Psalm 57 Awakening the Dawn

As I re-read this psalm this week, several thoughts, word pictures, and phrases intrigue me…

Photo By Greg K Dueker

In you my soul takes refuge (v.1) —David was in a cave hiding from Saul and those who pursued him. He expressed how his trust in God could picture the nature of God working on his behalf as a refuge. David also understood that refuge in the Lord’s presence is tied to “mercy” and not to merit. I think it is not hard for us to think of refuge in terms of shelters—in America, we think of storm shelters, evacuation shelters, domestic abuse shelters, tax shelters, and even animal shelters. Nations at war know about and often use bomb shelters. But what is taking shelter in this psalm? What is finding refuge in God? The soul of the psalmist. This turn of phrase causes me to wonder if I am as quick to ask God to shelter my soul as I am to take practical steps to shelter my body and other assets in times of danger.

Photo by Greg K Dueker

In the shadow of your wings (v.1) —The safety of the cave is likened to that of a chick beneath its mother’s wings, which may not adequately translate into our culture, where we don’t think highly of chickens as protectors. We can’t win and be on offense all the time. Sometimes we need to find shelter and ride the storm out, and once it passes, we can get back to the work God has for us. In the meantime, we get to simply be in the refuge of God’s love for us. This imagery may also allude to the Passover when the people of Israel were sheltered from the destroyer by the blood of the lamb (Ex. 12:22-24). What is the storm of destruction we are facing today? Whether we face natural disasters or the man-made kind, we can rest in the fact that God will fulfill his purpose for us! What will we face this week? Where will we take refuge? 

Photo by Milada Vigerova 

on Unsplash 

God who fulfills his purpose for me (v.2) —Despite God having anointed David to replace Saul as king, David did not take matters into his own hands. He stubbornly refused to strike down the increasingly unbalanced King Saul despite being anointed as a replacement king. It was God’s plan, and God would bring it to pass at the right time. David was content to trust that God would bring it to pass at just the right time.

It is so comforting to know that God is the one who" fulfills his purpose for me"! There are at least three things I can hold onto from this verse:

1. My life has purpose.
2. My life is part of his great plan, and
3. He will fulfill that purpose by saving me!

During hard times, we may not understand why, know how, or when, but we can be confident that God is with us in the midst and will be faithful to lead us home at the right time.

Though David had unjustly been driven from his home and family, he knew that he was part of something larger than himself. He was included in what God had purposed and would see it come to pass. For David, this included finally becoming the king of Israel, for which God had anointed him by the hand of Samuel. We are not anointed to be kings and queens of Israel, yet in Christ, we are adopted as children of God (Rom. 8:15; Eph. 1:4-6) and are a royal priesthood and a holy nation (1 Peter 2:9). What the Lord has begun, he will bring to completion (Phil. 1:6).

Photo by Jeff Lemond on Unsplash 

In the midst of lions (v.4, 6)—Have you noticed how David’s metaphoric description of his circumstances is later literally lived out by Daniel in exile when he refused to stop praying to the Lord despite a law to the contrary (Dan. 6)? The Lord delivered Daniel that night. His accusers were then thrown into the lions’ pit and devoured in the way they had desired that Daniel would perish. David’s accusers, pursuers, and oppressors would also suffer the death they sought to inflict upon David.

V.6 "They set a net for my steps; my soul was bowed down.
They dug a pit in my way, but they have fallen into it themselves. Selah"

God has a wonderful way of working things out when we trust in him. Our soul may at times be bowed down, but it will not be destroyed!

St Anne's Church, Jerusalem
Photo by Greg K Dueker

Cave Refuge acoustics? Is it just me, or do you see (or hear) it too? For a guy hiding in a cave from his pursuers, David is sure loud! I don’t have much experience with caves, but St. Anne’s Church in Jerusalem is known for nearly perfect acoustics, and having sung there when touring, I can say it made us sound amazing! The outside looks plain, but the richness of sound on the inside was remarkable! 

David writes in v.2, “I cry out to God Most High” as he makes his lament (request). In v.5, his praise is exuberant, “Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!     Let your glory be over all the earth!” Then he does not let up but sings with a doubly steadfast heart in v.7-8,

“I will sing and make melody!
         Awake, my glory!
         Awake, O harp and lyre!
    I will awake the dawn!”

Bugling Merit Badge

David’s strong word picture of awakening the dawn with his song sounds quite loud. He would not have been good to have on a submarine trying to avoid detection! When I was a Boy Scout, I earned the bugling merit badge (much to my parents' chagrin) after repeatedly practicing the calls, such as “Reveille” (the military wakeup call). David rehearsed his songs of praise without inhibition. 

Aside from the resounding cave acoustics, the point is well made: when we have eyes to see God at work on our behalf, we cannot help but show our gratitude with enthusiasm. I am reminded of when the Apostles were forbidden by the Sanhedrin from teaching and speaking to the people in the name of Jesus,

But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:19-20)

I would suggest that our ability to see God at work in our lives begins much like David began this psalm: by asking for God’s mercy and trusting him to be our refuge. God's miracles flow from his requested mercy, for they are not given to fulfill our sense of entitlement.

David is quite confident that God will be merciful and the storms of destruction will pass by (v.1), that God would fulfill his divine purpose for David (v.2), and save him and shame his enemies (v.3), and that when all is over he will be thanking and singing praises to God “among the peoples…among the nations” (v. 9). Such a statement demonstrated great confidence and foresight. While David did live to do just what he said he would, by writing this psalm, his words have continued to ring out in thanks and praise throughout the generations all around the world!

Psalm 46 A Very Present Help

The Sons of Korah whose psalms are most closely tied to Jerusalem and the Temple wrote one to be sung that would encourage a panicked people to focus on the steadfast protection of a non-slip Lord! Since the psalm is short, I will quote it all here.

Photo: Greg K, Dueker

¹God is our refuge and strength,
    a very present help in trouble.
² Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
    though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
³ though its waters roar and foam,
    though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah

 

⁴ There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
    the holy habitation of the Most High.
⁵ God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
    God will help her when morning dawns.
⁶ The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
    he utters his voice, the earth melts.
⁷ The Lord of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

 

⁸ Come, behold the works of the Lord,
    how he has brought desolations on the earth.
⁹ He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
    he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
    he burns the chariots with fire.
¹⁰ “Be still, and know that I am God.
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth!”
¹¹ The Lord of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah (ESV)

God is our Refuge

This psalm contains some of the most familiar phrases from the entire Book. Specifically, in verse 1,

God is our refuge and strength,
    a very present help in trouble.

And also the admonition of verse 10a “Be still and know that I am God” are often quoted in sermons and Christian literature alike. If we know that God is our fortress, then it will enhance our ability to “be still” in trusting the Lord through tumultuous times.

Nature Gone Wild

Photo by Yosh Ginsu on Unsplash

On the surface, from a distance of at least 2500 years, the catastrophic nature imagery in the first section (v.1-3) reads like a Weather Channel "Top 10 Worst Ancient Disasters" special. It indicates that no matter how devastating of a natural catastrophe God’s people may face, our hope is in the Lord who is our refuge. This means that our hope is not in mountains to protect us from armies, nor in oceans to protect us from the navies of ambitious empires. God’s people are to look to him first and always as their mighty fortress.

Nations Run Amok

From perhaps a more historical-culturally informed perspective, we see earth and sea, mountains and waters, used as multiplied metaphors used to describe the chaotic and seemingly unstoppable advance of an enemy army like the Tsunamic waves of the sea that swallow up cities and strongholds (mountains) along the way. Peter Craigie, in his commentary, explains how the Lord both aspects of nature and nations fit, and yet there is also an eschatological element to be considered.

In the psalm, the natural implication of this creation theology is drawn out and expressed in a statement of confidence. Because God controls both history and nature, the chaotic threat which both may offer to human existence may be faced fearlessly. The very worst manifestation of chaos is merely a threat, for the Creator has mastered chaos. And yet, as Gunkel rightly observed, there is an eschatological element in the psalm, though it is implicit rather than explicit. The order of creation has been established, and yet the reality of human existence is that there continue to be manifestations of chaos. Faith in God's protection, expressed so profoundly in this psalm, is both present and proleptic, reaching forward to the time of God's ultimate conquest of chaos and establishment of peace.[1]

In verse 6a, we see the connections as “the nations raged” much as the waters “roar and foam” (v.3a) and the kingdoms tottered much as the mountains had been “moved into the heart of the sea” (v.2b). In light of these parallel images, it is likely that the context for this psalm was God’s deliverance of Judah from the Assyrian army at the time of Hezekiah and Isaiah (à2 Kings 18-19; Isaiah 36-37 for the narrative). Such was a time when Jerusalem certainly would have fallen if not for the intervention of the Lord on their behalf. The Assyrians had amassed an impressive undefeated record as they marched toward Jerusalem like a slow-motion tsunami.

Are We Fearful or Glad?

Like with the citizens of Jerusalem, our fears cry out for us to worry and hide. Yet our pride cries out that we can handle it on our own. We fight and grab and protect our own little slices of the world. Yet, in doing so we eventually become discouraged and are tempted to despair if we don’t put our faith in the Lord God.

Photo: Greg K. Dueker 2021

But what about “the river whose streams make glad the city of God” (v.4)? How does that verse fit this proposed historical setting? If this happened at the time of Hezekiah, John Philipps suggests that this river refers to the tunnel the king had built to bring the waters from the spring of Gihon (originally outside the city walls) into the city, thus giving it the ability to hold out against the Assyrian siege.

Knowing that sooner or later the Assyrian army would besiege Jerusalem, Hezekiah had taken wise and practical steps to ensure that Jerusalem had an unfailing water supply, no matter how long the siege. The spring of Gihon, located below the steep eastern hill of Ophel in the deep Kidron Valley, Jerusalem's most ancient water supply, was exposed to enemy attack. Hezekiah diverted the spring through a conduit, 1777 feet long and hewn out of solid rock, into a reservoir inside the city's walls. He then completely covered the ancient spring so that the enemy would not know it was there. Throughout the fearful siege, there was "a river, the streams whereof made glad the city of God." The psalmist tells us of this river, how impassive was its flow (46:4), and how impotent was its foe (45:5-7). 

        For all his great strength and cunning, the enemy knew nothing of this unfailing source of inner refreshment without which the city could not have lasted more than a month or two. Without that hidden river Jerusalem would have fallen, not from the strength of the foe without, but from weakness and failure within. Instead, the city had a secret river that kept it strong. [2]

Hezekiah's Tunnel with a constant flow of water
Davidbena, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

This tunnel was and is quite a feat of engineering! It is very smooth inside. The two ends of this aqueduct have been excavated and visitors to Jerusalem can walk through the ankle-deep water from the spring to its other end near what was once the Pool of Siloam. I have walked through this tunnel and appreciated how refreshing it was on a hot summer day! I can imagine it was quite calming for the city to have such a hidden source of water when facing attacks from outside. Certainly, as Christians, we have access to a spiritual source of life that cannot be taken from us!

As this psalm makes clear, God is our fortress whether we are facing geologic turmoil, political strife, or both. God is still God, and his plans and purposes will be established. Everything else that we think to be solid and safe isn't. Earthquakes and invasions both have a way of shifting our stance and our perceptions regarding what is solid.

Also, if this historical setting is correct, then the “works” and “desolations” that the Lord has brought would refer to the overnight destruction of the Assyrian army (2 Sam 19:35; Isa. 37:36).

And that night the angel of the Lord went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. And when people arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies.

A biblical faith, such as that encouraged here, acknowledges our trust in God's character and power despite the overwhelming problems we face, then it quiets our hearts and directs our gaze, expectantly, to watch God work! And it is much better for us if his name is exalted... that means that we would honor and value and lift up his character as the greatest good. If we who claim to follow him did that consistently, just think how different the world would be!

Quite A Ride

Photo by Jacob Kiesow on Unsplash

There are several different emotional / tempo shifts in this psalm...from the frantic description of natural disasters (v.2-3) to the calm and serene river of God (v.4), and then back to nations raging and desolations being wrought, ironic though they are (v. 6-9). Then back again to v. 10-11. Where are the peace and calm? They are in God...no matter what else is going on outside! In the end, the gladsome river is a symbol of the presence of the Lord himself in the midst of his people.

I am so glad, in light of the string of recent events in 2020-21 that we can hope in something more stable than the earth itself, someone more steadfast than a political party, and some place where no attack against us can prosper! Even today, we can "be still” and know that the Lord is God"! Yet have we made God our refuge and strength or are we still trying to fight our battles or pull off an epic escape by doing it ourselves?

The key to being still is trusting that there is no need for us to fear...for we are in God's hands. We are neither alone nor undefended. God doesn't promise a trouble-free life, but he is a "very present help in trouble”! And this world is not all that there is to the life that he shares with us.

With Us!

Did you notice that the promise of verse 1 is recast and twice repeated as a chorus (in verses 7 and 11) in this psalm? This chorus should ultimately inform our understanding of the psalm and the steadfast approach to life it describes. It reads, 

The Lord of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress. 

Patrick Henry Reardon in his work on the Psalms notices this refrain and comments as to its Christological significance.

“The twofold refrain says that God is “with us” in Hebrew ‘imannu. A close look at that word shows it to be most of the name of the Messiah, “Immanuel,” which literally means “with us God.” “God with us” is, of course, Christ our Lord, abiding in our midst all days, even to the end of the world.” [3]

As we head towards the Advent season, let us find our stability and our gladness in the presence of Immanuel, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is indeed God with us! He invites all who are thirsty to come and drink!

And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. (Rev. 21:6)

The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price. (Rev. 22:17)

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[1] Peter C. Craigie, Word Biblical Commentary: Psalms 1-50, (Word: Waco, TX) 1983, 346.

[2] John Phillips, Exploring the Psalms: Psalms 1-88 (Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers, 1988), 366.

[3] Patrick Henry Reardon, Christ in the Psalms, (Ben Lomond, CA: Conciliar Press), 2000. 90.

 

Psalm 31: “Into Your Hand”

It has been a long time, too long since I have written for this blog. My other blogs either for school (Compelled2) or for the church (Our Long View) have demanded all discretionary writing energy. Now I have the privilege, in this season, of doing some freelance writing on the life of David from 1 & 2 Samuel. This also affords me the opportunity to revisit the psalms and ponder the circumstances in David’s life that accompany their writing.

Psalm 31:1-5

¹ In you, O Lord, do I take refuge;
    let me never be put to shame;
    in your righteousness deliver me!
² Incline your ear to me;
    rescue me speedily!
  Be a rock of refuge for me,
        a strong fortress to save me!

³ For you are my rock and my fortress;
    and for your name's sake you lead me and guide me;
⁴ you take me out of the net they have hidden for me,
    for you are my refuge.
⁵ Into your hand I commit my spirit;
    you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.

Comments:

While for the sake of this post, I will only be addressing the first five verses, I would encourage the reader to read this entire psalm, hearing three different voices as you do so. 

• First, read it while listening to David speaking to God about of challenges and disappointments of his life’s journey. 
• Second, read it while listening to the voice of Christ in his Passion Week culminating on the cross. 
• Finally, hear the voices of the faithful martyrs mingling with our own as we seek to follow the example of trust set for us.

David’s Patient Voice

En Gedi, one place
where David hid from Saul

David’s life was full of situations where he might have written this psalm, yet it is not explicitly tied to any one of them. In a sense, it is a psalm for all seasons of need. John Phillips in his commentary, Exploring the Psalms, titles this psalm, “Life’s Ups and Downs.” That certainly covers David’s life. If we have read 1 Samuel 16-31 and 2 Samuel 15-20 then when we read Psalm 31 it is not hard to hear David voicing this prayer in a number of different contexts as he continually chose to surrender his fate into the hands of the Lord. This was especially true in terms of the timing and circumstances of David’s becoming king of Israel.

David did not ascend the throne by subtlety and strength but by surrender: “Into Thy hand I commit my spirit.” Because he was such a surrendered man, such a submissive man, God saw to it that he ascended the throne—and by power. But not by his own power!

...It was God’s power that preserved David during his fugitive years and God’s redeeming power that raised him to the throne.” (Phillips, Exploring the Psalms, Vol. 1, 234)

Jesus’ Passionate Voice

We know that Jesus quoted verse 5’s “Into your hand I commit my spirit” as he died on the cross (Luke 23:46). However, I am not sure that we take the time to consider the entire psalm in light of that fact. Patrick Henry Reardon in his book Christ in the Psalms wrote,

It is the prayer of “Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame” (Heb. 12:2), speaking to His Father in the context of His sufferings and death. This psalm is part of his prayer of faith…

In this psalm, we enter into the sentiments and thoughts of Jesus in His sufferings. We see the Passion “from the inside,” as it were. [p.59]

As Evangelicals, sometimes we view the atonement too transactionally and not incarnationally enough. Jesus’ entire life was part of the atonement mission of God, not just the last few hours. In his approximately 33 years on earth, he redeemed every stage of human life from infancy to adulthood. As we listen to this psalm through the voice of Christ, we will see how much he identified with and experienced our condition. One verse might require a note of further explanation. The last part of verse 10 says,

“my strength fails because of my iniquity,
    and my bones waste away.”

We know that Jesus was tempted in every way like we are yet was without sin (Heb. 4:15), so how could this verse represent the prayer of Jesus? The Bible says that Jesus not only died for our sins but that he became our sin on the cross (2 Cor. 5:21). Taken in that context this line makes perfect sense.

Our Voice (in Perspective)

If the Lord is to be our rock and our fortress, leading and guiding us, and rescuing us from the hidden traps of the enemy (v.3-5) then it is contingent upon our confession of need and calling on him for help. The first two verses introduce David’s prayer at a time when he was oppressed by others.

 In you, O Lord, do I take refuge;
    let me never be put to shame;
    in your righteousness deliver me!
Incline your ear to me;
    rescue me speedily!
Be a rock of refuge for me,
    a strong fortress to save me!

It is my belief that we will sooner or later “be put to shame” unless we cry out to the Lord in prayerful dependence as did David. But if we make it our practice to keep talking to the Lord, trusting our lives into his hand, and allowing him to lead and guide us through all the circumstances of our lives. We are not immune to the sorrows of life, but we need not be alone or without hope. While at the time of David, there was no certain understanding of a resurrection and eternal life; because of the work of Christ, we have a more complete understanding and a broader application of this passage.

The psalmist sought (v.18) and received deliverance from death and trusted in the coming of such deliverance; Jesus, on the other hand, gave expression to the same statement of trust as he died. He anticipated not deliverance from death, but trusted God even in dying and death (a trust that was later fulfilled in resurrection). It is in light of the use of the psalm in the worlds of Jesus that its transformation for contemporary faith becomes clear. The psalmist prayed for life, for deliverance from death, and that is the psalm’s fundamental and legitimate sense. But in the context of resurrection faith, the psalm may also be used as a prayer in death, expressing trust and commitment to the life lying beyond the grave. [Craigie, WBC Psalms 1-50, 263]

I am comforted to know that Jesus not only knows what it is like to face unjust attacks, lies, and rumors but walks with us (by the Holy Spirit’s presence) when we face the same. May our voices echo those of David and Jesus as we pour out our hearts to the Lord, and trust everything of this life and the next to the God who is there for us!

“Into your hand I commit my spirit;
    you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.”

Psalm 14:4-6 "Wise Up!"

Psalm 14:4-6

Have they no knowledge, all the evildoers
    who eat up my people as they eat bread
    and do not call upon the Lord?

There they are in great terror,
    for God is with the generation of the righteous.
You would shame the plans of the poor,
    but the Lord is his refuge.

Comments:

This psalm is part wisdom psalm and partly a lament. There is another almost identical psalm (53) that we will consider later (if I pick up the pace a little). I have always focused on the first two verses that set out the perspectives of the fool who, “says in his heart, ‘There is no God'” (v.1) and that of the Lord who, “looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God.” (v.2)

However, ...today I will ponder v.4-6. It is almost as if the psalmist is beside himself in consternation. I don’t mean the ironic “I could have had a V8!” head-slapping moment, but a deep cry of “Don’t-they-get-it” agony from the heart of his compassionate frustration. They not too metaphorically devour the psalmist’s/God’s people like bread instead of entering into a relationship with the Giver of the Bread from Heaven. They come together only in their corruption…a mocking of relational unity.

It should be noted that “the fool” is not unintelligent, but one who lives as though there was no God who has entered into a covenant relationship of love with the poor. In reading the late Peter Craigie’s rather technical commentary on Psalms I was surprised by this wonderfully affective insight,

“The fool is one whose life is lived without the direction or acknowledgment of God. Thus the precise opposite of fool and folly is not wise man and wisdom; the opposite of folly in the wisdom literature is lovingkindness [hesed]…That is to say, the fool is defined by the absence of lovingkindness…”[1]

There is an extended section that is present in some Greek manuscripts between v. 2 & 3 that is actually quoted in Romans 3:13-18

“Their throat is an open grave;
    they use their tongues to deceive.”
“The venom of asps is under their lips.”
   “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”
“Their feet are swift to shed blood;
    in their paths are ruin and misery,
and the way of peace they have not known.”
 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

Such verses only serve to emphasize the lack of hesed (lovingkindness) on the part of the fool. 

So often we tend to direct our thinking about wisdom along the "judging/discerning rightly" track. However, if Craigie is right, then perhaps wisdom is neither easily isolated from the heart’s response to the love of God, nor from the hand of mercy extended to one another!

In Psalm 14:5 we see that the fools’ plans fail to satisfy them, but instead, leave them in a state of terror even as they seek to terrorize others. Why is this? Because they don’t understand that though the righteous poor may be consumed, they are not cowed for the Lord is their refuge. The powerful fool cannot steal the hope of the Lord’s people…and it threatens the fool’s own corrupted worldview. It isn't wise to shame the poor…ever. Not just because God is their defender, but because wise people are full of lovingkindness!

One other comment about unity from this psalm…it makes it clear that we all have gone astray and become corrupt…which means we all need the same mercy of God.

We cannot say that such bad behavior and heart attitudes only apply to “those people” or the out-group de jour. I am reminded of that well-used parental proverb, “When you point the finger at someone else, you are pointing three back at yourself!” It is only because “salvation has come out of Zion” through the costly grace of Jesus Christ, that any of us stray dogs can claim to be the people of God. Paul makes no bones about this for after quoting from this psalm he stated,

For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. (Romans 3:22-25)

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[1] Peter C. Craigie, Word Biblical Commentary: Psalms 1-50 (Waco, TX: Word, 1983) 147.

Psalm 11 "Refuge or Fleeing?"

Psalm for Today = 11:1-4

"In the Lord I take refuge;

     how can you say to my soul,

"Flee like a bird to your mountain,

     for behold, the wicked bend the bow;

they have fitted their arrow to the string to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart;

     if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?"

    The Lord is in his holy temple;

     the Lord’s throne is in heaven

Comments:

This is a psalm of profound trust in the Lord. We need to see that our “refuge” is the place of our greatest trust, our ultimate hope for protection and deliverance from our enemies. In this case the refuge referred to is not a generally trustworthy place like Helm’s Deep (that could be overrun by a powerful enemy) but a faithful, loving, all-powerful, and ever-present person—the Lord himself!

I get the sense that the psalmist was shocked that someone thought that just because it was dangerous he should disengage and flee much the way the U.S. Secret Service agents spirit the American President and Vice President away in the face of imminent threats.

God’s people of both Testaments has been threatened and persecuted many times throughout history, but God has faithfully preserved a faithful remnant. It would seem that having the Lord as his refuge enables/empowers/emboldens the psalmist to stay in right where he was, doing what he had been doing—trusting the Lord.

But what about the fight over "the foundations?" It was not the psalmist that was concerned about the imminent collapse of “the foundations”, but the fearful. There have always been those that think that the best way to deal with the corruption that is in the world today is to retreat from the world and carve out some kind of insular community that would be safe from temptation, pollution, or attack. There are others who think that the best defense is a strong offense and tend to take the lead in any culture war that breaks out. They feel that if they don’t defend “the foundations” that surely they will be destroyed. But our foundation is none other than Christ himself (Psalm 118:22) and he doesn't need our protection. I don’t want to be like Uzzah and think that just because the ox-cart stumbles doesn't mean God is dependent upon us to catch the Ark (2 Samuel 6)!

The psalmist was neither of these extremes.

He felt no need to flee to his “mountain” for he was already actively trusting/taking refuge in the Lord right there where he was...in the midst of the community, doing what was right in the face of opposition. Neither did he feel the anxiety to protect the foundations for ultimately the true foundation cannot be destroyed because God is in His temple ruling the universe! This surely makes it easier for us to love those who are not like us.

I am siding with David and actively taking refuge in the Lord...right where I am. Will you join me?

Psalm 7 "The Fury of My Enemies"

Psalm 8:1-2, 6

O Lord my God, in you do I take refuge;
    save me from all my pursuers and deliver me,
lest like a lion they tear my soul apart,
    rending it in pieces, with none to deliver…

Arise, O Lord, in your anger;
    lift yourself up against the fury of my enemies;
    awake for me; you have appointed a judgment.

Comments:

This psalm is considered either an Individual Lament or a Song of Trust while containing both imprecation and lament. Trust psalms (there are 10) center their attention on the fact that God may be trusted even in despair. They help us express our trust in God whether we are doing well or not. They help us express a trust that transcends our circumstances. Here David is suffering at the hands of a certain Benjaminite named Cush. We don’t know anything else about him but assume that he was a follower of Saul in his persecution of David. He certainly was accusing David of something that he had not done…something that would have been not only a threat to David’s reputation and livelihood, but also to his very life.

There are three simple observations I would like to from these verses—refuge, judgment, and the fury of my enemies.

Refuge

Refuge (Heb. chacah; pronounced “khaw-saw”) is a common idea in the Psalms where it is used at least 24 times for the act of seeking shelter, placing one's trust for protection, and deliverance. The question for us, as well as for the psalmist, is not do we seek refuge, but where do we seek it. Where do we seek refuge from those who pursue us with malice and seek to prey upon us like a lion? Where can we hide? Who can we trust to have our back—really? Part of knowing where to take refuge depends on who it is that is seeking to harm us. Maybe we don’t recognize the roaring lion that is behind the low-grade harassment we face at school, work, or even at home. We need a refuge that is up to the challenge—“O Lord my God, in you do I take refuge.” He is not our last resort. He should be our first response for he is our only hope! 

Judgment

Occasionally the psalmist will ask for God to judge the wicked, the violent, and the ones who unjustly and deceitfully seek his demise. This psalm is no exception. However what stands out to me is that before he asks God’s judgment on others, he invites that same judgment upon himself in verses 3-5. David is not saying he is sinless, only that he has not done that which he is accused of. It is a good practice to examine our own hearts honestly before pointing at others. I need to judge my own heart first before judging others…and while I am at it, I need to trust it all to the Lord.

Fury

In verse 6 David asks the Lord to act, specifically to “Arise, O Lord, in your anger; lift yourself up against the fury of my enemies…” David has faced the fury of Cush. Fury (‘ebrah) is not just anger, but an outpouring, overflow, outburst of wrath and arrogance. I confess that in my twisted mind I pictured David asking the Lord to come against the Plymouth Fury of his enemies! After researching this idea, I found it more appropriate than I first thought, as perhaps one of the scariest cars ever was a haunted, driver-less, evil, 1958 Plymouth Fury in the horror movie, Christine.

No matter what failures of our past seem to relentlessly stalk us, we take refuge in the blood of Christ at the cross. The scent trail of our guilt ends there with our crucifixion with Christ (Galatians 2:20). Christ lives in us now, by faith, and his life is indestructible!

No matter how strong the attack against us, no matter how heinous the accusation, it is not a stretch for the Lord to be our refuge and our deliverer! He is faithful and true and for that, we lift up our heads and hands and give him thanks!

Psalm 142 — No One Cares For My Soul

Psalm for Today = 142:3-5

When my spirit faints within me,
    you know my way!
In the path where I walk
    they have hidden a trap for me.
Look to the right and see:
    there is none who takes notice of me;
no refuge remains to me;
    no one cares for my soul.

    you know my way!

In the path where I walk

    they have hidden a trap for me.

Comments:

This psalm prompts me to ask several questions...

·     To whom do we complain/cry out? (v. 1-3)

·      Who cares for our soul? (v. 4)

·      Why do we cry out? (v. 5-6)

·      What do we need? (v. 7a)

·      How will it end? (v. 7b)

The psalmist, David, from the cave of despair, cried out to the Lord in his hurt and recognized that though his earthly refuge had repeatedly failed, God himself was his refuge. A few years ago I was particularly struck by a phrase in this passage, “no one cares for my soul” and as I read the corresponding Gospel reading for that day (Matthew 14) I saw that Jesus had experienced the same thing and understood not only my feelings but cared for others who were in need even out of his place of pain which apart from his passion week was arguably his most challenging day in ministry.

In Matthew 14, Jesus learned of his cousin John the Baptist’s murder and withdrew to be alone and probably to grieve (v.13), but the crowds of inquisitive and hurting people got there first. Did Jesus send them away because he was hurting? No. (v.14) He provided “a refuge” and “a portion” to them. He was moved by compassion for them and healed all their sick. His own hurt and loss did not prevent him from giving himself to compassionate ministry. Yet, he did take time to allow the Father to minister to him (v. 23) for a good long time in prayer.

We all need to take personal refuge in God. How many people today have the same heart cry as David, “no refuge remains to me; no one cares for my soul”? Far too many! What can we do to communicate that there is genuine care available in Christ (who understands their feelings) and that the church is a better refuge than a desert cave, a more compassionate community for hurting people where they can be fed and healed? Ironically, when we stop focusing on our own significant issues in order to minister the love and comfort of Christ to others, especially out of the brokenness of our own hurt and weakness, we too are lifted out of the pit and set on solid ground.

[Covid-19 Update: Even now, in 2020, when we have been told to "Stay home, Save Lives" we might find this line from the psalm ringing even more true than in the press of a demanding schedule. "No one cares for my soul" may be true for those who feel isolated and out of sight. Remember that you are seen, you are known, and you are loved by the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and that is a refuge like no other. Reach out and encourage others in the name of Jesus today!]

Lord, when others fail me, and I know they will, may I find what is missing when I come to you. When no one cares for my soul, please remind me that you do! Help me to share that portion with others today as I trust in you. Yes, you know my path. You care for my soul. From this relationally safe place, let me care well for the souls of others. Thank you for not leaving me alone.

Let me add this thought, for those who minister to others, especially those who think that they have to stand alone...

Jesus didn’t send his disciples out to minister alone, so why do we? Pastors and Christian leaders need to know that they are not alone. It is too often a solitary calling as a result of our undo emphasis on individualism instead of a collective family of God approach. We also need to feel that we have been heard and understood, yet without being coddled. 

As pastors, we are not merely doing a job. Sometimes we wish ministry was just a job like painting a house or selling widgets, but we are actually waging war in the spiritual realm. Sometimes we can approach the ministry as a task to perform, a goal to reach, only in the natural sense…and as a result, we grow gradually drier and more brittle and our people suffer for it. Do we crave the refreshing water of the Spirit?

War takes its toll on relationships. So why do we think we can do it alone? I can't imagine a Christian leader who wouldn't resonate with the psalmist's lament in verse 4. We must become more intentional about taking refuge in the goodness of the Lord... together!