Tawa Baptist

Not Afraid

Scripture: Psalm 129

 

Title: Not Afraid

 

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Remembering the past
  • Not afraid
  • Conclusion

 

Introduction:

Years ago I saw a real estate ad in the paper for a house I used to live in as a kid – they were having an open home to sell the house

–         I decided to go and check it out – not to buy it but just to take a trip down memory lane – I had a lot of happy times in that home

 

The house was built in the early 70’s and was pretty much the same as I remembered it only it seemed a lot smaller on the inside

 

I’m not sure why I went back to look at that house

–         Maybe I needed to remember where I had come from in order to figure out where I was going

 

This morning we continue our series on the Songs of Ascents

–         These songs were probably sung by Jewish pilgrims as they made their way to the temple in Jerusalem – they are songs about coming home

–         In particular, coming home to God

–         When we come home we are reminded of the past

–         And the past inevitably leads us to think about the future

 

Our focus today is psalm 129

–         In this song the psalmist remembers Israel’s past and finds courage to face the future. From the New Revised Standard Version, we read…

 

1 “Often have they attacked me from my youth”     —let Israel now say— 2 “often have they attacked me from my youth,     yet they have not prevailed against me. 3 The plowers plowed on my back;     they made their furrows long.”

4 The Lord is righteous;     he has cut the cords of the wicked.

5 May all who hate Zion     be put to shame and turned backward. 6 Let them be like the grass on the housetops     that withers before it grows up, 7 with which reapers do not fill their hands     or binders of sheaves their arms, 8 while those who pass by do not say,     “The blessing of the Lord be upon you!     We bless you in the name of the Lord!”

 

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this song for us

 

Remembering the past:

When someone mentions the 5th November most people in our part of the world probably think of Guy Fawkes Day

–         Guy Fawkes Day remembers The “Gunpowder Plot” of 1605 when Guy Fawkes attempted to blow up the English Parliament

–         Fortunately for the members of Parliament and King James I, Guy Fawkes failed in his attempt and that’s why the English celebrate the 5th of November with fireworks – it’s a way of saying: ‘We are not afraid’

 

Sadly, as we’ve seen in the news this past week, attacks on the British parliament are still happening today

 

If you are familiar with New Zealand history then the 5th November may evoke different memories for you: ‘Remember Parihaka’

 

Parihaka is a Maori settlement in the Taranaki region

–         It is known as a peaceful community

–         In the latter part of the 19th Century the Maori of Parihaka identified strongly with the story of Israel and the Promised Land

–         When Maori land was confiscated by the government the leaders of Parihaka preached peaceful protest

–         Which meant they went and ploughed up the land that had been taken from them as a statement that it belonged to them

 

The growing level of Māori support for Parihaka was a concern to the establishment and so, on the 5th November 1881, the government sent troops to break up the community.

–         The people of Parihaka offered no resistance to the attack

–         They even welcomed the soldiers by sending children out with food

–         I suppose it was their way of saying: ‘We are not afraid’

 

Despite the friendly welcome, about 1,600 men, women & children were expelled and their homes destroyed

–         The remaining 600 residents were issued with government passes to control their movements

–         Their leaders, Te Whiti and Tohu, were arrested and spent months in prison awaiting trial before eventually being released

–         Much of central Taranaki then became European farmland

 

In 1889 some rebuilding took place at Parihaka and the community continued as a centre of non-violent resistance

 

Several Taranaki tribes were affected by the Parihaka incident

–         Between 2001 and 2006, the New Zealand government provided a formal apology to four of those tribes

–         Tens of millions of dollars were provided as compensation to the tribes in recognition of their losses at Parihaka and the land confiscations. [1]

 

Since 2006 there has been an annual peace festival held at Parihaka

–         A way of remembering the past and facing the future

 

Psalm 129 begins with the psalmist calling Israel to remember its past

 

Often have they attacked me from my youth,

yet they have not prevailed against me.  

The plowers plowed on my back; they made their furrows long.

 

Israel’s ‘youth’ refers to their time in slavery in Egypt, when they were oppressed and abused

–         Although the people of Israel have suffered much throughout their long history, they have survived

 

That’s interesting isn’t it. Many nations look back at what they have achieved

–         But Israel reflects on what they have survived [2]

 

Throughout the past 2000 years the Christian church has had a similar experience to Israel – surviving attack and abuse

–         In his letter to the Corinthians the apostle Paul put it like this…

–         We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; [3]

 

Later in history the 16th Century French reformer, Theodore Beza said to King Henry of Navarre:

–         ‘Sire, it is the lot of the Church of God to endure blows and not inflict them. But may it please you to remember that the Church is an anvil that has worn out many hammers’  [4]

 

Likewise, the sentiment of psalm 129 seems to be that Israel is an anvil that has worn out many hammers

 

The equally brutal metaphor, used in verse 3, is that of Israel’s enemies plowing on her back: Their furrows (or the scars) they leave are long

–         Perhaps meaning, these wounds we have suffered are not easily forgotten

 

When I was a baby (just a few weeks old) I had to have surgery on my stomach

–         It left a tiny scar – maybe a centimeter long

–         But as I grew the scar grew with me

–         Now the scar is the better part of 10 centimeters long

–         (I won’t show you. Some things are better left to the imagination)

 

The point is, when we are young we tend to bounce back relatively quickly from the trauma or losses we suffer (generally speaking)

–         But those losses (those wounds) have a way of catching up with us as we get older – they leave a long mark on us

–         Scars are good though – scars help us to remember our past

 

In thinking of someone whose back is cut open we are reminded of Jesus who was scourged before his crucifixion

–         “The history of Israel is one single passion narrative” [5]

–         Jesus represents both Israel and the Christian church

–         Just as Israel and the church have suffered, so Jesus suffers

–         But by his stripes we are healed [6]

 

You may wonder, why all this looking back to the hurts of the past?

–         What good does it do?

–         Well, yes it can be difficult to remember the past

–         But it is generally worse for us if we forget

–         When we forget we risk repeating the mistakes of the past

–         What we notice about Israel (here in this psalm) is that they don’t just remember their affliction – they also remember God’s deliverance

 

 4 The Lord is righteous;     he has cut the cords of the wicked.

 

God has set us free from tyranny and oppression in other words

 

The thing that saves Israel (and us) from self-pity and despair is the memory of the Lord’s intervention on our behalf

–         Our suffering needs to be acknowledged honestly

–         But focusing only on the hurts is not helpful – it leads to a victim mentality and robs us of the present

–         To get the benefit of reflecting on the past we must also remember the grace of God

–         When we are able to locate God’s hand for good in our lives then we begin to think like a survivor – and we find courage to face the future

 

Not afraid:

Once there was a boy – just your average 10 year old kiwi kid with big dreams and feet too small to fill the shoes of those dreams

 

He lived in a typical three bedroom weather board house with a corrugated iron roof

–         He loved the sound of the rain on that roof

–         Other roofs didn’t have the same tone

–         The rain on the roof comforted him

 

Being the only boy in the family he got his own room – it was small but he didn’t mind, his two sisters had to share a room

–         The boy’s dad worked in an office doing something or other

–         And his mum stayed at home – his father didn’t like her working

 

The boy’s mum was lovely – she made the best chocolate chip cookies you’ve ever tasted

–         She had wanted to become a teacher but his dad put a stop to that

–         Although they didn’t go to church that didn’t prevent his father misquoting the Bible when it suited him – a wife needed to obey her husband

 

As a family unit they kept to themselves most of the time – his parents didn’t really talk to their neighbours, they lived a long way away from extended family and his dad didn’t let him have friends over to play

 

One day one of his mates invited him to a game at the stadium – the Hurricanes were playing the Chiefs

–         The boy really wanted to go but he knew his dad would say ‘no’ so he asked his mum instead – begging her, ‘please mum please’

–         She let him go

–         It was a good game – the Hurricanes won – but it was close

 

The boy was happy when his friend’s parents dropped him off at the gate

–         But as he walked up the path to his house he heard yelling and crashing

–         He unlocked the front door and went inside slowly

–         When he came into the kitchen he noticed one of the cupboard doors was hanging by one hinge

–         His mother was slumped on the floor holding her hands over her head while his dad brought a cooking pot down on her back

–         Her blood contrasted sharply on the cream coloured lino

–         She looked up at the boy and gently told him to go to his room

–         But the boy was in shock – he couldn’t move, paralysed by fear

 

As his father walked out of the kitchen he said to his son, ‘See what you’ve done’

–         Apparently his dad was angry because his mum had let him go to the rugby

 

The next day his dad was sorry and promised it would never happen again – but it did happen again & again and probably would have kept on happening except for a small miracle – his father left and never came back

–         Life improved after that, even if his mother did live in fear of a sudden unexpected return

 

For years though the boy was angry

–         Angry at his father for abusing his mum

–         Angry at his mother for not telling anyone what was going on

–         Angry at God for letting this happen in the first place

–         But most of all angry at himself for going to that stupid match

 

For a long time he couldn’t see anything good in what he and his mother and sisters had lived through

–         Eventually though he made peace with his past

–         With time & experience he came to see some redemption in his suffering

–         Yes, the scars were long – he still couldn’t bring himself to go to a game at the Stadium

–         But in a strange way his father’s evil had strengthened his resolve to treat his own family with respect and tenderness

–         It had immunised him against violence

–         Not that he was the perfect husband and father – he probably let his kids get away with too much – but at least it was an improvement on his own childhood

 

The boy, now grown to be a man, made his peace with God too

–         As he remembered the good things in his past (and not just the bad things) he came to realise that God had been there the whole time, helping his family in quiet but significant ways

–         He was thankful to be a survivor and he was not afraid anymore

 

Following the terror attack in England a few days ago someone created this logo: ‘We are not afraid’

–         Others have been posting selfies with a similar message – ‘not afraid’

 

These are peaceful protests – words of courage and defiance

–         There seems to be a growing feeling of indignation in the West at these desperate and unfair acts of violence

–         Indignation (or anger) at injustice is not a bad thing – it is usually better than indifference or apathy

–         Indignation strengthens our resolve against evil

 

Having remembered Israel’s past and God’s role in that past, the psalmist now expresses his defiance and indignation at the wicked

–         In a way the wicked actually immunize the psalmist against evil, galvanizing his loyalty to God

–         Verses 5-8 of psalm 129 are another way of saying: ‘We are not afraid’

 

5 May all who hate Zion     be put to shame and turned backward.

 

‘Zion’ is the hill on which the temple in Jerusalem was built

–         Basically “Zion is the Lord’s chosen residence, the place that represents the Lord’s reign in the world.”  [7]

–         Therefore those who hate Zion are those who are opposed to God’s reign – they don’t want to see God’s will done

–         They are those who do not love their neighbour and do not practice justice & mercy. The psalmist continues (from verse 6)…

6 Let them be like the grass on the housetops     that withers before it grows up, 7 with which reapers do not fill their hands     or binders of sheaves their arms, 8 while those who pass by do not say,     “The blessing of the Lord be upon you!     We bless you in the name of the Lord!”

 

This is an agricultural image

–         In ancient Israel the roofs of houses were flat and a thin layer of dirt would gather on top of the roof

–         When windblown seeds settled in the dust on the roof they sprouted but didn’t come to much as the soil wasn’t deep enough

–         You sometimes see a similar thing these days with grass growing out of roof spouting

 

A tradition in ancient Israel was for people to say words of blessing to the workers who had gathered in a harvest

–         The harvesters would then reply with a blessing

–         We read about this is the book of Ruth when Boaz says to the reapers,

–         “The Lord be with you.”

–         And the reapers respond by saying, “The Lord bless you” [8]

 

The wish of the psalmist is that those who are opposed to God’s reign be like grass on the roof tops that withers and comes to nothing

–         That their efforts be fruitless in other words

–         And that instead of receiving a blessing they are ignored

 

This may seem to us to be a little uncharitable or unkind but it’s not – the psalmist is simply being honest

–         He is angry with those who oppose God

–         He is angry with those who commit injustice

–         His indignation is actually better than indifference

–         His anger at wrong doing is actually better than apathy

 

The fact that the psalmist is able to speak out against the wicked like this (even though he has suffered at the hands of the wicked in the past) shows that he is not afraid – he is facing the future with courage

 

Now some people might be thinking…

–         ‘What about Jesus and forgiveness, how does that fit with this?’

–         Well, psalm 129 isn’t about forgiveness (we’ll get to forgiveness next week when we look at psalm 130)

–         Psalm 129 is about judgment and it is consistent with Jesus

 

We don’t always like to think about God’s judgment, or his anger at injustice, but actually we need to think about it

–         If we don’t have a good theology of judgment then we will end up thinking God is not righteous (that he lets bad people get away with bad things) and, if you go down that track, it will undo your faith

 

Jesus was a wonderful exponent of God’s mercy and forgiveness – but he was also a spokesman for God’s righteous judgment as well

–         A big part of his message was ‘repent, because judgement is coming’

–         During the week before Jesus’ crucifixion, around the same time that Jesus got angry with the merchants in the temple, overturning their tables to make room for prayer, we find this little story, from Matthew 21:18

 

On his way back to the city early next morning, Jesus was hungry. He saw a fig-tree by the side of the road and went to it, but found nothing on it except leaves. So he said to the tree, “You will never again bear fruit!” At once the fig-tree dried up.

 

Jesus isn’t angry because he missed out breakfast that morning

–         This is an acted out parable of judgment

–         Jesus’ words here echo verses 5-8 of psalm 129

 

The fig-tree symbolizes the empty, fruitless religion of Jesus’ day

–         Yes, the temple & tradition and the pomp & ceremony all look good from a distance (like a leafy green tree)

–         But there is no substance to it – no real fruit

–         Instead of the fruit of righteousness Jesus had found thieves ripping people off in the temple

–         And instead of true faith Jesus had found a narrow, legalistic religion that refused to listen to his message [9]

 

God is hungry for true religion (true faith/ true worship) but his people haven’t produced it

–         Ironically the leaders in charge of the temple worship in Jerusalem had unwittingly become like those who hate Zion

–         By rejecting Jesus they were rejecting God’s reign – they were rejecting God’s kingdom

–         And so when Jesus says the fig-tree will never bear fruit again it’s like he is comparing the religious leaders to the wicked of psalm 129 – their efforts will be fruitless and they will remain unblessed

 

Rather sobering-ly, Jesus’ prophecy of judgment came true in AD70 when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and its temple

 

Conclusion:

Psalm 129 is about not being afraid

–         The psalmist finds courage to face the future by remembering Israel’s past – not just the painful bits but also the God bits

–         Remembering where he has come from and the God of grace who has made him a survivor, galvanizes the psalmist’s loyalty to the Lord

–         He is not indifferent to injustice but voices his indignation (his anger) at wrong doing

 

During this season of Lent we remember Jesus’ journey to the cross

–         Jesus was not afraid nor was he indifferent

–         Jesus faced injustice with truth and he faced his own crucifixion with courage becoming the anvil upon which the hammer of death was broken

 

Let us pray…

 

 

 

 

Out takes:

 

Israel’s freedom (and the church’s freedom too) is grounded in who God is – in his righteous character

–         Israel’s survival (and the church’s survival) does not depend on the whim of our enemies

–         Nor does it depend on our skill or popularity or strength

–         Our corporate survival depends on God’s character

 

When we pray the Lord’s Prayer, “…Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven…”, we are praying for God’s reign on earth

–         To pray for God’s reign implies being against those who are opposed to God’s reign

–         If we are for God’s will being done then it naturally follows that we also wish the wicked to be fruitless and ignored

 

 

https://soundcloud.com/tawabaptist/26-march-2017-not-afraid

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parihaka

[2] Derek Kidner, Psalms 73-150, page 480.

[3] 2nd Corinthians 4:8-9.

[4] Cited in Alec Motyer’s commentary on Psalms 73-150, page 237.

[5] Kraus, Psalms 60-150, page 462.

[6] Isaiah 53

[7] James Mays, Psalms, page 404.

[8] Ruth 2:4

[9] Michael Green, BST Matthew, page 222.

Tawa Baptist

Work and Family

Scripture: Psalm 127

 

Title: Work & Family

 

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Work
  • Family
  • Conclusion

 

Introduction:

This morning we are starting with a short (2 question) quiz

–         The first question is for those under 40 and the second question is for those over 40

 

On the wall here are the lyrics to a song

–         I hear her voice in the morning hour she calls me Radio reminds me of my home far away Driving down the road I get a feeling That I should have been home yesterday, yesterday

 

Since this is an easy question for those who are over 40 I thought we would ask those under 40 – what is the name of this song and who wrote it?  [Wait]

–         That’s right – ‘Country Roads’ by John Denver

–         ‘Country roads, take me home to the place where I belong…’

 

Ok – here’s the second question – this is for those who are over 40 (if you’re under 40 then it will offer little challenge)

–         I’m on my way Driving at ninety down those country lanes Singing to “Tiny Dancer” And I miss the way you make me feel, it’s real

 

What’s the name of this song and who wrote it?  [Wait]

–         That’s right – ‘Castle on the hill’ by Ed Sheeran

 

The song Country Roads was released in 1971

–         And Castle on the Hill was released in January this year

–         Despite being written roughly 46 years apart by two different artists from different countries, both songs share the same theme

–         They are about coming home

–         There is something in us as human beings (a drive or a pull or something) which draws us home when we’ve been away for a while

 

This morning we continue our series on the Songs of Ascents

–         These songs were probably sung by Jewish pilgrims as they made their way to the temple in Jerusalem – they are songs about coming home

–         In particular coming home to God

 

Last week we explored the meaning of psalm 125

–         Our focus today is psalm 127

–         We are missing out psalm 126 because we did that only 15 months ago and it feels too soon to repeat it

–         Anyway, psalm 127 is attributed to Solomon the philosopher king

–         From the New Revised Standard Version, we read…

 

1 Unless the Lord builds the house,     those who build it labour in vain. Unless the Lord guards the city,     the guard keeps watch in vain. 2 It is in vain that you rise up early     and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil;     for he gives sleep to his beloved.

 

3 Sons are indeed a heritage from the Lord,     the fruit of the womb a reward. 4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior     are the sons of one’s youth. 5 Happy is the man who has     his quiver full of them. He shall not be put to shame     when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.

 

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this song for us

 

Broadly speaking, psalm 127 deals with two of the biggies in this life:

–         Work and family

–         Verses 1-2 deal with work and verses 3-5 with family

–         Work & family are typically the two human endeavours that occupy most of our time & tend to be what most people look to for meaning in this life

–         Let’s start with work in verses 1 & 2

 

Work:

Thomas Merton, a Trappist monk (a Christian) was the one who came up with the now famous line…

 

“People may spend their whole lives climbing the ladder of success only to find, once they reach the top, that the ladder is leaning against the wrong wall.”

 

Thomas Merton (an American) was born in 1915 and entered the monastery in 1941, just days before Pearl Harbour was bombed

–         Although Merton was looking forward to a life of obscurity, silence and contemplation his first book, ‘The seven story mountain’ (published in 1948) was (ironically) a huge success

–         At a time when the pursuit of materialism was on the rise in Western culture, Merton’s message was:

–         There’s more to life than a house in the suburbs and a new car

 

In a nutshell this is what king Solomon was getting at in the opening verses of psalm 127, when he wrote…

 

1 Unless the Lord builds the house,     those who build it labour in vain. Unless the Lord guards the city,     the guard keeps watch in vain.

 

The house in view here could be a physical building or it could be a household, as in an extended family

–         The city reminds us of the wider community (or society) of which each house (or household) is a part

–         Perhaps Solomon (the author of this psalm) had in mind the house of the Lord or the temple in Jerusalem, which God used him to build

 

‘Building’ is about creating and ‘guarding’ is about conserving [1]

–         If the Lord isn’t involved in these endeavours then what’s the point?

–         Without God anything we do is like building a house of cards or setting up a row of dominoes or leaning our ladder against the wrong wall

–         Unless our projects are embedded in the purpose of God they are doomed to failure and frustration

 

At a deeper level verses 1 & 2 bring into focus the two attitudes we can have toward God: dependence or independence

 

To depend on God is to remain connected to him

–         To abide in him, rely on him and allow him to be the boss

–         Take our lead from him, allow him to govern our lives

 

To seek independence from God is to separate ourselves from the Lord

–         To try and survive apart from God, rely on ourselves and be our own boss, to govern ourselves (that’s independence)

 

When we choose independence from God we cut ourselves off from the source of life and meaning

 

To choose independence from God is like a fish choosing to be independent of water – the fish will surely die

–         To choose independence from God is like a doctor trying to practice medicine without science

–         Or a preacher trying to write a sermon without the Bible

–         Or a bank trying to trade without money

–         Or a glacier trying to survive apart from a mountain

–         Or a pen trying to write a book without the author

–         Or a branch trying to be fruitful while cut off from the tree

–         Just as a doctor depends on science and a preacher depends on the Bible and a bank depends on money and a glacier depends on the mountain and a pen depends on the writer, and a branch depends on the tree, so too human beings depend on God

–         God is the ground of our being

–         God gives our lives meaning and purpose

 

Building a house without the Lord is like the hammer saying to the carpenter…

–         “I don’t need you. I can build this house myself”

–         That’s ridiculous – the hammer can’t do anything by itself

–         The hammer can only fulfil its purpose in the hand of the carpenter

–         The hammer gets its meaning from the carpenter

 

Likewise, keeping watch over the city without the Lord is like the binoculars saying to the eyes of the watchman…

–         “I don’t need you. I can see very well myself”

–         A pair of binoculars can’t do anything by itself

–         It is the eyes of the watchman which fulfil the purpose of the binoculars

–         The binoculars get their meaning from the eyes, not the other way around

 

The classic Biblical story of humanity leaning the ladder against the wrong wall (or building without God) is the story of the Tower of Babel, in Genesis 11 [2]

–         This happens after Noah and the flood when the peoples of the world said, “Let’s build a city with a tower that reaches to the sky, so that we can make a name for ourselves”

–         When God came down to see the city and the tower that they were building, independently of him, he mixed up their language so they couldn’t understand each other

–         Then the building stopped and the people were scattered

–         The city was called Babylon

–         They did make a name for themselves but it wasn’t a name anyone would want to be known by

 

The story of the tower of Babel highlights the futility of working independently from God

 

Independence from God is the very definition of Sin (with a capital ‘S’)

–         It is Sin at its most fundamental level

–         Independence from God is what leads us to do bad things like, lying and stealing and adultery and murder and so on

 

Jesus came to save us from Sin and death

–         That doesn’t just mean that Jesus came to absolve our guilt, as important as that is

–         It means that Jesus came to restore a right relationship between us & God

–         He came so that we might learn to depend on God once more and fulfil our purpose in life

 

If we are the pen then Jesus puts us back into the hand of God (the author) so that our lives have meaning and purpose again

–         If we are the glacier then Jesus restores us to the mountain of God

–         Or if we are the doctor trying practice medicine without science then Jesus reminds us of the principles of God who invented chemistry

 

In verse 2 Solomon gets personal and addresses his audience directly saying…

 

2 It is in vain that you rise up early     and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil;     for he gives sleep to his beloved.

 

“The bread of anxious toil” is about hard labour driven by fear

–         Verse 2 speaks of burning the candle at both ends just to keep the wolf from the door

–         This is not a criticism of working – work is good and we need to work

–         This is a criticism of working independently from God

 

Solomon is addressing those who exclude God from the equation

–         Those who work anxiously like this may have bread to show for it – they may have full stomachs – but they don’t have rest

 

I’m not sure how well received his message would have been – especially given that Solomon lived a life of privilege and luxury

–         What would a king know about hunger – all he had to do to feed himself was raise taxes

–         Nevertheless there is a certain wisdom in Solomon’s words

–         Jesus (who did not live a life of privilege or luxury) preached about the futility of worry and anxious toil in Matthew 6 where he says…

 

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear…

27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?…

33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

 

Jesus is not saying you don’t need to work to support yourself – we still need to do our part

–         He is simply preaching dependence on God in contrast to the futility of depending on ourselves

 

Perhaps the application for us with our busy, pressured, tech heavy lives is…

–         ‘Don’t forget the Lord. Don’t work too hard. Get some work / life balance. Make sure you get the rest you need and enjoy your family’

 

Returning to psalm 127 – the big picture is work and family

–         Verses 1-2 deal with work and verses 3-5 with family

 

Family:

3 Sons are indeed a heritage from the Lord,     the fruit of the womb a reward. 4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior     are the sons of one’s youth.

 

In these 2 verses Solomon gives us three images of children

–         He says sons are a heritage

–         The fruit of the womb (or children generally) are a reward

–         And sons are like arrows

–         Heritage, reward and arrows – they are Solomon’s 3 images of children

 

We may have heard these verses so often that their meaning is lost on us

–         Actually Solomon’s 3 images of children turn our thinking upside down

 

A ‘heritage’ is something that has been handed down from the past

–         It might be a wise tradition or a piece of land or a family heirloom

–         Another word for heritage is inheritance [3]

–         Whatever form it might take ‘heritage’ is an asset which is gifted to us

–         It is something we don’t do anything to earn and yet it benefits us

 

Now we wouldn’t normally think of children as an inheritance – we wouldn’t think of them being handed down to us from the past

–         In fact we would be more inclined to think of children as the future with ourselves being a heritage to our children

–         We think of our kids as beneficiaries of the estate

–         Whereas Solomon is saying, ‘No, no. Children aren’t the beneficiaries of the estate – they are the estate’

–         Parents are the beneficiaries, God is the giver of the inheritance and children are the assets

–         That flips our thinking on its head

 

Please don’t misunderstand what I’m saying

–         It’s not that children are the property of parents

–         Children are not to be treated like chattels

–         Rather it is that children are a valuable gift from God

 

If your parents leave you a watch or a ring in their will then you treasure that inheritance – you value it, you take care of it because of who gave it to you

–         It’s similar with children

–         When a child is born the parents are inheriting a gift from God – a gift far more valuable than a watch or a ring

–         Therefore parents have a responsibility to take care of God’s precious gift to the best of their ability

 

Given our track record for child abuse in the modern world we would do well to think of children as an inheritance from God

 

The second image Solomon uses is that of ‘reward’

–         Children (boys and girls) are a reward

–         Not a reward in the sense of a prize for good behaviour

–         But a reward in the sense of a payment, like income [4]

 

Again this flips our idea of children on its head

–         We tend to think of children as expensive – they cost money right?

–         But Solomon is saying – No, no. Children are a payment from God, like wages or dividends, except you don’t do anything to earn them

 

In ancient Israel children were your superannuation scheme

–         Children were expected (when they grew up) to provide for their elderly parents – so there was a sense in which it was literally true to say children are a reward or a payment

 

But we need to be careful not to apply a mercenary attitude to this image of reward

–         The point isn’t so much that children can provide parents with an income stream when they are old

–         The point is rather that children give us something far more valuable than money

–         With the presence of children we often have joy and a sense of hope

–         Children soften us – they remind us what it is to be human

–         In fact Jesus pointed to children as an example of how we enter the kingdom of God because children teach us how to depend on God

 

The third image Solomon uses to is that of an ‘arrow’

–         Sons are like arrows in the hand of a warrior

 

We need to be careful not to press this image too far

–         Sons are not like arrows in every sense

–         Sons are not to be literally used as ammunition for killing your enemies

–         Rather, ‘arrows’ are a symbol of strength

–         A quiver full of arrows keeps your enemies honest without you needing to shoot a single one

–         People won’t try to cross you if they see you are well armed

 

The city gate was the place where people gathered to settle disputes

–         If a man turned up to settle a dispute accompanied by 4 or 5 strapping boys, the adversary would think twice about taking advantage

 

Arrows are also something that require certain skill to guide.

–        Parenting (guiding children) requires skill.

 

The point is, children are not a liability – they are an inheritance

–         Children are not an expense – they are a reward

–         And children are not a weakness – they are a strength

 

Earlier in the sermon I made reference to the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11, saying it illustrated the debacle of building without God

–         Later in that same chapter we read how God quietly and unobtrusively builds a house with the birth of Abram to Terah [5]

–         Abraham didn’t start out perfect but, by God’s grace, he certainly became an inheritance, a reward and a blessing to the whole world

 

Now, at this point, I need to address two groups of people:

 

Firstly, to those of you who are parents

–         Often it can feel like children are hard work

–         When you are pacing the floor with a grizzly baby at 2 in the morning

–         Or waiting up till after midnight for a teenager to come home

–         Then children don’t feel like a reward or a strength

 

I like the reality check that Derek Kidner brings to these verses when he says…

 

“It is not untypical of God’s gifts that first they [appear as] liabilities, or at least responsibilities, before they become obvious assets. The greater their promise the more likely that these sons will be a handful before they are a quiverful.”    [6]

 

The message seems to be…

–         Parenting is hard – but ‘hang in there’

–         Children are a work in progress

–         Stay positive, keep loving them and be present for them

–         Their worth will be proved in the end

 

The other group I need to address this morning are those who don’t (or can’t) have children

–         It’s possible these verses touch a raw nerve for you, or perhaps they don’t

–         Either way let me say, there is more than one way of being a parent

–         Parenthood isn’t just a biological thing – it can be a spiritual thing too

–         The apostle Paul, so far as we know, didn’t have physical children of his own but in a different sense he was a father to many – including Timothy

–         As a community of faith we all have a responsibility to care for the children among us

 

Conclusion:

Psalm 127 deals with two of the main occupations of humankind – work and family

–         Solomon reminds us that for work and family to have meaning (or to be fruitful) we need to depend on God

 

As I finish now let me ask the question:

–         What wall is your ladder leaning against?

 

Let us pray…

[1] Derek Kidner, Psalms 73-150, page 477.

[2] Credit to Derek Kidner for helping me see this connection, Psalms 73-150, page 477.

[3] Refer Josh Moody in his book, ‘Journey to Joy’, page 93.

[4] The Hebrew word used for ‘reward’ here “…is the same word that Jonah uses when he pays to hire a boat (Jonah 1:3)” – refer Josh Moody, ‘Journey to Joy’, page 93.

[5] Derek Kidner, Psalms 73-150, page 477.

[6] Derek Kidner, Psalms 73-150, page 478.

Tawa Baptist

Tawa Baptist Church Health & Safety Statement

Tawa Baptist Church upholds an effective Health & Safety management system as a moral, ethical and spiritual duty. We do this by being proactive in relation to the safety of our workers onsite and offsite, and the safety of visitors and the congregation whilst at our church. In addition we fulfil our commitment to comply with health and safety legislation and policy as far as is reasonably practicable.

We will continuously look for opportunities to improve our system and fulfil its requirements. We expect our staff and management to be committed, involved and supportive of our Health & Safety practices. As a church we will ensure there is fair and effective workplace representation, consultation, co-operation, and resolution of issues in relation to workplace health and safety.

To achieve the above vision, we expect all workers and visitors will:

o    Work for the common good, to take reasonably practicable steps to ensure that any significant risks or hazards are minimized, and people are protected where eliminating the hazard is impracticable.

o    Take responsibility for identifying and managing new and existing hazards

o    Take responsibility for monitoring known hazards within our facilities, where this falls within their role and duties.

o    Be informed about, and follow, accident and emergency procedures.

o    Be aware of their responsibilities to themselves, their fellow workers, visitors and the congregation.

o    Utilise the systems in place to record all incidents, near misses or injury, and

o    Provide, or make use of, advice, information, education and training in relation to work health and safety, as appropriate to their role and duties.

(8th March 2017)

Tawa Baptist

Strength through trust

Scripture: Psalm 125

Title: Strength through trust

 Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Psalm 125
  • Daniel 6
  • Conclusion

 

Introduction:

Trust is the foundation

–         In the same way that a good foundation gives strength to the building trust gives strength to relationships, to the community and to the individual

 

Today we continue our series on the Songs of Ascents – which we know as Psalms 120 to 134

 

The word ‘Ascent’ has to do with moving upward

–         The temple in Jerusalem was on a hill

–         On their way to religious festivals Jewish pilgrims might sing these songs as they ascended the hill to the temple

 

The 15 Songs of Ascents, then, are about being on a journey – not just a physical journey to Jerusalem but also a spiritual journey, drawing closer to God

–         We are exploring these Songs of Ascents as we journey toward Easter

–         This morning we take a closer look at psalm 125

–         This song is about the strength that comes from trusting God

–         It is the strength of righteousness or integrity

–         The strength to do the right thing under pressure

–         From the New Revised Standard Version we read…

 

1 Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,     which cannot be moved, but abides forever. 2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem,     so the Lord surrounds his people,     from this time on and forevermore.

3 For the sceptre of wickedness shall not rest     on the land allotted to the righteous, so that the righteous might not stretch out     their hands to do wrong.

4 Do good, O Lord, to those who are good,     and to those who are upright in their hearts. 5 But those who turn aside to their own crooked ways     the Lord will lead away with evildoers.     Peace be upon Israel!

 

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this song for us

 

At a glance, psalm 125 begins with trust and ends with peace

–         While the terrain in between is righteousness

–         But the road to peace is not smooth and the trust is tested for the righteous must stand strong against the wicked

 

Psalm 125:

In 2004 Viktor Yushchenko stood for the presidency of the Ukraine.

–         As an informal leader of the Ukrainian opposition coalition, he was one of the two main candidates

–         The ruling party at the time vehemently opposed Yushchenko

–         During the election campaign Yushchenko was mysteriously poisoned

–         He almost lost his life and his face was disfigured as a consequence

–         This did not deter him from standing for the presidency though

 

On the day of the election Yushchenko was comfortably in the lead

–         However, the ruling party tampered with the results.

–         The state-run television station reported…

–         “Ladies and gentlemen, we announce that the challenger, Victor Yushchenko, has been decisively defeated.”

 

In the lower right-hand corner of the screen a woman by the name of Natalia Dmitruk was providing a translation service for the deaf community.

–         As the news presenter regurgitated the lies of the regime, Natalia Dmitruk refused to translate them.

–         “I’m addressing all the deaf citizens of Ukraine” she signed.

–         “They are lying and I’m ashamed to translate those lies. Yushchenko is our president.”

 

The deaf community sprang into gear. They text messaged their friends about the fraudulent result

–         As news spread of Dmitruk’s act of defiance increasing numbers of journalists were inspired to tell the truth.

 

Over the coming weeks the “Orange Revolution” occurred as a million people wearing orange made their way to the capital city of Kiev demanding a new election.

–         The government was forced to meet their demands, and a new election was held with Victor Yushchenko becoming president.

 

This is a true story (from recent history) of people who had the strength, the courage and the integrity to stand for what was right, even under pressure

 

Psalm 125 begins with the words…

 

1 Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,     which cannot be moved, but abides forever.

Mount Zion is the hill (or the foundation) on which Jerusalem is built

–         It is a symbol of enduring strength

–         Those who trust in the Lord, therefore, have an enduring strength

–         They are able to stand their ground and not be compromised

 

They abide forever

–         Abiding is a lovely word

–         Abiding is about living in peace – not merely existing, but actually living

 

Verse 2 goes on to say…

 

2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem,     so the Lord surrounds his people,     from this time on and forevermore.

 

Here the mountains are a symbol of strength and protection

–         The psalmist does not imagine himself surrounded by enemies, or problems or people he can’t trust

–         He doesn’t imagine himself trapped with nowhere to turn

–         He imagines himself surrounded by the Lord God, protected, embraced by grace, free from anxiety

 

What might not be obvious to us is that the mountains surrounding Jerusalem are actually taller than Mount Zion itself [1]

–         So the idea here is that God is bigger, stronger & more exalted than Zion

–         In other words, the foundation (or trust) of God’s people is supported (or guaranteed) by God himself – God is the ground of our being

 

Because God is stronger and greater than I the psalmist’s trust is well founded

–         It is trust in God’s goodness, his righteousness, his faithfulness, which gives us strength to abide

 

After that lovely affirming start, evil raises its ugly head in verse 3, with mention of the wicked…

 

3 For the sceptre of wickedness shall not rest     on the land allotted to the righteous, so that the righteous might not stretch out     their hands to do wrong.

 

A sceptre is a fancy stick with a little crown on the end, like this one on the wall

–         It resembles a mace or a bomby knocker

–         It is a symbol of a ruler’s power and authority to reign

–         A king or queen might carry a sceptre as a sign to show they are in charge

 

Apparently the wicked have been allowed to get into power but God will not allow them to continue to rule over the righteous

–         God doesn’t prevent tyrants from getting into places of authority but he does limit their term

–         Unlike those who trust in the Lord, the wicked do not abide forever

–         Unlike the righteous the wicked don’t have a firm foundation

 

And one reason God limits the reign of the wicked is so that the righteous are not tempted to compromise and do evil themselves

–         It appears the Lord did not allow the sceptre of wickedness to remain over the Ukraine, at least in 2004 and 2005

 

Verse 4 is a prayer to God…

 

4 Do good, O Lord, to those who are good,     and to those who are upright in their hearts.

The psalmist can pray this prayer with confidence because he knows it is what God wants to do anyway

–         He is not so much telling God what to do

–         Rather he is saying, ‘Your will be done Lord’

–         ‘Be yourself and do justly’

 

Two things we note here:

 

Firstly, goodness (in verse 4) is related to trust in the Lord (in verse 1)

–         So there is a relationship between trusting God and being good

–         Those who trust in the Lord are good

–         Or as the apostle Paul would say: ‘Righteousness is by faith’

 

Secondly, goodness is a state of being related to uprightness of heart

–         The heart is a symbol of a person’s inner life

–         God looks on the heart – he sees what we are like on the inside

–         In the Bible the heart is the seat of the will

–         In other words it is the inner sanctum of a person’s soul where decisions are made

–         A person’s words and actions flow down-stream from the heart

–         If our heart is pure then our words and actions will be also

 

So the kind of goodness that is in view here is not a false goodness where people do certain things to make themselves appear good in the eyes of others

–         It’s not painting over rotten timber

–         It’s not pouring concrete without using reinforcing steel

–         It’s not building on a false foundation

–         It is a genuine, authentic kind of goodness, from the inside out

 

When I think of uprightness of heart I am reminded of A.B. DeVilliers

–         In the recent one day series against South Africa Ross Taylor nicked a ball to the keeper (Quintin DeKock)

–         DeKock genuinely thought he had taken the catch cleanly and appealed convincingly

–         Ross Taylor must have felt the ball on the bottom of his bat because he began to walk off the field without contesting the umpire’s decision

 

But before Taylor had left the field the South African captain (DeVilliers) suggested the on-field umpire go upstairs to check with the third umpire

–         DeVilliers used to be a keeper and from where he was standing it looked like the ball might not have carried all the way to the keeper’s gloves

–         A.B. has pretty good eyes and it appears he is upright in heart too

–         The slow motion replay showed the ball had touched the ground just short of DeKock

–         The umpires reversed their decision and Taylor played on

 

I have no idea whether A.B. DeVilliers believes in Jesus or not but I admire his integrity – not claiming the wicket when the catch was doubtful

–         It’s not just skill which makes him one of the best cricketers in the world

 

Having prayed for God to do good to those who are good the psalmist then describes the consequences for those who turn aside to their own crooked ways

–         The Lord will lead them away with evil doers

 

In other words, it doesn’t pay to try and get by with cheating

–         God sees the whole truth and there is no escaping him

 

Fortunately the wicked don’t get the last word. As Derek Kidner notes…

–         “The final words of the psalm have arrived at peace, not by compromise but by the only road that leads to [peace]: the way of righteousness” [2]

 

Daniel 6:

Psalm 125 is about the strength (or integrity) of the righteous

–         It is a strength which comes from trusting God

–         It is a strength to do the right thing – to resist evil, remaining true to who we are & who God is

–         And, ultimately, it is a strength which leads to peace for God’s people

 

The classic Biblical story of the strength (or integrity) of one righteous man is the story of Daniel in the lions’ den

–         Daniel is a type of Christ figure – he points to Jesus

–         Daniel’s strength came from trusting God

–         It was a strength to resist evil and stay true to himself & to the Lord God

–         Through his trust and righteousness Daniel ultimately gained peace

 

Daniel, as many of you know, was a Jewish exile

–         He had been carried away from his homeland, in Israel, to Babylon by king Nebuchadnezzar

 

Daniel served in the Babylonian empire as a civil servant with administrative authority

–         Eventually Darius, the Mede, seized royal power

–         King Darius chose Daniel and two others to supervise the 120 governors of the empire and to look after the king’s interests

 

Daniel soon showed he could do better work than anyone else and Darius (the king) was thinking about putting him in charge of the whole empire

–         This made the other supervisors and governors jealous so they tried to find something wrong with Daniel in order to accuse him to the king and get rid of him

–         But they couldn’t fault Daniel, because he was reliable and did not do anything wrong or dishonest

–         Daniel was righteous and upright in heart, in other words

 

So Daniel’s adversaries tried to set Daniel up

–         They went to king Darius and said, ‘All of us who administer your empire have agreed that your majesty should issue an order and enforce it strictly

–         Give orders that for 30 days no one be permitted to pray to any god or any man except your majesty

–         Anyone who violates this order is to be thrown into a pit filled with lions’

 

In saying this the governors had tricked the king

–         By saying no one could pray to any god or man except the king, they were essentially putting king Darius in the place of God

–         Perhaps Darius hadn’t realised the implications at the time

–         In any case the king signed the order

–         This was a strict order of the Medes and Persians – an order that could not be changed even by the king himself

 

When Daniel learnt that the order had been signed he went home and in an upstairs room with a window open (where anyone could see) he knelt down to pray to the Lord God as he always did, three times a day

–         Trust in God was Daniel’s foundation and prayer was how Daniel remained on the foundation

 

Daniel prayed in direct violation of the king’s order

–         He knew the risk and yet he placed his trust in the Lord his God

–         Daniel was a thoughtful man

–         He knew that not praying to the Lord would be like agreeing that Darius was in the place of God

–         To not pray would be a denial of God – it would be colluding with a lie

–         Daniel couldn’t give into fear of man

–         He would rather face death than serve the purpose of the wicked

 

When Daniel’s enemies saw him praying to God all of them together went to the king to accuse Daniel

 

The king was very upset by this and did his best to find some way to rescue Daniel – not unlike Pontius Pilate who went out of his way to try and free Jesus

–         But there was nothing the king could do

–         Ironically his very power had rendered him powerless

 

Reluctantly king Darius gave the order for Daniel to be arrested and thrown into the pit of lions

–         The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve so loyally, rescue you.”

 

A stone was put over the mouth of the pit and the king placed his royal seal on the stone so that no man could pull Daniel out of the pit

–         Imagine that for a moment

–         Daniel is in a hole in the ground surrounded by wild beasts

–         Once the stone is rolled over the top of the pit it would be completely dark inside – it would be terrifying

 

The stone sealing the pit shut reminds us of Jesus whose body was laid in a tomb with a stone rolled across the entrance and a seal placed on the stone so no one could take Jesus’ body away

 

After Daniel had been thrown into the pit the king returned to the palace and spent a sleepless night without food or entertainment

–         The king denied himself in solidarity with Daniel

 

At dawn the king got up and hurried to the pit

–         Kings in the East don’t normally hurry anywhere – it is undignified

–         And yet Darius was more concerned for Daniel’s well-being than he was his own reputation

 

Once again we are reminded of the women who got up early and rushed to Jesus’ tomb on the first Easter Sunday, only these women weren’t hoping for a miracle like king Darius was – they were simply hoping to care for Jesus’ corpse

 

The king called out anxiously…

–         “Daniel, servant of the living God! Was the God you serve so loyally able to save you from the lions?”

–         Apparently it wasn’t just Daniel who trusted God

–         It appears king Darius had his own faith in the Lord as well, such was the witness of Daniel’s goodness and uprightness of heart

 

Daniel answered…

–         “May your majesty live forever. God sent his angel to shut the mouths of the lions so that they would not hurt me. He did this because he knew that I was innocent and because I have not wronged you, your majesty.”

 

Daniel does not hold anything against Darius – he remains respectful of the king

–         At the same time Daniel gives credit to God – he points out that God has vindicated him by saving him

–         Now the king can set Daniel free without losing face

 

The king was overjoyed and gave orders for Daniel to be lifted out of the pit

–         So they pulled him up and saw that he had not been hurt at all, for he trusted God (verse 23 tells us)

 

At this point we notice a distinction between Daniel and Jesus

–         Unlike Daniel, Jesus had been severely hurt and killed

–         Daniel emerged from the pit of lions without a scratch

–         Jesus, on the other hand, rose from the pit of death still bearing his scars

 

Returning to Daniel’s story, by this stage it was obvious to everyone that the other governors and supervisors had tricked the king

–         Clearly Darius could not trust them and so he acted with swift justice, ordering the men who accused Daniel to be thrown into the very same pit they had prepared for Daniel

–         Before Daniel’s enemies had even reached the bottom, the lions pounced on them and broke all their bones

 

Then king Darius wrote to the people of all nations, races and languages…

 

Greetings! I command that throughout my empire everyone should fear and respect Daniel’s God. He is a living God and he will rule forever. His kingdom will never be destroyed and his power will never come to an end. He saves and rescues; he performs wonders and miracles in heaven and on earth. He saved Daniel from being killed by the lions.

 

In saying this king Darius put things right

–         Not only did Darius submit himself to God, he essentially admitted he was wrong to issue the decree against praying to God in the first place

–         Darius had been humbled by God’s grace

 

Daniel prospered (he enjoyed peace) during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian

–         Daniel was indeed as strong and steadfast as Mount Zion – surrounded by the Lord God

 

Conclusion:

What pressures and temptations do you face – in your work, at home, at school or university?

–         What does doing the right thing mean for you?

 

As I’ve already alluded to Daniel points to Jesus

–         Jesus was truly righteous and good from the inside out

–         He was upright in heart, trusting God (his Father) even to death on a cross

–         And God vindicated Jesus by raising Jesus from the dead to eternal life

 

We too can share in Jesus’ strength, righteousness & peace when we place our trust in him

 

Let us pray…

 

Lord God, help us to trust Jesus

That we will have strength to do what is right in all circumstances

Keep us from temptation and deliver us from evil

And grant us your peace.

In Jesus’ name we pray,

Amen

 

https://soundcloud.com/tawabaptist/12-march-2017-strength-through-trust

 

 

 

[1] Michael Wilcock, Psalms 73-150, page 230

[2] Derek Kidner, Psalms 73-150, page 474.

Tawa Baptist

God on our side

Scripture: Psalm 124

 

Title: God on our side

 

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Psalm 124
  • 2 Samuel 5:17-25
  • Conclusion

 

Introduction:

Today we continue our series on the Songs of Ascents – which we know as Psalms 120 to 134

 

The word ‘Ascent’ has to do with moving upward

–         The temple in Jerusalem was on a hill

–         On their way to religious festivals Jewish pilgrims might sing these songs as they ascended the hill to the temple

 

The 15 Songs of Ascents, then, are about being on a journey – not just a physical journey to Jerusalem but also a spiritual journey

–         As we make our way through these Songs of Ascents we notice the psalmist draws closer to God

 

We plan is to explore these Songs of Ascents as we journey toward Easter

–         This morning we take a closer look at psalm 124

–         This song is attributed to king David

–         Not all the psalms were written by David but it appears this one was

–         As a hymn of thanksgiving for God’s deliverance psalm 124 is not a solo performance – it looks like it was meant to be sung in a responsive way with the cantor (or the worship leader) singing a line and the choir repeating it

–         We are not going to try and sing psalm 124 this morning, but to help us enter into the feel of the song I’m going to read the lines in plain type and I invite you to respond by reading the words in bold italics

–         From the New Revised Standard Version we read…

 

1 If it had not been the Lord who was on our side     —let Israel now say— 2 if it had not been the Lord who was on our side,     when our enemies attacked us,

 

3 then they would have swallowed us up alive,     when their anger was kindled against us;

4 then the flood would have swept us away,     the torrent would have gone over us; 5 then over us would have gone the raging waters.

 

6 Blessed be the Lord, who has not given us as prey to their teeth. 7 We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we have escaped.

 

8 Our help is in the name of the Lord, 

who made heaven and earth.

 

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this song for us

 

Psalm 124

On the wall here is a photo of British & French soldiers lined up on the beach at Dunkirk in May 1940, awaiting evacuation across the channel to England

  • – The German army had invaded France and were headed north, closing in fast on the Allied troops
  • – In one of the most widely debated decisions of the war, the Germans halted their advance on Dunkirk.
  • – German Field Marshalls suggested that the German forces should cease their advance on Dunkirk and consolidate, to avoid an Allied breakout.
  • – The army was to halt for three days, which gave the Allies sufficient time to organise the Dunkirk evacuation and build a defensive line.
  • – Despite the Allies’ gloomy estimate of the situation, with Britain even discussing a conditional surrender to Germany, in the end more than 330,000 Allied troops were rescued [1]

 

 

Although Dunkirk was a defeat (as far as the Allied forces were concerned) it was also a miracle of deliverance

–         The Allied forces could have easily been swallowed up, overwhelmed and trapped

 

In psalm 124 David gives us four images or metaphors to describe Israel’s deliverance from their enemies

–         Israel was nearly swallowed alive

–         They were almost overwhelmed & swept away, as if by a flood

–         They were hunted like prey

–         And trapped like a bird in a fowler’s snare

 

These are all images of terrifying power – where Israel is vulnerable and powerless to save themselves (not unlike the Allied forces at Dunkirk)

 

I remember as a kid watching Return of the Jedi

–         In those days it was number three in the Star Wars series but these days its number 6 (if you don’t include Rogue One)

–         Anyway there was this scene where Luke had come to rescue Han Solo and Princess Leah from Jabba the Hutt

 

Jabba the Hutt was a pretty nasty piece of work and he planned to throw Han Solo into the Sarlaac pit

–         The Sarlaac was a terrible monster which swallowed people alive and then digested them slowly for a 1000 years

–         It is nightmare stuff on the edge of human imagination

–         David wouldn’t have been thinking of the Sarlaac when he used the image of being swallowed alive

–         More likely he was thinking of the Philistine army

 

Israel’s enemies are angry

–         Their anger is described as being ‘kindled’ – like a fire

–         Fire of course destroys everything in its path and is difficult to control

–         Just as there is no reasoning with fire, there is also no reasoning with an angry enemy – there is no diplomatic solution in other words

 

The only thing an angry army will give way to is some power or force stronger and more terrifying than itself

–         David is saying: the Lord God is more powerful, more terrifying and more organised than any army

 

As for the second image – of being swept away in a flood – that reminds me of a tsunami (a tidal wave)

 

David probably wouldn’t have known about tsunamis where he was situated but, for the Jewish people generally, flood waters were a symbol of chaos – in contrast to a well ordered creation as God intended it

–         David was saying; our enemies represent chaos (anarchy) – they only want to make a mess

–         But where there is chaos the Lord God (our creator) is able to bring order

 

The image of a flood or torrent also suggests being outnumbered – as if David were saying, ‘there are too many of them for us to handle’

–         But despite the overwhelming odds against Israel God holds the balance of power

 

Blessed be the Lord, who has not given us as prey to their teeth.

–         That’s David’s third image

 

As a shepherd David would have faced wild animals – predators, like this wolf here

–         A predator is known for being cunning or skilful in hunting its prey

–         Israel’s enemies were hunting them like a wolf hunts a sheep

–         From Israel’s perspective it’s a picture of vulnerability and powerlessness

–         What can a sheep do to defend itself against a wolf

–         What could Israel do to defend themselves against their enemies

–         The only thing they could do was look to God to protect them

–         God isn’t just more terrifying and more powerful than Israel’s enemies – he is also more clever, more skilful than any predator

 

The fourth image of Israel’s vulnerability is that of a bird caught in a fowler’s snare

–         A fowler is a professional bird catcher

–         One strategy of fowlers is to put nets out which the birds fly into and get tangled up in

–         Then the fowlers would sell the birds (live) for sacrifice or for eating

–         Fowlers sometimes used caged birds to attract wild birds

–         The wild birds would hear the bird in the cage calling and fly straight into the trap

 

Once a bird is tangled in a net or a snare it can’t do anything to save itself

–         The more it struggles to wriggle free, the more tangled it becomes

 

A bird is the image of freedom

–         Israel’s enemies want to take away their freedom and make them slaves

–         But the Lord God delights in setting people free

–         Jesus said of himself, “I’ve come to set the captives free”

–         Not only has God set Israel free he has also broken the snare so that it no longer poses a threat

 

Because, on this occasion, the Lord God was on their side, Israel was not consumed, not overwhelmed, not killed and not trapped

–         They lived to fight another day

 

2nd Samuel 5:17-25

Please turn with me 2nd Samuel chapter 5 – page 305 near the front of your pew Bibles

  • – Psalm 124 was probably written by David out of personal experience
  • – More than once God had helped David and saved Israel in battle
  • – From 2nd Samuel 5, verse 17 we read…

 

17 The Philistines were told that David had been made king of Israel, so their army set out to capture him. When David heard of it, he went down to a fortified place. 18 The Philistines arrived at Rephaim Valley and occupied it. 19 David asked the Lord, “Shall I attack the Philistines? Will you give me the victory?”

“Yes, attack!” the Lord answered. “I will give you the victory!”

 

20 So David went to Baal Perazim and there he defeated the Philistines. He said, “The Lord has broken through my enemies like a flood.” And so that place is called Baal Perazim. 21 When the Philistines fled, they left their idols behind, and David and his men carried them away.

 

22 Then the Philistines went back to Rephaim Valley and occupied it again. 23 Once more David consulted the Lord, who answered, “Don’t attack them from here, but go around and get ready to attack them from the other side, near the balsam trees. 24 When you hear the sound of marching in the treetops, then attack because I will be marching ahead of you to defeat the Philistine army.”

 

25 David did what the Lord had commanded, and was able to drive the Philistines back from Geba all the way to Gezer.

 

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us

 

The Battle of Trafalgar was fought by the British Royal Navy against the combined fleets of the French and Spanish Navies on the 21st October 1805

 

Twenty-seven British ships, led by Admiral Lord Nelson, defeated thirty-three French and Spanish ships in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Spain, just west of Cape Trafalgar

 

The French and Spanish fleet lost twenty-two ships, without a single British vessel being lost. It was the most decisive naval battle of the war, conclusively ending French plans to invade England. [2]

 

Perhaps psalm 124 resonated with the English following their victory at the battle of Trafalgar

  • – England was under attack and despite being outnumbered they won a decisive victory
  • – Was it because God was on their side or was it Lord Nelson’s wise naval strategy or was it both? I don’t know?

 

As I mentioned before, David probably wrote psalm 124 out of personal experience

  • – The two accounts of battle in 2nd Samuel chapter 5 were perhaps something equivalent to David’s battle of Trafalgar
  • – Although, fortunately for David, he wasn’t killed in battle like Admiral Nelson was
  • – In any case David attributes his victories to God being on Israel’s side

 

If the Lord had not been on our side when our enemies attacked us, then we would have been swallowed alive…

 

Hmm? If the Lord had not been on our side?

  • – Most people think God is on their side in battle
  • – The crusaders of a thousand years ago thought God was on their side but from our perspective in history we doubt that
  • – I imagine the French & Spanish forces thought God was on their side when they decided to attack England in 1805 and yet they lost, decisively
  • – Both the Allied and Axis forces of World War One thought God was on their side to win – but they couldn’t both be right
  • – And more recently, Islamic State thinks God is on their side while the rest of world is pretty certain He isn’t
  • – History is littered with people who thought God was on their side
  • – It seems God’s name is hijacked and taken in vain to justify all sorts of crimes

 

For this reason I feel uneasy when people say: ‘God is on our side’ – as if God could be co-opted to serve our ends

  • – It would seem more accurate to talk about us being on God’s side
  • – What is God’s purpose in any given situation and how might we align ourselves with His purpose
  • – We can’t take it for granted that God will support us unconditionally
  • – God is faithful and kind but He is also free and He is Lord (not us)
  • – He doesn’t appreciate people misusing his name for their own purposes

 

David was very careful not to take God for granted and not to co-opt God to serve his own ends

  • – David did not make any assumptions where God was concerned
  • – Yes, Israel were God’s chosen people and yes, David had been anointed king of Israel – so he was God’s special man
  • – But he didn’t automatically think that entitled him to go to war against whomever he chose

 

David was well aware that God had not always been on Israel’s side

  • – Saul (the previous) king embarked on some major military disasters under the false assumption that God would support him
  • – But even before Saul (in 1st Samuel chapter 4, during the time of the priest, Eli) the Israelites took the Ark of the Covenant into battle against the Philistines without checking with God first and Israel suffered a terrible defeat including losing the Ark

 

In the context of 2nd Samuel chapter 5, David has just been made king of all Israel

  • – Previously Israel had been a divided nation
  • – Now with one king they were united
  • – This made Israel more of a threat to the Philistines and so the Philistines acted out of their fear and set out to try and capture David
  • – They took their idols with them
  • – Apparently the Philistines thought their gods were on their side

 

When David heard of it he didn’t go out straight away to face them

  • – Instead David went on a spiritual retreat in order to find out what God wanted him to do
  • – This reminds us of Jesus whose first action (after being baptised) was to get away from it all so he could spend time with God and find out what God wanted him to do

 

David asked the Lord: Shall I attack the Philistines? And, will you give me the victory?

  • – And the Lord said ‘yes’ to both
  • – After he had won David attributed his victory to the Lord God saying…
  • – “The Lord has broken through my enemies like a flood.”
  • – This flood language reminds us of psalm 124

 

Later, at another time, the Philistines attacked again

  • – It may have been tempting for David to think, ‘I don’t need to consult God. He was on my side last time he will give me victory again this time’
  • – But David doesn’t do this
  • – Once again his first response is to enquire of the Lord
  • – Like the Roman Centurion who showed faith in Jesus to heal his servant, David sees himself as a man under authority
  • – God is his commanding officer – David gets his orders from the Lord

 

It’s just as well David checked because this time God tells him not to attack from the same angle but to come around from the other side

  • – When you hear the sound of marching in the tree-tops, then attack because I will be marching ahead of you to defeat the Philistine army
  • – God was indeed helping David but not because David or Israel were entitled in anyway
  • – Had David charged ahead without listening to God first it could have ended in disaster

 

Conclusion:

The point is, when David talks about God being on his side, he doesn’t mean that God can be co-opted for Israel’s own parochial (them against us) concerns

  • – I think he means something along the lines of: But for the grace of God Israel would be no more.

 

Having said that God won’t be co-opted to serve human political agenda, God is still free to choose sides

 

When God became a man (in the form of Jesus) he was saying to humanity: “I am on your side”

 

When Jesus was baptised in the River Jordan, God was saying to all who repent of their sin: “I am on your side”

 

When Jesus healed people, God was saying to the sick: “I am on your side”

 

When Jesus cast out demons, God was saying to those who are oppressed by evil: “I am on your side”

 

When Jesus restored sight to the blind, God was saying to those sitting in darkness: “I am on your side”

 

When Jesus stood up for Zacchaeus and the woman caught in adultery and others like them, God was saying to the despised: “I am on your side”

 

When Jesus died on the cross, God was saying to all who suffer injustice: “I am on your side”

 

When Jesus was raised from the dead, God was saying to all who place their faith in Christ: “I am on your side”

 

And when Jesus pours out His Holy Spirit on us today, God is still saying: “I am on your side”

 

 

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Dunkirk

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Trafalgar