INTRODUCTION
This psalm outlines the great
blessings we receive from God.
And also expresses how the
people of God naturally respond to all this in worship.If ever we feel unloved, or unable to worship, we should read this psalm.
There’s great relevance for
us here, because, the more we examine such
blessings, the more they can seem to apply to our lives; so then, the more ready we
are to launch ourselves into worship.
BLESSING THE LORD
Because we feel blessed, we
in turn “bless” the Lord.
This is often translated
“praise” the Lord, but what is meant … is probably a bit of a deeper
response to God than just ‘praise’. To ‘praise’ is to say … that
thing was simply good … we like it; whereas to “bless” means that
this was good for me in my journey of faith – it means that this thing
really impacted on me … it had great personal significance. So, as I have been blessed, I
will “bless” the Lord.
And, as we have
been blessed, we will together “bless” the Lord. This is because the blessing
we have received individually … is likely to go way beyond
just me, it will likely impact my
family and community broadly, and also advance the kingdom
of God.
So, we enter a rousing chorus
of “Bless the Lord”. We really ‘give it up’ for
God, from deep within, with everything we have … or as the psalmist says,
with, “all that is within me”. We “bless” the Lord, with all
of our heart, soul, mind and strength – and with all the activity of
our life.
THE BENEFITS
Why do we “bless” or ‘praise’
the Lord … particularly (v 2b)??
According to this psalmist,
because of all his “BENEFITS” to us (v.3-7):
- Forgiveness (v 3a) – because of the misuse of our freewill, making the wrong decisions and choices, we hurt others and ourselves, and generally depart from God’s path. Because of a preference toward self-interest, we can also neglect certain activities or people that we should’ve given a higher priority to. To use the religious word, we ‘sin’. But as we regret this sin, and confess this sin (which simply means owning up to it and taking responsibility for it), and as we determine to take a better direction, God’s forgiveness kicks in. This forgiveness is complete, it wipes the slate clean, it removes guilt and shame, and opens a new future. There will also be the need to forgive ourselves, as God forgives us, if we are to be fully released. And sometimes, as part of this process, we will need to do some apologising to other people, with some acts of recompense, to show our sincerity. God’s intention is for these past sins to no longer affect or influence our future. This forgiveness has been called ‘amazing’ or ‘extraordinary’. For some it is just too hard to believe! It certainly goes against the grain of getting what we deserve.
At
least three reasons:
(i)
Because God
loves us, each of us, so much, that he wants to have a relationship with
us, unencumbered by the sin that separates; a relationship that will endure
and mature into eternity
(ii)
Because God
understands who we are – God doesn’t necessarily like all we do, but understands completely … our frailty, our vulnerability, our
instability, our need of God; even though God
has high ideals for our lives, he understands our weaknesses and immaturity. For God designed us, and created us, so can NOT easily reject us, nor give
up on us – verse 14 – “For [God] knows
how we were made; he remembers that we are dust”. This idea originates in Genesis 2:7 – “then the Lord God formed man from the dust
of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living
being”. God knows us inside out – even better than we know ourselves. [This is why life is about discovering ourselves as we discover God.] God knows his children intimately. God fully understands the implications of giving us freewill. Even
though we are all made in God’s likeness, we were also made with human
limitations. If anyone ever thinks that God doesn’t understand, then we can reflect on God entering the affairs of the world in the person
of Jesus, who, we read in Hebrews, was tempted in every way (Heb. 2:17-8, 4:15).
(iii)
Because God
wants to see us unleashed spiritually, develop fruit and be gifted by the
Holy Spirit, and reach the potential we were born with. God wants to delight in us, and sees others come to know him
through us.
Verses 8 to 14 actually give
us a description of how God feels about us, despite seeing all our behaviour. This is not to lessen
the depth of the problem, for ‘sin’ will always be a serious problem; but rather, this is to
highlight God’s solution! To say that God is “slow to
anger”, means that our negative activity IS prone to raise an angry reaction in
God. We read some stories in the
Bible where God is shown to be very angry. After all, look at what sin and
evil have wreaked in God’s world! However, thankfully, we read
here, that God’s anger is always tempered with understanding.
In the face of our everyday
actions, there is mercy, grace (or favour), and steadfast love (v 8), as well as true fatherly (or
parental) compassion (v 13). God looks at our sin through
the filter of his (very expansive) steadfast love – not looking to
punish, but rather to reform (v
9-11). And because those
“transgressions” can be so far dismissed and removed from us (“as far as the east is from
the west” – v 12), that the difference made in our lives can be extraordinary.
And then later (in verse 17)
we are reassured that this love in the present, in the psalmist’s experience, will still be available
generation after generation. For those of us living under great weight, or great concern for
following generations … this is all seriously good news!!
We often want to act contrary
to God, and hang on to our grievances and bitterness, and sometimes even want to
see retribution; or we hang on to our own guilt and shame; and, in effect, we think
forgiveness is irrational or unattainable … but this is not how it is with God!
God is willing to bear the weight of the sin of all humanity … because of his love for me! There is a cost for sin, and we know how that price was paid.
What a blessing – bless the
Lord!!
2nd BENEFIT
& MORE
- Healing (v 3b) – this is healing according to God’s view of our needs, God’s best timing, God’s big picture view of life. Sometimes the need for healing that we feel, is not the area in which God wants to work. God is bringing healing somewhere else. Sometimes the journey we go on with suffering, brings us along to become the person God would have us be, the person we were created to be. Sometimes we don’t understand what God is doing, but we need to trust that God is doing whatever is best, and that this should be described in terms of our ‘healing’. Sometimes a spiritual work of healing needs to precede any physical or emotional improvement. So, sometimes we are being healed, but we don’t quite see it yet. Sometimes our expectations are so fixed in one area of life, we don’t see God working in another area. Sometimes God is using medical science and our local doctor to heal us. Sometimes we get miraculous healing. Often it is a combination of both. As our life is open to God, God is always doing some form of healing! What a blessing!
- Redemption (v 4a) – this is about something that was lost (or had been taken away) … being brought back into the fold. Here a life that could be thriving, finds itself in one deep “pit”. A rescue mission is required. In the New Testament, we hear the parables of the lost coin, the lost sheep and the lost son … all being desperately sought and joyfully found. Ultimately, it will be Jesus, through his sacrifice on the cross, who will redeem us. He will pay the ultimate price to bring us back to God. In this way, the damage caused by sin is not ignored, the impact of evil is not underestimated; but rather a one-off act of love … opens up a new future – the new creation. We are drawn out of the dark ‘pit’ – into the light of a new day! This psalmist, long before the time of Jesus, knew the lengths God would go to … out of his deep love and compassion for humanity. Being taken up from the ‘pit’ … pictures a major change in our outlook and destiny – both in this life and beyond. What a blessing!
- Crowning our life with good (v 4b-5) – such that our youth is restored and that we can soar like an eagle again. If not in body, certainly in mind and spirit. This is like the New Testament concept of being ‘born again’. Whereas we had been boxed in by negativity, we now break loose with new purpose for living. The steadfast love and mercy we have received, are now the dynamics in which we live. Suddenly we have a ministry to our family and neighbours, community and world. Everything that once felt dark and heavy, now feels hopeful and light-filled. What a blessing!
ONE FURTHER (SLIGHTLY
DIFFERENT) BENEFIT
- Working toward justice for the oppressed (v 6-7) – it may not look like it at times, but God is seeking justice for the oppressed. The example that can easily be drawn upon is God bringing his enslaved people out of Egypt towards a ‘land of new promise’. But God needed a ‘buy in’ … by those he was calling into action – people like Moses … who had to stand up and lead. So, when it comes to defeating injustice, and bringing forward “vindication and righteousness”, God seeks to enlist people from his faithful community to partner and participate in such liberation. The “benefit” is … that no one goes alone in fighting injustice – that God goes before, and with, all those who step up to make a difference. So even though justice can seem distant, we can, through faith, sense that it is still within our grasp (E M Blaiklock).
What if we don’t always
feel like we are being lifted up on eagle’s wings (like in verse 5)? Sometimes we don’t feel we
are being restored to our youth (even just in spirit)?? Or, sometimes we don’t feel
part of anything significant that is changing the world for the better??? Why is it that our lives (at
times) don’t seem to be working out? We don't feel forgiven or redeemed!
The answer is back somewhere
in verse 2!?! Can you see it there – it is
important?! We can “forget” … we can fail
to remember God’s “benefits”!
We need to recall the exodus
that Moses and Joshua led! The psalmist may have raised
this example, because the people of Israel did often forget; and then began grumbling,
lost their sense of gratitude, and started wandering around pointlessly.We need to go over in our
minds what God has done for us! We need to bring
encouragement to our own minds, based on our good memories.
And we need to get into the
habit of worshipping God, and NOT being easily dissuaded from
doing so regularly. For
worship is NOT ONLY a response to God’s blessing, but a practice and a discipline that helps us not
to forget! Worship helps us remember,
and encourage each other in our remembering.
We have decision-making power
over whether we will offer or withhold worship. To withdraw … actually leads first to
forgetfulness, and then quickly to ‘thanklessness’ – and ultimately forsaking the
true God for other alternatives.
Like the psalmist, we
sometimes have to rouse ourselves and shake off apathy and gloom and get into
worship.So often people stay away
from worship, because they don’t feel they can; but this is completely
self-defeating, for it takes you out of the place of remembering … remembering why it is that
you CAN worship God.
We should say that the word
usually translated “fear” in these verses really means to “revere, honour, admire and obey” … all rolled
into one. This all makes sense through the fourth conditional clause in verse 18 … “to those who keep
his covenant, and REMEMBER to do his commandments”. God’s steadfast love is
available to all people at all times, however it only really comes into operation or works
effectively when the relationship is mutual.
CONCLUSION
[This is about being prepared
to fully love God in return for his “benefits”, building a mutually loving
relationship, where following God’s ways
are the most natural thing of all – expressly seen in the
commandment that sums up all the social and ethical law (and the prophets
as well) i.e. “love your neighbour”.]
As we take on board the
significance of God’s broad “benefits”, coming out of God’s steadfast
love and understanding compassion; as we REMEMBER (not forget)
how this has gone well for us, and are thus drawn into
worship – “Bless the Lord, O my soul” … with all that we have; and if we don’t neglect our
side of this mutually loving relationship … in terms of God’s very
reasonable commandments – then we are singing and
praying and ministering with the whole universe … all creation – bearing
witness to God’s glory and greatness!
What a blessing!
In this we add our own unique
experience of God’s great “benefits”, with our particular voice completing the whole.
What a blessing! What a
blessing this is!!
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