Psalm 122: The Judgments of Jesus

Today’s reading is Psalm 122.

The Thrones of Judgment

We’ve already tied Psalm 122 to Deuteronomy 16:16-17. In that earlier passage, the Lord commanded the men of Israel to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem three times a year. Of course, at that time, it wasn’t yet known the place would be Jerusalem. However, this command is certainly background for our psalm.

Perhaps I’m making too strong a connection to that passage. However, I can’t help but notice the very next thing the Lord commanded through Moses in Deuteronomy 16:18-20:

You shall appoint judges and officers in all your towns that the LORD your God is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment. You shall not pervert justice. You shall not show partiality, and you shall not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the cause of the righteous. Justice, and only justice, you shall follow, that you may live and inherit the land that the LORD your God is giving you (ESV).

This catches my attention because our pilgrimage song brings up an additional reason for being glad to go to Jerusalem.

There thrones for judgment were set,
the thrones of the house of David.
Psalm 122:5 (ESV)

Unlike places of worship, God did appoint judges in every city and among all the tribes. The tribes did not have to go to Jerusalem to have their cases tried or their disputes settled. Yet, there was something special about the throne of David. There was something special about judgment by the king. Remember, so many people came to receive judgment from David, Absalom was able to garner support for his rebellion throughout the kingdom from among those people (2 Samuel 15:1-6). Recall, Solomon displayed his wisdom as two prostitutes brought their case before him as king (1 Kings 3:16-28). There was something special about the king’s judgment.

Further, the word translated “judgments” grabs our attention after our eleven weeks in Psalm 119. It’s the same word we saw 23 times in that ode to God’s Word (MISHPAT). It was variously translated “judgments,” “rules,” “decrees.” I suggested “rulings” as the English term most fitting to encompass all its uses in Psalm 119. It conveys the same idea in Psalm 122. Just to add to the 119 connection, the word translated “decreed” in Psalm 122:4, is the same word translated “testimonies” 23 times in Psalm 119 (EDUT).

While I doubt folks sang Psalm 122 right after Psalm 119, we can’t help but make the connection between the incredible decrees and rulings of the Lord and those thrones of rulings of David in Jerusalem. When the king was doing his job properly, he meted out the decrees and rulings of God governed by God’s Word.

Finding Jesus in His House

David’s thrones of judgment in Jerusalem is precisely where we find Jesus in Psalm 122. We’ve made it very clear this week we see Christ’s church in Psalm 122. For we Christians, the house of the Lord is not a building on top of a mountain in the middle east. The city of the Lord is not a geographical location in Canaan. The mountain of the Lord is not a geological formation of the earth’s crust near the Dead Sea. All these have their fulfillment in the church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven (Hebrews 12:22-24).

As David’s thrones of just rulings were established in Jerusalem, the Son of David’s thrones of just rulings are established on His mountain, in His city, in His house, in His church. This is not to say some monolithic institutionalized organization has been established and whatever it says goes. This is to say, we cannot surrender to the rulings and judgments of Jesus apart from His church. This is to say, when the church is working properly, it will only impart the rulings and judgments of Jesus.

As Christ’s church, we do not get to go off on our own and establish our own rules. We do not get to vote and change the teaching of Jesus or the revelation of the Holy Spirit that came through the apostles and prophets. Jesus is the Chief Shepherd. Jesus is the King. Jesus is the judge. One of the great reasons to journey out of Meshech and Kedar into Christ’s church is because that is where, when worked out properly, we find the rulings of Jesus being lived out and practiced.

Praise the Lord!

Next week’s reading is Psalm 123.

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PATHS:
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Psalm 119:129-144: Escaping Sin’s Dominion

Today’s reading is Psalm 119 (vss. 129-144).

The Answer to the Psalmist’s Request

In Psalm 119:133, the psalmist requests, “Keep steady my steps according to your promise, and let no iniquity get dominion over me” (ESV).

No doubt, God, to some degree, granted the psalmist’s request in his own lifetime. I’m sure God helped the psalmist have grace and strength to obey. However, I can’t help but think about Paul’s teaching in Romans 6-7.

Notice Romans 6:14. “For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace” (ESV). In other words, our psalmist’s request was not fully granted until Jesus, whose sacrifice purchased the grace which sets us free. The problem with the Law was not with the laws themselves. The laws, the rules, the judgments, the precepts, the statutes, the words, the decrees were great. They were life itself. The problem was what to do when a person broke a law. Adding another law on top of the one that was broken could not provide freedom from being a law-breaker.

Certainly, while the Law was in full force, God administered grace. Our psalmist demonstrates that again and again throughout this psalm and others. But this grace was anchored in something that had not yet occurred when Psalm 119 was written. It was anchored in God’s knowledge of an event yet future to the psalmist.

However, praise God, it is in our past. The grace of Jesus breaks the stranglehold of sin. The sacrifice of Jesus provides the forgiveness that sets us free. The resurrection of Jesus provides the power and reign which strengthens us to truly overcome. The gift of God’s Spirit provides the victory we long for in our fight against temptation and sin.

The psalmist prayed God would remove the dominion of sin. God responded by sending Jesus.

Praise the Lord!

Next week’s reading is Psalm 119 (vss. 145-160).

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Psalm 119:129-144: Streams of Tears

Today’s reading is Psalm 119 (vss. 129-144).

What Makes Me Cry?

The final line of the PE section forces a question upon me. What makes me cry?

Just the other day, I was in a group chat in which someone asked if a particular book made people cry. I think about videos, stories, songs, shows, movies that make me cry. Honestly, every time I read or hear that kids’ book “I’ll Love You Forever,” the water works turn on. The older I get, the more that prompts me to cry. However, I have to admit, I fall short of our psalmist’s statement.

My eyes shed streams of tears,
because people do not keep your law.
Psalm 119:136 (ESV)

I live in a world full of sin. Sadly, I’ve contributed my own fair share of it myself. I do often shed tears over my own sins. There are some particular people, family, friends, loved ones whose sins prompt tears. However, I rarely cry just over sin around me in general.

I either ignore it. Or it makes me angry. Granted, the psalmist is angered by sin as well (see vs. 113). I don’t have to feel guilt about being angered by sin. At the same time, I am moved to considered the psalmist’s response of sadness.

The psalmist doesn’t explain the exact motivation of his sadness. Yes, he is sad because people do not keep God’s law. However, he doesn’t say if his sadness is directed toward the law or the people. Is he sad because God’s law is worthy of keeping? God is worthy of obedience. It makes the psalmist sad to see God so ill-treated by those who ignore His will. Or is he sad because he knows what disobedience to God’s law means for the people who disobey? He knows disobedience corrupts and enslaves those who disobey. Sin leads people away from being the good kind of people we all want to be. Ultimately, of course, sin leads to judgment and condemnation. The psalmist cries as he considers the outcome of their disobedience.

Perhaps the psalmist doesn’t delineate between the two because both issues motivate his tears. The world is full of disobedience and of the disobedient. Can you think of anything more sad than that?

With that said, let us commit to be no cause for those tears. May we be those who bring joy to the psalmist, to the Spirit who inspired him, and to God who listened to his pleas. May we commit to keep God’s Law.

Today’s reading is Psalm 119 (vss. 129-144).

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Psalm 119:129-144: Steady My Steps

Today’s reading is Psalm 119 (vss. 129-144).

A Fear of Faltering

Our psalmist loves God’s law. He delights in God’s law. There was a time when he ignored God’s law, but God, according to His Word, faithfully afflicted the psalmist. This affliction prompted the psalmist to repent. Now the psalmist faithfully walks in accord with God’s statutes and precepts. The word itself is light to his path and a lamp to his way. The word reveals the traps and snares left on the path by the enemy.

But now the psalmist brings in a new concern. He fears he may simply falter. Or perhaps I should say he fears he may be pushed to faltering. In Psalm 119:133-134, he mentions two hindrances and obstacles to a steady walk. We’ll address the second one first because it is more obvious. In vs. 134, he fears the oppression from other people will overcome him and hinder his ability to keep the Lord’s precepts. I think this is more than just an issue of facing temptation from others. Rather, it is the issue of others somehow, through oppression, forcing the man into sin. Whether or not we would find the man culpable in that scenario and whether or not God would, the psalmist doesn’t want to falter at all. He is not so much concerned here with whether God would count him guilty. He simply doesn’t want to do anything against God’s will even if forced by oppression of some other person.

The first obstacle is mentioned in vs. 133. “Let no iniquity get dominion over me” (ESV). Paul tells us in Romans 6:16 if we present ourselves to sin to obey sin, we become slaves to sin. In the context of the Romans passage, Paul explains we Christians must not present ourselves to sin because sin is not to have dominion over us. The psalmist wants the same thing Paul wants. He fears sin will get the better of him. He knows only God can give him the wisdom and the strength to avoid the dominion of sin.

Because he fears the faltering, he begs for the Numbers 6:24-26 blessing. He needs the Lord to bless him (don’t forget how this psalm began), he needs the Lord to keep him, he needs the Lord to shine His face upon him.

May we pray the same request. May the Lord steady our steps in the face of sin and oppressors. May the Lord shine His face upon us.

Praise the Lord!

Today’s reading is Psalm 119 (vss. 129-144).

PODCAST!!!

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How does Psalm 119:129-144 prompt or improve your praise of God?

Psalm 119:97-112: A Lamp and Light

Today’s reading is Psalm 119 (vss. 97-112).

God’s world, God’s Way

The psalmist repeatedly drives home a question to me.

Do I really believe the world works the way God says it does?

Those who walk in God’s Law and keep His testimonies are blessed, as our psalm began, not because they are qualifying for a prize and meeting the checklist of conditional requirements for God to dole out blessings. They are blessed because God created this world and He knows how it best works. He knows where blessedness lies. His Law, testimonies, Word, precepts, rules, judgments, promises, way, statutes, faithfulness, declarations, commandments, decrees show the way the world works.

God’s Word lights the way of blessedness. God’s Word shows us where to plant our feet and take our next step for blessing. God’s Way, God’s Word works. Frankly, this is the place of faith in our lives. Saving faith is believing where God’s light shines is really the best place to take our next steps.

This helps us understand our biggest dilemma. You see, God’s Word and Way work God’s purposes and goals. If my purposes and goals are different from His, I’m going to struggle all the way along to think His Word and Way actually work. I’ll be like that guy we call the rich, young ruler going away sad because God’s Way and Word won’t work my goals and my purposes.

“But I want to go to heaven,” someone says. “My goal and purpose is obviously the same as God’s.” Is it? I’m increasingly convinced God’s goal and purpose is not to get us to some place new, but to make us into someone new. He isn’t trying to get us to a certain place, but make us into a certain kind of person. The path to a location is very different from the path to transformation. Let’s face it. Attending the Super Bowl is a very different path from playing in it. Even I could attend the Super Bowl. If I got to know the right people or even just decided I was more interested in attending a Super Bowl than I was in so many other things I spend my money on, I could attend a Super Bowl. To play in the Super Bowl would be a painful path of transformation. That latter kind of work is what God is striving to accomplish in me. God isn’t trying to get us into heaven. God is making us into the kind of people who will thrive in His presence. That’s two different things. One is location. The other is transformation.

Of course, my illustration breaks down because in reality, if I don’t become the kind of person who can thrive in God’s presence, I won’t be the kind of person who can actually dwell in heaven. Either way, God lights the way to be that kind of person with His Word. Every other way is darkness and death.

What step will I take next? Let’s make that step one anchored in God’s Word.

Tomorrow’s reading is Psalm 119 (vss. 97-112).

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Psalm 119:97-112: Wiser!

Today’s reading is Psalm 119 (vss. 97-112).

Don’t Be a Fool

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. We know that. We’ve heard that before (Psalm 111:10). But where do we go from there? How does wisdom continue? How does it grow? We’re seven weeks into Psalm 119, I hope you can already tell where I’m going. Wisdom begins with properly assessing and valuing God. It continues and grows by properly assessing and valuing God’s Word.

Our psalmist makes three wisdom claims:

1. God’s Word makes us wiser than our enemies.
2. God’s Word makes us wiser than our teachers.
3. God’s Word makes us wiser than the aged.

Without God’s Word, my enemies will bowl me over. With it, I can stay a step ahead of their snares and traps. The second and third statements help us out. Jesus declared a disciple can never get past his teacher. If we choose a blind one, we’ll follow that blind teacher into the pit (Luke 6:39). We, however, can avoid being limited by human teachers, all of whom are blind to some degree, by being in God’s Word. Of course, we can only be the wisest of teachers if we are merely passing on God’s Word.

But do not miss this point. Before asserting his wisdom, the psalmist makes this claim:

Oh how I love your law!
It is my meditation all the day.
Psalm 119:97 (ESV)

He doesn’t say, “Oh how I love your law it is the subject of a class I attend once or twice a week.” He doesn’t say, “Oh how I love your law! It is the basis for sermons I listen to on a pretty regular basis.” He doesn’t even say, “Oh how I love your law! It is my reading material on a mostly daily basis.” He says, “Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.”

The exceeding and surpassing wisdom of God’s Word doesn’t come to those who dabble in it. It comes to those who dive in, drink deeply, and hang on continually. The wisdom doesn’t come from a morning reading, even a daily morning reading. The wisdom comes from taking that reading with you through the day, thinking about it, dwelling on it, ruminating on it, musing over it, pondering it, coming back to it.

Meditation is not only a daily discipline to develop but an all-day occupation to pursue. I don’t mean only someone whose job is in the Word. This isn’t just for preachers. Rather, no matter our career, our minds and thinking need to be occupied by God’s Word. Because the psalmist is occupied with God’s Word, all other occupations will be governed by God’s Word. Because he thinks about God’s Word all day, he thinks about everything else in a Word-ly way.

Allow me to encourage you in an exercise today. If you aren’t doing it with some other passage, why not write down this MEM stanza or part of it. Carry it with you in your pocket and pull it out throughout the day. Read it. Think about it. Ask how it impacts what you are working on in that moment. If you need to, set an alarm for a few times through out today that will remind you to pull it out and meditate.

Fill your mind with God’s Word and let God’s Word fill your life with God’s wisdom.

Tomorrow’s reading is Psalm 119 (vss. 87-112).

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Psalm 119:81-96: Faithfulness

Today’s reading is Psalm 119 (vss. 81-96).

A replacement Word for “Word”

In this 22 stanza hymn to God’s Law and Word, the psalmist selected and repeated 8 terms to be used interchangeably for the Word of God. These 8 words are found in 172 of the 176 verses. In the other 4 verse, the psalmist chose 3 other terms to use. We saw “way” in vss. 3 and 37. Now, in vs. 90, we find the second of the replacement terms: faithfulness.

Your faithfulness endures to all generations;
you have established the earth, and it stands fast.
-Psalm 119:90 (ESV)

The psalmist’s use of “faithfulness” here is brilliant. Consider how the term is used elsewhere in the psalm.

I have chosen the way of faithfulness;
I set your rules before me.
Psalm 119:30 (ESV)

All your commandments are *sure*;
they persecute me with falsehood; help me!
Psalm 119:86 (ESV)

You have appointed your testimonies in righteousness
and in all faithfulness.
Psalm 119:138 (ESV)

His rules are the way (yup, that’s our other replacement word) of faithfulness. His commandments are faithfulness. His testimonies are appointed in faithfulness. Now, in vs. 90, God’s Word is so connected to faithfulness, the author, by metonymy, uses “faithfulness” as a stand in for God’s Word. God’s Word is God’s faithfulness. It doesn’t just represent God’s faithfulness, declare God’s faithfulness, display God’s faithfulness. God’s Word is God’s faithfulness. Wow!

But perhaps the most powerful point comes from one other use of the term in this psalm:

I know, O LORD, that your rules are righteous,
and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.
Psalm 119:75 (ESV)

The psalmist is so convinced of God’s faithfulness and so convinced God’s Word is His faithfulness, he is able to stand in submission and surrender to God and His Word despite incredible affliction. In fact, take a look at what the psalmist says just two lines after he declares God’s faithfulness endures to all generations.

If your law had not been my delight,
I would have perished in my affliction.
Psalm 119:92 (ESV)

Delight in God’s Law, that is, in His very faithfulness, preserved the psalmist through the Lord’s faithful affliction. In KAPH, the psalmist declared his persecutors had nearly brought him to an end by their affliction, but in LAMEDH we learn how he survived. The persecutors did not draw him away from God’s testimonies because the psalmist, instead of heeding the ones afflicting him, maintained his delight in God’s Word. He recognized God’s faithfulness even in the affliction. Therefore, he rejoiced in God’s Word; he celebrated it. And yes, that demonstrates such delight is a choice. This was not a man who read a line from God’s Word and was overcome by irresistible delight as if he couldn’t help himself. This is a man who made a choice. He chose to delight in God’s Law and that delight saved him.

Of course, such choice can only come from a solid faith in God’s faithfulness. Such solid faith only comes from dedication, devotion, and discipline in God’s Word. What an upward cycle we discover in this psalmist. Because the psalmist disciplined himself to delight in God’s Word, his delight in God’s Word continued and increased even as his persecutors increased and so did his discipline in God’s Word.

God is faithful. May we be faithful to Him and His Word as well.

Praise the Lord!

Tomorrow’s reading is Psalm 119 (vss. 81-96).

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Psalm 119:81-96: Forever

Today’s reading is Psalm 119 (vss. 81-96).

To Eternity

The keyword in KAPH was “long,” or as we discovered more accurately, “languish.” The first two verses of that section began with that word. Not to be outdone, the two halves of LAMEDH set a keyword, beginning with “forever.” Or, “to eternity.” Well…in the ESV, the second half translates it “never” (see vs. 93).

We might be a little concerned off the bat. Yesterday, in the KAPH section, we heard the the psalmist ask “How long?” How long would the psalmist suffer affliction? Then the LAMEDH section comes in with “Forever/To eternity.” However, the psalmist is not recording the answer to his earlier question. Rather, he is renewing his commitment to the Lord and His Word.

As we move from KAPH to LAMEDH, we cross over the halfway point in our psalm. There will, no doubt, be ups and downs as we continue through the psalm, but these two sections almost seem to hinge. KAPH is one of the darkest stanzas in the Psalm. The psalmist expresses in extreme words how hard the situation he faces is. His entire walk with the Lord precariously moves along a knife’s edge. The only way he will stay true is if the Lord gives him life. However, LAMEDH is, by contrast, one of the brightest declarations of tenacity in the entire song.

See how the two halves of the LAMEDH stanza begin:

Forever, O LORD, your word
is firmly fixed in the heavens.
Psalm 119:89 (ESV)

I will never forget your precepts,
for by them you have given me life.
Psalm 119:93 (ESV)

KAPH repeated the “When?” and “How long?” questions, wondering when God’s Word would come true. LAMEDH begins with a declaration that God’s Word is always true even if the promise has not been fulfilled yet. KAPH ended with a plea to be given life lest the psalmist stray from the Lord’s testimonies. LAMEDH continues with a declaration God indeed gave the psalmist life by those very precepts.

Even though the psalmist faces trouble and affliction, even though the promises have not yet occurred, the psalmist knows the truth. God’s Word is established in the heavens. God’s Word is more solid than the very earth on which we stand. Therefore, the psalmist will surrender to it.

Can a greater commitment be uttered than vs. 94?

I am yours; save me,
for I have sought your precepts (ESV).

Don’t misunderstand this. The psalmist is not saying he deserves salvation because he kept the precepts. Rather, the proof that I am yours is I do what You say. Certainly, the psalmist knows he has not done God’s will perfectly. But he knows his commitment to God and his Word. He knows his own commitment to God’s covenant and He knows God’s commitment to His covenant.

What a great meeting between God and man. God’s Word will forever stand and never fail and the psalmist will forever follow and never forget God’s precepts. The psalmist is not declaring perfection. He is not declaring he never misses a beat or falters in a step. He is, however, declaring he will never leave the Lord’s path and He believes the Lord will never let go of His hand. Together, they will walk the way of light and life.

May we make the same commitment, have the same faith, and be granted the same life and deliverance.

Tomorrow’s reading is Psalm 119 (vss. 81-96).

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Psalm 119:65-80: Turn to Jesus

Today’s reading is Psalm 119 (vss. 65-80)

Knowing God’s Testimonies

Of course, these sections give us a pause as we look for Jesus. After all, Jesus never went astray (see vs. 67). He was never led to repent by affliction and start keeping God’s Word. Noting this keeps us from taking Psalm 119 as a prediction of Jesus. The psalmist is not writing a twenty-two stanza prediction of what we should look for to know the Messiah has arrived.

However, as the psalmist describes a premiere Israelite, a top-notch servant of God, an epitome of God’s child, we are not at all surprised to find a description which sounds a great deal like the One who truly is The Premiere Israelite, The Top-notch Servant of God, The True Son of God.

Jesus is most certainly the one who knew the Word, obeyed God’s Law, anchored His life in God’s promises, followed God’s precepts, loved God’s rulings. He was the one smeared with lies by the insolent. He clearly saw God’s will as more valuable than silver and gold.

How then should we respond to Him? Psalm 119:74 says:

Those who fear you shall see me and rejoice,
because I have hoped in your word (ESV).

Psalm 119:79 says:

Let those who fear you turn to me,
that they may know your testimonies (ESV).

If those who fear God should turn to the psalmist, as far short of the ultimate as he fell, how much more should we turn to the one who is truly, completely, ultimately, and wonderfully all the good and exemplary things we read about in Psalm 119? How much more should we see Jesus who put His complete hope and trust in the Word and promises of the Father and rejoice? How much more should we turn to Jesus so we may know the Lord’s testimonies?

This latter instruction should really draw us in. Jesus the Messiah is the smartest person to have ever lived. He knows how the world works. He knows the best way to live in it. He knows God’s way to live in it. After all, He is God, He created the World, He established the way. If we want to know the testimonies of God, let’s turn to Jesus, watch what He does, see where He goes, and follow Him completely. Doing anything less is actually saying we want fewer of God’s blessings and we want less than true, victorious, abundant life.

Jesus knows the Way. He is the Way. Let us fear God and turn to Jesus that we may walk the Way. Even if, and especially when, we face affliction from the insolent.

Praise the Lord!

Today’s reading is Psalm 119 (vss. 81-96).

PODCAST!!!

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PATHS:
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What do you want to share with others from Psalm 119:65-80?

Psalm 119:65-80: You Have Dealt Well With Your Servant

Today’s reading is Psalm 119 (vss. 65-80).

Would You Have Said So?

Our psalmist kicks of the TETH section (vss. 65-72) with a fantastic claim.

You have dealt well with your servant,
O LORD, according to your word (ESV).

What do you think that means? Does that sound like prosperity? Does that sound like good health? Does that sound like success in endeavors?

Keep reading:

Before I was afflicted I went astray,
but now I keep your word (vs. 67).

The insolent smear me with lies,
but with my whole heart I keep your precepts (vs. 69).

It is good for me that I was afflicted,
that I might learn your statutes (vs. 71)

He comes back to this in the YODH section.

I know, O LORD, that your rules are righteous,
and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me (vs. 75)

The psalmist claims the Lord has dealt well with him and done so according to His Word. But then he goes on to say the Lord afflicted him.

We’ll come back to this affliction and adversity through this week. Today, let us simply consider if we could be like this psalmist. Can we face affliction, knowing God has caused it or at least allowed it, and thank God for treating us well according to His Word?

Perhaps we recall James’s version of this when he wrote, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:2-4, ESV).

The Lord has afflicted us. Praise the Lord!

Tomorrow’s reading is Psalm 119 (vss. 65-80).

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier.

PATHS:
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How does Psalm 119:65-80 prompt or improve your praise of God?