Psalm 48

 Psalm 48

As Christians, what are we to make of this Psalm and all the others that express such deep emotions and loyalty to Jerusalem and/or the temple?  Most of us have never been to Jerusalem, fewer have lived there, and none have seen the temple.  We must remember that the temple was a type or a tangible prophecy of what was to come.  Christ fulfilled the Law and the prophecies, and now, rather than a city or a temple on earth, there is the Church.  Not the local congregation but all the elect from every nation.  We are the temple on earth.

With that in mind, we see a marvel and beauty that surpasses mere architecture.  We see the unassailability of the Church, protected and indwelled by God.  We saw the safety and the power of God’s people with God living in them.  “But the church today is such a mess,” we might say.  That is only partially true.  The Church has been counterfeited, and the mess we see is the result of the counterfeit.

Read carefully and slowly, and as you read about the city or the temple, think of the holy universal church.  Then we can line our lives up to being part of the body of Christ. 

“Lord, thank you for the new temple, the Church, and for calling me to be a part. AMEN.”

Psalm 47

 Psalm 47

The invitation to worship is extended, not just to the Jews but to all people of the earth. In the very spiritual makeup of the Old Testament covenant and scriptures is the beautiful promise of God’s great plan to redeem all peoples.  In verses 1-2 we see the reference to all peoples and God’s rule over all the earth.  

This worship of God is itself an important theme and focus of this psalm.  Some scholars see in verse 5, “God has ascended…” an acted out the parable.  The original reference is to the Ark going up to the temple as a type or foreshadowing of the ascension of Jesus after the resurrection. Verse 7 calls for a ‘skillful Psalm’ or ‘song of wisdom,” a literal translation of the word ‘miskil.’ This means an instructive song. It is a tremendous benefit and blessing when we sing songs that teach us the great truths of our faith, rather than expressing our emotional condition.  Powerful emotions are a wonderful and appropriate response to the grandeur of our God, but our emotions ought not be the focus of our faith, worship, and practice.  

“Lord, help me to marvel at Your greatness and not at how I feel. AMEN.”

Psalm 46

 Psalm 46

Now is the time to panic, but don’t forget the popcorn.

I generally do not listen to the news.  In fact, I find most news broadcast boring and drudgery.   The main reason is that the message from every corner seems to have one underlying theme: Now is the time to panic.  It does not matter if the perspective was Christian or secular, conservative or liberal; the message at all points was it is time to panic. This panic has bled over into the Christian community.  How often do we hear that we are witnessing the end of Christian faith as we know it.  

At times and in some places bad things are bad..  But we must not allow ourselves to be  manipulated by and submit to the voices of doom that tell us only by doing what they say can we avoid ruin. Fear makes us very exploitable.  Their message to us is, “Everything is worse than we thought or you can imagine.  We must act now!  If we don’t, all is lost.” 

Psalm 46 is our antidote for this kind of thinking.  Waters were a symbol of people groups or nations.  In this Psalm we see political, national, or even international chaos.  But in the midst of this, God’s people are secure.  In verse four we see a river, which is symbolic; mountain top Jerusalem has no river.  This river may represent the foreign policy, army, or extension of a nation that was being used by God for the benefit of God’s people.  We need not forget that entire nations were raised up by God to accomplish His purposes. 

Verse 10 is often quoted for our comfort but is generally taken out of context. The nine preceding verses are about God’s sovereign authority over the political process in the world.  The following verse is about God’s providential and specific protection for His people.  It is unlikely that this verse jumps over to talk about having a daily quiet time.  This verse is primarily about God’s people relaxing when political chaos and its associated panic are present in every moment.  

The next time someone tells you that if you don’t act, give, or in other ways conform to their agenda, then all is lost.  Say to them, “Do I have time to get some popcorn to eat while I watch the end of the world?”

“Lord, in the midst of the madness of our world, help me to trust in You. AMEN.”

Psalm 45

 Psalm 45

Deep down inside we all love the ‘fairy tale’ with a happy ending.  The heroic, handsome prince marries the beautiful maiden, and they live happily ever after. That story is found in every culture and in every heart, and that story is given to us in this Psalm.  This love poem was perhaps written for the occasion of Solomon’s marriage and serves as a reminder of the high and holy place of the marriage union.  We do not, indeed we cannot, value a godly marriage too highly.  The brave man who is ready to take on the monster of this world for the well-being of the woman he loves is a noble and holy theme.  The gracious young lady filled with grace, dignity, and beauty, who is the perfect partner, gives up her life to be with the one who fills her heart.  Those who would degrade marriage work out of bitterness or even hatred for God.  Anything that devalues God’s design dishonors Him and robs us.  

Some have seen this poem as a line-for-line prophecy of Christ and His Church.  That is not necessary.  In every aspect of holy marriage we worship God and can see Christ's love for the Church. A line between the sacred and the secular has no place and is not needed here.

“Lord, help me hold marriage in the honor that You have granted it. AMEN.”

Psalm 44

 Psalm 44

This Psalm is the book of Job in micro.  It is a story many believers experience and suffer.  It may have been composed during the exile.  The complaint is an old story that follows a familiar pattern.  First, in the distant past times were good (vv. 1-3). Second, in my lifetime things were great, and I lived in faith (vv. 4-8).  Third, recently everything is terrible (vv. 9-16). Forth, we are innocent of evil, so this suffering is unjust (v. 17-19).  Finally, the pleas of “Lord, do something to correct this injustice.

While a bit simplified, this is the story of Job and many heroes of the faith and of many faithful disciples today.  One of the difficulties of our walk is that we don’t get neat, tidy answers to questions that apparent unjust suffering produces.  Were the suffering saints actually guilty in some secret way?  Were the innocent suffering alongside the guilty?  Is there a basis for a charge of ‘injustice’ against God Himself?  

The answer may be found in Paul quoting this in Romans 8:36.  There Paul doesn’t explain suffering but boldly states that by faith in and union with Christ is our victory.  We can never answer the question “Why?”  But we can find the answers when we ask and answer the question “Who?”

“Lord, in the midst of suffering turn my heart toward You. AMEN.” 

Psalm 43

 Psalm 43

This Psalm is believed to have been written during the Babylonian captivity.  The people of God feel they have learned their lesson and are struggling with why God’s deliverance hasn’t yet occurred.  In verse 5 there is even a self-correction of doubt and despair into trust.  

In verses 3-4 there is an especially powerful application for our day.  In verse 3 the Psalmist asked for ‘light and truth.’  These will bring the people of God to God.  Then in verse 4 the Psalmist anticipates what we might call ‘worship and celebration.’  This order is important or even vital for believers to understand.  In much of our religious expression we focus on the emotional satisfaction of ‘praise and worship.’  Then we have ‘teaching time.’  In some cases this teaching time is shallow and only incidentally focused on Scripture.  But the pattern we see here is that truth and light bring us to God, and then joy and music flow out of that encounter.  

Perhaps the reason so many ‘revival movements’ and ‘church growth’ initiatives fizzle is because they are based on emotions, which cannot stand the test of time.  By all means we should have the joy of the Lord.  But that emotional high comes from truth and light.

“Lord, bless me with a mind that engages Your light and truth, and out of that, guide me to praise You. AMEN.”

Nothing ruins a good story like…

Nothing ruins a good story like…

Last weekend it was my great privilege to attend the retirement ceremony and celebration of a friend who served in uniform for 30 years. It is always wonderful to stand in the company of the great ones. One of the speakers offered a funny quip that was little more than a throwaway joke. It was an excellent speech, but this one line stood out to me more than anything else.

The retiree had served in most of the hotspots involving the US Army for the last 30 years; he had seen and done some pretty amazing things. Being a humble man, he would not have wanted the speaker to regale the audience with stories of his exploits, of which there were plenty. But the one line that got the most laughs and sticks with me was this one: “Nothing ruins a good war story quicker than an eyewitness.” Thank you General Cole.

We can apply that to our athletic exploits that won the game, the witty comeback that silenced a critic, the brilliant decision that saved the business, or the thoughtful behavior that mended a broken heart. Those stories can be wrecked by an eyewitness. This seems to be especially true at family gatherings. While out of courtesy we may not say anything, privately we are apt to reflect, “I was there; it didn’t happen that way."

Nothing ruins a good story quicker than an eyewitness, which makes Paul’s assertions so dynamic. In I Corinthians 15:6 Paul tells us there were over 500 eyewitnesses to the resurrected Christ. The reports of “His body was stolen or misplaced," “He didn’t actually die but only fainted," and “People had a hallucination thinking they saw Jesus alive" are all good stories to deny the resurrection but are completely ruined by the eyewitnesses. One eyewitness is usually enough to get a conviction in court. Two eyewitnesses provide a slam-dunk kind of case. When we talk about 500 eyewitnesses who were together to see the same event, we are left with no room for doubt.

The appeal to eyewitness testimony was unique, even bizarre, in first-century religious circles. Mystic experiences, philosophical arguments, rituals, or deep-seated feelings were the norm. But eyewitness testimony was unheard of. As we enter into the season of preparation for Easter, we need to reflect on the fact that we are not following carefully constructed fables or myths. We are building our hopes and eternity on the rock-solid fact that Jesus was dead and now is alive with a life He shares with us.

He is Risen, He is Risen indeed.