Read Psalm
109-111 & Romans
16
To discover:
As you read consider what
we learn of Christ.
To ponder:
In Psalm 109 David
prays for justice against those who deceitfully accuse him, repaying his
friendship with evil (109v1-5). The call for God not to remain “silent” is
probably for him to speak in judgement, as David asks God to “appoint” an evil
man to do to the same to his enemy – accusing him (109v6-7) so that he is found
guilty. The enemy’s prayers would no doubt “condemn” him because of their
hypocrisy. In what follows David asks much more that seems harsh to us, but
should be read as a poetic way of expressing a desire for justice against
someone who has opposed God’s anointed king (109v8-15). God does occasionally
judge households for serious sin in the sorts of ways David asks (see 1 Sam
2v30-34). His first request is that another take his enemy’s place of
leadership. The apostles saw instruction here for how to follow Judas’ betrayal
of Jesus (Acts 1v20), once more seeing David’s experience as a pattern for
Christ’s. David then prays that his enemy would die, leaving his children
fatherless and his wife a widow. He even asks that those children would be
homeless beggars because his enemy’s assets are seized or plundered. He goes on
to pray that no-one would show kindness to him or his children, that he would
have no descendents beyond the next generation, and that his parents’ memory
would be cut off by God in remembering their sin. The reason for such serious
punishment is that the man in question never acted kindly and oppressed the
needy, even to death. He also loved to curse, which David prays would come back
on him – covering him (109v16-20). By contrast, David prays God’s loving
deliverance for himself, noting how his heart hurts and how thin he is from
fasting (109v21-25). Moreover, he wants his accusers to know it is God who has
delivered him, so they will be disgraced at their actions (109v26-29). He ends
committing himself to praising God in the assembly of the people because he
stands at the right hand of the needy – ie. is ready to act to save them
(109v30-31).
Christ was delivered in his
resurrection to the shame of those who opposed and crucified him; and at our
resurrection, our opponents will be disgraced. However, on Christ’s model any
right prayer for justice against such people should be tempered also with
prayer that God would bless them by bringing them to repentance.
Jesus himself taught from Psalm 110
that he was greater than David and any Davidic descendent, as David spoke of
the one in whom God’s promise to him would be fulfilled as his “Lord” (110v1,
Matt 22v41-46). In the psalm God grants this king a seat at his right hand, so
sharing his authority and power, superior to all men and angels (Heb 1v13).
Moreover, God himself promises to make all his enemies his footstool, which is
to give him victory and place them under his rule, centred upon Zion
(110v1-2). This is a picture of the enthronement of Christ at his ascension
(Heb 1v3). 110v3 pictures troops willingly giving him their allegiance, and
themselves somehow awesomely dressed in holy majesty – just as, since Christ’s
enthronement, Christians fight with him against the devil and all evil, whilst
sharing in his glory. But the king David speaks of is a priest too, like
Melchizedek, who ruled in Jerusalem ,
was honoured by Abraham himself, was not of the levitical line, and
mysteriously had no birth or death recorded (Gen 14v18-20, Heb 4v14-7v28). This
fulfils God’s promise of a Davidic king to rule both his temple and kingdom (1
Chr 17v14), not only bringing people to obey God, but ensuring full atonement
from sin so that the kingdom they comprise is never lost as Israel’s was. Here,
being at God’s right hand enables Christ to speak in his people’s defence.
The psalm ends with God and this
Messianic king defeating the enemies as promised in verse 1. It is a picture of
the day of judgement and wrath in which kings, nations and rulers will be
crushed, and Christ will be refreshed and strengthened to complete this work
(110v5-7, Rev 19v11-21). The psalm should reassure us of Christ’s sufficiency
to fulfil God’s promises and his final victory over all evil.
Psalm 111 is an acrostic, where each
stanza begins with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet, stressing a
single theme. The psalmist commits to extolling (or praising) God in the
worshipping assembly for his works and righteousness that are pondered by all
who delight in them, and that he has caused to be remembered – now in scripture
(111v1-4). Israel ’s
history is then recounted in reverse: So God’s grace and compassion are seen in
providing food for those who fear him, and remembering his covenant promises
(presumably to bless such people). His power, and his faithfulness and justice
(presumably with respect to his covenant commitments) is seen in his giving Israel
their land and his trustworthy precepts (laws) to obey in faithfulness and
uprightness. And above all, his awesome holiness is seen in redeeming the
people from Egypt
and entering into the covenant with them (111v5-9). In each section, the words
“for ever” show that God’s faithfulness to this covenant is the dominant theme
that is displayed throughout Israel ’s
history. And in the light of it, wisdom is to fear God and obey his precepts,
so benefiting from his covenant commitments (111v10). We are urged then to
remember these things too, but noting God’s covenant faithfulness is ultimately
displayed by sending Christ to redeem us from sin, write his law on our hearts
and watch over our needs. True wisdom is to revere and obey him (Matt 7v24-27).
Praying
it home:
Praise God that
Christ is sufficient to fulfil all his promises and judge all evil. Pray that
you would be wise in always revering and obeying him.
Thinking
further:
None
today.
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