Passing-Thought

the suffering servant and new creation

When God answers His suffering servant's complaint out of a whirlwind, He calls Creation to His defense. Thus, His wisdom as Creator should be enough to vindicate God when He enters into His courtroom with Job. But such argumentation is not simply to say, "I am all mighty and all wise. Who are you to question me?" That's nothing more than ad baculum. To win a defense as a cosmic bully is to lose the case. No, the defense carries implications for Job's future. God's wisdom can be trusted to bring about goodness and order for the whole world. If God's ineffable ways in creation is sufficient to answer Job's patient complaint, then God's purpose in Job's suffering is an exhibition of that same wisdom: God has ordained Job's sufferings to bring about a new creation.

From Genealogy to Gynecology: the unity of the Bible as a family tree scandal

I must have "Family Trees" too much on the brain. Now I'm beginning to think the basic connecting principle of the entire Bible is genealogically driven.

Canonically speaking, the Old and New Testaments are sutured together by this divine-anthropological schema:

The book of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, son of Abraham, son of David... Thus, Matthew titles his Gospel. The gospel is genealogical; in a sense, the gospel is a covenant genealogy:
A) from paternal promise (in Abraham),
B) to royal investiture (in David),
B') to exilic divestiture (in Babylon),
A') to resurrection maternal fulfillment (in Mary).
Life to honor, honor to shame, guilt to justification.

The King James preserves the thrust of this action better than other contemporary translations, employing the masculine active verb form for fatherhood: "to beget". Abraham begat Isaac, Isaac begat Jacob, Jacob begat Judah...: in this manner, the begetting rushes forth, descending like the current of a mighty waterfall. But there are a number of rocks along the way down, disturbences in downward flow: whenever women are mentioned, the action pauses, until finally the volumous water empties into a crashing silence...like a symphony that ends its crescendo short one note, with the conductor bowing in its place. The active series of begettings stop with Joseph: "begat, begat, begat...Joseph husband of Mary by whom was born Jesus" Thus, paternal activity gives way to passive maternity, or in other words, genealogy gives way to gynecology.

What a wussy way to end a royal, patriarchal genealogy! Not to mention embarrasingly scandelous. "Some Messiah you are. Do you belong to the line of David or not? If Joseph is not the father, then whose bastard child are you?" Matthew's subsequent narrative begins to adjudicate the criticism his own genealogy invites. Jesus is "born of the virgin Mary" because God, not Joseph, is his father, from beginning to end. And that relationship necessitates that the son will bear forth a life of truth bearing false accusations, so that "through my lie, God's truth might abound to His glory" (Rom 3:7). That is what is meant in the beginning of the gospel in Genesis, when God declares to the serpent, "he [the seed of the woman] shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel." The cross of the Messiah is where the truthfulness of God meets the head of Satan. Thus, the embarrassing genealogy (gynecology) of Jesus needs no apology, it is sufficient defense that the Messiah, is truly Messiah; the son of God, his only begotten. The genealogy is not simply descriptive history, it is a theological legacy preaching the shape of obedience that God requires of his son; a call to faithful obedience unto death with the hope of resurrection.

You now, who have been baptized into the Messiah, born of the Church by His Spirit and Word, descendents of the Family Tree of his Father, bear forth the crest our questionable origins. We carry the same scandelous image of truth to an unbelieving world, full of lies and deceivers. Take courage, "the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you."

(Matthew 4:23-8:01) Sermon on the Mount - a chiasm

Matthew 5:1-2 - Mounting evidence for the supreme authority of Jesus

Setting the stage for the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew chooses language for his narrative that provides clues for recognizing the royal-prophetic-divine authority of Jesus.

5:1-2 (Dynamic equivalency) Taking notice of his many afflicted followers, Jesus begins his covenantal teaching to train his disciples under his divine-royal authority.

5:1a "Seeing the crowds"
ALTERNATIVE: "Taking concern for the crowds..."

In the OT often when God "sees" his people under affliction/oppression, he is taking charge to save them, to show mercy and compassion (Exodus 2:25).

Matthew 9:35-36 follows the same two-part pattern as Matthew 4:23-5:2 -- (1) Jesus travels throughout regions preaching/teaching/healing...(2) He "sees" the crowds following him and shows compassion to them by training, teaching, and employing his disciples under his service.

So, in Matthew 9:36-36:
(1) "And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. (2) When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few..." (Compare also to Matthew 14:14ff, 15:29ff.)

The parallel passage helps to underscore Jesus' sermon on the mount as an act of God's saving justice:"like sheep without a shepherd" is a quote from Numbers 27:17, where God choses to transfer leadership from Moses to Joshua . Thus, Jesus "Joshua" is the new shepherd (after Moses) to lead renewed Isreal (represented here by the twelve disciples, and the crowds by extension) into the promised inheritance. Jesus is also the new-David, the the final king after God's own heart to shepherd his people.

5:1b-1d "he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him."
ALTERNATIVE: "Jesus ascended the mountain. After he sat down in order to train his disciples, they came..."

"Jesus ascended the mountain"
The point here of the ascension on the mountain is to draw out and rightly elevate Jesus' supreme authority, who is the Prophet greater than Moses and subsequently the scribes/pharisees who claim to be faithful disciples of Moses. The closing narrative of the sermon (Matthew 7:28-29) functions as an inclusio in this regard: "And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes."

The way Matthew describes the setting of the sermon of alludes to the giving of the Law in Mt. Sinai. Moses ascends the mountain to receive God's covenant. The people (multitude) remained at the bottom, and the elders (like Jesus' disciples) ascend with Moses (Ex 24:1 -- the elders, however, must worship from afar). The surprising twist of course, is that Jesus is not only like Moses in his ascension, but like Yahweh the King himself speaking the covenant. The shere shock of the people afterwards evidences the divine power of his teaching, not too unlike the trembling people experienced hearing God speak to Moses on Mt. Sinai.

This allusion to Moses and Sinai, in my mind, gives preference to translating the Greek word "oros" as "mountain" rather than "hill". It is important to draw out that the sermon on the mount is not simply a teaching, but a *covenant* proclamation, binding over those who are being instructed with promised blessings (and cursings).

Luke's account, in my opinion, makes the same allusion between Moses and Jesus, but from a different perspective (ie. Moses coming down the mountain). Most attempts to find a "common ground" between Luke and Matthew tend to skew this shared theological connection (albeit portrayed from different angles).

The "mountain" also carries royal-divine significance in biblical theology. The mountain of God's chosing represents a physico-spiritual bridge between God and man. Mount Zion is the location of David's throne and the temple, the center of worship. Likewise, after Jesus' ascends into heaven (true Zion), he sits upon the throne of David at God's right hand. Jesus is transfigured on a mountain (Matthew 17:1); He is tempted on a mountain concerning the kingdoms of the world (Matthew 4:8), and after his resurrection, the Son of God chooses a mountain to inaugurate his fulfillment of the royal messianic expectations of Psalm 2 (Matthew 28:16ff).

Jesus prophecies of his death in terms of ascension: "We're going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of the law, and they shall condemn him to death..." (Matthew 20:18ff). When Jesus is mocked as the King of the Jews on the cross, he is commanded to "come down" from the cross. (27:40, 42).

"he sat down"
In Jesus' society, the synogogue teacher would sit to teach. In our society, "to teach" sounds too weak to describe how a sermon functions for discipleship. Discipleship is about engendering thought, behavior, and character for a community and its members represent and honor their master-teacher. It is closer to military training than public education, and involves a lasting commitment between teacher and students. It is teaching with abiding authority and mutual responsibility[1].

The posture of sitting describes not only teaching authority, but when combined with ascension language, it connotes kingly-judicial authority. Jesus' sitting down on the mountain shows a higher authority than the seat of Moses in the synogogue (Matthew 23:2). In answering the messianic expectations of the mother of the sons of Zebedee (upon hearing about his ascension to Jerusalem 20:18ff)), Jesus alludes to his cross as the throne where God will choose to make one sit upon his right hand and left hand. In fulfillment, the two robbers are said to be crucified "one on his right and one on his left" (Matthew 27:38) (cf. Jesus and the Victory of God, N.T. Wright).

After Jesus is raised, he ascends to heaven to sit down at the right hand of God (Acts 2:20, Eph 1:20), he receives authority over all other authorities. He not only has the authority to teach about God's justice, but his teaching is a demonstration of God's saving justice. His very words practice what they preach.

Jesus' teaching is also an exercise in sharing his authority. He is a king training his vicegerents to engage a spiritual combat and leading them in His victory, so that they might be prepared to carry forth his saving justice and so multiply his loyal subjects in number and allegiance. (Unfortunately, the posture of a leader sitting down in our culture might suggest being "casual" about something, or not wanting to speak up.)

SUMMARY: The setting of the sermon on the mount provides clues, mounting evidence towards the calling and the supreme royal authority that Jesus fully receives from his Father in his resurrection and ascension. Matthew's gospel reminds us that He is still with us until the end of the age; He is preaching his sermon to all the nations from heaven through his chosen discipleship leaders (Matthew 28:16ff).

5:2 "And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying"
ALTERNATIVE1: "Then he taught them with supreme authority declaring"
ALTERNATIVE2: "Then he bound them by his teaching saying"

"to open the mouth"
This phrase is often (if not usually) employed for messages intended to carry binding authority, judicial weight or special wisdom:

* God "opens the mouth" of a prophet to declare His words (Exod 4:12, 15; Num 22:28; Ez 3:27)
* The mouth is opened to teach Torah to those without understanding (Matthew 13:35/ Psa 77:2; Psalm 51:15)
* To slander or make false witness or accusation (Ps 22:13, Ps 109:2)
* Speaking out (in court) for the rights of those who cannot defend themselves (Pro 31:8,9)
* To be silent during unfair treatment when one could raise a judicial complaint (Ps 38:13; Isa 53:7)
* Others: vow to God (Jud 11:35), cursing (Job 3:1), making a defense (Job 33:2).

SUMMARY: Jesus' message carries binding, covenantal authority.

make much of God (Psalm 145)

(Mark 12:18-27) the god of the dead?

This past Sunday (11/14/2004) our pastor challenged us from Mark 12:18-27 with these words. "The hope of the resurrection is a basic fact for all Christians, [so] make it your hope!" It's true. Though we as Christians say we believe "in the resurrection of the dead", perhaps the most notable difference between Paul's preaching and modern evangelical preaching is the neglect of full-bodied resurrection hope. Modern evangelical preaching tends to emphasize the cross of Christ as a means for individuals to be admitted into heaven after they die. That's it. That's our hope. In contrast, the language of resurrection in the New Testament is meant to refer to "a resurrected re-embodiment over which death would have no more power -- unlike the kind of disembodied state where death does indeed rule, forbidding re-embodiment." (p. 422, N.T. Wright, The Resurrection of the Son of God.)

In Mark 12:18-27, the Sadducees' twist the Levarite law of marriage from Deut 25:5-10 to serve the reign of death. Though God originally sanctioned the law to provide the hope of embodied life for a widow and her deceased husband, the Sadducees use it to make God into a "god of the dead", denying His power for eternal life promised in His covenant to Abraham for all his children. Their imaginary story is the ultimate example of poetic injustice: it thoroughly abandons a covenant woman widowed to the grave and provides absolutely no hope for redemption. The Sadducees communicate their confidence in the complete victory of death over the promise of life by their symbolic use of 3 & 7: they enumerate the loss of three husband-brothers and second it by the total of seven brothers dying--all leaving no offspring. The only hope the widow had according to the Law, they suggest, was in the seven men, but they all died. In essence, the story of the Sadducees and their follow-up question says this to Jesus, "Abandon your foolish resurrection hope, for all life shall be swallowed up in death. God is the god of the dead, and we obey the Law of Moses according to that god to secure our reign. You preach a hope that is beyond the control of our Temple administration, and we perceive that to be a threat to the politics of our order. We will not tolerate your zealous justice for Ruth and Naomi in our house, lest every stone be torn down in Obed."

Psalm 5 - Sunday School Handout

The fruit of my studies in Psalm 5 were presented for adult Sunday School at my church on June 27, 2004. See my pdf handout for a summary of the presentation, including literary context, grammatical/rhetorical outline, and redemptive historical considerations of the passage.

(Mark 10:17-22) God is one.

(ESV Mark 10) 17 And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" 18 And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.'" 20 And he said to him, "Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth." 21 And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." 22 Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

Jesus' response-question in v. 18 is startling. Ironically, the question probably seems as strange to the Jewish man as it does to a believing Christian, though for the opposite reason. To a Christian, Jesus' question sounds as if he is reducing himself to the level of a humble, pious rabbi, trying to avoid veneration that alone belongs to God. However, knowing that the Jewish man probably had no intent on equating Jesus with the God of Israel, Jesus' response serves to press the man to re-evaluate the authority of Jesus in terms of the very God who has already revealed Himself in the Torah. Thus, despite the Jewish sincerity of the man's question, Jesus' question-answer reveals a heart captivated by pagan theology, especially the worship of the god of wealth.

In reminding the man of the commandments of the Torah, Jesus distances himself from the notion that his authority as a teacher is based upon newness or novelty. The man's question implies that he is looking for an answer that lies beyond what the Torah teaches. A heart that desires to find revelation apart from what God has already revealed in Torah, is inclined towards pagan worship. That is the point of Deut 30:11ff:

11 "For this commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, neither is it far off. 12 It is not in heaven, that you should say, 'Who will ascend to heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?' 13 Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, 'Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?' 14 But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it. 15 "See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. 16 If you obey the commandments of the LORD your God that I command you today, by loving the LORD your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. 17 But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them, 18 I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish.

Thus, a heart discontented with the revelation of Torah as if God has kept it far-off & foreign, will seek not for a deeper understanding of God's revelation, but for further, non-biblical revelation. But such revelation seeking leads to worshipping foreign gods, not the God who revealed himself in Torah. Eternal life seems foreign to this man, not because of what is lacking in revelation, but what is lacking in the man himself. The man shows respect for Jesus in his running to him, bowing before him, and calling him "good teacher". But Jesus is not a foreign god which a man can consult as a secret oracle to secure eternal fortune and go his own way. Instead, in reminding the man "No one is good but One, that is, God" (NKJV), Jesus recalls the exclusive devotion to listening to God as our teacher according to the the 'shema' of Deut 6:4, "Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one."

Jesus reminds the man of the Torah in terms of the six commandments teaching how each member of God's redeemed community should love thy neighbor as thyself. Jesus' selection and arrangment of these commandments beg a few important questions. The first is this: Why does Jesus end rather than start with the commandment to honor thy father and mother? It is obvious that the others are given in the order which they are found in Deut 5:16ff: "Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness..." Why displace the 5th commandment? It could be that by putting that commandment last, Jesus is calling to question the duration of the man's obedience, hence the man's need to add "from my youth" in Mark 10:20(that is, even while under the authority of my parents). But I think the main reason is that the commandment functions as a kind of period for the end of the sentence which answers the question, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" As Paul says in Eph 6:3, "this is the first commandment with a promise: that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land." The promise of living long in the land is a common way of expressing the notion of eternal life in the Old Testament. Thus, by ending with the 5th commandment, Jesus is saying, keep these commandments and you have what is promised.

The next, most obvious question, especially as you relate this text to the other synoptic accounts, is what happened to the command "thou shall not covet"? The accounts in Matthew and Luke drop it. Here, Mark replaces the commandment with "Do not defraud", perhaps to call into account how this man has already come to obtain and use his property in relation to his neighbors. The present form of "thou shall not covet" seems to focus upon envying the possessions of his neighbors. But since Jesus knows this man is already wealthy, perhaps the best way to express the commandment is not in terms of envy, but greed. Is he now the kind of man who will allow neighbors to redeem or buy property from him according to the fair and equitable regulations of the Torah? In any case, the alteration in the commandment does draw us to reflect further upon its relationship to this man and whether or not he is keeping it as he says he has from his youth. Is he truly willing to love his neighbors as himself with his property?

Perhaps the most important question concerns what Jesus seems to have left out entirely: What happened to the first four commandments concerning loving God with all your heart? Did Jesus forget the most important obligation of the Torah: expressed allegiance to God alone in worship? No, Jesus didn't forget. He began to get to the heart of that with his question, "Why do you call me good?" He now completes that thought in Mark 10:21--Jesus seeks the exclusive worship of sacrifice that belongs to God alone. The English versions say, "one thing you lack", though actually the pronoun for "one" is nominative and functions as a subject for the verb "to lack"--in effect, "One thing causes you to be in need". Thus, the man is enslaved to this one thing which impoverishes him from inheriting eternal life from God. At heart, Jesus is confronting idolatry and the worship of false gods. In commanding the man to "come follow Me", Jesus sums up the first four commandments which call for loving, worshipping, and serving the One God of the Exodus, not One Wealth for myself.

Materialism is one of three of the main idols of the heart condemned in Deuteronomy (along with moralism and militarism):

Deuteronomy 8:11-20 Take care lest you forget the LORD your God by not keeping his commandments and his rules and his statutes, which I command you today, 12 lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them, 13 and when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, 14 then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, 15 who led you through the great and terrifying wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water, who brought you water out of the flinty rock, 16 who fed you in the wilderness with manna that your fathers did not know, that he might humble you and test you, to do you good in the end. 17 Beware lest you say in your heart, 'My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.' 18 You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day. 19 And if you forget the LORD your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I solemnly warn you today that you shall surely perish. 20 Like the nations that the LORD makes to perish before you, so shall you perish, because you would not obey the voice of the LORD your God.

The man has forgotten the Lord. But rather than direct condemnation, Mark prefaces the command in 10:21, "Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said...." The love of Jesus is the covenant love that God has for Israel, though she is a harlot of idolatry (Hos 3:1). Though Israel has experienced the Deutoronomic curse and exile from the land, God had promised to restore Israel to the land, when they had returned to the Lord with all their heart (Deut 30:1ff). The man somehow senses in his heart, that he is not yet experiencing eternal, final restoration, but recognizes that Jesus preaches of that kingdom. Jesus now calls the man to partake of all that his Father has promised for His Son in the restoration. In sharing this promise of inheritance, Jesus proves himself also to be the true keeper of the command "Love thy neighbor as thyself."

But such an inheritance requires pure, absolute devotion in following the Lord-- a heart circumcised by God's own Spirit (Deut 30:6, Mark 10:27, Rom 2:29). So Jesus tests his heart. Like Israel who stood blessed in the promised land under the command of Joshua who said, "Now therefore fear the LORD and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD." (Jos 24:13ff), this wealthy man must choose whether to serve Jesus or some other god. Is restoration-inheritance found in Christ alone or can one find such security through personal power or foreign allegiances?

The command "Come, follow Me" means great sacrifice to those who have much. In this context, Jesus is not simply asking to follow his moral example, but to follow Him as Israel followed the Shekinah glory in the Exodus. Jesus' journey to Jerusalem, was a journey to lead a final exodus from all idolatry that enslaves men from worshipping the true God and receiving His inheritance. And that new exodus required the greatest sacrifice of all, the ultimate expression of worship to God and love for neighbor--the crucifixion of the Son of God. Before Israel can experience fullness of restoration, God's Son must experience the fullness of the exile; He must be cut-off, circumcised from the land of promise. It is in expectation of this movement from exile to restoration that the prophets look for a new exodus in God's Son (Hos 2:15, 11:1).

The new exodus that Jesus brings, also comes with a new priesthood. Jesus' command to this man to have no possessions but those of heaven is reminiscent of God's election of Levitical priests in Deut 18:1ff: "The Levitical priests, all the tribe of Levi, shall have no portion or inheritance with Israel. They shall eat the LORD's food offerings as their inheritance. They shall have no inheritance among their brothers; the LORD is their inheritance, as he promised them."

Likewise, the command of Jesus to "sell all, give to the poor, and come, follow Me" shares the message of Habakkuk, where the prophet is told to accept the exile and destruction of Judah, through which God will provide deliverance, not only for Judah, but for all the nations under a common oppressor. In this manner, all the earth will abandon their idols to worship the true God in His Holy Temple (Hab 2:20). It is this vision of God's glory through the destruction of Judah's inheritance (or rather, God's sacrifice of His inheritance of Judah) that the faith of the prophet can worship in psalm: "Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. GOD, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer's; he makes me tread on my high places." The temple was intended to be the footstool of God's throne of mercy and justice for the poor and oppressed, and a house of prayer for the nations (Mar 11:15-16), where all idolatry (including personal profit & prosperity) is abandoned for the glory of God.

Sadly, the man considers such a priestly calling and sacrifice for Christ as too costly, not worthy of the abandonment his own property. Ultimately, this expresses his lack of faith in Christ's own sacrifice. What a reversal! The man who at first willingly ran to Jesus, bowed before Him, and paid homage to His teaching authority, seemed willing to sign on the dotted line for any new contract involving eternal life. Now he walks away grieved that he could not have his own way--a way that allows him to keep his cozy condo in Egypt; to have his raisin cake and eat it too (cf. Hos 3:1); a way that allows for worshipping God along with his other pet god; a way that avoids the cross of Christ. In walking away from the love of Jesus, this "Torah keeper", fails to "follow in the ways of the Lord", thus breaking the whole of the Torah, choosing to love neither God nor neighbor.

From dust to dust, the man returns on his way back to Egypt a wealthy hobo, enslaved & eternally impoverished by his own prosperity, not content to live soley from God's manna from heaven and every word that proceeds from His mouth. In the end, the one who was known for his great property and possessions, loses his name. Literarily, he remains simply a generic 'man'; a son of our first rich younger ruler, Adam. And like the nameless man in Ruth 4:6 who, in hopes to save his own inheritance, refused to redeem Ruth, in the end the man has no lasting inheritance for which he might be remembered.

Psalm 5: Literary Context (2)

In my previous entry on Psalm 5, I noted the common themes surrounded morning and evening in the set of laments in Psalms 3-7. I also suggested that we read Psalm 8 as a hymn of praise in response to God's faithfulness to answer the prayers of the laments in Psalms 3-7. These groanings of David are not merely individual, they are connected to the groanings of all creation for redemption (Romans 8:18ff), since the throne of David represents the throne of (new) Adam.

I then asked the question whether or not we are warranted to further this connection between David and Adam by noting that there are 5 laments preceeding Psalm 8, just as there are 5 days preceeding the creation of man in Gen 1.

Here now is further evidence connecting David's prayers (Psalms 3-9) to the creation account at the beginning of the Torah:

1. Note that there are a total of 7 psalms with superscripts (Psalms 3-9), bracketed by psalms without superscripts (Psalms 1-2 & 10), just as there are 7 days of creation.
2. As we had already noted, there are an unusual number of references alluding to morning and evening in this set of laments (esp. psalms 3-6).
3. Like day 6, Psalm 8 focuses upon God's exaltation of man over the earth, and like day 7 (the Sabbath), Psalm 9 focuses upon the exaltation and kingship of God upon his throne.
4. Remember also, that the Psalter as a whole is divided into 5 books, just as there are 5 books of Torah, beginning with Genesis.
   

As I had noted in my previous entry, the superscripts unite psalms 3-7 in a chiastic pattern (A-B-C-B-A). but the superscripts of Psalms 8 & 9 are also similar to each other:

1. (8.1) TO THE CHOIRMASTER: ACCORDING TO THE GITTITH. A PSALM OF DAVID.
2. (9.1) TO THE CHOIRMASTER: ACCORDING TO MUTH-LABBEN. A PSALM OF DAVID.

Thus psalms 8-9 as hymns of praise, are set apart as a doublet from the psalms of laments (3-7), as days 6 & days 7 are set apart in God's creation account in Gen 1 & 2.

Can you think of any other connections?

Psalm 5: Literary Context

I consider Psalm 5 to the centerpiece of a group of laments beginning in Psalm 3 and ending in Psalm 7. The superscripts for this set of psalms suggest an intentional composition strategy functioning to unify around the Davidic drama.

(3:1) A PSALM OF DAVID, WHEN HE FLED FROM ABSALOM HIS SON.

(4:1) TO THE CHOIRMASTER: WITH STRINGED INSTRUMENTS.
A PSALM OF DAVID.

(5:1) TO THE CHOIRMASTER: FOR THE FLUTES.
A PSALM OF DAVID.

(6:1) TO THE CHOIRMASTER: WITH STRINGED INSTRUMENTS; ACCORDING TO THE SHEMINITH.
A PSALM OF DAVID.

(7:1) A SHIGGAION OF DAVID, WHICH HE SANG TO THE LORD CONCERNING THE WORDS OF CUSH, A BENJAMINITE.

It appears to me that the superscripts of Psalm 3 & 7 bracket these laments with historical information concerning the life of David: Psalm 3 concerns David's fleeing from Absalom (2 Samuel 15); while Psalm 7 may refer to one or two later incidents: Shimei the Benjamite's curses against David (2 Samuel 16:1-23), and/or possibly the Cushite's news of Absalom's death (2 Samuel 18:31). Within this historical bracket (inclusio), Psalms 4-6 are connected with a chiasitic (A-B-A) pattern of instrumental directives to the "Choirmaster": strings - winds - strings.

Thus, Psalm 5 is the liturgical center for this set of laments anchored in the redemptive-historical situation where God's anointed king has been exiled from the throne and groans for final restoration.

Morning and Evening

Within this Davidic drama, I am impressed by a common theme surrounding morning and evening.

• (Psalm 3:5) I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the LORD sustained me.
• (Psalm 4:4,8) Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent...In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.
• (Psalm 5:5) O LORD, in the morning you [will] hear my voice; in the morning I [will] prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.
• (Psalm 6:6) I am weary with my moaning; every night I flood my bed with tears; I drench my couch with my weeping.

Upon closer examination of the word "morning" in the Psalms, I found that it is used most often to express confidence and hope that Yahweh will act in the morning to bring salvation, to deliver from the time of trouble. Conversely, evening/night is a metaphor for the time of trouble/distress, even from God's own wrath:

• Psalm 30:5 For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.
• Psalm 46:5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns.
• Psalm 90:5-7, 14 You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning: in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers. For we are brought to an end by your anger; by your wrath we are dismayed...Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

The "morning" is also used to express thanksgiving for Yahweh's faithful protection through the distress of the night:

• (Psalm 59:16) But I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day of my distress.
• (Psalm 92:1-2) It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night,
• (Psalm 143:8) Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.

Psalms 3-7 also seem to draw upon the theme of divine protection and divine deliverance by its use of morning and evening.

• Psalm 3:5 remembers the Lord's protection through the night while the psalmist slept
• Psalm 4:4,8 expresses confidence and trust in the Lord's protection to sustain him through the night
• Psalm 5:5 expresses confidence that the Lord will protect him during the night bring and/or bring deliverance in the morning
• Psalm 6:6 expresses the psalmists continual languish during the night

Resolution: New Creation in the Christ

"Morning" and "evening" are creation motifs. David's throne is not simply a throne for establishing justice in Israel, but for the entire cosmos. God had promised to set the entire world to right through a chosen seed, his annointed son. I think that is why David's psalms most often carry historical ambiguity. Not simply because the psalmists indend to express "timeless truths" or "an individual's existential struggles that relate to experiences of many", but because the Psalter is comprehensive and cosmic, concerned with the summation of all of history and creation with respect to God's promises through his chosen, annointed leadership--David's throne.

Thus, I read David's creation psalm (Psalm 8) as a praise arising from Yahweh's faithfulness to answer his laments of Psalms 3-7. David has been restored to the throne, "crowned with glory and honor"; peace and harmony has been restored to God's creation (cf. Gen 1 & 2). And this movement from lament to praise is a microcosm of the Psalter as a whole: God will answer the prayers of David to bring praise and worship to him in all creation.

David's greatest son, Jesus, has faced the full night of God's wrath but his tears of blood have turned to tears of joy in his resurrection and exaltation to God's right hand forever. The dawn of morning has come. God has been faithful to His promises to David. Praise God for the new creation He brought about for us in Christ!

Further Question(s) & Comments:

1. How does the content of Psalm 5 prove itself to be the "center" of Psalms 3-7?
2. Psalm 7 doesn't seem to have explicit references to morning and evening. It does, however, repeat the plea "Arise, O Yahweh" that is also uttered in Psalm 3:7 which may also be translated "Awake, O Yahweh!" While the Psalmist remembers God's faithfulness to protect him during the night, he awakes to find that the danger of his enemies is still surmounting. Has faithful Yahweh fallen asleep after his night-watch? It appear so. If Psalm 7 is governed by this same metaphor, we may have found another inclusio: psalms 4-6 are psalms of the "evening" (longing for morning) and psalms 3,7 are psalms of the "morning": it is (almost past?) the urgent time for God to rid the enemies and exalt his messiah.
3. Does Psalm 8 continue the theme of day and night set forth in the preceding laments?
4. Is it possible that Psalm 8 was preceeded by five laments because five days preceeded the creation of man in Gen 1?
5. How does Jesus' experience of the cross "fit in" with David's confidence in Yahweh for divine protection against his enemies?

Psalm 5: Grammatical Structure

Psalms - Messianic?

What are Messianic Psalms? The popular way to identify which psalms are "messianic" is two-fold:

1) psalms that the NT records Jesus to have prayed
2) psalms used in NT as containing prophecy that was literally fulfilled in the coming of the Messiah

Now, it's conceivable to have an even stricter view that only the portions of Scripture quoted by or in reference to Christ in the NT are "Messianic". I've heard rumors of this kind of position, but don't know anyone personally who holds to it.

A broader view allows the Messianic class to be applied to psalms and/or portions of psalms that echo those quoted in the NT or else do not fully fit the historical situation of the author (but only seem to apply to Jesus). Thus, psalms that suggest the deity of the king (e.g. Ps 45:6-7) or moral perfection (e.g. Ps 7:8) are taken as prophetic and predictive, not true prayers of Israelites for their own time, while Psalms that include confession of sin are excluded from Messianic consideration (e.g. Ps 51).

But do you think this delineation between Messianic and non-Messianic portions of Scripture does full justice to the teaching of Jesus in Luke 24:27 and 44-45?

ESV Luke 24:27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

ESV Luke 24:44: Then he said to them, "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled."

Psalms: Genre - a Lament

According to Dillard & Longman (p. 220 Introduction to the Old Testament) in a lament the psalmist "experiences trouble and turns to the LORD for aid". That trouble comes from within or without, even God himself (Ps. 102:9-10). It is a song of "disorientation, of abandonment, distress, pain, and suffering."

The form of the lament has a distinctive structure consisting of more than one of the following elements:

1) Invocation
2) Plea to God for help
3) Complaints
4) Confession of sin or an assertion of innocence
5) Curse of enemies (imprecation)
6) Confidence in God's response
7) Hymn or blessing

Psalms: Intro - Genre

What is a "Psalm"?

"The English name of the book comes to us from the Septuagint (Psalmos), via the Vulgate. The Greek word was used to translate the Hebrew word mizmor that comes fro the verbal root zamar ("to sing" or possibly "to pluck [an instrument]"), which connects the book with music. The Hebrew Title Tehillim means "praises" and highlights what is the dominant note...of the book." (p.211 An Introduction to the Old Testament, Dillard & Longman.)

Dillard & Longman note three main types of psalms: hymn, lament, and thanksgiving. Hymns praise Yahweh and invite others to join in that praise. Laments cry out to God, remembering Yahweh's past covenant mercies and promises, and offering a case for God to prove his faithfulness to save the psalmist from his present distress. Psalms of thanksgiving express thanks to God for answering his people's laments and proving himself faithful to his promises. The book of Psalms moves to conclude upon the note of thanksgiving in a crescendo of praises.

Other psalms have been classified according to shared dominant features (psalms of confidence, psalms of remembrance, wisdom psalms, kingship psalms). But it seems to me that the categorization of psalms is not an exact science. For instance, laments usually end in thanksgiving. Both hymns and laments often express confidence and remembrance.

Psalm 5 - purpose and method of study

Pastor Scott asked me to lead the devotions for our men's prayer breakfast April 10th. We've been going through the Psalter and have reached Psalm 5. I intend to use this blog to trace my preparation for the devotional.

Study Procedure

First, I will spend time familiarizing myself with the psalm in the English. It will be important to refresh my memory on what a "psalm" is as a literary genre, and try to answer the question "what kind of psalm is this?" I will then proceed to analyze the Hebrew grammar noting any significant textual variants, and compare how various translations interpret the original (e.g. English translations, but also the Septuagint (LXX)). I will proceed to determine the poetic structure of the psalm, rhetorically and thematically. I will move into broader contextual issues that help me understand the meaning of the psalm in its canonical context (e.g. thematic or theological connections to adjacent psalms, how the psalm relates to the history of God's salvation, does it quote or allude to other Scriptures?) Then I will reflect upon how the psalm may speak to Christians, respecting how subsequent authors in Scripture use (or dialogue with) its text or theology to help us understand God's salvation in Christ, the identity of His people, and how we are to be faithful to His revelation.

To begin, here is the text of Psalm 5 (English Standard Version).

TEXT: Psalm 5:1-12 ESV
Psalm 5:1 TO THE CHOIRMASTER: FOR THE FLUTES. A PSALM OF DAVID. Give ear to my words, O LORD; consider my groaning.
2 Give attention to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you do I pray.
3 O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.
4 For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you.
5 The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers.
6 You destroy those who speak lies; the LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.
7 But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house. I will bow down toward your holy temple in the fear of you.
8 Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your way straight before me.
9 For there is no truth in their mouth; their inmost self is destruction; their throat is an open grave; they flatter with their tongue.
10 Make them bear their guilt, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; because of the abundance of their transgressions cast them out, for they have rebelled against you.
11 But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you.
12 For you bless the righteous, O LORD; you cover him with favor as with a shield.