Month: June 2016

# 63 A journey through the Psalms. Truths to help us to “…live a life worthy of the calling [we] have received.” (Ephesians 4:1). # Ten: Psalm 7 Where to go when there are “False accusations, slander, lies!”

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“He’s the man! The Englishman!” It all happened very quickly and Ken found himself in a Pakistani jail falsely accused of being an accomplice to a man caught in the Karachi airport smuggling drugs. It seems that when the smuggler was caught the customs officials asked him who was his accomplice and he pointed to the most conspicuous person in the waiting crowd, the “Engrese”! (Urdu for English person). Ken, who had been there to pick up a fellow missionary who was due to arrive in Karachi from the north of Pakistan, found himself under a cloud of suspicion as a drug dealer.

False accusations, slander, lies! Not the sort of things any one of us wants to experience. And the problem is, even when proven innocent (which of course Ken was eventually), the pain of the experience lingers. And there are those who will always doubt the final decision, even if it is one of innocence and false accusation.

King David knew all about this and we hear his cries to God in Psalm 7 as follows (note the references to false accusations in bold font):

“ Lord my God, I take refuge in you;
save and deliver me from all who pursue me,
2 or they will tear me apart like a lion
and rip me to pieces with no one to rescue me.

3 Lord my God, if I have done this
and there is guilt on my hands—
4 if I have repaid my ally with evil
or without cause have robbed my foe—
5 then let my enemy pursue and overtake me;
let him trample my life to the ground
and make me sleep in the dust.

6 Arise, Lord, in your anger;
rise up against the rage of my enemies.
Awake, my God; decree justice.
7 Let the assembled peoples gather around you,
while you sit enthroned over them on high.
8     Let the Lord judge the peoples.
Vindicate me, Lord, according to my righteousness,
according to my integrity, O Most High.
9 Bring to an end the violence of the wicked
and make the righteous secure—
you, the righteous God
who probes minds and hearts.

10 My shield is God Most High,
who saves the upright in heart.
11 God is a righteous judge,
a God who displays his wrath every day.
12 If he does not relent,
he will sharpen his sword;
he will bend and string his bow.
13 He has prepared his deadly weapons;
he makes ready his flaming arrows.

14 Whoever is pregnant with evil
conceives trouble and gives birth to disillusionment.
15 Whoever digs a hole and scoops it out
falls into the pit they have made.
16 The trouble they cause recoils on them;
their violence comes down on their own heads.

17 I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness;
I will sing the praises of the name of the Lord Most High.”  (NIV)

What does a person do if he/she finds themselves in a distressing situation like this? And there must have been numerous people over the ages who could have identified with David. Maybe you are one of them. So, the question is, what did David do?

Well, obviously the first thing he does here is to pray. He cries out to God concerning the situation. He tells God everything, holding nothing back. He turns to the only One whom he knows really understands what this is all about. Understands like no one else.

But, why should David consider it to be a priority to pray before, for example, he gets himself a lawyer and seeks witnesses, etc. (all useful at times)? Let him explain:

Because he knows God! Firstly, as his “refuge” (v 1). He says, “O Lord my God, I turn aside to hide my soul in you. I trust you to save me…” (TPT). He then calls him “my Shield” (v 10),  or as the TPT says: “God, your wrap-around presence is my protection, and my defence. You bring victory to all who reach out to you” (v 10). David knows who to go to in order to be in safe hands! In other psalms, he calls God his “fortress” into which he runs for safety in an attack.

And what else is it about God’s character that is so very relevant to him and gives him confidence? David knows that He alone is “righteous”. He says:

“For you are the righteous God, the Soul-Searcher, who looks deep into every heart to examine the thoughts and motives…Righteousness is revealed every time you judge, Because of the strength of your forgiveness, your anger does not break out every day, even though you are a righteous judge” (v 9b, 11 TPT) David knows that the judgement delivered by God will always be right! And so he is able to conclude, “I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness;
I will sing the praises of the name of the Lord Most High.” (v 17 NIV)

Whatever our situation, whether it involves false accusations or any other evil thing, our first priority is always to pray. But in praying, recognize who we are praying to. Who our God is. What the defining characteristics of this God are that we are praying to, and why we can therefore be confident and trust him to “make everything right in the end” (v 17 TPT).

Tremper Longman concludes:

“With Jesus’ advent…[this prayer psalm take on a new significance]…The Christian too is engaged in a battle, but against ‘the rulers…authorities…the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm’ (Eph. 6:12). The Christian now prays Psalm 7 with this battle in mind, knowing that Jesus contends on their behalf” and will ultimately “return as a Warrior [note the language of Psalm 7:11-13] to render final judgement against all human and spiritual enemies (Rev. 19:11-21). “ (see references # 30)

Father, thank you that you are our “refuge”, our “shield”, and you are the only true “righteous judge”. In you we trust. Enable us, whatever the circumstances,  to remember to always run to you, “my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge…” (Psalm 144:2). Amen.

# 62 A journey through the Psalms. Truths to help us to “…live a life worthy of the calling [we] have received.” (Ephesians 4:1). # Nine: Psalm 6 “a time to be born and a time to die”.

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“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die…” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-2a)

Benjamin Franklin said that there were only two things certain in life: death and taxes. People sometimes joke about this, but for most people, when it actually comes to death, either their own or a loved one’s, it’s no joke.

And David in Psalm 6:3-5 is one of these people. Listen to his words:

“How long until you take away this pain in my body and in my soul?                                            Lord, I’m trembling in fear!

Turn back death from my door and deliver my life.                                                                              Because I know you love and desire to have me as your very own.

How can I be any good to you dead?   For those who are in the graveyards sing no songs.       In the darkness of death who remembers you?                                                                               How could I bring you praise if I’m buried in a tomb.”

Death is not a popular subject, but certainly a very relevant one!

Let me share with you a few insights on David’s words from a few commentators I have read.

Longman speaks of David appealing to God “on the basis of his unfailing love (Hebrew: hesed), which can also be understood as loyalty. This loyal love is based on the covenant, where God promises to be his people’s God and take care of them when they turn to him.” But he then makes an interesting statement: “The psalmist cajoles God to heal him now rather than let him die, on the grounds that a dead person can no longer praise God, this appealing to God’s self-interest.” He explains, “The psalmist’s argument makes sense based on the Old Testament saint’s limited understanding of the afterlife.” (see references #  30)

Now when I read these statements, they raised a number of questions in my mind. So, I turned to Broyles, who, speaking of the psalmist’s motivation says:

“Were Yahweh not to intervene [and rescue the psalmist from death], he would lose a worshiper and the speaker would lose God.”  (see references # 4)

Then to Kidner, who gives a bit more explanation concerning “the Old Testament saint’s limited understanding of the afterlife”, as Longman put it. He speaks of the OT Hebrew word used for death, and that is “sheol”, meaning the “underworld of the dead.” He says, the words used were “not definitive language, but poetic and evocative…[highlighting] the tragedy of death as that which silences a man’s worship…shatters his plans…cuts him off from God and man…and makes an end of him…These are cries from the heart, that life is all too short and death implacable and decisive…[although] they are not denials of God’s sovereignty beyond the grave…”

He continues: “For the most part, the Old Testament emphasis falls on death as the great leveler…[and] at rare moments the Psalms have glimpses of rescue from Sheol, in terms that suggest resurrection.” An example of this being Psalm 16:10 which was ultimately fulfilled in the resurrection of Christ as quoted by Peter in Acts 2:24-32. (see references # 29)

Wilcock is helpful and also gives new insights. He suggests that “This is the first psalm to provide a piece of …[the] jigsaw [concerning] the Old Testament picture of life after death.” He says that people understood that there certainly was such a thing – didn’t God called himself the “God of Abraham…Isaac…and Jacob” (Exodus 3:6) and as Jesus confirmed later, “He is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” (Mark 12:26-27). But “of what that life after death would mean, of what you would do in it, the Old Testament people had little idea.”

Wilcock continues: “David certainly believed that after this life he will still belong to God, and be aware of God…But what he [could not] imagine [was] how he will be able after death to express his awareness of God. How is anyone in that land of shadows able to commemorate, to celebrate, God’s great doings? ‘Who praises you from his grave?’ [asked David].”

Then an interesting insight. “For all his limited view, the psalmist has a lesson for us. What he least wanted to leave behind in this world…was the opportunity to serve and praise God. He had his priorities right.” (see references 5)

I wonder if that would be our priority if we had been born BC instead of AD?

Of course, praise God, we now have the New Testament and a more complete picture of life after death as a result of the incarnation, life, death and resurrection of Jesus. As 2 Timothy 1:10 says: “..it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Saviour, Christ Jesus…[who] has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.”

As Wilcock explains: “We [now] know that though this present life is full of good things, and is God’s perfect plan for us for the time being, the next life will be even better, indeed infinitely better.”

Jesus, speaking of life after death for us, his followers, said: ““Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” (John 14:1-3)

And as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15, that great chapter on resurrection (actually quoting from Hosea 13:14):  “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (verse 55).

What can we say, Father, other than thank you that Jesus was so willing to relinquish all, even to die on a cruel cross, in order that we might gain so much, not the least, life in your presence for evermore. Lord, you have “set eternity in…[our] hearts” (Eccles. 3:11) so teach us, in the light of such wonderful truths, to live lives full of faithful worship and service here on earth so that we may continue to do so in eternity.  Amen.

# 61 A journey through the Psalms. Truths to help us to “…live a life worthy of the calling [we] have received.” (Ephesians 4:1). # Eight: Psalm 6 “liquid prayers”.

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For about 4 years of my nursing career I had the privilege of being involved in palliative care, working in a Hospice. I say ‘privilege’, and it was, but of course, it was also very confronting and a very real challenge to care for people at the end stage of their lives (seeking to relieve their symptoms), and to somehow bring some measure of comfort to them and their loves ones. There were many times when Psalm 6 could have expressed how people felt. Many could have said, “I’m sick and frail. I’m fading away with weakness…I’m falling apart…I’m so exhausted and worn-out with my weeping. I endure weary, sleepless nights filled with moaning, soaking my pillow with my tears.” (6:2,6 TPT)

The beauty of the Psalms is that they are timeless. We are not told of the circumstances when David wrote this lament psalm (also considered to be the first of the seven penitential psalms), only that he was obviously seriously unwell, even to the point where he considered he may even die. An experience many people through the ages could identify with. Even Jesus!

Wilcock suggests that this psalm is the “most emotional so far”, but at the same time is a “work of art, in the sense that effort (work) and skill (art) were put into the making of it.” He is talking about the psalmist’s use of the tools of Hebrew poetry of the day. Such things as parallelism (verse 1), repetition (verses 2-3), etc. (see references # 5)

Today though, I just want us to consider the words of verses 6 and 8. “I am worn out with groaning, all night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears…[but] the Lord has heard [the voice of] of [my] weeping.”

In literature the words above in bold font are known as a  hyperbole, i.e. an extreme exaggeration used to make a point.

And I think we get the point! The psalmist’s life is in turmoil and he is greatly distressed. In fact, so distressed he has been weeping constantly before God.

What interests me though is the mention and therefore the place of tears in our relationship with God and particularly in our prayers.

C.H. Spurgeon commenting on Psalm 6:6,8 says:

“Is there a voice in weeping? Does weeping speak? In what language does it utter its meaning? Why, in that universal tongue which is known and understood in all the earth, and even in heaven itself…Weeping is the eloquence of sorrow. It is an unstammering orator, needing no interpreter, but understood [by] all. Is it not sweet to believe that our tears are understood even when words fail? Let us learn to think of tears as liquid prayers…[received by God’s] heart of mercy.” (see references # 28)

In the Passion Translation, Psalm 28:9 says, “Lord you know all my desires and deepest longings, my tears are liquid words and you can read them.”

And there are many others:

“You’ve kept track of…my weeping. You’ve stored my many tears in your bottle, not one will be lost. You care about me every time I’ve cried. For it is all recorded in your book of remembrance.” (Psalm 56:8 TPT)

“My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me all day long, ‘Where is your God?’” (Psalm 42:3 NIV)

So, I suggest that as we pray and there is pain associated with our prayers (for ourselves and/or for others) then allow our tears to flow and speak for us to our merciful and gracious Father. And the promise of Psalm 126 is that “Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy.” (Psalm 126:5 NIV)

And if it was good enough for Jesus (Hebrews 5:7) and Paul (Acts 20:19), then it is good enough for us!

I certainly have experienced a few times in my life when my tears have been “liquid words” read by God, and God has “heard the voice of my weeping” and answered. What about you?

Father, thank you that you see our tears and respond in your own way and in your own good time in the best way possible. But we also thank you that one day you, “The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces.” (Isaiah 25:8, Revelation 21:4) Hallelujah!