Psalm 77

September 29, 2010

The previous weekend (9/18-19/2010) I was honored to meet with the Echo Lake Church of Christ in Westfield, NJ and discuss “Anchors for the Soul: Trusting God in the Storms of Life.” Brian Nicklaus is the minister there and it was a joy to spend some time with him. Several blog friends, and others, showed up–including Rex Butts and Adam Gonnerman.  Sunday morning I shared Psalm 77 with the congregation (the audio is linked ”here“).

Psalm 77 is one of my favorite lament Psalms.  I return to it often–for myself and for others as I pray for or with them.  I have had occasion this week to think about it again as two friends have experienced extreme hardship and tragic depths recently.

There are lines that strongly resonate with me. It uses language speaks my own heart and I can pray it with utter abandon–especially at the darkest moments of my life and the lives of others.

The Psalmist voices my own feelings.

“my soul refused to be comforted” (77:2)–in other words, don’t tell me it will be “OK,” that this is only a brief moment of hurt or pain. Don’t console me with platitudes and pronostications. In fact, to be comforted is almost to say that it really didn’t hurt that bad. Sometimes I would just rather hurt since it legitimates the reality of my pain rather than smoothing it over with “nice” (though well-meaning) words.

“I remembered you, God, and I groaned” (77:3)–in other words, in the midst of tragic circumstances, sometimes the thought of God is too painful itself. When I remember God’s promises, dreams, intent and past actions, I groan with the reality of what is happening in the present and my mind begins to question and doubt. When God is remembered in tragedy, we sometimes groan as we wonder where God was when this happened.

“I was too troubled to speak” (77:4)–in other words, I had no words and it was too painful to even articulate. There were no words to express what I was feeling and I was afraid to even say what I was thinking. Sometimes the weight is so great and the pain so unbearable that we can’t speak even if we wanted to.

But it is the questions that are so real to me. They are so direct in this Psalm, and they are the obvious questions to sufferers.

“Will [the Lord] never show his favor again?” (77:7)  Tragedy seems unending as if the pain will never go away and no joy can erase it. How can there be “favor” again? What would that look like? Am I God-forsaken?

“Has his unfailing love vanished forever?” (77:8) Where is the love God promised? Is this how you love us, O God? You may call this love but it does not look that way to me.  Where is your love in the midst of tragedy?

“Has God forgotten to be merciful?” (77:9) Where is your mercy? Is the world–is not my life–broken enough? Why must this continue? When will you remember your love for us and show us mercy?

If the Psalm ended there, it would still be a wonderful place to sit since it is not a place that many “church folk” allow us to sit. Many don’t want to hear the questions, nor do they want to hear our feelings.  They would rather we not speak or perhaps even admonish us as Job’s friends did. The Psalm would have value even ending at verse 9 much like Psalm 88 ends.

However, the Psalmist finds a way to walk through the trouble and the questions. The Psalmist, with the strength of faith, will come to confess that God’s “ways…are holy” (77:13) despite all appearances. How does the Psalmist get there?

He does three things:

“To this I will appeal: the years when the Most High stretched out his right hand.” I will make a claim about God’s track record. I will recognize that God’s right hand has delivered me in the past and that he has delivered his people in the past. God will not abandon his people.

“I will remember the deeds of the Lord.”  I will recount, retell and relive the deeds of God. I will immerse myself in God’s narrative, God’s story. I will remind myself of the innumerable ways God has been present to redeem his people.

“I will…meditate on all your mighty deeds.” I will quiet myself in mediation–find a moment of calm to let the peace of God sink into my soul by probing the meaning and experiencing in my own soul the reality of God’s redemptive work for his people.

The Psalm reminds me that God has redeemed, does redeem and will redeem again.  It still hurts. Nevertheless, I trust in the redemptive work of God.  God has a track record. He had demonstrated in Israel and also ultimately, climatically and finally in Jesus Christ. Nothing in all creation, my friends, can separate us from the love of God in Christ. This is our trust and hope.

10 Comments | Biblical Texts, Pastoral Care | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by John Mark Hicks

God’s Aquarium (Psalm 104:24-26)

May 11, 2010

God created his own aquarium. 

There are living creature in the sea which no human being has ever seen and most of which have only recently come within human sight.  For centuries the oceans and their depths were only visible to God–they were his personal aquarium.  But he did not intend to enjoy it alone. As we develop the gifts God has invested in us–underwater travel, cameras, etc.–the glory of these creatures become visible to us.

Using Psalm 104 as a meditation on God’s creative work–in the past and present–we rejoice in God’s works. Moreover, as Psalm 104 sings, God himself rejoices over the works of creation (v. 31).

The creation is the glory of God (v.31).  God gives his glory, his majesty, his awe, to the creation. We ourselves were crowned with “glory and honor” (Psalm 8), and the earth which is full of God’s creatures (v.24) is also the glory of God.  Their splendor is God’s own work. The wonder of creation mirrors the wonder of God.

With the eye of faith I see God smile as he watches the playfulness of the ocean’s creatures.  When humback whales rise out of the water with majestic awe, God smiles.  When dolphins race through the water skimming the tops of the waves, God smiles. When schools of “nemos” move back in forth in unison, God smiles.

God created the”Leviathan” to “play” in the ocean. Whatever the Leviathan is–something akin to the mythic “Moby Dick” I would guess–playfulness is God’s intent.

And God enjoys the playfulness of his aquarium.  I enjoy it, too.  God smiles, and so do I. 

“May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the Lord” (Psalm 104:34).

6 Comments | Biblical Texts | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by John Mark Hicks

Crying “Glory” in the Storm (Psalm 29)

May 10, 2010

On the first Saturday and Sunday of May, Nashville experienced an unprecedented storm where we received 1/4 of our annual rainfall in two days. The resultant floods were devastating for many and crippling to the economy. One only need to look at the pictures and videos present on the internet to understand that this was Middle Tennessee’s worst disaster since the Civil War. Our hearts, hands, prayers and money go out to those who are hurting during this time.

As I began to think about what Psalm I would open for my Woodmont Hills Family of God class on the second Sunday in May–yesterday, the week immediately following the storm–I chose Psalm 29. On the one hand it may seem a bit bold to think about this Psalm in the wake of such flood devastation and community lament, but on the other hand it is a Psalm that recognizes the “voice of the Lord” in the storm, the presence of God in the midst of the storm.

The Psalmist uses the phrase “voice of the Lord” seven times in the hymn of praise that is the center of the Psalm (vv. 3-9). This is not an insignificant number in the symbolic numerology of Israel. Completeness? Yes, probably.  Yahweh controls everything? Yes, seemingly. God is present in his creation, even in the storm, seven days a week? Sounds good to me. God speaks through the creation, even the thunderstorm, even the torrential rains. The heavens declare the glory of God (Psalm 19:1) and so does the thunderstorm.

Israel watches the thunderstorm arise from the horizons of the Mediterrean Sea (v.3) and watches it break the cedars of Lebanon and cross over Mt. Hermon (Sirion) like a playful animal (v. 6). The cedars are not so strong as to resist the power of God nor is the highest mountain in Palestine too large to hinder the storm. Neither is the desert south of Israel in Kadesh too vast to tremble with the sound of Yahweh’s voice.

This point is even more significant when we recognize the polemic in the Psalm. Baal was the God of the storm in ancient Palestinian religion. Baal brought the rain, thunder and lightning.  But Israel confesses that that they hear the voice of Yahweh in the storm, not Baal. Yahweh is the God of Palestine as well as the whole world. It is their God, their covenant God, who speaks, and Yahweh is committed to Israel in faithful love.

Israel does not fear the storm but they listen to the voice of God in it. Consequently, Israel worships. The hymn of praise is what Israel sings in the temple; it is the praise to which the Psalmist calls the assembly (vv.1-2). Israel worships amidst the sounds of thunder and the flashes of lightning.

I remember as a child that the thunderstorm was always a frightening event for me.  It was not that I was afraid of the house collaspsing or death, but rather I was afraid that the Jesus was returning and my childhood conception of God somehow turned that hope into fear.

But for Israel the thunderstorm is assurance rather than fear.  God’s voice in the thunderstorm announces his reign(though not only in thunderstorms, of course). God asserts his power and majesty. The glory of God is displayed in it. Israel trusts the God who comes to them in the thunderstorm. 

The last two verses of the Psalm reflect this theme (vv.10-11). Israel confesses that God reigns, enthroned over the flood waters. The waters do not dethrone God but rather God reigns over the flood. And Israel does not fear but rests in God’s gracious care and intent.  Yahweh will give Israel “strength” and bless it with “peace.”

Peace in the midst of the storm? Strength through the storm?  This is Yahweh’s blessing.  I have seen it on the faces and heard in the voices of those who have lost much and some everything. God was not absent in the storm but present in the storm to give strength and peace.

The constant torrential rains were amazing to witness. They were awe-inspiring though, at the same time, ominus. They were wondrous but also threatening. The thundestorm was powerful and majestic.

Whose voice spoke?  How did we hear it? How do we respond?

With Israel, we confess that we hear the voice of Yahweh in the storm.  With Israel, we hear that voice with awe and assurance.  With Israel, we cry in our assemblies “Glory!” (v. 9).

Certainly, we lament the hurt and pain. We use our hands in service. We open our wallets to help. 

And at the same time we cry “Glory!” in the assembly of God’s people.

7 Comments | Biblical Texts | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by John Mark Hicks

Hungering for a New Day (Lenten Reflections on Psalm 118)

March 24, 2010

Text: Psalm 118 (see this post also)

The resounding refrain of this Psalm—the climactic confession of Israel—is worth repeating…over and over and over, “His steadfast love endures forever.” Psalm 118 beings and ends with this confession. It invites Israel and all those who fear Yahweh to praise the enduring love of God.

It rings true throughout the whole history of Israel. From the calling of Abraham to the Exodus to return for Babylonian exile, “the steadfast love of Yahweh endures forever.” This is the stability of Israel’s faith; it is the one thing we can count on. God loves, he loves faithfully and he loves unchangingly.

Psalm 118 is the testimony of one believer’s experience which anticipates Jesus’ own experience. Indeed, it is our experience as well.

This Psalmist, as he comes to the temple, recalls the harrowing experience of the recent past. He was distressed and troubled; surrounded and almost defeated. Yahweh disciplined him severely and the Psalmist remembered his trouble.

But the steadfast love of the Lord is forever. Yahweh helped, delivered and rescued. Yahweh provided strength and courage in the crisis. Yahweh gave life when death surrounded him.

And now the Psalmist comes to the temple to offer a thanksgiving sacrifice. Open the gates! Let the triumphant one enter! The Lord has saved him; let us give thanks to the Lord.

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“The stone that the builders have rejected has become the chief cornerstone!”
“This is the day Yahweh has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it!”

This is a victory celebration. Once defeated, but now victor. Rejected, but now welcomed. A day of lament and mourning has been changed into a day of rejoicing.

This movement within the Psalmist’s life is also the experience of Israel from Egyptian bondage to the land of Canaan, from Babylonian exile to restoration in the land of Judah.

It is also the experience of Jesus. The New Testament uses the language of Psalm 118 to describe the victory of Jesus and to introduce us to a new day (see Matthew 21:42-44; Mark 12:10; Acts 4:11; 1 Peter 2:7; Luke 13:35; Mark 11:9; Matthew 21:9; 23:39).

It is also our experience. When we move from lament to praise, from sorrow to joy, from discipline to transformation, we experience the newness, hospitality (welcome!) and excitement of this Psalm.

Lent is a season of discipline. Through spiritual practices we are formed by God, drawn deeper into God’s life, and are refined by the fiery trial.

Lent gives birth to Easter. The journey in the wilderness leads us to refreshing waters. The discipline brings us to a new day. It is a day that God makes—God transforms, God refines, God redeems, God gives life. And we rejoice in it.

On this last week before Easter, we anticipate the announcement of a new day, a new beginning, a renewed life. On Easter we may walk through the gates and celebrate the joy of a new day.

We will hear the angels say, “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!”
We will hear the call of the congregation, “Let us rejoice in the day the Lord has made!”
We will hear Yahweh say, “Though you were once rejected by many, you are precious in my sight and a jewel in my crown!”

On Easter we will hear the applause of heaven as Psalm 118 celebrates the recurring work of God in the lives of his people…in Israel…in us…and, ultimately, in Jesus.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What range of emotions and circumstances did this Psalmist experience as depicted in the Psalm?
  2. How does the New Testament apply this Psalm to Jesus?
  3. What is your personal testimony about how “wilderness” (discipline or Lent) leads to “renewal” and “thanksgiving”?
  4. Does this Psalm apply to us as well? Can we hear heaven’s applause in this text?

9 Comments | Biblical Texts, Spirituality | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by John Mark Hicks

The Egyptian Hallel and the Lord’s Supper (Psalm 113-118)

March 14, 2010

The New Testament offers little liturgical help for conducting the Lord’s Supper. This is especially true regarding hymnology. No account of the Lord’s Supper, except the Last Supper itself, connects music and the Supper (Matthew 28:30). Other than the fact that the Jerusalem community praised God as they ate—and presumably this included songs as well as prayers or some mixtue of the two as in chants (Acts 2:46-47), there is no other explicit linkage between the Lord’s Supper and the ministry of music.

However, we are not left without guidance if we take seriously the redemptive-historical trajectory of Israel’s festivals and the future Messianic banquet. We have significant information about the relationship between these meals and the music that surrounded them in the context of both Israel’s table and the future table. This post will look at the musical dimensions of the Passover at the time of Jesus, and my next post will focus on the future table through the lens of the Apocalypse and the Messianic banquet. 

The use of the Psalms has a long history in Christian worship. More specifically, the use of Psalms in connection with the Lord’s Supper is quite prominent. However, my interest is specifically the Psalms that were used in the context of the Passover as a window into the nature of the redemptive celebration that should accompany the Lord’s Supper. As a fulfillment of the Passover, the Lord’s Supper is directly linked to the liturgical assemblies of Israel and thus we should ask the question: What did Israel sing at the Passover?

Psalms 113-118 constitute the Hallel (Praise) of the Jewish festivals. It appears that during the Jewish Passover meal of the first century, Psalms 113-114 were sung before the final meal blessing and Psalms 115-118 were sung after the final blessing. These were most probably the hymns that Jesus and his disciples sang in the context of their Passover (cf. Matthew 26:30; Mark 14:26). The theology of these songs is directly related to the theology of both the Passover and the Lord’s Supper.

Psalms 113-118 are all thanksgiving songs. Israel sang them as thanksgiving for God’s redemptive deliverance of Israel from Egyptian bondage. They remembered and rejoiced over the Exodus. Israel also sang them in anticipation of the Messiah. Every Passover anticipated the Messianic banquet and thus was filled with hope and expectation for the final deliverance of God’s people.

In Psalm 113 Israel is the barren woman whom God has delivered from Egyptian bondage and given fruitfulness in a new land. God’s redemptive work transforms fallen circumstances. God breaks into the hurt and pain of life with new life. He redeems what is lost. The Psalm opens and ends with a “Hallelujah.”

Psalm 114 rehearses God’s redemption of Israel from Egypt. God acted in history to redeem his people. God came near to redeem. Israel is reminded that their situation is the direct result of God’s gracious work, and they are part of God’s story with the whole earth. The earth is awed by what God is doing in Israel, and Israel is overwhelmed with praise.

Psalm 115 reminds Israel that among the nations only they serve the true God while the nations serve idols. Unlike the idols, God reigns over the earth. God is the help and shield of the people of God. God has remembered his people, so Israel remembers and praises Yahweh. Israel remembers that God has always remembered his people and thus they are confident in their relationship with him.

Psalm 116 gives thanks for God’s redemption whereby he saves his people from death. As one Psalmist remembers God’s work for him in his individual life, the congregation of Israel remembers how God saved them from the bondage of slavery. Through the festivals, Israel makes this individual thanksgiving a communal one. At the Passover, then, Israel lifted the cup of salvation and rejoiced in God’s gift of life. Israel ate the “thanksgiving” offering as it sat at table with God and communed with God. This “thanksgiving” Psalm is offered in the context of a thanksgiving sacrifice. The cup and meal are blessed in the context of a communal communion with God.

Psalm 117 invites all nations to share in the praise of God at the meal. It is a universal table—open to all ethnic groups, all nations. The work of God is universal. The nations learn who God is from his faithful love to Israel and Israel invites the nations to seek God at his temple (cf. aliens at Hezekiah’s Passover in 2 Chronicles 30:25). The temple of God is a house of prayer for all nations (cf. Isaiah 56:7; Mark 11:17).

Psalm 118 gives thanks for God’s deliverance. He saved his people from disaster and their king from death. God has made a new day. He has delivered his people because of his steadfast love. Since God has brought deliverance (it is the day he made), the people engage in self-exhortation: “let us rejoice in it.”

Psalms 113-118 inform the theological meaning and mood of the Lord’s Supper. As the new Passover, the Lord’s Supper remembers God’s redemptive work in Christ, celebrates our liberation from sin and death, and praises Jesus who though rejected by some was redeemed by God. Sunday is the day the Lord has made. It is the day of redemption, thanksgiving and celebration. The table needs hymns that rejoice, remember and give thanks for the new day that God has made. The Psalms reflect the mood of thanksgiving, joy and communion that characterize the theology of the Lord’s Supper. In this way, the Passover hymns provide a guide for the church’s own communion hymns and the mood of its table.

15 Comments | Theology | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by John Mark Hicks

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