Psalm 131 - At peace with Yhwh

With the last few psalms of ascent we come to the shortest psalms of the collection, with 132 the exception. 131, 133 and 134 are each only three verses each, which ties them together as a unit.

131:1

The psalm proper begins with Yhwh as the addressee, and then three לא־ (not) statements: not lifted up (my heart), not exalted (my eyes), not walking (in greatness), and then, with an ellipsis, assuming "not walking", a virtual fourth, as they are not walking (in things too wonderful for me). This introduction of what they are not doing raises an obvious question: if that's what you're not doing, what are you doing? This is a pattern established from the very first psalm, which begins by detailing the blessed one, who does not a, nor b, nor c.

131:2

If they are not haughty, proud, or boastful, then who are they? 131:2 explains exactly that. They have become calm and quieted their soul. It begins by continuing the repeating the pattern of לא, but combines it with אם (if), forming an idiom. אם־לא sometimes means what it looks like: "if not", but other times (eg. Prov 4:16) is something closer to "until". Goldingay (BCOTWP) suggests "No, rather" to continue the chain of "no's" from v1. It seems to me that the precise idiom found here however seems to be close to the one used sometimes by Isaiah (often it's "if not), in for example 5:9 and 14:24, which is better translated "surely", which seems to be its meaning here also. The mix of idioms confuses me a bit, as contrary meanings for the same words makes it hard for a non-native speaker. All this is a reminder that we approach the text from a great distance - thousands of years and cultures and languages - so what is confusing for us need not be for them. On a side note, from Isaiah's usage of the idiom but using both meanings shows that they had no issues grasping the meaning from context. 

In the second half of v2 the comparison comes. Throughout the psalms of ascent one notable feature is that they tend to have just one illustration or a matching pair of illustrations. In this case we are to picture the (often all-too brief!) peacefulness of a young child resting with their mother, completely safe, at ease, at peace. There are two noteworthy features here in the final stich of the verse; the first is the reuse of נפשׁי (my soul) at the end of each half of this verse: I have quieted my soul/like a child upon [their mother] is my soul. This also highlights the second feature, which I think is probably another ellipsis: the first stich of the second half of this verse has, literally, "like a child upon its mother", and the second stich is "like a child upon my soul." I think it's probably correct to say that אמו (its mother) is to be assumed in the final stich, so that rather than imagining first a child with their mother and then a child with my soul, we supply "its mother" and assume the verb "to be", such that we end up with "like a child upon its mother/like a child upon [its mother] is my soul." Craig Broyles has a lovely suggestion, which is:

This juxtaposition leads one to think further of Yahweh as mother, with one’s  soul or self as the weaned child that is quieted upon her (cf. Isa. 46:3; 49:15). (Craig C. Broyles, UTB; Baker 2012; 470).

I should also add that, as Goldingay explains, the idea that גמל means "weaned" in this context is a little odd. Perhaps it's best to think of a child who has not finished nursing forever (the normal meaning of weaned) but one who has just finished a feeding session (weaned until the next time they need to feed!). We often call it "milk drunk," which I think adds to the idea of being completely satisfied and there being no possibility of wanting for anything else.

131:3

As well as being connected with the shorter psalms which follow, 131 also has a clear connection with 130, as the final verses both address Israel, and both tell Israel to יחל (hope) in Yhwh; indeed the first clause of 130:7 and 131:1 are identical: יחל ישראל אל־יהוה. They both do this because they reflect on what has been learned through personal experience and seek to use that to encourage their fellow Israelites.

With Ps 124, but also interestingly, within these final five, Ps 132 and 133, this is a David psalm, so the best way to read that is perhaps as learning from the patience and humility exhibited by David. Interestingly though, the final phrase of this psalm, מעתה ועד־עולם (from now and forever) elsewhere occurs with reference to God's eternal kingdom centred in Zion and around David (the eight exact hits for this phrase are Isa 9.7; 59.21; Mic 4.7; Ps 113.2; 115.18; 121.8; 125.2; 131.3). The first of these is the reading often associated with Christmas:

“Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.” (Isa 9.7 NIV11)

The second Isaiah reference is about his Spirit-endowed servant who always speaks the word of the Lord, and Micah is discussing the restoration of the remnant. I obviously don't know which came first - the psalm or the prophets, but it's certainly interesting to see how this phrase is used in the Hebrew Bible, but knowing from the superscription that this is a David psalm, it certainly adds an extra layer. 

Reflecting on the psalm

The psalm teaches the pilgrim about the approach of their heart as they draw near to God in the temple. Psalm 130 taught them that they can approach, because with Yhwh is forgiveness. In this psalm though, they are reminded that forgiveness must never lead to arrogance, but to humility. Less proud Pharisee and more penitent tax-collector (Luke 18). 

The eschatological quiet taught by this psalm hinges on the trust in Yhwh's character as explained in the previous psalm. "It is well with my soul," "not my will but yours," "to live is Christ and to die is gain" - such expressions reflect well the quiet calm on show here. Even more shocking in the world today where strong-man leaders are all the rage (one commentator perfectly said that we vote not for the one with the best policies but the one who can take over a room), is that for any "David's", whose hope is in Yhwh, that their character is to be peaceable, humble and calm. How wonderful it would be to have some leaders who are peaceful rather than talking themselves up all the time! 

Far better then, to follow the one who did not exalt himself, but gave his life as an offering, and to learn from his mindset (Phil 2).

passive imperatives in Phil. 4

I'm trying to understand the difference in emphasis between the two passive imperatives in Philippians 4.5,6:

5 (τὸ ἐπιεικὲς ὑμῶν) γνωσθήτω πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις. [aorist]
6 (τὰ αἰτήματα ὑμῶν) γνωριζέσθω πρὸς τὸν θεόν. [present]

5 let (your gentleness) be known by all people
6 make (your requests) be known to God

they stand out in that they have essentially the same construction except for the verbal aspect.
now, the roots are fairly similar, and i don't know if you can make much of the difference between them (they both are from that gnosis word, knowledge).
so the difference then must be the aspect in the verbs.
but the difficulty comes in understanding the emphasis in a passive imperative.

with the aorist, the force might be toward a result, with a summary aorist; may people come to the knowledge of your gentleness.
with the present, it's about making God aware of something, namely, your requests; may God now know of your requests.

i think my question is to do with how do i get across the parallel construction and emphasis, which i think Paul had in mind, in a way that i and others can grasp hold of?

this is where i'm up to at the moment anyway.

Club Member or Kingdom Citizen

as mooted, here is my article published just recently in AFES's Salt.

i should add, i didn't think of the title, that was all their idea. but it's something i want to keep thinking about, particularly as it has real impacts for how people think about what Christianity is when they first investigate it. maybe think, as you read it, how this way of thinking about Christianity (if you agree) could come in handy as you chat to people.

[i think my article's the 2nd row, 3rd from the right!]

A friend of mine was considering becoming a Christian. Maybe you too, dear reader, one day did the same. And like my friend, did you weigh up the pros and cons? Did you ‘count the cost’ as we say?

Is that a right view of becoming a Christian – is this the right way of working it out?

[Christianity is heaps like a club]

My friend was in many ways right to evaluate Christianity like a club. As he observed it, we all have a common purpose, we all share a love of the same thing (Jesus), and although we don’t have a dress code (Kathmandu jumpers and polo shirts aside), we do have an ethical code. We try to think things through in light of God’s commands and how they’re renewed in Jesus. You join up by applying (praying) and you’re accepted (Acts 16:31)!

BUT these are only things in common with a club. Indeed, most of the problems we see today in the church world have come from people seeing Christianity as a club and changing the rules as you might in a club: if Christianity is a club, then it’s a democracy. It’s got people who are voted in, and if enough of you want to change the rules of the club, or the emphases of a club, you do it.

[Christianity isn’t a club :: it’s a Kingdom]

One massive theme in the New Testament is that Jesus is the King of the whole world. He didn’t get voted for, there was no election, there was no charter of responsibilities and so on. The only one who had any say on the matter (God!) said that Jesus was His chosen son, Messiah, King.

You might feel a bit disenfranchised by this – why don’t I get a say, you say. Well possibly, because the club you would’ve made wouldn’t last!

If you’re part of a club – what do you have at the end of the day? You might get to along to a few meetings, get the club t-shirt (everyone loves those Christian t-shirts), and really have a great time of it. But if that is all Christianity is to you, then at the end of the day you’ve been sold a lie. The club will fold when there isn’t a quorum to vote, the club will get taken over, you’ll find out the things you signed up for in the first place aren’t even part of it anymore.

Christians believe that God speaks to us specifically, that the Bible is God’s Word to his people, by his Spirit, about his son. However in a club we don’t need this specific revelation; we can work it out for ourselves. Being part of a kingdom sees a purposeful revelation, a royal proclamation, with warnings, encouragements, promises and reasons to rejoice with your sovereign.

If Jesus is King, then there is a much bigger picture of reality we’re part of.

Philippians 3:20: “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ”. This is a deliberate portrayal of the peace won by Christ (Pax Christi) in terms of the Peace won by Rome (Pax Romana). Jesus guarantees your safety, will bring his army to protect you, will not let the enemy prevail.

If Christianity is a Kingdom, then you are safe. You will be safe. You are part of something bigger than yourself, which will continue on into eternity. You haven’t signed up, but you’ve been conquered. If you trust in Jesus, you are part of a kingdom that will never fade, spoil or perish, but is united and galvanised around the only sure anchor in the storm, and you serve under a king who gave his life for you, the one who sits in the power-seat of the universe, at the Right Hand of the Almighty.

sermon downloads a plenty

if you don't find my voice whiney, nasal, dull, or patronising, you may be tempted to listen to some of my sermons which are available to download.


09 Mar 2008 Grace that Works Philippians 2:12-30
    i particularly liked the way Daniel 12 helped us think through what this meant.

15 Jun 2008 Between A Rock & A Hard Place Exodus 16-17
    i tried something quite different here - i tried to start with the OT, jump to the NT and explain how that increased our understanding of what is going on in the OT. i wanted to get away from the 'here's the OT, but don't worry about that so much: here's where it points to in the NT' - as if there were no value in it of itself, as if the OT were only of value for showing us the NT. tell me if you think it worked!

20 Jul 2008 The King with Authority Luke 4.1-13
    how to do a sermon on Isaiah 61 without really going there properly

11 Jan 2009 The Blessing of Forgiveness Psalm 32
    interestingly, i did a sermon in October on Matthew 18 also on forgiveness (the guest speaker in the evening is the one who made the web page, mine obviously didn't make the cut), so i really enjoyed having a second dip into this really tough topic.

19 Apr 2009 The value of wisdom Proverbs 1-3
    an introductory sermon on the prologue to Proverbs, focussing on ch3

i'm also on tonight, talking about prayer as mission, but the boss is speaking (as i write this!) on the same topic: i'm assuming i won't make the cut, but thinking about how our prayers promote the gospel has been quite rebuking for me as i think through it. perhaps i'll post some thoughts on it sometime.

UPDATE:

24 May 2009 Promoting Jesus :: Our prayers Matthew 9:35-10:5
    trying to think through where prayer fits in in promoting the gospel. i wonder where you might have gone, what you would have emphasised, whether you would have done a bit more of a systematic theology of prayer.

wordle

wordle is fun. and not procrastination either. well, it is, but there is a purpose, as justin via mpj rightly say.

Firstly then, from my sermon last week on Exodus 16-17: (CLICK TO ZOOM IN ON PICS)

then we have, from earlier in the year, a sermon on Philippians 2:12-18:

A two-part series from last year on Lamentations:

and finally, a wordle from what you see on this blog!

i'm not sure what to say about all this, what i can understand better about how i preach, at least the words i (intend to) read out aloud. i would like to see the word love there a little more, it really doesn't stand out as it should, except in the Philippians talk. thankfully there's not too many 'churchy' words, which pleases me. i'm glad to see hope stand out in the Lamentations talks, that's something i really wanted to impress from that book.

what else? what stands out and doesn't? what should stand out but does?

grumbling - moi?

sermon #1 at new church: Philippians 2:12-30

2:14-15 Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.

sermon #2&3 at new church: Jude

v16 These are grumblers, malcontents, following their own sinful desires; they are loud-mouthed boasters, showing favouritism to gain advantage.

sermon #4 at new church: Exodus 16-17

16:2 And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, [...]
16:7-9 "and in the morning you shall see the glory of the LORD, because he has heard your grumbling against the LORD. For what are we, that you grumble against us?” And Moses said, “When the LORD gives you in the evening meat to eat and in the morning bread to the full, because the LORD has heard your grumbling that you grumble against him—what are we? Your grumbling is not against us but against the LORD.” Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, ‘Come near before the LORD, for he has heard your grumbling.’ ”

Norman Hillyer writes*, "the splendidly onomatopoeic gongystai [...]" (p258)


now even in English "grumblers" or "grumbling", is a great word, but you do start to wonder if someone's trying to say something to me...

*1 and 2 Peter, Jude, New International Bible Commentary, 2000, Hendrickson, Massachusetts

relational salvation

Philippians 2:12-13 says, Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

i especially liked this quote by one commentator,

Salvation is not something we possess.
It is rather a relationship in which we stand.

Manfred T. Brauch, Hard Sayings of Paul, IVP 1989, pp218-22

who da king?

on a recent holiday in Geelong (about 1hr west-south-west of Melbourne) i watched Taladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, a fairly ordinary hollywood film, replete with a few guffaw-worthy scenes, my favourite was the one that was also on the ad (so just watch the trailer - no need to watch the rest of the film).there was Ricky Bobby and his wife sitting around the table, overflowing with his sponsors' food, and he starts to give thanks, saying, "Dear Lord Baby Jesus," and then proceeds to give thanks for his "hot wife", kids (Walker and Texas Ranger), as well as his sponsors for their gracious provision of food.

his wife then gets a little narky with his constant rememberance of Jesus as a baby; "he did grow up you know!"

isn't it funny how hollywood sometimes hits the nail right on the head?

he did grow up, he did die. and (perhaps surprising to those with nightmarish visions of this half-naked man eternally hanging on a cross), he did rise again from the dead.

yet, as we read from Matthew 2 this Sunday, he "was born king". He didn't become king, didn't kill off anyone and everyone who in his paranoia may have been a rival (c/f Herod, most of the successors to Jereboam's throne).

no; he was born king, with no regent, predecessor nor successor.

his life on earth was what it was, not that he might become king, but because he already was.

And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:7b-11