Tawa Baptist

Psalm 27

Scripture: Psalm 27

Video Link: https://youtu.be/B5kaW-5Epto

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Confidence in the Lord (1-3)
  • Sanctuary in worship (4-6)
  • Seeking God’s face (7-12)
  • Conclusion – Hope for this life (13-14)

Introduction:

Kia ora whanau and good morning everyone.

Some things in life we can control but most things we can’t. We cannot control things like when we are born, the choices other people make, the weather, the traffic, the past, the future, earthquakes, who you fall in love with, and cats. (Definitely can’t control cats.)

But we can usually control our self. Things like our mind-set, what we eat, who we hang out with, how we spend our time and how we treat others.

Alongside this sits our values. Not everything in life is of equal importance to us. Basic needs like oxygen, clean drinking water, food shelter, faith and family are generally more important than things like TV or the cricket score or what other people think of us.

There is an overlap between what is important and what we can control. Given that we have limited resources; it makes good sense to focus our time and energy on the intersection of those things which we can control and those things which matter.

For example, having an income is important, up to a certain point, because money is useful for providing your basic needs. But your overall health and well-being is more important than having loads of money. So we have to find a work life balance that allows us to provide for ourselves and our family without destroying our health or our relationships.    

Today our message focuses on Psalm 27. In this psalm David is faced with many things he can’t control. Mainly, what others are saying about him and the way they are treating him.

David wisely uses his energy to focus on the intersection of those things which are important and which he can control. The thing that matters most to David is his relationship with God. And, although David can’t control God, he can control himself. So that’s what he focuses on, the way he relates with God.

From verse 1 of Psalm 27 we read…

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid? 2 When the wicked advance against me to devourme, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall. 3 Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident. 4 One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. 5 For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock. 6 Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the Lord. 7 Hear my voice when I call, Lord; be merciful to me and answer me. 8 My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, Lord, I will seek. 9 Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger; you have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, God my Saviour. 10 Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me. 11 Teach me your way, Lord; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors. 12 Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, spouting malicious accusations. 13 I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. 14 Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord.

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

Psalm 27 shows us David’s focus; the intersection of what matters to David and what he can control. Psalm 27 gives us a picture of how David handles himself in his relationship with God.

There are four parts to Psalm 27:

Confidence in the Lord,

Sanctuary in worship,

Seeking God’s face,

And hope for this life.

First let us consider David’s confidence in the Lord.

Confidence in the Lord:

If you magnify a dust mite it looks quite terrifying. But when you look at a dust mite in perspective your fear dissolves. In reality a dust mite is about the same size as a single grain of salt, very small.

Sometimes our problems can feel bigger than they actually are. The more we think about them, the more anxious and overwhelmed we become. If that happens a change of perspective can help. 

In verses 1-3 David shows us how he handles fear and the threat of violence, by focusing on the Lord. Focusing on God gives David a better perspective on his problems. Next to God, David’s enemies are small, like a grain of salt or like dust mites. Verse 1 reads…  

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?

In saying the Lord is my light David probably means God is the source of all goodness. Light dispels darkness and fear. Life flourishes and thrives in the light. Light gives true knowledge and perspective on our situation. Light enables us to see the way we should go. The Lord is David’s light and salvation.

Salvation refers here to David’s physical safety. David is confident that God will intervene to save his life. To say the Lord is the stronghold of David’s life means that God is David’s protection and security.

In verse 3 David says: Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident.

As king of Israel David had some pretty big threats to deal with. He had lots of enemies who literally wanted to kill him. David’s psalms are peppered with complaints about his enemies. David does not ignore or deny the difficult reality of being king. Rather he keeps things in perspective by choosing to focus on the Lord and his heart is not afraid.

As I keep saying, the heart in ancient Hebrew thought refers to a person’s inner life. Our mind, emotions and will. Our decision making faculties basically. David’s heart (or mind) is confident of God’s help and protection.  

So how do we do this? How do we focus on the Lord?

Sanctuary in worship:

Well, David seeks sanctuary in worshipping God. Verse 4 reads:One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.

Then in verse 5: For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling;

And in verse 6 David goes on to say: at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the Lord.

‘House of the Lord’, ‘dwelling’ and ‘sacred tent’ are a reference to the special place where God was worshipped. Where the ark of the covenant was kept and God’s holy presence resided.

God’s temple hadn’t been built yet. That didn’t happen until David’s son Solomon came to the throne. But the point here is that David wants to be close to God’s presence. There is sanctuary in worshipping God, in giving our whole focus to the Lord.

I am reminded here of Jesus’ words in Matthew 5: Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.

To be pure in heart is to will one thing. The one thing David asks for. The only thing he seeks is God’s presence. David probably wrote this psalm when he was on the run, either from Saul or Absalom. Hiding in a cave and away from Jerusalem, David longed to go to church and worship God.

You know the first couple of weeks in lockdown aren’t too bad. On-line church is a change but the novelty soon wears off and I find myself itching to get back to regular gathered worship. It’s not the same singing songs in your lounge at home.

Religious rituals, like Sunday church worship, support our faith and our life. They give us a fresh perspective. They take our minds off ourselves and redirect our focus onto God. Without regular Godly worship the dust mites in our lives start to look like scary monsters.  

I’m reading a book on art history at the moment by Terry Glasbey. The book includes a chapter on Gian Lorenzo Bernini, arguably the greatest sculptor of all time.

Bernini was a devout Christian. He went to church every day. As an artist he had a gift for entering into the emotions of others and conveying moments of spiritual experience.

One of his famous altar pieces, in the Corona chapel in Rome, depicts a moment of spiritual ecstasy for St Teresa of Avila. St Teresa was a Spanish nun. In order to avoid an arranged marriage Teresa entered the convent at the age of 19. At first life was difficult for Teresa. She didn’t enjoy convent life much. But eventually she got the hang of it.

One day, while in worship, praying and singing a hymn, Teresa experienced an overwhelming sense of God’s love flowing through her whole being. God’s presence was so real and tangible that she felt consumed by his love and exalted into a state of ecstasy. These mystical experiences happened a numbered of times for her.

In her journal Teresa describes one vision in which an angel repeatedly pierced her heart with a spear. In Teresa’s words: “The pain was so severe that it made me utter several moans. The sweetness caused by this intense pain is so extreme that one cannot possibly wish it to cease, nor is one’s soul then content with anything but God”.         

It might seem strange to us that Teresa described God’s intimate presence as an intense pain but it makes sense. God is love and intense love feels like pain.

Teresa, like David, longed for God’s presence and wanted nothing more than intimacy with God. God meets us in surprising ways. There is sanctuary in worship. But it’s not the same for everyone.

Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.

Seeking God’s face:

In verses 7-12 of Psalm 27, David’s tone changes as he lifts an intense, heartfelt prayer to God: 7 Hear my voice when I call, Lord; be merciful to me and answer me. 8 My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, Lord, I will seek.

Verse 8 is fascinating. David’s heart (or more accurately) his mind tells him to seek the Lord’s face. We have many voices inside us don’t we. They are not audible voices, they are silent, like thoughts with feelings attached.

There is the voice of our conscience, guiding us. The voice of the critic, scolding us. The voice of pride puffing us up, the voice of temptation misleading us, the voice of fear holding us back, the voice of some desire buried deep in the unconscious and the voice of wisdom.

Each of these voices sound similar at first and so it can be confusing discerning which is which. Sometimes we might think God is speaking to us when in fact it is actually some latent desire wanting an audience. We have to test the voices against God’s word in Scripture and by talking with wise and trusted friends.       

David hears a voice within himself. My heart says, ‘seek his face’. Perhaps that is the voice of wisdom. Or perhaps it is the voice of David’s inner most desire. What does it mean then to seek God’s face?

Seeking God’s face is a way of describing prayer. You see, Christian prayer is different from pagan prayer. In pagan prayer the worshipper is trying to control God, trying to leverage him into doing something with many words and sacrifices and other grand gestures.

But with Christian prayer we are not trying to control God, we are seeking to commune with him. Yes, we do ask God for certain things when we pray. Jesus said, ‘Ask and you shall receive’. But the asking Jesus had in mind here is for those things that are in line with God’s will and purpose.

So we are not trying to bend God to our will. Rather we are seeking to align ourselves with God’s will. This means being honest with God about what we want but at the same time being willing to relinquish what we want in order that God’s will be done.

Jesus sought the face of God in the Garden of Gethsemane, the night before he died. Jesus said, ‘Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will but yours be done.’ He prayed that three times. Once he had reconciled himself to God’s will, in prayer, he was able to face the cross.

When you are apart from someone you love, you seek their face. You just want to be there in person with them, up close and personal, because there is no substitute for presence. That’s why, when we are in love, our thoughts are peopled by the person we love. We can’t stop thinking about them.  

To seek God’s face is to desire to be close to God, to enjoy his presence and commune with him in an intimate way. In seeking God’s face we are valuing the giver, more than his gifts. Teresa of Avila sought God’s face in prayer and praise, and God touched her heart.

David gives us another clue about what it means to seek God’s face in verses 9 & 10 where he says: Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger; you have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, God my Saviour. Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me.

The face reflects a person’s feelings: happiness, disappointment, sadness, anger, guilt, triumph, love. A face that smiles in acceptance and approval is a thing of true beauty. But the face that turns away in an expression of rejection and disappointment is a source of great pain.

In verses 9 & 10 David is seeking assurance that the Lord accepts him. On the one hand David does not take God’s acceptance for granted, for he prays that God will not reject him. But at the same time David is confident that God will accept him. Verse 10 is not saying that David’s parents have rejected him. The point is, God’s love for David is even greater the love of a father and mother.

At this point I am reminded of another famous artist, Rembrandt, who painted The Return of the Prodigal Son. After wasting his father’s inheritance on wild parties and a reckless lifestyle, the younger son (in Jesus’ parable) came to his senses and returned home, seeking his father’s face.

Rembrandt captures the moment when the repentant son is received by his father. The main focus of the painting is the expression on the father’s face, reflecting love and tenderness and warmth. To seek God’s face is to return to God and feel his acceptance and embrace.

To seek God’s face is to want to please God and to know that God is pleased with you. And so another facet of seeking God’s face is asking for his guidance. In verse 11 David says: Teach me your way, Lord; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors.

In other words, show me God how you want me to handle the situation I find myself in. I cannot control my enemies. I can only control myself.

Lead me in a straight path means, make it plain to me Lord what the right thing is to do. I want to come out of this with a clear conscience. I want to be able to sleep at night. I don’t want to imitate the behaviour of my enemies.

Lead me in a straight path probably also means remove the obstacles from my path. Don’t let me trip up or fall over the edge. When we are going through a difficult trial we don’t have the same resources to cope. Our fuse is a bit shorter. So if something doesn’t go right we don’t have the energy to respond with our usual grace. When we are fatigued we need the path to be relatively smooth and straight forward.  

God did indeed lead David in a straight path. When it was in David’s power to kill king Saul (who was hunting him) David did the right thing and saved Saul’s life.       

Seeking God’s face also means asking God for protection and for justice. In verse 12 David says to the Lord:  12 Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, spouting malicious accusations.

Ancient Israel did not have the same legal system that we do today. The courts had no lawyers to prosecute or defend and no judge (in the modern sense) to ensure fair procedures.

The witness played a dominant role in bringing accusations and evidence. The testimony of a witness put one’s status in the community in question. Two false witnesses left the innocent with no recourse but to appeal to God and seek sanctuary at the shrine. [1]

David was being falsely accused by men who wanted to kill him. In seeking God’s face David was going to the highest court of appeal there is. He was asking God for justice.  

David uses his energy to focus on the intersection of those things which are important and which he can control. The thing that matters most to David is his relationship with God. And so David seeks God’s face.

Conclusion – Hope for this life:

Psalm 27 finishes with David addressing us, his listeners, saying: I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord.

To ‘wait for the Lord’ means to actively put your hope in him. To trust that God will provide a better future, despite the difficult present.

Waiting is hard, especially when you have to wait without knowing. With no end in sight you are blind, you have nothing to hold on to. At the beginning of a crisis you are carried by your adrenalin. But adrenalin wears off after a day or two and fatigue sets in. You have to keep things simple and do less in order to conserve your energy for what matters.

David had no idea how long his exile in the wilderness was going to last. Would it be two more days, two more weeks, too more years. There was no telling. And what shape would he be in when it was all finally over. These things take their toll. David kept it simple, he didn’t overthink it. David told himself it would end well.

Since the resurrection of Jesus, Christians have comforted themselves with the hope of heaven after we die. The suffering (or exile) of this life is relatively short by comparison with eternity. But David is more optimistic than that.

David has hope for this life too. He believes he will see God’s goodness (his justice and mercy) ‘in the land of the living’. David believes God will vindicate him and restore him before he dies.

As it turned out David’s hope was not in vain. He did see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. David was restored and lived to see God subdue his enemies.

Let us pray…

God, grant me serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
courage to change the things I can,
and wisdom to know the difference.

Amen.    

Oh Lord, you’re beautiful. Your face is all I seek. For when your eyes are on this child, your grace abounds to me. 

Questions for discussion or reflection:

What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?

  • What matters most to you? What things are within your power to control? What do you need to focus on? What do you need to leave with God?
  • Why is David so confident when his circumstances are so dire? How might we live in this sort of confidence?   
  • When (or where) do you feel closest to God? How do you feel when God is close to you?
  • What does it mean to seek God’s face? (Discuss / reflect on the different aspects of seeking God’s face.) How might we do this?
  • Can you recall a time in your life when you had to wait without knowing? How did you feel? What was helpful for you in that experience? What was the outcome? What strength (or wisdom) can you draw from that experience? 
  • Make some time this week to seek the Lord’s face.

[1] Refer James Mays commentary on the Psalms, page 131.

Tawa Baptist

Psalm 34

Scripture: Psalm 34

Video Link: https://youtu.be/_dk_5R3ViuI

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Worship for the weak
  • Wisdom for well-being
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Kia ora whanau and good morning everyone.

Those of you who have done a basic first aid course will recognise this acrostic:

DRSABC (or Doctors ABC). D reminds us to check for Danger. R tells us to seek a response from the person who is injured. S stands for Shout in order to get help. A is for clearing the Airway. B means helping the patient with their Breathing, should they need it. And C stands for Circulation. If there is no pulse, then start CPR or better still get hold of a defibrillator.

Today our message focuses on Psalm 34. This song of David is an acrostic poem. Each verse begins with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. So the first letter starts with the Hebrew equivalent of A, the second verse with Bet, then Gimel and so on. But the acrostic is lost in translation for English speakers.

Psalm 34 is a song (or rather a whole alphabet) of thanksgiving to God, based in David’s experience. From verse 1 we read…

1 I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. 2 My soul will boast in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. 3 Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together. 4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. 5 Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. 6 This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles. 7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them. 8 Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. 9 Fear the Lord, you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing. 10 The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. 11 Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. 12 Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, 13 keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies. 14 Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. 15 The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry; 16 but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to blot out their name from the earth. 17 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. 18 The Lord is close to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. 19 The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all; 20 he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken. 21 Evil will slay the wicked; the foes of the righteous will be condemned. 22 The Lord will rescue his servants; no one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.

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

Broadly speaking there are two main parts to Psalm 34, worship and wisdom. Charles Spurgeon, the great Baptist preacher, said: “The first ten verses are a hymn, and the last twelve a sermon.” First the singing, then the sermon.

David’s worship of God is based in his personal experience of God saving him. Likewise, the wisdom David shares is also born out of his experience. First let us consider David’s worship.

Worship for the weak:

In verse 1 David says, I will extol the Lord at all times. Extol means to praise highly or enthusiastically. Extol is praise on steroids. It is part of a cluster of words like glorify and exalt which are associated with worshipping God in community with others. David’s worship is both personal and public.

David’s worship is mindful of others. He is thinking about the less fortunate, for he says: let the afflicted hear and rejoice. This is not a psalm for those who have it altogether. This is a psalm for those who are weak and in a vulnerable position.

They say, evangelism is one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread. David has found bread (in the form of God’s help) and he is letting others know about it.

From verse 4 David speaks, from his own experience, of God’s deliverance. David says, I sought the Lord, and he answered me; …he saved this poor man out of all his troubles. To seek the Lord and look to him means to pray, to ask God for help.

So what was it that the Lord delivered David from? According to the title of Psalm 34, David wrote this song when on the run from king Saul. From 1st Samuel 21, verse 10 we read…

10 That day David fled from Saul and went to Achish king of Gath. 11 But the servants of Achish said to him, “Isn’t this David, the king of the land? Isn’t he the one they sing about in their dances: “‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands’?” 12 David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of Achish king of Gath. 13 So he pretended to be insane in their presence; and while he was in their hands he acted like a madman, making marks on the doors of the gate and letting saliva run down his beard. 14 Achish said to his servants, “Look at the man! He is insane! Why bring him to me? 15 Am I so short of madmen that you have to bring this fellow here to carry on like this in front of me? Must this man come into my house?” 22 David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and his father’s household heard about it, they went down to him there.

Clearly David was in a desperate situation, one which called for desperate measures. For fear of king Saul, David tried to find refuge with his enemies in Gath. But he didn’t feel safe there either so he pretended to be insane to save himself.

The thing I find interesting here is that David prayed and kept his powder dry. He relied both on God and on his own cunning. Wise as a serpent, and as innocent as a dove.

It is similar with us. When we find ourselves in dire straits we do everything in our power to help ourselves and we pray, trusting God with the things we can’t control.

For example, if you are sick you pray for healing and you go to the doctor. Or, if you want to stop the spread of a contagious disease, you pray to God and you get immunised. We rely on God and science, because we know that God gave us the science but, at the same time, science is not always enough by itself. 

In verse 4 we read that God delivered David from all his fears. Fear and anxiety is a normal part of life for human beings. Fear is a bit like pain. It feels unpleasant but it serves an important purpose. Fear is part of our built in warning system; it is designed to protect us.

The problem is if we let our fears get out of control, if we don’t learn to calm our fears, they disable us. David managed his fears by using his street smarts and by praying.

If you have been blindsided by circumstance on a semi regular basis. If you have had the rug pulled out from under your feet, at random times and through no fault of your own, then you will be well acquainted with anxious fear.

As some of you know one of our daughters was seriously ill in hospital recently. She is recovering now but for a while we were under constant siege from our fears. One thing that helped me to manage my fear was this simple prayer: 

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy.

I lost count of the number of times I prayed that prayer. It is a refuge for me. It is simple, which is what you need when you are stressed, and it puts fear into perspective by magnifying the Lord and his mercy.

With this prayer we are not telling God what to do. We are not trying to micro manage God. Nor are we making any claim to our own righteousness. This prayer leaves the door open. It lets God be God. What form the Lord’s mercy may take is up to God.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy is a prayer for emergencies. I’m not sure it is the best long term solution. At some point we all have to pour out our heart before God but when you can’t afford the luxury of doing that, asking Jesus for mercy gets you through.

In verses 7-10, of Psalm 34, David describes the refuge he finds in God. He says, ‘The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.’

The angel of the Lord is a mysterious figure in the Old Testament. We are never quite sure who this angel is. Some see the angel as one of God’s elite heavenly soldiers (sort of like a Navy Seal or SAS type angel). Others wonder if it is the Lord Jesus himself.

The point is, the angel of the Lord protects those who fear the Lord. The kind of fear that is meant here is not terror or anxiety, it leans more towards reverence and respect. To fear the Lord is to care more about what God thinks than what anyone else thinks. To fear the Lord is to listen to God and obey him.    

Verse 8 is quite famous: Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.

To taste the Lord means to experience his goodness, his faithfulness and his love. If you have never eaten chocolate cake before, then it doesn’t matter how much someone tells you about the ingredients, you can’t know how good it tastes until you actually put it in your mouth. So it is with God. We can’t know how good God is until we taste his grace.

The sixth Century Christian monk, St Columba (of Iona fame), died while copying out the psalms. These were the last words he wrote: …lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

The idea here is that even the lion, the apex predator, the greatest and most self-sufficient of animals, may sometimes go hungry; but the weak and afflicted, who depend on God, lack nothing. In God’s kingdom it is not survival of the fittest. Faithful dependence on the Lord is the currency of God’s economy.

As you heard earlier, the first part of Psalm 34 is worship, while the second half is wisdom; what David has learned from his experience.

Wisdom for well-being:

From verse 11 David starts his sermon: Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days. What follows is David’s wisdom for well-being.

The first piece of wisdom here is about living a morally sound life, both in word and deed. Be honest and do good.

Peace (in the sense of abundant life) doesn’t just happen by itself. Peace requires effort. Peace is something we seek and pursue. Do the mahi, get the treats. It is not enough to simply avoid evil. We must actively look for ways to promote the well-being of others. Justice and mercy are the prerequisites to peace.

In verses 15-17 we read that God is attentive and responsive to the cry of the righteous but he is against those who do evil. The word cry is repeated.

Human beings may cry out for a variety of reasons. We may cry out in anger at some injustice. Or we might cry out in pain or grief at some hurt or loss. We might also cry out in fear when we get a sudden fright or, conversely, we might cry out in joy when something good happens.

A cry might contain words which make sense, but more often a cry is inarticulate and spontaneous. Either way, God notices the cry of the righteous, like a parent notices the cry of their child. It is impossible to ignore.

What David is getting at here, is there is wisdom in crying out to God. Crying out to God is essentially the heart of prayer. You see, God isn’t just listening to the words we say in prayer. He is also listening to the feeling (or pathos) behind those words.

This means that when we have no words, when we are holding on by a thread, God gets our meaning. God hears and he understands perfectly.    

Verse 16, which talks about the Lord being against those who do evil, may grate with our sensibilities. We might not like the idea that God is for some people and against others. Perhaps we suspect we are not righteous.

I believe God is for the well-being of everyone. But promoting the well-being of everyone requires God to be against evil, because evil undermines everyone’s well-being.

Verses 21 & 22 help to shed light on the goodness of God. Verse 21 indicates it is not God who slays the wicked, rather it is evil which slays the wicked.

Or to put it another way, the wicked eventually become victims of their own injustice. The wicked condemn themselves by their own actions. Like someone sawing off the branch they are sitting on.

Verse 22 assures us that, ‘No one who takes refuge in him will be condemned’. To take refuge in God means (among other things) to repent and do good, to throw ourselves on his mercy. When we do that God is quick to forgive.

The Lord will rescue his servants and the foes of the righteous will be condemned. Knowing that God is just and that there is an ultimate reckoning, is a tremendous comfort to God’s people. It gives us strength to endure. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

And so we come to one of the most comforting verses in Scripture: The Lord is close to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

To be broken hearted and crushed in spirit are probably two ways of saying the same thing. The broken hearted feel incredibly sad and the crushed in spirit feel heavy with defeat. Their hope is smashed and their vitality (or energy) is gone.

The heart in Hebrew thought is a way of describing a person’s inner life, our mind, our emotions and our will; our decision making faculties basically. To be broken hearted is to feel undone on the inside and to lose all desire.

Spirit has to do with relationship. A person’s spirit is their capacity to relate or connect in meaningful ways with others. Your spirit is sort of like the wifi of your soul. When you are crushed in spirit, your inner wifi is broken and you just don’t have it in you to truly connect.

Having a broken heart goes hand in hand with being crushed in spirit. Are you broken hearted? It hurts doesn’t it. Are you crushed in spirit? It feels heavy doesn’t it. The good news is, God is close to you, to comfort and restore.

To the broken hearted Jesus says: Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted. And to the crushed in spirit Jesus says: Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

In verse 19 of Psalm 34 David writes: The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all;

One time we were invited to a 60th birthday party and there were photos on display. The older photos, taken when this person was younger, were in black & white, while the more recent photos were in colour. In all the black & white photos this person had long hair. But in the colour photos they were bald.

Having a good sense of humour they joked that this proved that colour photography causes hair loss. It doesn’t of course. That’s not a very scientific deduction. Correlation does not prove causation.

David will not accept any simplistic formulas which say that all suffering is due to sin. Just because bad things happen to you, it does not necessarily follow that you are being punished. Correlation does not prove causation. David knew from his own experience that bad things sometimes happen to good people. But David was also confident that God delivers the righteous in the end.  

As Jesus said: Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Conclusion:

Verse 20, where it says, he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken, reminds us of Jesus on the cross. In the gospel of John chapter 19 we read what happened after Jesus died…

Because the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. 32 The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. 33 But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 

34 Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water…  36 These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken,”

Suffering is part of the fabric of this life. We can’t avoid it. Sometimes we get what we deserve, but more often we don’t. Jesus was a truly righteous man, more righteous than anyone who has ever lived, and yet he suffered a great deal. When we suffer for doing what is right we stand in solidarity with Jesus.

Let us pray…

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us. Amen.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?

  • Who did David have in mind when he wrote Psalm 34? Have you ever been in a similar situation?
  • How did David manage his fears? How do you manage your fears?
  • What does it mean to taste and see that the Lord is good? How would you describe your experience of God’s goodness?
  • Discuss / reflect on the various gems of wisdom David shares in verses 11-22 of Psalm 34. How might we apply David’s advice in our own lives today?
  • What does it mean to be broken-hearted and crushed in spirit? What difference does it make knowing God is close when we are broken-hearted and crushed in spirit?
  • Reflect on / discuss the connections you see with Jesus in Psalm 34.
Tawa Baptist

Refuge

Scripture: Psalm 31

Video Link: https://youtu.be/SWSD7lHAypQ

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Lament (9-13)
  • Refuge (1-6) & (14-18)
  • Celebration (7-8) & (19-24)
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Kai ora whanau and good morning everyone.

During lockdown one of the families from our church wrote some riddles on the footpath outside their home to spread a bit of light and laughter. Here’s one of their riddles: Q: Why are frogs always happy? A: They eat whatever bugs them.

I like what this family did. To me it was an act of loving their neighbour; putting a smile on people’s faces during a stressful time.  

Today our message is based on Psalm 31, written by king David. Psalm 31 is a bit intense in places, so we need to remember to smile from time to time along the way. From verse 1 of Psalm 31 we read…

1 In you, Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness. 2 Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me. 3 Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me. 4 Keep me free from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge. 5 Into your hands I commit my spirit; deliver me, Lord, my faithful God. 6 I hate those who cling to worthless idols; as for me, I trust in the Lord. 7 I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul. 8 You have not given me into the hands of the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place. 9 Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and body with grief. 10 My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak. 11 Because of all my enemies, I am the utter contempt of my neighbours and an object of dread to my closest friends—those who see me on the street flee from me. 12 I am forgotten as though I were dead; I have become like broken pottery. 13 For I hear many whispering, “Terror on every side!” They conspire against me and plot to take my life. 14 But I trust in you, Lord; I say, “You are my God.” 15 My times are in your hands; deliver me from the hands of my enemies, from those who pursue me. 16 Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love. 17 Let me not be put to shame, Lord, for I have cried out to you; but let the wicked be put to shame and be silent in the realm of the dead. 18 Let their lying lips be silenced, for with pride and contempt they speak arrogantly against the righteous. 19 How abundant are the good things that you have stored up for those who fear you, that you bestow in the sight of all, on those who take refuge in you. 20 In the shelter of your presence you hide them from all human intrigues; you keep them safe in your dwelling from accusing tongues. 21 Praise be to the Lord, for he showed me the wonders of his love when I was beset like a city under siege. 22 In my alarm I said, “I am cut off from your sight!” Yet you heard my cry for mercy when I called to you for help. 23 Love the Lord, all his faithful people! The Lord preserves those who are true to him, but the proud he pays back in full. 24 Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.

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

Have you noticed how some movies are non-linear? They don’t start at the beginning and move through in chronological order. Instead the plot line jumps around, backwards and forwards.

The 2017 film Dunkirk is an example of a non-linear story line. It is hard to follow at first, because the scenes are not in chronological sequence. But ultimately that makes the story more interesting. Like a mosaic (formed of broken pieces) we see how everything fits together in the end. The messed up order reflects the chaos the British soldiers went through at Dunkirk.  

Psalm 31 is non-linear. It doesn’t unfold in chronological order. One moment it is dark and intense and the next moment it sounds notes of joy and celebration. This non-linear approach reflects the chaos that David went through.

To give some clarity, I see three threads running through Psalm 31. Lament, refuge and celebration. Psalm 31 takes these fragments of lament, refuge and celebration and arranges them in a non-linear fashion. This curation speaks to our experience, how the circumstances of our lives seldom unfold in a neat and ordered way.  

Lament:

What do these songs all share in common?

I don’t want to talk about it

Candle in the wind

I don’t like Mondays

Sunday bloody Sunday

By the rivers of Babylon                              [Wait]

They are all songs of lament.

Here’s another riddle for you…

Q: What did the grape do when it was stepped on? A: It let out a little wine. 

A lament is a passionate expression of grief or sorrow. It comes from the Latin word for weeping and wailing and moaning. Lament is what the grape did when it was stepped on.

Lament is the opposite of denial. Lament is about facing and naming the truth of what we are feeling. Lament is like lancing a psychological boil so the infection can drain out. The purpose of lament is emotional cleansing. Verses 9-13 of Psalm 31, at the centre of the psalm, form the core of David’s lament.

9 Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and body with grief. 10 My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak.

David tells God how he is feeling using words like distress, sorrow, grief, anguish, groaning, affliction and weakness. His whole self, body & soul, is affected.

What do these people have in common? (and this is not a joke by the way.)

Winston Churchill, William Cowper, Abraham Lincoln, Vincent Van Gogh and John Kirwan. [Wait] That’s right, they all lived with depression.

David’s lament, in verses 9-13 of Psalm 31, appears to be describing the experience of depression. We may tend to think of David as bullet proof. He was a brave war hero and one of Israel’s greatest leaders. And yet it is obvious, from many of the psalms he wrote, that his soul was often downcast and in turmoil.

Depression can be thought of in a variety of ways. Firstly, we might think of depression as a loss of energy and motivation. David talks about his strength failing and his bones growing weak.

When the battery on my laptop is running low the machine switches to ‘power saver mode’ to conserve energy. Depression is sort of like a power saver mode for our soul, when our emotional and mental battery is running low. Depression is telling us something about ourselves.

But that analogy is inadequate really. We are not machines. Unlike a laptop, which feels nothing, we human beings do feel the loss of energy. Depression comes with unpleasant feelings. Sometimes the dull ache of sadness and other times a more intense emotional pain, similar to being burned or cut.

Fear, anxiety and terror may also accompany depression. The fear attached to depression usually has to do with not being in control. Depression is that horrifying sensation that you are falling slowly into a dark, bottomless pit.

Depression has all the hallmarks of an internal hell. Unrelenting pain, threat of violence, fear, loss of freedom and enjoyment, loneliness, alienation from God and people, misplaced shame and guilt, together with feelings of condemnation and despair.  

In verses 11-13 we see something of the hell David finds himself in where he says…

11 Because of all my enemies, I am the utter contempt of my neighbours and an object of dread to my closest friends—those who see me on the street flee from me. 12 I am forgotten as though I were dead; I have become like broken pottery. 13 For I hear many whispering, “Terror on every side!” They conspire against me and plot to take my life.

From this we learn that David’s enemies have been bad mouthing him. They have been telling lies about him with the consequence that David feels prejudged, misunderstood, alienated and alone.

In today’s terms, it would be like suffering at the hands of social media trolls and cyber bullies. If they had the internet back then, people would have been posting really bad things about David on Facebook and Instagram so that David thinks even his closest friends have bought into the rumours and lies about him. 

Depression usually involves a loss of perspective. We may think we are seeing clearly but we are not. Depression hijacks our imagination, so that we begin to think the worst all the time.

Our mind plays tricks and we imagine people are having a crack at us when they’re not. Or we think no one cares about us and that the world would be better off without us, when in fact we are loved and appreciated and needed far more than we realise. David’s enemies are real but the idea that his friends and neighbours want nothing to do with him is probably false.   

For all the reasons mentioned above, depression has a corrosive effect on our sense of hope. Hope is the ability to imagine a good future. If you can’t imagine a good future, you will soon lose your joy, your energy and your motivation.

Despite the corrosive effect of depression, hope can be restored. Hope is like your liver. It grows back. Even if they cut out half your liver it will heal itself. The key to giving hope the chance to grow back is managing your thought life. Stopping yourself from going down the track of thinking the worst all the time.

The law of gravity says that, ‘whatever goes up must come down’. It is the opposite with the human soul. The law of the human spirit says that, ‘whatever goes down must come up’. Taking care of your soul is a bit like taking care of your garden. Think about carrots. They have to grow down before they can come up.

Those who sow in tears will reap with joy. Or, as Jesus said, Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted.  

In JK Rowling’s Harry Potter stories, the villain is referred to by most as ‘he who shall not be named’. But Harry, the hero of the story, has no qualms in naming his enemy and freely calls him ‘Voldemort’. Harry does this because when we can name our fears, they lose much of their power over us. 

As I said before, lament is about naming the truth of what we are feeling and finding a healthy way to express our pain. When we can name our anguish we become less afraid of it and we are empowered. Naming our demons gives us a feeling of having some control in our own lives and that helps to restore hope.   

David was quite open and transparent about his mental health. We may not have the gift of putting our feelings into words, like David did, but that’s okay. David’s words can give voice to our feelings.

If we find ourselves in the crucible of depression, we can read Psalm 31 (and others like it– e.g. Psalms 39 & 88) as our own lament and know we are not alone. We are in good company.  

David has a number of weapons in his arsenal against depression. We’ve heard about lament. Now let’s consider refuge. 

Refuge:

If you are in a storm, the best thing to do is to find shelter. Get out of the wind and rain and find a safe, warm refuge. But what do we do when the storm is raging inside us? Well, we seek refuge for our mind. Seeking refuge is about looking after ourselves. 

Depression, at its worst, tends to be a 24-7 thing. Chronic depression doesn’t take a day off. We can’t be lamenting our troubles all the time, it’s too exhausting. At some point we need to come up for air and find some respite, some shelter from the storm.

One of my favourite poems is by James Norcliffe. It goes like this…

I’ve no idea whether

my uncle is a spiritual man

I only know that life

has battered him

as a fish is battered

and fried him

as a fish is fried

and rubbed salt

into all his wounds

but that when I say

how’s the world

not bad he’ll say not bad

and could be worse

just said with his mouth

looking elsewhere

papering himself

around with a warmth

that could steam windows 

(You know the way the windows in your car steam up on a winter’s night when you are bringing fish & chips home for dinner.)

I love that last line, papering himself around with a warmth that could steam windows. It speaks to me of someone who has suffered a great deal and found refuge on the inside. He has found a way to insulate himself from the storm.

In verses 1-6 of Psalm 31 David seeks refuge in his mind by praying to God.

Prayer is about communicating with God. Talking to him and listening to him.

Going a bit deeper though, prayer is about creating a refuge or a sanctuary for ourselves in God. When we pray, out a desire to be close to God, we paper ourselves around with a warmth that could steam windows.

From verse 1 David writes…

1 In you, Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness. 2 Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me. 3 Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me. 4 Keep me free from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge.

Rock, refuge, fortress, these are all terms which express sanctuary or security.

There’s a James Bond film called Quantum of Solace. When Daniel Craig was asked what does ‘Quantum of Solace’ mean he replied, a quantum is a tiny amount (the size of an atom) and solace is another word for comfort. So a quantum of solace means small comfort.

The movie is basically about revenge; getting even with your enemies. The point is: there is little comfort in seeking revenge.

David does not seek refuge in the thought of taking revenge against his enemies. He does not take matters into his own hands because, as a soldier, he knows there is little comfort in violence. Best to leave vengeance to God.

Q: Why can’t you trust atoms?

A: They make up everything. 

From verse 15 we read…

…deliver me from the hands of my enemies, from those who pursue me…

17 Let me not be put to shame, Lord, for I have cried out to you; but let the wicked be put to shame… 18 Let their lying lips be silenced, for with pride and contempt they speak arrogantly against the righteous.

Clearly, David does not feel able to trust the people around him because they make up everything (they lie), but David does trust God. David takes refuge in the righteousness and justice of God. David finds hope in the knowledge that God will not tolerate evil indefinitely. David looks to God to put things right.

Jesus used David’s words, in verse 5 of Psalm 31, on the cross. This was the last thing Jesus said before he died: Father, into your hands I commit my spirit. It is an expression of trust. Jesus was subjected to injustice but he trusted himself to the righteousness of God.

Like David, Jesus was a man of sorrows, well acquainted with grief. One aspect of Jesus’ suffering included being forced to wear a crown of thorns on his head. Anyone who has suffered sustained mental torment will appreciate the significance of that.    

Not everyone experiences major depression, but everyone suffers eventually, one way or another. What is it you take refuge in? How do you find shelter from the storm?

Some people find refuge in things which are ultimately harmful to them, like alcohol or illicit drugs or romantic liaisons. Most people though find refuge in more benign pursuits, like a hobby or sports or watching movies.

Over the years I have found a great deal of meaning by nurturing a belief in the goodness of God. Contemplating the Scriptures has been a refuge for me.

But God’s goodness isn’t just found in the Bible or in singing worship songs. God’s goodness can be found in many ordinary places, like cooking a meal or losing yourself in a good novel or walking the beach with your dog or just hanging out with friends.

These more ordinary pleasures can serve as helpful distractions, providing a kind of Sabbath for our soul. We have to make room for fun and enjoyment. We have to remember to celebrate.

Time for another joke: Two TV aerials got married. The reception was great.  

Celebration:

In verses 7-8 of Psalm 31 David celebrates God’s answer to his prayer by saying…

7 I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul. 8 You have not given me into the hands of the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place.

Part of David’s lament had been the way he had felt so alone and isolated and misunderstood. In these verses David celebrates the fact that God listened to him and understood. God knew the anguish of David’s soul. Being listened to and understood makes David feel loved.

If you know someone who is going through depression then simply being there and listening, without judging, goes a long way in helping. You don’t have to try and fix the depression. But you can walk through the valley of the shadow of death with them, so they know they are not alone.

Those words, you set my feet in a spacious place, are significant. David had felt like he was under siege, surrounded on all sides and cut off from all help. That is often how it feels for people in the depths of depression. Like you are hemmed in and don’t have any options. Like nothing is ever going to change and it will always be this way.

But that is not true. That’s just your mind playing tricks on you. There is a way through and things can get better. David found a way through. God put David’s feet in a spacious place, where he no longer felt like he was under siege. Where he had options.

In verses 19-24 David continues his celebration of God’s goodness.

Verse 19 reads…

19 How abundant are the good things that you have stored up for those… who take refuge in you.

Notice here that the good things are stored up, for those who take refuge in God. In other words, the best is yet to come. There are good things waiting for you in the future. So hold on, don’t give up.

Verse 21 reads…

21 Praise be to the Lord, for he showed me the wonders of his love [hesed] when I was beset like a city under siege.

David is looking back here, at his time of anguish (when he felt like he was trapped), and he is reflecting on the fact that it was actually through the difficult times that God showed him the wonders of his love.

Depression itself is not an expression of love or hesed but it does have the potential (in hindsight) to open our eyes to God’s love. When we look back on the hard times we see the ways God stuck by us and was loyal to us through thick and thin.  

Psalm 31 ends with these words…  

24 Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.

You know, the last thing you feel like when you are depressed is being strong. Telling someone to be strong when they are in the pit of despair is a bit trite, even cruel. But that’s not David’s intention here.

David is speaking as someone who has been through it himself. He’s saying, I know it’s tough but it is worth it. Hang on to your hope in the Lord.

Derek Kidner wisely notes that verse 24 could also be translated: he shall strengthen your heart. So the thought here is not that you have to summon resources you don’t have. The idea is that God will give you the strength you need as you need it.

Conclusion:

Depression is not a destination. It is a journey through darkness. Psalm 31 gives us tools for that journey. Pour out your pain in lament before God. Take refuge in the Lord’s goodness and look forward to that time when you can celebrate God’s love in a spacious place.

Let us pray…

Loving Father, be with those who are struggling with their mental health at this time. Comfort them and give them strength sufficient for each day.

Be with those also, who are supporting loved ones who are struggling. Give them wisdom and understanding as they walk alongside.

Lord have mercy on us all. Set our feet in a spacious place once more that we would praise you. Through Jesus we ask. Amen.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?

  • What is lament? How is lament different from denial or distraction? Why might we practice lament?
  • What are some of the symptoms and/or effects of depression? How might we know if either ourselves or someone else is depressed?   
  • How can we help ourselves if we are depressed? How can we help others who are depressed?
  • What does it mean to find refuge in God? How might we do this? Where do you find refuge?
  • When you look back on the hard times you have been through, can you see ways in which God showed hesed/loyal love to you? What did God do? 
  • What do you need most at this time? Lament, refuge or celebration? Take some time this week to give your soul what it needs.
Tawa Baptist

Psalm 36

Scripture: Psalm 36

Video Link: https://youtu.be/HYK-TE2dACc

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Prophecy (1-4)
  • Praise (5-9)
  • Prayer (10-12)
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Kai ora whanau and good morning everyone.

Tell me, what do these things all share in common?

The Screwtape Letters, The Problem of Pain, The Great Divorce, The Abolition of Man, The Four Loves and The Magician’s Nephew. [Wait]

That’s right, they are all books written by C.S. Lewis.

Clive Staples Lewis was a wonderful servant of the Lord whose writing continues to bring light and clarity to our thinking about God.

In his book, The Great Divorce, Lewis says: There is but one good; that is God. Everything else is good when it looks to him and bad when it turns from him.   

I quite like that quote. It sums up our reality as human beings. We depend on God for our goodness and indeed for our very lives. Lewis’ words here remind me of Psalm 36, the focus of our message today.   

The title of this Psalm reads: ‘For the director of music. Of David, the servant of the Lord’. There are only two psalms which describe David as the Lord’s servant. This one and Psalm 18. 

From verse 1 of Psalm 36 we read…

1 I have a message from God in my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: There is no fear of God before their eyes. 2 In their own eyes they flatter themselves too much to detect or hate their sin. 3 The words of their mouths are wicked and deceitful; they fail to act wisely or do good. 4 Even on their beds they plot evil; they commit themselves to a sinful course and do not reject what is wrong. 5 Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. 6 Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the great deep. You, Lord, preserve both people and animals. 7 How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings. 8 They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights. 9 For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light. 10 Continue your love to those who know you, your righteousness to the upright in heart. 11 May the foot of the proud not come against me, nor the hand of the wicked drive me away. 12 See how the evildoers lie fallen—thrown down, not able to rise!

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

David, the servant of the Lord does three things in this psalm: prophecy, praise and prayer. As the servant of the Lord David knows the truth about humanity, he adores God’s goodness and he prays in faith.

Prophecy:

In popular culture a prophet is thought to be someone who predicts the future. In the Bible though a prophet is someone who communicates God’s message. He or she sees the truth of the present situation and speaks that truth to the people; how the people respond shapes their future.

Broadly speaking, the prophets of the Old Testament gave two kinds of messages: messages of judgment and messages of hope.

Those who were proud and had turned away from God tended to get a message of judgment. You’re on the wrong track, change your direction in life before you end up destroying yourself.

While the humble poor, who were suffering oppression, tended to receive a message of hope. Keep looking to the Lord and trusting in him. He will deliver you and restore you.     

Messages of judgement and hope are not either / or. They are both / and. They go together. There is hope in God’s judgement. When we return to God we are saved.

C.S. Lewis was somewhat of a prophet during the 20th Century, although he probably would not have seen himself in that way.

In his book, Mere Christianity, Lewis writes: No man knows how bad he is until he has tried very hard to be good.

Lewis goes on to say: ‘Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is. After all, you find out the strength of an army by fighting against it, not by giving in. You find out the strength of a wind by trying to walk against it, not by lying down. A man who gives in to temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like an hour later. That is why bad people, in one sense, know very little about badness — they have lived a sheltered life by always giving in. We never find out the strength of the evil impulse inside us until we try to fight it: and Christ, because He was the only man who never yielded to temptation, is also the only man who knows to the full what temptation means — [Jesus is] the only complete realist.’

Psalm 36 begins with David giving a prophecy. Verse 1 reads: I have a message from God in my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: There is no fear of God before their eyes.

Sometimes prophets are called Seers because they have the God given ability to see into a person’s heart. David’s message, from God, is not a prediction of the future. Rather it is a vision of what goes on inside an evil person. David knows the truth about humanity and it is not pretty.

In some ways the human heart is like a loaded gun waiting for the wrong circumstances to pull the trigger. I remember my systematic theology lecturer, saying: ‘Christians should be the least surprised by sin’. When people do bad things we should not be shocked by it.

We should not look down on the wicked nor think of ourselves as too good to commit evil. That potential is within each one of us. Those who think they are not capable of evil are like the person C.S. Lewis described as never having offered any real resistance to sin. 

David knows his potential for evil and he knows what it is to suffer at the hands of evil doers. That’s probably how God gave him the insight.

There’s a scene in the movie Shawshank Redemption where Andy, a wrongly convicted prisoner, approaches the boss of the prison for justice. The prison boss won’t help Andy and so Andy says to him, ‘How can you be so obtuse?’

To be obtuse is to be insensitive or hard hearted, lacking compassion. The wicked are obtuse, they are deluded. In their own eyes they flatter themselves too much to detect or hate their sin. The boss of the prison is like that; he does not fear the Lord. 

Usually the term ‘fear of the Lord’ means having reverence and respect for God. But in Psalm 36 the word fear leans more towards terror and being afraid for your life.

There are basically two reasons why a person obeys God. The first reason is because they love God and want to please him. But if a person does not love God they might still obey him just to save their own skin, because they are afraid of what God will do to them if they don’t act justly. 

Obviously, the ideal is to obey God because we love him. But God is gracious enough that he will still accept the person who obeys him out of fear. However, God will not accept the person who neither loves him nor fears him. The wicked are so obtuse that they don’t even fear God, much less love him.

In verse 3, David says the wicked are deceitful and they fail to act wisely or do good. In the Bible, wisdom is not about being brainy or super smart and intelligent. Wisdom is about doing the morally right thing, the good thing.

Being a Christian is not easy. There are times when it is frustrating and difficult and confusing and humiliating and painful and a whole list of other unpleasant things. But don’t let that put you off. It’s not all bad and it is worth it in the end. In the meantime, it helps to be very clear in your own mind, about why you are a Christian.

Perhaps, like me, you started the Christian journey from a place of fearing the Lord and wanting to avoid hell. That’s okay. We all have to start somewhere. It is better to fear the Lord than ignore him.

But fear of the Lord by itself is not enough; it won’t get you through this life. At some point you need to grow in your love for the Lord. And the only way I know of growing in your love for the Lord is to focus on his goodness and to enjoy his love for yourself.

In verses 5-9 of Psalm 36, David praises God for his goodness and love.     

Praise:

In his book, Reflection on the Psalms, C.S. Lewis writes about praise. He says,

I thought of praise in terms of compliment, approval or the giving of honour. I had never noticed that all enjoyment spontaneously overflows into praise…

We delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment… It is not out of compliment that lovers keep on telling one another how beautiful they are; the delight is incomplete till it is expressed.

Lewis is pointing out here the relationship between praise and enjoyment. God does not need our praise. He is not insecure or vain. We praise God because we have experienced his love and we enjoy him. We can’t help but praise him. 

It’s like when anyone in our family sees a rainbow and has to tell the others. Or when the surf is going off and you just have to tell your mates to get out there and catch a wave. Or when you hear a really good joke and need to share it. Praise is essentially the expression of enjoyment. Praise liberates joy.

In verses 5-6 of Psalm 36, David liberates some joy when he praises God by saying: Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the great deep.

The first thing we notice here is the spaciousness of God. God is not small or stingy. He is roomy and generous. The love and faithfulness of the Lord is sky high – it has no limits. His righteousness is as solid and dependable and unmissable as the highest mountain range.

I remember waking up at Aoraki Mt Cook and looking out the window at Mount Sefton, on a beautiful cloudless blue sky day. It was spectacular. I couldn’t stop looking at the mountains all around us. That’s what God’s righteousness is like. It is awesome and beautiful and impossible to miss.

Once again our friend, Mr Lewis, clarifies things when he writes: We may ignore but we can nowhere evade the presence of God. The world is crowded with him. He walks everywhere incognito. (Letters to Malcolm)

God’s justice is like the great deep. The great deep refers to the ocean.

Like the ocean, God’s justice is a powerful force that cannot be manipulated or controlled by human beings. God’s justice has hidden depths. There is a certain mystery to it. God’s justice is teeming with life and it feeds us, it supports our life. God’s justice is also patient, turning rock into sand. 

Returning to verse 5, the word translated as love is actually hesed. (My apologies for not pronouncing it correctly.) Hesed is steadfast love, loyal love.

Hesed is not just a feeling. It is an action. Katherine Sakenfeld, who did her PhD on this subject, outlines the three main criteria of hesed. [1]

Firstly, the action is essential to the survival or the basic wellbeing of the recipient – so it’s a big deal.

Secondly, the needed action is one that only the person doing the hesed is in a position to provide – given the circumstances no one else can do it.

And thirdly, hesed takes place in the context of an existing relationship.

Unlike human hesed which is limited, God’s hesed (his loyal love) is unlimited, it crosses boundaries reaching to the heavens. This is like saying, ‘No one and nothing is beyond the reach of God’s love’.  

In the gospels, Jesus crossed boundaries in a righteous way, extending divine hesed to people he did not know. In doing that he transformed their lives and created a special kind of relationship with them.

When Jesus healed the man born blind on the Sabbath, that was hesed.

When Jesus delivered a man from a legion of demons, that was hesed.

When Jesus protected the woman caught in adultery, that was hesed.

When Jesus forgave the man who was paralysed and then healed him, that was hesed.

When Jesus invited himself to Zacchaeus’ house for dinner, that was hesed. 

When Jesus died on the cross to make us right with God, that was hesed.

Verses 5-6 are about the greatness of God, while verses 7-9 are about God’s care and providence. Or, as verse 8 puts it, People feast on the abundance of your house.

The image here is one of joyful celebration. In his book, The Weight of Glory, Lewis observes how ‘the sun looks down on nothing half so good as a household laughing together over a meal’.

Christians readily see connections in these verses with Jesus who identified himself as the light of the world, the bread of life and a well springing up to eternal life. 

Verse 9 of Psalm 36 is beautiful poetry, full of mystery. It says: in your light we see light. I’m not sure these words are fully knowable but, given the context, light suggests joy along with purity, clarity and truth.

Possibly C.S. Lewis had verse 9 in mind when he wrote: I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen – not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else. (Is Theology Poetry) 

It is the light of God’s goodness and love which helps us to trust the Lord and to see what is right. 

Exuberant praise welling up out of enjoyment of God is one thing, but David (like us) was living in a fallen world. The Lord’s servant still had to contend with the difficult reality of wicked men who sought to do him harm. And so Psalm 36 moves from prophecy to praise to prayer.

Prayer:

Here’s another little gem from Lewis: Relying on God has to begin all over again every day as if nothing had yet been done.

This is something I have found to be true in my own experience. I imagine that after David had killed Goliath, it may have been tempting for him to stop relying on God. I expect a victory like that would make most young men a bit cocky, a bit over confident. But not David. He does not turn away from God in pride. 

The secret to David’s success is that he relies on God all over again, every day, as if nothing had yet been done. We demonstrate our reliance on God through prayer. That is, by asking for his help daily.

David’s prayer in verses 10-11 of Psalm 36 is this: Continue your love to those who know you, your righteousness to the upright in heart. 11 May the foot of the proud not come against me, nor the hand of the wicked drive me away.

Once again the Hebrew word for love, in verse 10, is hesed. David is asking God to support the righteous and the upright in heart. Righteousness indicates right actions in one’s relationships with others, while uprightness of heart refers to one’s inner life being true or without pretence.

The upright in heart are like the pure in heart. They are the same on the inside as they are on the outside. They don’t pretend to be something they are not.  

David stands in solidarity with the righteous and upright in heart when he asks God to protect him in verse 11. David wants God’s love (his divine hesed) to set the agenda for his life, not the power of proud men. 

Verse 12 is a statement of faith: See how the evildoers lie fallen—thrown down, not able to rise! David is voicing his confidence in God’s ability to protect him. His faith is not blind or unfounded. It is based on his experience of God helping him in the past.  

We, who are Christian, may feel a bit uncomfortable with David’s prayer. He was a soldier, having to fight for his life. Most of us know nothing of mortal combat. We may have occasional fantasies of violence against our enemies, when we feel angry or afraid, but we know this is wrong.

Jesus taught us to love our enemies and to pray for their well-being, not their downfall. So what are we to do with David’s prayer?   

Another word from C.S. Lewis on prayer may help us here: We must lay before God what is in us; not what ought to be in us.

The psalms are unapologetically honest. They reveal what is actually in the psalmist and not necessarily what ought to be in him. Our prayer life needs to be honest, otherwise it loses its power.

If we are not honest with God we risk resenting him or, even worse, becoming obtuse and deluding ourselves. The upright in heart are honest with God, even when their truth is difficult to say.      

Please hear me on this. Honest is not careless. We still need to keep our prayers respectful, remembering that God loves us and wants the best for us.

Conclusion:

There is but one good; that is God. Everything else is good when it looks to him and bad when it turns from him.   

So the question for each one of us is, which way are we facing?

Are you looking to the Lord, feasting on his goodness?

Or do you have your back to him, pretending he is not there?

Jesus shows us the goodness of God. He shows us what it looks like to be made in the image of God, what it is to be truly human in the best sense of that word.

When we look to Jesus, when we build our life on his teaching and follow his example, we become good.

Let us pray…

Father God, we thank you for your love and faithfulness, your justice and mercy, your grace and truth. Give us a vision of yourself, in the face of Jesus, that we would reflect your image and enjoy you forever. Amen.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?

  • Do you have a favourite C.S. Lewis book or quote? What is it and why do you like it?
  • What do you think C.S. Lewis meant when he wrote: No man knows how bad he is until he has tried very hard to be good?
  • Why did you become a Christian? Is your reason for being a Christian the same now as it was when you started your journey of faith?
  • Discuss / reflect on the relationship between praise and enjoyment. Why do we praise God?
  • In what ways is God’s justice like the ocean? In what ways is God’s righteousness like a great mountain range? What does David mean when he says, “God’s love (hesed) reaches to the heavens”? What are verses 5-6 telling us about God?
  • Why does David pray? Why do you pray? Why is it important that we keep our prayer life honest?
  • Take some time this week to contemplate the various ways Psalm 36 connects with Jesus.

[1] Katherine Doob-Sakenfeld, Ruth, page 24

Tawa Baptist

Psalm 19

Scripture: Psalm 19

Video Link: https://youtu.be/NiA7TV-mefQ

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • The sky – God’s creation
  • The law – God’s will
  • The heart – David’s response
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Kai ora whanau and good morning everyone.

Have you ever looked up into the night sky and tried to count the stars? It’s difficult isn’t it. How many stars do you think you can see with the naked eye?

Well, someone from Yale University did count what can be seen and they catalogued 9096 stars. However, because the earth blocks the view, you can only see half that amount (around 4,500) on a dark the night.

The actual number of stars in the universe is not really known, mainly because we haven’t been able to locate the edge of the universe yet. God’s creation is massive on a scale that we simply cannot imagine. It is awe inspiring.

During the past few weeks we have been looking at a Psalm each Sunday. Today we focus on Psalm 19. This is one of C.S. Lewis’ favourites. From verse 1 of Psalm 19 we read…  

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. 3 They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. 4 Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun. 5 It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. 6 It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth. 7 The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. 8 The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. 9 The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous. 10 They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb. 11 By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward. 12 But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults. 13 Keep your servant also from wilful sins; may they not rule over me. Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgression. 14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

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

This Psalm of David falls neatly into three parts…

The first part, in verses 1-6, points our attention to the sky above. The sky, and all that is in it, are God’s handiwork; his creation revealing his glory.  The second part, in verses 7-10, focuses on the written law, which reveals God’s will for humankind and shows us how to enjoy life. And in the third part, verses 11-14, we read about David’s response of worship from the heart.

The sky – God’s creation:

How far away is the closest neighbouring star to our solar system? Is it…

A.) 42 trillion, 208 billion (42,208,000,000,000) kilometres away

B.) 48,000,000 (48 million) miles away

C.) 4.2465 light years away, or

D.) None of the above

Both A.) and C.) are correct answers. They are two different ways of measuring the same distance.

Proxima Centauri is the closest star to our solar system. It would take about four years and three months travelling at the speed of light to reach Proxima Centauri.

To put that into perspective it would take the Voyager space craft around 73,000 years to get there. And if you were to try and walk that distance on foot, it would take about 215 million years. You would need quite a bit of scroggin for that hike.

Psalm 19 begins with David looking up at the sky. Not just the night sky but the sky during daytime as well. I imagine as a shepherd, and then a soldier, David had plenty of opportunity to look at the sky.

David would not have known about Proxima Centauri but he would have been pretty good at reading the weather by the cloud patterns. Perhaps too, if he ever had to travel a significant distance, he may have navigated by the stars at night.

But this is probably not what David meant when he talked about the sky revealing knowledge. The sort of knowledge David was thinking about had to do with God.   

Some people in the ancient world worshipped the sun, moon and stars as gods. They thought the stars governed their fate, sort of like people who follow horoscopes, except the ancients were more serious about it. But when David looked up at the sky, he saw God’s handiwork.

The sun, moon, stars and sky are simply God’s creatures, carrying out the functions God made them for. What might we learn about God by looking at the sky and the starry hosts?

Well, as the apostle Paul points out in his letter to the Romans, we learn that there is a God. God the creator exists. Paul writes:  Ever since God created the world, his invisible qualities, both his eternal power and his divine nature, have been clearly seen; they are perceived in the things that God has made. 

The fact that the universe is so big and beautiful speaks to God’s power and grace. God is intelligent. He is both an artist and an engineer. Nothing is too difficult for God.

Furthermore, as anyone who likes looking at clouds and sunsets will tell you, the sky is never the same. There is an infinite variety of colour and shapes and moods and creativity in each day. Which tells us, God is not boring. God has an imagination and he has given us a mind to think with and make connections too.   

Here’s another science question for you. How many earths could fit inside the sun? Is it…

  1.  Nine earths
  2.  Six billion earths
  3.  One million, three hundred thousand earths, or
  4.  No one knows, it’s impossible to calculate

Well, the answer is C.) Apparently it would take 1.3 million earths all squished together to fill the sun.

The sun is 1,391,000 kilometres across. That’s about 109 times the diameter of the earth. The sun weighs 333,000 times as much as the earth. That is a huge mass. But if you are not already feeling small enough, our sun is relatively tiny by comparison with others. The largest known star in the universe is thought to be about 1,700 times as wide as our sun. And God made them all. I know, it blows your mind.

In verses 4-6 of Psalm 19 David narrows his focus from the whole sky to just the sun during the daytime. Obviously these verses are poetry; they are not intended to be scientific. In verse 5, David compares the sun to a bridegroom coming out of his chamber (after the first night of his honeymoon) and also to a champion athlete rejoicing to run his course.

The imagery here is of joy and strength and vitality. God made the sun to give life and warmth and happiness to the creatures of the earth. The sun is a reliable source of energy for us.

Just as the sun’s heat is felt everywhere, so too God’s glory is revealed everywhere. However, the glory of God is not experienced in the same way by everyone. For those who love the Lord and walk in his ways it is a comfort. But for those who do wrong it is a burden.

As we read earlier in the service, from the book of Job chapter 38: The light of day is too bright for the wicked and restrains them from doing violence.       

God’s power is like the power of the sun. We cannot get too close without being consumed. Likewise, God’s glory is like the light of the sun. Sunlight enables us to see clearly but we dare not look directly at it for fear of going blind.

David’s image of the sun, as a metaphor for God’s life giving power and glory, lends itself naturally to the next part of his psalm, which focuses on the law, the revealed will of God.

The law – God’s will:

Here’s a different type of question for you, moving from science to history. How many commandments are there in the Law of Moses? Are there…

  1.  929
  2.  128
  3.  10, or
  4.  613

Well, in Jewish tradition there are 613 commandments, so the answer is D.) But I would also accept C.) 10 commandments, because it’s a bit of a trick question.

613 commandments may seem like a lot but, by comparison with New Zealand law, it’s not that many. When I did a search of all the Acts of legislation on the Parliamentary Counsel Office website it came up with 1,872 results and that does not include the Bills before Parliament or other legal instruments.  

In verses 7-9 of Psalm 19 David uses six different terms to describe God’s law. The Hebrew word translated as law is torah. Torah can also mean teaching or guidance. Depending on how you think about it, the torah is at least the first five books of the Bible but it can mean the whole of the Old Testament.   

In the context of Psalm 19 the law or torah is a comprehensive term for God’s revealed will, hence the variety of terms used to describe it. The law isn’t just a list of commandments. The law is God’s way of telling us what he wants us to know about himself. The Law is also God’s way of telling us how to live well and enjoy life.

God’s law is perfect, without blemish and it refreshes the soul. The image here is of finding a spring or well of fresh water, when you are parched and thirsty.

Have you ever noticed how, when you read the Bible, God’s Spirit often shows you a verse or an idea in a new and fresh way that you haven’t seen before? That happens even with passages we are familiar with. God’s will, revealed in the Bible, never gets tired or old. There is yet fresh light to shed on God’s word.

The thing is, the refreshment we experience doesn’t just happen in our head. It happens in our soul. Your soul is your life force, your vitality, your energy, the core of your being, the unique finger print of your true identity.

Just as your body is refreshed when you actually drink water from the well, so too your soul (your inner life) is refreshed is when you actually do God’s will, rather than just reading about it.

The doing of God’s will has many benefits. Verse 8, in particular says: ‘The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart.’

Precepts are precise rules. They say the devil is in the details. God’s precepts take the devil out of the details. God’s precepts are precise, they fit perfectly like a hand in a glove or like a carpenter’s dove tail joint.

If you are a crafts person, if you like to knit for example, or turn wood, or do origami, or make something with your hands, then you will understand the feeling of satisfaction and joy when you nail it, when you don’t drop a stitch and when everything fits into place as it is supposed to.

Or if you like assembling jigsaw puzzles, you will know that feeling of satisfaction and joy you get when you fit the pieces together. It can be frustrating getting to the end of the puzzle and discovering that you have one or two pieces missing so you can’t complete it.

With God’s precepts, none of the pieces are missing. God’s precise rules fit together perfectly with his law of love. There is joy and satisfaction in discovering for yourself, through your own experience, how it all fits.

To give you an example from the Scriptures, one of God’s precepts is the rule that farmers should let the poor glean in their fields after the harvesters. To glean means to pick up the left over grain.

This is a small but significant detail in the story of Ruth, without which the story would be incomplete. Gleaning in Boaz’ field provides Ruth with the opportunity to meet Boaz and to eventually marry him and have children. God’s precept, to let the poor glean, results in great joy for the whole community.

For Ruth & Naomi & Boaz, God’s law is indeed sweeter than honey and more precious than gold. Obedience to God’s law rewards them by making their future secure and their hope real.    

God’s will (revealed through his precepts) doesn’t always feel joyful or satisfying to begin with. Sometimes following God’s precepts can be painful at first. Sometimes we have to sow in tears before we can reap with joy.

Like when Jesus said, turn the other cheek when someone strikes you and if someone insults you, ask God to bless that person. As hard as that is, doing what Jesus instructs puts us on a pathway to joy. As Jesus said, happy are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, they will be satisfied.

As Christians we believe that Jesus fulfils God’s law perfectly. Or to say it another way, Jesus shows us through his life and example what it looks like to do God’s will. With Jesus, none of the puzzle pieces are missing. All of God’s precepts and commands and statutes come into alignment and fit perfectly.     

In verse 9 of Psalm 19 David says: The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. We talked a little about the fear of the Lord last week. Fear in the sense of reverence and respect is the proper response to God’s word.

In verses 11-14 David gives an example of what the fear of the Lord looks like in practice. The third part of Psalm 19 describes David’s heart response of worship.

The heart – David’s response:

Earlier in this sermon I talked about the stars that are visible to the naked eye in the night sky. Although over 9,000 stars are visible we can only ever see about half of those from where we stand. That’s because the earth itself gets in the way. Half the stars are hidden from our view by the planet we are on.

Human consciousness is a bit like that. We might think we know everything there is to know about ourselves when in fact there are some facets of our personality which are hidden from our view. Our ego gets in the way.

The psychologist, Carl Jung, had a name for that part of ourselves that we can’t see. He called it the shadow side. Other people might be able to see what’s in your shadow, and God can certainly see your shadow, but you can’t.

Hopefully as we journey through life we become more self-aware. This means we become more aware of what is in our shadow side. Some of the stuff in your shadow you may not like. But the shadow side is not all bad. There is also some goodness in there. We are complex creatures, fearfully and wonderfully made.

In verse 12 of Psalm 19, David shows real insight into the human psyche when he says: But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults.

David is speaking here of his shadow side. That part of his personality or soul that is hidden from himself but seen by God and others close to him.

There’s an advert on TV at the moment warning people not to speed when they drive. In this ad an apprentice is being driven to the worksite by his boss. The boss thinks he is a good driver but in reality the boss is a dangerous driver who takes unnecessary risks.

Everyone who has ever driven with him knows this, except the boss himself. It is a fault hidden in his shadow. The apprentice unwittingly reveals the truth that no one wants a ride with the boss because they don’t feel safe with him.

We can become aware of our hidden faults (the stuff in our shadow that we can’t see) in any number of ways. Through understanding the dreams we have at night. By living in close quarters with someone else, like when you get married. Or by having to make a difficult decision under pressure.

It is not always pleasant to discover what’s in your shadow but the truth of it will set you free.

In verse 13 David addresses those willful sins, meaning those sins he is aware of. David doesn’t want any bad habits or addictions to rule his life. David wants God to be the captain of his soul.

Willful sins might include things like gossip or getting drunk or adultery or gambling or laziness or any pattern of behaviour really that causes us to lose control of ourselves. David is essentially asking God to help him exercise self-control.

Here’s another science question for you. How many neurons are there in the average human brain? Is it…

  1.  86 billion
  2.  14 billion
  3.  400 billion, or
  4.  1 million

The latest estimate by scientists is A.) around 86 billion neurons. A neuron (in case you are wondering) is a special kind of cell which transmits chemical and electrical information throughout the body.

And so we come to that part of David’s psalm, made famous by the pop group Boney M. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Normally the heart, in ancient Hebrew thought, refers to what we might call the mind, the seat of human consciousness.

The heart is more than just our brain with its 86 billion neurons. The heart includes our thoughts and feelings and decision making faculties; that part of our inner self which cannot be examined under a microscope.

The mouth speaks what the heart (or mind) is full of. Sometimes we say things that we don’t mean or that we never intended to say. Those unintentional words come from our heart, from our unconscious mind.      

David is well aware that God is not impressed by externals. God looks at the heart (or the inner workings) of a person. And so David does not respond by sacrificing a goat or a lamb in worship to God. David’s act of worship is a thought life that is pleasing to the Lord. His is an offering of self-control and pure praise.

Conclusion:

It is notable that the closing words of the song describe David’s relationship with God. The Lord, Yahweh, is David’s rock and redeemer. The Lord, Jesus, is our rock and redeemer. As a rock, Jesus is our security, our refuge and a firm place to stand in a hostile world.

And as a redeemer, Jesus is our Saviour, the one who rescues us from the enemy within the human heart; both the enemy we are aware of and the enemy we don’t see in our shadow.

The surprising thing is that the Spirit of Jesus often redeems us, not by destroying the enemy within, but by helping us to make friends with him so that we may be at peace with ourselves.    

Let us pray…

Father God, you are the maker of a universe so vast and so beautiful that we cannot comprehend it. You are truly awesome. Nothing is too difficult for you.

You are also our maker, the creator of the human heart in all its wonderful complexity. Thank you for your Son Jesus who fulfils your law and reveals your will to us.

Redeem our minds and guide our words. May our lives be an offering of self-control, pleasing and acceptable in your sight O Lord, for you are our security and our Saviour. Amen.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?

  • Have you ever looked at the stars in the night sky or watched a sunrise or found animal shapes in the clouds? How did you feel as you did this? What thoughts came to your mind?
  • What can we deduce about God from observing the sky and the stars?
  • What does the Law of God (the Torah) reveal to us?
  • David describes a number of benefits of God’s law (e.g. it refreshes the soul, it makes the simple wise, it gives joy to the heart, it is sweeter than honey, etc.) What benefits have you experienced by applying God’s will to your life?   
  • Have you ever had the experience of becoming aware of something in your shadow? What happened? How did you feel? How did you respond? In what ways was God’s grace evident to you in that process?
  • Why do you think David is concerned with the words of his mouth and the meditations of his heart? How is your thought life at the moment? What supports your self-control?  
Tawa Baptist

Wholehearted

Scripture: Psalm 15

Video Link: https://youtu.be/we4Mpggc-qs

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Wholehearted, not two faced
  • Discerning, not careless
  • Innocent, not harmful
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Kia ora koutou and good morning everyone.

In our lounge at home we have these words stuck to the wall…

In this house we do real, we do mistakes, we do I’m sorry, we do second chances. We do fun, we do hugs, we do forgiveness. We do really loud, we do family, we do love.

This is not a comprehensive list of everything we do but it gives you a flavour for the culture of our home. While we don’t aim to make mistakes, we also know that things don’t always go smoothly in life. Mistakes and misunderstandings are bound to happen. We don’t pretend, we don’t sweep it under the carpet. We do real.

What matters is not that the floors are vacuumed every day or that the windows are always spotless. What matters most is taking care of our relationships. If someone in our house does something wrong, then that does not exclude them from the family. Reconciliation must always follow a mistake.

That’s where I’m sorry, second chances, fun, hugs and forgiveness come in. Love has the last word. 

Over the past couple of weeks, during lockdown, we have been looking at a Psalm each week. Last Sunday we heard about Psalm 16. Today our focus is Psalm 15. Psalm 15 answers the question, ‘Who may dwell in God’s house?’

Psalm 15 is like the writing on our lounge wall in that it reveals what is important in God’s house. But, unlike the words on our wall, Psalm 15 may leave you with the impression that God’s standards are very high indeed and there is no room for mistakes. From Psalm 15 we read…  

O Lord, who may abide in your tent? Who may dwell on your holy hill? Those who walk blamelessly, and do what is right, and speak the truth from their heart; who do not slander with their tongue, and do no evil to their friends, nor take up a reproach against their neighbours; in whose eyes the wicked are despised, but who honour those who fear the Lord; who stand by their oath even to their hurt; who do not lend money at interest, and do not take a bribe against the innocent. Those who do these things shall never be moved.

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

When Moses led the people of Israel through the wilderness, God’s house (the place of his sacred presence), was a tent. This was also called the Tabernacle, a moveable dwelling. Later in Israel’s history, when David was king, God’s tent was set up in the city of Jerusalem. Jerusalem is built on a hill.

Eventually, king Solomon built a stone temple in Jerusalem for the ark of the covenant. So God’s dwelling went from being a tent to a more permanent building.

In verse 1 of Psalm 15 David asks the Lord, ‘who may abide in your tent?’ Tent here refers not just to the sacred tabernacle but also more generally to God’s home. Most of the rest of Psalm 15 answers this question.

The person who may dwell in God’s house, or to say it another way, the person who is at home with God, will typically have three character traits…

They will be wholehearted, not two faced.

They will be discerning, not careless

And they will be innocent, not harmful to others.  

Wholehearted, not two faced:

We all know by now that if we want to enter a supermarket or a library or some other public space, we must do a number of things. We must be well, we must wear a mask and we must scan a QR code. This is not a religious thing. It is a public health thing. We do this for the well-being of the community. 

In the ancient world, when Psalm 15 was written, a temple was considered the house of a god and admittance was not automatic. People had to do certain things to be admitted to a temple or sacred space. They might, for example, be required to carry out some ritual, or make a sacrifice, or donate some money or be a certain gender or wear a head covering or take their shoes off and so on.

The interesting thing about Psalm 15 is that admittance to God’s house is not obtained by carrying out some religious ritual, nor is it based on one’s race or gender. The prerequisites for dwelling in God’s house are moral. The criteria have to do with how one treats other people.

The message is clear, we must not separate religion and morality. If worship of God becomes a ritual that is divorced from everyday ethics, then God’s name is taken in vain. Our worship of God needs to influence every aspect of our lives, especially our relationships with others.

From verse 2 of Psalm 15 we get an answer to the question, ‘who may dwell in God’s house?’ Verse 2 reads: Those who walk blamelessly, and do what is right, and speak the truth from their heart;

Walk is a metaphor for one’s lifestyle; the way we conduct ourselves day to day.

When we read the word blamelessly, we might be inclined to think, this means I must be perfect and can never make a mistake. But the Hebrew word translated as blamelessly has a more positive connotation than that.

Being blameless, in Hebrew thought, means to be whole or wholehearted. Not two faced but having integrity, so that what you say is one with what you do.

Integrating your faith in the goodness of God throughout the whole week. Not behaving one way at church on a Sunday and then a different way at home or at school or at work the rest of the week.     

Being blameless then is not about being perfect and never making a mistake. Being blameless is about being the real deal, the genuine article. Not being a chameleon.

For those who are familiar with Jane Austin’s Pride and Prejudice, Miss Elizabeth Bennett and Mr Darcy were blameless (in the sense of being wholehearted), while Mr Wickham and Lydia were not.

It’s not that Lizzy and Darcy were perfect. They both had to overcome their pride & prejudice, but integrity was the backbone of their life. They spoke the truth from their heart and did not pretend to be something they were not, even when this was not advantageous to them.

Or, if the Marvel universe is more your thing then Thor was blameless (in the sense of being wholehearted), while Loki was two faced.

Thor was not perfect. In the beginning his character was proud too. But his heart proved to be humble and true when he lost his powers temporarily.

When Jesus was asked, which is the greatest commandment in the Law, he famously replied…

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Jesus is speaking of wholeheartedness here. To obey is better than sacrifice. Living a moral lifestyle is more important than performing religious rituals. It’s not that religious rituals have no value. In fact those rituals are supposed to support a moral lifestyle. The danger is that the ritual can become a mask for hiding one’s true motives.

As well as being wholehearted and not two faced, those who are at home with God are discerning and not careless.  

Discerning, not careless:

Some years ago, when I was training for ministry, I asked my mentor (Walter Lang) what gift he thought was most important for a pastor to have. Walter had over 40 years’ experience in pastoral ministry and straight away he said, ‘discernment’.

Discernment is the ability to judge well, to see things clearly and as they are. There was a lot of wisdom in what Walter said. Discernment requires us to slow down and be careful, not quick and careless.

When we were young my friends and I sometimes went camping and kayaking at Reids Farm, beside the Waikato River near Taupo. The water there is crystal clear. You can see right to the bottom.

But looks can be deceiving. If you drink that water you will be vomiting for days. It is full of effluent.

The famous preacher, Charles Spurgeon, once said: Discernment is not a matter of simply telling the difference between right and wrong; rather it is telling the difference between right and almost right.    

The water of the Waikato river is almost right. A discerning person will not drink it.   

In the gospel of John chapter 9, Jesus heals a man born blind. This is an incredible miracle, something no one had ever done before. As it happened Jesus performed this miracle on the Sabbath, a day of rest. That created a problem for the religious leaders, because healing people was classed as work and work was forbidden on the Sabbath. 

When the religious authorities questioned the man who had been healed they said to him…

“Give glory to God by telling the truth. We know this man [Jesus] is a sinner.”

25 The man who had been healed replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”

26 Then they asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?”

27 He answered, “I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples too?”

28 Then they hurled insults at him and said, “You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses! 29 We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.”

30 The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will. 32 Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. 33 If this man [Jesus] were not from God, he could do nothing.”

The man who had been blind speaks the truth from his heart and he exercises careful discernment. Unlike those interrogating him, he correctly tells the difference between what is right and what is almost right. 

In verse 4 of Psalm 15 we read how those who are at home with the Lord despise the wicked but honour those who fear the Lord.

This verse is talking about being discerning in who we align ourselves with, who we support.

The key to discernment is fear of the Lord. Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. To fear the Lord does not mean being anxious or worried about God. Fear of the Lord leans more toward reverence and respect. To fear the Lord is to trust and obey him.

When you fear the Lord you care more about God than anything else. The fear is not so much a fear of punishment if we make a mistake. It is more the fear of doing harm to our relationship with God. We don’t want to damage God’s reputation by our behaviour nor grieve his heart in any way.

It’s like the fear you might feel when you take a baby in your arms. You don’t want to be careless and drop the baby. You want be careful and make the baby feel comfortable. God is not vulnerable like a baby is, but the peace we need in our relationship with God does need to be cared for like a baby.      

Honouring those who fear the Lord is not likely to cause any offense but some people listening to this may be troubled by the idea of despising the wicked.

Aren’t we supposed to love everyone? Hmmm.  

Remember, verse 4 is talking about being discerning in who we align ourselves with, who we support. It is not loving to support or encourage bad behaviour. In fact, that is misleading and harmful. Despising evil is actually an act of love.

To despise the water of the Waikato river means not drinking it, because it will do you harm. But that doesn’t stop you from trying to clean it up.  

We do well to ask ourselves who did Jesus align himself with? Who did Jesus honour and who did he despise? 

Well, Jesus honoured those who possessed humility and faith.

He honoured the Roman Centurion for his trust in God’s authority.

He honoured Zacchaeus for his repentance and generosity to the poor.

Jesus honoured the woman of ill-repute who, because of her great love, washed his feet with her tears.

He honoured Nathanael for his truthfulness.

Jesus even honoured Peter with a second chance after Peter had denied him. 

The people Jesus honoured were not perfect but they were honest with themselves and they were willing to change and accept Jesus’ authority.

In contrast to this, Jesus despised those who were false and did not trust him.

Jesus despised Satan in the wilderness by refusing to bow to him.

Jesus despised the Pharisees saying to their face, you clean the outside of your cup and plate, but inside you are full of violence and evil.  

He despised the Sadducees for not believing in the resurrection of the dead.

And Jesus despised Herod by refusing to answer his questions or perform a miracle for him. 

The people Jesus despised were almost right. They were right in their own eyes but were lying to themselves and unwilling to trust Jesus or to change. 

Those who are at home with God are wholehearted, discerning and innocent, not harmful

Innocent, not harmful:

Psalm 15 picks up the theme of innocence where it describes…

Those …who do not slander with their tongue, and do no evil to their friends, nor take up a reproach against their neighbours; who stand by their oath even to their hurt; who do not lend money at interest, and do not take a bribe against the innocent.

These verses are about doing no harm to others. Most of the things in these verses don’t require much explanation. They are about doing justly and keeping God’s moral law.

Not slandering with the tongue is about doing no harm to a person’s reputation. Not passing on gossip. This fits with being truthful. One of the things human beings need is a sense of belonging. We need to know we fit with other people.

Slander undermines trust and makes it harder for people to connect and belong. Slander produces alienation, prejudice and loneliness. Slander is like weed killer to a person’s sense of belonging.

Not taking up a reproach against one’s neighbours is about being gracious. Not sweating the small stuff. Not making a mountain out of a mole hill. Not picking a fight but showing forbearance.

Standing by your oath is about faithfulness and honouring your commitments. People these days don’t tend to swear an oath but we do sign contracts and make commitments in various other ways. We must do everything in our power to honour the agreements we make, especially if breaking the contract would do harm to others?

But what if keeping to the letter of the contract would result in harm? Like with Jephthah and his daughter or Herod and John the Baptist? Well, good sense must prevail. Those who fear God will not add evil to evil. They will try to negotiate a change to the contract which avoids harm, as Proverbs 6:1-5 advises.

Not lending money at interest and not taking a bribe are about the right use of power and not taking advantage of those who are in a vulnerable position.

Verse 5 is not condemning the charging of interest on loans across the board. Rather it is condemning the practice of trading on a brother’s misfortune. In ancient Israel if a relative was down on their luck and came to you asking to borrow money, then you were to lend them what you could afford without charging interest. 

Translating that to a more contemporary situation, it would be like parents helping their adult children buy their first home by lending them money for the deposit, without charging interest. You do it because you love them.

It is not immoral for banks to charge interest on mortgages, nor is it wrong to receive interest on term deposits, provided the interest rate is reasonable. This means we need to be morally responsible with our investment decisions.

Loan sharking, or lending money at exorbitant rates, is essentially theft; it is taking advantage of the poor and desperate. We must not have any part in it. 

Returning to the spirit of Psalm 15; those who are at home with God will be generous and not greedy. They will not abuse their power or take advantage of others who are in a less fortunate position. They will help the poor because the poor are close to God’s heart.    

Conclusion:

Psalm 15 ends with the assurance that, ‘Those who do these things shall never be moved.’ In other words, there is security in a moral lifestyle. There is resilience in being wholehearted, discerning and innocent.

As wonderful as that sounds, we may have an uneasy, sinking feeling at this point. Because, if we can bear to be honest with ourselves, we would have to admit that our performance against the measure of Psalm 15 is a bit patchy at best.

None of us are completely innocent. Sometimes we lack discernment and we don’t always speak the truth from our heart. Often we are half hearted and two faced. So does that mean we are excluded from God’s house?

Well, not necessarily. Fortunately, God is looking for ways to include us in his household and in his family. In John chapter 1 we read about Jesus, the Word of God, who became flesh and pitched his tent among us.

Jesus is the only one who managed to fulfil the requirements of Psalm 15 and Jesus is our redeemer. Anyone who puts their faith in Jesus’ righteousness (and not their own) can be at home with God. 

Let us pray…

Father God, you are perfect in all your ways. We are not. Forgive us for those times we have been half hearted, two faced, careless and harmful to others.

Give us wisdom to tell the difference between what is right and what is almost right. Give us courage to love you wholeheartedly and to love our neighbour as we love ourselves. Give us grace to be generous in using what power we have for the wellbeing of others and the glory of your name.

Through Jesus we pray. Amen.

Let’s sing now There is a Redeemer, Jesus God’s Son…

Questions for discussion or reflection:

What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?

  • What was important in the house you grew up in? What was good about those values? What have you chosen to do differently? 
  • Why is it important not to separate religion and morality? What happens if worship of God becomes a ritual divorced from morality?
  • What does it mean to be blameless in the sense of wholehearted?
  • What do you think Charles Spurgeon meant when he said: Discernment is not a matter of simply telling the difference between right and wrong; rather it is telling the difference between right and almost right. How might we have this kind of discernment?
  • Who did Jesus honour and who did Jesus despise? What does this tell us about what is important to God and how we might approach God?
  • How are we to understand and apply the line in verse 5 about not charging interest?
  • How do you feel after reading Psalm 15? Is there anything there that pricks your conscience? Why is that? What do you sense God would have you do about it?

Outtakes

In Luke chapter 11 Jesus is invited to dine with a Pharisee. The Pharisee was amazed when Jesus did not wash his hands before eating. So Jesus says to him, You Pharisees clean the outside of your cup and plate, but inside you are full of violence and evil.

Jesus then goes on tell them all they are doing wrong. Jesus is not two faced, he speaks the truth from his heart. Jesus makes it clear he despises their way of operating. Why did he do this?

Well, it must be because he loves people. He loved the Pharisees enough to have the hard conversations with them, in the hope they would change and get on the right track. And he loved the regular everyday people enough to make it clear to them not to follow the Pharisees’ example.

Despising the wicked does not always involve speaking though. When Jesus was brought before Herod for questioning, the Lord ignored Herod. He said nothing. Herod, you may remember, had John the Baptist beheaded. Herod was a vile man who did not care about God. Jesus wouldn’t give him the time of day.

Trying to discern who we should despise and who we should honour requires discernment. In Matthew 7 Jesus said…

15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles?  17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 

Tawa Baptist

Psalm 16

Scripture: Psalm 16

Video Link: https://youtu.be/AxHjOormnnM

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Loyalty
  • Intimacy
  • Fullness
  • Eternity
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Last Sunday we played some Scrabble. This week I thought we could have a game of Snowman. Snowman is a spelling game usually played with kids, so I hope there are some children listening today.

Kids, the idea is for you to correctly spell the word I’m thinking of before I can draw a snowman. Throughout this message I will give you a number of clues. The first clue is that this word has four letters.

Last week we heard about Psalm 46. Today our focus is Psalm 16. This is a psalm of David. From verse 1 we read…   

Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.” As for the holy ones in the land, they are the noble, in whom is all my delight. Those who choose another god multiply their sorrows; their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names upon my lips.

The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; I have a goodly heritage. I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. I keep the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

Therefore, my heart is glad and my soul rejoices; my body also rests secure. For you do not give me up to Sheol, nor let your holy one see decay. You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

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

There are close to 30 four letter words in this psalm. Words like hand and glad and Lord and pour and so on. Maybe the word I’m thinking of can be found in this Psalm. Maybe not.

Loyalty:

The psalms are sometimes described as Israel’s hymn book. They are essentially a collection of song lyrics or poems from ancient Israel.   

Let me read you some other song lyrics from a different time and place in history…

Somewhere, somehow somebody must have kicked you around some. Tell me why you want to lay there, revel in your abandon. Honey, it don’t make no difference to me, baby, everybody’s had to fight to be free. You see you don’t have to live like a refugee (don’t have to live like a refugee)

Is there anyone in your bubble who knows who wrote the lyrics to this song?

That’s right, Tom Petty.  

A refugee is someone who has been forced to leave their country because of war, persecution or natural disaster. A refugee is someone who has lost their land, their home, their worldly possessions and anything else that would normally give a sense of security and stability.

People can also become emotional refugees. Perhaps they have had to flee their home because of an abusive relationship with a partner or a parent. Sometimes too children can feel like refugees when their parents separate, even if the separation is relatively amicable.

Essentially a refugee has lost their place of refuge, they have lost their security, and are looking for a safe haven.

I don’t think Tom Petty wrote this song for political refugees who have had to flee their own country. I imagine it was written more for emotional refugees, people who have suffered and been displaced when domestic relationships have gone bad.

That line where he says, ‘Tell me why you want to lay there, revel in your abandon’, is brilliant. It’s like he’s saying, ‘You may have a had a hard time but you’ve got a choice. You don’t have to think of yourself as a victim. You don’t have to give in to self-pity. Find refuge. Choose to re-connect. Start again. Be a survivor’

Perhaps Tom Petty never meant that much by his lyrics but they still speak.

In verses 1-2 of Psalm 16, David writes: Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.”

David knew what it was to be a refugee. As a young man David was driven away from home and into the wilderness, because king Saul wanted to kill him. And then, as an older man, David became a refugee once more, when he was forced to flee from his son Absalom.

But despite being a refugee, despite being kicked around some, David does not revel in his abandon. He does not give in to self-pity. Rather he takes refuge in God Almighty. David makes God his home. (‘Home’ is a four letter word. Is that the word I’m thinking of?) When God is your home you can never be displaced. There is no greater security than the Lord.

That phrase, where David says, ‘I have no good apart from you’, is both a statement of David’s loyalty to God and at the same time a description of David’s reality.

As a refugee David has lost a great deal. He is living rough in the wilderness, he is separated from his family. He is having to survive by his wits. David knows full well that the Lord is his only hope.

In verses 3-4 David gives further evidence of his loyalty to the Lord God when he says: As for the holy ones in the land, they are the noble, in whom is all my delight. Those who choose another god multiply their sorrows; their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names upon my lips.

Most of the expert Bible commentators say the original Hebrew of these verses is quite difficult to untangle. But essentially, David is saying he is loyal to the God of Israel. He has put all his eggs in one basket. He doesn’t put a bob both ways. He doesn’t worship the Lord God alongside other pagan gods.

Like Jerry Maguire, who had only one client, David serves only one God, Yahweh.

This is quite remarkable really. If anyone had a reason to revel in his abandon or to go chasing after other gods, it was David. Despite all he has lost David does not blame God. As a refugee (as someone hungry for security) David presses into the Lord even more deeply.

How are you getting on with spelling the mystery word I’m thinking of? If you have chosen the letter L, then you are on the right track. Our word starts with L.

Fullness:

Churches around the country are empty this Sunday. We might feel quite sad for what we have lost because of Covid. 

But maybe there is another way of looking at it. We, in New Zealand, are in the fortunate position of having a choice. We could see the apparent emptiness of lockdown as an opportunity to make room for God.  

Sometimes the more stuff we have in our lives, the less room we have for God.

Sometimes the more capable we are, the more pressure we find ourselves under to meet everyone’s demands and the less time we have for God.

Sometimes the more freedom we have, the harder it is for us to make a good choice.

Sometimes the more entertainment we consume, the more difficult it is to be still and think.

Do you see where I’m going with this? Sometimes less is more. (‘Less’. That’s a four letter word that begins with L. Is that the word I’m thinking of?)

When I say, ‘less is more’, I mean, perhaps the emptiness has something to offer. It seems to me that David’s loyalty to God was formed in the womb of emptiness. He sought refuge in God because he had no other good thing.

Sometimes less is more.  Before we can fill our lungs with fresh air we must first empty our lungs of the stale air. I’m not saying I like lockdown. I look forward to a time when we can gather safely in level 1 or better still level none.

Maybe though, this time of lockdown is an opportunity to expel some stale air out of our lives. Maybe it is an opportunity to make room for the fresh oxygen of God’s Spirit.

A few years ago I asked my spiritual director to pray for me. I don’t remember the words he said exactly but I do remember his posture. He opened his hands, so they were empty, with the palms facing upward, like he was about to receive something.

He may not have meant too much by that gesture but it still speaks to me now. Before we can take God’s hand we must first let go of whatever else we are holding on to.

Here’s a quote for you for Fathers’ day (not sure where it comes from)…

A truly rich man is one whose children run into his arms when his hands are empty.

It may sound a bit sentimental, but that doesn’t make it any less true.

For someone who has lost so much, David still sees the cup of his life as full. Not full in a busy, hurried and pressured kind of way. But full in a pleasant, roomy, chilled out kind of way.

In verses 5 & 6 of Psalm 16 we read about the quality of David’s fullness…  

The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; I have a goodly heritage.

In ancient Israel, during the time of Joshua, land in Canaan was allocated to tribes and clans and families according to sacred lot. The land allotted to your clan then stayed in the family and was passed down from generation to generation. This is what verse 6 is referring to when it says the boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places.

(‘Land’ is another four letter word beginning with L, by the way.)

The curious thing is that David was probably writing this as a refugee. David had been emptied of material possessions when he was driven off his land. He was living in a cave in the wilderness. How is it then that he can say: The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places.

Well, David sees his loss and consequent emptiness as an opportunity for receiving the fullness of God himself. David may not have land but the Lord is his portion. David could not have a more ‘goodly heritage’ than the Lord. The Lord Himself is David’s inheritance. God Almighty is David’s land, the ground of his being.

In reading verse 6 I am reminded of Frank & Marjorie Duncan. Psalm 16:6 is their family motto. Frank was the minister of Tawa Baptist some years ago and before that he and Marjorie were missionaries in China during the 1940’s.

They served in Honan province during the famine of 1942 to 1944. Before the famine ended around 80,000 people, out of a population of 500,000 in that district, had died. In a material sense it was a time of great emptiness. But there was also a fullness of compassion in the relief camp that Marjorie and Frank ran.

Sometime later Frank & Marjorie became refugees as they were forced to flee China for their lives. How is it then, after coming through all of that, the Duncan family were able to say: The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage. (KJV)

Well, I cannot pretend to know what was in Frank & Marjorie’s heart, but I expect it had to do with verse 5: The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.

The kind of fullness that God gives is brought out more explicitly in verse 11:

…In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

The Hebrew word translated as fullness comes from the same root as ‘satisfied’.

The sort of fullness in view here is not the uncomfortable fullness one might feel after eating too much. Rather, it is the replete-ness of having eaten only what you need.

Nor is it the feeling of frustration, like when you’ve had a guts full of something. Rather, it is the feeling of joy and wonder that accompanies a new experience.   

As Derek Kidner observes, the joys and pleasures (of verse 11) are presented as wholly satisfying and endlessly varied, for they are found both in who God is and what he gives. ‘[David], the refugee of verse 1 finds himself an heir and his inheritance beyond all imagining and all exploring.’ [1]   

Time for another clue. If the letter ‘f’ is one of the letters you guessed, then well done; ‘f’ goes in the middle of our four letter word. We still need two more letters to spell the whole word though. 

Intimacy:

Verses 7 & 8 of Psalm 16 read…

I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me.

I keep the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

These verses speak of God’s nearness to David. David may be separated from his family and loved ones, but he is close to God. Close enough, in fact, to hear God’s counsel (his wisdom and advice) intimately.   

What does David mean when he says, my heart instructs me? Normally, in the Old Testament, the heart refers to a person’s mind; their thought life. However, the Hebrew word, translated as heart in verse 7, is more literally kidneys.

I suppose the English translators chose the word heart because the poetry of, my kidneys instruct me, would be lost on most modern readers. Probably David is using the Hebrew word kidneys as a metaphor for his conscience. Just as kidneys act as a filter for our blood, so too the conscience acts as a filter for our soul. So the thought is: in the night also my conscience instructs me.    

If that seems like overthinking it, then the reference to ‘kidneys’ might just be an ancient way of saying, ‘I have a gut feeling about this’, like an instinct or an intuition. You just know.

In any case, David’s intimacy with God is clear. God is guiding David in his inner being. And the interesting thing is that this intuitive / gut guidance happens at night, when David is quiet and still.

We read in the gospels how Jesus often went off by himself, very early in the morning, to pray. We are not told exactly what happened in these times of prayer but I expect it was a time of intimacy between Father and Son. A time when God spoke counsel to Jesus, in the stillness.

How is your devotional life at the moment? Are you able to carve out time to be still and listen to God? Stillness makes room for God.

I’m getting close to finishing the snowman. Better give you another clue. Did any of you guess the letter ‘i’? I imagine some of you did. The ‘i’ comes second. So far then we have ‘L-i-f ’. That narrows it down quite a bit. It is likely to be one of two words. Kids, if you are still listening, can you think what those two words might be?

Eternity:

Psalm 16 finishes on a note of joy at the prospect of unbroken fellowship with God. From verse 9 we read…

Therefore, my heart is glad and my soul rejoices; my body also rests secure. For you do not give me up to Sheol, nor let your holy one see decay. You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

In a nutshell these verses are alluding to eternal life. Eternal life doesn’t just mean existing forever. Eternal life describes a quality of relationship with God, characterised by joy and intimacy and pleasure.

Sheol, in ancient Hebrew thought, is the realm of the dead. The people of king David’s time didn’t really think of the after-life in terms of heaven and hell. Sheol wasn’t paradise, nor was it torture. It was more of a neutral space; a place of shadows.    

Notice how David talks about his heart, soul and body, in verse 9. This is a way of describing one’s whole self, physical and spiritual. David rests secure (he has no fear for the future) because he is confident that nothing, not even death, can separate him from the love of God.

The idea of eternal life, unbroken blissful fellowship with God, is not new to us because we have the gospel of Jesus. But it was a pretty progressive idea 3000 years ago when David wrote his psalm.

2000 years ago the apostles Peter & Paul both applied the closing verses of Psalm 16 to Jesus and his resurrection. In Acts 2, on the day of Pentecost, Peter made the comment…

Seeing what was to come, [David] spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay. God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it.

It is through faith in Jesus that we also will share in resurrection to eternal life. Therefore, we do not need to be afraid in this life. If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you will be saved.  

Conclusion:

It is time now for the great reveal. The word I was thinking of was life. Well done to all those who guessed it. You made it just in time before I put the arms on the snowman.

Psalm 16 shows us what true life is. We tend to think of life as mere physical existence. So if someone is still breathing we say they are alive. But in the thought world of the Bible, life is more than breathing. Life is close friendship with God. 

Some of you may have noticed how the four main points of today’s message make an acrostic of the word life: Loyalty, Intimacy, Fullness and Eternity, spells life.

Loyalty to God. Intimacy with God. Fullness of joy in God’s presence and eternity with God, beyond death. This is what Psalm 16 means by life.

Whatever situation you find yourself in today, may the life of the risen Christ be real for you. God bless.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?

  • Have you ever felt like a refugee? (E.g. displaced, homeless, afraid for your life, in need of refuge…) What were the circumstances? How did God help you in that situation?
  • How is your experience of this lockdown? How might we redeem this time? How might we make more room for God in our lives, both during this lockdown and after?
  • Why was David (who knew what it was to be a refugee) able to say, ‘The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places. I have a goodly heritage’?
  • How is your devotional life at the moment? How does God speak counsel to you? Are you able to carve out time to be still and listen to God?
  • Discuss / reflect on the various ways Psalm 16 points to Jesus.  
  • What is ‘life’ in the thought world of the Bible? How is this different from a contemporary understanding of life? 

Outtakes

It is no accident that the Israelite refugees in exile in Babylon said (in Lamentations 3:24), The Lord is my portion, therefore I will hope in him. The Jewish exiles had lost everything. But as painful as their amputation was, it made room for hope in God.

[1] Refer Derek Kidner’s (Tyndale) commentary on the Psalms, page 103

Tawa Baptist

Present

Scriptures: Psalm 46 & Mark 4:35-41

Video Link: https://youtu.be/5qVW-vn7Gm8

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • God in the chaos
  • God in the city
  • God among the nations
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone. How is this lockdown going for you?

I imagine some of you will be busier than ever and others may have a bit more time on your hands. Maybe you have had the opportunity to play some board games, like Scrabble. Scrabble is a bit like life in that you never know what letters you are going to get.

Imagine you are starting the game with these seven letters? T R S E E P N

This is a fortunate start because you have some vowels. You could spell the word PRESENT.

It is most fortunate indeed that we are able to spell the word ‘PRESENT’. That fits quite nicely with our message today. This week we focus on Psalm 46, one of the songs of the Sons of Korah. In a nut shell, Psalm 46 is an affirmation that God is present.  Let’s read Psalm 46 together now…

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Come and see what the Lord has done, the desolations he has brought on the earth. He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire.

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

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

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

Psalm 46 is punctuated with reminders that the Lord Almighty is with us. God is present. God is present in the chaos. God is present in the city. And God is present among the nations. 

God is present in the chaos:

Now as providence would have it, the next player in our game of Scrabble has these letters: STUREJF. What word can we make with this lot?

One of the cool things about Scrabble is that you can use the letters the other players provide. This enables you to spell words you might not otherwise be able to spell. As keen Christians you will automatically notice the letter J and think, ‘I wonder if we can spell JESUS’.

And yes, with the letters we have, we could spell JESUS, if we use the S in PRESENT. However, under the traditional rules of Scrabble, you are not allowed to use people’s names, so we will have to think of another word.   

STUREJF enables us to spell rust. But with the T on the end of PRESENT we can spell TRUST. Verses 1-3 of Psalm 46 sound a note of defiant trust.

Psalm 46 starts, in verse 1, with God. God comes first.

Verses 2-3 describe primordial chaos, with the earth giving way and the mountains falling into the sea. Earthquakes and storms and floods basically. But before the chaos, there is God.

Verse 1 says that God is our refuge and strength. A refuge is a shelter or a sanctuary, a safe place. God is our safe place. As our refuge God protects us from the chaos out there in the world.  

God is also our strength. While refuge has to do with protection from external threats, strength has to do with our inner person. Strength is about mental and emotional resilience or fortitude.

Or to think of it another way, to say that God is our refuge is to say that we are within God, like being in a life boat or in a safe house or in a fortress. And to say that God is our strength is to say God is within us; in our heart and mind.

In John 14:20 Jesus talked about being in God and God being in us through him, when he said to his disciples: “On that day you will realise that I am in the Father and you are in me, and I am in you.”

To be a Christian is to be ‘in Christ’, which means Jesus is our refuge, our strong tower. To be a Christian also means having Christ live in us, in our heart and mind; which means Jesus is our inner strength, like the reinforcing steel in concrete, or better still, like the backbone in your body holding everything together but at the same time allowing flexibility. 

Because God is ever-present in the chaos and the storm, we do not need to be afraid. The opposite of fear is trust. Trust is the foundation of life really. Trust gives us something firm to stand on. When our trust (our foundation) is in God, then we have nothing to fear because our foundation cannot be moved.

Refuge and strength flow out of trust. We can use the R in TRUST to spell REFUGE and the S to spell STRENGTH.

The idea of the earth giving way and the mountains falling into the sea is quite real for us today. This generation is all too aware of global warming and the effects of climate change. We see images of flooding and earthquakes and tsunamis and hurricanes and forest fires almost every week on the news.

Our hope of a better future is under constant bombardment.

In Psalm 46 the Sons of Korah stir us to defy despair and, through trust in God, find refuge and strength and security. Yes, evil threatens. But ultimately God is in control. God is present in the chaos and God is present in the city.

God is present in the city:

Returning to our game of Scrabble; if you want bonus points, you need to get a triple word score. We happen to have an H right beside a triple word score. What can we do with the letters WITRINQ?

Well, we know we can’t do anything with the Q because you usually need a U if you want to make a word with a Q. But we could spell WITHIN. That would give us 48 points. Smashing it. 

From verse 4 of Psalm 46 we read how God is present in the city…

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.

The city in view here is Jerusalem. For the Jews of ancient times God dwelt within the city, because the Lord Almighty had his temple there. The holy place is another way of talking about the temple. This picks up the theme of God being present with his people.

That phrase where it says, God will help her at break of day, is a reference to the city under siege. In ancient times enemy armies would attack and besiege a city at dawn, at day break. This enabled the enemy soldiers to get close to the walls while it was still dark.

At break of day reminds us of the dawn raids in New Zealand during the 1970’s. I imagine the Pasifika community felt under siege at that time.  

The Sons of Korah and the other worshippers look to God for help in the time of a siege, rather than military might.

According to Wikipedia, Jerusalem has been attacked 52 times and besieged 23 times during its long history. It was destroyed twice, and both times rebuilt.

But Psalm 46 isn’t primarily about the earthly Jerusalem. Psalm 46 is really more about the heavenly Jerusalem. The eternal city of God that can never be conquered or destroyed.

The river whose streams make glad the city of God reminds us of the pool of Siloam, which is a gentle flowing stream supplying Jerusalem with water during a time of siege.

Taking a less literal (more poetic) view, the river of God’s city is a metaphor for God’s provision and blessing. Christians may see here a connection with the Holy Spirit who gives life and cleansing to God’s people.

In Revelation 22, at the end of the Bible, we read about the heavenly Jerusalem;

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 

And how the nations of the world need that healing.

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

This refrain is repeated, like the chorus of the song, in verses 7 & 11. Martin Luther, the great reformer of the 16th Century, found inspiration for his hymn, A mighty fortress is our God, from this line and indeed from the whole of Psalm 46.

A fortress speaks again of refuge, protection and security from external threats.

The expression, God of Jacob, is perhaps a subtle way of reminding the worshippers of God’s grace throughout their nation’s history. God is with his people in the city of Jerusalem, not because of any virtue on their part, but because He is gracious and kind.  

We might not have cities with walls, like they did in ancient times, but we do understand what it is to be under siege.

The Covid virus besieges us in a number of ways. Our movement and contact with others is restricted, with good reason. Not only that but some may feel besieged with unpleasant thoughts and feelings.

By comparison with the rest of the world though, we (in NZ) are pretty well off really. God has been with New Zealand in this siege, not because we are more deserving than other countries but simply because the Lord is gracious.  

We have watched in sadness this week while events have unfolded in and around Kabul airport, as people try to flee Afghanistan. We pray for God to be present in the chaos of that city. We pray too for the Lord Almighty to be present among the nations, as world leaders seek to help the vulnerable. 

God is present among the nations:

Sometimes the letters you get, in Scrabble, enable you to make more than one word. With the letters SLVEACE, for example, we can make ACE, LEASE, LEAVE and SLAVE. And if we use the some of the letters already on the board from the word PRESENT, we have even more options.

When I have the choice I prefer to go with the word which is more edifying and that will open up more options on the board, even it doesn’t get me as many points.

I could make the word SLAVE, which would give me 18 points because it is a double word score. Or, if I borrow a letter from the word PRESENT (already on the board) I could make PEACE, which only gives me 11 points.

But I prefer peace to slavery and so I choose peace.    

Peace is what we long for. Peace in our inner being, peace in our personal relationships and peace in our international relations.    

Verses 8-10 of Psalm 46 tell us that God alone has the power to end war and bring peace…

Come and see what the Lord has done, the desolations he has brought on the earth. He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire.

Then in verse 10 the Lord God Himself speaks…

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

More often than not we read only half of what God says here. We focus on the first part where the Lord says, “Be still and know that I am God”, and we stop there. We (in the West) tend to think this means quieting our mind, being personally still (on the inside) and meditating on God.

That is certainly an important part of the meaning here. Most of us could well do with more stillness and less busy-ness in our lives. Lockdown is a kind of forced stillness. If only we could lean into a slower pace and give more mental space to God. 

But there’s more at stake here than our personal stillness. The second part of what God says in verse 10 is: “I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

This phrase, in the context of verses 8-9, makes it clear that the stillness in view here is more than inner peace. It is international, global peace. Peace among the nations.  

Earlier in the service we heard a reading from Mark 4 retelling how Jesus calmed the storm on the lake. God’s word, “Be still” (in Psalm 46), is actually a command to end war and violence, much like Jesus’ word, “Be still”, in Mark 4, was a command for the wind and waves to stop.  

The Bible teaches that justice is the prerequisite to peace and wisdom is the prerequisite to justice. There is no real peace without wise justice. What happened with the bombings in Kabul a few days ago was not wise or just.

To exalt the Lord is to lift up his wisdom and justice, to follow His way. Jesus shows us the way of God. When God is exalted among the nations there is peace.

Sometimes in the game of Scrabble you get letters which are hard to use, like an X or a Q. It always feels satisfying when you can put these less common letters to good use.

See what happens when you choose peace instead of slavery. You allow room to use your X to spell EXALTED and your Q to spell QUIET. And you are able to sneak in a BE STILL also.

Conclusion:

When we look at all that is going on in the world today; extreme weather events, a global pandemic, the rise of extremism and acts of terror, wars and rumours of wars, we may feel like the disciples in the storm in Mark 4, overwhelmed, confused and anxious.

We need to remember that, just as Jesus was present in the boat with his disciples in that storm, so too God is present with us in every circumstance we face in this world (whether good or bad).

And just as Jesus was able to calm the storm on the lake with one word, so too God is able to change things very quickly when He decides.

Psalm 46 shows us how to look at the reality of this world through the lens of eternity. The violence and turmoil of this world will not last forever. Ultimately God’s peace will reign. God’s plan is to establish heaven on earth. The best is yet to come.

Therefore, we do not need to be afraid. We can trust God for he is our refuge and our strength. God is present among the nations. God is present in this city of Wellington and God is present in the chaos; present to restore order. Best of all, through the Spirit of Jesus, God is present within your very soul.   

Let us pray…

Mighty God, loving Father, help us to understand that, through Jesus, we are in you and you are in us. Keep us mindful of the fact that our life depends on you and that nothing can separate us from your love, therefore we do not need to be afraid. May you be exalted in all the earth. May your wise justice be lifted up that peace would reign. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. 

Look after yourself and look after each other.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

What stands out for you in reading these Scriptures and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?

  • Do you have a favourite board game? What is it and why?
  • What does it mean that God is our refuge? What does it mean that God is our strength? How are these terms similar? How are they different?
  •  In what ways does Psalm 46 speak to the situation of our world today? Is God saying anything to you personally through this psalm?
  • Why is the term ‘break of day’ significant?
  • What might the river of the city of God refer to, both literally and poetically? What light does Revelation 22 shed on the river of God’s city?
  •  Discuss / reflect on verse 10 of Psalm 46. What does this verse mean to you? What does it mean in the context of the psalm? (E.g. what does “Be still” mean? How is God exalted in all the earth?)
  • Take some time to reflect on the ways God is present for you? Give thanks to him for this.
Tawa Baptist

May the mind of Christ

Scriptures: Romans 12:2, Luke 10:25-37, Philippians 2:2-5, Ephesians 3:19, Colossians 3:15-16, Hebrews 12:1-3 and 1 Peter 2:12.

Video Link: https://youtu.be/JwJZhHPMdsY

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Monday & Tuesday – verses 1-2
  • Wednesday & Thursday – verses 3-4
  • Friday & Saturday – verses 5-6
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Last year we preached an anthems series, looking at some much loved worship songs of the Christian faith. Today we put our hair series on pause to focus on the hymn, May the mind of Christ my Saviour.

This song was written by Kate Wilkinson sometime prior to 1912. Kate was born in England in August 1859 and died in December 1928. So Kate was probably in her late 40’s or early 50’s when she wrote May the mind of Christ my Saviour. Her song is just over 100 years old.  

Kate Wilkinson was a keen Christian and worked with young women in West London. I suppose she was sort of like a 24-7 youth worker. Kate was actively involved with the Keswick Convention, also known as the Deeper Life movement. Apparently Kate was quite intentional about personal discipleship and public faith. 

The Baptist Hymnal shows five verses of the song May the mind of Christ my Saviour but there were originally six verses, one for each day of the week (Monday to Saturday).

The original idea was to cultivate one’s faith throughout the whole week by making one verse a focus of meditation each day. We could think of each of the six verses of the song as six days of re-creation.

Monday & Tuesday – Verses 1-2:

Verses one & two, which would be contemplated on a Monday and Tuesday respectively, read…

May the mind of Christ, my Saviour, live in me from day to day,
By His love and power controlling all I do and say.

May the Word of God dwell richly in my heart from hour to hour,
So that all may see I triumph only through His power.

One of the song’s themes, evident in these verses, is the importance of one’s inner life. By ‘inner life’ we mean what goes on in our heart, mind and imagination. Making sure we get our thinking patterns, our attitudes and feelings in line with Christ. If we get our inner life on track, then this will naturally result in actions which are life-giving both for ourselves and others.

Kate Wilkinson believed in transformation from the inside out. Like the apostle Paul says in Romans 12: Be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God – what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Or said another way, discipleship (learning to be like Christ) involves consciously thinking: what would Jesus do in this situation?  

Picture your mind as a garden. The thoughts you cultivate produce fruit in the form of words, feelings and actions. If we cultivate bad thoughts, if we focus on things that are not edifying, or if we give in too easily to thinking the worst all the time, then this will shape what we say and how we conduct ourselves.

For example, if we imagine that nobody likes us and that someone out there in the world wants to do us harm, then we will probably feel quite fearful a lot of the time. If we have to leave the house, then we might avoid eye contact with people and not talk to them. We will miss the friendly wave and the kind smile of the people around us. Life will start to feel pretty grim.

Of course, we don’t know what we don’t know. We may be stuck in a negative and false pattern of thinking because that’s all we know. Jesus gives us a better model for being human. As we think about Jesus, as we populate our mind and imagination with the stories and teachings of Jesus, we cultivate words and deeds which are Christ-like.     

So, if we catch ourselves beginning to imagine that someone wants to do us harm, then we stop that negative thought by taking time to reflect on what Jesus has to say about this. We might consider the parable of the good Samaritan and actually imagine ourselves in the story.

Through Jesus’ parable of the good Samaritan we are able to face our fear in a safe way. Someone does get beaten up in the story. Sometimes bad things happen to people. So we need to be careful. Don’t walk down a dark alley. Don’t swim with sharks. Don’t put yourself in harm’s way. But even when we are being careful, bad things can still happen. Fortunately, that’s not where the story ends.

Two out three people walk past the wounded man on the side of the road but one stops to help. Think about that for a moment. One person is all that is needed to redeem a bad situation. One person can undo harm and bring healing. One person can inspire others to hope and good deeds. One person can make a world of difference, even when the world seems indifferent. You might be that one person.  

The masterful thing about the way Jesus’ story works in our imagination is that the one who stopped to help was the one we would least expect to stop and help. The hero of the story is a Samaritan. Someone different to us. Someone we would normally avoid. Someone we would ordinarily think of as dangerous. 

In this way the parable undermines our worst fear and challenges our prejudice. Because it is the one who we thought was the most dangerous who shows the most kindness.

The parable also invites us to be the good Samaritan, to not think of ourselves as the victim but rather to imagine ourselves as the hero, the one who redeems.

Thinking of the original context, Jesus told this parable in response to a question about loving your neighbour. When our mind-set changes from being afraid of our neighbour to loving our neighbour, a whole new world of possibility opens up. So rather than avoiding eye contact and not talking to people, we walk around with our eyes open looking for some small way to help.   

The point is, when we let the word of God take root in our hearts and minds, the Spirit of Jesus grows something good in the soil of our imagination to produce words and actions that are life giving to ourselves and others.

The opening line of the song, May the mind of Christ, my Saviour, live in me from day to day, finds its inspiration from Philippians 2, where Paul writes…

Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus.

Those of us from a European background may be more inclined to interpret this phrase individually or personally, as Kate Wilkinson appears to. And while it can be embraced by individuals, as I’ve just illustrated, Paul’s original meaning was more social and relational.

Paul’s concern is not merely with the inner [mind set and] attitudes of individual believers, but with the concrete expressions of their attitudes in their day-to-day encounters with each other. [1] 

In other words, the collective values and culture of our faith community should be characterised by Christ’s way of thinking. When a group of individuals are of one mind, all contemplating the example of Jesus together, the benefit is multiplied. 

In Philippians 2 Paul writes: make my joy complete: be of one mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests but to the interests of others.

Paul’s words here describe a Christ-like way of being in community with other believers. This is what it looks like to have the mind of Christ live in us (plural).

The line in verse 1 of Kate Wilkinson’s hymn where it says, by his love and power controlling all I do or say, also connects with Galatians 2 where Paul writes: I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me.

The idea is that Christian believers are the body of Christ. Jesus is the head or the brain of the church and we are his arms and legs, his hands and feet. Just as the brain controls the body’s movement and action, so too we (the church) want Christ to control our movements and actions.

It’s not that Jesus overpowers our free will. We are not robots. Rather we find our meaning and purpose as instruments of Christ. Just as a pen finds its purpose in the hands of a gifted writer or a bat fulfils its purpose in the hands of a talented cricketer, so too we fulfil our purpose when guided by Jesus. It is when we cooperate with God’s Spirit that we bring glory to Him.

Verse 2 of the song, which talks about the word of God dwelling richly in my heart from hour to hour, comes from Colossians 3:16 where Paul writes…

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs to God.

Having the mind of Christ live in us and letting the word of God dwell in our hearts are really two ways of saying the same thing. We cannot live a Godly life in our own strength.

Wednesday & Thursday – verses 3 & 4:

Moving on to verse 3 of the song, which we might contemplate on a Wednesday, Kate writes…  

May the peace of God my Father rule my life in everything,
That I may be calm to comfort sick and sorrowing.

This verse finds its inspiration from Colossians 3:15 where Paul says…

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body…

Or as the Amplified Bible puts it: Let the peace of Christ [the inner calm of one who walks daily with Him] be the controlling factor in your hearts [deciding and settling questions that arise]. To this peace indeed you were called as members in one body [of believers].

Knowing that God is our Father gives us peace in our inner being. When we have to make decisions then we let the peace of Christ guide us. Kate Wilkinson has interpreted Colossians 3:15 from a personal perspective. So, if we have a bad feeling or a caution in our spirit about doing such and such a thing, then we must listen to our conscience and not do it.

However, in the original context of Colossians 3, Paul is talking more about having a collective sense of peace within the faith community. So we get peace, not by making decisions in isolation, but by talking about things with other believers and making decisions that take care of our relationships.

For example, the decision to undertake seismic strengthening works on our church buildings was not made by any one individual. Rather, the Deacons and pastors talked about it together, we did the due diligence and then brought the decision to the wider congregation. We proceeded with strengthening works because we all had a peace that this was the right thing to do for the well-being of all.

In many ways peace, both personally and collectively, is the foundation for making good decisions and helping others. If we are clear about why we are doing something and we feel good about it, then the lake of our soul can be still and calm to comfort those who are sick and sorrowing.

Verse 4 of the hymn, which Kate Wilkinson would have us think about on a Thursday, reads…

May the love of Jesus fill me as the waters fill the sea;
Him exalting, self abasing, this is victory.

The love of Jesus is as abundant as the sea. We can’t exhaust the love of Christ.

To be filled with the love of Jesus is to be filled with God Himself. In Ephesians 3 Paul talks about knowing the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

The knowledge of Christ’s love is an experiential knowledge, not just an abstract academic knowledge. The best (and possibly only) way to learn to love others is by receiving love ourselves. We can’t give what we don’t have.   

To exalt Christ means to recognise that Jesus is Lord and to give him number one place in our lives. But those two words, self abasing, are problematic. Self abasing means belittling or degrading yourself. To abase oneself is to behave in a way that makes one seem lower or less deserving of respect. To abase yourself is to pull the rug out from under your own feet. It is remove the foundation on which you stand.

Perhaps Kate Wilkinson was trying to find a way of picking up on what Paul says in Philippians 2 about thinking of others as better than yourself? If so, then I don’t agree with her interpretation of Paul’s thought here.            

To think of others as better than yourself does not mean comparing yourself to others and deciding that, in your estimation, they are better or more valuable than you. That can’t be right. Jesus said don’t judge others.

In the context of Philippians 2, to think of others as better than yourself, means caring for others in your community of faith and putting their needs ahead of your own.[2] Letting others go first, in other words. Putting the needs of others before your own is not the same as being self abasing.   

It could be that Kate Wilkinson had the words of Jesus in mind, about denying yourself and picking up your cross, when she penned the phrase self abasing? But that doesn’t really fit either. The self-denial Jesus had in mind was about putting aside what we want in order to obey God in faith. Denying yourself for the sake of God’s purpose does not imply belittling yourself. Obeying God is the most valuable and honourable thing you can do with your life.

Exalting Christ does not require us to belittle ourselves. Jesus’ exaltation does not depend on us. Self abasement is not victory.

Part of our purpose in this life is to become aware of our true self, that is, the person God created us to be. Your true self is not the same as the persona that you project in public. To be your true self you have to take off your masks.

Your true self is your soul, the essence of your being, where the image of God is found. We must never say or do anything to diminish our true self because that is like defacing the image of God.

Far from belittling yourself, God wants you to accept your true self and to share yourself with others. When we do that people catch a glimpse of the image of God reflected in the lake of our soul and the Lord is glorified.

Rather than singing Christ exalting, self abasing, I would prefer we sang something like, Christ exalting, self controlling or Christ exalting, self giving orbetter still, Christ exalting, soul affirming, because that is victory.   

Friday & Saturday – verses 5 & 6:

We now turn to verses 5 & 6, our meditations for Friday and Saturday.

Verse 5 reads… 

May I run the race before me, strong and brave to face the foe,
Looking only unto Jesus as I onward go.

It seems that Kate Wilkinson was reflecting on Hebrews 12 when she wrote verse 5 of her song. In Hebrews 12:1-3 we read…

Therefore… let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

The Christian faith is a marathon, not a sprint. And the running of that marathon is across country with many obstacles. It’s not always a flat and even track.

The key to going the distance is keeping our eyes on Jesus. Some years ago during a Baptismal service I talked about sunflowers. Sunflowers are helio-tropic. That means the flower actually turns to face the sun and tracks the sunlight across the sky. So, when you see a field of sunflowers, they will normally all be facing the same way, towards the sun.

As followers of Jesus we are to be Christo-tropic. Just as sunflowers track the sun across the sky, so too we thrive as we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, God’s Son, the author and perfecter of our faith.

In a practical sense we keep our eyes on Jesus by maintaining a regular devotional life and by staying in relationship with other Christian believers. Going a bit deeper than that though, we maintain our devotional life and our community life by staying in touch with our need for God. The poor in spirit are blessed because they know their need for God.  

The final verse of Kate Wilkinson’s song reads…

May His beauty rest upon me, as I seek the lost to win,
And may they forget the channel, seeing only Him.

For some reason this verse is not published in the Baptist hymnal, which is a shame for it makes plain the purpose of the song.  

The channel, in the last line of the song there, refers to us. Anyone who passes on the love and truth of Jesus is his channel. Just as a tap acts as a channel for water, so too we (the followers of Jesus) are to act as a channel for God’s grace in Christ. That means it’s not about us. It’s about Him.   

In 1 Peter chapter 2, verse 12, the apostle writes: Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

We looked at this verse last year. The main point here, and with verse 6 of Kate’s hymn, is that we are to be a winsome witness. To be winsome is to be attractive or charming or appealing in a fresh and innocent way. Winsomeness describes the beauty of Christ which we want to rest upon us.

Winsomeness is not loud or self-conscious. Winsomeness is pure and authentic. Winsomeness can be easily overlooked because it is not self-promoting. It is beautiful to those who have the eyes to see it.

When Naomi left Moab to return to Bethlehem and Ruth said to her, ‘Wherever you go I will go there with you’, that was winsome.

When Jesus said to the woman caught in adultery, in John 8, ‘Is there no one left to condemn you… Then neither do I condemn you’, that was winsome.

When the father, in Luke 15, welcomed his prodigal son home with genuine joy and warmth, that was winsome.

When the Samaritan, in Luke 10, tenderly dressed the wounds of the stranger left for dead on the side of the road, that was winsome.

When Jesus wept outside the tomb of his dear friend Lazarus, in John 11, that was winsome.

When Mary, the mother of Jesus, said to the angel Gabriel, ‘I am the Lord’s servant; let it be with me according to your word’, that was winsome.

When Captain America, in the Marvel movie, Civil War, turned the other cheek as his old friend Bucky (the Winter Soldier) kept hitting him, that was winsome.

When Jesus said from the cross, ‘Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do’, that was winsome.  

I could go on but you get the point. We are to be a winsome witness to the world. Our deeds are to be attractive, appealing, fresh and innocent. Who knows, by God’s grace we might win some for Christ.  

Conclusion:

Let us pray…

Father God, we thank you for your son Jesus who shows us the way to be human.

May you fill us with the Spirit of Jesus, that our thought patterns and our imagination, our words and our actions would be shaped to fit the contours of your will. 

Give us the grace of discovering and accepting our true self, that we may better reflect your image to those around us. May we never diminish ourselves or others but rather bear witness to the risen and exalted Christ.

Clothe us with the winsomeness of Jesus. Make us a channel of your justice and peace, your love and truth, your commitment and compassion, that we would glorify you and be a blessing to your world.

We pray these things in the name of Jesus, our Lord and friend. Amen.  

Questions for discussion or reflection:

What stands out for you in reading these Scriptures and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?

  • How is your inner life at the moment? What path is your imagination taking you down? What might Jesus have to say about this?
  • Discuss / reflect on Philippians 2:2-5. What did Paul mean when he said, ‘consider others better than yourselves?’ How might this find expression in our relationships with others?
  • What does it mean to let the peace of Christ guide our decisions? Why is peace an important guide?
  • Why is the phrase self abasing problematic? What might be a better phrase to use here?
  • What can we do to keep our eyes on Jesus?
  • Can you think of any examples of winsomeness, either from the Bible or from your own experience?  
  • You might like to contemplate a verse of the song each day this week and write down any thoughts that nourish your soul.     

Hymn Lyrics

May the mind of Christ, my Saviour, live in me from day to day,
By His love and power controlling all I do and say.

May the Word of God dwell richly in my heart from hour to hour,
So that all may see I triumph only through His power.

May the peace of God my Father rule my life in everything,
That I may be calm to comfort sick and sorrowing.

May the love of Jesus fill me as the waters fill the sea;
Him exalting, self abasing, this is victory.

May I run the race before me, strong and brave to face the foe,
Looking only unto Jesus as I onward go.

May His beauty rest upon me, as I seek the lost to win,
And may they forget the channel, seeing only Him.

[1] Refer Frank Thielman’s NIVAC on Philippians, page 115. 

[2] Refer Gordon Fee’s commentary on Philippians, page 88.

Tawa Baptist

Absalom

Scriptures: Second Samuel 15-18, Psalms 3 & 63

Video Link: https://youtu.be/rIG7o5p1DRg

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Absalom’s plot
  • David’s retreat
  • The Lord’s hand
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

On the wall here is a painting of Narcissus. In Greek mythology, Narcissus was distinguished for his beauty. A prophet told Narcissus’ mother that her son would live a long life provided he never recognised himself.

Sadly, Narcissus fell in love with his own reflection in the waters of a spring and that was the beginning of the end for him. The flower that bears his name sprang up where he died.  

These days the term narcissism is used to describe someone who has an excessive amount of self-esteem or who admires themselves too much.

A couple of months ago we started a sermon series on hair and hairy people in the Bible. We heard about Esau, Samson and Samuel. Then we took a few weeks break to focus on other things. Today we return to our hair series by looking at Absalom, the third son of king David. Absalom was a narcissist. He fancied himself a little too much.

For those who are familiar with the Marvel universe, Samson is like the Hulk, Samuel is like a hairy Vision and Absalom is like Loki. In case you don’t know, Loki is a prince of Asgard and the brother of Thor. Loki is charming, good looking and intelligent but also a master manipulator and a deceiver. Wherever he goes destruction and grief follow. Absalom (like Loki) is vain and narcissistic; always looking for a way to promote himself.

Absalom’s plot:

This is how Second Samuel 14:25-26 describes Absalom…   

There was no one in Israel as famous for his good looks as Absalom; he had no defect from head to toe. His hair was very thick, and he had to cut it once a year, when it grew too long and heavy. It would weigh about five pounds according to the royal standard of weights.

I don’t know anyone who goes to the trouble of weighing their hair, but apparently Absalom did.

Please turn with me to Second Samuel chapter 15, page 315 toward the front of your pew Bibles. Although Absalom’s story starts in Second Samuel 13, we are picking up the narrative from chapter 15, where Absalom plots to steal the throne from his father David. From chapter 15, verse 1, we read…

After this, Absalom provided a chariot and horses for himself, and an escort of fifty men. 2 He would get up early and go and stand by the road at the city gate. Whenever someone came there with a dispute that he wanted the king to settle, Absalom would call him over and ask him where he was from. And after the man had told him what tribe he was from, 3 Absalom would say, “Look, the law is on your side, but there is no representative of the king to hear your case.” 4 And he would add, “How I wish I were a judge! Then anyone who had a dispute or a claim could come to me, and I would give him justice.” 5 When the man would approach Absalom to bow down before him, Absalom would reach out, take hold of him, and kiss him. 6 Absalom did this with every Israelite who came to the king for judgment, and so he won their loyalty.

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

This passage gives us a picture of Absalom’s character. Absalom fancies himself as king. Even though he is next in line to inherit the throne anyway, Absalom is not willing to wait for his father to die. Like the prodigal son, in Jesus’ parable, Absalom wants his inheritance now.

Not only does Absalom dishonour his father in the worst possible way, he fails to consider God in this situation. He can’t. His ego has left no room for God.

In ancient Israel it was the king’s job to dispense justice and settle disputes. Was king David doing this adequately? Some people did not think so. Absalom used this to his advantage, offering himself as an alternative candidate for king.

They say in politics, ‘perception is reality’. Absalom goes out of his way to cultivate a favourable perception of himself at the expense of his father.

Absalom implies that David is failing in his administration of justice. He sympathizes with the people without actually doing anything constructive to help them. It is all smoke and mirrors.

Absalom is completely beguiled by his own image. He works hard at stealing the people’s hearts for four years. Then, using the cloak of worship to hide his true motives, Absalom asks David’s permission to go to Hebron to make some sacrifices. Offering sacrifices is supposed to be about expressing love for God. But Absalom is in love with himself. God is not on his radar.

On his way to Hebron, Absalom sends messengers throughout the towns of Israel to proclaim he is king. Then Absalom sends for Ahithophel, one of the king’s advisors. Up to that point Ahithophel had served David. He was highly regarded for his wise advice. But Ahithophel switched allegiances and backed Absalom. 

David’s retreat:

When king David learned that public perception was against him and the loyalty of the people was with Absalom, David left the palace in Jerusalem with his family and his officials.

Verse 30 of Second Samuel 15 says that David went up the Mount of Olives weeping; he was barefoot and had his head covered as a sign of grief. This reminds us of Jesus on the Mount of Olives, weeping and praying in great anguish the night of his betrayal and arrest. But while David was leaving Jerusalem to save his life, Jesus came to Jerusalem to die.

It is a strange thing that when life is relatively easy for David, he tends to make poor choices and show a lack of moral fibre. It was when he was comfortably installed in his palace that David committed adultery with Bathsheba and plotted to have Uriah killed in battle.

But when life is tough and David is forced out of his comfort zone and into the wilderness, this seems to bring the best out of him. Some of David’s best poetry was written when he was on the run, first from king Saul and then later from and his son Absalom.

It is thought that David wrote Psalm 63 while in the wilderness because of Absalom. In verse 1 of Psalm 63 David says: “O God, you are my God, and I long for you. My whole being desires you; like a dry, worn-out, and waterless land, my soul is thirsty for you.” Unlike Absalom, who was proud and yearned for power and applause, David longs for the Lord his God.

Likewise, David was at his most gracious when people were treating him with gross injustice. Like a light that shines brightest when the night is darkest, so too David’s goodness is most evident when the odds are stacked against him.

As David leaves Jerusalem, grief stricken, he has a series of encounters with various individuals and each encounter reveals David’s generosity of spirit, his wisdom and his faith in God.

David’s first conversation is with a man named Ittai. Ittai is a foreigner, a Gentile refugee who has only just found his place in the land of Israel. Unlike Absalom, who is completely absorbed with himself, David thinks of others. In particular, David considers for Ittai’s well-being. David does not want Ittai to become a refugee all over again, so he gives Ittai the option of leaving to save his own skin.

But Ittai binds himself to David with an oath saying, Your majesty, I swear to you in the Lord’s name that I will always go with you wherever you go, even if it means death. We are reminded of Ruth (the Moabite) who pledged her loyalty (her hesed) to Naomi.

It is somewhat ironic that foreigners, in the Bible, often have more faith in the God of Israel and his chosen king than the Lord’s own people do. We are mindful of the Roman centurion of whom Jesus said, I have not seen faith like this in all of Israel.  

The next encounter David has is with the priests, Zadok & Abiathar. They are loyal to David and have brought the Covenant box with them in support of David. The Covenant box was a symbol of God’s presence.

But David says to them, Take the Covenant box back to the city. If the Lord is pleased with me, some day he will let me come back to see it and the place where it stays. But if he isn’t pleased with me – well then, let him do to me what he wishes.

Again we see the contrast between David and Absalom here. Absalom is quite prepared to use the cloak of religion to mask his true intent and make himself look good in the eyes of others. But David will not misuse God in that way. David is well aware that he is not perfect and makes no pretence of it.

David knows that God withdrew divine support for king Saul after Saul disobeyed. David is perhaps conscious of his failing with Bathsheba and does not presume upon God’s grace. David has the faith to let God be God.

David also has the faith to believe that God is not a prisoner of the Covenant box. God is more than able to be present with David in the wilderness, with or without a religious artefact.

This is not to imply that David’s trust equates to mindless resignation. David is not being fatalistic. He’s not throwing the dice and letting luck decide. David sends the priests back to Jerusalem asking them to be his informers. So there is strategy in sending Zadok & Abiathar back with the Covenant box.

There is a saying which is attributed to Oliver Cromwell: Trust in God and keep your powder dry. The powder here is gunpowder. Trusting in God does not mean folding your hands and doing nothing. Trusting God goes hand in hand with being prepared. David trusts in God and he keeps his powder dry. David is prepared.

In Matthew 10:16, Jesus said his disciples: “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore, be as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves.”

We see David’s wisdom and innocence in the request he makes of Hushai. Hushai is a royal advisor, similar to Ahithophel, except Hushai is loyal to David. The king tells Hushai to go to Absalom and pretend he has defected.

Once Hushai has gained Absalom’s confidence, he is to muddy the waters and mislead Absalom with advice that will give David an advantage. Hushai returns to Jerusalem just as Absalom is arriving to make himself king. Hushai proves to be as wise as a serpent and as innocent as a dove.  

Not everyone was so friendly though. After David has travelled a bit further toward the Jordan river, he meets one of Saul’s relatives, a man named Shimei. When Shimei sees David he curses the king and starts throwing stones at him.

Shimei criticizes David saying: You took Saul’s kingdom and now the Lord is punishing you for murdering so many of Saul’s family. The Lord has given the kingdom to your son Absalom and you are ruined, you murderer.

In actual fact David did not murder Saul’s family and he did not take Saul’s kingdom. The kingdom belongs to God and the Lord chose David to replace Saul as king. And, even though David had more than one opportunity to kill Saul, David refused to lift a hand against the Lord’s anointed.

Although Shimei is misinformed of the details, his words do strike a chord of truth. David did effectively arrange for Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah, to be murdered. David is not guilty of crimes against Saul’s family but he does have blood on his hands and he knows it.

Some of David’s men wanted to cut Shimei’s head off but David would not let them.

David said to his men: “My own son is trying to kill me; so why should you be surprised at this Benjaminite? The Lord told him to curse; so leave him alone and let him do it. Perhaps the Lord will notice my miseryand give me some blessings to take the place of his curse.”         

Once again we see David’s wisdom and faith revealed under extreme pressure.

David is theological in his response and this helps him keep his perspective. My own son is trying to kill me, he says. That’s the more important issue to deal with at the moment. Shimei is the least of my worries.

David remembers the sovereignty of God. David believes that ultimately God is in control, not Shimei. Perhaps Shimei is doing God’s work. If that is the case, then David cannot argue with God. David knows he is a murderer and on some level recognises that he deserves the criticism, even if Shimei has the details wrong.

David believes that God is both just and merciful. To the extent that Shimei is too heavy handed in his abuse of David, the Lord can make that right by blessing David. David shows incredible trust in the goodness of God here.

David’s response to Shimei is wise. If he were to kill Shimei it would only prove Shimei’s point. By showing mercy to Shimei, David provides evidence that Shimei has no case.      

In his poem, The Divided World, Owen Marshal writes this wonderfully witty line: The world is divided between those who would try themselves and those who seek a less corrupt judge.

The point is, we should not judge ourselves because we have an inherent conflict of interest. We cannot be relied upon to give a fair verdict.

Absalom judged himself to be a better king than his father. David refused to judge himself. David left the matter in God’s hands, for God knows better and is completely fair in his judgements. As it turned out, God vindicated David and afterwards Shimei apologised to David.

You know, sometimes people make criticisms of us and it hurts, especially if what they are saying is not all that accurate. No one enjoys being misunderstood or misrepresented. In that situation we need to be as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves.

The temptation is to react in the heat of the moment. We do well to take some time to consider our response. Maybe God is trying to say something to us through that person. What is the kernel of truth in what they are saying and what is the husk that we can discard?

Perhaps, like David, the wisest thing is to say nothing. Don’t major on the minors and leave the matter in God’s hands. Or it may be better, both for your own soul and for the other person, to speak your truth and put their ignorance to the sword of reason and fact.  

So far we have heard about Absalom’s narcissistic plot and David’s wise retreat. Also woven through this narrative is the Lord’s providential hand.

God is at work to achieve his purpose quietly and unobtrusively through human beings. The war with Absalom is won as much behind the scenes as it is on the battlefield. 

The Lord’s hand:

When Absalom entered Jerusalem to take David’s throne, Hushai (David’s double agent) greeted Absalom with the words, ‘Long live the king’. This is a wonderfully ambiguous greeting. Who is Hushai referring to as king, David or Absalom?

We, the reader know that Hushai is backing David as king, but Absalom is vain enough to assume that Hushai is referring to him as king. Hushai is as wise as a serpent and as innocent as a dove. 

When Absalom questions Hushai’s loyalty, Hushai responds with another ambiguous remark, I am on the side of the one chosen by the Lord…

Absalom’s ego does not allow him to imagine that God would choose anyone else to be king but Absalom himself. Absalom thinks he is God’s gift.

Not long after Absalom has made himself at home in David’s palace, Ahithophel (the wise advisor who turned against David) proposed a way ahead for Absalom. From verse 1 of chapter 17 we hear Ahithophel’s plan…

“Let me choose twelve thousand men, and tonight I will set out after David. 2 I will attack him while he is tired and discouraged. He will be frightened, and all his men will run away. I will kill only the king 3 and then bring back all his men to you, like a bride returning to her husband. You want to kill only one man;the rest of the people will be safe.”

From a strategic point of view this was actually really good advice. It is full of common sense and would probably have worked, except for the Lord’s providential hand. God had not chosen Absalom to be king. God was still with David. The Lord used Hushai (David’s plant) to throw a spanner in the works.

It appears that God robbed Absalom of common sense in this moment so that Absalom asked Hushai for a second opinion. Hushai (who was really there to help David) answered…

“The advice Ahithophel gave you this time is no good. 8 You know that your father David and his men are hard fighters and that they are as fierce as a mother bear robbed of her cubs. Your father is an experienced soldier and does not stay with his men at night. 9 Right now he is probably hiding in a cave or some other place. As soon as David attacks your men, whoever hears about it will say that your men have been defeated. 10 Then even the bravest men, as fearless as lions, will be afraid because everyone in Israel knows that your father is a great soldier and that his men are hard fighters. 11 My advice is that you bring all the Israelites together from one end of the country to the other, as many as the grains of sand on the seashore, and that you lead them personally in battle. 12 We will find David wherever he is, and attack him before he knows what’s happening. Neither he nor any of his men will survive. 13 If he retreats into a city, our people will all bring ropes and just pull the cityinto the valley below. Not a single stone will be left there on top of the hill.”   

Hushai’s plan is not as good as Ahithophel’s clever strategy. Hushai’s plan buys David time to get organised and it puts Absalom in danger. But the grandness and glory of Hushai’s plan appeals to Absalom’s ego, so that Absalom overlooks the practical realities involved. God makes sure Absalom swallows the bait; hook, line and sinker.

Once Absalom decides to go with Hushai’s plan of attack, the priests who are loyal to David get word to their king in the wilderness, who then organises his troops in anticipation of Absalom’s onslaught.

From verse 6 of chapter 18 we read what happened…

David’s army went out into the countryside and fought the Israelites in Ephraim Forest. 7 The Israelites were defeated by David’s men; it was a terrible defeat, with twenty thousand men killed that day. 8 The fighting spread over the countryside, and more men died in the forest than were killed in battle.

David’s men were outnumbered and yet they still won. Those of you who are fans of The Lord of the Rings may remember how the trees of the forest fought with the Hobbits against the Orcs. Verse 8 tells us more men died in the forest than were killed in battle. Even the forest was on David’s side. This is another sign of the Lord’s providential hand.

This civil war was such a tragedy. It didn’t need to happen and probably wouldn’t have happened except for Absalom’s narcissism. Nevertheless, God is sovereign. Yes, he gives human beings a certain amount of freedom but that freedom always has it limits. God won’t let things get too out of control. The hand of the Lord made sure Absalom didn’t get away with the havoc he had caused.     

From verse 9 of Second Samuel 18 we read…

Suddenly Absalom met some of David’s men. Absalom was riding a mule, and as it went under a large oak tree, Absalom’s head got caught in the branches. The mule ran on and Absalom was left hanging in mid-air.

How ironic is that? Absalom’s long beautiful hair got him tangled in the branches of a tree, so that he was held in limbo, between heaven and earth. It must have been painful and terrifying for him to be held there powerless like that.

Walter Brueggemann puts it like this: Absalom is suspended between life and death, between the sentence of a rebel and the value of a son, between the severity of the king and the yearning of a father. [1]

David did not want his son harmed. As a parent you are never so vulnerable as with your kids. But when Joab (one of David’s generals) heard about it, he killed Absalom and buried him in the forest. If we want to find some redemption in this story, we have to look to the gospel of Jesus.

Conclusion:

I don’t imagine anyone here is quite as bad as Absalom was but that is only by the grace of God and a lack of opportunity. Everyone has at least a bit of Absalom in them. You might not think you do but neither did Absalom.

The truth is, each of us has rebelled against God’s chosen King, against Jesus. Each of us have taken matters into our own hands and tried to usurp God’s authority in our lives. Each of us, in this world, is suspended between eternal life and death. Each of us deserves the sentence of a traitor and yet we are valued as God’s sons and daughters.   

The gospel tells us that Jesus, God’s chosen King, died on a cross in our place, suspended between heaven and earth. And nailed to that cross was Absalom’s narcissism and ours. The good news is that through faith in Jesus’ death & resurrection we are set free from the tyranny of pride and the futility of vanity. We are set free to glorify God and enjoy him forever. 

May God satisfy the longing of your soul with his presence.  

Questions for discussion or reflection:

What stands out for you in reading these Scriptures and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?

  • Why do you think Absalom wanted to usurp David as king of Israel? Have you ever wanted to be king?
  • How do you imagine David felt when he learned of Absalom’s plot?  Have you ever felt this way? How did you handle yourself in that situation? 
  • In what ways does David’s experience and conduct, in Second Samuel 15 & 16, remind us of Jesus?
  • What can we learn from David’s response to Shimei’s abuse? When is it right to remain silent in the face of insult (as David did) and when is it better to speak our truth?
  • What did it mean for David and his loyalists to be as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves? What does it mean for us today (as people loyal to Jesus) to be as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves?
  • In what ways do we see the Lord’s providential hand at work to ensure David remains king? In what ways are you aware of God’s hand for good in your life?
  • Take some time this week to read either Psalm 3 or Psalm 63 and reflect on these songs in light of David’s experience in the wilderness as he fled from Absalom.  What (or who) do you long for? Consider the ways God is present with and for you and give thanks to him. 

[1] Refer Walter Brueggemann’s Interpretation Commentary on First and Second Samuel, page 313.