Getting A Facelift, Not a Face Full (Psalm 119:22-24)

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The following post is a reflection on Psalm 119:22-24, which reads,

Take away from me scorn and contempt,
    for I have kept your testimonies.

Even though princes sit plotting against me,

    your servant will meditate on your statutes.

Your testimonies are my delight;

    they are my counselors. (ESV)

Since the psalms were the prayer vocabulary of Israel, this is a prayer that Jesus would have likely prayed, for he was faced with scorn and contempt on multiple occasions.

Have you noticed the faces of those who show scorn and contempt for others? They become ugly and distorted in the process of verbally vomiting their inner brokenness in an attempt to break others. 

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And frequently, when a person receives scorn and contempt, their own face falls into frowns of sadness, grimaces of pain, and may even become twisted in anger. How can we have a facelift in such circumstances? Remember Psalm 3:3-4,

But you, O Lord, are a shield about me,
    my glory, and the lifter of my head.

I cried aloud to the Lord,
    and he answered me from his holy hill. 

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God is the one who lifts our head and our face in answer to our prayer. In Psalm 119, verse 22 is likely a lament—a prayer request—asking that God would turn away the scorn and contempt being directed at the psalmist. This request is made in the context of his recognition that he was merely sojourning here on earth; he was not home yet (v. 19). This is God’s world, and as sojourners, we need to follow his testimonies. 

In his commentary on Psalm 119, Michael Wilcock wrote,

God’s people have always needed to be reminded of this. Every day we walk familiar roads; This is our hometown, our home country, we say. Yes and no, says God. This is my world, and you are here as garîm, expatriates. ‘The land is mine, and you are but aliens and my tenants.’ [Lev. 25:23] That means you observe the laws and manners of your host country. We begin to see why the psalmist, a stranger on earth, cries, Do not hide your commands from me. He needs God's handbook for the duration of his residence in God's world.

What creates problems for him, and underlines his need of such a handbook, is the fact that though this really is God's world, there are plenty of people in it who do not behave as if it were (vv. 21-22). On all sides he sees the arrogant and the accursed, and their scorn and contempt for God's principles. He is bound to be affected, and fears being infected, by all this. He does not have to be abroad for rulers to slander him…[1]

I especially love his line about how we are to “observe the laws and manners of your host country.” While it is wise for us to do this at the human and international levels, few realize that this world doesn’t belong to independent people or even to nations; it belongs to the Lord God Almighty. Thankfully, the Lord and Creator is also our loving Heavenly Father!

However, it is also possible that this prayer could be more reflective than that. One of the dangers of law-keeping is that of judgmentalism directed towards those less spiritually mature. Do we need to ask God to take away the scorn and contempt that can rise in our hearts for those whom we consider offensively “other”? It is one thing to disagree with someone, but it is another to demonize and denounce them. Our 21^st-century culture is highly charged, so every spoken reaction, every written statement, every posted opinion, may either attract or repel in an amplified way.

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I know that when I look at the behavior of those who hate God and his word, and hear the vain ideas that they would want to enforce upon others, it is not hard to turn their scorn and contempt back on their own heads with an ample dose of laughter. However, that is not likely to win them over to the truth. Jesus said we would be mocked, just as he was. He also challenged his followers not to show scorn and contempt for others.[2] This can be very difficult. We are culturally conditioned to retaliate at some point. However, the psalmist shows us that there is a way that we can limit the risk of our slipping into a scornful, contemptuous attitude. 

Did you notice? Psalm 119 is the longest in the Bible, and nearly every verse points us to the answer we need. In the three verses at the center of this post, we see the psalmist engaging God’s Word in obedience, diligent thought, and heartfelt delight.

v. 22b …for I have kept your testimonies.

v.23b …your servant will meditate on your statutes.

v.24 Your testimonies are my delight; they are my counselors.

It is when we keep, meditate, and delight in the Word of God that we see the personality of God revealed, and it changes us for the better. It is not so much learning the words on the page as it is meeting the one who waits on the other side of the page, for they all speak of Jesus Christ (e.g., Luke 24:27; Acts 28:23; Romans 3:21-26). 

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Is there another testimony that I have committed myself to follow? Are there other ideas, values, and mission statements on which we focus our deepest thoughts? Have we allowed something, or someone, else to become our closest confidants, the ones who help to direct our lives, other than God’s Word? If so, then let this psalm be the light that patiently and persistently sets you back on the path.

Jesus can identify with us in our pain, for he endured terribly scornful mocking at the hands of Romans and Jews alike. He knew that his followers would also face the same treatment. In John 15:19-20, Jesus made this very clear to his followers.

If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.

Not only should we not be surprised when we are on the receiving end of hateful and false speech, but Jesus also reminds us that, far from being a soul-crushing defeat, such undeserved treatment is, in fact, a spiritual blessing!

“Blessed are you when others revile you

                                  and persecute you

      and utter all kinds of evil against you

                                              falsely on my account.

Rejoice and be glad,

          for your reward is great in heaven,

                       for so they persecuted

         the prophets who were before you.” (Matt. 5:11-12)

Peter, who once thought of taking up a sword to defend the Lord against scorn and unjust arrest, finally came to understand the Lord’s way and wrote,

Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. (1 Peter 3:8-9)

The one who meditates and delights in God’s testimonies will embody the qualities of verse 8 and receive the blessing of verse 9.

Let his words be our counselors! They do a better job than Botox!

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[1] Wilcock, Michael, The Message of the Psalms, 199.

[2] In Matthew 5:22-23, Jesus forbids his followers from even calling others derogatory names out of anger. Paul wrote in Eph. 4:29-32, “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

Psalm 42-43: The Upside to Being Downcast

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[This article is also posted on my Cupbearers Initiative pastoral advocacy blog.]

Why are you cast down, O my soul,
    and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
    my salvation and my God. (Psalm 43:5)

During this season of social distancing and even strict quarantine, there is considerable concern regarding the psychological impact of isolation in addition to the more widespread anxieties of the Covid-19 crisis. Many have lost their jobs; others can no longer visit family for fear of spreading exposure to the more vulnerable among us. 

Photo Credit: Greg Dueker

I work at a Christian University and Seminary and we are currently teaching remotely and doing our best to reach out and check in with our students regularly. But I miss seeing them in class, out on the campus lawn, or in the cafeteria. Even the library is quieter than normal (if you can imagine that). All this combined with the hoarder-induced shortages of TP, sanitizer, vegetables, and most carbs (rice, beans, pasta, bread), can produce turmoil in our souls. But will we look down or up for the hope our soul desperately needs?

In Psalm 42-43 (Theywhich are generally thought to make up one psalm), the writer uses a common refrain where he addresses his own soul and directs it to trust in God. This psalm might have been written during David’s exile during the rebellion of Absalom, or later during the Babylonian exile, or as Peter Craigie suggests, “it is equally possible that the background is to be found in sickness, which limited the poet’s possibility of going to Jerusalem and participating in the worship in the temple.”[1] 

Currently, this hits pretty close to home for most churches in the US.

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We live in just such a time filled with challenging circumstances and difficult directives as the various levels of our government pursue policies put in place to slow the insidious spread of Covid-19. Yet even as the virus captures our attention, nature’s other outbursts are not abated be it tornados, floods, or earthquakes.

Some people are overwhelmed by the darkness they see. Others recognize that darkness is the necessary precursor to the coming of the light. If we never experience the dark how then will we long for the light? Psalm 43:3-4 contains the prayer of one who was downcast in the darkness. Do these ancient words of prayer resonate with our heart’s cries today?

Send out your light and your truth;
    let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy hill
    and to your dwelling!
Then I will go to the altar of God,
    to God my exceeding joy,
and I will praise you with the lyre,
    O God, my God.   (Psalm 43:3-4)

These psalms were written by, or for, the sons of Korah who served as doorkeepers and worship leaders in the Temple of the Lord. Their cry to the Lord was that he would bring them back to the place where they were called to serve. They realized that for whatever reason, they were no longer in that spot. I would argue that their season of difficulty, whether sourced in an attack of an enemy or their own sin was being shaped into a gift in the hands of the Lord who loves steadfastly! My pastor used to say, “Don’t despise that which drives you to your knees.” Whatever causes us to lean into the Lord’s love, and extend that love to others, is ultimately a cause for gratitude.

Photo by Ahna Ziegler 
on Unsplash

In the history of Israel and the history of the Christian church, there have been great feasts celebrated regularly, but the problem in modern times is that we too often cast off the fasts that precede them. Wisdom, and experience, teach that we appreciate and celebrate the light better after we have experienced the darkness. We need the longing season of Advent before the celebration of Christmas. We need the confessional season of Lent before the victorious joy of Easter. Even in the progression of the natural seasons, after a long hot summer, we need the cold and dark of winter before we will enjoy a sunny and warm spring day to its fullest! Isaiah 42:16 declares the Lord’s promised plan for his people on the other side of the darkness…

And I will lead the blind
    in a way that they do not know,
in paths that they have not known
    I will guide them.
I will turn the darkness before them into light,
    the rough places into level ground.
These are the things I do,
    and I do not forsake them. (See also: Isaiah 42:6-7; 9:1-2; Matt. 4:14-16)

But those who will not trust in the Lord will see their idols destroyed (Isaiah 42:17).

As we read through Psalm 42-43, we find that it is chock-full of lessons applicable to our lives as we walk through the current circumstances we face. Despite being ordered to responsibly practice “social distancing” we can still digitally join our hearts together, around the Lord and his word. I hope we will take time each day to reflect on God’s written word, the Bible, and share his love displayed there with others.

To do just that, allow me to share nine truths that can be found especially in times of hardship and our downcast seasons of darkness…

1. Hardship often reveals our deepest thirst and gives opportunity to admit it (42:1-2). Have we seen enough of the world to know that it doesn’t, and can’t satisfy our deepest longings?
2. Hardship may open us up to criticism from others; those who love “piling on” when someone else is suffering, adding insult to injury (v. 3,10). I am reminded of Jesus’ words to “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matt. 5:44). Times like this will give us opportunities to grow in this regard.
3. Hardship reminds us how much we miss celebrating the goodness of God with our spiritual family (v. 4). Thankfully, we have the technology to reach across the distance and join in spiritual worship and acts of service.
4. Hardship often increases our sense of isolation (v. 4) but the more we think of others, and check in on them (phone, text, email, social media) the less isolated we will be, even when confined to our home.
5. Hardship provides the opportunity to do some soul searching and some soul instructing. (42:5, 11; 43:5)
6. Dark times move us past our powerless pride to put our hope in the Lord (v.5-6). In 2 Cor. 1:8-10, the Apostle Paul described this experience clearly. "For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him, we have set our hope that he will deliver us again." 
7. Amid dark and tumultuous times, we may become more sensitive to the presence of God and his steadfast love (v.7-8). The more distractions are removed, the more quiet we encounter, the more we dwell in His Word, and the less we can lean on our own strength the more we see him at work. Pro tip: Don’t watch more news than you can cover in prayer!
8. In dark and tumultuous times, we can ask God honest questions about where he is in all that which we are facing. We feel he is far away, but what encouragement can we offer our own souls? (v.11) “Put your hope in God!” He is our covenant-keeping Savior!
9. In times of hardship, we can confess our weakness and choose to trust God to deliver us from the oppressor (43:1-3).

Sabbath in Modern Tiberius

One other comment before I close. Even good things need fallow seasons of pruning and rest in preparation for new seasons of fruitfulness. It makes me wonder since this current crisis is in effect imposing a sabbath rest on the land. While the imposition of a required sabbatical season is not the cause of this shutdown, perhaps that is how the Lord may use this terrible pandemic for good, if we will hope in him.

We are a nation that refuses to stop whatever it is that we are doing. Yet, being forced to stop, to pause, to trust it will work out, will we continue to be downcast, angry, fearful, and divided, or will our souls be counseled by this psalm to hope in God? Will we trust that we will once again join our voices together to praise Jesus for the salvation he brings to share? I hope so!

How we live and engage those we live with, will reveal both our heart and our source of hope… for better or worse!

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[1] Peter C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50, Word Biblical Commentary Vol. 19, (Waco, TX: Word Inc., 1983) 325.