The Week of January 28, 2008

Psalm 1, 2 and 3
Teaching Notes:

Welcome to the prayer and hymn book of the Jewish and Christian faithful! As you begin the Psalter with these first three Psalms there are a few things you will need to know:

• The language of the Psalms is deeply metaphorical (you must use your imagination and allow the language to have some "space" in terms of meaning and purpose.) Some of the language will engage you and some will not. Often the Hebrew is hard to translate, and English translations will vary.
• The form of the Psalms is poetic. In particular, Hebrew poetry is built on parallelism. You will notice parallel thought structures and ideas expressed in a variety of ways.
• The Psalter is divided into five books - to remind us of the five books of the Torah - and the first book includes Psalm 1-41.
• Psalm 1 and 2 serve as an introduction to the entire Psalter, introducing the themes and purpose of the Psalms. Psalm 1 is in the form of a Beatitude, and suggests that the Psalter is to help us walk in the "way" of the Lord, and reflect upon God's Law. Psalm 2 introduces the concept of the God we worship being enthroned in Heaven, above all Gods and all Nations. Psalm 2 also introduces the concept of the Son of God - which Christians believe to be a Christological reference to Jesus.
• Psalm 3 is the first actual prayer of the Psalter. You will notice the ascription "a psalm of David. When he fled from his son Absolom." These ascriptions were attached to individual Psalms late in the development of the Psalter, and have no historical basis. You will also notice the word "Selah" as you read through Psalm 3. This is some kind of musical notation found throughout the Psalter, and no one can accurately translate its meaning.
• Psalm 3 is an individual lament - a prayer for deliverance from enemies. It concludes with a certain degree of trust in God. It also includes a powerful metaphor for God, the metaphor of the Shield (vs. 3).

For Reflection:

But you Lord, are a shield around me, I lie down and sleep; I wake again , because the Lord sustains me. I will not fear

Psalm 3:3-6 selected phrases

A small accident occurs on a busy road during rush hour traffic. A mini-van and a pick-up truck collide, and cannot move out of the intersection. The mini-van is smashed in the middle, and the sliding door will no longer open. A distraught mother is pulled out of the driver's seat, dazed by the impact of the air bag. She urges the first responders to attend to her baby in the back seat. A few minutes later an infant is pulled out of the back seat, still securely buckled in a car seat, sucking on a pacifier, and peacefully sleeping through the rescue! The car seat provided protection and shielded the child from harm - just as promised and just as everyone hoped.

The Psalmist brings to mind a similar picture. The writer faces danger and persecution of some kind -enemies and peril abound. But in the midst of such a situation, they sleep; they rest; knowing that God protects them and surrounds them with care. What a powerful metaphor for our Loving, Protecting God! Faithful people face real dangers and difficulties. "Enemies" of all types and motivations abound. The psalmist reminds us that God protects, God delivers, and God sustains.

I am reminded that the infant in the car seat will never understand or remember their "day of deliverance." In a similar manner, I am confident that as people of faith we rarely see those things God shields us from. We only dimly comprehend the protection, and sustenance that God provides. Yet the Psalmist proclaims with a full heart; when we are asleep or awake; when we are conscious of God's activity or unaware of God's blessings, God shields us from harm. From the Lord comes deliverance, (Vs.8) the Psalmist declares - singing of a mystery that our intellects may not fully understand, but our spirits celebrate with the faithful of every generation.

Blessings,
Pastor Stacy

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