The afflicted one cries out - Psalm 102

Psalm 102 is one of the rare psalms in Book IV to receive a title, and an intriguing one at that. So far we've had:

1. 90: A prayer of Moses the man of God
2. 92: A psalm, a song, for the Sabbath
3. 98: A psalm
4. 100: A psalm, for thanksgiving
5. 101: Davidic, a psalm
6. 102: A prayer of an afflicted one who has grown weak and pours out a lament before Yhwh
7. 103:Davidic

As you can see, this is long and unique among the psalter, but especially among 90-106. Commentators often work hard to find a time in the life of David or another king (often Hezekiah) to correlate to the experience described here, but I don't know this is particularly fruitful. 

What the title does give us however is some vocabulary which will be important throughout the psalm. For instance:

1. תפלה, a prayer, also 1x in v2(1) and 2x in v18(17)
2. ענה, to afflict, or, here, an afflicted one, also in v24(23) as a verb (Yhwh is the one who afflicted the psalmist), and also a homograph meaning "to answer" in v3(2) - perhaps a pun? "answer your afflicted one
3. √פנה, usually as לפני, meaning before, but also face, occurs 4x throughout the psalm, in v3(2), 11(10), 26(25) (meaning perhaps "before"), and 29(28). There's also the related verb meaning "to turn" in 18(17)

These three lexemes and related roots are important throughout the psalm; it as a whole stands as a prayer of the afflicted one, to the one who has afflicted them, that they might turn their face and respond.

Another word which is important from a Sitz in der Literatur perspective is the word for complaint (or praise? in Ps 104), שׂיח, which occurs at or near the beginning of four other psalms (55, 64, 142) and at the end of another (104). We also meet it the same number of times in Job (7:13; 9:27; 10:1; 21:4; 23:2). 

But these three repeated words go some way to explaining the recursive nature of the psalm, which seems to follow a back-and-forth pattern as follows:

1. Heading: for the one who suffers   1(0) 

2. Plea for Yhwh to hear   2-3(1-2) 

3. Explanation/description of human finitude  4-12(3-11) 

4. A plea to Yhwh the eternal one   13-16(12-15) 

5. Description of Yhwh’s eternal glory and concern for those who call out in their suffering   17-23(16-22) 

6. Plea based on the contrast of man’s brevity but Yhwh’s eternity   24-29(23-28) 

The net effect of this alternation is to call on Yhwh to show mercy from his eternity to this poor afflicted one whose days are brief, are only halfway done (25(24)).


As an exodus psalm (see my series) this looks back to the plight of Israel post-the golden calf incident, as Moses appeals for Yhwh not to destroy his people despite their great apostacy. In this connection it is noteworthy that the name of God that he revealed to Moses at the beginning of the exodus appears some nine times in this psalm. 

On the other side of the exodus, parts of this psalm are applied in praise to the other name, Jesus, as the one who sits on an eternal throne (Hebrews 1:10-12). This posits the people who know God through Jesus as the afflicted ones who cried out to God for rescue, and were answered in that prayer by the coming of Jesus to bring his salvation.

The Exodus Psalms

A number of years ago I wrote about Book IV of the Psalter, in some circles known as the Exodus Collection. I've been slowly working through them after reading them both on my own and with the insightful MC, and here are the links to the pages, which I'll keep updating as I get to them.

• Psalm 90
• Psalm 91
• Psalm 92
• Psalm 93
• Psalm 94
• Psalm 95
• Psalm 96
• Psalm 97
• Psalm 98
• Psalm 99
• Psalm 100
• Psalm 101
• Psalm 102
• Psalm 103
• Psalm 104
• Psalm 105
• Psalm 106

Thanking God in Psalm 100

 Psalm 100 is one of the shorter psalms in the Psalter, coming in at only five verses. It has a heading, "Psalm, for thanksgiving," which is more expansive than 98's "Psalm", but doesn't give us much more information. However, that this psalm is "for thanksgiving" is reinforced throughout the psalm, as v4a encourages entry to be "in thanksgiving", and v4c is an imperative to "give thanks." This whole psalm is a noisy and an active psalm. 1b has all the earth shouting, 2a joyfully serving, 2b entering with rejoicing, 4c giving thanks, 4d blessing his name. And I can only imagine the acknowledging (v3) was similarly vocalised.

Structure

The psalm could be divided in two, with the first half (1b-3) praising Yhwh as God the creator (all the earth; he made us, his sheep), while the second (4-5) praises Yhwh as God the king (his gates, his courtyard).

There are a couple of noteworthy features in this psalm. The first is what appears to be an ABAB structure; two pairs of alternating panels. The first (1b-2, 4) give instructions to give thanks and praise, while the second (3, 5) explain the reasons that Yhwh is praiseworthy.

A 1-2 Shout, serve, enter before. All the earth.

B 3 Why? Because we are his creation, his people, his sheep.

A 4 Enter, thank, bless.

B 5 Why? Because Yhwh is good, steadfast, faithful.

This leads to the second feature, which (and I could be wrong here) are the two cases of ellipses. The first ellipsis is uncontroversial and rather assumed, in v4 באו (enter, come) is implied:

enter his gates in thanksgiving,

[enter] his courtyard in praise.

The second however relies on the alternating panels, and assumes the דעו (acknowledge, make known) of the first B panel (v3) is implied in the second B panel, v5, so that we have:

3 Acknowledge that Yhwh, he is God...

5 [Acknowledge] that Yhwh is good...

There's also one fun little text issue, which could really go either way. In v3, after "he made us," the written text (ketiv) has "and not we ourselves" (i.e., we did not make ourselves). Although true, this sounds a bit weird. So the read text (qere) suggests "and for him are we" (i.e. and we are his, or we are made for him). The qere makes more sense in the context, and due to their being homophones, it seems simplest to trust the Masoretes' suggestion here.

Psalm 100 as an Exodus psalm

Throughout Book IV I've been asking how we might read these psalms as Exodus psalms, and there's a nice little shout out to Exodus 3 here in the last line of the psalm. His goodness, his steadfast love, and his faithfulness are his characteristics forever, from generation to generation. And in Exodus 3, where Yhwh reveals his name to Moses, he concludes with,

This is my name forever, the name you shall call me from generation to generation. (Exodus 3:15)

Exodus has לדר דר, while the psalm has עד־דר ודר. So not the same, but the repeated דר (generation) in the context of Yhwh's character seems fitting. It's also worth briefly noting that similar phrases (the double דר) occurs in Book IV at 90:1 (בדר ודר); 102:13 (לדר ודר), 25 (דור ודורים) and 106:31 (לדר ודר). So 16 times outside of Book IV and 5 times within. So it's not quite unique to Book IV (unlike the use of Moses and Aaron, for instance) but it seems that the context matches.

The other potential link might be the repeated use of בוא (enter, come) in this psalm, which might link with the similar use in Exodus 15:17-18

You will bring (בוא) them in

you will plant them in a mountain of your inheritance

a place you made for your dwelling, Yhwh

a holy place, Lord, founded by your hands.

Yhwh will reign forever and ever.

What is a promise in Exodus 15 has become a reality to celebrate in Psalm 100. The promise to bring them in is answered with them entering the gates, his courtyard. The promise that there will be a holy place for Yhwh to dwell is precisely where Israel now "serve Yhwh with joy" (2a).

Psalm 100 as Christian Scripture

How doe we read Psalm 100 as Christian Scripture? There are plenty of images here which point to Jesus, perhaps primary being his identity as the good shepherd who laid down his life for the sheep. The one who made us, who spoke creation into being, is the same one who gave himself for his sheep. Romans 12 encourages the response to this in similar language and with a similar dynamic, to offer yourselves as living sacrifices as your true and living worship. 

Exalt Yhwh our Holy God - Psalm 99

 I'm up to Psalm 99 in my meander through Book IV of the Psalter (90-106), and it's a shorter one, only nine verses, but nonetheless some really interesting features.

Holy Holy Holy

There is a repeated refrain, which seems to conclude each of the three stanzas: Holy is he! Following that gives us 1-3, 4-5, 6-9, and then another feature sticks out, namely the description of Yhwh at the beginning of the first two stanzas, v1 begins "Yhwh reigns," while v4 starts with "and a mighty king," both the noun "king" and the verb "to reign" are from the root מלך mlk.

The third stanza begins describing not Yhwh but three of the most important figures of the exodus and pre-monarchy period: Moses, Aaron and Samuel. Interestingly, David is not mentioned, which could well be because he as king is certainly not the focus of this psalm; Yhwh is king, and Samuel is not important because he anointed the first two kings of Israel, but because he called on Yhwh, and Yhwh answered him.

You could then summarise the three stanzas as:

1-3 Yhwh reigns over the earth

4-5 Yhwh is the king who establishes justice

6-9 Yhwh answers the pleas of his servants

Apart from concluding with a "holy" phrase, the final verse of each stanza is a tricolon, whreas the other verses are all bicola.

Speech

One interesting factor in this psalm is where Yhwh is addressed. In three places and 5 times total Yhwh is addressed by the psalmist:

3a They praise your name; 

4c You established uprightness,

4d justice and righteousness have you worked in Jacob. 

8b You answered them

8c A God who carries away [sin] were you for them.

Each of these are roughly in the middle of a stanza, which gives further shape to the structure mentioned above. The first two also bookend reported speech, which comes in 3b-4b, bridging the first two stanzas:

“Great and awesome;

Holy is he!”

And, “Mighty king

he loves justice!”

Call and Response

If we were to divide the poem into two roughly even halves, 1-5, 6-9, with the speech at the centre, the psalm takes on a different shape and a different emphasis. The first half focusses on the peoples praising Yhwh who establishes uprightness, justice and righteousness. The second moves its attention to the three aforementioned figures, and the remarkable thing it is for Yhwh to answer them and to respond to their pleas to deal with sin. Both halves then conclude with a near-identical refrain:

Exalt Yhwh our God (5a/9a)

and bow down before his footstool (5b) / holy hill (9b)

Holy is he (5c) / Holy is Yhwh our God (9c)

Both halves also contain the 2nd person address in the centre, so that the stanzas run:

Statement about Yhwh and his people (1/6)

Location of Yhwh (Zion v2/pillar of cloud v7)

2nd person address (3-4/8)

Exalt our holy God Yhwh in a location (footstool v5/holy hill v9)

To me this structure seems more satisfactory, and explains the movements in the text.

Psalm 99 and the exodus

This psalm is clearly written after the exodus; the references to Zion (v2) and Samuel (v6) show that it is from a later time. And yet, the absence of any reference to David (except perhaps by allusion through "Zion") suggests that the author was not interested in going back to the time of the monarchy. More important are images which remind them of the exodus journey, with the cherubim (v1; cf Ex 25:18) and the pillar of cloud (v7; cf Ex 13:21; 19:9), not to mention the decrees and statues which are linked to the exodus (v7; cf Dt 4:45).

One odd lexeme is עלילה 'alylah (99:8d) which occurs fairly rarely in the Bible (24x), and here is usually translated "misdeeds." It's a little confusing; in Psalm 103 and 105 it's the deeds or decrees of Yhwh, whereas in Deuteronomy 22 it means slander. Although it's not described with the same vocabulary, I wonder if the times Moses and Aaron sin could be described as slander? And if it's their sin which was carried away? The alternative is that v8 is speaking more generally of Israel's sin, dealt with by the priests.

In any case, this psalm looks back to a time when Yhwh was honoured as king, when he spoke and the people responded in praise—the optimists' memory of the exodus!

Psalm 99 as Christian Scripture

By harking back to time when Yhwh was acknowledged as king, this implies a time when Yhwh was not acknowledged as such. What greater (worse?) time could there be for that than when Jesus was ignored as king. He was neither praised nor exalted above all peoples (v2-3), even though he spoke clearly to his people (v6-7). Despite this, he was the one who carried away our sin, dealing with our slander (v8). Our praise then is directed not to the temple, but to the holy hill (v9) on which he died, worshipping at the cross the one who, though being holy, died for sin.

Singing the new song - Psalm 98

 Psalm 98 is a bit loud:

• v1 sing
• v4 make noise, break forth, exult, praise
• v5 make music
• v6 make noise
• v7 roar
• v8 clap hands, exult

Why the racket? In v1-3 the psalmist looks back for reasons:

• Yhwh has done wonders
• Yhwh has wrought salvation
• Yhwh has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness

Three times Yhwh's salvation is mentioned:

1. In v1 it is seen in his right hand and his holy arm.
2. In v2 he has made his salvation known before the nations.
3. In v3 the ends of the earth have seen his salvation.

And it is his faithfulness in the past that means those who sing this psalm can look forward in the final verse:

• he is coming to judge the earth
• he will judge the cosmos with righteousness
• and he will judge peoples with uprightness.

The beginning and the end of the psalm then speak of his acts of salvation, some past, some yet to come. And the praise in the centre of the psalm looks backward and forwards in light of this. The noise from the peoples (singing and playing instruments) in v4-6 seems to be looking back to what has gone before, while the noise from creation in v7-8 (the sea and cosmos roaring, rivers clapping, mountains exulting) looks forward to the salvation which is to come.

1-3 Past salvation

4-6 The people rejoice and give thanks

7-8 All creation makes noise looking forward

9 Salvation to come

Of course, this unravels a riddle from v1 which didn't become apparent until we hit the end.

Sing a new song because he has done wonders.

What is confusing is the new song refers to past events, things which have already happened and already been revealed. But at the end we see that the new song begins with the old story, in order to look to the future with confidence.

Psalm 98 as an exodus psalm

For those who came in late, part of my project in going through Psalms 90-106 is to think through them as potentially telling the story of the exodus. And in this psalm v1 in particular shouts out to me as an exodus psalm. The נפלאות (wonders) sung of here consistently speak of the wonders done in rescuing Israel from Egypt (cf Exodus 3:20; 34:10; Micah 7:15). Similarly, the mention of "his right hand, his holy arm" is a clear call-back to the language of Exodus 6-7 (6:1,1,6,8;7:4,5) as Yhwh promises Moses that his mighty hand will bring them salvation.

Psalms 98 recalls Yhwh's salvation out of Egypt, and looks forward (as does Micah, above) to his future acts salvation along similar lines.

Psalm 98 as Christian Scripture

The creation language of this psalm directs me to the language in Romans 8 as Paul writes of the groaning of creation; here the creation has a certainty which causes it to pre-emptively sing and rejoice.

Psalm 98 proclaims Yhwh as the king (v6); this side of the cross we know Jesus as the king who gave his life to bring salvation, and we look back to that event for our hope in the future and in living now, trusting that God continues to remember his steadfast love and faithfulness (v2) for all who call on his name, for all who know his salvation, even tot he ends of the earth (v3).

Rejoice, Yhwh Reigns - Psalm 97

Continuing my stroll through Book IV of the Psalter, Psalm 97 is a fun one. There's lots of interesting imagery, and also lots of repeated vocab and/or synonyms.

The imagery of the heavens and earth is particularly invigorating, as we think about the earth and coastlands rejoicing, about cloud and darkness surrounding Yhwh, about creation being lit up by his lightning, and the earth in response writhing and mountains melting.

The pantheon of gods also feature, as their existence is not so much denied as relativised. Yhwh here is Yhwh Elyon - most high - who is over all the earth, far above other gods (97:9). Worship of their images is shameful, for even those gods worship Yhwh (97:7)!

In terms of the vocabulary of this psalm, we have rejoicing (2x), be glad (3x), worship (1x) and praise (1x). This vocab alone pushes us to think of this psalm as a song. The other area of repeated vocabulary are in terms of the character and actions of Yhwh, with righteous/ness (4x), judgements/s (2x), uprightness (1x), glory (1x) and holiness (1x). Some of these are Yhwh's, others are reflected in his people .

The structure of this psalm is certainly tricky, but I think I've got some idea. If this works, after the heading (Yhwh reigns!), it's a two-part psalm, with both halves in an ABCBA structure.

Heading 1a Yhwh reigns!

A1 1b-c Earth and coast: rejoice!

B1 2 Yhwh's righteousness and judgement

C1 3-5 Yhwh is boss over creation

B1` 6 All have seen his righteousness and glory

A1` 7 Idolaters, be ashamed; gods, worship!

A2 8a-b Zion and Judah: rejoice!

B2 8c Yhwh's judgements

C2 9-10 Yhwh Elyon guards and delivers his people

B2` 11 Light sown to righteousness, gladness to upright heart

A2` You righteous: rejoice!

The two halves tell a similar story regarding the character of Yhwh and how it is reflected and embodied among his people. The focus is however different. In the first section (1b-7), the key idea is "Yhwh is boss over creation" with the ethical implication, "Don't commit idolatry." In the second section (8-12), Yhwh is still sovereign, but this is to do with the hope for his people. So the idea is more, "Yhwh Elyon guards and delivers," with the ethical implication, "Don't love evil."

Although this psalm is very elevated in its subject matter, in the heavens and with the pantheon, the rubber certainly hits the road in both instances. Flee idolatry and flee evil are evergreen commands, just as relevant then as now.

Psalm 97 as an Exodus psalm

Reading various commentators, the majority of focus is on how this psalm is grounded in or responds to Canaanite mythologies. While I don't deny that may be part of it, what I don't see is an attempt to ground the reading of this and similar psalms in the imagery we are already provided in the Scriptures. In particular, the language of v2-5 seem easily linked to Exodus 19:16-19, as Sinai is covered in cloud and smoke and there's fire and trembling mountains, followed by Yhwh's self-revelation in the giving of the Decalogue. So while there may be other things going on, it seems a mistake to so quickly ignore the key moment in Israel's history: a theophany followed by the law. 

Sing the new song of Yhwh - Psalm 96

 In my walk through the Exodus psalms, I've come to Psalm 96, a psalm I knew first as a song. It's a wonderful praise psalm, and it clearly tends toward singing: if there were no song (and there are many), someone would have to write one.

The first thing one notes when going through the Hebrew is what a balanced psalm it is. Some of that is evident in this table:

Sing to Yhwh the saviour (1-6)	Ascribe to Yhwh the king (7-13)
Sing to Yhwh x3 Followed by three imperatives (bless, spread, recount), with a fourth implied (recount) Followed by two כי (for) clauses	Ascribe to Yhwh x3 Followed by five more imperatives (carry, come, worship, tremble, say) Followed by two כי (for) clauses
Yhwh 5x Nations 1x, peoples 2x (NPP) Heavens 1x Might 1x Majesty 1x Holy place 1x	Yhwh 6x Nations 1x, peoples 2x (PNP) Heavens 1x Might 1x Majesty 1x Holiness 1x

A psalm of two halves

The psalm divides into two halves, each half beginning with a triple imperative to Yhwh: 3x Sing to Yhwh begins the first half, while 3x Ascribe to Yhwh begins the second. These introductions are then followed by a series of imperatives, and then two explanatory כי clauses. In both halves there is some indication that there is a wrong being overcome by Yhwh. In v4-5 the problem is the honour stolen from Yhwh and bestowed on foreign gods, but those who sing this psalm know that it is Yhwh who made the heavens and not the insignificant (אלילים) gods of the peoples. The problem in the second half would seem to be injustice, because the solution in v13 is that Yhwh comes to judge the earth, to judge the cosmos in righteousness, his peoples with truth.

Yhwh rules

In both halves the overriding concern is to establish Yhwh's rule. In the first half this is primarily in the spiritual realm - in the heavens - against other gods. In the second half this primarily in the physical realm, seen by the word earth (3x) and cosmos (2x) as the areas in which his rule should be known. Interestingly, the phrase which seems to introduce that in the first half is to "spread the good news (בשר) of his salvation", whereas in the second it is to "say ... Yhwh reigns." Perhaps the idea of salvation is therefore to be understood with reference to what gods are able to do, or not do, as the case may be, whereas rule is set up in contrast to earthly rulers. Who can save? Not the gods; only Yhwh. Who can govern justly? Not the kings; only Yhwh.

Gospelling

It's perhaps noteworthy that this psalm contains the "gospelling" word בשר (basar), best known among Christians from the Romans 10:15 quotation of Isaiah 52:7, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" It only appears in three psalms, 40:10; 68:11(12), and here in 96:2. In Samuel it's more strictly a messenger word - it can good or bad news that is brought (9x in 1-2 Samuel, and a 10th in 1 Kg 1:42), but it elsewhere seems to be positive news that is brought and proclaimed. That is most clearly the case here, as it is the salvation of Yhwh which is to be proclaimed, and recounted among the nations. It is linked to the wonders (נפלאות) of Yhwh among the peoples (96:3), which is the keyword linking this psalm to Book IV's Exodus meta-narrative.

Wonders in Exodus 3:20

The root lexeme פלא occurs only twice in Exodus, and as such its usage in Psalm 96 could be referring to either. The first is in Exodus 3:20, "I will strike the Egyptians with wonders that I will perform in their midst." This introduces the many plagues which are to follow, and explicitly explains the context for these plagues is to be in their midst - to be seen (and experienced) by all the people. This links well with the description in our psalm, and could easily be what it being referred to. It links also with the judgement which concludes the psalm, as the wonders in Egypt are judgement on the Egyptians, and especially on their Pharaoh, for enslaving Israel.

Wonders in Exodus 34:10

The second occurrence is at one of the high points in Exodus, at 34:10, after Moses beheld the glory of Yhwh. This too links to the judgement of Yhwh (v7), but by v10 is looking forward to inheriting the promised land and the newly formed covenant with Israel. Yhwh tells Moses, "I am making a covenant before all your people; I will do wonders not done in all the land and in all the nations. The people in whose midst you are will see the deeds of Yhwh, that they are awesome, which I am doing with you." (Ex 34:10) You can see that this situation could well also be what is referred to in this psalm. Indeed, it seems impossible to adjudicate, and maybe that's the point.

Sing Yhwh's song

This psalm proclaims the salvation of Yhwh; it looks back to his saving work, it looks back to his wonders in rescuing and in causing his people to inherit his promises. But it uses that as a foundation to call the people of God to praise him. The gods of the nations are insignificant, but Yhwh made the heavens. He judges in righteousness and truth, and these are the messages which should be proclaimed in heaven and on earth, across the the earth and throughout the cosmos.

Reflection on Psalm 95: a call to listen

Psalm 95 comes a third of the way into the Exodus psalms (90-106), and harkens back to a key moment in Israel’s wilderness wanderings – that point when the spies return from searching out the land but draw back in fear of the land. It is clearly a psalm of two halves, beginning with praise before applying the lesson learned in Exodus 17 and Numbers 14 to whatever the new situation requires.

95:1-7c

The psalm begins with four noisy verbs: praise, shout, “greet with acclaim”, and “shout with songs.” The first half ends with verbs not of noise but of action: worship, bow down, kneel down. To tie the beginning and end together further, it begins with “Yhwh, the rock of our salvation” and ends with “Yhwh our maker.” To be the saviour is not explained further, but maker is, as Yhwh is the great God, the great king, who holds the extremes of the earth and possesses the heights of the mountains; he made the sea and formed the dry ground.

Finally, to close off the first half, the phrase “his hand” occurs thrice, in v4, v5, and finally in v7, as “the sheep of his hand.” This causes us to reflect on his creating and guiding both macro and the micro, the impersonal and the personal.

95:7d-11

The second section of the psalm concludes somewhat abruptly, with a hanging oath phrase, “if they come to my rest…” which we might extrapolate to “they will never come to my rest,” or “so help me if they ever try to come to my rest,” – which is indeed what happened, as those who went up were slaughtered. We can see then that this psalm conflates two incidents: the arguments at Massah/Meribah in Exodus 17, and the rebellion in Numbers 14 after the spies returned. But these stories are tied together together in the similar diseased hearts that are apparent, with testing, trying, stray hearts, not knowing God’s ways.

But the key, holding it all together, in terms of application, is the near-homonyms which bookend this section: shema’ and sheva’, to hear his voice, and to heed his vow. To not hear his voice means he will fulfil his vow – and in this case it means to be destroyed, to be condemned to a generation-long wandering. But to heed his voice means to receive the promises, to enter his rest, to know Yhwh as both maker, but also as saviour.

This is a call to worship, to prayer, but also to listening. Listening means, in context, taking careful notice of the past. God has spoken clearly in the past, through word and deed. In his acts of creation in the beginning, and his acts of rescue in the wilderness. But also through his words of promise and his words of rebuke. We listen to God and take his warnings at face-value, not rejecting his ways, not testing him, but listening to him and to the one he has sent, our creator and our redeemer.

Psalm 95 as Christian Scripture

Reading this psalm as Christian Scripture, we aren’t seeking to tune in to hear God speak in a new and special way, but to listen to the words God has already spoken, which he still speaks today: words of creation, words of warning, words of redemption, words of guiding and guarding. We can see this especially in the use of this psalm in the NT, as the warning and encouragement is repeated to the people of the new covenant, so that they do not turn back or grumble or test God – that they do not harden their hearts. And it is this word—this promise/warning—which is living and active, sharper than a two-edged sword, dividing soul and marrow. It challenges us: do you worship? Do you praise? Do you listen? Do you know him in his mighty works? Do you know him as the great king above all gods? And do you listen to him as he speaks through his Son, the word become flesh, and he promises that all his sheep will hear his voice.

Psalm 94 - The God who takes notice

This psalm has four parts which explain the logic of the psalm

94:1 Heading: Yhwh is the avenging God

A 94:2-7 Problem: The wicked are unrestrained

B 94:8-19 Answer: Yhwh takes notice and will act

A' 94:20-23 Result: The wicked will be repaid

The wicked which encircle the suppliant also encircle the structure of the psalm. There are a few different words, such as רשׁע (rasha`, wicked 4x: 94:3,3,13,21); רע/רעה/רעע (ra', evil, 3x: 94:13 (evil days), 16 (evildoers), 23 (evil)); און (awon, iniquity 3x 94:4,16,23). They are clustered in 3-4, 13-16, 21-23), at the beginning and the end to explain the problem and hoped-for result, and in the centre to explain the context against which they call out to God for rescue. 

The description of God in this psalm is twofold. Firstly with reference to God's power and protection, Yhwh is an avenging God, he is the judge of the earth, he is a helper, the one who sustains, a stronghold and a rock of refuge (1-2, 17-18, 22)

Secondly, God is the teacher, the instructor, the one who sees and the one who knows (8-12). And this is where this psalm stands out. They scoff in v7, "Yah will not see us; the God of Jacob will not take notice." The response in v8-11 is an expansive retort, using the same verb בין (bin), "Take notice! ... Wise up! Does the one who made ears not hear, the one who formed the eye, does he not take notice?" 

Because he is the creator of the ears and eyes, to scoff "he will not notice" is to demonstrate a dangerous ignorance regarding the information gathering abilities and activities of Yhwh. The psalmist plays on the fluidity of the verb יסר (yasar, to instruct/warn/rebuke) to explain that the one who instructs nations  with knowledge also reproves them (10), but he also gives this to individuals, to the one who is thereby blessed (12). 

This all explains the way Yhwh cares for his people in the following verses, and in particular, in the context of evil. It is not a military victory that is explicitly promised, but a true knowledge of God and of the cosmos, which gives a calm, which soothes one's soul (v19). 

Is this an Exodus psalm?

I've been arguing that 90-106 (Book IV) is an Exodus collection. How then does this psalm work in that context? It does seem as if there is something of a flow, working through the Exodus story bit by bit, but here, it appears to jump forward to the giving of the law from 20-23, but especially the importance of the law in the context of evil as is described in Exodus 23:2, "Don't follow after the many in doing evil". Rather, be instructed by Yhwh to stand firm in his teaching (תורה, torah), v12 - this word providing the other link back. 

In this way, perhaps Psalm 94 is a hidden wisdom psalm rather than a psalm for rescue. For although the default desire is for divine intervention, in this psalm it is the instruction of Yhwh, which, even if not rescuing, enables one to stand firm despite the evil which encircles, which, if nothing else, is surely one of the key messages from the entire Exodus experience.

When God Remembers

I've finished my Psalm a day, and then a month of Ecclesiastes a day, and now I'm on to a chapter of the Bible a day, starting at the beginning. I hit Genesis 8 this morning and came across this:

But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded. (Gen 8:1)

It reminded me of one of my favourite passages at the end of Exodus 2:

God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them. (Ex 2:24-25)

After four centuries of slavery in Egypt, the groans of Israel are about to be answered with action.

What was interesting was doing a quick search for God and Remembers (זכר + אלהים), and amazingly there's only four in the whole Tanach. I changed the search to include Yhwh, but that only added one further occurrence, 1 Sam 1:19. Here then are all the times when the Bible records God "remembering" his people. (If you have others which don't match the construction, let me know - this is just from a quick Accordance search.)

1. God remembered the floating Noah (Gen 8:1) and caused the waters to recede
2. God remembered the worried Abraham (Gen 19:29) and rescued his nephew Lot
3. God remembered the barren Rachel (Gen 30:22) and gave her a child
4. God remembered his covenant for the sake of his enslaved Israel (Ex 2:24) and began working to rescue
5. Yhwh remembered the marginalised Hannah (1 Sam 1:19) and gave her a child

Obviously God remembering doesn't imply the opposite - that he could ever forget - rather it points to the fact that he has chosen that time to act and to intervene for the sake of those he loves.

Psalm 93 - Yhwh from and to eternity amidst the waters

The fourth in the "Exodus Psalms" (90-106) is also well described as an enthronement psalm (see Möwinckel's taxonomy), as the kingship of Yhwh is depicted and compared with (in vv3-4) the power of the waters. 

This psalm is rich in repetition, with "Yhwh" being repeated five times, which is fitting as the psalm addresses him addressed from v2-5. Therefore it also addresses Yhwh three times via the suffix and another time with the pronoun.

Furthermore there are other phrases repeated, most notably in v3:

The rivers have lifted up (נָשְׂאוּ נְהָרוֹת), Yhwh

the rivers have lifted up (נָשְׂאוּ נְהָרוֹת) their voice,

the rivers lift up (יִשְׂאוּ נְהָרוֹת) their pounding.

The only change in the three stichs is from the qatal in the first two, to the yiqtol in the second. It seems to be presenting a challenge: how will Yhwh respond to the pounding voice of the rivers? 

A further example of repetition answers this in the next verse, as there is something greater than the roar of the waters, nobler (אַדִּירִים) than the waves of the sea, for noble (אַדִּיר) in his heights is Yhwh. The word "noble" (v4b) is repeated, first as a contrast to "greater" in the first stich, but also anticipating the description of Yhwh in the final word of the final stich of this verse. 

The central verses 3-4 with their water imagery contrast what seems mighty at ground level - the roaring and pounding of waves - with the God of the cosmos who sits above all this in his holy hill - Yhwh is indeed more powerful than the water or any divinities who may be associated with or come from the depths.

This focus on water in the centre suggests an ABBA structure:

A 1-2 Yhwh's eternal rule and power

B 3 The waters against Yhwh

B' 4 Yhwh over the waters

A' 5 Yhwh's eternal statutes

The first verse reuses the verb "clothe" (לבשׁ) to first describe Yhwh's rule (clothed in majesty), and then his power (girded with strength). Because of this, v1c-2 is able to describe the absolute scale of Yhwh's rule and power. It is his power which established the cosmos and ensures it shall never totter (v1c-d), and also that Yhwh's throne is from the establishment of the cosmos, as is Yhwh (2a-b). 

This theme returns in the final verse, for the Yhwh whose rule is eternal has statutes of equal trustworthiness: from and to eternity, which means the house of Yhwh deserves to be clad in holiness for endless days. 

This psalm then describes the Yhwh who is from and to eternity, who is worthy of praise and honour, and, when contrasted with the aquatic powers of this world sits far above them. 

Reading this as an Exodus psalm we are reminded of the mighty waters which Yhwh held back so that his nation could pass through on dry land. They were brought from there to Mount Sinai, where Yhwh sat high above his people, high above the golden calf his people fell to worship, and from where he dictated his statutes to guide and guard his people. 

Psalm 92 - trusting Yhwh enough to rest

Continuing through the Exodus psalms, Psalm 92 is a psalm rich with parallelism. Most verses are prime examples of synonymous parallelism, with the same idea repeated in each half of the verse except with different vocabulary. 

If you are reading through different translations you may notice that v3 has either two (NIV) or three (ESV) instruments. This goes back to a difference between the Hebrew and Greek versions of this psalm. The Hebrew says something like "upon the ten[-stringed instrument], and upon the lyre, and upon the melody with the harp." The Greek version however combines the first two, saying "on the ten-stringed lyre, with melody on the harp." The changes suggested in light of the Greek (see BHS) match a little more the style of the psalm, of having two matching stichs per verse and a matching number of words.

The Greek has also not repeated the opening phrase of v9, as that also breaks the pattern. There are very few translations brave enough (the NJB one notable exception) to delete "Yhwh" and the opening phrase to match the Greek:

Look how your enemies perish,

How all evil-doers are scattered. (NJB)

Most other translations follow the Hebrew by repeating the opening phrase and Yhwh: "Look how your enemies perish Yhwh, look how your enemies perish." One potential explanation could be that the repeated phrase is supposed to match the terse v8, 

8 you are exalted forever, Yhwh.

9a [but] look how your enemies perish, Yhwh.

If that were the intent I would expect an alternative for "Yhwh" such as "God" or the other alternate names for God in Psalm 91. I guess my default is to read it as is - which in this case would mean keeping the MT - but I'd need to think some more about exactly what to do.

The alternative of course is read v8 as belonging to 7c, which means suggesting vv7-8 are divided at the wrong point, with 7a-b belonging together, and 7c-8 making a good pair.

7a as the wicked bud like grass

7b and all doers of evil flourish

7c they shall be destroyed without end

8 but you are exalted forever, Yhwh.

There is a contrast between the two things that go on forever: the destruction of the wicked, yet the exaltation of Yhwh. I think this is a pretty good solution, but would also mean removing 9aa as dittography.

As far as reading this as an Exodus psalm, there are a few potential points of connection:

"Declaring in the morning your steadfast love

and your faithfulness in the night." (v2)

The Israelites were reminded of God's faithfulness and steadfast love in the morning and throughout the day by the smoke to lead them, and at night by the fire. He led them through the wilderness with a constant reminder of his presence. Furthermore, when they cried out for food, he answered that prayer with manna in the morning and quail in the evening. Despite their grumbling Yhwh remained their faithful provider.

"For look - your enemies will be destroyed,

All doers of evil shall be scattered." (v9, cf LXX)

At the beginning of the exodus, there were two instances where God scattered the enemies of his people. The first was in ch14, as the armies of Pharaoh were washed away in the Reed Sea. But the second time, which perhaps bears more similarities, was in chapter 17, as the Amalekites attacked Israel, seemingly out of nowhere, and were defeated in front of their eyes and ears (Ps 92:11). 

"The righteous like a palm shall flourish,

like a cedar in Lebanon shall they grow." (v13)

The psalm looks forward to a day when Israel will no longer be wandering the wilderness, but will be planted in a home, have time to mature and grow. The exodus was not just a "way out of" as the name suggests, but was importantly a "way to"--to get to the promised land and receive their inheritance.

"Declaring that Yhwh is upright, my rock,

and there is no iniquity in him." (v16)

While we are in the early chapters of Exodus (the teens), I can't help but think of the water provided for the people in chapter 17 as they grumbled at Horeb. Moses struck the rock, and Yhwh was again the bounteous provider for his unworthy people. They grumbled, and asked "Is Yhwh among us or not?", but Yhwh was faithful, patient, long-suffering, and gracious. 

For this reason, and coming back to the heading of the psalm, it is worth remembering that this is "A psalm. A song for the Sabbath day." (91:0) The reason Israel could have a Sabbath (Ex 20:9-11) is because Yhwh works. Throughout the psalm Yhwh is the one who is faithful and the provider, and indeed in v4-5 Yhwh is explicitly praised for "your deeds," for "what your hands have done," because "How great are your works, Yhwh!" We are reminded throughout the scriptures that people who do not entrust their own work to Yhwh can never rest. Their concern is for the work of their own hands, forgetting that the work that lasts, that is praiseworthy into eternity, is the work done by Yhwh.

Psalm 90 concentric structure

I've written briefly before about Book IV of the Psalter, which echoes some of the key points in the Exodus journey, beginning with Psalm 90 which has Israel calling out for redemption.

There are some fascinating little structural things going on here, but the journey of the psalm begins as a prayer of Moses to the God who has created all things (1-2). His enduring power in creation is in contrast to the fleetingness of people who come from and return to dust, much like the grass which is there in the morning but by evening is withered and is no more (3-6). At the centre of the psalm there is a triple pattern of God's anger contrasted with what that means for people (7/8, 9/10, 11/12). The cry to Yhwh is that he might relent and have compassion on his servants, that they might not be like grass which withers but be infused with his kindness to last through the days and years of life (13-16). Finally the prayer concludes with the hope that the goodness of God would similarly infuse the work of his people, that the work of their hands might last (17).

This psalm results in a pleasing concentric structure as follows:

A The Lord our God is creator and sustainer of all (1–2)

B He returns (שׁוב) people to dust—like grass in the morning (בבקר) (3–6)

C¹ Your anger (אף) and indignation (חמה) consumes (כלה) our days
in the context of our sin and iniquity (עון) (7–8)

C² Your wrath (עבר) consumes (כלה) our years
in our days of trouble and disaster (און) (9–10)

C³ Your anger (אף) and your wrath (עבר)
should teach us to count our days and be wise (11–12)

B` A plea that Yhwh might soon return (שׁוב) blessing to us—strengthen us in the morning (בבקר) (13–16)

A` May the Lord our God establish our work (17)

There are some clear indications in the text that the psalm should be read in this way, for example with the repeated vocabulary and alternating pattern in vv7-12, the words "Lord" and "God" only in vv1-2, 17, and the words "return" and "in the morning" in vv3-6, 13-16.

Read as the first Exodus psalm this tells a story of a people who are struggling in their conditions to see any purpose in what they do. They recognise that their suffering has something to do with their sin, but entrust themselves to the God who has been faithful for all generations to turn vanity into purpose.

Exodus Collection Psalms 90-106

Book IV could be summarised as the Exodus collection, as they reference key events in the Psalms as follows:

Exodus 1-2 (calling out in affliction)	Ps 90.0, 13-17 (by Moses)
Exodus 3-12 (Plagues)	Ps 91.3-4, 11
Exodus 13.3 (brought out of land of slavery)	Ps 92.9
Exodus 14-15 (crossing of the sea)	Ps 93.3-4
Review of the story so far	Ps 94 (vibe)
Exodus 15.20-21 (Miriam's song of joy by the sea)	Ps 95.1-7
Exodus 17.7 (testing and strife / Massah and Meribah)	Ps 95.8-11
Exodus 24 (sacrifice; glory appears)	Ps 99.6-7
Exodus 34.6 (Yhwh, Yhwh, gracious & merciful)	Ps 103 Yhwh Gracious & merciful
Whole story positively	Ps 105
Whole story negatively	Ps 106

Summarised from Michael Wilcock's Bible Speaks Today Ps 73-150

I put this down because I was working through Psalm 95, where God is the Rock of Salvation.

I hadn't thought much of the link until i then read 1 Corinthians 10.1-4:

1 Corinthians 10 1 For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. 2 They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3 They all ate the same spiritual food 4 and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.

All this together makes me rethink what it for Ps 95.1 to talk about the Rock of our Salvation. Originally I thought it was a general reference to God as a rock - a very common metaphor. But from the macro-structure of Book IV of the Psalms, I now think it's a specific reference to the rock in the desert, when the people were complaining, God instructed Moses to strike it with his staff and water came out for the people to drink.

1 Cor 10.4 tells us the rock was Christ, the living water which sustained God's people in the wilderness. So it is appropriate that we call upon our rock, our firm foundation, who sustained his people in the desert, and sustains us now with the living water, which fully satisfies.

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?

honour your parents?

at first glance, i would think my parents would be happy with this post.
on second, they might be a little upset by the photos proving a) i wear my beanie better than my dad, and b) my mother has a perpetual fear that the carnations may try to eat her.
on third glance, they would stop reading this, because Oliver O'Donovan* has made me rethink the 5th commandment.

Honour your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land the LORD your God gives you.
Exodus 20:12

up until now, i'd always understood this being as being directed to children (my parents loved to quote this one at my sister), it being about respecting your parents, giving them their due honour.
but as O'Donovan argues, this is actually a commandment directed at parents.
They have a duty, he says, to sustain this act of cultural transmission, as learned by their parents, and their parents before them. The role of children in this society is not then to be obedient, but rather it is the parents' to teach their children what it is to be obedient.

Funny things you learn from your mama,
like the way to throw your head back when your swallowing pills
Funny things you learn from your papa,
like when you're talking you just can't keep your hands still
Ben Harper, Burn to Shine

indeed there are always things we learn from our parents, both good and bad. but, generally speaking, they did their best, to install in us what they felt was important. and this not necessarily for their sake, so they could boast in us, but for our sake, and for continuity's sake.

i am always impressed by the way my parents have worked at obeying this commandment, as they taught, instructed, and modelled to me. i am also impressed at the way they redeemed, where they needed, what was flawed that they learned from their parents.

Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness.
Hebrews 12:9-10

as Christians, there is much we learn from our earthly parents, but what we most learn as of most importance, and pass on as of utmost importance, is what we learn from our heavenly father. to pass this on to the next generation, that they may fear the Lord their God, who brought them out of Egypt, out of slavery to the Lord of this world, and promises them an inheritance that will not rot or waste away, is what every generation needs to know from their parents. and in that, your parents, and God, are honoured.

* in his book, Common Objects of Love

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

the shapely redemption

1st bible study on exodus tonight, 1st sermon last sunday

one thing i noticed was the similarity to romans 5, the opening up and narrowing and reopening of sin and salvation:

Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.(5:18-19)

in and up to the book of Exodus you have a similar thing, the openness to a bottleneck and then the broad inclusiveness:
--> the broadness of blessing all creation
--> blessing of Israel and family
--> blessing of Joseph
--> oppression of Israel
--> oppression of Moses
--> redemption of Moses
--> Redemption of Israel
--> Redemption of all creation

makes you think of a coke bottle... or an hourglass... and bad american day-time soaps...