Last week, as we began examining Psalm 119, we noted four uses of the Torah.
But for the Torah, or any part of God’s word, to bless us in the intended way, we must approach it properly. Some people seem to seek with no real desire to find. Some read the Bible with no real desire to understand. The verses we will cover in this article tell us four things about how we should approach God’s word.
We must seek God’s word eagerly. My soul is consumed with longing for your rules at all times. … I will run in the way of your commandments when you enlarge my heart! … Behold, I long for your precepts; in your righteousness give me life! (20, 32, 40)
Perhaps we should ask ourselves, “Are we devoted to the Lord’s teaching, as were the first Christian converts (Acts 2:42), or are we mildly interested in it?” It is not the one who is mildly interested in God’s word who will be blessed, but the one who is “consumed with longing” for it, who “runs in the way,” and who “delights” to do so.
We must seek God’s word persistently. This eager seeking continues even in the face of opposition. Even though princes sit plotting against me, your servant will meditate on your statutes (23). This is not a passing interest, this worshipper “clings” to the Lord’s words. I cling to your testimonies, O Lord; let me not be put to shame! (31). Good things take time. We need a ‘long obedience in the same direction’ if we are to benefit from God’s word (cf 1 Cor 15:58; 2 Tim 2:15)
We must seek God’s word humbly. The writer recognizes the need of the Lord’s help to rightly receive the word. Make me understand the way of your precepts, and I will meditate on your wondrous works. …. Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart. …. Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain! (27, 34, 36). We should therefore pray as we study, recognising that unaided human reason will often misapply God’s word.
Elsewhere in the scriptures, we observe the belief that other believers are also helpful to us as we approach God’s word (Pr 27:17; Acts 2:42; 8:30-31; Heb 10:24-25). The one who always studies alone, especially without prayer, is arrogant and will not find the blessing — even though it is sought eagerly and persistently.
We must seek God’s word with the intention of keeping it. Why do we want God to bless us? The worshipper seeks blessing that he may long obey. Deal bountifully with your servant, that I may live and keep your word (17). Richard Baxter’s poetically expressed approach is an excellent one.
Whether I Die or Live
Lord, it belongs not to my care,
Whether I die or live;
To love and serve Thee is my share,
And this Thy grace must give.
If life be long I will be glad,
That I may long obey;
If short–yet why should I be sad
To soar to endless day?
Christ leads me through no darker rooms
Than He went through before;
He that unto God’s kingdom comes,
Must enter by this door.
Come, Lord, when grace has made me meet
Thy blessed face to see;
For if Thy work on earth be sweet,
What will Thy glory be?!
Then shall I end my sad complaints,
And weary, sinful days;
And join with the triumphant saints,
To sing Jehovah’s praise.
My knowledge of that life is small,
The eye of faith is dim;
But ’tis enough that Christ knows all,
And I shall be with him.
When we ask for blessings, and do not receive them, perhaps we should have a look at how we have been using the blessings we have already received. Why should the Lord deal bountifully with one who is not making proper use of current blessings? What good would it do? Why should he grant deeper understanding to those who do not obey the portions of his word that they already understand? Why should he grant long life to one who uses his life for self?
A chemistry book is not a cookbook — try to use it as one and you will be disappointed. The Bible must be read in keeping with its intended purpose. If we read it in the right way, it will bless us.
Let us seek God’s word
___________________________
We cannot deal with this psalm in the normal manner for a couple of reasons.The length is one reason. It is an acrostic, with eight verses beginning with each of the 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet.This acrostic arrangement means that the arrangement of the thoughts can be difficult to follow in translation.
The purpose of the complete acrostic is likely to demonstrate the comprehensiveness of God’s law. God’s law covers all of life; it affects all of life; it must rule and remake all of life.
But before going further, we must pause to define the concept of law.Torah is the word. Law is the normal translation, but the concept is much broader than our most common understanding of the term “law.”Genesis is the first book of the Torah, yet it is not a law book in the modern sense of the term. Exodus and Numbers have plenty of laws but also have a fair amount of narrative mixed in with the laws.Some have suggested the term “instruction” as coming closer to the comprehensiveness of Torah than the word law. However, the traditional translation is not likely to be replaced. We will just have to broaden our understanding of the word law as it is used biblically.
What is the purpose of law? Of the Mosaic law particularly?Traditionally three uses of the law have been identified.
The Law regulated life. Its primary purpose seemed to be to regulate life.It regulated individual life. We see an example of this in verse nine, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.”It also regulated community life. Many examples of this are found, in passages like Deuteronomy four,
“And now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the rules that I am teaching you, and do them, that you may live, and go in and take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers, is giving you. 6 Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ 7 For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is to us, whenever we call upon him? (Dt 4:1, 6-7).
The Law brought conviction of sin. Looking back on the law from the New Covenant point of view, Paul saw that the law brought conviction (of sinfulness, not just sin) to those who paid proper heed to it. Trying to keep the law will cause us to realize our helplessness (Rom 7:7-24). This reflects a truth that sometimes impressed itself on Old Testament believers (Neh 1:5-7).
We must know something of the law, and of our inability to save ourselves by it, before we are truly ready to accept the grace available in Christ (Gal 5:4). Most legalistic brothers I have known have been people who did not know the Old Testament very well. If they had known it better, they would not have been tempted to believe that they could save themselves by law-keeping.
The Law provides instruction in holiness. We cannot be saved by keeping the Mosaic law, but it continues to instruct us in holiness. That is taught in many New Testament passages (such as Rom 15:4; 1 Cor 10:6, 11; 2 Tim 3:14-17).
When Jesus spoke of the great commands, he was not bringing a new teaching but pointing to the fundamental principle of the law (Mt 22:36-40; Jn 13:34-35). When Jesus spoke of the word sanctifying us, he did not only speak of the Torah, but neither did he exclude that portion of God’s word (Jn 17:17).
To these three we might add a fourth purpose, taking into consideration the broader meaning of the term Torah — instruction.
The Law provides us with the background we need to understand the gospel. The law provides us with the background we need to grasp truth about ourselves (closely related to the conviction of sin). Why did God work through sinners like Abraham and Jacob? Is it to show us that we are all hopelessly sinful and must be saved from our own sin and stupidity?
The law provides us with the background we need to understand the atonement. The word lamb occurs at least 31 times in the New Testament. Probably very few of those occurrences would be understandable to a person who knows nothing of the Mosaic law. First Corinthians 5:7 says, “Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.” What would that mean to the person who knows nothing of the Torah?
The Mosaic Torah no longer provides us with the ceremonial means of approaching God. But all its other functions it continues to perform in some form. It convicts us of sin. It provides instruction in holiness. It provides background to help us understand ourselves and help us understand the atonement. But it does this for us only if we know it and acknowledge the justice of its principles.
“If you do not like the weather here, wait around a little while, it will change.” We have heard some form of that statement everywhere we have lived. That advice applies beyond the weather. The moral and spiritual climate also changes. Although the change may seem to have been always in a negative direction in our lifetime, that appearance is not completely correct. Historically, there have been worse times.
The lawlessness of the American frontier was replaced by a period of relative righteousness. The ungodliness of Britain in the mid-1700s is almost beyond belief. The improvement from 1770 to 1870 was remarkable. The ungodliness of the Roman empire was such that neither the slaughter of the innocents nor the crucifixion of an innocent man were remarkable occurrences.
Even in Old Testament times, this ebb and flow of the spiritual life took place. This psalm is about a situation where a righteous but rejected one has now been vindicated. “This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvellous in our eyes. 24 This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” (22-23).
This is not stated as a prediction of future events. So, it may be a mistake to call this a Messianic prediction. Some of its phrases (verse 18, for example) do not fit our Lord. Instead, this seems to have been written about someone then alive. But it has a broader application; and it certainly applies to many of God’s servants. Moses was often rejected as leader. It would have fit David in some respects (rejected by Saul but vindicated by God). It fit Jeremiah to an extent (constantly rejected yet vindicated by events).
But while not written as a prediction and not exact enough in detail to apply it to any one servant of God exclusively, its application to our Lord is unmistakable. While many of God’s servants have been rejected and later vindicated, this is most remarkably seen in his supreme servant.
He was rejected. All nations surrounded me; in the name of the Lord I cut them off! 11 They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side; in the name of the Lord I cut them off! 12 They surrounded me like bees; they went out like a fire among thorns; in the name of the Lord I cut them off! 13 I was pushed hard, so that I was falling, but the Lord helped me.
Jesus was rejected by the leaders of his own people, ‘the builders’ (22 cf. Mt 21:42; Mk 12:10; Lk 20:17; Acts 4:11; Eph 2:20; 1 Pet 2:4ff and especially Jn 1:11). He was also rejected by the legal authorities (10; Acts 4:27). At times, Jesus was even rejected by own disciples. “After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him (Jn 6:66).
He was rejected and we are his followers, so what might we logically expect?
At the proper time, He was vindicated, and his vindication assures our vindication. The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. 23 This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvellous in our eyes. 24 This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Verse 24 is a statement of our need to rejoice in the vindication of the righteous, rather than a call to rejoice every day of our lives, as it is so often used. However, since our vindication is sure (having been accomplished in Christ), we ought to have a degree of everyday rejoicing even in our mourning over current situations (Philip 4:4-7; 1 Pet 1:3-9).
Someone has said, “Praise confuses the enemy — so praise the Lord in advance.” Given our Lord’s history, praising him in advance makes sense.
This psalm reminds us that being rejected is nothing new for a servant of God. Psalm 118 was the last in the series of psalms known as the Egyptian Hallel, the six psalms customarily sung at the Passover meal. Possibly, it is the last psalm sung before they went to Gethsemane (Mk 14:26). It certainly would have been appropriate. They were about to witness the ultimate case of the rejected stone becoming the cornerstone. After thirty-three years of trial Jesus was to face his greatest trial. But beyond the great trial was the great victory — the day that the Lord had been making throughout history. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
This is the shortest psalm, but it packs a lot into its small space.
Where should the Lord be praise? The Lord is to be praised universally. This is expressed twice, using near synonyms.All nations are to praise him; all peoples are to praise him. We find this concept throughout the Bible.
Abram was called for the purpose of calling all nations into right relationship with God. “I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonours you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen 12:3).
This purpose is also noted at the end of the Bible. “Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people” (Rev 14:6).
It might be good if we each asked ourselves, “Is there anything in the teaching, structure, or practises of our local congregation that seems to diminish this emphasis on all peoples praising God? Have we instead become too human focused? Are we asking what do people want, rather than how we ought to respond to God?
Why should we praise? The Lord is to be praised for his steadfast love. Various English words have been used to express the idea of hesed (mercy, love, grace, kindness, steadfast love). None is completely satisfactory.
There are inadequacies with all these terms. Love is too often associated with involuntary feelings. Mercy is more a result of hesed than hesed itself. Kindness is something that one might show to a stranger, but hesed is used almost exclusively of love in the context of a covenant relationship.1
The Lord is in covenant relationship with Israel, and, although Israel is not keeping the covenant, the Lord’s hesed leads him to continue blessing them. “…the etymological core of the word is ‘eagerness, keenness,’ and, whilst there is considerable development from this, the word never belies its origins” (Snaith). We should remember that the Lord is eager to bless. He is keen on loving his people. He does it despite their failings.
From a New Testament point of view, we ought to understand this even better. The Lord did not finally get fed up with Israel and exclude them from relationship with him. The New Covenant does not undo the promise to Abraham, it fulfils it (Gal 3:15-29). The institutions of the Mosaic covenant were done away, but this only changes the form in which the covenant with Abraham is being fulfilled, it does not represent a rejection of that covenant. It is not a failure of the Lord’s hesed.
God’s faithful love is seen in that while we were sinners Christ died for us (Rom 5:8), and in that while the Jews were the most active party in his crucifixion, the gospel was still offered to them first (Rom 1:16; 15:8-9,11).
Steadfast covenantal love is an emphasis in the Bible. Is it an emphasis in modern church teaching? If it is not being emphasised, what changes might put it back in its central position?
What other reasons are there for praising the Lord? The Lord is to be praised for his truth or faithfulness. Is there really a distinction between hesed (steadfast love) and ‘emet (faithfulness)? Likely there is much overlap of meaning intended here (as is common in Hebrew poetry). But to understand the difference, contrast the steadfast love of God with a human love that is blind to the faults in the beloved. God’s love is not blind. His steadfast love sees the truth and states the truth but continues to fulfil his promises and uphold his truth and justice.
He is merciful to us, but also faithful (1 John 1:9); he is just even while being the justifier (Rom 3:26). Some people, in their mercy, unfaithfully withhold the truth and become enablers of those who are destroying themselves with sin.
The Lord, although more loving, more merciful, more gracious than any of us, is also faithful to carry out the painful duties of the relationship. His earthly goal for us is not our happiness but our holiness — for apart from holiness there can be no lasting happiness.
The Lord is to be praised by all the earth. He is to be praised for his steadfast, unstoppable, persistent, truthful, relentless relationship with us. When I do woodworking, I sometimes give up on a project. I also must admit that I sometimes stop at ‘good enough’ instead of making the item as perfect as it can be. God is to be praised because he is not giving up on this project that he began with Abraham. It is still his purpose to bless all the earth through Abraham’s descendants.
God is not stopping at ‘good enough’ with any of Abraham’s descendants. He wants to make them as good as they can be. Sometimes we wish he would give up, but he will not. He wants us better. His steadfast love keeps him on task and his faithfulness refuses to stop at less than the best.
All the earth is to be called on to praise the Lord for this.
Let us close by asking, “Are we too quick to accept ‘good enough?’ Do we fail to bring our best to the Lord, do we fail to bring out the best in others because of a mistaken notion that love means that we should not demand much of others?”
1 The word is used only in cases where there is some recognized tie between the parties concerned. It is not used indiscriminately of kindness in general, haphazard, kindly deeds; this is why Coverdale was careful to avoid using the word ‘kindness’ in respect of God’s dealings with his people Israel. The theological importance of the word chesed is that it stands more than any other word for the attitude which both parties to a covenant ought to maintain toward each other. Sir George Adam Smith suggested the rendering ‘leal-love.’ The merit of this translation is that it combines the twin ideas of love and loyalty, both of which are essential. On the other hand, it does not sufficiently convey the idea of the steadfastness and persistence of God’s sure love for his covenant-people. ….. the etymological core of the word is ‘eagerness, keenness,’ and, whilst there is considerable development from this, the word never belies its origins.
N.H. Snaith, Distinctive Ideas of the Old Testament, London (1944).
10 September 2026 – Missions Update
My father used to speak of those trying to carry “a lazy man’s load.” I never heard anyone else use the term as he did, but it may have been a common expression in earlier generations. He did not mean someone carrying a light load. Dad called it a lazy man’s load when I attempted to carry more than was reasonable, hoping to move in one trip what should have been divided into two or more trips. Overloading does not work, but I have been guilty of it more than once.
I know that many of you have been praying for our safety in view of the long drive we were planning to make to Zambia. God has answered your prayers. It is 11:00 AM on Thursday as I type this. If things had gone as planned, we would be nearing Groblersdal, South Africa. But God had other plans. My father in heaven has evidently decided that I have carried a lazy man’s load long enough.
I spent last night laying on my back watching the ceiling spinning around me. When the alarm signalled that it was time to begin our journey, I could not walk without my cane or some other form of assistance. I was in no condition to drive 1500 kilometres (930 miles). Evidently the Lord is tired of a missionary who acts like everything depends on his exertion. We have not had a vacation in years. The last couple of weeks we did not even get a day off. It seems he intends to force some off days on us.
I had these spells of extreme weakness and dizziness earlier in the year. We cut back on what we attempted and even went a month or so of working six day weeks. But lately we have been back up to seven day weeks, and this is the price we are paying.
Our clothes, a lot of books, and a whole bunch of other things were loaded into the trailer yesterday, in preparation for the trip. Now we will need help to unload them.
So, you can pause your prayers for a safe trip. There is not going to be a trip. You can still pray though. Perhaps you should pray that I finally learn not to attempt a lazy man’s load.
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How do we properly respond to a God who has been so good to us? The purpose of this psalm appears to be simply to answer the question posed in verse 12, “What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits to me?”The answer begins even before the question has been stated.
We respond by accepting his goodness. We accept what he has given and continue to call on him, as the opening of the psalm indicates. I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy. 2 Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live).
In life, we sometimes avoid going back to those who have helped us in the past — afraid of wearing out our welcome. But the Lord is pleased that we continue to express our dependence on him.
We respond by living in his presence. As is stated in verse nine,“I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.”
How aware are we on a daily basis of living in his presence? What difference would it make if we became more aware of his presence each day?
We respond by praising him or perhaps by returning to him repeatedly for fresh forgiveness. In verse thirteen the psalmist says,“I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord.” What does it mean to lift up the cup of salvation?Does it mean to praise him for saving us? Or does it mean to go to him repeatedly for salvation? Is the phrase intentionally left vague?The second half of the verse is also vague but seems to point toward a repetition of the statement of verse 2 — we honour him by continuing to go to him for salvation.But both meanings may be present.
We respond by offering thanks. Whatever verse 13 means, verses 17-19 certainly indicate that praise and thankfulness are proper responses to God’s goodness. I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the Lord. 18 I will pay my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people, 19 in the courts of the house of the Lord, in your midst, O Jerusalem. Praise the Lord!
The goal of the Christian life, the goal of evangelism, the goal of the church, is the praise of God.We evangelize anyone who has not realized his grace and is not therefore praising him.We edify those who are praising him that they might praise him better.
We praise him, in part, by recounting what he has done for us, as is shown in this psalm.We cannot advance ourselves and honour him at the same time. If we claim merit, we do so at the cost of his glory.Instead of claiming merit, we must recognize ourselves as:The simple (6) and asmere servants (16).
The question we must all ask ourselves is, “What have I been rendering to the Lord?”
We leave one week from today for the long drive to Zambia. Pray for us. It is not the safest of journeys and the scheduling is terrible. Thursday (10 Sept) through the following Sunday or Monday will be the key days. If we survive that, it should get better for a while.
September 14 through October 29, Thayer will be teaching two classes at George Benson Christian University, while also continuing to teach one Online course for West Nigeria Christian College. The Online course began three weeks ago and will continue into December.
Starting an Online Class ur journey to Zambia will take us through South Africa and Botswana. This is considered a safer route than going through Zimbabwe, but it is still no small undertaking.
Each time we cross a border, our phones will stop working. In South Africa it is fairly simple to get them working again, but in Botswana it has proven impossible. In Zambia it is a time-consuming process, and we will not have much time.
Border crossings also mean potential hassles and delays. The rules for crossing even the Eswatini/South African border have recently been tightened. We do not know what to expect, or how long it may take. Since we need to drive eight hours the first day, we hope the first border crossing goes well. The Saturday crossing (from Botswana into Zambia) is also of concern. The last time, that crossing took over three hours. We need a speedier crossing this time. Otherwise, by the time we reach Livingstone the shops might all be closed and we might not be able to get our phones working or buy the supplies we will be needing.
Many Africans are not great at planning in advance. After asking repeatedly, we were finally told what courses Thayer would be expected to teach. But we still have not been told what days of the week or time slots will be used. If all goes very well, we will reach Kalomo on Sunday afternoon. We don’t know if Thayer will be expected in the classroom Monday morning or not. Since George Benson is supposed to be training teachers, we are hoping to instil better attitudes toward planning at some point. As it is, the students are getting the message that there is no need to prepare one’s teaching – just pop into the classroom at the last moment and start talking. Kind of like some preachers. 😊
All this teaching will put most of our writing projects on hold for a while. But classroom interactions are needed if the textbooks are to be kept relevant to the students’ needs. When we go to Zambia, we are also encouraged by seeing former students and the work they are doing.
Speaking of former students, here is a photo of something that happened at Timbutini recently. To us, this was highly significant. Here we see Mluleki Mhango, the son of a former student, preparing to baptise one of his neighbours into Christ. He baptised two that day.
Praise the Lord!
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The idea of listening to representatives of all the different faiths and blending their views, makes sense to many people. In truth it makes no sense.It does not make sense because there are only two religions in the world. The two are radically different. They are contradictory. They cannot be reconciled.
They can learn to treat one another with a degree of respect, but treating another with respect demands that we recognize the difference. Pretending that different is not different is not respect, it is child’s play.
There are many outward forms to the false religion, but it always comes down to being about what man must do for God, or the gods.
Historically, there have been different forms of the true faith – Judaism and Christianity. But in both true Judaism and true Christianity, it all comes down to an appreciation of what God has done for us.
These two fundamentally different approaches to religion – what man must do for God and what God has done for man – naturally lead to other differences. This psalm points us to four of those differences.
The true faith has a different basis for prayer. The false faith goes before God, or the gods, claiming merit.
The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get’ (Lk 18:10-12).
The true faith appeals to God not on the basis of human merit, but on the basis of the Lord’s own goodness.
Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness! 2 Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?” (1-2)
The terms of expression vary, but the same idea is expressed throughout the Bible (see Ex 32:11-14; Lk 18:13; Rom 5:1-11).
The true faith has a different kind of God. The false faith, even when it calls itself Christianity, has a God that must be served by humans, and who can be controlled by humans.The true faith has a God who does as he pleases (3). He does not need our service and cannot be manipulated by us (cf Ps 50:12ff; Acts 17:24ff).
The true faith involves a different kind of trust. The false faith promises to get us what we want by means of manipulating the gods. The true faith, having a God who cannot be manipulated, calls on us to trust the goodness of God to supply what is truly best in place of what we may think we want or need.
O Israel, trust in the Lord! He is their help and their shield. 10 O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord! He is their help and their shield. 11 You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord! He is their help and their shield. 12 The Lord has remembered us; he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron; 13 he will bless those who fear the Lord, both the small and the great. 14 May the Lord give you increase, you and your children! 15 May you be blessed by the Lord, who made heaven and earth! (9-15; cf Mt 6:10; 26:42; Eph 3:20-21).
The true faith involves a different view of reality. The false faith puts man at the centre, making humans the initiator of their own salvation, or their pleasure the centre of what is to be accomplished by God.Protagoras’ famous statement, “Man is the measure of all things,” is the creed by which most of the world lives.It is this worldly creed, not Christianity, that has led to the environmental disasters we face.This is also the creed that has destroyed our happiness.
The true faith reminds us that the earth belongs to God and that we exist not for our own pleasure but for his praise.
The heavens are the Lord’s heavens, but the earth he has given to the children of man. 17 The dead do not praise the Lord, nor do any who go down into silence. 18 But we will bless the Lord from this time forth and forevermore. Praise the Lord! (16-18; cf Ps 24:1-2).
The Westminster Shorter Catechism has one item we all should know. Question one asks, “What is the chief end of man?” The recommended answer is, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him for ever.” That is the teaching of Isa 43:21; Mt 5:16; Phil 1:10f; 1 Pet 2:9-10; 4:10-11 and other passages.
There are only two religions in the world, the man-centred one and the God-centred one. Which one have we been practicing and promoting?
Do we have a different basis for prayer, a different kind of God, a different type of trust, and a different view of reality? Or are we deep down pretty much like others — with slightly different external ceremonies?
To be faithful, one must remember.To do our jobs, we must remember.To fulfil our God-given purpose, we must remember. We are not all equally blessed with memory; but memory can be improved.Something of our character is revealed by the things we choose to call to mind and strive to remember.
This is a psalm of remembrance. In just eight verses the writer dramatically calls to mind the entire trip from Egypt to Canaan.
He also metaphorically indicates how the believer should respond to God’s saving action in our lives.He says nothing of how humans are to respond, but in describing how nature has and should respond he is really calling on us to respond in a parallel manner.
Nature submits to God, it obeys.
The sea looked and fled; Jordan turned back. 4 The mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs. 5 What ails you, O sea, that you flee? O Jordan, that you turn back?
Our relationship with God is not all about getting what we want. It is rather about doing as he has commanded. Strange as it seems to most people, obedience is the right path to happiness. But, unfortunately, “Most people really do not mind serving God, as long as they serve him in an advisory capacity.”1
In light of what he has already done for us, this is a reasonable expectation. In light of the fact that his wisdom greatly exceeds ours, obedience will always lead to happiness, self-will to unhappiness. It is not about what we in our presumption bring to God, but about obedience.
And Samuel said, “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected you from being king” (1 Sam 15:22-23).
It is not about an emotional, romantic kind of love, but about obedience.
“Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me (John 14:23-24).
Nature obeys God. So should we.
Nature responds to God with joy. O mountains, that you skip like rams? O hills, like lambs? (Ps 114:6)
There is a huge difference between grudging and joyful obedience. Ours is to be joyful obedience. Four of five commanded festivals under the Mosaic law were feasts, times of joy. In the New Testament we are told, Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice (Phil 4:4).
We are wrong if we think Christianity is about love wrongly defined or about joy in our own pleasures. But we are equally wrong if we fail to experience the joy that is to be found in Christ. True Christianity produces love and joy (Gal 5:22). Both love and joy are natural coefficients of godly obedience. Nature responds to God joyfully; so should we.
Nature responds to God with awe.
Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob, 8 who turns the rock into a pool of water, the flint into a spring of water.
An emphasis on love and joy that removes our awareness of awe is a misguided understanding of the joy. There is always to be a degree of godly fear involved.2
1 Sorry, I cannot recall who said that.
2 I highly recommend chapter 7 of Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows. In that chapter, titled “The Piper at the Gates of Dawn,” Grahame has expressed in an imaginative and insightful way, what it means to delight and fear all at once.
Normally, it is best to consider any OT text from its own point of view before considering it from the New Testament point of view. With this psalm we will make an exception. Psalms 113-118 were traditionally sung at the family Passover meal. Thus, these are likely the psalms sung by our Lord the night of his betrayal (cf. Mark 14:26). Let us consider this psalm from the point of view of that night. What did this psalm say to the Twelve and to Jesus as they prepared to eat that Passover meal?
We should note that the giving of praise is continuous for the Lord’s servants.
Praise the Lord! Praise, O servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord! 2 Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and forevermore! 3 From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised!
For the Twelve this might have meant that they would praise the Lord throughout their lives. Perhaps they realized also a responsibility to evangelize and thus spread his praise throughout the world.
For Jesus this psalm must have called to mind the existence he left behind, where no one spoke ill of him, mocked him, or did anything in his presence but praise. What a contrast with what he would face in the next 24 hours.
Perhaps he reflected on the fact that the ultimate goal of what he was about to suffer was the reuniting of heaven and earth in the praise of its creator. His unity of heart and mind with the Father, strengthened him to do what must be done to redeem lost humanity that they might praise throughout eternity.
The Lord’s greatness is to be praised.
The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens! 5 Who is like the Lord our God, who is seated on high, 6 who looks far down on the heavens and the earth?
The Twelve likely struggled to picture the earth from God’s point of view, even in theory. They had been on a Palestinian mountain looking down at the sheep below. But the greatness of God was difficult for them to comprehend. They likely called to mind His creative power; His redeeming power in the exodus; His sustaining power in providing water and manna in the wilderness.
Jesus knew what it had been to look down on the heavens and earth. He was there at creation (Heb 1:1-2). He was there at the parting of the sea. He was that rock from which Israel received water in the desert (1 Cor 10:4). He had known the greatness of God, not in theory but in experience; yet here he is condescending to sing of it with these uncouth and imperfect worshippers.
The Lord’s lowliness is to be praised.
He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap, 8 to make them sit with princes, with the princes of his people. 9 He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children. Praise the Lord!
The Twelve could think of examples of this. The most obvious is Hannah. Verses 7-8 are drawn from her song in 1 Samuel 2:8. Sarah might also come to mind as one who had been barren.
They may have considered some male examples as well. David and Daniel were each in a lowly condition when called to God’s service. The greatest example of this lowliness they did not see, although he was reclining there with them. They underestimated his greatness. Therefore, they underestimated the extent of his condescension.
The message of Psalm 113 can be well summed up in the words of Isaiah 57:15.
For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.
Is lifelong praise too much to expect of those who have been saved by such a great and lowly God?Can we, who believe in such a God, fail to reach out to those less fortunate than we? Do we not feel a compulsion to tell them of his love and condescension so that they too might praise him?
Psalm 111 is an acrostic on the work of God. Psalm 112 follows with a similar acrostic concerning the right response to God’s goodness.This psalm gives a brief answer to the question, “How should we live, and why should we live that way?”But before proceeding to his subject the psalmist says “hallelujah!” For even in discussing the deeds of humans, we must give praise to the Lord who enables us.
In his relationship with God, the faithful believer is characterized by fear of God and delight in God’s word. “Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in his commandments!”This may seem paradoxical, but it is true.
There is great delight in fearing the Lord. Those who never learn that must stimulate themselves with all kinds of artificial fears (scary movies, amusement parks, worries of the world economy….). Jerry Bridges has authored a book called, The Joy of Fearing God. The fear of God means keeping proper respect; realizing the relationship in which we stand; giving up the struggle to invert that relationship.
As Tozer put it,
“The Christian believes that in Christ he has died, yet he is more alive than before and he fully expects to live forever. He walks on earth while seated in heaven and though born on earth he finds that after his conversion he is not at home here.
“That he may be safe he puts himself in jeopardy; he loses his life to save it and is in danger of losing it if he attempts to preserve it. He goes down to get up. If he refuses to go down he is already down, but when he starts down he is on his way up.
“He is strongest when he is weakest and weakest when he is strong. Though poor he has the power to make others rich, but when he becomes rich his ability to enrich others vanishes. He has most after he has given most away and has least when he possesses most.
“He may be and often is highest when he feels lowest and most sinless when he is most conscious of sin. He is wisest when he knows that he knows not and knows least when he has acquired the greatest amount of knowledge. He sometimes does most by doing nothing and goes furthest when standing still.
“He fears God but is not afraid of Him. In God’s presence he feels overwhelmed and undone, yet there is nowhere he would rather be than in that presence.”
Verses 2-4a enumerate some of the blessings that come to the faithful.
His offspring will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. 3 Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever. 4 Light dawns in the darkness for the upright;
In his relationship with other humans, the faithful believer is mercifully just. “…he is gracious, merciful, and righteous. 5 It is well with the man who deals generously and lends; who conducts his affairs with justice. Again, paradoxical, but true. Lending is merciful, clearly, but how is it ‘just’? Mercy itself is justly expected of those whose only hope is that they will be shown mercy (Mt 18:32-35).
So, how should we live? We should live generously.
Within himself, the faithful believer is at peace. His life is characterized by confidence, firmness, steadiness, trust.
For the righteous will never be moved; he will be remembered forever. 7 He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord. 8 His heart is steady; he will not be afraid, until he looks in triumph on his adversaries.
Contrary to the popular doctrines of the prosperity gospel crowd, there will be bad news, but the one who fears the Lord has no need to fear bad news. What separates believers from others is not that non-Christians have trouble and Christians do not, but that Christians have no need to panic in the midst of trouble.
Contrary to the erratic character of many Christians, the faithful believer is steady. There may be many causes of erratic Christianity, but one contributing factor is a lack of trust in God’s grace. People’s legalism drives them to sizable effort from time to time, but they cannot keep up a steady pace of doing good. The one motivated not by self-interest but by sustained thankfulness is steady.
Verse 9 restates the theme — He has distributed freely; he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever; his horn is exalted in honour. Those who live this way will be blessed in the long run and their work will be, like the works of God himself, of lasting effect.
Verse 10 contrasts the wicked to this. The wicked man sees it and is angry; he gnashes his teeth and melts away; the desire of the wicked will perish!
Does this passage describe us? Is our relationship with God characterized by delightful fear? Is our relationship with others merciful and generous? Is it even just? Are we at peace, knowing not what the future holds, but knowing who holds the future?
The Climax of God’s Mission, Volume two has gone ‘live’ on Amazon. You can buy a paperback copy for $10.99 ($15.28 CAD) or a Kindle copy for $3.99 ($5.63 CAD).
In other big news, Thayer will be teaching an online course for West Nigeria Christian College during their upcoming term (August 19 to December 2). We had not heard back from George Benson Christian College and had begun to think we would not be going there in September. So, when the request came from Nigeria, we accepted. Soon thereafter we did hear from Zambia. They also want his help with the teaching. He will limit his teaching in Zambia to just two classes, making a total of three. It will be interesting teaching classes at two schools at once. Since they are only 3500 miles apart, what could go wrong?
Although preparations for teaching these classes are keeping us busy, we are still making some progress on writing projects.
Chery continues to make some progress on more appropriate children’s material. Thayer covers a psalm or two most weeks. These appear as a weekly series in The Gospel Herald. Once the series is completed, we hope the articles will be collected into a book. Progress on developing more evangelistic material and on example Lord’s Supper talks has been slow, but there has been some development.
Two of our good friends need prayer regarding their health. Manuel Doliveria, a long-time worker in southern Africa, has been diagnosed with Leukaemia. Manuel has been ill for a couple of years now. The doctors have guessed wrong several times. It seems they finally have identified the real problem. He is currently hospitalised in Fort Worth. Robby Banda, a good friend and coworker in Zambia recently had colon surgery in Lusaka.
We also continue to receive cries for help from Nigeria. We learned recently that Anameti Akpan has been robbed again. Being handicapped and not having a wall around his property makes his family a target for thieves.
The members at Timbutini seem to have accepted our decision to join them only once per month. They are not happy about it, but they seem to understand. Our absence seems to be motivating some to step up and do more.
We have hosted an evening service in our home for five years now. None of the congregations in the vicinity has an evening service.
For a long time, attendance at our evening service was stagnant. It was just Monty (our landlord), his honorary grandson, Sima, Bob and Annette Whittaker, Donald Baraball, and the two of us. But lately Sima’s mother and a couple of his school chums have attended. We have also added a man from Plateau State, Nigeria. Julfa had gone to school in Russia. While there, he met a Swazi lady who was studying medicine. They married and returned to Eswatini. He teaches at a school in Ezulwini; but they live right in our neighbourhood. His wife is often working at the hospital on Sundays, but Julfa has joined us for worship twice now. Last week he requested literature on baptism, a subject on which he senses he has not been taught the biblical truth.
There is always more to do than we can handle. Pray that we remain calm and choose wisely.
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We know nothing about AI. But maybe some of you might have access to a program called “Claude,” and might know how to use it. We heard recently that Claude has the ability to rebuild software that is no longer available. There are two programs (ZipScript and The World of Islalm) we always found incredibly helpful. ZipScript has just disappeared. We still have our World of Islam CD-ROM, but it will not work on any recent version of Windows. If any of you know enough to fix either of these problems, we would love to hear from you.
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African Textbook Ministry, %Church of Christ, 5130 Flanders Road, Toledo, OH 43623
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