FOR HIS COVENANT'S SAKE
Psalm 106: 32-48
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A PRESBYTERIAN PSALTER - by Pastor Max A Forsythe |
Quite a few years ago, my parents purchased a new car. Everything worked fine until the first rain. At that point a flaw in the sealing around the windshield allowed buckets of water to pour into the inside and onto the floor. Back to the dealer the car went for repair. After the next rain, water was on the floor again. And so it went, time after time. When one of the repairmen suggested that they just get used to the problem and learn to live with it, they got mad! They called General Motors, and explained the problem. A few hours later, the local dealer called to apologize for the eight time run around and promised to fix it for certain. And so it was finally fixed. Now this happened some years before the Ohio lemon law went into effect, however much the dealer disliked doing the work, the company insisted that the warranty was in effect.
Now, let us take this contractual arrangement and apply it theologically. But, remember, theologically, the law of God is not for your basic human instincts. In fact, you are the lemon, and time after time, like the Israelites in the desert, the God of heaven has called you to account only to be completely upset at your intransigence. Martin Luther noted this condition once and suggested that if he were the Lord God Almighty, He would rub us all out and be done with the whole crowd of Covenant breakers. And so it goes in the last portion of this psalm, time after time the litany of human failure goes on and on. If the Lord had a lemon law for His elect, we would certainly be in deep trouble.
Verse forty-five shows us His gracious nature instead: "for their sake he remembered his covenant and out of his great love he relented."
By contrast, like Luther, Moses' human limitations in matters of grace gave out. His imperfect patience gave out and he said things he ought not to have! His invitation to come to the living water lacked the lovingness that the grace implied. As we one and all in turn invite people into Christ's kingdom we must always be careful not only with our words but with our attitude as well. Even though Moses' failed in his temper our psalmist lays the sin of the people in the proper focus. There by the waters of Meribah the people rebelled against the Spirit of God as our modern translation has it. In other words they would not willingly be led by the leaders given to them, neither would they be led by the revelation of God's holy word.
The promised land was too far off to be seen, the providence of God could be seen in the past but not believed for the future! Isn't this where the twentieth century "church" has gotten itself today? Haven't we as evangelicals and especially as reformed people gloried in the past history of the Reformation, the establishment of the American Republic and the emotional reminiscence of the way things used to be. Consider from the sad history of the Puritans how universalist, Unitarian and humanist the best of churches can become. Too often our focus has been on the past and not on the future. Look in the rest of this passage and see what happens to a people who will not be led by the Spirit of God.
They did not destroy the wicked, they mingled with them instead. They even worshiped their idols. And like hosts of Americans today they sacrificed their children and shed innocent blood. For that they were harshly punished, invading armies trampled across their lands, their institutions were corrupted and their power was dissipated.
Today, we ought to consider that not only do weapons change over time but also do the forms of warfare. Control of a nation can slip away economically just as assuredly as politically. In our time economics speaks louder than politics. Richard Nixon even wrote a popular book entitled The Real War, where he compared the trials and tribulations of the cold war to war by any other means except warfare. And economics is where the American Republic is the weakest in our time.
We should take verses forty to forty-two very personally. Just like Israel we have been delivered time after time in our history. But just like Israel we have been bent on rebellion and we also waste away in sins too numerous to catalog. What are we to do? Look for the hope contained in the end of this Psalm. "But he took note of their distress when he heard their cry; for their sake he remembered his covenant and out of his great love he relented." For everyone who has rebelled and sinned against the leading of the Spirit of God there is hope in these words! The same Lord and Creator of the universe who softened the heart of Nebuchadnezzar and Darius.
The same Lord who returned His people to the promised land of Israel will still remember His Covenant again today. We must certainly appreciate the implications of verse forty-seven under the Covenant of Grace. "Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from the nations." What a mighty promise of mercy and grace revealed to our psalmist! Then there is the purpose that the Spirit of the Lord would lead us to: "that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise." Instead of murmurings and rebellion, we are called to praise. The deserts of the present are but shadows when compared to the glories of the promised heaven. Our psalm closes with thankful praise to our God and our King. This is our purpose, this is our calling, and to this purpose the Holy Spirit would lead us! And yet, the common sinful urge inherited from Adam plagues us all. Like the people of Israel we too would despise the pleasant land, we too would refuse to believe the promise of eternal life. We too would grumble about the terms of God's grace and even refuse to obey our God and King.
We are called to praise, not to rebellion. Yet our human nature would have us rebel against the Spirit of God! We cannot break the curse unless the Lord Himself would save us. To that end may we be led by the Holy Spirit to honestly say: "Amen!" So be it! And as our psalmist invites us, so I invite you to echo the affirmation commended to us in verse forty-eight: Let all the people say?
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Resources Used: |
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Kidner, Derek. |
Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries: Psalms. | |
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Spurgeon, C.H. |
The Treasury of David. | |
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IBS: The Holy Bible, New International Version (1984) | ||
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Psm 106e |
16 July 95 | |