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Psalm 120: A Lament About Liars
Christ Church on May 3, 2020
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Psalm 119: A Hymn to the Word

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Introduction

And here we come to a great hymn of gratitude and praise, offered up to God for His glorious law. We have here the definitive answer for those who accuse us of “bibliolatry” simply because we treat the words of God like the treasure they are. It is of course true that there is an absurd sin of actual bibliolatry out there in the religious world, the kind of sin that misses the whole point (John 5:39). But how could it be bibliolatry if we resolutely refuse to miss the point?

The Text

“Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord . . .” (Psalm 119:1-176).

Summary of the Text

This psalm, taken as a whole, is a work of towering literary craftsmanship. It has twenty-two sections, each one presided over by each successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. For example, the first section is ruled by aleph, and that letter is repeated eight times throughout that section at the beginning of each discrete thought. The next section belongs to beth, and it is repeated eight times, and so on.

It is also a song of deep devotion, again showing that true dedication to God and craftsmanship in literary art are not in any way at odds.

A facile but wrong-headed summary might want to say that a psalm of 176 verses that is dedicated to praising the law of God might have to get a tad repetitive—as though the psalmist could only say nothing more than yay law a couple hundred times. But this is not what we find at all. There are many shades of meaning here, and many lessons for us to learn.

In the Word

We shall shortly see that the Word of God is an amazing tool chest. It is large, and contains hundreds of tools. Christians who do not read their Bibles are like those who are given a tool chest that they store in the garage or attic, never acquainted themselves with what they have, with what they have been given. Not only so, but every day they have numerous tasks for which they need one of those tools, but which they do not know they have. The same thing goes for elders and ministers. The Word of God is given, in part, so that the man of God might be “thoroughly furnished” for all “good works” (2 Tim. 3:16-17).

So how might this psalm be a blessing for you? There are many ways, although we just have time to discuss a handful of them.

Prevention of Sin

We begin with the simple truth that Bible memory will help you in the hour of temptation. What did Jesus do when tempted? He quoted Scripture. “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, That I might not sin against thee” (Ps. 119:11).

We are shown that our choice is binary—either/or. Either the Word or covetousness. Either the Word or vanity. “Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness. Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; And quicken thou me in thy way” (Ps. 119:36–37). It is one way or the other.

And when we are in the Word, we learn more than just a tsking disapproval. “Horror hath taken hold upon me because of the wicked that forsake thy law” (Ps. 119:53)

Instruction

The more we learn, the more we are able to learn. We are enabled to see wonderful things. “Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law” (Ps. 119:18). When we eat, we grow bigger, beginning with the heart. “I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart” (Ps. 119:32).

When we are taught this way, we are given a great advantage over our enemies, and we even find ourselves ahead of our teachers. “Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: For they are ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers: For thy testimonies are my meditation” (Ps. 119:98–99).

Encouragement

Who does not have moments of discouragement? The Word is there. “My soul melteth for heaviness: Strengthen thou me according unto thy word” (Ps. 119:28).

The fact that we need to be driven to the Word is one of the reasons why afflictions arise. “It is good for me that I have been afflicted; That I might learn thy statutes” (Ps. 119:71). Some saints, like some oven dishes, can only be adequately prepared at high temperatures.

Guidance

Suppose you don’t know which way to go, or what to do. “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Ps. 119:105). And when we wander away from the path—the one illumined by this light—the reason we did so was because of pride. “Thou hast rebuked the proud that are cursed, which do err from thy commandments” (Ps. 119:21).

Protection

While affliction drives us to the Word, that Word is not a paper fortress. God drives us there because He wants us to see what He can do. “Consider mine affliction, and deliver me: For I do not forget thy law” (Ps. 119:153).

As we have noted before, the psalmist had enemies. He also had the Lord and His Word, which were his strong tower. “The proud have forged a lie against me: But I will keep thy precepts with my whole heart. Their heart is as fat as grease; But I delight in thy law” (Ps. 119:69–70).

Praise

And all of this comes back around to the God who spoke the Word. The perfect God spoke the perfect Word. The living God spoke the living Word. The constant God spoke the constant Word. “For ever, O Lord, Thy word is settled in heaven. Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: Thou hast established the earth, and it abideth” (Ps. 119:89–90).

Our knowledge of God is mediated to us. No creature can apprehend God directly—He dwells in unapproachable light. And so He mediates His glory to us in various ways. He does so through the glory of creation. His glory fills the earth. He does so through His incarnate Son, who lived, died, and rose among us, and ascended to the right hand of the Father. He does so through the glory of the gospel. And He mediates His glory to us through the vehicle of His perfect Word, all of which causes us to praise and glorify His name.

“Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgments” (Ps. 119:164).

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Psalm 118: The Stone the Builders Rejected

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Introduction

And so these Hallel psalms conclude on a note of high triumph—but it is triumph through the midst of trials. This is triumph through the heat of a great battle. It is the joy of a rejected stone, now made the corner. A likely occasion is the ascension of David to the throne. In Ezra 3:10-11, when they were laying the foundation of the temple we read that citations from the first and last portions of this psalm were sung, indicating that the whole was sung.

The Text

“O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: Because his mercy endureth for ever. Let Israel now say, That his mercy endureth for ever . . .” (Psalm 118:1–29).

Summary of the Text

Here is a psalm with some glorious repetitions, culminating in a great messianic promise. The repetitions are indicated in bold. Give thanks to the Lord because His mercy endures forever (v. 1). Let Israel say that His mercy endures (v. 2). Let the house of Aaron say that His mercy endures (v. 3). Let those who fear the Lord say the same (v. 4).

I called on the Lord, who answered and delivered me (v. 5). What can man do to me if the Lord is on my side (v. 6)? This passage is quoted in Heb. 13:6. The Lord takes up my side, and so I will triumph over my enemies (v. 7).

Trusting in the Lord is better than putting confidence in men (v. 8). For those who like to keep track of such things, this is the middle verse of the over 30K verses in the Bible. Trusting in the Lord is better than putting confidence in princes (v. 9). The nations surrounded me, but in the name of the Lord I destroy them (v. 10). They encircled me, but I destroy them (v. 11). They came at me like a swarm of bees, but I quenched them like a thorn fire. I destroyed them (v. 12).

They thrust me back, but the Lord sustained me (v. 13). The Lord is my strength, song, and salvation (v. 14). The tents of the righteous are filled with jubilation, and the right hand of the Lord does valiantly (v. 15). The right hand of the Lord is exalted, and again does valiantly (v. 16). I will not die because I need to talk about the Lord (v. 17). The Lord chastened me severely, but not to the point of death (v. 18).

I will go through the gates of righteousness in order to praise the Lord (v. 19). The righteous will go through this gate(v. 20). I will praise the Lord because He has heard me, and has been my salvation (v. 21).

The next verse is quoted in multiple places in the New Testament (Matt. 21:42; Mark 12:10-11; Luke 20:17; Acts 4:11;1 Pet. 2:7). The builders rejected this stone, and it has been made the cornerstone (v. 22). The Lord has done this thing, and we think it is marvelous (v. 23). This is the day the Lord has made, the day of resurrection. This is why we rejoice and are glad on this, the first day of the week, the day of resurrection (v. 24).

The next verse (v. 25) is fulfilled in the hosannas of Palm Sunday (Mark 11:8; John 12:13), and the verse after (v. 26) is cited multiple times (Matt. 21:9; Mark 11:9; Luke 13:35; Luke 19:38; John 12:13).

God is the Lord, and He made His light shine on us, and we bind our boughs to the altar (v. 27). You are my God, and I will praise You (v. 28); You are my God, and I will exalt You (v. 28). And then the psalm concludes by returning to the key note established at the beginning of the psalm. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, and His mercy endures forever (v. 29).

In Imitation of Christ

In a moment, we are going to consider the application of this psalm to the Lord, in whom the psalm finds complete fulfillment. But the fact that we see Christ in this psalm, which we do, does not mean that we cannot see ourselves in it. In fact, because of our union with Christ, we must learn to see ourselves.

In Hebrews 13:6, verse 6 from this psalm is quoted, and is introduced with this phrase—“So that we may boldly say . . .” If God is our help, and He most certainly is, then there is absolutely nothing that man can do to us. What is it to us if the enemy has a thousand spears when the Lord has ten thousand shields?

Joshua 1:5 is quoted just before this, and this is God’s promise. “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” The context from Joshua, and from the larger point of Hebrews, is a context on the brink of the great invasion. We are appointed to take the land, and in the Great Commission, the land is now the earth.

If you want iron in your veins, then internalize the psalms. At one point in his ministry the great Wycliffe fell ill, and the word went around that he was dying. He had been a great nuisance to the orders of friars, and representatives of four orders came to his bedside in order to exhort him to repent, to renounce what he had been doing, to make a full confession, and to die reconciled to them. When they were done, Wycliffe had a servant raise him up a bit, and he then quoted from this psalm (v. 17) in a loud voice. “I shall not die, but live, and declare the evil deeds of the friars.” In confusion, the monks tumbled out of the chamber.

Christ the Valiant

When the Lord observed the Passover meal with His disciples, we are told that when they were done, they sang together. “And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives” (Matt. 26:30; Mark 14:26). According to the custom of the Jews, what they sang was almost certainly this psalm. And it is striking for us to consider what the Lord was singing when we consider right alongside it what the Lord was facing.

The Garden was still before Him. The arrest, the impudent midnight trial, the flogging, the taunting, the crucifixion—all that was before Him. And yet, consider the jubilant and victorious tone of this agonistic psalm. “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb. 12:2).

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Psalm 117: The Christ of the Gentiles

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Introduction

The Hallel psalms are psalm of praise—they are Hallelujah psalms. This one also concludes with that exclamation of praise. This is a very brief psalm, and is one that many of you can already sing from memory. But although it is brief, it packs a throw weight that is considerable, and is a psalm of praise that encompasses the entire world.

The Text

“O praise the Lord, all ye nations: Praise him, all ye people. For his merciful kindness is great toward us: And the truth of the Lord endureth for ever. Praise ye the Lord” (Psalm 117).

Summary of the Text

The psalm begins with an invitation to “all nations” to render praise to Yahweh, to join together with the Jews in saying hallelujah (v. 1). Praise Him, all you goyim. Praise Him, all you tribes (v. 1). And why should we do this? We should do it because His merciful kindness (hesed) is great toward us. We should do it because the truth (emeth) of Yahweh is something that endures forever (v. 2). This is why we must sing hallelujah.

Minister of the Circumcision

The Gentile world mission, of which Paul was the most notable representative and emissary, was not the point at which God changed His mind about the Jews. Rather, the Gentile world mission was the point at which God fulfilled one of His great promises to the Jews, and at which the Jewish leaders changed their mind about Jehovah. That particular apostasy is one that we need to understand a bit better than we do.

The apostle Paul defends his mission to the Gentiles in Romans 15, and in the course of that defense he quotes our passage. Let’s see how he uses it.

“Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers: And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name. And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people. And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people. And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust. Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost” (Rom. 15:8–13).

Christ was made a deacon of the circumcision, a servant or a minister of the circumcision. He was born in the tribe of Judah, as a fulfillment of the promise made to David. And Paul says here that Christ was made a deacon in this way in order to confirm the promises made to the fathers (v. 8). Everything that follows supports that, and everything that follows is also about the gathering in of the Gentiles. We do not just have an exhortation to the Gentiles that they ought to praise the Lord, but we know they probably won’t. No, we have a prediction that the Gentiles would in fact glorify God for His mercy (v. 9; see 2 Sam. 22:50; Ps. 18:49). In the next verse (v. 10), we have a command that was issued to the Gentiles in Deuteronomy (Deut. 32:43). And then again, we see the same thing in Paul’s citation of our text (v. 11; Ps. 117:1). And then Isaiah prophesied that the root of Jesse would spring up, and He would rule over the nations, and the Gentiles would hope in Him (v. 12; Is. 11:10). They shall not hurt or destroy in all the holy mountain, and the earth will be as full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea (Is. 11:9).

In this context, the Roman Christians (largely Gentiles) had a benediction declared over them, that the God of hope might fill them with joy in believing (all of this), that they might abound in hope, as the power of the Holy Spirit works in them.

Gentiles Were Not the Non-Christians of the Old Testament

We have to distinguish the universalization of the priesthood in the New Testament (which actually happened) and the universalization of salvation (which is not what happened).

We know from the New Testament that Christ is the only way. “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). And so, as the Westminster Confession puts it, outside the Church there is no ordinary possibility of salvation.

Now if you assume that the Jews were the Christians of the Old Testament, this creates enormous problems. In the Old Testament, salvation was not limited to just one nation. Rather, the priesthood was limited to just one nation.

How could we say that salvation was limited to the Jews? We can say that salvation is from the Jews (John 4:22, ESV), but far too many Gentiles are saved in the Old Testament to simply equate “Gentile” with “unbeliever.” Melchizedek was a Gentile (Heb. 7:3), and Abraham paid tithes to him (Heb. 7:4). When Ezekiel named three of the godliest men he could think of, two of the three were Gentiles (Ez. 14:14). Noah lived before there were any Jews, and Job was an Edomite. The inhabitants of Nineveh repented (Jonah 3:5; Matt. 12:41). Naaman the Syrian became a true worshiper of God (2 Kings 5:17; Luke 4:27). Jethro was a priest in Midian, and a servant of the true God (Ex. 18:1). The Queen of Sheba was taught by Solomon (1 Kings 10:5). (1 Kings 8:60). And Solomon built the Temple with a provision for Gentiles in view (2 Chron. 6:32-33).

So the time of the new covenant is a time when salvation explodes into the world, but this is not something that erases a former boundary. Gentiles can be saved now, but they could always be saved. The glory is that Gentiles can be priests and Levites now (Is. 66:19-21). The priestly nation has been universalized, and that is why the division now is between Christian and unbeliever.

The Covenant Lord

Over the centuries, the Jews had been praising Yahweh, praising Jehovah, the covenant God of Israel. Christ came as a minister of the circumcision in order to confirm His promises to them. Not to abrogate them, but rather to confirm them. When He came—lived His life as a perfect Jew, was crucified, was buried, and raised again—this was a confirmation that He was in fact the Son of God (Rom. 1:4). As a result of all this, the fundamental Christian confession is that Jesus is Yahweh. This means that He is the covenant Lord of Israel. “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered (Joel 2:32). This is quoted in Romans 10:13, using the Greek word kurios for Yahweh. And just a moment before this, Paul told us that the fundamental confession was that “Jesus is Lord” (kurios).

And never forget the fact that because this priesthood is universal, it must of necessity include ethnic Israel. Their disobedience is only temporary, and they will be brought back in again (Rom. 11:23). Anti-Semitism is about the most anti-gospel frame of mind that can be imagined. And among professed worshipers of Jesus ben-David, it is also the silliest.

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Psalm 116: The Grace of Answered Prayer

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Introduction

This psalm is a wonderful testimony of praise, giving glory to God for all the things He did to undertake for the psalmist. The Lord delivered him from grievous trouble, and he is not at all ambiguous about the fact that God is the one who did it. But in order to give thanks this way, we have to adjust some of our modernist assumptions about interpreting the events of history. In his penetrating book about the theological crisis that resulted from the American Civil War, Mark Noll astutely pointed out the fact that the war badly rattled American faith in the intelligibility of God’s governance of the world. Both sides were praying to Him, were they not? And every retreated into the assumption that God’s ways are always and necessarily inscrutable. But how then can we pray as the psalmist does here?

The Text

“I love the Lord, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications. Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live . . .” (Ps. 116:1-19).

Summary of the Text

The psalm begins with a profession of love for the Lord, because He listens to prayers (v. 1). He inclined His ear to me, and that is why I call upon Him (v. 2). As long as I live. The psalmist has been in deep trouble before, down to the point of death (v. 3). That is when I called upon His name (v. 4). God is gracious, righteous, and merciful (v. 5). God preserves the simple, and it is a good thing too (v. 6). He helped when I was brought low. Calm down, soul, because God is bountiful (v. 7). God has delivered me in three ways—my soul from death, my eyes from tears, and my feet from falling (v. 8). I am going to walk around this place alive, and in the presence of the Lord (v. 9). Paul quotes this next verse in 2 Cor. 4:13, and does so from a similar context. I believed, and therefore I have spoken (v. 10).

I said, too hastily, that all men are liars (v. 11). This appears to have something to do with men who were the instruments of the answered prayer. When I was in trouble I lashed out at men, but then God used men to deliver. How shall I pay the Lord back for all His benefits (v. 12)? I will take the cup of salvation, and then raise the glass (v. 13). The vows that I promised when I was in trouble are vows that I will pay in the presence of all God’s saints (v. 14). As we saw earlier, God delivered me from death, but here it says that the death of His saints is precious to Him (v. 15). He loves bringing us home. In other words, it would have been an answer to prayer either way. God’s slaves are the ones for whom God has loosed the bonds (v. 16). The sacrifice of thanksgiving is the only way to pay Him back, and so we call on His name (v. 17). Again the vows that were promised will be vows paid—in the presence of all His people (v. 18). Thanksgiving for answered prayer will be offered in the courts of the Lord’s house (v. 19). Hallelujah.

Two Different Moments

When He was praying in the Garden, our Lord Jesus modeled for us what true submission looks like. “And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt” (Matt. 26:39). And the apostle Paul prayed three times for his thorn in the flesh to be removed, and was three times denied (2 Cor. 12:8-9).

But then there is this . . .

“And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it” (John 14:13–14). “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them” (Mark 11:24).

Now what many Reformed (non-charismatic) believers do is this. They treat this as though one passage can cancel the other one out, and they retreat to the (very emotionally safe) position of “not my will, but thine” be done. And thus they settle into a life of never asking God for anything specific. And when forced into asking for something specific, as when a loved one gets really sick, they spend all their time internally braced for the inevitable nothat they know must be coming.

These passages are addressing two different kinds of situation. The former is when God wants us to be content, and to be resigned to His will. The latter is when He wants us to engage in prayers that are risky.

But how are we to tell the difference? We are to recognize the differing situations by faith, and we are to resign ourselves by faith, and we are to risk by faith. But—we want to know—how can we learn to risk things in prayer? Well, by taking risks there. No, no, we reply. We want to learn how to take risks without actually taking any. It would be lovely to know how to ride a bicycle, and it would be even more lovely to never have a skinned knee.

In the Presence of All the People

God loves it when we give glory to Him. He is not this way because of some kind of megalomania, but rather because He loves what it does in His people when they see, know, and taste His goodness.

One of the things we need to get better at is the practice of boasting in the Lord, bragging on Him when He answered your prayers.

Out to the Limit

Realize that this psalm expresses two things. The first is the extent of his troubles. He was in deep trouble, and in such deep trouble that he spoke hastily about how awful men were. All men are liars. But then God sent our salvation, the man Christ Jesus. God sent a man who was the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6).

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