The Lord’s promises to his people remain the same.  Why is this?  Because he remains the same!

Would you like to hear a sermon on this Psalm? Long Term Affliction.

Blessed are those who Fear the Lord

It doesn’t surprise me that teaching about blessing is very popular in Christian circles.  Let’s face it those like Joel Osteen have made very successful ministries out of it.  At first glance, Psalm 128 looks like prime material for Joel Osteen and his outrageous use of Scripture!  But is that really the case, as the question we should ask is what’s real blessing and how’s it achieved?

The context of the psalm is found in verse 1.  What we see here is not unconditional blessing but blessing for everyone: ‘who fears the LORD, who walks in his ways.’  Some years ago, at my first church, I was approached by a church that wanted to use our building for a series of events.  I was given a book called ‘You cannot Fail!’ by the representative of that church.  After reading the book I realise there was no way we could let them use our buildings as, among other things, the book suggested that if you made a vow to the Lord, he must fulfil anything you asked!  Basically, it was saying you could twist God’s arm, which is as outrageous as it is blasphemous!  But that’s not what this psalm is saying.  This is about honouring the LORD, Yahweh the Covenant God by following his Law.  The Covenant was based on God’s love for Israel as he had delivered them from Egypt before he asked anything of them (Deuteronomy 5:6).  So rather than forcing his hand by mechanical obedience the blessings of the Covenant came about through the mutual love of God for his people and their love for him based on his deliverance!

A generation of Sunday school teachers have watered down the phrase: ‘The fear of the Lord’ by telling children that to fear God means to respect him.  But that’s never the context we find in scripture as it means to be in awe of him.  Hence this would encourage his people to keep themselves from sin as they realised he was holy, so there would be consequences if they sinned as their relationship with him would be damaged (Exodus 20:20).  And it’s this that gives the psalm its context!

However, there are benefits which are noted in the middle section of the psalm.  The picture is of a content and happy family as: ‘You shall eat the fruit of the labour of your hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you. Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots round your table’ (vs2-3)  Vines and olives were essential to Israel’s economy.  So the picture is of a godly an industrious family who are materially blessed.  I don’t advocate the ‘Wealth, Health and Prosperity Gospel’, but think about it, if you live to please the Lord you won’t waste your time and money on ungodly pursuits.  You will enjoy God’s gifts rather than over indulge in them and you will be prudent with your money rather than gamble it away!  This is also a picture of a happy marriage as the wife is happy and content in the home, in stark contrast to the wife of Proverbs 7:11 who: ‘is loud and wayward; her feet do not stay at home.’  The metaphor of the vine has sensuous connotations which are very apparent in the Song of Solomon 7:7-8!  The picture we are left with is a home that is happy in every area, even the most intimate ones!

Psalm 128 with its theme of blessing and the family may have been sung together with Psalm 127 at the end of one of the festivals in Jerusalem.  It’s circular in nature as it comes back to the theme of blessing in the last two verses.  However, we must note that the word: ‘may’ is used in both verses 5 and 6 noting that God’s blessing can never be assumed, but it can be asked for.

So what expectation of God’s blessing can the Christian look forward to today?  In Mark 10:17-30 Jesus meets a young man who wants to know what he must do to inherit eternal life.  When Jesus points to the keeping of the Law, the young man in a rather blasé way insists he’s kept it.  But Jesus pinpoints his weakness; he won’t put God before his riches.  Jesus then points out how worldly wealth can be a momentous distraction as people get attached to that, as the most important thing in the life, rather than concentrate on preparation to be part of God’s kingdom. This leaves the disciples perturbed, but Jesus points out nothing is impossible for God.  Peter then points out that they have left everything to follow him.  Jesus responds with words that show us the kind of blessing can expect today.  ‘Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life”’ (Mark 10:29-30).

Would you like to hear a sermon on this Psalm? Blessed are those who Fear the Lord.

Unless the Lord Builds the House

When I was growing up I was fascinated by ancient Egypt.  It all seemed so old to me.  So imagine my surprise, when reading about the Pharaoh Tutankhamen, I discovered that by the time he was on the throne the great pyramids at Giza would have been seen as objects of man’s folly.  Poets would have compose poetry pointing out the folly of the Pharaoh who had built them as he was practically forgotten and they had long since fallen into ruin!

When we come to Psalm 127 the subject of folly takes up the first part of the psalm.  The psalm is attributed to Solomon and if, as I believe, he was the author of Ecclesiastes the psalm has some parallels with its themes of wisdom and folly. The psalm is in two parts, the first deals with folly of leaving God out of one’s life, the second to the benefits of including him.

The folly of the situation is very apparent in the first verse.  ‘Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labour in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.’   What emerges in verse 2 is the waste of time and effort that is put into such a project as: ‘It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil.’  The picture is clear; if we leave the Lord out of our endeavours they will amount to nothing in the long run!  What Solomon is highlighting is the danger of putting our faith in things or activity, rather than involving the Lord in all we say and do!  When we had the local school children come to the church one of the questions they asked me was what was the most important part of the church?  I told them it was the pulpit because that’s where ‘the Word of God’ was read and taught.  But I added the proviso that it was only the most important part of the church if those things were done as if they weren’t then it might as well chop it up for firewood.  God would not be involved and anything said would be a waste of time and effort!

But now we come to the second part of the psalm which shows the blessing of having God involved.  At first it looks like the psalm goes off at a tangent with its emphasis on children! But the word: ‘house’ in verse 1 can be rendered ‘household’ in the Hebrew which provides us with a connection to verse 1.  Solomon highlights the difference of including the Lord at the end of verse 2 with the words: ‘for he (God) gives to his beloved sleep.’  It’s possible Solomon is putting his mark on the psalm here as in 2 Samuel 12:24 we read that the Lord named Solomon: ‘Jedidiah’ which means: ‘beloved of the Lord’.  But the key thing is this verse leads us into the second part of the psalm.  Children were seen as important in the Ancient Near East as they were their parent’s security, in the absence of social services, in their old age.  Hence they are used to illustrate blessing.  The phrase: ‘He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate’ possibly refers to a false accusation being made and the father being dragged before the Elders of the town at the town gate where all the business was done in those days.  He has the blessing of having children who would defend him in his old age.

Jesus’ hearers would have been reminded of this psalm when he preached the parable of the ‘Wise and Foolish Builders’ (Matthew 7:24-27).  The parable gives a simple comparison; we can either ignore Jesus’ words which would be like building a house on sand which will eventually fall down, or we can take his words to heart and have the security of a person who lives in a house built on a firm foundation.  That’s the security of trusting in the Lord and involving him in everything we say and do!

Would you like to hear a sermon on this Psalm? Unless the Lord Builds the House.