The God Pronoun

This summer, as I study and write about the Psalms, I am routinely faced with the question, "What pronoun does one use for God?"

This is not a simple question.  In current US culture, the question carries a lot of baggage. Some see the use of pronouns as a litmus test for one's beliefs about the role of women, feminism, and one's support for women in general.  Others see, in the use of various pronouns, a statement about "conservative tradition" versus "progressive liberalism."  

If I use a male pronoun ("he", "him") for God, I am presumably supporting a patriarchal religious view that is inherently sexist.  If I use a female pronoun ("she", "her") for God, I am promoting a Mother Earth/Gaia view of creation and abandoning orthodox Christianity altogether.  And if I use a neuter pronoun ("it"), I am suggesting that God is an impersonal force, presumably similar to the divine Force of the Star Wars universe.

Let me seek to ignore all this baggage and address the gender of God.  In the Jewish and Christian scriptures, God is clearly neither male nor female.   Gender is a creation of God's, built into the human race as a part of God's creation of human beings.  Genesis 1:27 makes this clear:

So God created mankind in his own image,
    in the image of God he created them;
    male and female he created them.

Note that this translation, from Hebrew into English, translates the Hebrew male pronoun into an English one ("he", "his".)  But the Hebrew writer of this passage is faced with the same problem I have, since this passage clearly state that male and female are both created in God's image and so both men and women reflect attributes of God.

There are other places where one might be tempted to view God as female.  The mother bird metaphor is common in Scripture for God.  It appears in Psalm 17 and other psalms. Boaz uses the metaphor in Ruth 2:12 in his first meeting with Ruth.  Psalm 123 has a different metaphor:

As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master,
    as the eyes of a female slave look to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the Lord our God,
    till she shows us her mercy.
Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us,
    for we have endured no end of contempt.

In the New Testament, in Luke 13:34, Jesus calls himself a mother hen, desiring to gather Israel under her wing,   (A parallel passage occurs in Matthew 23:37.)

Again in the New Testament, as Paul elaborates on the unity of the church, as he invites Gentiles too to follow Jesus, and says (Galatians 3:28):

There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

There is NO good pronoun for God. God is neither male nor female.  But the neuter "it", at least in English, carries an obvious implication that God is impersonal (since most neuter objects, in English, are indeed impersonal.)  As I read the Psalms, which emphasize the personal aspect of God, I can't see referring to God as "It".

There is no good answer.

So, I've given up on trying to have a consistent pronoun.  Sometimes I use "He", sometimes "She", sometimes "He/She".  In other cases I try to avoid pronouns all together and just keep writing "God."

Maybe "God" is the best pronoun for God?

Psalm 19, The Stars Speak Out & the Law Agrees

For the director of music. A psalm of David.


19:1-4a
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.
There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. 
Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.

As in Psalm 8, the shepherd who has spent nights looking at the dark night sky, expresses awe at God's creation.  In these first four verses, God's work is evident in nature; in nature God "displays knowledge."

The exact rendering of the Hebrew in verse 4 varies across the ancient documents.  According to the NIV translation, the Septuagint, Jerome translation and Peshitta Syriac manuscripts have the word for "line" instead of "voice" in that verse.  The meaning is, however, unchanged.

19:4b-6
In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course.  It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat.

The sun is an example of God's creative work.  Some commentators see an echo of a pagan sun god myth; if so, David's pointedly describes the sun as a representative piece of God's creation.

19:7-9
The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. 

The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.

The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart.  
The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.

The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. 
The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous.

Suddenly, in verse 7 ("The Law of the Lord is perfect...") we have a sharp change, so sharp that some suggest this is the beginning of a new psalm. But most likely, David's awe of the heavens leads him to examine his heart and to describe what he has learned about God.  As a Jew, he sees the Old Testament teachings ("Law") as a rich guide to joyful and successful living.

19:10-11
They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; 
they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb.  
By them is your servant warned; 
in keeping them there is great reward.

God's word, applied by the servants of God, leads to "sweet" reward.

In the New Testament, Paul echoes this, arguing that there are two "voices" of God, the external general revelation of creation and the divine revelation of God's teaching.

In Romans 1:18-20, Paul argues that God's creation is visible to all and so all are accountable to God. In Romans 3:19-26 Paul argues that the Law (this "second voice") has brought, to the Jew, an understanding of sin and of a need for salvation.  (Compare Paul's reaction to the Law and David's reaction here in this psalm.)

19:12-13
Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults.

Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. 
Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression.

Now a period of self-examination.

19:14
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

This last verse is worth memorizing....

Another "nature lesson" occurs in Job chapters 38-41 where God challenges Job to match His creativity and power.  Read Job 38.  (I love this passage!)

For next time: Read Psalm 20.  What does this ancient king of Israel rely on, as he goes into battle?

I will post on Psalm 20 on Wednesday, July 1, 2015.  Prior to that, I will also post an essay on "The God Pronoun", on the difficulty of finding an appropriate pronoun to use for God(!)

Psalm 18, Smoke and Consuming Fire!*

For the director of music. Of David the servant of the LORD. He sang to the LORD the words of this song when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said:

A version of this psalm (an earlier draft?) appears in II Samuel 22 with the same historical prelude.

18:1-3
I love you, O LORD, my strength.

The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; 
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. 
He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies.

The first verse does not appear in the passage in II Samuel.  It is a rare statement for David, very passionate, ecstatic.

In verse 2, "horn" is a metaphor for strength.  Some of the phrasing in verses 2 and 3 alludes to past events in David's conflict with Saul, including I Sam 23:25-28 where David experiences a miraculous escape from Saul's army.

18:4-6
The cords of death entangled me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me.
In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help. 
From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears.

David describes his past despair and closeness with death.  Swallowed up by death and destruction, David is astounded and delighted when God lifts him up.

This is a long psalm of ecstatic  praise, different from any of the earlier psalms.  David has prayed to and petitioned God.  Now, dramatically, God has answered.  And David goes wild with praise.  The passage that follows dramatically describes David's perception of God.

Kidner suggests that there are echoes of the Song of Moses (Deuteronomy 32), another Old Testament hero who had a covenant with God.

18:7-15
The earth trembled and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains shook; 
they trembled because he was angry.
Smoke rose from his nostrils; 

consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it.

He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet.

He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind.

He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him—the dark rain clouds of the sky.

Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced, with hailstones and bolts of lightning.

The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded. 

He shot his arrows and scattered [the enemies], great bolts of lightning and routed them.

The valleys of the sea were exposed and the foundations of the earth laid bare at your rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of breath from your nostrils.

This dramatic theophany echoes the appearance of God at Mt. Sinai in Exodus 19:18 and Ezekiel's vision of God in Ezekiel 1:4.  The appearance is vivid, frightening, otherworldly.  In all of this God is viewed as the Creator, in control of all Nature.

18:16-19
He reached down from on high and took hold of me; 
he drew me out of deep waters.
He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me.
They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the LORD was my support.
He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.

David's vision of God turns personal.  Not only is God the YAHWEH of Mt. Sinai, but also a personal savior, who has intervened in David's life.
Note David's claim that God "delighted in me"!

Saul's many attempts to kill David are described in I Samuel 19-31.  Especially interesting passages are:

• I Samuel 18:5-9 where we see that the attacks are motivated by jealousy.
• I Samuel 19, where the first attacks occur, and David makes a covenant with Jonathan.
• I Samuel 22:18-23 where Saul slaughters a village which harbored David.
• I Samuel chapters 24 and 26 where David twice abstains from killing Saul, despite having perfect opportunities.

It is not surprising that David is ecstatic about escaping from Saul!

18:20-24
The LORD has dealt with me according to my righteousness; 
according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me.
For I have kept the ways of the LORD; 
I have not done evil by turning from my God.
All his laws are before me; 
I have not turned away from his decrees.
I have been blameless before him and have kept myself from sin.
The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.

To the New Testament sinner, saved by the sacrificial grace of Jesus, this insistence on righteousness may seem strange.  But David, in the Old Testament view of justice, has submitted to God's laws and been eager in following God.

It is unlikely that David could say this so confidently after his disastrous affair with Bathsheba and the national scandal that followed.

18:25-28
To the faithful you show yourself faithful, 

to the blameless you show yourself blameless,

to the pure you show yourself pure, 
but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd.

You save the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.

You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.

In verses 25-26, God's actions are seen as reactions to those of others.  God is faithful to the faithful, pure to the pure, etc.  To those who are crooked and devious, God is "shrewd" (or "deals in twists".)

The word translated "faithful" in verse 25 is hasid, says Kidner, often translated "loyal".  It is closely related to hesed ("steadfast love"), the covenantal love between committed partners.  A version of the word appears in Psalms 17:7.  (See, for example, the book of Ruth, for a beautiful picture of "hesed"! That's my suggestion, not Kidner's!)

18:29
With your help I can advance against a troop; 
with my God I can scale a wall.

Psalms commentator Derek Kidner sees here (and in verse 33) a reference to fighting on foot, typical of David, prior to the application of the battle chariot in the time of Solomon.

18:30-35
As for God, his way is perfect; 
the word of the LORD is flawless. 
He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.

For who is God besides the LORD? 
And who is the Rock except our God?

It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.
He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; 
he enables me to stand on the heights.
He trains my hands for battle; 
my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
You give me your shield of victory, 
and your right hand sustains me; 
you stoop down to make me great.

The all-powerful Creator "stoops" to work with David.


18:36-42
You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn.
I pursued my enemies and overtook them; 
I did not turn back till they were destroyed.
I crushed them so that they could not rise; 
they fell beneath my feet.
You armed me with strength for battle;
you made my adversaries bow at my feet.
You made my enemies turn their backs in flight, and I destroyed my foes.
They cried for help, but there was no one to save them—to the LORD, but he did not answer.
I beat them as fine as dust borne on the wind; 
I poured them out like mud in the streets.

Kidner says that the Hebrew verbs in verses 37-45 are mostly in the inperfect tense, showing actions which are continuing or which are not yet completed.

18:43-49
You have delivered me from the attacks of the people; 
you have made me the head of nations; people I did not know are subject to me.

As soon as they hear me, they obey me; foreigners cringe before me.

 They all lose heart; they come trembling from their strongholds.

The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God my Savior!
He is the God who avenges me, who subdues nations under me,
who saves me from my enemies. 
You exalted me above my foes; from violent men you rescued me.
Therefore I will praise you among the nations, O LORD; I will sing praises to your name.

And a final summary verse:
18:50
He gives his king great victories; he shows unfailing kindness to his anointed, to David and his descendants forever.

Some see this verse as evidence that the psalm was really written by (or for) a descendant of David but Kidner points out that David relied on a covenantal promise that his descendants would be the rulers of Israel for all time.

The apostle Paul in the New Testament (eg. Romans 15:9 where verse 49 is repeated) sees this psalm as speaking of the Jewish Messiah.  Christian writers ever since have agreed that this psalm, like Psalm 2, has messianic overtones.  After all, if this psalm emphasizes David enjoyment of the covenant promised by YAHWEH, how much more closely must it describe David's ultimate descendant, Jesus?

Paul uses verse 49 as evidence that even the Gentiles ("among the nations") are invited to praise the God of the Jewish people.

For next time: Read Psalm 19.

The psalm has two parts.  What are they?  Summarize the psalm in two to four words.

In Romans 1:18-20, Paul argues about God's creation.  How does this passage expand on the message of Psalm 19:1-6?  Paul continues his analysis of God's creation and His law, in Romans 1-3.  What does Romans 3:19-26 say about the teaching of the Law?  Now look again at verses 12 & 13 of Psalm 19.  Does this agree/disagree with Romans 3?

I will post on Psalm 19 on Sunday, June 28, 2015.

Psalm 17, Apple of God's Eye

A prayer of David.

Hear, O LORD, my righteous plea; listen to my cry. 
Give ear to my prayer-- it does not rise from deceitful lips.

May my vindication come from you; may your eyes see what is right.

Though you probe my heart and examine me at night, 
though you test me, you will find nothing; 
I have resolved that my mouth will not sin.

As typical of David's view (and the Old Testament view) of justice, David claims innocence before the judge and asks for a right ruling.  He has sought to be honest and to not sin in his speech.

As for the deeds of men-- by the word of your lips I have kept myself from the ways of the violent.
My steps have held to your paths; my feet have not slipped.
I call on you, O God, for you will answer me; give ear to me and hear my prayer.
Show the wonder of your great love, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes.

Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings

from the wicked who assail me, from my mortal enemies who surround me.

In verses 4 to 9, in addition to honesty and good actions, David has taken refuge in the Almighty. Several metaphors are used -- "apple" is a euphemism for "pupil" and so David claims to be in the very center of God's focus.  Presumably the Creator of a universe of billions of stars (and billions of galaxies!) has no trouble focusing on David at the same time.

Verse 9 has two metaphors.  Quickly on the heels of the "apple" phrase, David turns God into a mother bird spreading her wings over her chicks.  Both metaphors appear in the Song of Moses, in Deuteronomy 32:10-11.  David echoes that psalm of Moses.

The mother bird metaphor is common in Scripture.  Boaz uses it in Ruth 2:12 in his first meeting with Ruth.  Jesus calls himself a mother hen, desiring to gather Israel under his wing, in Luke 13:34.  (A parallel passage occurs in Matthew 23:37.)

In verses 8-9, David asks that God "keep" him as the "apple" of God's eye, as if David is aware that, so far, he has been loved and protected by God but David fears that might not continue!  In the prelude to these requests, David has tried to build up an argument (verses 1-7) that he, David, has been calling on God all along.

Once David's thoughts turn, briefly, to the wicked, to his enemies, he is off on a tangent, now bringing his complaints to God in verses 10-12:

They close up their callous hearts, and their mouths speak with arrogance.
They have tracked me down, they now surround me, with eyes alert, to throw me to the ground.
They are like a lion hungry for prey, like a great lion crouching in cover.

The wicked are not just dishonest but arrogant and aggressive.  They seek out victims, like "a lion hungry for prey".

Rise up, O LORD, confront them, bring them down; rescue me from the wicked by your sword.
O LORD, by your hand save me from such men, from men of this world whose reward is in this life. You still the hunger of those you cherish; their sons have plenty, and they store up wealth for their children.

And I--in righteousness I will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.

In verse 14, David describes people whose reward is (merely) "in this life".  Jesus speaks of these same people in Matthew 6:5 and Matthew 6:19-21 where he condemns the religious hypocrite.  James has a similar warning about the purely earthly life in James 1:9-11.

What does verse 15 mean?  Is it awaking in the morning? or after death?

For next time: Read Psalm 18.  
How is that psalm so different from those we have been reading to this point?  Why?

I will post on Psalm 18 on Friday, June 26, 2015.

Psalm 16, "Boundary Lines" & the Path of Life

A miktam of David.

The Hebrew word "miktam" is obscure.  Some Hebrew scholars suggest it means "covering" and that this would refer to one lips, in other words, a miktam might be a private, silent prayer.  Or this might be a musical term: a "covering" might refer to a metal covering for a cymbal or some type of drum.

Keep me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge.

I said to the LORD, "You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing."

As for the saints who are in the land, they are the glorious ones in whom is all my delight.

God and the Community of God are the delights of David.

The sorrows of those will increase who run after other gods.  
I will not pour out their libations of blood or take up their names on my lips.

An Old Testament concept: David is committed to the one God, YAHWEH; David will not in any way associate with other gods or idols.  He will not pour out their blood drinks or mention their names.  This concept is foreign to us in the twenty-first century.  But then we have our own idols....

LORD, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure.

The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.

Instead of "running after other gods", David is pleased that God's gifts.  The possessions given to him have been pleasant and delightful.  There is an implication of guidance and wisdom in the giving.

I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me.

I have set the LORD always before me. 
Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure,

because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.

God provides guidance, counsel, instruction.  Because of this guidance, David knows he is not abandoned.  Note the emphasis "even at night"!  Even when David is tired and weary, his "heart" instructs him, as part of God's counsel.

Verse 10, including the phrase "nor will you let your Holy One see decay", is quoted in the New Testament, in Acts 2:25-28 by Peter, with a Messianic view.  Peter equates the "Holy One" here with the Jewish Messiah, although the Hebrew would apparently allow that phrase to apply to a more generic "righteous one" like David.  Paul, with the New Testament interpretation of this verse, quotes it in an early sermon, in Acts 13:35, early in his first missionary journey, visiting a synagogue in southern Turkey.

You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

Again the emphasis on guidance an direction.  David has been able to see the "path of life" and following it, he has had joy in God's presence.

Comparing this psalm with other Bible passages:

Compare verses 7-8 of Psalm 16 with Joshua's statement in Joshua 1:8-9.  Both passages have a decision and a promise.

Also look at the Shema, Deuteronomy 6: 4-9.  What does Moses say to meditate on?  And how often?

For next time: Read Psalm 17.

    Do you think David is really as righteous as he claims in verses 1-5?  Does he really have the right to make these claims before God?  How is the beginning of this psalm different than the beginning of the some of the other ones before it?

    What is David's request in verses 8-9?

    "Apple" is a euphemism for "pupil".  What does it mean to be the "apple of God's eye"?
    Why does it take so long for David to get around to making these requests (in verses 8-9)?

    What does David mean in the last verse when he says, "When I awake…"?

I will post on Psalm 17 on Wednesday, June 24, 2015.

Psalm 15, Who Can Dwell With God?

A psalm of David.

LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill?

This psalm is reminiscent of Old Testament Proverbs and also the first psalm.  It asks a "wisdom" question: "Who can walk with God?"  Who can really be involved in a relationship with the Almighty?  (In New Testament terms, what is the citizenship of the Kingdom of God? of Heaven?

The answer is:

He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, 
who speaks the truth from his heart and has no slander on his tongue, 

who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman,

who despises a vile man but honors those who fear the LORD, 
who keeps his oath even when it hurts,

who lends his money without usury and does not accept a bribe against the innocent.

In summary, a relationship with God requires blameless action, speaking truth, right action with ones neighbor, passionate opposition to injustice, promise keeping, lending without greed.

There is one final verse. The reward was walking in God presence, like the actions, is strong and unequivocal.

He who does these things will never be shaken.

The answer has the simplicity of the Old Testament wisdom literature, concentrating on two options and two outcomes.  There is no ambiguity or complexity here.

Let's compare this psalm with other similar Bible passages.
Read Matthew 22: 36-40.  Which of the two commandments is being stressed in this psalm?

Read II Samuel 6: 1-19.  What does this event say about being in God's presence?

The New Testament has an updated understanding of the location of God's temple and God's presence -- Read I Corinthians 3:16-17.

What is God's plan for his citizens?  Read I Peter 2: 4-12 for the New Testament viewpoint.

Hebrews 11: 1-16 also describes citizens of God's country.

For next time: Read Psalm 16.

     What is the main theme of that psalm?  (Can you summarize the psalm in two to four words?)

     Compare verses 7-8 of Psalm 16 with Joshua's statement in Joshua 1:8-9.  Both passages have a decision and a promise.

I will post on Psalm 16 on Monday, June 22, 2015.

Psalm 14, The Fool (& Corruption)

For the director of music. Of David.

The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.
The LORD looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.
All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.

The Hebrew word (nabal?) translated "fool", indicates an assertive defiance, says Kidner.  Alter translates it as "scoundrel."   The first verse is not a statement about intellectual ability but about arrogance.  (The NIV footnote says, "The Hebrew words rendered fool in Psalms denote one who is morally deficient.")

Note the strong contrast between the confident, even scolding, opening of this psalm and the first verse of the previous psalm, Psalm 13!

Verse 3 is quoted in Romans 3:12.  In that passage (Romans 3:10-18) Paul argues that this is a trait common to all humanity.  As a result of the fall, all humanity (including people hiding within religious activities!) are seeking their own power and control.

Will evildoers never learn-- those who devour my people as men eat bread and who do not call on the LORD?

There they are, overwhelmed with dread, for God is present in the company of the righteous.

You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor, but the LORD is their refuge.

As in many psalms (and much of the Old Testament) there is an emphasis on justice, on defending the oppressed.  David angrily denounces those who, in their arrogance, "devour" his people.  God will act, says David!

I am reminded of an old phrase, used in rural Russia and, at one point, in Alaska: "God is in His heaven and the Tsar is far away."  In other words, all authority is far away and we can act without fear of consequence or punishment.  David's words are intended to confront this belief.

Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the LORD restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!

What does the term "salvation" mean in verse 7?  (It is much more general than the evangelistic "salvation" of Christian circles!)

Since David is concerned about justice, he is also concerned about Israel.  Like many psalms, this ends with a turn towards national concerns.  (This is an Old Testament concept, not a New Testament one.  David was eventually king of Israel and could mix concerns for "God's people" with concerns for his personal safety.)

Note: this psalm is repeated as psalm 53, with minor differences around verse 5 and 6.

For next time, read Psalm 15.   Here are some questions on Psalm 15:

     List the attributes of the godly person according to this psalm.

     Why are these attributes important?  Do any surprise you?

     Do you believe the last sentence?  (Don't the righteous suffer?)

     Do you see in this psalm the "two commandments" of Jesus (Matthew 22: 36-40)

I will post on Psalm 15 on Sunday, June 21, 2015.

Psalm 13, How Lonnnng?

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? 
How long will you hide your face from me?

How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? 
How long will my enemy triumph over me?

The repetition of "How long" emphasizes David's despair.  David has prayed and God is silent.  David has wrestled with his thoughts and endure sorrow.  Yet the enemy seem stronger every day.  Why is God silent?

A friend asks about what to do when God is silent and does not answer.  I have no real answer beyond this psalm, for this too is David's lament.  How long must I wait?  How long must I wrestle with my thoughts?

 Look on me and answer, O LORD my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death;

 my enemy will say, "I have overcome him," and my foes will rejoice when I fall.

Why does David talk about death in verses 3 & 4?  What does God gain  by keeping David alive?  (As in other psalms, I find a hint of negotiation.)

David wants to have energetic, eager eyes, lit up by life, instead of the dark unfocused eyes of death.  And it is not just death that David fears, but that his enemies will take pleasure in David's death!

 But I trust in your unfailing love; 
my heart rejoices in your salvation.

 I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me.

Then there is resolution.  David will trust, rejoice, sing.  Note the contrast between the "foes" rejoicing in verse 4 and David's rejoicing in verse 5.  The enemy rejoices at David's defeat (death?) but David rejoices that God has saved him from defeat.

Some see a covenantal emphasis in "unfailing love", that this phrase echoes a promise of God to stay with David, a promise described in 2 Samuel 7.

Summary.  This psalm, like 11, is a classic psalm of supplication.  It begins with a plea and a complaint.  David is free to express himself to God, without focusing on "respect" or religious phrases.  After the desperate plea, there is a set of verses in which David elaborates on his prayer and his despair.  And then there is resolution.  In some psalms, David appears to get some type of direct reassurance that God has responded.  Here David may have simply made a decision.  He recalls God's promises and rejoices in them, moving on in trust.

For next time: Read Psalm 14.

Questions from that psalm:

Verse 1 is often quoted.  How does this first verse differ from the first verse in Psalm 13?
The point of verse 1 is not that the agnostic or atheist is a fool.  What is the idea of the opening line?

The tone of this psalm is different than earlier ones –  in what way does the attitude of this psalm differ from psalm 13?

What does the term "salvation" mean in verse 7?  (Is it salvation from hell?  Or something else?)

Verses 1 and 3 are quoted elsewhere; 3 is quoted in Romans 3:12

I will post on Psalm 14 on Friday, June 19, 2015.

Psalm 12, The Arrogance of the Wicked!

For the director of music. According to sheminith. A psalm of David.

Of course, we don't really know the meaning of "sheminith"; it is most likely a musical term.

Help, LORD, for the godly are no more; the faithful have vanished from among men.
Everyone lies to his neighbor; their flattering lips speak with deception.

This psalm follows a thread from Psalm 11 and elaborates on it.  It is a specific case of "The Problem of Evil".  How can a just and sovereign God allow evil?  For David, the evil here is personal.  He is likely the target of the lies and deception.  So David's question is, "God, how can you allow such evil to happen to me?"

The success of evil has apparently led "everyone" to practice it.  No one is "godly" or "faithful"!  David feels alone, abandoned.

May the LORD cut off all flattering lips and every boastful tongue
that says, "We will triumph with our tongues; we own our lips --who is our master?"

James elaborates on this concept in a series of proverbs in his New Testament letter.  See James 3:1-12 regarding our inability to "tame the tongue".

"Because of the oppression of the weak and the groaning of the needy, I will now arise," says the LORD. "I will protect them from those who malign them."
And the words of the LORD are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times.

As in most of David's songs, there is resolution at the end.  He eventually hears an answer from God, who promises to "arise".  God will protect the weak.

In some way this is linked to God's "words"; I think the meaning here is that if God says that He/She will arise, then those actions will indeed be done.

The psalms of David have a repeated emphasis on social justice.  This is, apparently, a major characteristic of God.  The Jewish leader -- or any citizen of the kingdom of God -- should have similar concerns for justice!

O LORD, you will keep us safe and protect us from such people forever.

The wicked freely strut about when what is vile is honored among men.

I have old notes which say to read II Samuel 23, where we see David's last psalm.

Note how the psalm ends in verse 8?  Is this verse a positive or negative statement?  Is this the ending you would have expected?  (Verse 8, "The wicked freely strut", may be a proverb of David's day, which David is repeating.)

Embedded in the problem of evil is a secondary question: If God eventually deals with evil and injustice, why is God's action so slow?

For next time: Read Psalm 13.  Questions from Psalm 13:

    Does this psalm begin with a positive praise or a negative lament? What, in verse 1, is David's question (or plea) to God?

    With what does David wrestle in verse 2?  Why do you think he does this – what thoughts, in particular, does he battle?

    Why does David talk about death in verses 3 & 4?  What does God gain  by keeping David alive?

I will post on Psalm 13 on Wednesday, June 17, 2015.

Psalm 11, The Davidic Refrain

For the director of music. Of David.

This header probably means that the psalm is written by David, but the interpretation "for David" is also possible.

In the LORD I take refuge.

This is David's theme, for this psalm, and throughout the psalms.

How then can you say to me: "Flee like a bird to your mountain.

For look, the wicked bend their bows; they set their arrows against the strings to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart.

When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?"

In contrast to the theme, David, in the first three verses, is given panicky advice.  "Flee, bird, to the mountains!"  The world is in ruin, "what can the righteous do?" (Or, an alternate translation: "What is the Righteous One doing?")

There are always people who forecasting disaster and ruin.  Here David is warned that the wicked are lurking in the gloom, in the dark shadows, to fire on the upright.

The individuals warning about the power and deceit of "the wicked" presumably claim some type of moral high ground.  It is, presumably, other "righteous" people who are saying, "All is lost!"

The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD is on his heavenly throne. He observes the sons of men; his eyes examine them.

The LORD examines the righteous, but the wicked and those who love violence his soul hates.

On the wicked he will rain fiery coals and burning sulfur; a scorching wind will be their lot.

But David calms himself and remembers that God is on his throne and the LORD is active and watching.  The "foundations" are not being destroyed if they rest on the "holy temple", ie. the presence of God.

Verse 4 is quoted by the prophet Habakkuk, who writes (Habakkuk 2:20), "The Lord is in his holy temple" and adds, "let all the earth keep silent before Him."

(What Old Testament event is David probably remembering in verse 6?  See Genesis 19:24.)

 For the LORD is righteous, he loves justice; upright men will see his face.

The psalm ends with resolution.  Calmly we are reminded: God is righteous.  Just as God sees all of humanity (verse 4), so, in reverse, the righteous will see the face of God.

We are reminded that God is at work and on the side of the "upright", opposed to injustice.  This should be very encouraging and should allow us to resist the various "apocalyptic" voices of our age. But David's psalm does not leave room for us to relax and just say, "God is in charge. It will be OK."  As other psalms and other parts of the Old & New Testaments make clear, there is an obligation to be involved in promoting justice, protecting the poor and the oppressed.  A first step is to understand that Seeking Justice is possible, that this fight is winnable.  Instead of running from injustice, we should understand that "The Lord loves justice".  Seeking and promoting justice is an important role of the citizens of God's kingdom.

For next time: Read Psalm 12.  Here are some questions on that reading:

What is David's lament in verses 1-2?

In verses 3-4, what is David's request?

In verse 5, is his request answered? Why does God react?

Note how the psalm ends in verse 8?  Is this verse a positive or negative statement?  Is this the ending you would have expected?  What does the ending of this verse say about David's struggle with evil?

I will post on Psalm 12 on Monday, June 15, 2015.

Psalm 10 (continuation of 9), Justice!

Psalms 9 and 10 appear in the old Hebrew texts as a single psalm, forming an acrostic, each stanza beginning with a different Hebrew letter.   The acrostic breaks down at the beginning of Psalm 10 and then returns towards the end of Psalm 10.  The Greek Septuagint translates this pair (from Hebrew to Greek) as a single chapter.

Psalm 10 continues the concepts of Psalm 9 and was probably a second half of one single song.  But it begins on a very different note.  (Notice that there is no heading for this psalm, another indication that it was part of Psalm 9.)

Why, O LORD, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?

In this psalm, distinct from Psalm 9, David is concerned that God does not seem to care about justice; the wicked and deceitful seem to be winning!

This first verse apparently begins with Hebrew letter lamed (says Alter), continuing the acrostic of Psalm 9, but then abandons the acrostic format until verse 12 ("Arise O Lord!"), where it picks it back up again.

In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak, who are caught in the schemes he devises.

He boasts of the cravings of his heart; he blesses the greedy and reviles the LORD.

In his pride the wicked does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.

 His ways are always prosperous; he is haughty and your laws are far from him; he sneers at all his enemies.

He says to himself, "Nothing will shake me; I'll always be happy and never have trouble."

His mouth is full of curses and lies and threats; trouble and evil are under his tongue.

He lies in wait near the villages; from ambush he murders the innocent, watching in secret for his victims.

 He lies in wait like a lion in cover; he lies in wait to catch the helpless; he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net.

 His victims are crushed, they collapse; they fall under his strength.

 He says to himself, "God has forgotten; he covers his face and never sees."

This long stanza details the arrogance of "the wicked man", characterizing him as consciously sneering at his enemies, including God.

The phrases come in pairs sometimes, but also triples (verse 3: "boasts of the cravings/ blesses the greedy/ reviles the Lord", verse 9: "lies in wait/lies in wait/catches the helpless", and verse 10: "victims are crushed/they collapse/they fall.")

Arise, LORD! Lift up your hand, O God. Do not forget the helpless.

Why does the wicked man revile God? Why does he say to himself, "He won't call me to account"?But you, O God, do see trouble and grief; you consider it to take it in hand. The victim commits himself to you; you are the helper of the fatherless.

Break the arm of the wicked and evil man; call him to account for his wickedness that would not be found out.

So David calls for God to speak and act.

The LORD is King for ever and ever; the nations will perish from his land.

You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry,

defending the fatherless and the oppressed, in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more.

Like many of David's psalms, it ends with resolution.  David is reassured that God is indeed protecting the fatherless.

Summary.
David, representative of the Jewish people of the Old Testament, knows that justice is rare and so fleas to God, pleading for righteous judgment.

Psalm 10 reminds me very much of the Christmas hymn, by Longfellow, which begins, "I heard the bells on Christmas Day, their old familiar carols play, …"  The hymn, like this psalm, also laments that the wicked seem to be strong.

Additional notes.
"Times of trouble" (verse 1) is apparently a unique Hebrew phrase, found only in 9:9 and 10:1.

For next time: Read Psalm 11.

Some questions on Psalm 11:
In that psalm, what advice is David being given?  How does he respond?

How does David's analysis in verses 4-7 reflect his decision of verse 1?

Who get to see God's face, according to the concluding verses?

I will post on Psalm 11 on Sunday, June 14, 2015.

Psalm 9 (& 10), Justice!

Psalms 9 and 10 appear in the old Hebrew texts as a single psalm, forming an acrostic, each stanza beginning with a different Hebrew letter.   The acrostic breaks down at the beginning of Psalm 10 and then returns towards the end of Psalm 10.  The Greek Septuagint translates this pair (from Hebrew to Greek) as a single chapter.

For the director of music. To [the tune of] "The Death of the Son." A psalm of David.

Presumably "The Death of the Son" was a known song of the time?  (Just as Luther took popular beer-drinking songs for his hymns ... maybe David did something similar?)  On a different tack, Alter suggests that the Hebrew laben (with consonants l-b-n and no vowels) might have originally been nevel (n-b-l), a type of lyre or harp.

I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders.

I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.

We begin with a declaration of praise.

My enemies turn back; they stumble and perish before you.

For you have upheld my right and my cause; you have sat on your throne, judging righteously.

You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked; you have blotted out their name for ever and ever.
Endless ruin has overtaken the enemy, you have uprooted their cities; even the memory of them has perished.

... and then turn to recounting things which the Righteous Judge has done in the past.  This is a mixture of praise, emphasizing God's character and past actions.

The LORD reigns forever; he has established his throne for judgment.  
He will judge the world in righteousness; he will govern the peoples with justice.  
The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.

Once again David leans on God's righteousness and interest in justice.  As C. S. Lewis points out in his essays on the psalms, the view of God as Judge and the request for Justice and Judgment is an Old Testament concept, in which a judge is the defender of the oppressed; it is before a judge that one gets their case finally heard.

I am reminded of the recent event in which a Cleveland police officer killed 12-year-old Tamir Rice. (One version of the story is here.)  City officials, in their desire to get the case before a judge, took the unprecedented step of going directly to a judge (using an obscure Ohio law) instead of the traditional route through the local prosecutor.  The officials apparently feared that the local prosecutor was too close to the police and would not be fair.  That is the Old Testament demand for a hearing before a judge!

Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.  
Sing praises to the LORD, enthroned in Zion; proclaim among the nations what he has done.  
For he who avenges blood remembers; he does not ignore the cry of the afflicted.

This plea is now a bit more personal, less historical than the previous lines.  In the next stanza it indeed becomes quite personal, as David, as an individual, gives a personal plea for justice.

Verse 12 ("he who avenges blood") looks back to Genesis 9:5-6, to God's covenant with Noah.

O LORD, see how my enemies persecute me! Have mercy and lift me up from the gates of death, that I may declare your praises in the gates of the Daughter of Zion and there rejoice in your salvation.

We now alternate between personal appeals and appeals to general justice, national justice.  David asks that, instead of being at the gates of death, he be allowed to return to the gates of Jerusalem (the Daughter of Zion) where he can praise God in public!

The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug; their feet are caught in the net they have hidden. The LORD is known by his justice; the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands. 
The wicked return to the grave, all the nations that forget God.  
But the needy will not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the afflicted ever perish.

As is common in David's songs, at the end he turns his attention to his nation.  A possible message to Israel is implied here -- that nation should be known by its justice.  (But see Nathan's chastisement of David in 2 Samuel 12!)

As in Psalm 7, David emphasizes the "reflection" of evil, how it rebounds upon the evil-doer.  A form of divine karma....

Arise, O LORD, let not man triumph; let the nations be judged in your presence.
Strike them with terror, O LORD; let the nations know they are but men.

This is a final appeal, a national one.

Summary.  New Testament readers tend to view judgment as bad, as something scary for all of us, and tend to assume the "judgment" refers to some final Day of Judgment (as in Hebrews 9:27.)  But the psalmist's view of judgment is that judgment is a good thing, a time when things are made right, when the oppressed are defended and uplifted.  In this psalm, David delights in God's protection and judgment.

For next time: Read Psalm 10.

I will post on Psalm 10 on Saturday, June 14, 2015.