Slices
Prepare
In silence, thank God for his protection when we feel vulnerable.
Bible passage
1The Lord is a God who avenges.
O God who avenges, shine forth.
2 Rise up, Judge of the earth;
pay back to the proud what they deserve.
3 How long, Lord, will the wicked,
how long will the wicked be jubilant?
4 They pour out arrogant words;
all the evildoers are full of boasting.
5 They crush your people, Lord;
they oppress your inheritance.
6 They slay the widow and the foreigner;
they murder the fatherless.
7 They say, ‘The Lord does not see;
the God of Jacob takes no notice.’
8 Take notice, you senseless ones among the people;
you fools, when will you become wise?
9 Does he who fashioned the ear not hear?
Does he who formed the eye not see?
10 Does he who disciplines nations not punish?
Does he who teaches mankind lack knowledge?
11 The Lord knows all human plans;
he knows that they are futile.
12 Blessed is the one you discipline, Lord,
the one you teach from your law;
13 you grant them relief from days of trouble,
till a pit is dug for the wicked.
14 For the Lord will not reject his people;
he will never forsake his inheritance.
15 Judgment will again be founded on righteousness,
and all the upright in heart will follow it.
16 Who will rise up for me against the wicked?
Who will take a stand for me against evildoers?
17 Unless the Lord had given me help,
I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death.
18 When I said, ‘My foot is slipping,’
your unfailing love, Lord, supported me.
19 When anxiety was great within me,
your consolation brought me joy.
20 Can a corrupt throne be allied with you –
a throne that brings on misery by its decrees?
21 The wicked band together against the righteous
and condemn the innocent to death.
22 But the Lord has become my fortress,
and my God the rock in whom I take refuge.
23 He will repay them for their sins
and destroy them for their wickedness;
the Lord our God will destroy them.
Explore
Whatever the historical circumstance which produced this psalm, the struggles faced by the writer are made very clear – and they mainly come from fierce critics of his faith (vs 5,7). He doesn't hold back in describing them, and their activities! They are variously proud, wicked, arrogant, senseless, foolish murderers (vs 2–8). Evidently there is institutional opposition to the activities of God's people, and the readers are feeling the pain of this. Confronting such opposition, the writer comforts his readers that God is still the Lord, and that the activities of these opponents are ultimately futile (v 11). God will have his way, even if for a time we live through costly trials (vs 12–14).
Perhaps you feel at times that decisions taken by those who rule us do not reflect God's standards or plans (vs 20), but the psalmist is convinced that in such moments of uncertainty and even torment, God is faithful (vs 18,19). This is a solemn word to those who ignore God's revealed will, especially if they legislate against it. It affirms renewed faith for those caught up in the middle of such opposition or persecution.
Respond
Pray for those who rule us, for their responsibility to legislate justly and wisely. Pray for godly voices in government. Pray for those who are being persecuted today, simply because they are Christians. Pray for their comfort and vindication.
Deeper Bible study
We give thanks for psalms of praise and are grateful for the honesty of the psalms of lament.
Psalm 93 (last week) was an uninhibited (we might say untroubled) celebration of God’s glory and sovereignty and it asserted that ‘the world is established, firm and secure’.1 By contrast, today’s text reflects a different situation, one in which, although the foundations of belief remain intact, there are questions about how the writer’s present experience relates to those beliefs. The psalm is peppered with questions: ‘How long …?’ (v 3); ‘Who will rise up for me …?’ (v 16); ‘Can a corrupt throne be allied with you …?’ (v 20). The contrast between these two psalms is characteristic of Israel’s worship and spirituality, because the bedrock foundation concerning God’s power and faithfulness to his own promises came under threat when historical developments or personal tragedy seemed to call faith into question. Artur Weiser goes as far as to say that the poet’s faith in God’s righteousness ‘is shaken to its very foundations’.2
Two things should be said: first, the great tragedy of much contemporary Christianity is its loss of the biblical tradition of lament. When celebration overwhelms lament so that there is no public acknowledgment of doubts, questions and the pain of deep suffering, then worshippers enduring the ‘dark night of the soul’, as described by John of the Cross, are driven to even deeper despair and made to feel guilty for what seems to be an inferior faith. We need to remember that ‘Why?’ and ‘How long?’ ‘were repeatedly discovered to be as authentic cries as Hallelujah’.3
Second, lament invariably results in renewed praise. That is the case in this psalm, as its most wonderful verse (v 18) so clearly indicates. Lament and praise are thus closely related and together are crucial aspects of a living relationship with God.
Read verse 18 prayerfully now and know that the love of God is strong enough to see you through any crisis.
1 Ps 93:1 2 Artur Weiser, The Psalms, SCM Press, 1962, p623 3 Robert Davidson, The Courage to Doubt, SCM Press, 1983
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Numbers 36; Deuteronomy 1; Psalm 32
Pray for Scripture Union
This month, SU Bulgaria is holding a Lego weekend hoping to reach new children and families and share the good news with them. Pray that it will reach children who will form lasting relationships with the churches where the activity is held.
