Acts 10:34-43
34 Then Peter began to speak to them: "I truly understand that God shows no partiality, 35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 36 You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ—he is Lord of all. 37 That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 39 We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; 40 but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, 41 not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."
Literal - The early church struggled to understand that “making disciples of all nations” meant “making disciples of all nations.” The Apostle Peter and many in the early church seem to have thought that people might first have to become Jewish and then Christian to receive Jesus the Messiah as their Savior and Lord. There had been many indications that God was going to work with the Gentiles nations in a more dramatic way once Messiah came (Isaiah 11:10; Psalm 2). Even Peter’s first sermon had talked about the Holy Spirit being g poured out on all humanity regardless of social status or power (Acts 2:17). Yet, it seemed impossible that God could include the “unclean” Gentiles into His kingdom plans without first cleaning them up by their becoming Jews.
Then God sent to the Apostle Peter a vision telling him to eat all the types of meat forbidden by Jewish dietary laws. The Apostle’s cultural habits are so strong that even at the command of God he refuses for he claims he has been ‘kosher’ all his life. God then tells him not to call unclean what God has called clean. The Messiah Jesus himself has already attempted to teach his disciples that the days when we need to worry about ‘kosher’ food is over and what really matters is the condition of the human heart (Mark 7:19). Yet, cultural and religious training runs deep in us and is not easily overcome. Only a direct vision by God moves the Apostle to begin to believe and see what God is doing.
As God is working in the heart of the Apostle Peter so He is also working in the heart of the Centurion Cornelius. He is a “God Fearer” which was a particular group of people in the New Testament. According to F.F. Bruce “God-fearers were Gentiles who attached themselves in varying degrees to the Jewish worship and way of life without as yet becoming full proselytes.” Those who were “Godfearers” were those who were worshipping the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and accepted the Ten Commandments as an expression of God’s ethical will but had not become Jewish in culture and tradition. They were many times people who supported the synagogues and came to listen to the Law being taught. Cornelius was such a man who practiced prayer to the true God and gave to the poor. His prayers to be forgiven were answered by God having him send for Peter and giving to Peter an additional insight into God’s amazing grace.
Here we see the Apostle Peter sharing that he has had a personal and profound insight. God shows no partiality based on if a person is a Jew or a Gentile (Romans 2:11). Everyone who has come to truly fear, honor, respect, and be in awe of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob who created heaven and earth is a person who God’s Spirit is at work calling them to faith and repentance.
Now no idol worshiper fears God. There is greater hope for the Gentiles when they seek God at the altar of the “unknown God” than when they turn to the darkness of idols (Romans 1:18ff; Acts 17:23). Idol worship shows a lack of fear of God while seeking to worship the God who is revealed in the creation would lead one to worship in spirit and truth, the opposite of moving towards idols. Hinduism cannot save.
This chapter not only represents the Centurion Cornelius’ receiving the forgiveness of sins by believing in Jesus the Messiah and the embrace of God in the baptism of the Holy Spirit but also the beginning of the conversion of the early church to fully accept God’s mission to the Gentiles. Today perhaps we need to be converted to believe in God’s mission to the Jews and that He could make disciples of them as well as of us.
Such an insight might be needed especially in light of Jerusalem no longer being under the control of the Gentiles and the time of the Gentiles having been fulfilled in 1967 (Luke 21:24). The first Messianic Jewish synagogue was founded in 1967 and the growth in Messianic Judaism represented by such groups as Avodat Yisrael has brought more Jews to faith in Jesus as their Messiah than ever before in the history of the Christian Church. God’s Spirit is again moving to bring multitudes to salvation in the gospel of Messiah Jesus.
The message of the Apostle Peter is simple and straight forward. It is the Apostle’s Creed. Christ has died for our sins, been raised up in glory, and will come again in judgment. All who call on Messiah Jesus to have mercy on them will be forgiven their sins and receive the Holy Spirit. The one hope for sinners, both Jew and Gentile, is only to be found in Messiah Jesus. He is our one hope of salvation.
This is the message of Good Friday. This is the message of Easter. This is the message of the Christian faith universal. Let us affirm our faith this resurrection week and renew our trust in Messiah Jesus as our one hope of salvation. Amen.
Showing posts with label grace. Show all posts
Showing posts with label grace. Show all posts
Thursday, April 01, 2010
Forgive us our sins as we forgive the sins of others
and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. (Matthew 6:12 ESV)
and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation." (Luke 11:4 ESV)
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (Matthew 6:14, 15 ESV)
What does it mean when we pray “forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors?”
Let us think thru the possible answers to this question.
1. The one who prays serves as a model for God
Those who understand the verse this way would interpret it as “forgive us our debts (sins), like we have forgiven our debtors.” Or “forgive us our debts in the same manner as he or she has forgiven others.”
In this case the one who prays is a model for God and God should forgive in the same way that the one who prays does or has done.
This seems like a very unlikely interpretation for the verse since the normal pattern is that divine forgiveness serves as a model for human forgiveness instead of human forgiveness serving as a model for divine forgiveness. (Eph 4:32; Col 3:13). While some parables do illustrate divine forgiveness within untypical and outlandish human situations it does not seem that the purpose of this instruction is to make God acts of forgiveness depend upon our acts of forgiveness or that God needs us to model this behavior for Him (Matthew 18:23-35; Luke 15:11-32).
2. The one who prays as claims God’s forgiveness on the basis of their having forgiven others.
Those who understand the verse in this manner would interpret it as “forgive us our debts since we have forgiven others. “ Divine forgiveness is laid claim to on the basis of one’s having forgiven other people.
Those who take this position would feel that the parallel passage found in Luke 11:4 where the it seems to read “for also we ourselves forgive.”
However, the Greek word here rarely if ever means “since” and therefore this interpretation seems forced. In addition, this would make forgiveness from God one of merit instead of grace which seems at odds with the whole message of the New Testament.
3. The one who prays asks for divine forgiveness on the condition that he or she is willing to forgive others.
This would seem at a simple level to fit the immediate commentary by Jesus found in Matthew 6:14-15 and in the parable of the unforgiving servant found in Matthew 18:23-30.
This is also supported by both Martin Luther’s views and those of the Catholic Church.
“God has promised us assurance that everything is forgiven and pardoned, yet on the condition that we also forgive our neighbor....If you do not forgive, do not think that God forgives you. But if you forgive, you have the comfort and assurance that you are forgiven in heaven. Not on account of your forgiving, for God does it altogether freely....But he has set up this condition for our strengthening and assurance as a sign along with the promise which is in agreement with this petition, Luke 6:37, .Forgive, and you will be forgiven.. Therefore Christ repeats it immediately after the Lord’s Prayer in Matt. 6:14, saying, .If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you,”. (Martin Luther’s Larger Catechism)
“Our petition [in the Lord’s Prayer] will not be heard unless we have first met a strict requirement....This outpouring of mercy cannot penetrate our hearts as long as we have not forgiven those who have trespassed against us....In refusing to forgive our brothers and sisters, our hearts are closed and their hardness makes them impervious to the Father’s merciful love; but in confessing our sins, our hearts are opened to his grace “. (The Catechism of the Catholic Church (New Hope, KY: Urbi et Orbi, 1994) 681-682)
The idea here is that our forgiveness of others would not merit God’s forgiveness but would be a pre-condition of receiving the free gift of forgiveness from God. The presupposition would be that one who is coming in humble confession and repentance of their sins has also let go of condemnation towards other sinners. If one is still standing in self righteous judgment of others then how can one expect God to give grace and mercy to them? Such an attitude of self righteous condemnation is opposed to the attitude of “Lord, be merciful to me a sinner” which is needed to be forgiven. (Luke 18:13-14). Bitterness towards the sins of others blocks the exercise of faith and acceptance of grace needed to experience God’s forgiveness. There is no merit in forgiving others and yet without such an attitude one does not have faith.
Some commentators believe that Jesus the Messiah’s teaching here was part of a Jewish concept that human readiness to forgive was an attitude that had to be in a person before God would forgive their sins. We see this tradition reflected in Sirach 28:2 which reads “Forgive your neighbor of the wrong, and then your sins will be forgiven when you ask it.”
At one level this interpretation is plausible and could be regarded as correct as long as the attitude of forgiveness was seen as part of the gift of faith given by the Holy Spirit and if it is kept entirely free of earning forgiveness by merit. The problem however is if anyone could claim to completely fulfilled this requirement. It could be argued than no human being has ever forgiven another person perfectly. If God’s forgiveness only comes to us when we forgive others then how can any of us know for sure we have been forgiven by God? The grace of forgiveness like faith itself is never perfectly experienced in this life. So while this interpretation is possible it leaves us with a significant spiritual problem.
4. To the degree we experience the grace of forgiving others we can have assurance that our sins have been forgiven by God.
The traditional reformed (Calvinistic) perspective has been that to the degree we are able to forgive others we can have the assurance that our sins have been forgiven by others. Since our willingness of forgive others is a core fruit of true faith then to the degree it is in existence to that degree we can know we have believed the gospel and have been given the grace of forgiveness. This is seen in the Westminster larger catechism.
Question 194: What do we pray for in the fifth petition?
Answer: In the fifth petition (which is, Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors), acknowledging, that we and all others are guilty both of original and actual sin, and thereby become debtors to the justice of God; and that neither we, nor any other creature, can make the least satisfaction for that debt: we pray for ourselves and others, that God of his free grace would, through the obedience and satisfaction of Christ, apprehended and applied by faith, acquit us both from the guilt and punishment of sin, accept us in his Beloved; continue his favor and grace to us, pardon our daily failings, and fill us with peace and joy, in giving us daily more and more assurance of forgiveness; which we are the rather emboldened to ask, and encouraged to expect, when we have this testimony in ourselves, that we from the heart forgive others their offenses.
This answer seems to address and answer the spiritual problem raised by the earlier view. So instead of forgiveness being dependent on our ability to forgive only our assurance of our forgiveness is impacted. This interpretation allows us to deal with the imperfection of our ability to forgive without it becoming impossible for us to experience God’s forgiveness.
5. Seeing this as a community prayer that was designed to be a liturgical part of corporate worship which aims at teaching the importance of forgiveness in the new community of the kingdom of God.
The Lord ’s Prayer is not just a model prayer but intended by Messiah Jesus to be recited whenever His disciples gather for worship. It is clear from Luke 11:2 that the disciples are actually say this prayer. The Didache 8:3 which reflects the practice of the first century church instructs the believers to recite the prayer word for word three times a day. In the act of praying those who pray are reminded of their duty to forgive in order to live by faith in the gospel.
This approach would focus on the fact that this prayer was given as part of a worshipping community of disciples. Theologian Joachim Jermias, suggest that this clause could be understood “as we also herewith forgive our debtors” which is based on how this could have been expressed originally in the Aramaic. This would support the idea that this was a “performantive utterance” which was done in the midst of corporate worship. Those who took place in the literacy of the church formally declared amnesty on those who had sinned against them as part of their affirmation of God’s grace and forgiveness found in the kingdom of Christ. If one sees the parables of Jesus and such teaching such as Matthew 6:14 as rhetorical exhortations instead of dogmatic statements about God. God cannot be restricted or made dependent on human actions. But one can hear this as pastoral advice which would say:
“You want to be forgiven by God? Well how do you expect to be forgiven when you stand in self righteous and bitter condemnation of others? Ask God to grant you a forgiving spirit and recognize your own sins. Humble yourself and let go of your bitterness! Stop being such a Pharisee and recognize your own need of God’s grace.”
Now it is recognized by the community that they have not yet fully followed any of the commands of Jesus the Messiah. Part of the confession of sins is the imperfection of the disciples. But repentance is about direction not perfection. Therefore, in the praying of this prayer the community both confesses their need of divine grace and also the need to give grace to others.
From this perspective it would be wrong to understand the fifth petition of the Lord’s prayer as a dogmatic statement about God’s attributes which makes God’s power to forgive dependent upon the piety of the one praying or to see it as a precondition that a soul must attain in order to experience divine forgiveness. Instead, the prayer, as part of the framework of worship for the disciples of Jesus the Messiah is one that is crying out for renewed relationships. To ask for forgiveness from God and know that in the Messiah Jesus this forgiveness has been given, only then reminds the disciple of the duty of the forgiven to forgive.
It is interesting that the church father, John Chrysostom , says concerning this:
“Since He might indeed, even without this (us forgiving others), forgive thee all thine offenses; but He wills thee hereby also to receive a benefit; affording thee on all sides innumerable occasions of gentleness and love to man, casting out what is brutish in thee, and quenching wrath, and in all ways cementing thee to him who is thine own member. “
This church father seems to teach that God can forgive us our sins even when we fall short of perfect forgiveness of others but that this prayer calls us to “cement” our relationship with one another in grace and mercy. This would support the idea that our human forgiveness is but a reflection of God’s great forgiveness of us in the death and resurrection of our Messiah Jesus.
Conclusion
The traditional reformed view and the idea that this was a “performance utterance” aimed at reminding the Christian community that God’s grace was to make them a people of grace both seem to provide understandings that keep us from making these verses teach forgiveness by merit or taking from imperfect disciples any hope of knowing God’s forgiving grace. We need to remember that only by focusing on God’s grace and mercy in Messiah Jesus can we hope to reflect this in our human relationships.
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:32 ESV)
http://www.voskrese.info/spl/matthom19.html
http://www2.luthersem.edu/word&world/Archives/16-3_Forgiveness/16-3_Hultgren.pdf
and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation." (Luke 11:4 ESV)
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (Matthew 6:14, 15 ESV)
What does it mean when we pray “forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors?”
Let us think thru the possible answers to this question.
1. The one who prays serves as a model for God
Those who understand the verse this way would interpret it as “forgive us our debts (sins), like we have forgiven our debtors.” Or “forgive us our debts in the same manner as he or she has forgiven others.”
In this case the one who prays is a model for God and God should forgive in the same way that the one who prays does or has done.
This seems like a very unlikely interpretation for the verse since the normal pattern is that divine forgiveness serves as a model for human forgiveness instead of human forgiveness serving as a model for divine forgiveness. (Eph 4:32; Col 3:13). While some parables do illustrate divine forgiveness within untypical and outlandish human situations it does not seem that the purpose of this instruction is to make God acts of forgiveness depend upon our acts of forgiveness or that God needs us to model this behavior for Him (Matthew 18:23-35; Luke 15:11-32).
2. The one who prays as claims God’s forgiveness on the basis of their having forgiven others.
Those who understand the verse in this manner would interpret it as “forgive us our debts since we have forgiven others. “ Divine forgiveness is laid claim to on the basis of one’s having forgiven other people.
Those who take this position would feel that the parallel passage found in Luke 11:4 where the it seems to read “for also we ourselves forgive.”
However, the Greek word here rarely if ever means “since” and therefore this interpretation seems forced. In addition, this would make forgiveness from God one of merit instead of grace which seems at odds with the whole message of the New Testament.
3. The one who prays asks for divine forgiveness on the condition that he or she is willing to forgive others.
This would seem at a simple level to fit the immediate commentary by Jesus found in Matthew 6:14-15 and in the parable of the unforgiving servant found in Matthew 18:23-30.
This is also supported by both Martin Luther’s views and those of the Catholic Church.
“God has promised us assurance that everything is forgiven and pardoned, yet on the condition that we also forgive our neighbor....If you do not forgive, do not think that God forgives you. But if you forgive, you have the comfort and assurance that you are forgiven in heaven. Not on account of your forgiving, for God does it altogether freely....But he has set up this condition for our strengthening and assurance as a sign along with the promise which is in agreement with this petition, Luke 6:37, .Forgive, and you will be forgiven.. Therefore Christ repeats it immediately after the Lord’s Prayer in Matt. 6:14, saying, .If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you,”. (Martin Luther’s Larger Catechism)
“Our petition [in the Lord’s Prayer] will not be heard unless we have first met a strict requirement....This outpouring of mercy cannot penetrate our hearts as long as we have not forgiven those who have trespassed against us....In refusing to forgive our brothers and sisters, our hearts are closed and their hardness makes them impervious to the Father’s merciful love; but in confessing our sins, our hearts are opened to his grace “. (The Catechism of the Catholic Church (New Hope, KY: Urbi et Orbi, 1994) 681-682)
The idea here is that our forgiveness of others would not merit God’s forgiveness but would be a pre-condition of receiving the free gift of forgiveness from God. The presupposition would be that one who is coming in humble confession and repentance of their sins has also let go of condemnation towards other sinners. If one is still standing in self righteous judgment of others then how can one expect God to give grace and mercy to them? Such an attitude of self righteous condemnation is opposed to the attitude of “Lord, be merciful to me a sinner” which is needed to be forgiven. (Luke 18:13-14). Bitterness towards the sins of others blocks the exercise of faith and acceptance of grace needed to experience God’s forgiveness. There is no merit in forgiving others and yet without such an attitude one does not have faith.
Some commentators believe that Jesus the Messiah’s teaching here was part of a Jewish concept that human readiness to forgive was an attitude that had to be in a person before God would forgive their sins. We see this tradition reflected in Sirach 28:2 which reads “Forgive your neighbor of the wrong, and then your sins will be forgiven when you ask it.”
At one level this interpretation is plausible and could be regarded as correct as long as the attitude of forgiveness was seen as part of the gift of faith given by the Holy Spirit and if it is kept entirely free of earning forgiveness by merit. The problem however is if anyone could claim to completely fulfilled this requirement. It could be argued than no human being has ever forgiven another person perfectly. If God’s forgiveness only comes to us when we forgive others then how can any of us know for sure we have been forgiven by God? The grace of forgiveness like faith itself is never perfectly experienced in this life. So while this interpretation is possible it leaves us with a significant spiritual problem.
4. To the degree we experience the grace of forgiving others we can have assurance that our sins have been forgiven by God.
The traditional reformed (Calvinistic) perspective has been that to the degree we are able to forgive others we can have the assurance that our sins have been forgiven by others. Since our willingness of forgive others is a core fruit of true faith then to the degree it is in existence to that degree we can know we have believed the gospel and have been given the grace of forgiveness. This is seen in the Westminster larger catechism.
Question 194: What do we pray for in the fifth petition?
Answer: In the fifth petition (which is, Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors), acknowledging, that we and all others are guilty both of original and actual sin, and thereby become debtors to the justice of God; and that neither we, nor any other creature, can make the least satisfaction for that debt: we pray for ourselves and others, that God of his free grace would, through the obedience and satisfaction of Christ, apprehended and applied by faith, acquit us both from the guilt and punishment of sin, accept us in his Beloved; continue his favor and grace to us, pardon our daily failings, and fill us with peace and joy, in giving us daily more and more assurance of forgiveness; which we are the rather emboldened to ask, and encouraged to expect, when we have this testimony in ourselves, that we from the heart forgive others their offenses.
This answer seems to address and answer the spiritual problem raised by the earlier view. So instead of forgiveness being dependent on our ability to forgive only our assurance of our forgiveness is impacted. This interpretation allows us to deal with the imperfection of our ability to forgive without it becoming impossible for us to experience God’s forgiveness.
5. Seeing this as a community prayer that was designed to be a liturgical part of corporate worship which aims at teaching the importance of forgiveness in the new community of the kingdom of God.
The Lord ’s Prayer is not just a model prayer but intended by Messiah Jesus to be recited whenever His disciples gather for worship. It is clear from Luke 11:2 that the disciples are actually say this prayer. The Didache 8:3 which reflects the practice of the first century church instructs the believers to recite the prayer word for word three times a day. In the act of praying those who pray are reminded of their duty to forgive in order to live by faith in the gospel.
This approach would focus on the fact that this prayer was given as part of a worshipping community of disciples. Theologian Joachim Jermias, suggest that this clause could be understood “as we also herewith forgive our debtors” which is based on how this could have been expressed originally in the Aramaic. This would support the idea that this was a “performantive utterance” which was done in the midst of corporate worship. Those who took place in the literacy of the church formally declared amnesty on those who had sinned against them as part of their affirmation of God’s grace and forgiveness found in the kingdom of Christ. If one sees the parables of Jesus and such teaching such as Matthew 6:14 as rhetorical exhortations instead of dogmatic statements about God. God cannot be restricted or made dependent on human actions. But one can hear this as pastoral advice which would say:
“You want to be forgiven by God? Well how do you expect to be forgiven when you stand in self righteous and bitter condemnation of others? Ask God to grant you a forgiving spirit and recognize your own sins. Humble yourself and let go of your bitterness! Stop being such a Pharisee and recognize your own need of God’s grace.”
Now it is recognized by the community that they have not yet fully followed any of the commands of Jesus the Messiah. Part of the confession of sins is the imperfection of the disciples. But repentance is about direction not perfection. Therefore, in the praying of this prayer the community both confesses their need of divine grace and also the need to give grace to others.
From this perspective it would be wrong to understand the fifth petition of the Lord’s prayer as a dogmatic statement about God’s attributes which makes God’s power to forgive dependent upon the piety of the one praying or to see it as a precondition that a soul must attain in order to experience divine forgiveness. Instead, the prayer, as part of the framework of worship for the disciples of Jesus the Messiah is one that is crying out for renewed relationships. To ask for forgiveness from God and know that in the Messiah Jesus this forgiveness has been given, only then reminds the disciple of the duty of the forgiven to forgive.
It is interesting that the church father, John Chrysostom , says concerning this:
“Since He might indeed, even without this (us forgiving others), forgive thee all thine offenses; but He wills thee hereby also to receive a benefit; affording thee on all sides innumerable occasions of gentleness and love to man, casting out what is brutish in thee, and quenching wrath, and in all ways cementing thee to him who is thine own member. “
This church father seems to teach that God can forgive us our sins even when we fall short of perfect forgiveness of others but that this prayer calls us to “cement” our relationship with one another in grace and mercy. This would support the idea that our human forgiveness is but a reflection of God’s great forgiveness of us in the death and resurrection of our Messiah Jesus.
Conclusion
The traditional reformed view and the idea that this was a “performance utterance” aimed at reminding the Christian community that God’s grace was to make them a people of grace both seem to provide understandings that keep us from making these verses teach forgiveness by merit or taking from imperfect disciples any hope of knowing God’s forgiving grace. We need to remember that only by focusing on God’s grace and mercy in Messiah Jesus can we hope to reflect this in our human relationships.
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:32 ESV)
http://www.voskrese.info/spl/matthom19.html
http://www2.luthersem.edu/word&world/Archives/16-3_Forgiveness/16-3_Hultgren.pdf
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
God gives!
Deuteronomy 26:1-11
1 When you have come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess, and you possess it, and settle in it, 2 you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket and go to the place that the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his name. 3 You shall go to the priest who is in office at that time, and say to him, "Today I declare to the Lord your God that I have come into the land that the Lord swore to our ancestors to give us." 4 When the priest takes the basket from your hand and sets it down before the altar of the Lord your God, 5 you shall make this response before the Lord your God: "A wandering Aramean was my ancestor; he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien, few in number, and there he became a great nation, mighty and populous. 6 When the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us, by giving hard labor to us, 7 we cried to the Lord, the God of our ancestors; the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. 8 The Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with a terrifying display of power, and with signs and wonders; 9 and he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. 10 So now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground that you, O Lord, have given me." You shall set it down before the Lord your God and bow down before the Lord your God. 11 Then you, together with the Levites and the aliens who reside among you, shall celebrate with all the bounty that the Lord your God has given to you and to your house.
Literal - This passage has to do with giving. It tells a faithful member of Israel what to do when they have a harvest in the land. They are to take the fact that they have a harvest as a reason to worship and celebrate. To have profit without worship is pride.
As the faithful member of God’s people comes with their offering the focus is on what God has given to them. The focus of this passage is on giving. Seven times the word is used in this section. Six times the giver is God. God gives to the whole community the land and at the same time gives very personally and directly to the individual believer as well. We are to see that God is giving to all of His people and also giving to us directly. The seventh use of the word give contrast the good gifts of God with the gifts of Egypt. Egypt gave to Israel hard labor, affliction, and harshness. Egypt represents the unbelieving world system and the slavery of unbelief. We have been delivered from this into God’s good gifts.
We see here the use of prescribed liturgical words. Each individual who was a faithful child of the covenant would come and say
"A wandering Aramean was my ancestor; he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien, few in number, and there he became a great nation, mighty and populous. 6 When the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us, by giving hard labor to us, 7 we cried to the Lord, the God of our ancestors; the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. 8 The Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with a terrifying display of power, and with signs and wonders; 9 and he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. 10 So now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground that you, O Lord, have given me."
It was by these orthodox words which recited the gospel of God’s saving grace to Israel that the context was set for rejoicing, offering, and worship. God is not against the use of liturgical practices but only against them becoming empty of true faith and love. He wants us to meditate upon the truth and respond to the truth.
At the end of this section God’s wonderful giving had led the faithful member of God’s covenant to give. He now shares his food with the ministers of the Lord and the poor. God’s kingdom is manifested on the earth as there is a celebration before the Lord in joy. God’s people give generously when they see God as being generous to them. When people see God as a great giver of grace then they will be great givers to others and God’s work.
Christological - For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23 ESV)
Moral - The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. (2 Corinthians 9:6-8 ESV)
Eternal - And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth." (Revelation 5:9-10 ESV)
Prayer: Lord, help me to see the greatness of your gifts to me.
Contemplation: You are the good Father who gives good gifts.
Action: Count your many blessing name them one by one. Look at the glass half full today. Acknowledge all that God has given you today and open your heart to taking joy in it.
1 When you have come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess, and you possess it, and settle in it, 2 you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket and go to the place that the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his name. 3 You shall go to the priest who is in office at that time, and say to him, "Today I declare to the Lord your God that I have come into the land that the Lord swore to our ancestors to give us." 4 When the priest takes the basket from your hand and sets it down before the altar of the Lord your God, 5 you shall make this response before the Lord your God: "A wandering Aramean was my ancestor; he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien, few in number, and there he became a great nation, mighty and populous. 6 When the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us, by giving hard labor to us, 7 we cried to the Lord, the God of our ancestors; the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. 8 The Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with a terrifying display of power, and with signs and wonders; 9 and he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. 10 So now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground that you, O Lord, have given me." You shall set it down before the Lord your God and bow down before the Lord your God. 11 Then you, together with the Levites and the aliens who reside among you, shall celebrate with all the bounty that the Lord your God has given to you and to your house.
Literal - This passage has to do with giving. It tells a faithful member of Israel what to do when they have a harvest in the land. They are to take the fact that they have a harvest as a reason to worship and celebrate. To have profit without worship is pride.
As the faithful member of God’s people comes with their offering the focus is on what God has given to them. The focus of this passage is on giving. Seven times the word is used in this section. Six times the giver is God. God gives to the whole community the land and at the same time gives very personally and directly to the individual believer as well. We are to see that God is giving to all of His people and also giving to us directly. The seventh use of the word give contrast the good gifts of God with the gifts of Egypt. Egypt gave to Israel hard labor, affliction, and harshness. Egypt represents the unbelieving world system and the slavery of unbelief. We have been delivered from this into God’s good gifts.
We see here the use of prescribed liturgical words. Each individual who was a faithful child of the covenant would come and say
"A wandering Aramean was my ancestor; he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien, few in number, and there he became a great nation, mighty and populous. 6 When the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us, by giving hard labor to us, 7 we cried to the Lord, the God of our ancestors; the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. 8 The Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with a terrifying display of power, and with signs and wonders; 9 and he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. 10 So now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground that you, O Lord, have given me."
It was by these orthodox words which recited the gospel of God’s saving grace to Israel that the context was set for rejoicing, offering, and worship. God is not against the use of liturgical practices but only against them becoming empty of true faith and love. He wants us to meditate upon the truth and respond to the truth.
At the end of this section God’s wonderful giving had led the faithful member of God’s covenant to give. He now shares his food with the ministers of the Lord and the poor. God’s kingdom is manifested on the earth as there is a celebration before the Lord in joy. God’s people give generously when they see God as being generous to them. When people see God as a great giver of grace then they will be great givers to others and God’s work.
Christological - For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23 ESV)
Moral - The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. (2 Corinthians 9:6-8 ESV)
Eternal - And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth." (Revelation 5:9-10 ESV)
Prayer: Lord, help me to see the greatness of your gifts to me.
Contemplation: You are the good Father who gives good gifts.
Action: Count your many blessing name them one by one. Look at the glass half full today. Acknowledge all that God has given you today and open your heart to taking joy in it.
Saturday, January 02, 2010
How can we do church well?
As one studies church history is become clear that it is not easy to do church well. Paul says that the manifold wisdom of God will be seen by the powers of the heavens in the Church (Eph 3:10). It is clear that God's intention is for us to demonstrate His love, grace, and holiness. We are to be the body of Messiah and live the gospel before the nations. Yet, we are so easily distracted and deceived.
We normally can stand in judgment of other Christians and of various movements in church history. Yet, we rarely judge ourselves or our short comings. Self righteousness runs deep in our veins and it is hard to understand that some who prayed harder than we have prayed and studied harder than we have studied, failed to do church well. So how great is the danger that in our generation we might fail to do church well. Are we failing even now?
The beginning of insight is humility. My brothers and sisters for 2000 years have struggled to do church well. How easy is would be for me to fail to do church well. Satan, the world, and the flesh have as their highest priority to shatter the witness and testimony of the church. They are much more interested in corrupting the Church than running Washington. They want us not to reflect God's wisdom but to be foolish.
Lord, have pity on your people. We need revival of true spirituality and reformation to align ourselves with your WORD. We need a transformation of head and heart. We need to know how to relate to one another in holy love. Teach us to do church well.
We normally can stand in judgment of other Christians and of various movements in church history. Yet, we rarely judge ourselves or our short comings. Self righteousness runs deep in our veins and it is hard to understand that some who prayed harder than we have prayed and studied harder than we have studied, failed to do church well. So how great is the danger that in our generation we might fail to do church well. Are we failing even now?
The beginning of insight is humility. My brothers and sisters for 2000 years have struggled to do church well. How easy is would be for me to fail to do church well. Satan, the world, and the flesh have as their highest priority to shatter the witness and testimony of the church. They are much more interested in corrupting the Church than running Washington. They want us not to reflect God's wisdom but to be foolish.
Lord, have pity on your people. We need revival of true spirituality and reformation to align ourselves with your WORD. We need a transformation of head and heart. We need to know how to relate to one another in holy love. Teach us to do church well.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Devotions on Grace
Rom 3:21-28 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it-- the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.
God desire to establish a righteous kingdom is now going to be seen, not in a moral code, but by people having faith in Jesus as the Messiah who died for their sins and was raised. This right relationship with God under the Divine rule will come to both Jew and Gentile who believe in Jesus as their personal prophet, priest, and king. There is no prejudice towards any ethnic group or color of skin. All who believe will be made right with God through the work of the Messiah Jesus.
Both the Jew and the Gentile have fallen away from God and have either become lost in lawless deeds of depravity or legalistic systems of self righteousness and pride. The end result, they have all failed to reach the glorious reflection of being made in God’s image and living in accord with the divine reflection made within them. They have not become the incarnation of righteous love.
As Dr. Moule says: "The harlot, the liar, the murderer, are short of it; but so are you. Perhaps they stand at the bottom of a mine, and you on the crest of an Alp; but you are as little able to touch the stars as they." Every human being has failed to obey God. Every human being has failed to love God. Every human being has failed to love other people as they should have loved them.
All who have a true faith in the Messiah Jesus as the ultimate revelation of truth, the sacrifice for their sins on the cross, and the desired ruler of their lives are declared righteous before God by his unconditional mercy and as a gift. Even their faith is a work of God’s grace in their hearts. Faith comes from hearing the word of Christ and having this word empowered by the Holy Spirit to produce faith (Romans 10:17). Those who are declared righteous due to their union and communion with the Lord Jesus the Messiah are made right with God as a free gift entirely unrelated to their obedience to the law.
Justification was a legal term in the Greek culture and was used to describe a judge declaring an accused person not guilty and therefore innocent before the law. The importance of this is found in this quote by Pastor John McArthur.
“Justification is God’s declaration that all the demands of the law are fulfilled on behalf of the believing sinner through the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Justification is a wholly forensic, or legal, transaction. It changes the judicial standing of the sinner before God. In justification, God imputes (credits) the perfect righteousness of Christ to the believer’s account, then declares the redeemed one fully righteous. Justification must be distinguished from sanctification, in which God actually imparts Christ’s righteousness to the sinner. While the two must be distinguished, justification and sanctification can never be separated. God does not justify whom He does not sanctify.” (MacArthur, J: Romans 1-8. Chicago: Moody Press)
Pastor John McArhur’s concern about using the idea of grace to justify a life of lawless living is a needed reminder which Paul will make in Romans 6. However the main point here is that apart from any works God has declared us righteous as a free gift which is in Jesus the Messiah.
Paul develops his teaching about justification around three themes. The death of the Messiah Jesus and his resurrection from the dead has accomplished three divine acts.
Justification: an image from the court of law
Redemption: an image from the slave market)
Propitiation: an image from the world of religion, appeasing God through sacrifice
Justification solves the problem of man's guilt before a righteous Judge. Redemption solves the problem of man's slavery to sin, the world, and the devil. Propitiation solves the problem of offending God our Creator. We have been declared righteous in the divine court, freed from slavery and declared a Son of God, and cleansed from the filth of our sins.
God’s sacrifice of Jesus the Messiah on the cross for sins also demonstrated that forgiveness was not being done at the expense of justice. Grace did not mean we could just forget the right demands of the law. No, grace meant that the full price of the justice would be paid by another and the guilty would go free without any violation of the moral code of God. There is no cheap grace only infinitely expensive grace given by God.
It should be noted that the most popular New Testament scholar of the 21st century, Dr. N.T. Wright and his “New Perspective on Paul” would disagree with this view of justification. Within conservative reformed circles this new approach is called “The Federal Vision”. There are many complicated and complex issues related to both movements.
However, what they both seem to have in common is that ultimately being justified is based on the spirit-inspired works in/through them and not on the objective work of Christ on the cross outside of them. . In other words, Dr. Wright is saying that justification is not in Christ alone. Justification in this view involves the work of Christ (forgiveness of sin in the present) and the Spirit (being made righteous in our lives which will be judged in the future). This new perspective while lacking the rituals of the Roman Catholic Church is teaching the same basic view that was held to by the medieval church before the reformation. I do not believe that Dr. N.T. Wright’s perspective or that of the “Federal Vision” provides for us a right understanding of justification and my view is that the traditional protestant perspective of objective justification in Christ alone is the right interpretation of scripture.
Why is this important? This is important because legalism can corrupt the church just as easily as lawlessness. It takes very little for us to begin to think we are the best and the brightest. Feelings of being elite and superior need little encouragement. Nothing feels better to our brokenness than a baptized pride and self righteousness gained in “humility” before God.
However in the end only those who know they have been forgiven much will love much. Everything that takes away from grace also deadens our love for the LORD. Only a vision of pure grace will lead to a pure love for God. May we see God’s grace today! Amen
God desire to establish a righteous kingdom is now going to be seen, not in a moral code, but by people having faith in Jesus as the Messiah who died for their sins and was raised. This right relationship with God under the Divine rule will come to both Jew and Gentile who believe in Jesus as their personal prophet, priest, and king. There is no prejudice towards any ethnic group or color of skin. All who believe will be made right with God through the work of the Messiah Jesus.
Both the Jew and the Gentile have fallen away from God and have either become lost in lawless deeds of depravity or legalistic systems of self righteousness and pride. The end result, they have all failed to reach the glorious reflection of being made in God’s image and living in accord with the divine reflection made within them. They have not become the incarnation of righteous love.
As Dr. Moule says: "The harlot, the liar, the murderer, are short of it; but so are you. Perhaps they stand at the bottom of a mine, and you on the crest of an Alp; but you are as little able to touch the stars as they." Every human being has failed to obey God. Every human being has failed to love God. Every human being has failed to love other people as they should have loved them.
All who have a true faith in the Messiah Jesus as the ultimate revelation of truth, the sacrifice for their sins on the cross, and the desired ruler of their lives are declared righteous before God by his unconditional mercy and as a gift. Even their faith is a work of God’s grace in their hearts. Faith comes from hearing the word of Christ and having this word empowered by the Holy Spirit to produce faith (Romans 10:17). Those who are declared righteous due to their union and communion with the Lord Jesus the Messiah are made right with God as a free gift entirely unrelated to their obedience to the law.
Justification was a legal term in the Greek culture and was used to describe a judge declaring an accused person not guilty and therefore innocent before the law. The importance of this is found in this quote by Pastor John McArthur.
“Justification is God’s declaration that all the demands of the law are fulfilled on behalf of the believing sinner through the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Justification is a wholly forensic, or legal, transaction. It changes the judicial standing of the sinner before God. In justification, God imputes (credits) the perfect righteousness of Christ to the believer’s account, then declares the redeemed one fully righteous. Justification must be distinguished from sanctification, in which God actually imparts Christ’s righteousness to the sinner. While the two must be distinguished, justification and sanctification can never be separated. God does not justify whom He does not sanctify.” (MacArthur, J: Romans 1-8. Chicago: Moody Press)
Pastor John McArhur’s concern about using the idea of grace to justify a life of lawless living is a needed reminder which Paul will make in Romans 6. However the main point here is that apart from any works God has declared us righteous as a free gift which is in Jesus the Messiah.
Paul develops his teaching about justification around three themes. The death of the Messiah Jesus and his resurrection from the dead has accomplished three divine acts.
Justification: an image from the court of law
Redemption: an image from the slave market)
Propitiation: an image from the world of religion, appeasing God through sacrifice
Justification solves the problem of man's guilt before a righteous Judge. Redemption solves the problem of man's slavery to sin, the world, and the devil. Propitiation solves the problem of offending God our Creator. We have been declared righteous in the divine court, freed from slavery and declared a Son of God, and cleansed from the filth of our sins.
God’s sacrifice of Jesus the Messiah on the cross for sins also demonstrated that forgiveness was not being done at the expense of justice. Grace did not mean we could just forget the right demands of the law. No, grace meant that the full price of the justice would be paid by another and the guilty would go free without any violation of the moral code of God. There is no cheap grace only infinitely expensive grace given by God.
It should be noted that the most popular New Testament scholar of the 21st century, Dr. N.T. Wright and his “New Perspective on Paul” would disagree with this view of justification. Within conservative reformed circles this new approach is called “The Federal Vision”. There are many complicated and complex issues related to both movements.
However, what they both seem to have in common is that ultimately being justified is based on the spirit-inspired works in/through them and not on the objective work of Christ on the cross outside of them. . In other words, Dr. Wright is saying that justification is not in Christ alone. Justification in this view involves the work of Christ (forgiveness of sin in the present) and the Spirit (being made righteous in our lives which will be judged in the future). This new perspective while lacking the rituals of the Roman Catholic Church is teaching the same basic view that was held to by the medieval church before the reformation. I do not believe that Dr. N.T. Wright’s perspective or that of the “Federal Vision” provides for us a right understanding of justification and my view is that the traditional protestant perspective of objective justification in Christ alone is the right interpretation of scripture.
Why is this important? This is important because legalism can corrupt the church just as easily as lawlessness. It takes very little for us to begin to think we are the best and the brightest. Feelings of being elite and superior need little encouragement. Nothing feels better to our brokenness than a baptized pride and self righteousness gained in “humility” before God.
However in the end only those who know they have been forgiven much will love much. Everything that takes away from grace also deadens our love for the LORD. Only a vision of pure grace will lead to a pure love for God. May we see God’s grace today! Amen
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Take joy in the Lord's acceptance of you!
Devotions
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Reading
NLT Psalm 149:1 Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song. Sing his praises in the assembly of the faithful. 2 O Israel, rejoice in your Maker. O people of Jerusalem, exult in your King. 3 Praise his name with dancing, accompanied by tambourine and harp. 4 For the LORD delights in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation. 5 Let the faithful rejoice in this honor. Let them sing for joy as they lie on their beds. 6 Let the praises of God be in their mouths, and a sharp sword in their hands-- 7 to execute vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples, 8 to bind their kings with shackles and their leaders with iron chains, 9 to execute the judgment written against them. This is the glory of his faithful ones. Praise the LORD!
Meditation:
Literal: Outline
Vs. 1 – Command to vocalize the wonder of the Lord’s great character and deeds in the assembly of those with faith.
Vs. 2. – Command for the people of God to rejoice in their redemptive creator and Sovereign ruler
Vs. 3. – Command to vocalize with passion about the LORD’s authority and character with celebration, dancing, tambourine, and lyre (which was not a “harp” as we think about it but a hand held musical instrument).
Vs. 4 – The reason for this praise is that the LORD delights ( hc'r' ratsah (953a) Meaning: to be pleased with, accept favorably) His people. He glorifies, exults, and gives them beauty for they are weak and afflicted. He gives to them “salvation” which is the word h['Wvy> (yeshuah)
The name Yehoshua has the form of a compound of "Yeho-" and "shua": Yeho- יְהוֹ is another form of יָהוּ Yahu, a theophoric element standing for the personal name of God YHWH, and שׁוּעַ shua is a noun meaning "a cry for help", "a saving cry", that is, a shout given when in need of rescue. Together the name would then literally mean, "'God' is a saving-cry," that is, shout to God when in need of help.
Vs. 5 – In light of being so highly honored and favored by the LORD those with faith are to be full of joy at all times, even when they lay down after a long day of work.
Vs. 6 - The psalm at this point turns from worship to war. They are to be praising the LORD for their salvation and ready to fight His battles.
Vs. 7 - The purpose of this war is to bring God’s judgment against those nations who have rebelled and sinned against the LORD. Israel at times was used to literally be engaged in holy wars in the Old Testament and this was seen as part of the duty that God required.
Vs. 8 – The purpose of the war is to bring heathen kings into captivity and under the rule of the LORD.
Vs. 9. – The glory of the people of faith is that God will use them to bring judgment upon the rulers of an apostate world.
The first five verses of this Psalm focus on the need and reason for God’s people to be filled with praise and wonder in the LORD. The fifth verse is the center of the psalm and the main point. We are to be filled with JOY for the LORD has taken pleasure in us and given us the gift of salvation.
The hard part of the psalm is found in vs. 6-9 for the focus there is upon God’s judgment on those who are outside of grace and a call for His people to join Him in His judgment of the nations. In the New Testament we know that our battle is not with flesh and blood and that the kingdom of God is not now to be established with literal swords. Instead our warfare is now spiritual.
ESV Ephesians 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
Christological – It is interesting to not that when this psalm says that the LORD gives them salvation it is a word related to the Hebrew name for Jesus – Yeshua. God gives His people Jesus because He favors them and wants to exalt them out of sin and the rebellious world.
Moral: We have a duty to be passionate in our worship. The LORD deserves our very best praise. Our faith should lead us to positive emotions of joy and faithful loyalty to God in the midst of a rebellious world.
Eternal: The Kingdom of Heaven will be full of joy, thankfulness, praise, and passionate worship. The worship we have on earth is just a shadow of an eternity we will spend soaked in the pleasure, favor, acceptance, and embrace of our LORD.
Prayer: Lord, when I face the difficulties of my life, the disappointments of my failures, and the hardship of my circumstances, let me not lose my joy in my salvation.
Contemplation: Rejoice and again I say rejoice
Action: Take time to remember that God is for me today because He has sent Jesus to me to save me. Remember my salvation and take joy in it.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Reading
NLT Psalm 149:1 Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song. Sing his praises in the assembly of the faithful. 2 O Israel, rejoice in your Maker. O people of Jerusalem, exult in your King. 3 Praise his name with dancing, accompanied by tambourine and harp. 4 For the LORD delights in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation. 5 Let the faithful rejoice in this honor. Let them sing for joy as they lie on their beds. 6 Let the praises of God be in their mouths, and a sharp sword in their hands-- 7 to execute vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples, 8 to bind their kings with shackles and their leaders with iron chains, 9 to execute the judgment written against them. This is the glory of his faithful ones. Praise the LORD!
Meditation:
Literal: Outline
Vs. 1 – Command to vocalize the wonder of the Lord’s great character and deeds in the assembly of those with faith.
Vs. 2. – Command for the people of God to rejoice in their redemptive creator and Sovereign ruler
Vs. 3. – Command to vocalize with passion about the LORD’s authority and character with celebration, dancing, tambourine, and lyre (which was not a “harp” as we think about it but a hand held musical instrument).
Vs. 4 – The reason for this praise is that the LORD delights ( hc'r' ratsah (953a) Meaning: to be pleased with, accept favorably) His people. He glorifies, exults, and gives them beauty for they are weak and afflicted. He gives to them “salvation” which is the word h['Wvy> (yeshuah)
The name Yehoshua has the form of a compound of "Yeho-" and "shua": Yeho- יְהוֹ is another form of יָהוּ Yahu, a theophoric element standing for the personal name of God YHWH, and שׁוּעַ shua is a noun meaning "a cry for help", "a saving cry", that is, a shout given when in need of rescue. Together the name would then literally mean, "'God' is a saving-cry," that is, shout to God when in need of help.
Vs. 5 – In light of being so highly honored and favored by the LORD those with faith are to be full of joy at all times, even when they lay down after a long day of work.
Vs. 6 - The psalm at this point turns from worship to war. They are to be praising the LORD for their salvation and ready to fight His battles.
Vs. 7 - The purpose of this war is to bring God’s judgment against those nations who have rebelled and sinned against the LORD. Israel at times was used to literally be engaged in holy wars in the Old Testament and this was seen as part of the duty that God required.
Vs. 8 – The purpose of the war is to bring heathen kings into captivity and under the rule of the LORD.
Vs. 9. – The glory of the people of faith is that God will use them to bring judgment upon the rulers of an apostate world.
The first five verses of this Psalm focus on the need and reason for God’s people to be filled with praise and wonder in the LORD. The fifth verse is the center of the psalm and the main point. We are to be filled with JOY for the LORD has taken pleasure in us and given us the gift of salvation.
The hard part of the psalm is found in vs. 6-9 for the focus there is upon God’s judgment on those who are outside of grace and a call for His people to join Him in His judgment of the nations. In the New Testament we know that our battle is not with flesh and blood and that the kingdom of God is not now to be established with literal swords. Instead our warfare is now spiritual.
ESV Ephesians 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
Christological – It is interesting to not that when this psalm says that the LORD gives them salvation it is a word related to the Hebrew name for Jesus – Yeshua. God gives His people Jesus because He favors them and wants to exalt them out of sin and the rebellious world.
Moral: We have a duty to be passionate in our worship. The LORD deserves our very best praise. Our faith should lead us to positive emotions of joy and faithful loyalty to God in the midst of a rebellious world.
Eternal: The Kingdom of Heaven will be full of joy, thankfulness, praise, and passionate worship. The worship we have on earth is just a shadow of an eternity we will spend soaked in the pleasure, favor, acceptance, and embrace of our LORD.
Prayer: Lord, when I face the difficulties of my life, the disappointments of my failures, and the hardship of my circumstances, let me not lose my joy in my salvation.
Contemplation: Rejoice and again I say rejoice
Action: Take time to remember that God is for me today because He has sent Jesus to me to save me. Remember my salvation and take joy in it.
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