Author Archives: preacherwin
Did God Make Egypt Hate Israel?
“He changed their heart to hate His people —
To behave cunningly with His servants.”
(Psalm 105:25)
Now, wait one minute! Did you notice what the text states here? Who made Egypt hate Israel? Who made Egypt act deceitfully toward Israel? It does not say that Egypt began hating Israel because they saw Israel as a threat (which they were!). What it says is that God changed their hearts so that they would hate Israel and that God made Egypt act deceptively toward Israel. So many people in churches today cling desperately to the notion that they have free will or to notions that God loves everybody. Yet, passages like this are scattered throughout the Scriptures. They remind us that God is sovereign and that while we are responsible for our actions, God superintends them from before the foundation of the world. And, while God does have great love for His elect, he hates the reprobate and keeps them under his hand of judgment (2 Peter 2:9-10).
Thus, it is not just Pharaoh’s heart that God hardened (Exodus 9:12; 10:20), but the heart of all the people of Egypt was hardened against Israel. What is the result of a hardened heart? Hatred and deceit. Why Did God do this? He did so to show His wrath and to destroy Egypt (Romans 9:22) but also so that the people of the earth would fear Him and worship His name (Romans 9:17). Such is part of God’s promise to Abraham (Genesis 15:13-14).
Does that mean that God caused Egypt to sin? Indeed, the Hebrew verb נכל (nakal — “to deceive/behave cunningly”) is in the hithpael stem, meaning that it is a reflexive action that was caused to take place. Reflexive verbs mean that the one taking action is also the one receiving the effects of the action taken. How is this? God is causing the Egyptians to hate His people and as the people act deceptively toward the Israelites, they are also causing damage to themselves — heaping up condemnation upon condemnation into their lives. Such is the nature of sin; it harms the sinner as well as the one sinned against.
In short, while God was causing the Egyptians to do what they most naturally wanted to do and was not restraining their sin as He did in Joseph’s time, God is still sovereign over their actions. God is not guilty of sin — the Egyptians are — but God has indeed brought this about. He has caused it to take place. Such is the consistent teaching of Scripture and such is the plain reading of this psalm. While I may have been somewhat sarcastic in my wording when I began this reflection as I embrace the teaching of Scripture and the complete sovereignty of God, for many, this verse is a fly in the ointment of their humanistic, “free-will” theology.
More Mighty than Our Adversaries
“And His people were made to be very fruitful
And they became more mighty than their adversaries.”
(Psalm 105:24)
Here we have arrived at David’s recounting of Exodus 1:7. In Egypt, the 75 persons who initially came down to Egypt (Acts 7:14) grew to become a multitude. They grew so great, across these 400 years, that the Egyptians feared them and sought to subjugate them in slavery and interbreed with their women, for fear of an uprising.
Yet, has it ever struck you the disparity between the Biblical account told here and the way the people viewed themselves? We are told that they were more mighty than their adversaries. What is implied here is that if the Israelites did choose to rebel against the Egyptians, they would have won. Yet, as we read the Exodus account, the people feared the Egyptians and resisted a revolt against their teaching.
How often it is the same way in the church. We embrace a defeatist mindset and so we never take up spiritual warfare against the strongholds of the devil all around us. We fear reprisals. We fear that we won’t know what to say or how to say it. We fear that we might be defeated by the secular machine that dominates our culture…or by the secular church that has enslaved itself to the culture’s will. Yet, He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4) and we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us (Romans 8:37).
That does not mean that our battles will be easy and it does not mean that we will not have our ears boxed in the process. But why fear those who can only harm the body and cannot harm the eternal soul (Matthew 10:28). Until the church realizes that we are more mighty than our adversaries, we will never rise up. Yet, if the church repents of her fear of the world, she will, like the righteous man, rise up repeatedly against her foes (Proverbs 24:16).
And what makes the church so mighty? It is not because we are great; it is because God is great and he is the great warrior of His people (Exodus 15:3). Yet, note that we also have a promise given that anticipates God’s work in the church of creating a mighty army which is strong in the Lord because they walk in His name (Zechariah 10:4-12). This, dear Christian, wherever you are, is what God is working in us through His true church. So, if your church is hiding in timidity or compromising with the world, it is a reminder that you are not in the true church of Jesus Christ.
In the Land of Ham
“And Israel came to Egypt
And Jacob dwelt as an alien in the land of Ham.”
(Psalm 105:23)
Once again we see an illustration of the interconnectedness of the Bible. We know from the account in Genesis that Israel was given the land of Goshen (Genesis 47:1,6). Why refer to this land as the land of Ham? Ham, of course, was the son of Noah who defiled his father (Genesis 9:22). In turn, the line of Ham would historically produce those who were and are the enemies of God. His sons were Cush, Egypt, Put, and Canaan (Genesis 10:6). Their tribal lands would take on the names of their forebears and now we have the connection. Egypt (and its lands) descended from Ham and the Psalmist is giving us a reminder of whose land in which Israel is dwelling for a time.
Another note should be made here. When this verse speaks of Jacob dwelling in Egypt, the term גור (gor) is used, which typically means to dwell as an alien, a dependent, or as one who does not have ownership in the territory in question. If the text were to indicate that Jacob was dwelling in his own land, then the term ישׁב (yashab) would have been used. Why is this distinction important? There are two reasons. The first is that God gave Canaan to Abraham as an inheritance, not Egypt. Thus, it was a place to stay, but it was not their home. The second reason is more of a reminder of that principle to us. Our home, as Christians, is also not on this earth. We are citizens of heaven (Philippians 3:20). Thus, we should not become too comfortable here.
Teaching Wisdom
“To bind his princes at his pleasure
And to teach his Elders wisdom.”
(Psalm 105:22)
We have discussed the notion that Joseph consolidated the power of Pharaoh, making him supreme ruler over the land and subjecting his princes. Yet, the psalmist tells us one further point. He states that Joseph was there to teach the Elders of Egypt wisdom. What are we to make of that?
Here, we need to use some inference, but first, we should ask the question, what is wisdom? It is a word that we use often, but sometimes it is a word that we use without thinking clearly as to what the word means. In Hebrew, the word for wisdom is חָכְמָה (chokmah). The term is used broadly to refer to ones practiced skill at a given trade as well as one’s skillful living. Normally, it is applied when one is using their skills for pious purposes and for the glory of God (see Exodus 28:3; 1 Kings 7:14; 2 Samuel 20:22; 1 Kings 2:6; Psalm 90:12).
In the end, though, wisdom begins with the fear of Yahweh (Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 9:10). A parallel application of this principle is that wisdom is demonstrated by being able to rightly handle and apply the Word of God (Mark 6:2) so that we can rightly divide the Word of Truth (2 Timothy 2:15). Finally, wisdom built on the fear of the Lord also manifests itself in obedience to God’s commands and Laws (Ecclesiastes 12:13; Acts 10:35).
So, how did this apply to Joseph in Egypt when it comes to his teaching their Elders wisdom? To begin with, Joseph was set over all of the house of Egypt because he had greater wisdom and discernment than all of the “wisemen” at the Pharoah’s disposal (Genesis 41:39-40). In this capacity alone, those who were Elders in Egypt would have had to come to Joseph for instruction and guidance. As Solomon wrote, “whoever walks with the wise will become wise” (Proverbs 13:20). So, in this sense, the Elders of Egypt would have learned wisdom from Joseph.
There is another point that is worth bringing into the discussion. Many scholars have noted the similarities in the language and structure between an Egyptian text known as “The Instruction of Amenemope and the book of Proverbs. Yet, Amenemope was written between 300 and 400 years prior to the book of Proverbs, causing some to speculate that Solomon simply appropriated Amenemope’s work. What becomes interesting is that Joseph in Egypt predates the time of Amenemope, implying that just as Solomon was compiling wisdom to include in the book of Proverbs, so too, Amenemope likely was doing the same and either knowingly or unknowingly, many of his proverbs could have easily dated back to Joseph. Solomon, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, may have preserved some of Joseph’s wisdom, explaining the parallels between these two texts. Yes, this is speculative, but it is a hypothesis worth considering.
The Princes bound to Pharaoh
“The king sent and freed him;
The ruler of the peoples released him.
He put him as lord over his house
And as ruler over all his possessions
To bind his princes at his pleasure
And to teach his Elders wisdom.
(Psalm 105:20-22)
Here, the psalmist continues with the account of Joseph’s deliverance from Pharaoh’s prison, noting once again that this was a result not of the goodwill of Pharaoh, but it was a work of God’s faithfulness to His covenant. In turn, Joseph was not simply freed, but he was elevated to a place of authority that in Egypt, he was second only to Pharaoh (Genesis 41:40).
What is striking is what David writes next in this psalm. Joseph, it is said, bound all of the princes of Egypt to the Pharaoh’s pleasure and teach the Elders of Egypt wisdom. These two lines of verse 22 speak volumes. In brief, during the years of plenty followed by the years of famine, Joseph broke the power of the princes and turned Egypt from a feudal state into a dictatorial monarchy where the Pharaoh reigned supreme.
During the seven years of plenty in Egypt, Joseph instituted a 20% tax on the land owners for the grain they produced (Genesis 41:34). This food, Joseph held to the side to prepare for the years of famine (Genesis 41:49). These seven years of plenty are described as a “great plenty” (Genesis 41:29), which implies that this was not a time of rationing, but of feasting even with this new tax that had been instituted. Likely, few people complained as there was plenty to go around.
When the famine set in, it is clear that the various landowners had reserves from which they could draw for a season (Genesis 41:54). Then, when the people ran out of their own provisions, they looked to Joseph, who controlled Pharaoh’s immense stockpiles of grain. Then, Joseph began selling the grain back to the people (Genesis 41:56). Now, remember from where this grain came. It was the grain of the people that Joseph had acquired due to a new tax. Often, when people think of Joseph’s plan to disseminate grain, they see it as a kind of social subsidy. That is not the case at all, it was taxed from the people and then sold back to them. Pharaoh grew richer and more powerful even in the midst of this economic downturn.
What happened when the people ran out of money? Joseph began exchanging food for livestock (Genesis 47:16). Yet, Joseph did not take up herdsmanship in the service of Pharaoh. No, later Joseph exchanged food for the land of the people as well as for the service of the people (Genesis 47:20-21). Further, Joseph created a system of indentured servitude, allowing the people to keep 80% of what they produced with the final 20% going to Pharaoh. Yet, now Pharaoh owned the land and the people. They were no longer a free people ruled by regional princes, they were slaves of Pharaoh on his property, farming with his seed, and tending to his animals. There was a semblance of ownership, given that the people could keep 80% of what they produced, but there was never an avenue for self-advancement because they did not own the land, the animals, the seed, the tools, or even their own lives. This is essentially what Fascism looks like when it plays itself out.
Why would a man of God (Joseph) empower such an evil system of government? There are two reasons we can draw from the scriptures. The first was to prepare a haven for Joseph’s family when they migrated to Egypt. The second was as a form of punishment for Egypt’s idolatry. Eventually, God would bring his people out of their bondage to a different Pharaoh and would finally judge Egypt for their wickedness.
As I look around our culture, there are many people who seem to be calling for this kind of government. On one hand, there are those who simply desire the government to have social programs galore — that ti would be a kind of baby-sitter for the masses. On the other hand, others are quick to give perks to special interests or large corporations for their own gain. What is the result? It gets harder and harder for the individual to get ahead. Think about it, even in our “free” country, the government has the right to tax our land and other things that we own. We pay for it, we improve it, we preserve it, but the government can take it away if we fail to pay our taxes. I wonder if we realize just how close we are to living under a government akin to that of Egypt after the famine. Perhaps this too, is a form of judgment on America for her idolatry. Something to think about.
Refined by God’s Word
“Oppressed in fetters were his feet;
His life was put in iron
Until such a time as his word came to pass,
The Word of Yahweh refined him.”
(Psalm 105:18-19)
Why did God permit Joseph to spend several years in Pharaoh’s dungeons? Certainly, God’s timing was such that placement in the prison would introduce Joseph to Pharaoh’s baker and cupbearer, which would be the means by which God would introduce Joseph to Pharaoh. Yet, surely, why did Joseph have to suffer in chains for so long — first to the Ishmaelites and then to the Egyptians? David tells us the answer: God was refining him. And by what means was Joseph refined? By the Word of Yahweh — the covenant promises of God.
What is God’s normal means of refining His people? Most commonly, it is through trial and strife. Until we face times of suffering — what David would call “walking through the valley of the shadow of death” — we typically will not grow. Muscle strengthens when it is pushed and tested. Our minds increase in the ability to understand hard concepts through rigorous mental exercise. Likewise, our faith grows when we face persecution and struggle and are forced to rely on God even though we may not understand his design and long-term plan. In cases such as this, God’s Word is and must be enough.
How often we get impatient with God’s timing and look with jealousy at others who have achieved what we have not been able to achieve in life. Nevertheless, it is God who sets the times and places and it is God who ordains both our successes and our failures. The question we should be asking is not, “Why has God not permitted me this or that,” but “What is God teaching me during this season and how shall I grow and be refined as I trust in His Word?” Even after Joseph interpreted the dreams of the Baker and the Cupbearer, it was still another two years before Joseph was lifted from the dungeon (Genesis 41:1). During that time, Joseph was being refined into the man who God would later use to preserve His covenant people. Refining is a process, it takes time, and it is done only in accordance with God’s Word.
God’s Faithful Purposes
“He called a famine upon the land;
All of the grain for bread was ruined,
He sent a man,
To be sold as a slave: Joseph.”
(Psalm 105:16-17)
Our psalmist, David, now begins to retell the story of God’s faithfulness to His people, beginning with the famine and Joseph’s entrance into Egypt. Notice that the famine is spoken about as something that was “called,” though many English translations will render the word קָרַא (qara — “to call” or “to proclaim/decree”) as “sent.” When used in this fashion, קָרַא, usually carries with it legal connotations in the form of a judgment sent out to punish evildoing. In this case, God was judging the land for their idolatry.
Yet, despite the fact that God is bringing judgment upon the wicked who were dwelling in the land of Canaan, God did not forsake his own (who also happened to be dwelling in Canaan at the time). As Peter writes, “God knows how to rescue the godly from trials and keep the wicked under judgment” (2 Peter 2:9). How did God do this? Beforehand, God ordained that Joseph would be sold as a slave into Egypt (through the wicked actions of Joseph’s brothers).
One of the things we need to think about, when it comes to matters like this, is that the events surrounding the sale of Joseph into slavery took place 20 years before Joseph would become the deliverer of his people. By this time, his brothers most likely thought that their brother was long gone or even dead — is it any surprise that they did not recognize him 20 years later (Genesis 42:8)?
Yet, the question that we need to come to terms with is that of God’s timing. We have a bad habit of thinking that God works on our timetable and that “soonness” or “slowness” is judged in the way we judge it. Yet, God’s timetable is different than our own (2 Peter 3:8-9). A friend of mine once told me that he thought that God was the ultimate chess player. He moves His people around where they may serve Him best. Sometimes we remain for a short period in a place and sometimes for longer periods. Sometimes God gives us good experiences in ministry and sometimes he brings about awful experiences and seasons. Yet, even though we may not understand His purposes, He is doing all these things for the building of His kingdom and for the punishment of the wicked. The difference between a chess master and God, of course, is that while a chess master knows the game so well that he can anticipate the moves of his opponent ahead of time, God does not anticipate; He ordains.
His purpose in sending Joseph ahead was the fulfillment of His covenant. His purpose in doing so twenty years before the famine in the land belongs to the secret knowledge of God. We may speculate about God giving Joseph time to mature and forgive, but we are not explicitly told the human element. All we are really told in the Bible is that God had ordered even the sin of Joseph’s brothers “so that many people should be kept alive” (Genesis 50:20). Christians sometimes think that God has failed them when things do not come together as planned. That notion could not be any further from the truth. God has ordained all of these things for the building of His Kingdom in His Son, Jesus Christ.
No Touch – No Do Evil!
“Do not touch my anointed ones;
And my prophets, do not harm.”
(Psalm 105:15)
Perhaps most of us in the Christian faith are used to hearing the language of the “Anointed One” in the singular. Indeed, our Lord Jesus Christ is the Anointed one par excellence; He is the Anointed one that all the other anointed ones point toward. Yet, in the Hebrew Bible, while there is a sense of a Christ, or Anointed One, to come, there are many people that are referred to as “anointed ones” in the Bible. The term is applied to those in the Levitical priesthood (Leviticus 3:3,16), to Samuel (1 Samuel 2:35), Saul (1 Samuel 24:10), David (2 Samuel 19:21; 22:51; 23:1), and even to Cyrus (Isaiah 45:1).
If we are to take the parallelism of this verse very narrowly, it implies that all of the prophets of God can be considered as anointed ones as well. Yet, the Christian understanding has consistently been to refer to all of God’s elect as anointed ones in Christ. Question 32 of the Heidelberg Catechism, for instance, asks the question: “Why are you called a Christian?” In the answer, it reminds us of the fact that “Christ” means “Anointed One,” thus it reads:
“Because by faith I am a member of Christ and am thus a partaker of His anointing, in order that I also may confess His Name, may present myself as a living sacrifice to Him, and with a free conscience may fight against sin and the devil in this life, and hereafter in eternity reign with Him over all creatures.”
Thus, our Lord reminds us that if we are His, then no one can pull us out of the hand of God (John 6:28) and the Apostle Paul likewise reminds us that “if God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). As the psalmist points out, God has always protected His anointed ones from those who would do evil to them. He says, “do not touch” (implying “to cause harm”) and “do not harm” (literally, “do evil”) to his anointed ones and to His spokespersons.
Why then are Christians often so timid? Why are Christians often so fearful about what may happen if they share their faith? Yes, people may feel uncomfortable around us. Yes, we may lose a friend or a job. In some parts of the world, we may even lose our lives. Yet, are we not secure in Christ? Will not God judge the wicked who harm his anointed ones? No, we have a great salvation that has been worked for us by Christ, the Great Anointed One; we should not fear earthly reprisals or persecution.
God Preserves His True Church
“Wandering from nation to nation,
From kingdom to another people group,
He did not permit a man to oppress them,
And He reproved kings over them.”
(Psalm 105:13-14)
As God led his people, they met many different kings and kingdoms. They engaged with the kings of the Canaanite territories. They engaged with the king of Egypt. Then they faced many pagan groups on their trip out of Egypt and into the promised land, all before God gave them a home. And God preserved His own elect remnant in every case and situation.
As David seems to be writing this psalm, here he is also being prophetic. Even though God removed His people from the land as a form of discipline, he still preserved an elect remnant for Himself. Even though the people of the Church have been scattered to the Diaspora, once again, God is preserving His church against the powers of the world.
Sometimes people will say that the existence of national Israel today is proof of God’s faithfulness to His promise. To this, I say, “No!” God’s promises are “yea” and “amen” not in Israel, but in Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20-22) and thus, the sign of God’s faithfulness is not found in a nation made and secured by the other nations, but in the church of Jesus Christ. Though we are scattered to the ends of the earth. Though we are oppressed by false churches that parade in our midst. Though we are assailed by temptation and trial at every turn, God has preserved His elect remnant. And, we can be assured that He will continue to do so on behalf of His true church.
Further, if we desire to bear witness to this provision, it behooves us to leave behind the “pseudo-churches” and pursue the True Church of Jesus Christ that has Christ (and not the traditions of men) as its King. What does said church look like? It preaches the pure doctrine of God from the whole counsel of the Scriptures, administers the sacraments as Christ has instituted them, and practices church discipline to subdue sin in its midst (see Article 29 of the Belgic Confession). If a body falls short of these things and does not repent, it is not a true church and you are trusting your preservation to the hands and traditions of men. That did not work very well for the Pharisees; it will serve you no better.
We are a Trifle, but Elect
“At such a time as when they were men of number,
Like a trifle, and sojourners in it,”
(Psalm 105:12)
The psalmist begins with a series of demonstrations of the faithfulness of God, and while this is just the beginning of a longer clause, it is prudent to see where he begins his words. Most English Bibles render the first part of the verse more idiomatically (“few in number”), yet the literal translation is “men of number” and indicates that the group was so small that they could easily be numbered by those who would take a count.
Of the thousands and millions of people who descended from Adam, God traced a direct line to Noah and saved just eight humans in the flood. In the generations between Noah and Abraham, millions were born, but once again, God chose to work through one man alone and brought his wife, his nephew, and their servants out of Haran and into the promised land. Of the many nations on the planet at the time of the great famine, God preserved 70 with Jacob as they entered into Egypt to become a nation in Goshen.
If you go through the Bible, one theme you will always find is that God’s elect are but a remnant. As Moses reminds the people of Israel, God did not choose them because they were large and powerful, but because they were small and insignificant (Deuteronomy 7:7) — a “trifle” in the eyes of the nations. And he does this so that His strength will be seen in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). That is the nature of election and that is why God saves by grace and not by the works of men.
Even today, while there are “churches” all around us and many claim to be “Christian,” little has changed. The True Church is scarce in our land and most people don’t even know what they are claiming when they call themselves Christian. Worship in many places looks more like a form of Neo-paganism with every man doing what is right in his own eyes rather than submitting to the Word of God. Yet, despite the fact that the True Church is small. Despite the fact that we are sojourners in a land that is not our own (Philippians 3:20). God is our inheritance. And, though we are weak, holding this great treasure in jars of clay (2 Corinthians 4:7), God makes Himself known through us and in spite of our best (or not so best) efforts. We are but a trifle in the eyes of the world; what makes us not a trifle is God’s election of us in Christ.
Is it Proper for Christians to Sing Imprecatory Psalms?
“Rage but do not sin; speak in your own hearts upon your own beds and lament. Selah!”
(Psalm 4:4 {4:5 in the Hebrew text})
“Be angry and do not sin! The sun shall not go down on the thing that provoked you nor shall you give the devil a place of habitation.”
(Ephesians 4:26-27)
Many Christians today have fallen into the trap of thinking that “niceness” is a virtue in Christianity. They are told that they must be pacifists, allowing their enemies to slap both cheeks and take advantage of their persons. They have been told that loving their enemies means tolerating the wickedness that their enemies do and throwing up their hands in cultural defeat. Yet, this is not how the Bible calls upon Christians, in particular, Christian men, to live. Yet, if this is the case, how are we to understand the many Biblical texts to love our enemies and to do good to those who persecute us?
To begin with, is it proper for the Christian to be angry? King David clearly says, “Yes,” as he looks upon the wicked in the land who dishonor the king and seek after the vain words of men rather than the Truth of God’s Word. In addition, we find the Apostle Paul quoting David’s words when he speaks to the church in Ephesus, in particular, when teaching them how to live in faithful community with one another.
Yet, David and Paul are not giving unrestricted permission for anger. They clearly teach two things about anger. First, we should be angry without sinning. Second, we should not let the sun go down on that which is provoking us. While the first addresses how we are (or are not) to express our anger, the second is an imperative command that we do not passively tolerate that which is sparking our anger. We should act.
The question that must be asked, then, is how do we properly express our anger without also sinning? Yet, in asking this question, two preliminary questions must first be asked. The first preliminary question is, “what kind of evil is provoking us?” The second preliminary question is, “against whom is this evil being afflicted?”
The reason that these preliminary questions need to be asked is that they reveal the motive for our response. And, in some cases, the answer to these questions should dictate how we are to respond. For instance, is the evil simply a matter of personal offense or inconvenience? Perhaps you feel that your employer is demanding too much from you. How should you respond? In many cases, your response, as a Christian, should be to turn the other cheek and go the extra mile (Matthew 5:38-42). Perhaps you have a neighbor who is belligerent and irritating every time you interact with him. Should you not express kindness towards him, and by doing so, “heap burning coals” upon his head (Proverbs 25:21-22; Romans 12:20)? Perhaps, by doing so patiently, you will bring a sinner away from his wandering and save him from death, covering a multitude of sins (James 5:20). When the enemy is truly our own or if the evil being done is merely a matter of personal frustration and inconvenience, the Bible is pretty clear that we must respond in kindness, patience, and even love.
Yet, there are also times when the enemy is not really yours and the evil being done is wickedness in the eyes of God. For instance, when the children are taunting God’s prophet, God sends out a pair of she-bears to maul them (2 Kings 2:23-25). When the Israelites are tempted by Balak to engage in sexual immorality with Midianite women, Phinehas is honored for running a spear through the sinning Israelite and his Midianite seductress (Numbers 25:6-13). In fact, because of Phinehas’ bold action, the judgment of God on the people was ended. When Jesus spoke to the Pharisees who were perverting the Law for their own gain, he cursed them with a series of “Seven Woes” (Matthew 23). Our Lord goes as far as to prescribe capital punishment for those who would lead children away from His teachings (Mark 9:42). The Apostle John, known as the Apostle who speaks more about love than any other Biblical writer, strongly condemns Diotrephes for his arrogance (3 John 9-11).
The Biblical examples abound, but let us return to the question at hand in our modern context. What of those who flagrantly murder babies on a daily basis in abortion slaughterhouses? What about the wicked who lead our children away from the teachings of God? What about the Sodomites that flagrantly boast of their immorality all around us? What of the idolaters who set up icons to venerate? What of those who promote humanistic worship rather than the true worship of God? What of those who set themselves up as “kings” in the church rather than submitting to the one True King and His Word? These are not our enemies and these are not establishing an inconvenience to us. These are the enemies of God and they are practicing and promoting evil. How shall we be angry but not sin?
Indeed, God clearly states that “Vengeance is mine and recompense…” (Deuteronomy 32:35; Romans 12:19; Hebrews 10:30). That means we do not have the authority to take up a spear as did Phinehas, and run them through. Nevertheless, if we are men with any sort of backbone, we cannot ignore such wickedness all around us. How, then, do we properly express our indignation to God without sinning? God has given us an answer: imprecatory psalms. Arguably, the imprecatory psalm people often struggle the most with is Psalm 137 (Psalm 136 in the LXX). The language of verse 9: “Blessed is the one who holds and dashes your children against the rock!” Recognizing that this is not a prescription for action, but is an expression of outrage, I can think of no better language to teach Christians to express their indignation against the evil committed by abortion doctors throughout the land.
The task of the church is two-fold. First, it is to “make disciples of all the nations” (Matthew 28:19). What does this discipleship look like? Jesus tells us that it is that the people would be baptized and be taught to obey all that Jesus has instructed (Matthew 28:19-20). Often, Christians only see this as a matter of evangelism. Yet, evangelism is only the first step towards disciple-making. In Jesus’ words, obedience is the real target. That is what it means to be a disciple.
Yet, there is another essential passage that instructs us as to the nature of the church. Namely, that of tearing down the gates of Hell (Matthew 16:18). Many see this as Jesus making a promise that Hell cannot destroy the church, but that understanding misses the metaphor that our Lord is using. Gates are a defensive structure and the location where most attacks take place (as they are more vulnerable than walls). Thus, what Jesus is teaching is that Hell cannot withstand the attack of the church when the church is healthy. We are to tear down the strongholds of hell and the devil that are all around us (2 Corinthians 10:4) and we do that by destroying arguments and every lofty opinion that is raised against the knowledge of God (2 Corinthians 10:5). Yet, our weapons are spiritual in nature (2 Corinthians 10:4; Ephesians 6:10-20; 1 Thessalonians 5:8; Hebrews 4:12-13) as are our ultimate enemies.
As judgment begins in the church (1 Peter 4:17), we should take heed to examine our own hearts and even use the imprecatory psalms against the sins that so often ensnare our lives. Psalm 139 is a psalm that is beloved by many Christians, but that too, is an imprecatory psalm. Verses 19-22 calls upon God to destroy the wicked and then the psalmist boldly cries out that he hates the wicked with a complete hatred and he counts them as his enemies. Yet, pay close attention to what the psalmist writes in verses 23-24, in closing the psalm: “Search me, O God…see if there is any grievous way in me.” He not only cries out that he hates the evil, but he asks that if there is any evil dwelling in him that God would reveal it. Here, the imprecation helps us to look properly at self-examination and at how we are to develop our own hatred for sin.
People in the western world often wonder why the church has grown so weak and why the churches are dominated by women and not men. One of the reasons is that the church has emasculated much of its own worship. We have been taught that we must always be submissive and that loving our enemies means that we are to tolerate evil. Such is not what Scripture teaches when scripture is carefully studied. Often, when people speak of singing imprecatory psalms, the focus is on why they may be sung. Here, I argue why they must be sung. We will never raise up young men to be like Phinehas if we do not sing such psalms and we will never be able to be angry without sinning unless these war psalms of God are on our lips.
Our Allotted Possession
“To say, ‘To you I give the land of Canaan;
It is your allotted possession.”
(Psalm 105:11)
One of the essential elements of the Covenant that God made with Abraham was the Land. To Abraham, God gave the land from the Nile River in Egypt to the Euphrates River in modern Iraq to the east (Genesis 15:18-20). It is a wide swath of land that Israel never fully took possession of due to their persistent idolatry and sin. Yes, folks, God often restricts the blessings He gives to us due to our sins! The land was seen as Israel’s eternal inheritance — it was unalienable to them, in other words, it could not be given away, sold, or taken away. It was their hereditary property as a gift from God and the perpetual nature of that property was meant as a picture of the eternal home they had with God after this life was complete.
Yet, this opens up several questions. The most important of these questions has to do with how the Christians fit into the covenant. We certainly do not have an inheritance in the land, nor can we lay claim to such an allotment. So if we are the children of Abraham as noted before, and God gave that property to Abraham, where do we fit into the equation?
The Apostle Peter makes an essential contribution to the answer when he speaks of Christians as “a royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2:9). Paul writes that there has been a change in the priesthood (Hebrews 7:11-14) and that the imperfect priesthood of Levi was replaced by the eternal priesthood of Melchizedek (Hebrews 7:15-10:18). In Christ, we become members of this greater priesthood — a royal priesthood because Jesus descended from the tribe of Judah. Why is this significant? It is significant because the priests did not receive an inheritance in the land; instead, God was their inheritance (Deuteronomy 18:1-2). Likewise, as priests of the greater priesthood, we, too, do not receive an inheritance in the land (Philippians 3:20).
Are we then without an inheritance in the covenant? Not at all. For the priests, their inheritance was not in the land itself, but it was in God Himself (again, Deuteronomy 18:1-2). Similarly, Peter states that our inheritance is being preserved by God in heaven for us (1 Peter 1:3-5). The earthly inheritance given to the Jews only ever symbolized the greater inheritance promised to God’s people in Christ — an inheritance in the new creation, in the New Jerusalem, in the eternal presence of God, serving and ministering to Him as His rightful priests (see Revelation 21:1-22:5). This is our allotted possession. As God’s elect in Christ, it is our unalienable inheritance that can neither be taken away nor given away. It cannot be squandered or sold. It was bought at a price by Jesus and given to us as a gift of eternal grace. It is not of our doing; it is God’s doing. It is our place in God’s covenant of which we sing and give Him glory.
A Covenant Forever
“This he made with Abraham and His sworn oath to Isaac;
Which he established with Jacob to be a statute,
To Israel as a Covenant forever.”
(Psalm 105:9-10)
David circles back in these verses to add clarity as to the nature of this Covenant. It is the covenant that God made with Abraham, which he renewed with Isaac and then again with Jacob. It is everlasting and it came along with an oath. As Paul writes:
For when God was making a promise to Abraham, since he had nothing greater against which to swear, he swore against himself! Saying, ‘I will indeed bless you, and I will surely multiply you.’ In this way, remaining patient, he obtained the blessing, for men swear against that which is greater and, for all of them, an oath is taken for the final validation of a lawsuit — in which he abundantly desired to exhibit to the heirs of the promise his unchangeable purpose, so he guaranteed it with an oath.
(Hebrews 6:13-17)
Too often people in churches act as if the New Testament is the only thing of any value to them. I have even heard people call themselves “New Testament Christians” or speak of attending “New Testament Churches.” This phraseology is nonsensical at best. Without the Old Testament, we do not have the New Testament. God’s promise to his church is meaningless unless we find that promise grounded in the promise that he made to Abraham. As noted already, the church is the fulfillment of the promise that God made all of those years ago, when he swore an oath to Abraham (Galatians 3:29).
Thus, who is true Israel? Christ’s church. Such is the error of many dispensational writers, who wish to see Israel and the church remain as separate entities. Yet, how can they be, when Paul makes a direct connection between Christian faith and the promise of Abraham? No, the church began in Eden, continued through Abraham and through Israel and found its fullness in the church of Jesus Christ. Remember, not all Israel is true Israel, only those with faith in Jesus Christ through whom the promise of election has been worked out (Romans 9:6-8). To believers, it is a covenant forever.
God Remembers His Covenant Forever
“He eternally remembers his Covenant:
The word that He continually commanded to a thousand generations.”
(Psalm 105:8)
Were God to forget anything, He would hardly be worth our worship and praise. Yet, while there is no worry about God being forgetful, there is great comfort in knowing that God will remember His covenant with us as His people. That which He has promised to us will never be lost, cast aside, or forgotten. As God is eternal, so are the blessings and judgments that belong to His Covenant.
Of course, for those outside of God’s covenant, those who rebel against Him in pursuing sin and evil, God’s remembrance is a rather frightful thing. The judge will not neglect bringing every sin into judgment upon that day (Ecclesiastes 12:14; 2 Corinthians 5:10). Those outside of the judgment will receive in their bodies the judgment that they have earned for the sins of this life. Perhaps that is why the culture seems to take pleasure in presenting God as a kind of old senile grandfather rather than as the ruler and King of the universe.
And what is the nature of God’s covenant? It is the entirety of His Word which he has commanded to a thousand generations. Where do we find the blessings and cursings of the covenant? In the Scriptures. If we wish to know the depth of our sin, where do we look? In the Scriptures. If we wish to know of God’s promise of grace, where do we look? In the Scriptures. Have they changed? While the revealing of the Word was progressive in time across about fifteen-hundred years, the content remains consistent and thus we can say that the Word has been unchanging. Finally, are the stipulations a suggestion as to good behavior as many treat them today? No, they are commands that God has continually commanded throughout the generations and they will continue until the end of the heavens and the earth.
And so, dear friends, the question lies with where you fall with respect to God’s covenant. If you are under the covenant, having been saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, take comfort. God will not forget His promises to you. If you are outside of the covenant, rebelling against God’s call to obey His Word, then fear condemnation that is eternal. To the first group, I say, rest in the great truth of God’s promise. To the latter, I say, repent and believe.
Our God
“He is Yahweh, our God;
In all the earth are His judgments.”
(Psalm 105:7)
When we hear the language of God being our God, sometimes we don’t take time to think through the significance of that statement. For instance, as God, He has the right to demand obedience from us. He has the right to define the men and women we are to be, and He has the right to define what it means to be a man or woman. If He is our God, he not only can demand obedience but also worship. It means that no others can lay an absolute claim on our lives. It means that since He is God and we are creation, the relationship that we have with Him is one that He generates. To borrow the words of C.S. Lewis, if Hamler were ever to meet Shakespeare, it would have to be Shakespeare’s doing.
Because He is our God, that also means that God has revealed Himself to us in a manner that we can understand. At the same time, if we ever presume to add anything to the Scriptural revelation or take away from it, we create an idol of our own making. In such cases, God is not their God; they have settled for a poor replacement — a reflection of themselves with rhinestones and tinsel, devoid of true gold and glory.
Claiming Yahweh as our God is an important statement indeed. It makes demands on our lives and presumes that God has revealed Himself to us. It is a statement that not everyone can make. It is a statement that not everyone who claims to be “Christian” can make. It is the realization that you are not your own and that you have been recruited into the service of the Great King. That is what you are affirming when you claim that Yahweh is your God.
What else does the psalmist reveal? He reveals that the judgments of God go throughout the earth. There is a simple truth in this line as well. There is nowhere you can go in all of creation that will cause you to escape the presence of God. More importantly, in this context, there is nowhere you can go to escape the Law of God. You may find yourself amongst a non-Christian people who permit many immoral practices, but that does not mean you are free to join in. Nor does that mean that those people will escape eternal wrath. The adage, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do,” is not an acceptable philosophy for the believer when it comes to the Law of God. If God is truly our God, we will live like it in every sector of our lives.
God’s Elect Ones
“Seed of Abraham, His servant,
Son of Jacob, His chosen ones:”
(Psalm 105:6)
This verse is more of a clause than a sentence unto itself. It speaks of those to whom David is speaking as he writes the words of this psalm. It is this body of people who are to remember the works of God and who are to sing praises to Him for said works. To whom, then, is the psalmist speaking? He is speaking to all of those who are in Christ Jesus, for if you are in Christ Jesus, you are Abraham’s seed (Galatians 3:29).
What is interesting about the structure of this verse is that while they contain similar ideas, the first line speaks in the singular and the second is plural (in addition, this is quoted almost verbatim by Isaiah (Isaiah 41:8). Abraham is referred to as God’s servant twice in this psalm (also see verse 42), but it is also one of the designations that God gives to the early patriarch of the faith (Genesis 26:24).
So, what is the significance of shifting from the singular to the plural? Abraham has a singular role in God’s redemptive history which should be noted and honored. In contrast, those who descend from Abraham (through Isaac and then Jacob) will multiply greatly. And indeed, we who descend from Abraham are referred to here as “chosen ones.” And yes, when this verse was translated into Greek by the early Jewish rabbis, they used the term ἐκλεκτός (eklektos) — “elect ones.” So often those who squirm under the language of the sovereignty of God, like to overlook language like this. Yet, this is the language of Scripture. Just as God elected to save and work through Abraham, to too, does God elect to save and work through all of His servants — all of His “Elect Ones.”
Miraculous Works of God
“Remember His miraculous works, which He has done;
His signs and the judgments of His mouth.”
(Psalm 105:5)
Once again we find the language of the miracles of God. In verse 2, we were called upon to sing of these works. Here, the psalmist calls upon us to remember them. And, for much of the rest of the psalm, we have a procession of the mighty things that God has done in the life of the people. These are reasons to sing praises to Him. These are things to remember, that we may be encouraged of God’s covenant faithfulness during times of great sorrow and distress. What is very interesting is that in the second clause of this verse, David speaks of two aspects of God’s miraculous deeds: His signs and His judgments.
When we hear the language of “signs,” we often think of John’s Gospel in the New Testament. There, whenever Jesus would do a miraculous work, John referred to it as a “sign.” Why a sign? These were considered signs because they pointed to the person who Jesus is. Who can make the waves stand still? Who can multiply the loaves and fishes? Who can heal the blind? God alone can do these things, hence Jesus is God alone in the flesh. Because of this, we often think of these “signs” as being a New Testament phenomenon, yet thirty-five times, the word מוֹפֵת (mopheth) is used in the Old Testament to speak of the miraculous works of God done either by Him or through one of His prophets.
The second thing that the psalmist lists is the judgments of God. Often, we do not think of God’s judgments as “miraculous” things. Sadly, rather than welcoming the commands and judgments of God, we often grumble and groan about them. Now, while we ought not groan over God’s Laws because they teach us how to live in perfect blessedness, what is more important to our text is to recognize that they are a miraculous thing in and of themselves.
When God gave His commands, whether through a prophet or directly from Mount Sinai as He did with Moses and Elijah, we should recognize that act in and of itself as a miraculous thing. Here, the one who is transcendent and who is not a part of the natural order, is breaking through the metaphysical barriers and engaging with us in this fallen world. It is an impossible thing for us to ascend to heaven to engage in dialogue with God; He must descend to us to reveal His will for our life and practice. It is indeed, a miraculous thing.
One of the clearest illustrations of this principle can be found in Deuteronomy 30:11-20. There, Moses is speaking to the people and exhorting them toward obedience. In doing so, he states that the laws of God are not inaccessible to the people — they are not hidden in heaven that they cannot be discovered. No, they have been revealed so that they may be obeyed. Therefore, Moses continues, “Choose life that your descendants may live…”
And thus, when we meditate upon, when we remember, and when we sing about the miraculous things of God, we should sing not only about the works but the Law of God. Thus, while much of the content of the following verses speaks of the signs of God, do not fail to note the conclusion: observe His laws. Why? They too are miraculous works of God.
Seek God and His Might
“Seek Yahweh and His might;
Continually discover His face.”
(Psalm 105:4)
Many of our English translations are not helpful in seeing the continuity of this verse. There are two Hebrew verbs that are used in conjunction with one another. The first is the verb דרשׁ (darash) and the second is בקשׁ (baqash). Both words can be used to communicate the notion of seeking out something and thus, our English translators typically see the two halves of this verse as being in parallel with one another…the second intensifying the first as it is in the Piel stem (a continually repeated action). Yet, when these verbs are used together, as is found in Psalm 24:6, it can communicate the notion of seeking and then finding. That changes the thrust of what the psalm is telling us.
Thus, in seeking Yahweh and His might, what is the result for our lives (remembering that only the believer seeks for God)? The result is that we continually will see His face as we go to the Scriptures (for where else does one seek God?). And yes, the second verb is in the Piel stem, so it is a repeated action. As we commit ourselves to a life of seeking out God, His presence (symbolized by His face) will be constantly with us. We will perceive His hand at work.
Surely, seeing God’s hand is easier when things are good, but God’s hand is still at work even when things are falling apart in our lives. That is why we are not simply to seek God in an abstract sense, but we are to also seek out His strength, that way we may face the horrors this life brings upon us as men and women of faith. Does not God say to the Apostle Paul, “My grace is enough for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9)?
We may be tempted to say, “but my situation is different!” Is it? Is it really that different than what has been faced through the ages? It was this same grace of God that sustained Adam and Eve when their older son murdered the younger. It was that same grace that sustained Noah when his youngest son defiled him. It was that same grace that sustained Abraham when he was instructed to take his beloved son, Isaac, onto the mountain to sacrifice him. It was the same grace that sustained Jacob when he realized his youngest son, Joseph was lost and it was that grace that sustained Joseph even though his brothers had betrayed him. It was the same grace that sustained Moses when his own brother and sister sought to usurp his authority and it was the same grace that caused him to keep his peace when he learned he would not enter the promised land. It was the grace that sustained Job when his sons and daughters, his servants, and his wealth was stripped from him in a single day.
In the end, we can walk generation through generation and see God’s hand sustaining his people through some of the greatest heartaches that can be known to man. Yes, my friend, your life may not be going the way you planned. Your world may be falling apart. God’s grace is sufficient strength for you. Seek God and His strength — they can ultimately be found in His Scriptures — and He will draw near to you continually with grace that is sufficient for you.
Reflexive Praise
“Give praise to His holy name!
May the hearts of those who seek Yahweh rejoice!”
(Psalm 105:3)
This verse of the psalm begins with the very familiar phrase: “Hallelujah.” Or, if we were going to pronounce it as it is written, “hithhalelu!” Why is that significant? It is significant because the verbal stem is what is called a “hithpael” (notice the “hith” sound at the beginning). In the Hebrew language, the Hithpael communicates the idea not only of an intensified action, but it is an intensified action with which the speaker participates (technically we would call this a “reflexive” verb).
Why is this important? It is important because David is not just commanding others to praise God, he is praising God himself. It is a reminder that those who would lead worship (pastors and the Elders; perhaps some assistants or musicians) are also to engage in worship. Too often, worship is treated more like a form of entertainment — whether through praise bands, choirs, or people singing special music — when worship is supposed to be something in which we all participate. Even the unbeliever is commanded to worship, as we saw earlier in this psalm. I have known Elders who have somehow seen themselves as being above singing in worship and I have seen congregations where only a small percentage of the people actually sing (many hoping that the volume of the band or the organ will cover for the fact that their singing is little more than a mumble).
No, my friends, we are all to engage in worship. Do you want a choir in your church? Indeed, let the entirety of the congregation be the choir. Do you want to practice so you know the music prior to Sunday morning? Indeed, bring the entire body together so that everyone can practice singing what will be sung on the following Sunday. This is especially important if you are learning a new psalm to sing (while not new to God, many will be new to the congregation). And the Elders should be the most visible leaders of worship. The same is true for the pastor. Our praise is reflexive by the very nature of what it is. The angels will join with you; the mountains and valleys will join with you. All of the created order will join with you. Worship he King.
What is the focus of our praise? God’s holy name. The term “holiness” is the Hebrew word קָדֹשׁ (qadosh). It means to be set apart for God’s sole purpose. Thus, the instruments of the Tabernacle and Temple worship were only ever to be used for worship in the Tabernacle or temple, respectively. They were never to be used for common chores. Hence, God’s name is Holy and is only ever to be used for the adoration of God’s people (this is why breaking the third commandment is treated so harshly). And, of course, we, as God’s people are called upon to be Holy. What does that mean? Every moment of your day is to be used in such a manner that you honor our God. Your life does not belong to you; you do not get to live as you see fit. It belongs to God and you are called upon to use it as He sees fit. Anything more than that is rebellion — it is sin.
So, praise His holy name. And, if you seek Yahweh, rejoice in seeking Him! Why rejoice in the seeking? First, the only reason you seek Him is because He has changed your heart and is drawing you to Himself. This is good news indeed! He will be found by those who diligently seek Him with their obedience to His Word (1 Chronicles 28:9). And where might you find God? He is not hiding in the woods or on the golf range. He is revealed in His Word. Finding God is not simply an experience that one may or may not have. Finding God is an intentional act of seeking Him where He may be found. And he may be found in the Scriptures, for that contains the full record of His self-revelation. Yes, experience is often a result of having discovered God in His Word, but it is not ever a stand-alone sort of thing.
So, seek God where He can be found (in scripture); worship His Holy Name (with reverence, as guided by Scripture)! God has not only instructed us to seek Him, but He has given us the means by which He may be sought (scripture) and He has taught us (in scripture) the ways in which He desires to be worshipped when we find Him (again, in Scripture!!!). What more is left than to live a life that honors Him who gave you life in the first place?
Sing a Psalm to God
“Sing a song to Him; sing a psalm to Him!
Speak loudly of all His miraculous works!”
(Psalm 105:2)
How shall we praise God? One of the most fundamental ways to do so is to sing to Him of his wonderful, or miraculous works. Those who object to Christian faith see this as an indication that God is needy, like a self-conscious child that needs people to offer empty platitudes to tell him that he has done well. With God, though, this could not be further from the truth.
No, we sing of God’s miraculous works not to make God feel better; we sing of God’s miraculous works for two primary reasons. The first is a reminder that we are paying attention to the works that God is doing and that we are giving Him His due. Thus, when we see something miraculous, we do not count it as a matter of chance or unexplainable providence; we see His hand at work. The second reason we sing of God’s miraculous works is that it reminds us of who we are worshipping. Sometimes it is easy to fall into a trap of going through the motions in our worship (both public and private). Sometimes it is easy to despair when things just don’t seem to be going the way they ought. But, when we engage in worship and remind ourselves of these works of God, we remember who He is and ought to be made more confident in what we have been called to do. As Asaph writes, he despaired until he came into the sanctuary of the Lord (Psalm 73:17). Worship has a remarkable way of putting things into perspective — giving us a heavenly perspective.
Commonly, English translations of the first portion of this verse will render the text: “sing to Him; sing praises to Him.” While that is a perfectly legitimate translation, in our text here, I wanted to highlight something taking place within the language. In Hebrew, there are many words that can be translated as “sing” or “sing praises,” which is a testimony to the importance of singing in worship — God commands it! Yet, some words are present to help us understand what we ought to be singing when we gather in worship.
In the Greek translation of the Hebrew psalter, there are three general categories of psalms that can be found: psalms, hymns, and odes. Some of the psalms are one or the other (see, for instance, Psalms 4, 5, and 6 are respectively described as a song, a psalm, and a hymn. Some psalms fill multiple categories. For instance, Psalms 66 and 75 are described as “a Psalm, a Hymn, and an Ode.”
How does this help us to understand our text? In the first portion of the first line, the Hebrew word שׂיר (siyr) is used. This is the verbal form of the Hebrew word that is translated as an “ode” or a “song.” In the second half of the first line we see the Hebrew word זמר (zamar) being used. Again we have a verbal root, but this time it is the Hebrew wroot for the word we translate as “psalm.” What is the implication of this? Hebrew uses parallel ideas to add force or clarification to what has been previously stated. So, what is conveyed, David is saying, “sing a song to God! What kind of song? Sing Him a Psalm.” Even the final clause is helpful to understand the full thrust of the command. “What kind of Psalm? One that tells of His mighty deeds!”
David is ushering a command in these words: sing psalms that tell of God’s power and might. They put life in perspective (we are small and God is mighty!). They also give you confidence when you see the wicked prospering (at least in a worldly sense). God is enthroned on high; we should worship like it! Further, this psalm will give us an example of exactly what that looks like.
Honor God
“Show favor to Yahweh, call in His name!
Make known to the peoples His deeds!”
(Psalm 105:1)
Psalm 105 is a psalm of praise to God for all He has done. In the Greek translation of the Old Testament, it is what is called an “Alleluia Psalm” and is clearly the basis for the festival hymn found in 1 Chronicles 16, which joins this psalm along with Psalm 96, which dates this psalm back to the Davidic reign. Often, people ask me, “Why not sing some of the other songs found in the Bible?” Yet, given that these other songs have commonly either been drawn from a psalm or are the basis for a psalm, why bother when the psalms serve the same purpose?
This is one of nine psalms (9,75,105,106,107,111,118,136,138) that begins with the word ידה (yadah), which, in the Hiphil stem, means to show favor or honor to someone (typically to God). Thus, this is a psalm of praise to be sung by the people to show their love and honor to God. And, what is the content of this psalm? The mighty works of God. In other words, one of the ways in which we show honor to God is by honoring His works, praising Him for his good providence, and worshipping Him for His faithfulness to His covenant.
But, you will notice something. It is not just that the people of God are to praise God for His works. The people of God are to call out to the peoples of the earth — to the pagan nations — and call upon them to praise God for His works. Even though the wicked, the reprobate, those dammed to eternal destruction, have no hope of grace, it is good and proper for them to give God honor for His faithfulness to us — to His people. This is a theme that we find throughout the psalms (Psalm 117 is a good example), but it is also something that should shake our practice in life.
Thus, the Christian can say to the idolater, “You should honor my God. My God has been faithful throughout the generations and your god can do nothing. So, repent and believe, but also praise Him. And praise Him even if you never repent and believe!” It is a gutsy way of speaking in our modern culture, but we basically are saying that the one we worship has been faithful to us; has the one you worship been faithful to you? In the end, false gods will always leave you wanting and lost. The God of creation will deliver His elect. The rest, He leaves to their own condemnation. He leaves them under His own wrath to demonstrate His power (Romans 9:22-23).
So, give God glory and honor by telling those you meet of the great and faithful deeds of our God.
Kings and Magistrates
“In the mornings I will bring to ruin all the wicked in the land,
To cut off from the city of God all who make a practice of iniquity.”
(Psalm 101:8)
What is the role of the King? What is the role of a magistrate? Biblically, their role can be summed up by the notion of rewarding those who live righteously and punishing those who are wicked (2 Peter 2:14; Romans 13:3-4). How does one do that? One of the ways that one does so is that he works to bring ruin to the wicked in the land.
One of the reasons that God hates corrupt judges so much is that they fail to do just this (Proverbs 24:23-25; Deuteronomy 27:25). Thus, as we look around our own land, how God must be burning with rage over how many of our judges, governors, and magistrates abuse the law for their own gain and ambition. People pursue an agenda that benefits themselves, their party, and their power, often ignoring the people they have been called to serve.
Worse yet is when the Elders, essentially human magistrates in the church, use their position to preserve their own influence or establish their personal agenda in the life of the church. How rarely we see men leading with Peter’s instruction before them, to exercise oversight without compulsion (1 Peter 5:2). At best, those of us who serve in such a capacity are under-shepherds, serving in the name of the Great Shepherd, Jesus Christ. He will call us to account and we will be he will hold us doubly accountable for how we have handled our responsibility.
The final words of this psalm speak of a practice that is altogether rare in the church of Jesus Christ — that is: excommunication. What shall he leaders do with the wicked who refuse to repent? In the end, the answer is to remove them from the body so that they do not infect others with their sin. And so, just as in ancient times, those who practice iniquity will be cut off from the blessings and protections of the city (as well as the central worship in the temple), so too, those who practice iniquity should be cut off from the means of grace and corporate worship. This is the heart of what Jesus teaches in Matthew 18:15-20. Truly, the goal of church discipline is the repentance of the sinner, but it is also for the preservation of the “weaker brother,” who might be drawn into the sin the wicked practice.
Such was Solomon’s job. Such was the job of the king. The historical records demonstrate how poorly the kings and judges practiced Solomon’s counsel. To what end? God cut them off from the land through exile. Yet, what will happen in the church when they fail to submit to and practice God’s law? Jesus’ words to the church in Ephesus should have a particular sting as he warned that their lamp stand will be removed from its place (Revelation 2:5). In other words, they too will be cut off from the land. How many churches fall into that category today, who make themselves arbiters and kings rather than submitting to the Kingship of Christ?
False Witness in our Midst
“No one who dwells in the midst of my house shall practice deceit or utter lies.
No such one shall be fixed before my eyes.”
(Psalm 101:7)
How commonly do we take for granted the notion that people will lie to us? In addition, how commonly do we dismiss it? Too often, we permit lies in our midst because they seem easier or perhaps because we don’t want to feel bad about our own lies. And, sometimes, we are guilty not only of lying to our children, family members, employees, etc…, but we are also guilty of lying to ourselves.
Yet, for the man who would govern his home wisely, for the man who would genuinely meditate on the mercy and justice of God, lying must not be tolerated. It violates the ninth commandment, which is condemnable in its own right. In addition, it violates the trust given to us. As we mentioned before, many have seen this psalm as David’s instructions to the magistrates. If our judges tolerate lies, justice will quickly flee from the courtrooms.
As I view the state of our own legal system in America as well as the system of politics that uses the legal system for their own gain, I think that all involved need to hear these words of King David. We must not tolerate lies in the midst of our houses of government on any level. We must not tolerate judges and other officials in the courts of law to lie or manipulate the truth for their own gain. Yet, that will mean little if we also cannot eliminate lying from our homes and from our churches. Will you covenant with me to never lie and never tolerate a lie in your presence? This, indeed, is where it must begin.
The Path that is Perfect
“My eyes are on the faithful of the land who dwell with me:
Those who walk in the path that is perfect.
They will continually serve me.”
(Psalm 101:6)
In contrast to those who are worthless and who slander, which David will destroy, David says that he will gather to himself those who are faithful. What constitutes faithfulness? The second line of this verse exists to explain the first. The faithful are those whose walk — their life and their practice — is on the path that is perfect. Note, faithfulness does not require perfection. None but God is perfect and lives with perfect righteousness. No, the path may be perfect, we will only walk on it imperfectly. The question, though, is whether we are walking on that path!
What is that path, then? It is a path defined by obedience to the word of God. Our salvation may be a work of God’s complete and infinite grace to us, but we demonstrate our gratitude to God by being faithful to walk on the path that He has laid before us in His word. To walk a path is like following directions on a map. It requires that one be intentional and careful to not be led astray from the path laid before you. God’s Word lays down that path. The question is whether or not we are striving to live according to the path laid out before us by God. Typically, we prefer to make our own way. But our own way is not God’s way.
What will David do with people who walk this perfect path? He will draw these people to himself as ministers and servants. The term that David employs here is שָׁרֵת (sharath). What is interesting is that this word is used in three contexts in the Bible. The first deals with those who are servants and ministers of the King in an official sense. The second deals with those who fulfill a priestly function. The third are those who serve God in an official capacity. Here, then, we find a parallel. Who does David call to serve as his ministers and servants? Those who are faithful. Likewise, who does it please God to use in His service? Those who are faithful and who walk on the path that is perfect. It should give us all pause to examine the path that we allow our feet to tread.
I will not Tolerate this!
“Those slandering their neighbor in secret,
I will silence —
Those with an arrogant eye and a greedy heart.
I will not tolerate.”
(Psalm 101:5)
The structure of this verse is a little irregular. Ordinarily, we would expect to see a couplet where the second half of the couplet either compliments or reinforces the first half. At first glance, when translated in English, this verse seems to carry that same structure. The problem is that when one looks at the ancient Hebrew, something a little different is seen. In this case, Hebrew verses contain a series of accent marks. Some tell you how to pronounce words, others tell you how words group together (for public reading).
The “atnack” is an accent mark that indicates where the logical center of the verse happens to be. In other words, this accent tells you where the idea break is between the parallel ideas. In this case, the atnack falls after the word “heart.” That breaks up the parallel nature of the verse. One must be clear that the system of accents found in the Old Testament is not part of the inspired text, yet they are one of the most ancient tools in place to help preserve the integrity of the Hebrew text. So, the question remains, then, why this irregular placement of the accent? To some degree, we are entering into speculation as we cannot go back and ask David specifically why he structured the verse as he did. At the same time, in poetry, whenever changes from a set form are made, they are typically used to set off and emphasize an idea…namely the final idea in the verse: “I will not tolerate.”
If we presume that David is emphasizing the last clause, then we can interpret the first clause as a kind of heightening of his anger at those who practice injustice (remember, David is pondering God’s justice and mercy). What injustice does he most condemn here? He condemns those who slander their neighbor in secret. Why does he hate such injustice? It is because such injustice stems from a person whose eye is arrogant and whose heart is greedy. If we read the text in that way, with the third line being the formal cause of the first line, then we can see a certain degree of unity in all three initial lines that leads up to David’s final declaration that he will not tolerate this.
As King, David functioned not only as the primary leader of the armies, but he was also the supreme judge of the people, applying the law of God to questions that were set before him. The ancient Hebrews referred to this psalm as “the Mirror for Magistrates” and Luther similarly referred to this psalm as “David’s Mirror for Magistrates.” How does a judge look into the mirror to examine his heart? The judge must do so by looking at his judgments. Indeed, every Christian can and should do the same as we examine the actions we have taken.
A few other notes of interest. I have translated the second line: “I will silence.” Many of our English Bibles will render this as “I will destroy.” While destroy (or bring to ruin) is the most common rendering of the word צָמֵת (tsamat), the term communicates the notion that the object of destruction will no longer be able to commit the actions that caused them to be under wrath. In the context of the passage, then, to silence the tongues of such people is the notion being communicated, hence my choice of terms.
Finally, we arrive at the last line, which is the thrust of David’s statement. Literally it renders: “I am not able.” In Hebrew, the idea of ability conveys not just the notion of ability to participate in an action, but it also communicates the inability to comprehend (or justify) said action. David is essentially stating that there is no excuse for secret slandering and he will not hear anyone’s vain attempt to do so. In a world that is marked by excuses for everything under the sun, King David’s words are a welcome reminder that there is no place in the life of a believer for such things. The Greater David, our Lord Jesus Christ, makes it clear: slandering defiles the person and makes one impure (Mark 7:20-23). Indeed, such is and has always been the Law of God (Leviticus 19:16).
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