Giving God Glory in Public Pain, Psalm 115

It's no secret that our church is going through an extremely difficult time right now. No one has tried to cover up anything or sweep anything under a rug, but the media hoopla is painful for all of us.


It would be inappropriate and unwise for me to comment more specifically on the situation in this public forum, but I mention it now only to share how remarkable God's providence has been throughout these last few months.


God has provided just the right sermons for us at just the right steps in this painful journey. And he has provided a faithful interim shepherd who preaches and speaks the truth in love.


And as I blog my way through the Psalms, it amazes me how appropriate each one seems to be to the changing situation.


As the media coverage and public criticism intensifies, it is good to read Psalm 115, which begins with this wonderful verse:


Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory,

for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!


As our collective name is dragged through media muck, we grieve not only for the damaged personal relationships and reputations and the damaged congregational reputation, but also—and especially—for the damage to Christ's church. We trust God's steadfast love and faithfulness while continuing to pray that no one individual will receive personal glory, but that in all this mess God will receive all the glory.


The next section of Psalm 115 seems particularly apt to recent media exposure and public scorn:


Why should the nations say, "Where is their God?"

Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases (2-3, ESV).


Perhaps some members of the media delight in exposing sin within a small Dutch Reformed enclave like Pella. Perhaps some people gloat in what they view as our church's religious hypocrisy. Perhaps some unbeliever asks, "Where is their God?" Even believers can think, "Why did God allow this to happen?"


Our only response can be, "Our God reigns on high, he is sovereign over even this painful situation."


Verse three says that God does all he pleases. How can this pain please God? We don't know. But we do know that he will use it for good. Perhaps it will unify and strengthen marriages; perhaps it will unify and strengthen our church; perhaps it will unify and strengthen our federation; perhaps it will unify and strengthen Christ's church in our community; perhaps it will even help unify and strengthen Christ's church in our nation and throughout the world. We just don't know. But we can be sure it will somehow, in some way, be for good.


The next section of Psalm 115 (verses 4-8) talks about the ineffectiveness of idols and how those who put their trust in them become like them. Those who trust in anything except God are as dumb, blind, deaf, lame, and mute as an inanimate idol.


Verses 9-11 encourage believers to trust in the Lord, who is our "help and shield." Following this encouragement, the psalmist give believers these beautiful promises and prayers (excerpts from verses 12-15, ESV):


The LORD has remembered us; he will bless us;

he will bless those who fear the LORD,

both the small and the great.

May the Lord give you increase,

you and your children!

May you be blessed by the LORD,

who made heaven and earth!


God not only promises to remember us, but he also promises to bless us! And he will bless the lowly believer as well as the exalted believer. The psalmist asks God to bless us and our children, a prayer that will be fulfilled because God is the Creator God who made all things and can do all things.


Psalm 115 concludes with a reminder of God's sovereignty and a call to live with victorious praise (16-18, ESV):


The heavens are the LORD's heavens,

but the earth he has given to the children of man.

The dead do not praise the LORD, n

or do any who go down into silence.

But we will bless the LORD

from this time forth and forevermore.

Praise the LORD!


God reigns over the cosmos and over all the events of our lives! He has put us on earth and given us authority over our little areas of creation. I don't know about you, but I've had plenty of times in the last year—particularly in the last few months—when I just wanted to say, "Beam me up, Scotty!"


It isn't wrong to long for glory. Christians are called to long for our translation to glory as well as the renewal of all things. But while we're here, we are also called to live to God's glory. Our dead bodies can't witness to other people about God's glorious salvation. While we live, we can't be silent! We must praise God as long as he gives us breath, no matter what our circumstances.


That's why we're making the commitment in all of this to bless the Lord now and forever!


Praise the Lord!

It causes me to tremble, Psalm 114

What causes the earth to tremble, firm ground to ripple, and buildings to sway?

We can talk all day about plate tectonics and continental drift, but the short answer is: God.

In beautifully poetic language and form, Psalm 114 depicts an animated earth and its elements when God delivered Israel from Egypt. Read it aloud to enjoy the fullness of its beauty!

When Israel went out from Egypt,
the house of Jacob from a people of strange language,
Judah became his sanctuary,
Israel his dominion.

The sea looked and fled;
Jordan turned back.
The mountains skipped like rams,
the hills like lambs.

What ails you, O sea, that you flee?
O Jordan, that you turn back?
O mountains, that you skip like rams?
O hills, like lambs?

Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord,
at the presence of the God of Jacob,
who turns the rock into a pool of water,
the flint into a spring of water (Psalm 114, ESV).

The parallelism is obvious. (Parallelism is the repetition of a similar concept with different words in two subsequent lines.) The ESV Literary Study Bible says, "There is no better example in the entire Psalter of how Hebrew parallelism works and of the beauty that attends it" (p. 878).

Parallelism and other poetic devices enliven and energize this psalm. We visualize the water of the Red Sea cresting up into two giant waves that part and expose a quickly drying sea bed. We see the face of a hard gray rock melt into a rippling pool of shimmering water reflecting the sun's beams and the blue sky. We feel the excitement and wonder.

But perhaps we think: "Well, it would have been great to be the Israelites and see those miraculous events, to finally be free from slavery; but we're stuck here in this broken world with all its pain."

The reality is that we've been delivered from slavery in even more miraculous ways than the Israelites. We were dead. Now we live.

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind (Ephesians 1:1-3, ESV).

We were dead, not sick or comatose, in our sins. Is resurrecting a corpse any less marvelous than parting a sea? Ephesians 3 continues by describing God's ultimate crisis intervention:

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus (4-7, ESV).

We do not simply exist, feebly grasping life with our fingernails while we wait for Christ to reappear and rescue us; we are alive with Christ. We have been saved and raised with him. In ways we can't fully understand, we are already seated with him in the heavenly places. When we die, our souls will go to heaven, and one day Christ will resurrect and glorify our bodies; but we don't have to wait for his grace. He is already demonstrating the immeasurable riches of his grace in his kindness toward us.

Tremble in amazement at your deliverance from the slavery of sin, which was no less remarkable than the marvelous deliverance of Israel so poetically described in Psalm 114.

Pray for grace. Pray for God to open your eyes to the immeasurable riches of Christ's grace that already exist in your life!

Already blessings, Psalm 113

Reformed Christians are fond of talking about "already" and the "not yet."

By this they mean that we already enjoy the blessings of the Christian life, but that we have not yet experienced its fullness. When we die, we leave the ravages of physical life and enter into fellowship with Christ in heaven, but we will not experience the fullness of Christ's kingdom until his return. Then the first heaven and earth will pass away and the sea will be no more; there will be a new heaven and earth and God will dwell directly with us; He will wipe every tear from our eyes and there will be no more death, mourning, crying, or pain; for the former things will pass away and he will make all things new (Revelation 21:1-5, ESV).

Many events in this world and struggles in our lives make us long for that day. Much of scripture, including many of the psalms we've looked at on this blog, point us toward that great day. But the thing that strikes me about Psalm 113 is that it isn't simply pointing to the "not yet" of future glory; it's talking about the "already" of our lives now.

Psalm 113 is a simple psalm bracketed with exclamatory praise. Its opening verses pulse with joyous praise:

Praise the LORD! Praise, O servants of the LORD,
praise the name of the LORD!
Blessed be the name of the LORD
from this time forth and forevermore!
From the rising of the sun to its setting,
the name of the LORD is to be praised! (1-3, ESV).

Certainly these verses convey the everlasting nature of God and his praise; his name is to blessed "from this time forth and forevermore" (the "already" and the "not yet"). But this opening reinforces the "already" aspect by mentioning the rising and setting of the sun.

In addition to the beautiful promises reflected in the second paragraph above, the penultimate chapter of the Bible tells us that the New Jerusalem "has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb" (Revelation 21:23, ESV).

If there will be no sun or moon in the new creation, then Psalm 113:3's reference to the rising and setting of the sun clearly conveys the concept of praising God's name in the here and now.

After this jubilant opening, Psalm 113 turns our gaze upward to focus on our exalted and sovereign God.

The LORD is high above all nations,
and his glory above the heavens!
Who is like the LORD our God,
who is seated on high,
who looks far down
on the heavens and the earth? (4-6, ESV).

From the highest heaven, our glorious God reigns over all the nations. He does not ignore current events; he "looks far down" on the obedient hosts of angels in heaven as well as the rebellious nations of people on earth. This means God is firmly in control, even over all the countries being torn apart by internal conflict.

God sees the suffering of his people, many of whom need not wait until their translation to glory for relief and blessing.

He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the ash heap,
to make them sit with princes,
with the princes of his people.
He gives the barren woman a home,
making her the joyous mother of children.
Praise the LORD! (7-9, ESV).

In his great mercy, God raises the poor from the dust of poverty and lifts the needy from the ash heap of mourning. He seats them with the princes of his people! In his marvelous compassion, God grants the barren woman a joyful home filled with the sweet sounds of children.

These are not "pie in the sky, wait until you die" promises. These are blessings that God gives to believers here and now in the "already" of his kingdom.

No wonder the psalmist concludes as he began: "Praise the LORD!"

Light dawns in the darkness, Psalm 112

As nuclear meltdowns threaten and the earth's foundations shake, God reminds us today that the righteous will never be moved and light dawns in the darkness.

Like so many other psalms, Psalm 112 begins with praise to God. But it quickly shifts focus to the godly person (verse 1, ESV):

Praise the LORD!

Blessed is the man who fears the LORD,
who greatly delights in his commandments!

In the ESV Literary Study Bible, editors Ryken and Ryken identify Psalm 112 as an encomium, which they define in their glossary as "A work of literature that praises either a general character type (e.g., Psalm 1 on the godly person and Proverbs 31:10-31 on the virtuous wife) or abstract quality (e.g., 1 Corinthians 13 on love and Hebrews 11 on faith)" (p. 1887). If you've studied poetry or classical literature, you may already be familiar with the term.

The editors also note that the psalm's "successive half-verses follow the sequence of letters in the Hebrew alphabet, making this an acrostic poem" (p. 876). Regular blog readers will recall that the previous psalm we examined, Psalm 111, was also an acrostic praise psalm. Psalm 112 assures the godly of God's covenantal care for their ensuing generations.

His offspring will be mighty in the land;
the generation of the upright will be blessed.
Wealth and riches are in his house,
and his righteousness endures forever (2-3, ESV).

Our children may not win wrestling meets and we may not have a safe stuffed with currency and jewelry, but our believing children are strong in the Lord and their eternal souls are treasures in our households now and in our eternal homes. Our righteousness is Christ's, and that will never fail.

Because we have this never fading hope, light dawns in our darkness.

Light dawns in the darkness for the upright;
he is gracious, merciful, and righteous.

It is well with the man who deals generously and lends;

who conducts his affairs with justice (4-5, ESV).

In the murky shadows of this world, we can see the light of Christ. His dawn lights our way and lightens our hearts. He enables each of us to imitate him by being gracious and merciful. The righteous person is generous and helpful; he deals honestly with others.

The righteous are able to stand firm even in adversity.

For the righteous will never be moved;
he will be remembered forever.
He is not afraid of bad news;
his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD.
His heart is steady; he will not be afraid,
until he looks in triumph on his adversaries (6-8, ESV).

Because our righteousness is the righteousness of Christ, we will not be shaken even when the earth trembles. The grass may wither and the flower fade, our earthly bodies may deteriorate and die, but the Word of the Lord stands firm forever. And our souls are eternally secure in Christ that living Word. We need not fear frightening news reports. Our pulse remains steady when we trust God. We can be sure that one day we will view all enemies from a victorious vantage point.

The righteous acts of the godly person have everlasting value.

He has distributed freely; he has given to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever;
his horn is exalted in honor (9, ESV).

The biblical image of a horn represents power. In this world, God's people often are weak, oppressed, and humiliated. But the reality beyond this ephemeral sphere is that we are strong, powerful, and honored.

This makes the wicked very angry (verse 10, ESV):

The wicked man sees it and is angry;
he gnashes his teeth and melts away;
the desire of the wicked will perish!

The wicked may try to grind the righteous in their vicious teeth, but they will soon melt away like a mist dispersed by sunlight. Their desires and stratagems will disappear.

In the face of today's bad news, take heart! God promises that the righteous will stand firm. Light will dawn in darkness!

Praise Primer, Psalm 111

In the original Hebrew language, Psalm 111 is an acrostic poem in which each line begins with consecutive letters of the alphabet.

The alphabet portion of the New England Primer uses an acrostic pattern to teach young children their A, B, Cs and simple theology. The New England Primer was the first published work for children in the American colonies. Its alphabet begins with this famous verse, "In Adam's Fall, We sinned all."

One can imagine little Jewish children memorizing the words of Psalm 111 to help them learn the alphabet and theology. The psalm contains a condensed overview of the gospel, the good news of God's sovereignty and salvation.

It begins with a call to praise and a vow for faithful corporate worship:

Praise the LORD!
I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart,
in the company of the upright, in the congregation (1, ESV).

On Wednesday evening, our church held its annual Prayer Day service, in which we hear a message from God's Word and intercessory prayers for various aspects of life: business and agriculture, our country, diaconal causes, and the Church.

Perhaps because of recent turmoil in the world and in our lives, I was more blessed by this service than ever before. It was a joy to gather with my church family and pray together. My heart truly was thankful for the opportunity. And today, I eagerly anticipate the opportunity to return to corporate worship tomorrow, on God's "festive day of rest" (Heidelberg Catechism, Q & A 103).

Not only are Christians called to joyfully worship, but we are also called to lovingly study God's works and words:

Great are the works of the LORD,
studied by all who delight in them (2, ESV).

God's splendid and majestic work is glorious. His faithful righteousness will never fade or fail:

Full of splendor and majesty is his work,
and his righteousness endures forever (3, ESV).

In God's great and gracious mercy, he has provided for the continuing transmission of his Word.

He has caused his wondrous works to be remembered;
the LORD is gracious and merciful (4, ESV).

As he spiritually feeds us from his Word, he also physically nourishes us and cares for our covenant children throughout their generations.

He provides food for those who fear him;
he remembers his covenant forever (5, ESV).

God demonstrated his power to Israel by bringing them out of Egypt's oppression and bestowing them with a fruitful land, tilled and established by others.

He has shown his people the power of his works,
in giving them the inheritance of the nations (6, ESV).

God has also shown us his power by freeing us from sin's bondage and granting us the freedom of an abundant life in Christ. Every day we benefit from his faithful works.

The works of his hands are faithful and just;
all his precepts are trustworthy;
they are established forever and ever,
to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness (7-8, ESV).

We can trust every part of eternal God's Word. His works and his words are faithful and upright. His most awe-inspiring gift is the salvation he freely grants to his covenant people (9, ESV):

He sent redemption to his people;
he has commanded his covenant forever.
Holy and awesome is his name!

Awesome is a word that has almost lost its meaning through trivial overuse, but its most appropriate use is in describing God's holy name. Our holy God's amazing redemption through Jesus Christ and his covenantal love to believers and their children truly generate awe.

Wisdom begins with love and awe for God (10, ESV):

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;
all those who practice it have a good understanding.
His praise endures forever!

We shouldn't shy away from the biblical term "fear of the Lord." It doesn't mean to be terrified of God, although it includes an element of understanding God's power and his righteous anger against sin. The thought of a righteous and holy God ought to terrify those who don't trust in Christ for their salvation! But believers understand the "fear of the Lord" to encompass much more than simply acknowledging his holiness and power. It also means to whole-heartedly love and serve God. When we praise God, participate in corporate worship, peruse his Word, proclaim his wondrous works, and promote the covenant faithfulness of his salvation, we begin to have true biblical wisdom.

The alphabet section of the New England Primer taught early American tots how to read by inculcating biblical truths. The original model for that primer may have been Psalm 111, the acrostic "Praise Primer" that teaches us to trust our heavenly Father with a child-like faith.

The Return of the King, Psalm 110

In these days of civil war and natural disasters, spiraling prices and insuperable debt, religious persecution and apocalyptic prophecy, public depravity and private pain, it's comforting to be reminded from Psalm 110 that God is in control and one day soon Christ will be the visible king.

Editors Ryken and Ryken write about Psalm 110 in the ESV Literary Study Bible, "The focus is on the godly king, with the implied double meaning that the ultimate embodiment of this ideal is Christ" (p. 875). Although I often agree with comments made by this father-son duo, it seems to me that the focus in Psalm 110 is on Christ with an implied double meaning relating to the godly king.

King David seems to find confidence for his own reign by envisioning God the Father speaking to God the Son:

The LORD says to my Lord:
"Sit at my right hand,
until I make your enemies your footstool" (verse 1).

Verse 2 affirms the guarantee of victory over God's (as well as the king's and our) enemies:

The LORD sends forth from Zion
your mighty scepter.
Rule in the midst of your enemies!

In verse 3, incredible imagery and poetic language anticipate the great day of the Lord:

Your people will offer themselves freely
on the day of your power,
in holy garments;
from the womb of the morning,
the dew of your youth will be yours.

As believers stumble through life in the torn and filthy garments of sin, we take heart in the sure knowledge that one day we will be clothed in "holy garments" of pure linen that have been washed whiter than snow by Christ's blood. When the Son of Righteousness dawns, the decrepit tent of this current body will burst from the grave like a baby delivered from the womb. The resurrected body will be ageless, neither infantile nor infirm, but forever fresh and timelessly youthful.

Verse 4 refers to the meeting between Abram, who would become Abraham, and Melchizedek, who was "priest of God Most High" (Genesis 14:18) at Salem, which would become Jerusalem.

The LORD has sworn
and will not change his mind,
"You are a priest forever
after the order of Melchizedek."

That verse is heavily referenced in Hebrews (5:6, 6:20, 7:17, 7:21), which teaches that Jesus has become our high priest forever.

As our high priest, Christ now sits exalted at the right hand of God, ruling and reigning until his return in judgment.

The Lord is at your right hand;
he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath.
He will execute judgment among the nations,
filling them with corpses;
he will shatter chiefs
over the wide earth (5-6).

Christ's victory will be thorough and global. No oppressive king or wicked nation will escape his justice. The execution of his justice also will be swift.

He will drink from the brook by the way;
therefore he will lift up his head (7).

John Calvin writes in his commentary on this verse that David intends to convey the military prowess of Christ, like a commander in battle who doesn't stop for refreshment but quickly drinks from a stream in his path. Matthew Henry believes the "brook on the way" indicates the black stream of God's wrath from which Christ drank. Both agree that the final line of this psalm confirms Christ's exaltation.

Christ is our only high priest and our exalted king. When he returns in power to judge the nations, sin will be forever vanquished and the wicked banished into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:15, 21:8). But the righteous will enter the rest of their eternal home where the river of the water of life flows. Beside it grows the tree of life, bearing new fruit each month, with leaves for the healing of the nations (Revelation 22:1-2).

How I long for the return of the king!

All scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV), © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.

Purposeful Imprecation, Psalm 109

Psalm 109 seems to be the most imprecatory of the so-called "imprecatory" (calling curses upon someone) psalms. In this psalm, author David calls down God's curses on his enemies in vivid language with memorable images.

Editors Ryken and Ryken of the ESV Literary Study Bible point out that in Psalm 109 (and Psalm 69) "the element of imprecation is enclosed in the familiar contours of the lament psalm, and we need to keep that framework in view if we wish to avoid distorting the poems" (p. 873).

They make a valid point. One can't simply load Psalm 109 and take aim at one's enemies. King David was God's chosen representative and those who attacked him were actually attacking God. Psalm 69 makes it even clearer that the psalmist suffers at the hands of others because of his righteousness.

We can't use the imprecatory psalms as ammunition against our enemies if we have not been honest and loving toward them. The psalm begins with a cry for help that makes this plain:

Be not silent, O God of my praise!
For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me,
speaking against me with lying tongues.
They encircle me with words of hate,
and attack me without cause.
In return for my love they accuse me,
but I give myself to prayer.
So they reward me evil for good,
and hatred for my love (1-5, ESV).

The psalmist has done nothing to generate this malice and has shown these enemies only love. He does not respond with similar hate-filled actions against them, but instead devotes himself to prayer.

The psalmist dramatically asks God to work events of judgment in the life of the evil doer. These explicitly harsh imprecations make us cringe: "When he is tried, let him come forth guilty; let his prayer be counted as sin! May his days be few; may another take his office! May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow! May his children wander about and beg, seeking food far from the ruins they inhabit! May the creditor seize all that he has; may strangers plunder the fruits of his toil! Let there be none to extend kindness to him, nor any to pity his fatherless children! May his posterity be cut off; may his name be blotted out in the second generation!" (7-13, ESV).

David's long litany against the heartless evildoer continues with the most striking images of the psalm (16-20, ESV):

For he did not remember to show kindness,
but pursued the poor and needy
and the brokenhearted, to put them to death.
He loved to curse; let curses come upon him!
He did not delight in blessing; may it be far from him!
He clothed himself with cursing as his coat;
may it soak into his body like water,
like oil into his bones!
May it be like a garment that he wraps around him,
like a belt that he puts on every day!
May this be the reward of my accusers from the LORD,
of those who speak evil against my life!

In the above verses, David considers cursing as not merely an action, but also an attribute. Creatively comparing the act of cursing to the fact of cursedness, David shows how the action leads to the state as it permeates and covers the self.

In the midst of his imprecatory litany, David confesses that he depends solely upon a faithful and loving God for deliverance (verse 21, ESV): "But you, O GOD my Lord, deal on my behalf for your name’s sake; because your steadfast love is good, deliver me!"

Notice that David does not ask God to restore his (David's) name, but to work vengeance and judgment for the sake of God's name.

The next section of the psalm describes the psalmist's dreadful state. Anyone who has experienced a severe trial can identify with this vivid depiction of hopelessness and helplessness:

For I am poor and needy,
and my heart is stricken within me.
I am gone like a shadow at evening;
I am shaken off like a locust.
My knees are weak through fasting;
my body has become gaunt, with no fat.
I am an object of scorn to my accusers;
when they see me, they wag their heads (22-25, ESV).

As the psalmist cries again to the Lord, he shows us the purpose for imprecation (26-27, ESV):

Help me, O LORD my God!
Save me according to your steadfast love!
Let them know that this is your hand;
you, O LORD, have done it!

The purpose of imprecation is always God's glory. God saves the righteous and curses the wicked in order to demonstrate his almighty hand. His judgments make his power plain.

As the wicked continue to curse God and his people, God will put them to shame. But he will bless the righteous (28-29, ESV):

Let them curse, but you will bless!
They arise and are put to shame, but your servant will be glad!
May my accusers be clothed with dishonor;
may they be wrapped in their own shame as in a cloak!

The psalm concludes by again showing a purpose for imprecation.

With my mouth I will give great thanks to the LORD;
I will praise him in the midst of the throng.
For he stands at the right hand of the needy one,
to save him from those who condemn his soul to death (30-31, ESV).

The righteous person who has been delivered from an enemy must thank God, not only privately, but also in corporate worship. God stands beside us in our need, ready to rescue us from death.

All scripture, including the so-called "imprecatory" psalms are profitable (2 Timothy 3:16). But we must always remember that calling down curses upon our enemies is appropriate only in the context of righteous suffering that acknowledges God's sole role in administering justice. The purpose of imprecation is always and only God's glory.

Awaking the Dawn, Psalm 108

Most mornings I rise before 5:00. Sometimes significantly before 5:00, but I've been recently sleeping until my husband's cell phone alarm rings at 4:54. Even if I briefly sleep again for a few minutes after that alarm, I'm always up and in my office before dawn. Outside the south window of my office, I see the tops of trees materialize in the lightening sky. On clear days, the sun's rays bless the tree tops with bright golden light. And I'm reminded of a phrase from Psalm 108.

The premier psalmist David composed this song, whose first two verses explode in praise:

My heart is steadfast, O God!
I will sing and make melody with all my being!
Awake, O harp and lyre!
I will awake the dawn!

I feel a lot of affinity with David. He was a sinner, but he loved God and sought with all his heart to serve him. When he fell into deep sin, he was convicted of his sin by God's word. His heart was humbled and he sincerely repented. But he still had to suffer the consequences of his horrendous sins.

We all sin. But if we genuinely repent and our hearts are broken, not merely in humiliation, but in true humility, we will submit our wayward spirits and willful pride to God's will. We will humbly confess our sin and seek forgiveness from all those we have hurt. In humble submission to God's Spirit, we will even be able to forgive those who have hurt us.

David was a poet and I often identify with his creative expressions. I think he also must have been an early riser. Perhaps like me, he felt closest to God in the quiet of the early morning, before the cares and concerns of the day pressed upon him. Perhaps those precious morning hours were his most productive times for writing, when he best reflected the creativity of the Trinity.

Because God had given David creative gifts, he felt compelled to use those gifts in public praise. He could have kept his songs to himself, but he desired to spread abroad the glory of God.

I will give thanks to you, O LORD, among the peoples;
I will sing praises to you among the nations.
For your steadfast love is great above the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the clouds (3-4, ESV).

David wanted God to receive the vast exaltation of which he alone is worthy. But he also longed for deliverance and salvation (5-6, ESV):

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
Let your glory be over all the earth!
That your beloved ones may be delivered,
give salvation by your right hand and answer me!

God's steadfast love never fails. His faithful promises are sure. In the next section of this psalm, a divinely-inspired David proclaims God's holy faithfulness and prophesies his victorious salvation (7-9, ESV):

God has promised in his holiness:
"With exultation I will divide up Shechem
and portion out the Valley of Succoth.
Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine;
Ephraim is my helmet,
Judah my scepter.
Moab is my washbasin;
upon Edom I cast my shoe;
over Philistia I shout in triumph."

God sets people and nations in their places. God claims his people as his own dear children and provides an inheritance for them. He triumphs over the wicked and he brings eternal victory through Christ, who would come from the royal tribe of Judah.

Unless we submit our wills completely to God's, we cannot hope for victory. Like a rebellious Israel, we will wander without a leader and our battle efforts will be futile.

Who will bring me to the fortified city?
Who will lead me to Edom?
Have you not rejected us, O God?
You do not go out, O God, with our armies.
Oh grant us help against the foe,
for vain is the salvation of man!
With God we shall do valiantly;
it is he who will tread down our foes (10-13).

God alone brings valiant victory. When we pursue personal power, when we deceive with secret sins, when we long for vengeance, when we cling to pride and control, we cannot hope to conquer.

But when we seek God's glory, when we genuinely repent and openly confess our sins, when we forgive others, and when we humble our hearts and spirits to God's will, he will bring victory.

Then the darkness will fade as the Son's light dawns!

Considering the Lord's steadfast love, Psalm 107

Psalm 107 begins the fifth book of the Psalter, but it flows smoothly from the previous two psalms. In my meditation on Psalm 105, I noted that it was a crash course in covenantal history. And my meditation on Psalm 106 showed how that psalm continues the historical theme with a confessional emphasis.

Psalm 107 is a lengthy and lyrical look at the fortunes of the redeemed throughout the past, during the present, and into the future.

In a pattern that has become familiar, it begins with a call to thank God for his steadfast love (verse 1, ESV):

Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever!

Those called to praise God are those he has redeemed through Christ from earth's remotest regions:

Let the redeemed of the LORD say so,
whom he has redeemed from trouble
and gathered in from the lands,
from the east and from the west,
from the north and from the south (2-3, ESV).

The psalm then goes into a series of descriptions of God's people who have suffered and continue to suffer in various adversities.

We read first of the redeemed who wandered in deserts:

Some wandered in desert wastes,
finding no way to a city to dwell in;
hungry and thirsty,
their soul fainted within them.
Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
He led them by a straight way
till they reached a city to dwell in.
Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love,
for his wondrous works to the children of man!
For he satisfies the longing soul,
and the hungry soul he fills with good things (4-9, ESV).

Then we read of those facing death while imprisoned in darkness:

Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death,
prisoners in affliction and in irons,
for they had rebelled against the words of God,
and spurned the counsel of the Most High.
So he bowed their hearts down with hard labor;
they fell down, with none to help.
Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death,
and burst their bonds apart.
Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love,
for his wondrous works to the children of man!
For he shatters the doors of bronze
and cuts in two the bars of iron (12-16, ESV).

Adversity isn't always the result of sin, but the above verses indicate that it can be. And the following verses show there are times when our own foolishness and sin lead to deathly distress 17-22, ESV):

Some were fools through their sinful ways,
and because of their iniquities suffered affliction;
they loathed any kind of food,
and they drew near to the gates of death.
Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
He sent out his word and healed them,
and delivered them from their destruction.
Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love,
for his wondrous works to the children of man!
And let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving,
and tell of his deeds in songs of joy!

Seafarers who have survived terrifying storms have seen the hand of God and ought to join in corporate worship, praising the God who rescued them from a watery grave.

Some went down to the sea in ships,
doing business on the great waters;
they saw the deeds of the LORD,
his wondrous works in the deep.
For he commanded and raised the stormy wind,
which lifted up the waves of the sea.
They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths;
their courage melted away in their evil plight;
they reeled and staggered like drunken men
and were at their wits’ end.
Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
He made the storm be still,
and the waves of the sea were hushed.
Then they were glad that the waters were quiet,
and he brought them to their desired haven.
Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love,
for his wondrous works to the children of man!
Let them extol him in the congregation of the people,
and praise him in the assembly of the elders (23-32, ESV).

God is sovereign over storms at sea and every aspect of creation. He can turn a desert into an oasis, or a lush jungle into an arid waste. If the inhabitants are evil, God turns their farmland into wasteland. But for those who love him, he tames feral wilderness into fertile countryside.

He turns rivers into a desert,
springs of water into thirsty ground,
a fruitful land into a salty waste,
because of the evil of its inhabitants.
He turns a desert into pools of water,
a parched land into springs of water.
And there he lets the hungry dwell,
and they establish a city to live in;
they sow fields and plant vineyards
and get a fruitful yield.
By his blessing they multiply greatly,
and he does not let their livestock diminish (33-38, ESV).

When adversity presses the righteous low, God brings down their oppressors and raises up the needy.

When they are diminished and brought low
through oppression, evil, and sorrow,
he pours contempt on princes
and makes them wander in trackless wastes;
but he raises up the needy out of affliction
and makes their families like flocks.
The upright see it and are glad,
and all wickedness shuts its mouth (39-42, ESV).

Psalm 107 ends with a proverb:

Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things;
let them consider the steadfast love of the LORD (43, ESV).

Be wise. Consider the steadfast love of the Lord!

Let all the people say, "Amen!" (Psalm 106)

If Psalm 105 is Israelite History 101, Psalm 106 is Israelite History 102, with an emphasis on confession of sin.

Most of the psalm's forty-eight verses review Israel's sins from the time the people dwelled in Egypt (7), through the exodus (7-12), during their long sojourn in the desert (13-33), as they occupied the Promised Land (32-39), and during their oppression and captivity (40-43).

The psalmist prefaces this long confessional litany of sin with praise and a declaration that seems contradicted by most of the psalm (1-3, ESV):

Praise the LORD!
Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever!
Who can utter the mighty deeds of the LORD,
or declare all his praise?
Blessed are they who observe justice,
who do righteousness at all times!

It's easy to sing the familiar words praising God's goodness and his steadfast love, and we readily realize our inability to recount all God's mighty deeds or adequately declare all the praise due his name. But verse three causes pause.

Can anyone observe justice and do righteousness at all times? Since no one can, how can anyone be blessed?

The psalmist then writes:

Remember me, O LORD, when you show favor to your people;
help me when you save them,
that I may look upon the prosperity of your chosen ones,
that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation,
that I may glory with your inheritance (4-5, ESV).

God's favor is the only avenue to blessing. His Son is the only source of salvation. His Spirit is the only way to obey. Because God grants us his favor, salvation through Christ, and sanctification through His Spirit, we begin to live for him. Then we can see the spiritual, if not the physical, prosperity of God's elect. Then we are able to rejoice within the church community. And then we look forward to our glorious inheritance in Christ.

But while we do these things, we confess our sin.

The long list of Israel's sins, despite God's repeated deliverance and provision, confirms the impossibility and our inability to do righteousness at all times. If we're honest with ourselves, we realize that we are just as sinful as those stiff-necked Israelites. We feel our kinship with Israel, whose "enemies oppressed them" and brought them "into subjection." Although God delivered them many times, they "were rebellious in their purposes and were brought low through their iniquity" (42-43, ESV).

When we humble our hearts and turn to God in true repentance, he hears our cries for mercy.

Nevertheless, he looked upon their distress,
when he heard their cry.
For their sake he remembered his covenant,
and relented according to the abundance of his steadfast love.
He caused them to be pitied
by all those who held them captive (44-46, ESV).

God motivated pagan kings to release a remnant of faithful believers from captivity so they could return to the Promised Land. God also remembers his covenant with us. He will grant relief from our distress according to the abundance of his steadfast love.

We can pray with the psalmist:

Save us, O LORD our God,
and gather us from among the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name
and glory in your praise (47, ESV).

God will save us. But he saves us with a purpose: that we may gives thanks to his holy name and glory in his praise.

Because God is faithful and his love never fails, we praise him with all his people in every place and every time (48, ESV):

Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting!
And let all the people say, "Amen!"
Praise the LORD!


Quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.

Remembering and Recounting, Psalm 105

Need a quick lesson in Old Testament covenant history? Read Psalm 105.

Psalm 105 recounts God's covenantal promise and how he brought his people into the promised land. God made the promise to Abraham, preserved and expanded Abraham's descendents during hundreds of years in Egypt, brought those two million people out of slavery, and destroyed an entire unbelieving generation in the desert before finally bringing his people into the land flowing with milk and honey.

But Psalm 105 isn't mere history; it's history with a purpose. That multi-faceted purpose is reflected in the opening verses (1-6, ESV):

Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name;
make known his deeds among the peoples!
Sing to him, sing praises to him;
tell of all his wondrous works!
Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice!
Seek the LORD and his strength;
seek his presence continually!
Remember the wondrous works that he has done,
his miracles, and the judgments he uttered,
O offspring of Abraham, his servant,
children of Jacob, his chosen ones!

The psalm calls God's people to do more than remember God's wondrous works. It calls all of us to worship God, to thank him, to praise him, to glory in his name, to seek him, and to rejoice in him. And one more thing: make known his deeds among the peoples.

Worship must be accompanied by witness.

When we remember and recount God's covenant faithfulness, we have comfort and confidence for the future. This covenant God still controls all the events in the world, while caring for us and our children.

He is the LORD our God;
his judgments are in all the earth.
He remembers his covenant forever,
the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations (7-8, ESV).

Most of this long psalm conveys God's sovereignty over the patriarchs' lives and the Israelite nation. God is the one who "summoned a famine on the land and broke all supply of bread," but "he had sent a man ahead of them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave" (16-17, ESV). This was God's plan for preserving his people in Egypt.

In that lush land, the Lord "made his people very fruitful and made them stronger than their foes" (24). God is the one who "turned" the "hearts" of the Egyptians "to hate his people" and "to deal craftily with his servants" (25).

But God provided rescue for his people. "He sent Moses, his servant, and Aaron, whom he had chosen" (26).

The psalmist emphasizes God's actions in subsequent verses describing how God sent each successive plague: "He sent.... He turned.... He spoke.... He gave.... He struck down.... He spoke.... He struck down...." (28-36, ESV).

That emphasis on God's work continues in verses describing the exodus from Egypt and his provision in the desert: "...he brought out Israel with silver and gold" (37). "He spread a cloud for a covering, and fire to give light by night" (39). "...he brought quail, and gave them bread from heaven in abundance" (40). "He opened the rock, and water gushed out; it flowed through the desert like a river" (41).

God did all this for Israel because "he remembered his holy promise, and Abraham, his servant" (42). God is always faithful. His steadfast love never fails. He did not merely deliver his people, he granted them joy and abundance (43-45, ESV):

So he brought his people out with joy,
his chosen ones with singing.
And he gave them the lands of the nations,
and they took possession of the fruit of the peoples’ toil,
that they might keep his statutes
and observe his laws.
Praise the LORD!

God did all this for his people so that they could obey him and praise him. God has delivered each believer from the land of sin's slavery. Someday he will deliver each of us from this land of sin's sorrow. What a day that will be!

But until that day comes, we have a responsibility to spread the good news of God's sovereignty and his salvation through Jesus Christ. We have a duty not merely to remember covenant history in our minds, but to recount it to others!

This is My Father's World, Psalm 104

In Not My Own: Discovering God's Comfort in the Heidelberg Catechism (the fifth grade volume I wrote for the "Life in Christ" catechism curriculum), I use Psalm 104 to demonstrate God's sovereign care over creation. As the student reads the psalm and identifies verses containing specific word pictures, I hope he or she begins to glimpse the beauty of God's sovereignty.

The exercise is part of Lesson 8, "Who Is God the Father?", and leads into discussion of Q & A 26, certainly one of the most beautiful of many comforting questions and answers in the highly biblical and intensely personal Heidelberg Catechism:

26 Q. What do you believe when you say:
“I believe in God the Father, almighty,
maker of heaven and earth”?
A. That the eternal Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who out of nothing created heaven and earth
and everything in them,
who still upholds and rules them
by his eternal counsel and providence,
is my God and Father
because of Christ his Son.
I trust him so much that I do not doubt
he will provide whatever I need
for body and soul,
and he will turn to my good
whatever adversity he sends me
in this sad world.
He is able to do this because he is almighty God;
he desires to do this because he is a faithful Father.

If you read Psalm 104 (which I encourage you to do right now at Bible Gateway), you will be struck by the variety and energy of its imagery.

Anyone who loves literature loves the effective use of imagery in the printed word, and the Bible makes extremely effective use of imagery. Literature lovers also enjoy identifying types or genres of writing, and the Bible makes very effective use of different genres. If you love literature, you will appreciate the editorial comments in the ESV Literary Study Bible that help the reader identify different forms employed by the human authors of the biblical text.

I've mentioned the ESV Literary Study Bible (which can be purchased on Amazon) in previous posts and I've mentioned editors Leland Ryken and Philip Graham Ryken, but I haven't explained their relationship.

Not only is Philip Graham Ryken the son of Leland Ryken, but he also is now his boss. Leland Ryken is a longtime professor at Wheaton College, where Philip Graham Ryken was inaugurated as the school's eighth president on September 17, 2010. I've interviewd both men for Christian Renewal; my interview with Leland Ryken appearing in the February 11, 2009, issue and my interview with Philip Graham Ryken appearing in the April 28, 2010 issue (with profiles of three newly appointed presidents at Christian colleges). I'll try to post those interviews later this week.

ESV Literary Study Bible editors Ryken and Ryken identify Psalm 104 as "the fourth of five nature poems in the Psalter," writing that it is "so exalted and long that it ranks as an ode" (p. 862).

It begins with these familiar words:

Bless the LORD, O my soul!
O LORD my God, you are very great!
You are clothed with splendor and majesty,
covering yourself with light as with a garment,
stretching out the heavens like a tent (verses 1-2, ESV).

Yesterday's reflection on Psalm 103 discussed how the concept of "blessing the Lord" includes loving and praising God. These opening verses directly praise God (in the second person) for his sovereign majesty and his creative power.

The next three verses switch to indirect praise, talking about God (in the third person) with picturesque language describing his majestic creativity.

He lays the beams of his chambers on the waters;
he makes the clouds his chariot;
he rides on the wings of the wind;
he makes his messengers winds,
his ministers a flaming fire.
He set the earth on its foundations,
so that it should never be moved (3-5, ESV).

The next lengthy section reverts to direct praise in word pictures pulsing with vitality:

You covered it with the deep as with a garment;
the waters stood above the mountains.
At your rebuke they fled;
at the sound of your thunder they took to flight.
The mountains rose, the valleys sank down
to the place that you appointed for them.
You set a boundary that they may not pass,
so that they might not again cover the earth.

You make springs gush forth in the valleys;
they flow between the hills;
they give drink to every beast of the field;
the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell;
they sing among the branches.
From your lofty abode you water the mountains;
the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work.

You cause the grass to grow for the livestock
and plants for man to cultivate,
that he may bring forth food from the earth
and wine to gladden the heart of man,
oil to make his face shine
and bread to strengthen man’s heart (6-15, ESV).

One could reflect at length on each of the above images. Some certainly seem to describe the earth before, during, and after the flood (Genesis 6-9).

In the next section of Psalm 104, the psalmist again switches to indirect praise as he reflects on God's present care over creation:

The trees of the LORD are watered abundantly,
the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.
In them the birds build their nests;
the stork has her home in the fir trees.
The high mountains are for the wild goats;
the rocks are a refuge for the rock badgers (16-18, ESV).

The next verse ties together God's creation with his continued sustenance:

He made the moon to mark the seasons;
the sun knows its time for setting (19, ESV).

God causes the progression of day and night. He creates the inclinations of different creatures. He does both of these things so that wild animals and man can co-exist in the same areas of creation.

You make darkness, and it is night,
when all the beasts of the forest creep about.
The young lions roar for their prey,
seeking their food from God.
When the sun rises, they steal away
and lie down in their dens.
Man goes out to his work
and to his labor until the evening (20-23, ESV).

Another section of direct praise marvels at God's amazing sea and land creatures, who all depend on God for sustenance. God brings forth the plants that provide their food in the sea and on land. God brings each creature to life and takes away each one's life according to his great plan.

O LORD, how manifold are your works!
In wisdom have you made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.
Here is the sea, great and wide,
which teems with creatures innumerable,
living things both small and great.
There go the ships,
and Leviathan, which you formed to play in it.
These all look to you,
to give them their food in due season.
When you give it to them, they gather it up;
when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.
When you hide your face, they are dismayed;
when you take away their breath, they die
and return to their dust.
When you send forth your Spirit, they are created,
and you renew the face of the ground (24-20, ESV).

The psalmist prays that God will always endure and rejoice in his creation, over which he exercises complete and almighty control (31-32, ESV):

May the glory of the LORD endure forever;
may the LORD rejoice in his works,
who looks on the earth and it trembles,
who touches the mountains and they smoke!

Can't you visualize tall buildings swaying in an earthquake or a volcano billowing black smoke and red lava?

Psalm 104 concludes with the psalmist's personal vow to praise God all his life. He prays that God will enable his meditation to please him. He also asks God to refine the earth by destroying the wicked. And he bookends the psalm with "blessing the Lord" praise similar to the phrase that opens it (33-35, ESV):

I will sing to the LORD as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have being.
May my meditation be pleasing to him,
for I rejoice in the LORD.
Let sinners be consumed from the earth,
and let the wicked be no more!
Bless the LORD, O my soul! Praise the LORD!

May we join the writer of Psalm 104 in seeing God's handiwork in all of creation and praising him for it! And may the beauty of God's sovereignty and providence comfort us in our pilgrimage.

Blessing the Lord, Psalm 103

The idea of blessing the Lord has always seemed a bit foreign to me. How can we, as mere human creatures, bless the almighty God who is the divine creator?
The strangeness of the concept comes, I think, from a skewed view. For most of my life, I've considered "blessing" as a thing that God gives or as the way he gives it. Every day I am blessed by God as I receive blessings from him, including innumerable gifts of which I am not even aware. But that's only part of the biblical concept of blessing. Scripture makes clear that "blessing" also can be loving and praising God.

Psalm 103 is the world's best primer on the concept of blessing the Lord.

Editors Leland Ryken and Philip Graham Ryken preface Psalm 103 in the ESV Literary Study Bible (© 2007 by Crossway Bibles) by writing that it is a "high point among the praise psalms" and add: "It is so exalted in scope and language that it ranks as an ode—the most elevated member of the lyric family."

As I get older (and I hope a little wiser), I see less "coincidence" and more "providence" in the things and events of life. And I think it is hardly "coincidental" that Psalm 103's lyrical song of praise immediately follows Psalm 102's broken-hearted confession of penitence (see my blog post of 09 February 2011).

Psalm 103 was written by David in thankfulness for God's forgiveness of his sin. It reflects the joy not only of David's heart, but also of his soul. He begins in verse 1 by pouring every part of his being into praise:

Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name!

He generates continued praise by reminding himself of God's blessings.

Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits,
who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
who satisfies you with good
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s (2-5, ESV).

God grants forgiveness to the repentant sinner. He is the Great Physician who heals all our emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual ills. God rescues us from many life-threatening dangers and redeems our souls from the pit of hell. As regents under the King of Kings, we wear fluid crowns daily jeweled with God's faithfulness, love, and mercy. Our hungry hearts are satisfied with God's good and perfect gifts, which equip us to persevere in his service.

Every evening I go to bed exhausted, unable to lift one more thing or write one more word, but by God's grace I wake early each morning and rise to my work on eagle's wings.

David continues this paean of praise by reflecting on God's past, present, and future works of grace and mercy.

The LORD works righteousness
and justice for all who are oppressed.
He made known his ways to Moses,
his acts to the people of Israel.
The LORD is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
He will not always chide,
nor will he keep his anger forever (6-9, ESV).

God revealed himself to Israel in the past, He patiently blesses his sinful people in the present, and he will turn present adversity to our good in the future.

The magnitude of God's forgiveness nearly defies description:

He does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
As a father shows compassion to his children,
so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him.
For he knows our frame;
he remembers that we are dust (10-14, ESV).

God's marvelous compassion seems even more amazing as David compares the transience of man to the infinity of God.

As for man, his days are like grass;
he flourishes like a flower of the field;
for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
and its place knows it no more.
But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him,
and his righteousness to children’s children,
to those who keep his covenant
and remember to do his commandments.
The LORD has established his throne in the heavens,
and his kingdom rules over all (15-19, ESV).

In his great mercy, God extends compassion to believers and their children throughout all faithful generations. God's covenantal love is sure because his throne is firmly established and his kingdom has no bounds.

The only possible result of reflecting in faith on God's love is to join David in praise. And that is how it is possible for sinful humans to bless our holy God.

When we remember God's faithful love to his people, when we reflect on the many gifts he daily gives us, and when we consider his sure guarantee for a sin-free future; then we, too, can bless the Lord!

Bless the LORD, O you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his word,
obeying the voice of his word!
Bless the LORD, all his hosts,
his ministers, who do his will!
Bless the LORD, all his works,
in all places of his dominion.
Bless the LORD, O my soul! (20-22, ESV).

Withering Grass, Psalm 102

Do you feel as weak and fleeting as withering grass? Then you're not alone; you're in company with the author of Psalm 102 and every genuinely repentant sinner in history.

My ESV Classis Reference Bible (© 2001 by Crossway Bibles) has at the beginning of Psalm 102 this heading, "Do Not Hide Your Face from Me," and this sub-heading, "A Prayer of one afflicted, when he is faint and pours out his complaint before the LORD."

My ESV Literary Study Bible (© 2007 by Crossway Bibles, editors Leland Ryken and Philip Graham Ryken) prefaces Psalm 102 with this heading, "I wither away like grass" and notes: "As the headnote hints, this is one of the most intense personal laments in the Psalter."

It is indeed an intense personal lament. It is also a vibrant psalm, displaying vivid images that sear the penitential message into our minds and hearts.

It begins with this heartfelt cry (verses 1-2):

Hear my prayer, O LORD;
let my cry come to you!
Do not hide your face from me
in the day of my distress!
Incline your ear to me;
answer me speedily in the day when I call!

The psalmist is desperate. He is in deep distress from which he seeks immediate relief. His emotional, mental, and physical anguish encompass his entire being.

For my days pass away like smoke,
and my bones burn like a furnace.
My heart is struck down like grass and has withered;
I forget to eat my bread.
Because of my loud groaning
my bones cling to my flesh (4-5).

He is mentally depressed and is physically wasting away. He compares himself to a forlorn owl and a solitary sparrow:

I am like a desert owl of the wilderness,
like an owl of the waste places;
I lie awake;
I am like a lonely sparrow on the housetop (6-7).

He suffers taunts from enemies and cannot enjoy simple mealtime pleasures, but he acknowledges that his continual sufferings are from God.

All the day my enemies taunt me;
those who deride me use my name for a curse.
For I eat ashes like bread
and mingle tears with my drink,
because of your indignation and anger;
for you have taken me up and thrown me down (8-11).

God is the one who sets men in places of authority and God is the one who throws down those who abuse that authority.

The sufferings of the Psalmist make him keenly feel his fleeting transience:

My days are like an evening shadow;
I wither away like grass (11).

In contrast to ephemeral humanity, the most high God is firmly and eternally enthroned.

But you, O LORD, are enthroned forever;
you are remembered throughout all generations (12).

People of renown are soon forgotten, but knowledge of God will never fade. He will be remembered through every generation until Christ returns. Christ came to earth in humility at the appointed time and he will come again to earth in glory at the appointed time. Until then—and especially then—God will remember his people.

You will arise and have pity on Zion;
it is the time to favor her;
the appointed time has come.
For your servants hold her stones dear
and have pity on her dust.
Nations will fear the name of the LORD,
and all the kings of the earth will fear your glory.
For the LORD builds up Zion;
he appears in his glory;
he regards the prayer of the destitute
and does not despise their prayer (13-17).

God will arise and have pity on his people; not simply those who call themselves Christians, but those who love and worship God wholeheartedly and treat others with genuine compassion.

When Christ returns, all the nations will suddenly realize the reality of God's existence. They will tremble in fear of his name and glory.

God is the one who builds his church. He is the one who hears and answers the prayers of those who feel forsaken and alone. Because God hears and answers prayer, we have a responsibility to communicate God's goodness and faithfulness to the next generation.

Let this be recorded for a generation to come,
so that a people yet to be created may praise the LORD:
that he looked down from his holy height;
from heaven the LORD looked at the earth,
to hear the groans of the prisoners,
to set free those who were doomed to die,
that they may declare in Zion the name of the LORD,
and in Jerusalem his praise,
when peoples gather together,
and kingdoms, to worship the LORD (18-22).

Those who have been set free from sin's death row cannot remain safe and silent; they must declare God's praise in every avenue of service and in corporate worship.

The psalmist again reflects on God's adverse providence and cries out to him for mercy (23-24):

He has broken my strength in midcourse;
he has shortened my days.
"O my God," I say, "take me not away
in the midst of my days—
you whose years endure
throughout all generations!"

This is not the cry of an old man, whose life is spent and who is patiently waiting for translation to glory; this is the cry of a man in his prime, who had hoped for many more years of doing great things for God.

Yet he acknowledges God's sovereignty in this sorrowful life and anticipates a sin-free existence in the new heavens and earth.

Of old you laid the foundation of the earth,
and the heavens are the work of your hands.
They will perish, but you will remain;
they will all wear out like a garment.
You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away,
but you are the same, and your years have no end.
The children of your servants shall dwell secure;
their offspring shall be established before you (25-28).

God is the only source of security for us and our children. God created the vast expanse of the universe with its unknown planets and brilliant stars. He placed the earth on a firm foundation where it perfectly spins on its axis. He warms our days with golden sunlight and lights our nights with silvery moonlight.

These seemingly constant things will pass away; they will change as quickly as one shrugs off an old robe and puts on a new one. But even when the sun and moon are darkened and the stars fall (Matthew 24:29), God will still be the same. He remains the same forever. Believers do not live in this transitory earth as much as we live in God. He is our dwelling place.

You may feel as fleeting as withering grass, but every genuinely repentant sinner is eternally secure in him.