The Week of March 17, 2008

Psalm 23,24,25

Psalm 23

This psalm of trust is perhaps the best known and best loved in the Psalter. Here the metaphors of a God as a shepherd-king and host pervade the poem. For Israel this poem was a reminder of God's care during the Exodus and the gift of the Promised Land. For generations of Christians this Psalm has given hope and comfort at funeral services. Notice that the trust expressed in this psalm is not merely a matter of mood. Valleys still must be walked; enemies still exist; strength is needed from day to day. With this background, trust in God's salvation flourishes. Trust is not a rosy, unrealistic or romantic notion. It exists in the midst of real life and real difficulty. John Calvin wrote "There is a great difference between this sleep of stupidity and the repose which faith produces."

Psalm 24

This well loved psalm concerns the kingship of God. Many biblical scholars suggest that it seems to be an "entrance" liturgy - perhaps used in the ancient temple as priests and pilgrims entered the sanctuary. The psalm divides into three parts. The first two verses focus upon God's ownership of the entire creation. The second part of the psalm (vv. 3-6) identifies the worshipping congregation, as well as their purpose for approaching God's sanctuary. Notice that the requirements for participating in the worship of the sanctuary are primarily moral. The final part of the psalm focuses upon the King of Glory, arriving in the sanctuary, victorious over the forces of chaos and evil. The psalm leaves us with the assurance that God comes to us in victory. Because of this theme, the church has historically used this psalm during the Advent Season. At the same time, verses 7-10 are often used as a Call to Worship in our services. (In fact, Dr. Lewis used this Psalm on Palm Sunday this year!)

Psalm 25

This is an individual lament - a prayer for deliverance from enemies. In Hebrew it is in acrostic form: the first line beginning with the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, the first word of the second line with the second letter of the alphabet, and so on. In English translation this will not be apparent, but it does account for the repetitious nature of the psalm, and the many different verbs used to say similar things. The psalmist was forced to find words that fit the acrostic. As in all laments, the prayer alternates between petitions and statements of trust. Notice that the psalmist pleas for God's instruction or teaching. Theologically speaking, the psalmist asks for God to teach how to pray, and to teach what is necessary for salvation.

From my reading:

Concerning Psalm 25: It begins with a line that is a profound description of prayer: "To you, Lord, I lift up my soul." In Israel, lifting up one's hands in a stretched-out position was a gesture of entreaty used in prayer. To lift up the soul to God is a metaphor for what the gesture means. The metaphor portrays prayer as an act in which individuals hold their conscious identity, their life, in hands stretched out to God as a way of saying that their life depends completely and only on the help of God. The expression is a psalmic synonym for "In you I trust."
James L. Mays Interpretation Commentary on the Psalms

My Reflections:

Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for your goodness' sake, O Lord!
Psalm 25:7

Who among us doesn't have that event, that relationship, that occasion that we prefer to forget? Who among us, in sifting through our memories can't find something that makes us cringe - awkward, embarrassing and sinful moments from our past that fill us with sorrow? The palmist expresses similar regret. This prayer approaches God with such memory, and asks for mercy - God's steadfast love - to prevail over all transgressions. The juxtaposition of our human predicament and the goodness of God remains stark and dramatic. The psalmist expresses our desire to be remembered, not as we deserve, not with human memory, not as our own guilty conscience remembers, but according to the mercy and goodness of a saving God. Here we find hope and power to move forward as forgiven, transformed people. This Holy Week let us celebrate again the amazing good news - that on the cross Jesus takes our past, our sin, our transgressions, our wasted years, and by the love of God redeems us. Thanks be to God! As the Apostle Paul suggests, in Christ we have the possibility of becoming "new creations," the past being finished and gone, the haunting memories covered and softened by the love and mercy of a redeeming God!

Blessings,
Pastor Stacy

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