Friday, December 24, 2010

Matthew 1:18-2:18: What is your choice?

Presented to the Swift Current Corps on 26 December 2010
and 23 December 2013 by Captain Michael Ramsay

Click here to read the 23 December 2013 version: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.ca/2013/12/matthew-118-218-what-is-your-choice.html

Click here to read the shorter 25 December 2014 and 26 December 2015, 614 Toronto version: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.ca/2014/12/matthew-118-218-what-is-your-choice.html
 
Click here to read the 26 December 2021 Alberni Valley version: https://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2021/12/matthew-118-218-whats-your-choice.html
   
In this passage that we have just read, Matthew’s version of the Christmas story, we are faced with three responses to the miracle of the birth of Christ, the coming of the Messiah:
1) That of Joseph (his legal father),
2) Herod (King of Judea), and
3) Some magi (astrologers, astronomers, magicians or wise men, traditionally ‘we three kings’).
I want to look a little bit today at their three different responses to the news that Jesus was to be born and the news that he was actually born.

1) Joseph[1]
First we have Joseph: Joseph is a carpenter/stone mason. He is from the tribe of Judah and – of course – a famous ancestor of note of his is King David. Matthew records for us a few things about Joseph; we are told in our text today that Joseph, verse 19, is righteous. In our world these days when we think of a righteous person… if someone were to tell you that this person that they know is righteous… if someone were to say this visitor that we have here today is a righteous woman or man, what would we think that they would be like? They would pray, read the Bible, love God and love their neighbour (cf. Luke 10:27)? All of the above probably would probably be true of them and more. This was very much what it would have meant for Joseph too. Joseph served God and to the first century Jews righteousness meant that one was very good at keeping the religious law of the day.[2]

Matthew tells us also, Verse 1:18, that Joseph is pledged to be married to a girl named Mary[3] - Now, betrothal in first century is not like it is today. When you are engaged then you are already bound. You are already considered as husband and wife and the union can only be dissolved through death or divorce[4] but before Mary and Joseph ever ‘know each other’ in the Biblical sense, before they ever come together in THAT way, Mary becomes pregnant. Imagine this scenario with me, if you will – men in particular: you are engaged, you have not had relations with your fiancĂ©e and all of a sudden you find out that she is pregnant. What would you do? What would you say? What would you feel? What would you think? What would you think and what would you do if your girlfriend to whom you are engaged becomes pregnant – and not by you? Would you still get married? Joseph, when he finds out that Mary is pregnant, is planning to call off the wedding altogether. Verse 19 says that he wants to do this quietly so as to not bring any disgrace upon Mary. He is a righteous man.

Then something happens. Joseph has a dream. He dreams about an angel and in the dream this angel tells Joseph that he should ‘take Mary home as his wife’, Verse 20, ‘because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit’. He then dreams about what to name this child and how this son will save people from even their sins. It is now that Joseph has a number of decisions to make.
1) Does he believe in visions in general and does he believe in this vision in particular?
2) Does he believe that an angel actually has spoken to him and does he believe that what this angel has told him is true?
3) And how will he respond to his belief? Will he ignore his conviction that this vision is from God and press on with the separation/divorce anyway or will he accept the commission given to him from God through a messenger in a dream? What would you do? Do you believe in your dreams?

Joseph does. Joseph is a righteous man. When Joseph awakes from his sleep, Verse 24, he does everything the angel from the Lord tells him to do including taking Mary home as his wife and not having any sexual relations with her until this child is born. This is Joseph. Joseph is a righteous man. He follows his dream. He follows God.

2) Herod[5]
The second character’s response to the news of the birth of Christ that we are looking at in our story today is Herod. Herod is not a carpenter like Joseph. Herod is a regional king. He works for the Romans and he is known throughout history as ‘Herod the Great’. Herod the Great is the political leader at this time and in this place. He is a politician of his era and as such is involved in all the political intrigue of his era in all the ways that political intrigue is carried out in his era (cf. Josephus, Bellum ii.10–13; cf. also Josephus, Antiquities xvii. 224, 229, 250, 304, 307, 340).[6] He is a king but his job is no more secure than that of a contemporary politician in a minority government and Herod defends his title and his job no less vigorously than our present day leaders: in order to secure his position Herod needs to back the right horse and defeat all his rivals (cf. Josephus, Antiquities i.358). He – like many contemporary politicians – switches his allegiances more than once as to whom he backs for Emperor – first he backs Mark Anthony’s (and Cleopatra’s) coalition government and later crosses the floor to support Octavius, a.k.a. Caesar Augustus.[7] Herod the Great is a king who left behind a good legacy of building and growth but he is also an adept politician, cruel and insecure. His title awarded to him by Caesar Augustus is Herod, King of the Jews.[8]

Imagine with me what it must have been like for him. Imagine, you have the job that you have fought hard for all your life and your job is that of ‘King of the Jews’ and these privileged academics – the Magi - come up to you and, Matthew 2:2, they ask “Where is the one who has been born King of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.” Imagine, you have the job that you have fought hard for all your life and your job is that of ‘King of the Jews’ – and you are not even a Jew by birth - and these strangers come up to you ask to meet your replacement, the new King of the Jews. How would you react?

I was a dishwasher once, for about a week as a teenager; the job didn’t go well and I didn’t get along with my co-worker and one day when I meet a friend for coffee, he is excited as he tells me that they have just hired him for a job at this same restaurant. When we talk for a while it becomes apparent that they have hired him for my job at this restaurant. That is how I found out I was going to be fired. This could be what it was like for Herod when he heard this news that a there was going to be a new king of the Jews - except that Herod actually liked the job he was doing (and probably never dunked his co-worker in a sink full of dirty water). This news that there was a new king of the Jews is a shock to him. This news is a threat to him. Current kings can be killed when new kings take over. Herod is the current king of the Jews. He hasn’t just had a son; so who is this NEW King of the Jews that has just been born? If you were Herod, what would you do? What would you say? What would you feel? What would you think?

Matthew records, 2:3, that when Herod heard this news he was disturbed and all of Jerusalem was disturbed with him. They and he immediately do their research. Herod, Verse 4, immediately calls for the ‘people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born.’ He knows that the people are waiting for a leader to deliver them. Many people are expecting a Messiah, a political leader who would deliver them from the Romans. The Romans, remember, are the Superpower of their day and they are the ones who, with their military might, are keeping King Herod in power. If they go, so probably does he. When he finds out where this Messiah, this Christ, this new king is to be born from the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law (Matthew 2:6), he calls a secret meeting with the Magi to find out when it was that this star appeared (Matthew 2:7); Herod has a plan. Verse 8, he says to the magi, “Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.” The magi did not do this – they instead, Verse 15, outwit Herod. Herod is likely scared. Herod is probably insecure. Herod is definitely, Verse 16, furious. He is determined to eliminate his would-be-rival so he sends in the troops. The military massacres male babies two years old and younger – in order to wipe out all the male children who were born there in the possible time frame that this new king of the Jews was supposed to be born. This is Herod’s reaction.

3) The MagiThe third response to the news of the coming of the King of the Jews that we are looking at this morning is that of the magi. Like we said earlier, the magi are astrologers, astronomers or wise men (cf. Daniel 2:2,10; Acts 8:9; 13:6,8). Our word ‘magic’, interestingly enough comes from the same root as ‘magi’. In Acts 13:6,8, this same word, ‘magoi’, is actually translated ‘magicians’[9]. In the Christmas story traditionally these magi are commonly known as ‘we three kings’ (ca. 225 CE Tertullian called them kings[10]). Now – of course – there is no mention as to how many of these magi there are in this story. The Bible mentions that they bring three different kinds of gifts – gold, frankincense, and myrrh – but does not mention how many magi there were (Matthew 2:11). The word ‘magi’ is plural so presumably there are at least two of them but there could be 2 or 102 of them, we don’t know but we do know that they are learned people.

These learned people see this thing in the sky. They see this ‘star’. These magi, they probably aren’t Jews.[11] They come from the east (cf. Philippians 2:10-11). Remember that travel isn’t easy in that day and age: they can’t just hop a flight or drive the Trans-Palestine superhighway to Jerusalem. These wise men realize somehow from their studies of the world around them that the King of the Jews has been born (cf. Numbers 24:17, Daniel 9:25, John 4:25,Romans 1).[12] What do they do when they discover this? Remember that they probably aren’t Jews and they don’t live in the area. They probably are men of privilege; who else has time to devote to study and travel in this way in this time and place? What do these privileged foreign academics do when they find out that a King of the Jews has been born? They come to worship him (Matthew 2:2; cf. TSA d. 2,4).

This is interesting. These men. They see the star (cf. Numbers 24:17). They realize somehow that the King of the Jews has been born, so where do they go to see him? They head to Jerusalem, the capital city of the province of Judea, and to the palace where the king lives. This is where one would go to find the new king, isn’t it? This makes sense to them, like it would make sense to us – a king would be born to the family that lives in the palace in the royal city – That makes sense but in this instance by simply doing what makes sense to them, they are wrong (cf. Judges 21:25). The new king of the Jews is not born in the palace of the old king of the Jews. He is born about five miles out-of-town, just south of Jerusalem in a community known as Bethlehem in Judea (Matthew 2:5). Lest we give our academic friends too much of a tough time here, they quickly realize their error and make the necessary corrections (Matthew 2:9). Instead of relying on their own devices and falling prey to the plans of Herod, they pay attention to their dreams and decide to follow God’s star to the place where He is taking them (Matthew 2:10-12).

After an interview or two with Herod (Matthew 2:1-9), the current king of the Jews, these learned magi realize that not only is the new king of the Jews not with the old king of the Jews in the palace but they realize that he has no immediate idea of what they are talking about and King Herod even asks them in a subsequent interview to tell him what they find out when they find him (Matthew 2:8). Herod is up to something (Matthew 2:16). But the magi are warned by God in a dream, avoid Herod’s trap and follow God’s star to where God is taking them and He is taking them to a house in Bethlehem where these gentiles meet the King of the Jews and present him with the gifts they brought with them (Matthew 2:11). These foreigners see the signs, leave their homes and their lives to track down to young king and worship him. These are the magi.

What's Your Choice?These are the three different responses to the birth of Jesus that Matthew intertwines for us in the text that we are looking at today. And these are three choices for us as we are faced with the reality of the Advent of Christ in our world today. What is our response to the news of Christ? Are we like Herod? Herod was a man of power, prestige and privilege in society. He, like the contemporary atheist in that he didn’t believe in the power of the Almighty God. Herod thought he could take matters into his own hands and disregard the truth of what God has preordained. He was wrong. Instead of worshipping the Lord, he tried to rule his world himself. His plans were frustrated though and he was furious. Likewise today if we deny the reality of the Kingdom of God and the return of Christ and instead try to control our own world, in the end we may be furious and we will be frustrated because in the end every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord – whether we want to our not (Isaiah 45:23, Romans 14:11, Philippians 2:10). Jesus has already defeated sin and death. We do not want to make the same choice as Herod

Better are the choices of the Gentile magi and the Judean Joseph in their responses to the news of the birth of the Christ. Joseph, a righteous man, had grown up in the faith. He knew that God could be trusted so when the almost inconceivable conception occurs, he draws on the teaching of his youth, he follows his dreams, he listens to God and he spends his life living with the Christ. This is a faith that all of us who grow up in the church should have. We have the Biblical record (cf. TSA d.1), we have the historical record, we have our personal experience, and we have a brain; so rather than chuck all that we have known and experienced out the window, like the Herod’s of his world and the atheists of ours, let us lean not on simply our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5) but let us trust in the power and majesty of our Lord.[13] And let us all today and forever more, when we realize the power and majesty of the reality of Christ’s reign, let us like the Magi come and worship him. This is my prayer for us today on this Boxing Day some 2000 years after the birth of our Saviour, that indeed we realize from all the evidence around us the reality of Christ, cast all else aside and come to worship Him forevermore (cf. TSA d. 2,4). In Jesus Name, Amen.

www.sheepspeak.com/


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[1] cf. Captain Michael Ramsay, 'Luke 1:26-37: Do You Believe?' Presented to the Nipawin Corps 14 December 2008. Available on-line: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2008/12/luke-126-37-do-you-believe.html and Captain Michael Ramsay, 'Matthew 1:18-25: Do you believe?' Presented to each Nipawin and Tisdale Corps, 24 December 2007 and the CFOT chapel in Winnipeg, December 2006. Available on-line: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2008/12/matthew-118-25-do-you-believe.html
[2] Walter W. Wessel and Ralph Earle, ‘Matthew’ in NIV Study Bible (Grand Rapids, Mi : Zondervan, 2002), note on Matthew 1:19, p. 1467.
[3] cf. R. Alan Culpepper, Luke (NIB 8: Nashville, Tenn.: Abingdon, 1995), 51 and E. Earle Ellis, 71. Betrothal is not quite like engagements of today. In those days a man and his wife were committed to each other at the engagement ceremony. They did have a public ceremony with witnesses and the more. They did each gain a marital status, complete with rights and responsibilities and if Joseph had died after their engagement ceremony but prior to their marriage ceremony, Mary would still be considered a widow with all the responsibilities and rights (or lack thereof) of a widow. The betrothal was very different then anything we have today and even though Mary would be Joseph’s legal wife, after this engagement ceremony rather than going off to live with one’s husband, the wife usually returned to her father’s household for a period of up to a year.
[4] M. Eugene Boring, ‘Matthew’ (NIB VIII: Nashville, Tennessee: Abingdon Press, 1995), 134.
[5] cf. Captain Michael, 'Luke 19:11-27: Time, Talent and Treasure Series, Part 2: Employee Evaluation: What About the Slaves?' Presented to the Swift Current Corps, 19 September 2010 Available on-line: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2010/09/luke-1911-27-time-talent-and-treasure.html
[6] Cf. R. Alan Culpepper, Luke (NIB 8: Nashville, Tenn.: Abingdon, 1995), 363.
[7] Jona Lendering, 'King Herod the Great', cited 23 December 2010. Available on-line: http://www.livius.org/he-hg/herodians/herod_the_great02.html
[8] cf. Leon Morris: ‘Luke: An Introduction and Commentary’, Downers Grove, IL : InterVarsity Press, 1988 (Tyndale New Testament Commentaries 3), S. 290 and Expositor's Bible Commentary, The, Pradis CD-ROM:Luke/Exposition of Luke/V. Teaching and Travels Toward Jerusalem (9:51-19:44)/F. Final Approach to Jerusalem (18:31-19:44)/4. Parable of the ten minas (19:11-27), Book Version: 4.0.2
[9] Douglas R.A. Hare, Matthew (Interpretation: Louisville, Kentucky: John Knox Press, 1993), 13.
[10] Ralph L. Smith ‘Magi’ in Holman Bible Dictionary, Editor, Trent C. Butler, (Holman Bible Publishers: Nashville, Tenn., 1991), 910.
[11] Walter W. Wessel and Ralph Earle, note on 2:2, 1467, and Douglas R.A. Hare, Interpretation: ‘Matthew’, 13.
[12] Cf. Exposition of the Gospel According to Luke (NTC: Baker Academic: Grand Rapids Michigan, 2007), 155.
[13] Cf. France, R. T.: Matthew: An Introduction and Commentary. Downers Grove, IL : InterVarsity Press, 1985 (Tyndale New Testament Commentaries 1), S. 76: In fact the aim of the formula-quotations in chapter 2 seems to be primarily apologetic, explaining some of the unexpected features in Jesus’ background, particularly his geographical origins. It would be a strange apologetic which invented ‘facts’ in order to defend them!

Friday, December 10, 2010

Psalm 146: Trust The Faithful Orange

Third homily in the Heaven Scent series.

Presented to the Swift Current Corps 12 December 2010.

By Captain Michael Ramsay

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Last week we spoke about the justice that comes with salvation and how it is our responsibility as servants of the Lord to be just (Psalm 72:1-7)[1] and verses 5-10 of Psalm 146, which we read a little bit earlier, tell us how and what this holiness looks like when we do put our trust in the Lord. These verse 5-10 are actually the verses of the psalm that are associated with the third week in advent this year but I was struck by verse 3: “Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save.” So that is what we will talk about today.

Trust is an interesting thing and it is important. I love wearing my uniform, it is a symbol of trust and as we who are wearing them continue to deal openly and fairly with people, it continues to grow as a symbol of trust in the community. The trust that we wearing the uniform garner for it comes in direct proportion to our service to the Lord while wearing it. God has been able to use me to help diffuse many varied and difficult situations involving armed people, disgruntled people, intoxicated people, and violent people, through the trust embodied in this uniform of one who serves the Lord in His army. In one community in which I served, our soldiers were doing such a solid job of living up to that trust that was placed in our uniforms that other evangelical clergy lamented to me that they did not have a uniform to wear. At times it can be like a Superhero costume.

I did not always have my Superhero costume though. I was not always an Officer. I was not always a soldier. I remember once when I was in elementary school. We were at a Christian camp. They were teaching us this very important value of trust and reflecting the truth and the trustworthiness of God. We did a number of these trust exercises, some of them involving blindfolds. We were to take turns being blindfolded and being led around. When it was my turn to be blindfolded – well, I peeked. Trust took a little while to develop for me but my partner – he passed with flying colours. This guy was the epitome of trust and trustworthiness. I led him everywhere and he never once peaked. How do I know he never peeked? Well, I led him into a building and we walked through a door and when he took off his blindfold I wasn’t there and he happened to be in the middle of the girls change room – he was quite surprised when he took the blindfold off. He was more than a little embarrassed but this person really did pass the trust test. He trusted me in those days. He passed the trust test not only in letting me lead him into this spot without even peeking; but after I did this I said to him, “Okay, okay, let’s do this properly this time” and he put the blindfold on and he didn’t peek this time either. How do I know that he didn’t peek this time either? Because… When we were back outside, I walked right behind my trusting blindfolded friend climbing ever higher and higher on the steps in the centre of the camp and out on this platform when all of a sudden one of the leaders called out ‘get off of that diving board…’

Psalm 146:3 “Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save.” Actually I don’t think I got right to the diving board; I don’t remember getting any closer than the pool deck in reality but the idea is the same. My partner passed the trust test with glowing colours – I, however, did not. Praise the Lord that I changed - not only because of my life and my job nowadays but because there is absolutely nothing worse than an untrustworthy person. A person, who misrepresents the truth for whatever self-righteous reason, is a person that you can never give any responsibility to. That being said the lesson for today that is technically outside of the Advent reading (one has to love the freedom of being an evangelical at times) is from Psalm 146:3: “Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save.”

Last week we spoke about King Solomon. There were these great blessings that were available to him and his reign, provided that he was just faithful in serving YHWH by providing justice and salvation to the poor (Psalm 72). One who reflects the love and life of the Lord, our text tells us today will uphold the cause of the oppressed and give food to the hungry (Psalm 146:7; cf. Psalm 9:9, 10:18, 103:6 and Psalm 17:14, 34:10, 107:9, Isaiah 49:10). The LORD will set the prisoners free (Psalm 146:7; cf. Psalm 68:6, 79:11, 102:20, 107:10-14; Isaiah 42:7), give sight to the blind (Psalm 146:8; cf. Isaiah 29:18, 35:5, 42:7, 43:8), watch over the marginalized and frustrate the ways of the wicked (Psalm 146:9; cf. Psalm 104:35, 145:20 and Deuteronomy 10:18; Isaiah 1:17, 9:17; Jeremiah 22:16; James 1:17). None of Solomon’s successors did this (until Jesus! See Matthew 11:4-6) Solomon did not do this. Solomon failed. Instead of setting the captives free, he actually enslaved his own people (1 Kings 5:13, cf. 4:6, 9:15, 12:1-4). In the end this political leader from 1000 BCE, was remembered by the author of 1 Kings as one who did evil in the eyes of the Lord (1 Kings 11). Not an epitaph that any leader should want. And a good reminder for us: Psalm 146:3, “Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save.”

Speaking of (evil?) political leaders, in my home province of British Colombia something interesting has happened in the last couple of months. They had an election not too long ago. The governing party was returned to power. Almost immediately afterward they won, they rid themselves of the person who had just led them to victory in that election – they pushed the premier to resign. Now this political turmoil is not uncommon in western democracies; I think we can all name off the tops of our heads politicians who have been metaphorically stabbed in the back and politically purged in Canada: Stephane Dion, Jean Cretien, Joe Clark, ... Backroom dealings and underhandedness – at least since the 1950s - sometimes seem to be inherent to Canadian politics and many politicians. The interesting thing in BC right now is that this week, after the government had purged itself of its leader there was a successful revolt in the opposition party too and they also sacrificed their leader. Usually in Canada when one party decides to kill itself by falling on the sword of party revolt, the other one just watches and rejoices in its good position. In BC this past week, the opposition party decided otherwise: they thought, I guess, if the government is going to implode with internal decent, maybe we should too. Politics. Democracy.[2] These comments are all somewhat tongue-in-cheek of course, and I haven’t lived in BC in quite a while so I really don’t know what has been happening there or why these revolts are taking place but it struck me as interesting that the two parties with seats there would ditch their leaders at exactly the same time. I think some of this is because we put our leaders on pedestals and have unreasonable expectations, forgetting the advice of Psalm 146:3 “Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save.”

Every election in the western world many of us who bother to vote seem to continually forget the wisdom of Psalm 146:3. The recent myth of Obama is a great example of this. Leading up to the previous US presidential election, reading their press, it sounded like they thought he was the second coming of the Messiah. The world too seemed to buy into this: you remember that they gave Obama, who is the leader of the world’s most expensive and most active armed forces; they gave Obama, who in one of his very first acts of office bombed a foreign country – they gave Obama the Nobel Peace Prize. What were they thinking? We’re they thinking that the tiger of a Superpower would change its stripes as fast as it changes its president. Obama is no Prince of Peace. He is no Messiah. In the last election his party was trounced. This is no knock against him personally; he is just a mortal man. Psalm 146:3: “Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save.” Lest you think I am partisan, I have another example of people becoming disillusioned with leaders after putting a false hope in them. After George Bush Senior invaded Iraq in the first Iraq War he, I seem to recall, had the highest popularity rating ever to that point in US history, many people put their faith in him; he lost the next election. Psalm 146:3: “Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save.”

In King Solomon’s reign as King of the United Kingdom of Israel and Judah his responsibilities and his failures are compounded by the fact that he is not just a political leader; more importantly he is also supposed to be a spiritual leader just like the Queen of the UK is given the title ‘Defender of the Faith’ (cf. Deuteronomy 17:18-20).[3] The English monarch is traditionally in charge of the military, the government, and the Church of England: even more so with Solomon. People had high expectations of Solomon and his reign and he did not measure up (cf. Psalm 72, 1 Kings 11).

In our world today we see this all the time. We see people wrongly believing that if a certain person is elected as leader of one of the world’s superpowers that overnight the nature of that superpower will change from a profit-seeking, war-making machine to a God-fearing, peacemaking regime that looks after the poor. It is just not true.[4] Likewise in Saskatchewan and in Canada, as good as our local MPs and MLAs may or may not be, they will not significantly change the course of history and save us all from poverty, sin, and the evils of society. They will not heal the lame and give sight to the blind (cf. Matthew 11:4-6) therefore, Psalm 146:3, “Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save.”

Likewise we can’t put any spiritual leaders on a pedestal. I cannot save anyone. Your favourite author cannot save anyone. Your favourite televangelist cannot save anyone. When we look to political leaders or spiritual leaders for our salvation, we will be disappointed. They cannot save us. I have heard many stories of people who have wrongly put their faith in their pastors instead of in Christ and when their pastor sins, they become disillusion and fall away (cf. TSA Doctrines 2,6,9). Can anything be more sad than that? Psalm 146:3: “Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save.”

In The Salvation Army soon and very soon we have a High Council meeting in London, England; where we will attempt to discern God’s choice for the next General of The Salvation Army. While trusting that God will raise up the right person for this role and that our leaders will acknowledge God’s choice in this we must not forget the warning of Psalm 146:3: “Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save.” We must put our faith in God, not in men and women.

This brings us to our ‘heaven scent’ for today. First let’s review. What was our ‘heaven scent’ last week? (Gingerbread) And what did that represent? (Justice and Salvation). The first week of Advent, what was our ‘heaven scent’? (The Evergreen) And what id that represent for us? (Everlasting Life) This week I have a little quiz for us – sort of a word association, rhyming quiz. I will say a word and we will see which side of the congregation can come up with a rhyming word first:


1) Fruit
2) Heat
3) Monkey
4) Grape
5) Orange


There isn’t an English word that rhymes with Orange. Just like, as Psalm 146:3 says, there isn’t a person who can save us. Only God can save us and He does this through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord for whose return we are eagerly waiting and this waiting is what Advent is all about. The scent today in our ‘heaven scent’ series today is oranges. Oranges, we are going to associate with the faithfulness of God (Psalm 146:3, 6). We cannot put our trust in people for they cannot save us. We must put our faith in God who is faithful even when we are faithless (Psalm 146:6; Romans 3:3,4). He is the Orange – the one for whom there is no rhyme. He is the Orange – the one for whom there is no match. He is the Orange – the one for whom there is no equal. He is the Orange. His faithfulness stands alone and Salvation comes from no one other than from God through Jesus Christ our Lord. There is no other name by which (hu)man(kind) can be saved (Acts 4:12; cf. Joel 2:32; Acts 2:21; Romans 10:13). So then, this week and forever more let us not put our faith in princes, in mortal men and women who cannot save but instead let us put us faith in Christ and in Christ alone.

Let us pray.

http://www.sheepspeak.com/


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[1] Captain Michael Ramsay, ‘Psalm 72:1-7: Gingerbread Cookies of Justice and Salvation’, presented to the Swift Current Corps, 05 December 2010. Available on-line at http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2010/12/psalm-721-7-gingerbread-cookies-of.html
[2] God’s country is to be ruled as a theocracy (rule by God) not as the people-centered rule of the other nations (i.e. democracy ‘rule [by] people’). Cf. Isaac Watts, The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Pradis CD-ROM:Psalms/Exposition of Psalms/BOOK II: Psalms 42-72/Psalm 72: The Glory of the Davidic Kingdom/I. Prayer for Davidic Kingship (72:1), Book Version: 4.0.2
[3] cf. Isaac Watts, The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Pradis CD-ROM:Psalms/Exposition of Psalms/BOOK II: Psalms 42-72/Psalm 72: The Glory of the Davidic Kingdom/I. Prayer for Davidic Kingship (72:1), Book Version: 4.0.2
[4] Cf. Captain Michael Ramsay, ‘Vote for Jesus’ in the Journal of Aggressive Christianity. Available on-line at http://www.sheepspeak.com/Michael_Ramsay_JAC.htm#Vote for Jesus

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Psalm 72:1-7: Gingerbread Cookies of Justice and Salvation

Second homily in the Heaven Scent series.
Presented to the Swift Current Corps 05 December 2010.
By Captain Michael Ramsay

We are looking at Psalm 72:1-7 today: This is Canada’s psalm. When I next preach on Canada Day (Dominion Day) I will most likely preach on this Psalm:

Canada’s motto, “A Mari usque ad Mare” is Latin for “from sea to sea.” It comes from Psalm 72. Where, in verse 8, it declares, “He shall have dominion also from sea to sea.” That is a key underpinning of our society and of our founding identity, the idea that God himself, through the Canadian government, shall have dominion from sea to sea.
This is neat. It is not some accident or coincident. It is intentional. Our country is intentionally founded on the Word of God. And another interesting thing - Sir Samuel Leonard Tilley, the father of Confederation that proposed the name for our country and that that name - the Dominion of Canada - be based on this Scripture would have made a great Salvationist.
He wasn’t one but he would have made a good one. Tilley was a Sunday-school teacher and lifelong temperance advocate; he was one of the so-called "Smashers", who tried to introduce prohibition to New Brunswick in the 1850s
.[1]

This is an important, relatively recent historical application of this psalm but we can speak more about that on Canada Day. Today is the second Sunday of Advent, so we will be looking at this passage through a slightly different lens: that of waiting for the Messiah to come and of waiting for the Messiah to come again.

This passage of scripture, Psalm 72, refers to the Messianic Hope. It speaks about Justice and Salvation for the poor and needy. It is the hope of the nations. It is about the unconditional promise: the inevitability of Christ’s return, what his kingdom looks like now and what it will look like when he come back. This is what we will concentrate on shortly but Psalm 72 is also about a conditional promise to King Solomon (cf. Leviticus 25,26; Deuteronomy 6:1-5, 20-25; 8:1, 19-20; 2 Chronicles 36:20-21; cf. also Amos 3,4).[2]

This psalm is attributed by some to Solomon and by other scholars to Solomon’s father. Either King Solomon or King David could be the author of this psalm – if you look in your Bibles you may notice that some translations will say at the beginning of this psalm, the words ‘of Solomon’ but looking at the bottom, in verse 20, it reads, ‘this concludes the prayers of David son of Jesse’[3] (Psalm 72:20) - the language around authorship is actually inconclusive.[4] The psalm was probably composed as Solomon’s father, King David, lay dying and was in the process of rejecting his older son (Adonijah), his High Priest (Abiathar), and his nephew who has been the commander of his armed forces since he was young (Joab). King David in the time this psalm was written was rejecting his older son, Adonijah, and his supporters’ claims to the throne and in the process securing the kingdom for Solomon, his younger son (­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­1 Kings 1).

If David is the author of this psalm, it is here that David pours out his heart as to what he hopes for in his chosen son’s, Solomon’s, reign. Solomon, as a king of God’s people, must live in accordance with the revelation from God. To this end Solomon as the Israelite king would receive a copy of the Law of God at his coronation (cf. Deuteronomy 17:18-20). This is important because God’s country is to be ruled as a theocracy (rule by God) not as the people-centered rule of the other nations (i.e. democracy ‘rule [by] people’).[5] Because of this, if you look at the first seven verses of Psalm 72 – especially verses 2-4, you will note that there must be Justice and Salvation for the poor and needy. We know that sadly Solomon failed in this commission to provide Justice and Salvation for the poor and needy as laid out for us in Psalm 72. He was not an YHWH-based theocrat who provided for the disenfranchised. Instead he made forced-labourers of his countrymen (1 Kings 5:13, cf. 4:6, 9:15, 12:1-4) and religious pluralism and syncretism were prevalent during his reign (1 Kings 11:1-13). There was even idol-worship in his own household (1 Kings 11:1-9). In the end, Solomon’s wives eventually led the king himself astray (1 Kings 11:4). He followed other gods and he did evil in the eyes of the LORD (1 Kings 11:5-6). The country did not live up to its holy designation and as a result the United Kingdom of Israel and Judah died with Solomon as the tribes of Israel were torn from his family line (1 Kings 11:11).

But there is more to contemplate in this psalm of promise than simply the failure to provide justice and salvation for the poor and needy and final disappointment of Solomon’s reign. There is still the promise of Christ, which was to come when this was written and is still to come again (prolepsis). John Wesley remarks in his commentary on the commission of Psalm 72, that the mentioned “…blessed fruit of this righteous government… together with peace, true religion [that] shall be established… throughout all generations, …[was] not fully accomplished ‘till Christ came.” [6] The assignment of a Kingdom of Righteousness was given to Solomon to start – he failed to finish it - but it is successfully completed by Christ (cf. Psalm 118:6,7; Hebrews 13:5) penultimately at his first coming and ultimately at his second. Psalm 72 finds its fulfilment not in the failings of Solomon but in the victory and triumph of Jesus the Messiah.

That being said, it is interesting that the New Testament nowhere specifically quotes Psalm 72 as Messianic though the picture painted here of the king and his realm is so close to the messianic prophecies of Isaiah (that we are very familiar with at this time of year; Isaiah 9, 11, 60–62) that if those passages are Messianic, so too must be this one. As a royal psalm, Psalm 72 prays for the reigning king but yet it is so far beyond the what was attained and seemingly even beyond what is humanly attainable that it suggest its fulfilment can be found only in Jesus, the Christ himself.[7]

This is important. Solomon, for whom this psalm was originaly composed, failed miserably in its commission to provide justice and salvation for the poor and needy (1 Kings 11:1-12). Canada, who at our foundation claimed for itself this same commission of Psalm 72 -judging by the poverty, crime, pride, greed, immorality and selfishness in our nation today (if not our province which by comparison is doing remarkably well)- is apparently likewise failing but where we are faithless still Christ is faithful and this is an important aspect of advent and of our waiting for the arrival and the return of Christ (Psalm 118:6,7, Romans 3:3,4, Hebrews 13:5; but cf. Hebrews 6:6). The familiar hymn ‘Jesus Shall Reign’ by Isaac Watts says:

Jesus shall reign wheree'er the sun
Does his successive journeys run;
His kingdom stretch from shore to shore,
Till moons shall wax and wane no more.[8]

What implication does the fact that this psalm is Messianic (as attested to also by the inclusion of this text in the liturgical churches lectionaries) have for us on this second Sunday of Advent today? I think the key application for us is as follows – I think Canada’s Founding Fathers had the right interpretation of it when they chose this psalm as our foundation rather than the atheistic/deistic principles of the American Revolution. Advent is about waiting and the idea relating to this psalm is for us emulate Christ while we are waiting for his return by providing justice and salvation for the poor and needy. Indeed in ordering our lives and our society after the will of God, we are preparing the world for Jesus’ return. As followers of Christ, this is our responsibility (cf. for ex. Matthew 21:23-32, 25:14-30, 31-46; Mark 3:33, Luke 12, 19:11-27, etc.).[9] We are the church and we should build our church so as to be a suitable home for Christ. We, as the Church, are also the ‘Bride of Christ’ and if we are going to remain married to Christ we should really spend some time with him growing in his love (TSA d.9). As we do this we will fulfill the promises of Psalm 72.

As we prepare our countries, our churches, and our lives for Christ’s return, this is what they will look like. There will be justice for the poor, Psalm 72:2, salvation –rescue and defence- for the needy, Verse 4, (cf. Exodus 23:6,11, Leviticus 19:10,15, 23:22, 27:8, Deuteronomy 15:4, 15:7, 15:11, 24:12-15, 1 Samuel 2:8, Psalms. 22:26, 34:6, 35:10, 82:3, Jeremiah 22:15–17, Isaiah 11:4, 61:1, Ezekiel 16:49, 18:12, 22:29, Amos 2:7, 4:1, 5:11-12, 8:4-6, Zechariah 7:10,Matthew 25:35ff, Luke 6:24-26...). Peace –Shalom- for God’s people, Verses 3 and 7 (cf. Isaiah 9:6);[10] there will then naturally be righteousness throughout our nation, Verses 1, 2, 3, and 7 (cf. Isaiah 9:5-7); and then Christ’s everlasting realm in the spirit of the evergreen, that we spoke about last week, will have begun (Psalm 72:5; cf. Psalm 122:1). This is important and this brings us to our scent today. This advent we are matching certain psalms and certain promises of God with certain scents or aromas. Last week what was the scent we concentrated on? The evergreen. What does the evergreen symbolise? Everlasting life.

Today our ‘heaven scent’ is gingerbread. Christmas gingerbread cookies are a connection to Christmas past. Did you know that the word for cookie came to English through Dutch settlers in North America? ‘Koek’ is Dutch for cake, so ‘koekje’ or cookie came to English, meaning ‘little cake’. Christmas cookies continue a long custom of serving winter-baked treats started by the Romans, Germanic tribes, and other civilizations even before they were Christianised. So this is interesting then: much like Booth said about music composed for non-Christian, secular society, “Why should the devil have all the best tunes?”[11] And “Secular music, do you say, belongs to the devil? Does it? Well, if it did I would plunder him for it, for he has no right to a single note of the whole seven...Every note, and every strain, and every harmony is divine, and belongs to us.”[12] Just as the music, so too the baking. Just as Salvationists had popular music claimed and reclaimed for Christ, Christians back as far as Roman days claimed and reclaimed cookies. The had cakes and cookies sanctified as symbols of worship of Lord and made this known by adding a ‘J’ to the top of the baking symbolizing that these are offerings to Jesus Christ. These cakes and cookies then were taken from the devil long ago and given to God.[13]

Gingerbread is our ‘heaven scent’ for today and in my own life, when I think of gingerbread cookies, my mind often goes to ginger snap cookies. I always associate ginger snap cookies with my Grandma. I can still to this day picture the house that my Papa (my grandfather) built on Shelbourne Street in Victoria, their kitchen and their cookie jar. The fact that I remember some of my grandmother’s baking fondly is really quite something. How should I put it? Let’s just say that the food was not the reason we went over to Grandma’s house at dinnertime – she could turn anything into a jellied salad: fruit and vegetables, ham, a casserole, an old tire, you name it, I’m sure it was there, jellied and on our plate at some point…but I do remember the gingersnap cookies fondly – maybe because they were almost the only thing not jellied at Grandma’s. These cookies really were something to look forward to at Grandma’s house and this is the heaven scent that I would like to leave us with this week.

Psalm 72 promises justice for the poor, salvation for the needy, peace (Shalom) for God’s people, and righteousness throughout our nation. Solomon’s attempt to produce this resulted in no better than a jellied salad appetizer; Canada’s claim to this seems to be at present nothing more than a jellied ham salad main course; but when Jesus first came to the world those ginger snap cookies were put in the oven, and as we in obedience to him providing justice for the poor and salvation for the needy (as we certainly have the opportunity to do around here at The Salvation Army at Christmas time!), this pleasing aroma of these cookies of justice and salvation fills the air. And still Jesus is coming back and when he does come back, he promises that we –his faithful followers- we shall all partake of these ginger snap cookies of justice and salvation for our eternal dessert (TSA d. 7-11). Advent is all about waiting and these ginger snap cookies of justice and salvation that we will savour for eternity with our Lord and Saviour are indeed worth waiting for.

Let us pray.

http://www.sheepspeak.com/

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[1] Captain Michael Ramsay, 'Psalm 72: the Credit Card of Justice and Righteousness', presented to Nipawin and Tisdale Corps 01 July 2007. Available on-line at http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2007/08/psalm-72-credit-card-of-justice-and.html
[2] Cf. Willy Schottroff, “To Perceive, To Know,” in Theological Lexicon of the Old Testament, Volume 3 eds. Ernst Jenni and Claus Westermann (Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson Publishers, 1997), p. 516 and Thomas E. McComiskey, The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Pradis CD-ROM:Amos/Introduction to Amos/Theological Values of Amos/The doctrine of election in Amos, Book Version: 4.0.2
[3] Cf. John H. Stek, ‘Psalms’ in NIB Study Bible (Grand Rapids, Mi.: Zondervan Publishing, 2002) Note on 72:20, page 866.
[4] Cf. Derek Kidner, Psalms 1-72: An Introduction and Commentary. Downers Grove, IL : InterVarsity Press, 1973 (Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries 15), S. 48
[5]Isaac Watts, The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Pradis CD-ROM:Psalms/Exposition of Psalms/BOOK II: Psalms 42-72/Psalm 72: The Glory of the Davidic Kingdom/I. Prayer for Davidic Kingship (72:1), Book Version: 4.0.2
[6]John Wesley, Notes on Psalm 72, Available on-line at http://www.christnotes.org/commentary.php?b=19&c=72&com=wes
[7] Derek Kidner, Psalms 1-72: An Introduction and Commentary. Downers Grove, IL : InterVarsity Press, 1973 (Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries 15), S. 273
[8] Isaac Watts, "Jesus Shall Reign" cited in Willem A. VanGemeren, The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Pradis CD-ROM:Psalms/Exposition of Psalms/BOOK II: Psalms 42-72/Psalm 72: The Glory of the Davidic Kingdom, Book Version: 4.0.2
[9] Cf. Andrew R. Morton, ‘Worship Resources, 6th of January: Epiphany: Isaiah 60:1-6; Psalm 721-7, 10-14; Ephesians 3:1-12’ in The Expository Times , Volume 119 Number 3 Pages 122-123.
[10] Andrew R. Morton, ‘Worship Resources, 6th of January: Epiphany: Isaiah 60:1-6; Psalm 721-7, 10-14; Ephesians 3:1-12’ in The Expository Times , Volume 119 Number 3, page 123
[11] The Salvation Army International Heritage Centre, “Why should the devil have all the best tunes?”, available on-line at http://www1.salvationarmy.org/heritage.nsf/36c107e27b0ba7a98025692e0032abaa/42d53ced9ec1583080256954004bff3e!OpenDocument
[12] From a War Cry article in 1880. Available on-line at http://www.ourchurch.com/view/?pageID=12281
[13] A Dash of Cinnamon, A Pinch of the Past, A Smidgen of the Future
By Kristin Johnson. Available on-line at http://ezinearticles.com/?A-Dash-of-Cinnamon,-A-Pinch-of-the-Past,-A-Smidgen-of-the-Future&id=16568

Friday, November 26, 2010

Psalm 122:1: Let us go to the house of the LORD (where green is the colour)

First homily in the Heaven Scent series.
Presented to Swift Current Corps 28 November 2010
By Captain Michael Ramsay

Today is the first Sunday of Advent and in Advent we have the Advent wreath, of course. I don’t know if you know some of the significance of the Advent wreath. One key point is that it is traditionally made from evergreens. I thought the idea of forever green is very appropriate for today. I think that the province at large this year is really getting into the Advent celebrations with the whole ever-green idea. I’ve heard of whole towns painted green this Sunday and look at the number of people wearing green here today; building up to Advent, I have even heard that great ever-green hymn a lot recently: ‘Green is the colour….’ We’ll talk a little more about the evergreen and Advent, a little less tongue in cheek, in a little bit.

First we will talk specifically about Psalm 122, a psalm of David. Psalm 122 is the psalm associated with the first week of advent this year and this is the Psalm that we will be looking at today. Psalm 122:1 records- I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go up to the house of the LORD.”

Let us go up to the house of the LORD: It is always exciting when people wish to go up to the house of the LORD, to go to church, to come to the corps - either new friends from out-of-town visiting with their family at Christmastime or when we have visitors from other churches to do Advent Reader Exchanges and that sort of thing. It is good too when people haven’t been in church for a while decide to come to the house of the Lord again and it is nice too to see people who are just showing up in the morning of the Grey Cup rematch to put in a request: it is good to see them and I am sure many people in the province have that same request. (In staff meeting this week we actually discussed whether or not it was theologically appropriate to pray for the Riders.) It is even just good from week to week when we come here to the house of the Lord, to church (the corps) and have a chance to see our long-term or old friends.[1] Especially great is when people come to the house of the LORD to give their lives to the LORD for the first time. Can anything be better than that? [2] No, so, Let us all go up to the house of the LORD whenever we can. It’s always great to be in the LORD’s house!

Now we know that in the New Testament when they talk about the Lord’s house, we know when we talk about the Church, the Church we are referring to is not a building but rather it’s another name for Christians. We Christians are the Church (we were not even called Christians until at Antioch, Acts 11:26). In the New Testament the church is the believers, not a building. We know this but we also know that in the common vernacular of today, the house of the Lord is simply a euphemism, a synonym, or just another name for the church building: any cathedral, temple, citadel, any church building in this day and age is known as God’s house. But this psalm that we are looking at today was not written in this day and age nor was it written in the New Testament era, it was written well before then by King David, the second king of Israel and he wrote Psalm 122 about 3000 years ago.

Today when we hear the ‘house of the Lord’ we often think of the church building but in the time that David wrote this psalm, does anyone know what was meant by the ‘House of the LORD’? What was by the ‘House of the LORD’ in David’s time? (Home of the Ark of the Covenant; cf. Numbers 7:89; 1 Samuel 4:4; cf. also Exodus 25-27, 40:21; Deuteronomy 10:8; 1 Kings 8; 1 Chronicles 22:19, 28:2). Remember who built the Temple of the LORD? Solomon: Solomon was David’s successor; he was made king after his father David, just before King David died. Solomon’s Temple hadn’t been built yet when this psalm was written. The temple hadn’t been built when David wrote this psalm; so what is David talking about when he writes in the opening line of this psalm, “Let us go to the house of the LORD” if the Temple of the LORD had not been built yet? In this case the house of the LORD probably refers to the whole city of Jerusalem. [3]
We know about the ancient city of Jerusalem don’t we? It is the city that David made his capital and he moved the Ark of the Covenant to it - after taking the city from its original inhabitants (2 Samuel 5:5-6, 6:1; 1 Chronicles 13, 15). I’ve got a couple of questions for you about Jerusalem and this ‘House of the LORD’ that we are talking about today. These may be a little bit difficult but let’s see how we do on this the first Sunday of Advent?

1) The people of Judah/Israel were not the original inhabitants of Jerusalem, who were? The Jebusites (cf. Joshua 15:63, Judges 1:21)

2) In Genesis, Jerusalem is often referred to by another name, do you know what that name is? Salem (Genesis 14, Psalm 76, Hebrews 7). This is not to be confused with that famous place in the United States where they had those violent witch-hunts. It is not the same place. Salem Mass. was ironically named after Jerusalem. Jerusalem is also called Jebus elsewhere in the Old Testament (Judges 19:10-11, 1 Chronicles 11:4).

3) Who is the first king of Salem / Jerusalem mentioned in the Bible, in Genesis 14 (also in Hebrews 7) at the time of Abraham – Abraham actually gives his tithe to this Canaanite priest-king, who is that King of Jerusalem? Jesus is referred to as a High Priest in the order of this fellow (Melchizedek). Adoni-Zedek is also mentioned as a king of Jerusalem in Judges 10. He isn’t remembered quite as fondly…

4) Who designated Jerusalem as the capital of Judah and Israel? (David; 2 Samuel 5:5-6)

5) What Holy item did King David have brought to Jerusalem after he made Jerusalem the capital of the United Kingdom of Judah and Israel? (The Ark of the Covenant; 2 Samuel 6, 15; 1 Chronicles 13, 15)

6) What was the top of this Ark of the Covenant called? (The Mercy Seat Atonement Cover) Exodus 26:25 in the AV says, “And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel” (cf. also Numbers 7:89; 1 Samuel 4:4). The mercy seat is where God will meet them and where He will commune with them. Now, of course, we in The Salvation Army have a Mercy Seat whose named is derived from the Mercy Seat on the Ark. It is this pew up front here and at anytime if someone feels like approaching God they are more than welcome to use our mercy seat for that very purpose: like the Mercy Seat on the Ark, it is meant to be a place where we can commune with God.

Now, the whole city of Jerusalem is set apart as holy during the time of the psalm that we are looking at today because the Mercy Seat on this Ark of the Covenant – where one meets God - is here. Charles Spurgeon says, “It was most natural that they should sing of Jerusalem itself, and invoke peace and prosperity upon the Holy City, for it was the centre of their worship, and the place where the Lord revealed himself above the mercy seat.”[4] The Ark of the Covenant and its Mercy Seat, where we can meet God, is kept in the House of the LORD (2 Samuel 7; 1 Chronicles 17, 22:19; 2 Chronicles 5-6; cf. also Exodus 25-27, 40:21; Deuteronomy 10:8; 1 Kings 8; 1 Chronicles 22:19, 28:2). The House of the LORD then, in essence, simply refers to where the LORD is. We know that the LORD is not contained by walls (as did most people in Old Testament times). In the time of David’s writing this psalm, Psalm 122, people would expect to see God at the Mercy Seat on the Ark of the Covenant which was in the Holy City of Jerusalem and today when we come here to the building that contains the church (remember that the church is us Christians, the bride of Christ), we should also come here expecting to see God. And Christmas is especially a time when we celebrate the coming of Jesus, Immanuel, who is ‘God with us’.

Today, we are here in the house of God surrounded by the fragrant aroma of the evergreens of Advent: these evergreens we remember what they represent, right? These evergreens and Christmas intentionally and officially represent eternal life. We are surrounded by these evergreens of everlasting life and we are surrounded here by Immanuel who is God-with-us. And this brings us to the other piece that I want us to look at today.

Susan has decided that this advent as well as going through the psalms we are going to link each Sunday to a different smell, a different aroma. The aroma that we are concentrating on this week is that of the evergreen and the evergreen –like we just said - stands for everlasting life! The Advent wreath, which we have before us today, is an old Germanic tradition and it is a circle of evergreens. The circle itself is a symbol of eternity and a reminder that God has neither a beginning nor an end. The evergreen wreath is a symbol of eternal life and it is a reminder to us that God is immutable and unchangeable.[5]

This is very important when we are considering Psalm 122 today here in the house of God. We spoke earlier about Psalm 122:1 that records “I rejoiced with those who said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the LORD.’” We also spoke about how much we can rejoice whenever we see people coming here to the Lord’s house.[6] It is always exciting to see the number of people here and this year as a congregation we pledged to concentrate on each of us trying to invite one friend at least to join us here on a regular basis. That way by the time a year is up, we should have double our numbers. And even more important than just coming to the church and inviting our friends into the church, is when we invite people here in the spirit of the evergreen, which is the spirit of eternal life. As exciting as it is to see all of us here, how much more exciting it is when people come up to the house of the Lord, seeking eternal life (cf. TSA doc's 6,7,10,11).

Now, I don’t want to embarrass anyone – so I won’t mention any names until they tell you – just this week someone came into the church and told me that their daughter was coming up to the church, the house of the LORD, to give their life to the LORD. She came here and Susan led her in a prayer of repentance and joined here in the expectation or acknowledgement, as the case may be, of the Holy Spirit’s regeneration. In the spirit of the evergreen, she grasped the wreath of eternal life. Can there be anything better than that? In that spirit, I think we can all say with King David, “I rejoiced with those who said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the LORD.’” And indeed when we are wearing our green today at our Grey Cup parties and around town, let us not forget this time of year, the true symbolism of the evergreen and let us all be reminded of the joys of eternal life with Jesus Christ our Lord.

Let us pray.

http://www.sheepspeak.com/

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[1] Willem A. VanGemeren, The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Pradis CD-ROM:Psalms/Exposition of Psalms/BOOK V: Psalms 107-150/Psalm 122: May There Be Peace in Zion!/I. The Pilgrim's Joy (122:1-2), Book Version: 4.0.2: The choice of verbs is significant, as the psalmist is reflecting on the many times that he has heard the call to go to the house of the Lord. Verse 1 may well be translated as "I rejoice whenever they say to me." At this point he is standing in Jerusalem and rejoicing—with the thousands of other pilgrims—that he has arrived at the goal of his pilgrimage. His feet are standing in Jerusalem!”
[2] Derek Kidner, Psalms 73-150: An Introduction and Commentary. Downers Grove, IL : InterVarsity Press, 1975 (Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries 16), S. 469: “The Christian’s equivalent to this progress and arrival is finely expressed in the doxology of Jude 24, offered to ‘him who is able to keep you from falling’ (cf. Ps. 121) ‘and to present you without blemish before the presence of his glory with rejoicing’ (cf. Ps. 122).”
[3] Willem A. VanGemeren, The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Pradis CD-ROM:Psalms/Exposition of Psalms/BOOK V: Psalms 107-150/Psalm 122: May There Be Peace in Zion!/I. The Pilgrim's Joy (122:1-2), Book Version: 4.0.2.
[4] Charles H. Spurgeon, ‘The Treasury of David Vol. 2’, Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, page (Overview): available on-line at http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/treasury-of-david/psalms-122-1.html
[5]Cf. ‘Advent Wreath — Background and How To Make Your Own Wreath’ Catholic Culture.org, http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=954
[6] cf. for a discussion of this, Charles H. Spurgeon, ‘The Treasury of David Vol. 2’, Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers: available on-line at www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/treasury-of-david/psalms-122-1.html

Friday, November 12, 2010

Sally’s Story: A Remembrance Day Address (Psalm 71:1-2)

By Captain Michael Ramsay. Presented to the Premier of Saskatchewan, the Mayor of Swift Current, our Federal MP, Royal Canadian Legion Branch #56 and their guests on 11 November 2010 and to The Swift Current Corps 13 November 2010 and Alberni Valley Ministries 10 November 2019.[1]

On November 11th we remember our friends and families who served in the World Wars, Korea, peacekeeping missions and subsequent conflicts in the 20th and 21st centuries. My own grandfather returned home to Saskatchewan from California, where he was working when the Second World War broke out, to join the Canadian Army. He eagerly grabbed some friends from Cut Knife and they all signed up for our armed forces. Of the men that enlisted that day with my grandfather, I believe, only he lived to see the end of the war. John 15:17, in the Bible, records: ‘Greater love has no man than to lay down his life for his friends’

The Salvation Army was also present in both these wars – actually in the trenches -offering material and emotional support and the love of God to the soldiers. I am humbled and honoured to share with you today some of what the Lord has done through the Canadian Salvation Army in the conflicts of 20th Century.

During both World Wars and throughout the Cold War, The Salvation Army was very active. We provided military personnel with basic comforts and helped maintain morale by establishing leave centres for rest and recreation providing a degree of civility amidst the loneliness and dehumanizing conditions of war. Psalm 71:1 says, “In you, O LORD, have I taken my refuge…” and this is how we were able to be used by God, like Psalm 71:2 says, to rescue and deliver others. As an Officer in The Salvation Army, I am very thankful for that opportunity we have had to serve.

In World War I, The Canadian Salvation Army ran hundreds of well-equipped huts, canteens, and rest facilities, as well as hostels in Britain, France and Belgium. At these hostels our war-weary troops could bathe, do laundry, eat decent food, and prepare themselves physically, mentally, and spiritually for the always-difficult return to the trenches. And when they returned to those trenches on the front lines they were met with more Salvation Army Officers providing refreshments and amenities. Canadian soldier Will Bird wrote: “Every front-line soldier of World War I knew that his true friend was the man in The Salvation Army canteen.”

It is at this time in WWI that we actually got our nickname: ‘Sally Ann’. The troops coined this affectionate nickname ‘Sally Ann' to describe The Salvation Army and also our Red Shield logo that we all know – it began as the symbol of our First World War relief efforts. Also – Doughnuts: did you know that doughnuts were first introduced to North America through Salvation Army canteens. Next time you go through the Timmy’s Drive Thru think of a veteran and our Wartime service to God through them. Psalm 71:1 says, “In you, O LORD, have I taken my refuge…” and this is how we were able to be used by God, like Psalm 71:2 says, to rescue and deliver others. As an Officer in The Salvation Army, I am very thankful for that opportunity we have had to serve.

In World War I, on the home front, in Canada, The Salvation Army Home League sent tens of thousands of comfort packages containing socks, underwear, Christmas presents, and other items directly to the Salvation Army chaplains for distribution to Canadian troops right in the trenches. Salvationists also visited the homes of deceased soldiers in Canada regularly to look into the welfare of their dependants and comfort many bereaved families.

The Salvation Army in 1918 organized our first ever nation-wide appeal for funds – and this was to assist returning soldiers in the often-disorienting days following their discharge. From this, we raised enough money to open hostels across Canada, each offering a quiet retreat for soldiers on their way home or awaiting demobilization. Psalm 71:1 says, “In you, O LORD, have I taken my refuge…” and this is why we were able to be used by God, like Psalm 71:2 says, to rescue and deliver others. As an Officer in The Salvation Army, I am very thankful for that opportunity we have had to serve.

Now when war broke out again in September 1939, we were there. Our responsibilities again included showing movies, establishing canteens, organizing recreational activities such as concerts and sporting events, providing reading material and stationery. At our leave centres in London, soldiers could obtain a bed, a breakfast, and a bath. We comforted the wounded and even helped bury the dead. In short, we did whatever was necessary to help maintain military morale. The Salvation Army instructed its supervisors to “care for the body, mind and soul of every [service person] irrespective of creed or personality.” This is still our mandate today. As historian Scott Young has written, the Salvation Army “provided the reassuring link between the fighting man and his world of peace and kindness and sanity.”

During Canadian training exercises in Britain, Sally Ann's mobile canteens supplied tired men with coffee, donuts, chocolates, and even cigarettes free of charge. The Salvation Army rest camp for the Royal Canadian Navy in Northern Ireland brought with it one very significant consequence: a local judge noted that following the establishment of our facility that the number of Canadian sailors appearing before the courts had dropped by 50%! Psalm 71:1 says, “In you, O LORD, have I taken my refuge…” and this is why we were able to be used by God, like Psalm 71:2 says, to rescue and deliver others. As an Officer in The Salvation Army, I am very thankful for that opportunity we have had to serve.

In July 1943, when Canadian troops participated in the Allied invasion of Sicily, The Sally Ann was there. We helped alleviate Canadians’ stressful experience of sustained combat. A number of Salvation Army personnel landed immediately after the initial assault.

When, in early September, the Allies invaded the Italian mainland, Sally Ann again quickly followed, establishing a Red Shield Club, a hostel, and canteens. And as more Canadian forces arrived in Italy, more Salvation Army supervisors came with them. In June 1944 came the invasion of Normandy.

Within days of D-Day, The Salvation Army was already set up and at work: we spread heavy tarps over the holed roofs and shattered walls of damaged buildings, proclaimed these sites ‘movie theatres', and welcomed hundreds of exhausted Canadian soldiers in need of a laugh or distraction. The Salvation Army then set up Rec. Centres, one by one in the larger cities, as the Allies liberated them. Salvation Army personnel were attached directly to many units.

During this push for the liberation of Europe each Salvation Army Officer was equipped with a large truck that carried a portable generator, movie projector, turntable, radio, sports equipment, games, and canteen supplies, etc.

In all, The Salvation Army’s Second World War relief effort in Canada and overseas provided Canadians with hundreds of millions of sheets of writing paper and envelopes, nearly 40 million hot beverages from mobile canteens, and about 35 million meals. Almost 70 million people attended Salvation Army films and concerts. The last Salvationist active in the War did not return home until December 1946. In an official letter of thanks following the end of the War in Europe, General Harry Crerar, former commander of the First Canadian Army, wrote: “It would be easier to forget one's name than fail to remember the times without number when the Salvation Army was, in truth, our comforter and friend.”

With the onset of the Cold War, The Salvation Army continued its role as friend to Canada’s military opening many hostels, snack bars, and Rec. Centres for Canadians stationed in Germany with NATO forces. The Salvation Army mobile canteens followed Canadian troops on NATO manoeuvres and served refreshments in the field throughout the Cold War. The Salvation Army also helped incoming military families adjust to their new lives overseas. Many experienced culture shock and marital problems: we assisted with drop-in centres and counselling services. We served alongside our troops throughout the Cold War. Psalm 71:1 says, “In you, O LORD, have I taken my refuge…” and this is how we were able to be used by God, like Psalm 71:2 says, to rescue and deliver others. As an Officer in The Salvation Army, I am very thankful for that opportunity we have had to serve.

During the deployment of Canadian forces to the Persian Gulf, The Salvation Army sent ‘sunshine bags' of small gifts and comforts to each of the several thousand Canadians serving in that war zone.

When Ottawa later announced that Canadian troops in Europe would be coming home. The Salvation Army stayed with them until the very end. Brigadier-General C.D. Thibeault, Commander, Canadian Forces Europe, wrote "for us, the Salvation Army symbol has always stood for a little piece of Canada and a place of peace."

For more than a century now – we have been active since the Boer War - The Salvation Army has been allowed to provide a small ‘home away from home’ for Canada’s military personnel. Psalm 71:1 says, “In you, O LORD, have I taken my refuge…” and this is how we were able to be used by God, like Psalm 71:2 says, to rescue and deliver others. As an Officer in The Salvation Army, I am very thankful for that opportunity we have had to serve. All of our refuge and strength –or course – comes through Jesus Christ who lived, died, and rose again so that we all may live and live life abundantly. I pray that each one of us will continue to seek our refuge in the Lord and that He may use each all to offer His refuge to others in every aspect of our lives. If you have never dedicated your life to serving God and others, there really is no better time to turn to God for His protection and refuge than today.

Let us pray: Lord, Thank you for all that you have done in the lives of our military personnel and our veterans. Thank you so much for the opportunity The Salvation Army has had to serve you through serving them while they served for us. Thank you Lord that as you have already provided for our salvation between the cross and the empty tomb, you are indeed our refuge and strength and that as we turn to you, you will be our shelter in times of need. We pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

www.sheepspeak.com

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[1] This is the revised text for Sunday 13 November 2010. The original text of the speech to the Legion on11 November 2010 is on-line at http://renewnetwork.blogspot.com/2010_11_01_archive.html#4283455580704371948 This address was compiled with files from Dr. Serge Durflinger, "A Touch Of Home: The War Services of the Salvation Army Dispatches: Backgrounders in Canadian Military History". Available on-line at http://www.civilization.ca/cwm/explore/military-history/dispatches/a-touch-of-home-the-war-services-of-the-salvation-army

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Psalm 1:1-2:Which one of these things is not like the other things?

Presented to the Swift Current Corps 07 November 2010
By Captain Michael Ramsay




Which one of these things is not like the other things?

- A banana, a lemon, a yellow crayon, a black shoe

- Pen, pencil, ruler, a pencil crayon

- Vancouver, Edmonton, Regina, Winnipeg

- The letters A, E, I, Z

- Dog, Cat, Doughnut, bird

- A carrot, an apple, a pear, a tomato,

- A pillow, a bed, a good night’s sleep and a wide-awake baby

In the psalm that we are looking at today, we will be answering this same sort of question. We will notice how a righteous person is not like the others. We will be contrasting the righteous to the wicked. But before we do that, I think we should have a brief introduction to the book of Psalms.

Can anyone tell me what a psalm is? A poem, a song, a hymn: in the Bible they are written by a few different people. King David composed many that are included in our Book of Psalms (among other things, David was a very famous Psalm writer). Psalms is a collection of hymns and songs; in this way is not unlike our Songbook (or a hymnal). Now I don’t know if everyone here is aware of it or not but there has been discussion in this last year about maybe updating our Salvation Army Songbook. The ancients had done the same sort of thing with the Book of Psalms on at least one occasion. Psalms, in the form that we have now, was probably pulled together from other Psalm-books for use in worship in the Temple in Jerusalem[1] (Zerubbabel’s, Herrod’s Temple and later the synagogues) the same way we traditionally have used songbooks traditionally in worship in The Salvation Army. This version of the Psalm-book that we have in our Bibles with us today may even have been compiled as recently as after the destruction of Solomon’s Temple (586 BCE - 400 BCE)[2] and it could have been used in worship in Zerubbabel’s Temple:[3] this is the temple mentioned in the book of Ezra-Nehemiah which we have been studying here on Tuesdays.

Psalm 1, the psalm that we are looking at today, as well as being the first Psalm in the new Psalm-book, is an introduction to this whole hymnal, the whole collection. “In the Leningrad Codex, on which the standard critical edition of the HB [Hebrew Bible] is based, the first psalm is unnumbered, suggesting that it stands as a heading to the psalms that follow.”[4] Psalm 1 is a holiness psalm and rabbinical traditions at some point actually combined with Psalm 2 as one psalm.[5] Prolific and famous Biblical scholar Walter Breuggemann tells us about Psalm 1 that it is “placed intentionally as a prologue to set the tone for the entire collection [of psalms]. It announces that the primary agenda for Israel’s worship life is obedience. The fundamental contrast is a moral distinction between righteous and wicked, innocent and guilty, those who conform to God's purpose and those who ignore those purposes and disrupt the order.”[6] This quote brings us back to our opening test this morning: Which one of these things is not like the other things? We’ve all seen those criminal line-ups on TV shows; Psalm 1 here separates the Godly from the wicked in the eternal line-up.

Psalm 1:1-3 says of the righteous:
1 Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.


And Verse 6:
For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.

Contrast this to verses 4 and 5:
4 Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

We’ll be focusing on verses 1 and 2 today. Verse 1 says:
1 Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.

What does it mean to walk in the counsel of the wicked and how do we avoid it? Does it mean that we should not spend time with so-called ‘sinners’? Does it mean that we should not be around people who aren’t ‘holy’? Does it mean that we should spend our whole lives either at home or at church and not be around anyone else in this corrupt, fallen world? Is that what it means? I’m sure we’ve all heard the old expression that bad company corrupts good character. Is that what this is talking about when it says that we should not walk in the counsel of the wicked? Not really: let us not forget that it is only when we are around people that need the Lord that we have any opportunity to share the Lord with them.

The Lord birthed The Salvation Army through the Booths by doing just this – serving the Lord by helping the marginalized in society and sharing the love of God with others. Consecrating our soldiers from the profane world through our covenant, the Lord is able to use the Army in the world to reach many people who may otherwise just slip through the cracks. We do not hide from the wicked. And Jesus, himself, when his disciples are asked why he eats with tax collectors and sinners answers “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick…For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Matthew 9:12, Mark 2:17, Luke 5:31). Jesus does not separate himself from the everyday people of the world in this way. And the Apostle Paul tells us that he has become all things to all people so that by all possible means some may be saved (1 Corinthians 9:22). Jesus and his disciples spent their ministry showing mercy to the people of the world, to the outcasts of society: the poor, the widow, the immigrant. When Jesus is confronted with a women caught in adultery (John 8:1-11), a woman guilty of the death penalty, what does he do? Does Jesus shun her? Does he say ‘bad company corrupts good character’? Does Jesus condemn her? No. Does Jesus accept her sin and tell her to not worry about it because we all sin all the time anyway. No way! He saves her and then Jesus tells her to go and sin no more and if indeed she decides to reject his salvation and does sin again, she will probably receive the due penalty for her sin (Romans 6:23). Jesus, his disciples and apostles do spend time with the outcasts and with sinners; so removing ourselves from them, shunning the sinner can’t be what this psalm should mean to his followers. So what does it mean in Psalm 1, the introduction to this whole anthology of music and poetry, in this the preface to the Hebrew Psalm-book, what does it mean when it says, “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked” (Psalm 1:1)?

What does it mean to walk in the ways of the wicked? What does it mean to follow their counsel? It means to do what they do. If you claim God but act like everyone else in our North American society and make your decisions based on popularity (democracy) or money (capitalism) and just look out for number one (individualism), for yourself first; if you act like everyone else then you really are no better off than the scoffers, the wicked, the atheists, who as Charles Spurgeon says, ‘have taken their degree in vice’ and are ‘true Doctors of Damnation’[7] (cf. Matthew 7:21-23; 25:31ff). We need to be, like the platitude says: 'We need to be in the world without being of the world’.

We must be the salt and the light to this world that so desperately needs Jesus but we must not be corrupted by the world in the process and this is not necessarily an easy task. Myself, personally, I was not always a tea-totalling Salvationist but I was as far back as I can remember I was always – as my nuclear family says – ‘a part of God’s love family’, a Christian. There were times in my earlier life where I was involved in a lot of bar room ministry that tragically by the end of the night often wound up being far more bar room than ministry. I have an old friend, who reminds me of one such incident – which I am not going to share here – almost every time I see him. In those days, I am sure that it would not be easy to pick me out from that bar room line-up, as one of these things that is not like the other things.

I know that Susan, the children, and I don’t have cable television at home and I never have voluntarily paid for cable TV. I’d like to claim to have done this on moral grounds but the truth probably is that I’m just too cheap – cable is expensive! I have noticed though that whenever we take advantage of a free trial or when I first start watching TV after an absence for a while that I am outraged at the amoral, atheistic, self-serving, perverse values that are promoted on the screen. I am disgusted by all of the greed, lust, vengeance and violence that we invite into our homes through the television. But then if I am still watching TV programmes a month later after my initial shock has dissipated, (even if I am just watching the news or the ‘good shows’ there are always commercials) I find that after a while I don’t notice the sin on the TV screen that once repulsed me. I let myself get drawn into the counsel of the TV producers. I permit myself to be drawn into the ways of the wicked, drawn into the ways of sinners, drawn into the ways of mockers. This is a problem.

This is a real problem. TV isn’t the only example of we Christians being desensitised to sin in our society, so simply turning off our TVs won’t solve this problem and make us immediately identifiable in a line-up of the wicked as one of these things that is not like the other things – it couldn’t hurt though.

More on this: There is a thing called the sin spiral. There is a certain desensitizing that happens when we are surrounded by sin all the time: what might repulse us at first, later we don’t even notice: it has no effect on us. As you know, I have just released my book on covenants. In our greater society as we have started taking our covenants lightly, the Christians have – at least as far as the marriage covenant is concerned – fallen into exactly the same trap as the world becoming indistinguishable from the crowd so that no one would be able to identify us as holy, as separate, as not like the other things.[8]

In our culture today where the majority of us were once followers of Christ, we these days – Christians and non-Christians alike - see sexual assault on the news, TV shows, and newspapers all the time, and students are now it seems not infrequently sexually assaulted on university campuses. In our culture where we see many books and movies about serial killers, North America boasts more serial killers than the rest of the world combined. In a world where violence, murders and killings are shown on TV every night, since the 1990s Canada has been at war steadily and has now albeit abandoned its traditional peace keeping role and has been directly involved at least one illegal war of aggression (NATO’s invasion of Yugoslavia). Canada, which was founded upon the Word of God (Psalm 72), no longer reads the Bible or prays in our schools. We no longer pray the Lord’s Prayer in the federal House of Commons, and instead we as a culture have embraced pornography at rates unheard of in our history. We have chosen instead of walking in the way of righteousness, we have chosen to walk in the ways of the wicked. In North America, pornography generates more wealth than all of the pro-sports and the billions of dollars that are tied up in them, combined. In the US, instead of being salt and light, more than 90% of pastors themselves have confessed to using pornography. They are apparently not unlike the other: the wicked, the sinners, the scoffers of Psalm 1.

If we in this room here were lined up with people in our culture at large or if we in this room here were lined up with the wicked, the sinners, the mockers of our contemporary Canadian society and someone was given the test we were given at the beginning of the message today to pick out which one of these things is not like the other things? Which one of us is not like the others? Which one of these does not belong? Would they pick us? Are we any different than the wicked world around us? Are we here today the blessed people who do not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers?

How can we be? When our whole society seems to reflect the counsel of the wicked, how can we not walk in its ways? I think Verse 2 has our answer. Verse 2 of Psalm 1 tells us more about this person who doesn’t walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. Verse 2 tells us how to stand out as one of these things that is not like the other things. Verse 2 tells us what separates us from the wicked: it is a delight in the Law of God(cf. Song Book #652). Now this Law of God, this is not just referring to the Decalogue. This is not simply referring to the 10 Commandments. This is referring to the whole Pentateuch and Charles Spurgeon tells us “ ‘the law of the Lord’ is the daily bread of the true believer. And yet, in [King] David's day, how small was the volume of inspiration, for they had scarcely anything save the first five books of Moses! How much more, then, should we prize the whole written Word which it is our privilege to have in all our houses!’[9] We now have the scriptures of both the Old and New Testaments and Doctrine 1 of The Salvation Army – which really is my favourite of all our doctrines and I believe stands at the front of all our doctrines not merely by accident, Doctrine 1 states that “We believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments were given by inspiration of God, and that they only constitute the Divine rule of Christian faith and practice.” If we test everything against these like the Bareans (Acts 17:11) and meditate on them day and night (Psalm 1:2, 119:97, 143:5; Joshua 1:8) than we shall indeed be salt and light (Matthew 5:13). We will indeed be the light of the world (Matthew 5:14, Luke 16:8; cf. John 1:9, 3:19, 8:12 12:46).

This is the challenge for us today: as Christ was born, died, and rose again so that we all may have life and have life abundantly (John 15). Let us not reject that gift by being indistinguishable from the world at large. Let us not hide our light under a bushel (Luke 8:16), rather let us go out into the world armed with the sword of the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17) – remember that we as a congregation here have committed to invite as many of our friends out to church as we are able to; we don’t want any of them to blend in with the world. We want us all to be saved from that. After all Christ lived, died, and rose from the grave so that we can all live lives holy for him and so in the Scripture we read this week we are given a good tip as to how to do that - let us meditate on His Scriptures day and night; let us pick up our Bibles and read them; let us talk about what they say. Let us question each other on our exegesis and let us keep our friends accountable; let us delight in the Word of the Lord so that when he does come back and we are all standing before him on judgement day he will indeed readily identify each of us as one of these things is not like the other things of this world because we have accepted his welcome into his kingdom with open arms…

Let us pray.

www.sheepspeak.com

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[1] Steven Shawn Tuell, 'Psalm 1' in Interpretation Issue 63 no. 3 (July 2009), p 278
[2] Derek Kidner, Psalms 1-72: An Introduction and Commentary. Downers Grove, IL : InterVarsity Press, 1973 (Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries 15), S. 21: For all this, Gunkel still considered that most of the material in the Psalter was post-exilic, but written still in the idiom created by the old rituals, although they were outgrown and religion had ‘come of age’—for this celebrated metaphor was his, a generation before it was Bonhoeffer’s. It was the conservatism of religious habit, he considered, which left the stamp of the old cultic patterns on the new spiritual material, so that the private suppliant used language that had been designed to serve the king, or spoke of his troubles and their cure as if they were the assaults of sickness and the rites of expiation
[3] NIV Study Bible Introduction to Psalms, page 777.
[4] Steven Shawn Tuell, 'Psalm 1' in Interpretation Issue 63 no. 3 (July 2009), p 278
[5] Willem A. VanGemeren, The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Pradis CD-ROM:Psalms/Exposition of Psalms/BOOK I: Psalms 1-41/Psalm 1: God's Blessing on the Godly, Book Version: 4.0.2. Cf. Craig, Psalms 1-50, p. 59; and "Psalms 1-2 as a Coronation Liturgy," Biblica 52 [1971]: 321-36.
[6] Walter Bruggemann, The Message of the Psalms: A Theological Commentary, 1984 Augsburg Publishing House, Augsburg MN. Available on-line: http://graham-turner.com/Resources/Brueggemann/The%20Message%20of%20the%20Psalms%20Walter%20Brueggemann%20NOTES.doc
[7] Charles H. Spurgeon, ‘The Treasury of David Vol. 1: Psalms 1-57’, Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, pages 1-2.
[8] Captain Michael Ramsay, 'Praise The Lord For Covenants: Old Testament wisdom for our world today'. Vancouver, BC: Credo Press, 2010. © The Salvation Army, pages 48-50.
[9] Charles H. Spurgeon, ‘The Treasury of David Vol. 1: Psalms 1-57’, Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, p. 1.