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Ezekiel 1:4-6

Every Knee Will Bow

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
June 30, 2023

Although God is often pictured in scripture as the “rider on the storm” in Ezekiel’s vision, there seem to be four riders. Each of the riders has four faces and four wings. Ezekiel 1:4-6 says, “As I looked, behold, a stormy wind came out of the north, and a great cloud, with brightness around it, and fire flashing forth continually, and in the midst of the fire, as it were gleaming metal. And from the midst of it came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had a human likeness, but each had four faces, and each of them had four wings.” Cooper talks about the vision of the storm, “The storm vision has several significant features. It was described as ‘immense,’ a reference not only to its size but also to its intensity. Successive bursts of lightning came from this storm, creating an intense electrical display. The flashing fire was so intense that it illuminated the storm cloud like the brightness of the molten metal. The storm came from the north, the direction from which the Babylonians invaded Judah. The great storm from the north represented the coming invasion and destruction of Judah and Jerusalem by the Babylonian army.”[1]

Out of the storm walks the four living creatures, a tetramorph. The word comes from the Greek for tetra, meaning four, and morph, meaning shape. In Christian history, this word is often used to refer to the four Gospels; Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. In ancient art, you will see drawings associated with them and the four living creatures mentioned in Ezekiel. Wikipedia says, “The tetramorphs were especially common in Early Medieval art, above all in illuminated Gospel books, but remain common in religious art to the present day.”[2] I don’t think Ezekiel is picturing the Gospels. I think he’s showing that the gods of Assyria and Babylon are simple instruments in God’s hands to bring judgment on Israel for failing to abide by their covenant promises.

Ezekiel was captive in Babylon when he saw this vision, and it’s hard not to connect it with the Lamassu of that culture. The Lamassu was a Sumerian god or goddess depicted by the hybrid image of a human, bird, bull, and/or lion. According to a Wikipedia article, this is a well-known symbol, even today. The British 10th Army, which operated in Iraq and Iran in 1942-1943, adopted the Lamassu as its insignia. Further, the United States Forces in Iraq used a bearded man with a winged bull body in its logo. The article goes on, “A man with a bull’s body is found among the creatures that make up Aslan’s army in “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” by C.S. Lewis. He appears at the Stone Table, challenging the White Witch “with a great bellowing voice.” In the film Alexander (2004), lamassu are seen at the Ishtar Gate in Babylon. In the Disney film Aladdin (1992), a gold lamassu can be found in the scene where Aladdin and Abu enter the cave in the desert to find the lamp. And, in the “Star Wars” prequel: Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, Lama Su is the name of the Kaminoan cloner who tells Obi-Wan-Kenobi about Jango Fett.”[3] In the book of Revelation, we see very similar “living creatures” that worship at the throne of God. If I’m right, and I’m always right, the depiction of these creatures pictures God’s use of these nations and their gods to do His will. They only worship and serve at the command of the one true God. In the end, every knee shall bow, of things on earth, under the earth, and above the earth, at the name of Jesus. He is seen as the lamb that sits upon the throne in the book of Revelation accepting the worship of the 24 elders along with the living creatures. As Ezekiel is a prisoner in Babylon, it’s only temporary. God will bring his storm of judgment upon the world, and all will bow to worship his Son Jesus.

[1] Cooper, Lamar Eugene. 1994. Ezekiel. Vol. 17. The New American Commentary. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetramorph

[3] Lamassu – Wikipedia

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Lamentations 1:4, Various

A Time to Celebrate!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
June 29, 2023

Lamentations 1:4 continues the narrative on the suffering of Israel at its enslavement by the Babylonians. Jerusalem, the capital of Judah, the home of King David, and the center of Israeli life, has been left as a ghost town. There are no more neighborhoods, the Temple has been destroyed, and the walls have been torn down. Except for a few stragglers, the city is empty of all life.  The city that once buzzed with commerce, celebrations, and social activity is now left desolate. The passage says, “The roads to Zion mourn, for none come to the festival; all her gates are desolate; her priests groan; her virgins have been afflicted, and she herself suffers bitterly.” The phrase in this passage that says “her virgins have been afflicted” is rendered by the Septuagint (The Greek Translation of the Old Testament) as “her maidens have been dragged away.” The New Revised Standard Version has this translation. It seems to complement the rest of the verse in that all signs of life are gone. The “virgins” or young maidens represent the hope for future generations. All hope is gone. Gingrich writes, “The roads to Jerusalem, formerly crowded with pilgrims, were empty, for the feasts were no longer kept. The open places inside the city’s gates (where the merchants had sold their wares, where the judges had settled disputes, and where the people had gathered to converse) were deserted. The city’s priests sighed for they offered no sacrifices and so had no income. Her virgins were afflicted with sorrows, for they had no prospects for a husband and children. All of these things caused Jerusalem to dwell in bitterness.”[1]

I’m reminded of our stay at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem several years ago. We arrived at the Hotel after a long day of walking to several places in the city. Jerusalem is divided into four quarters: Armenian, Christian, Jewish, and Muslim. In a video presentation on the city, a young girl of each religion explains what it’s like to live in her quarter of Jerusalem.” Although they all have distinct characteristics, the business, the activity, the commerce, and the crowds make the walk very interesting. When we arrived at the Hotel, we enjoyed a great meal in a restaurant that overlooked a modern swimming pool with a large pavilion where a band was set up. We watched a young Jewish couple perform their routines in a traditional wedding ceremony. It was very Jewish and very somber. When the ceremony was over, men cleared away the tables, and the band began their opening set of music for the newlyweds and their guests. I was rather surprised that the first song the band played was one we all know from KC and the Sunshine Band, “Get Down Tonight.” The wedding was in Hebrew. The music was English.

There is no longer any reason to celebrate. There are no more weddings in Jerusalem. The city itself is in mourning. There is no more commerce, and there are no more celebrations of any kind. The city lies desolate. Yet, as the Psalmist sings, there is coming a great day of restoration. Psalm 65:11-13 says, “You crown the year with your bounty; your wagon tracks overflow with abundance. The pastures of the wilderness overflow, the hills gird themselves with joy, the meadows clothe themselves with flocks, the valleys deck themselves with grain, they shout and sing together for joy.” The outcasts in Jeremiah’s day could not even imagine what God had in store for them. In the midst of their great “lamentation” God did not totally desert them and had great plans for their future. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you, not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future.” This is God’s plan for us as well. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 2:9, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him.” That will be a great time of celebration.

[1] Gingrich, Roy E. 1998. The Book of Lamentations. Memphis, TN: Riverside Printing.

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Jeremiah 7:21-23, Various

The Pit of Despair

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
June 28, 2023

 Jeremiah warns the people that God’s wrath is to be poured out on man and beast and the whole created order. This is an irreversible prophecy. It came to us beginning with our ancestors, Adam and Eve. God sent the curse on sin. Every generation since has followed in the footsteps of the first sinners. We felt shame and remorse and try to hide from God and even appease Him with our sacrifices. But none of that will assuage God’s wrath on sin. He does not want our sacrifices. He wants our obedience. Jeremiah explains this to the children of Israel who have turned from God to idols. In Jeremiah 7:21-23 we read, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Add your burnt offerings to your sacrifices and eat the flesh. For in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, I did not speak to your fathers or command them concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices. But this command I gave them: ‘Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.’” This is reminiscent of 1 Samuel 15:22. Saul disregarded Samuel’s instructions and offered the sacrifices on his own, “And Samuel said, ‘Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.’”

We seem to think, maybe subconsciously, that we can do something or give something that will make up for our failure to obey. It’s a lesson we all have to learn the hard way. David had learned the hard way that obedience is better than sacrifice. He had learned it with Bathsheba. He learned it when he failed to handle the Ark in accordance with God’s instructions to Moses, and it cost Uzzah his life. He learned it again in 1 Chronicles 19 when Satan inspired him to take a census contrary to God’s instructions, and a plague killed thousands of his citizens. Yes, David learned the hard way (like most of us) that obedience is better than sacrifice. This theme is repeated in the Bible a lot. Solomon speaks of it in Ecclesiastes. It’s in Proverbs. According to Loizeaux, “The book of Esther contains principles of great value at all times, but especially at the present one when some who delve very little into the word of God are liable to wonder at some of His ways and grow discouraged in the path of obedience. It is needful, therefore, that such, and all of us, should have detailed before us the fact that ‘obedience is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.’ May God richly bless your effort to bring to the surface what His Spirit has laid up for us in this little book.”[1]

As I ponder the struggles in my life right now, there are some ways in which I don’t feel I have the ability to do even know I believe God wants me to do them. I still harbor some bitterness against people. I’ve said some things that I should go apologize for. I’ve even told some lies that I should go back to those people and ask for forgiveness. This thinking has often led me to the pit of despair. It was extremely refreshing to read Charles Stanley’s explanation from the Christian perspective. He writes, “What happens when you ignore God? In your mind, do you picture Him just walking away, looking forlorn and rejected? Or do you have a mental image of God getting mad at you and banishing you to forty years of wilderness wandering? Neither is correct. God loves you perfectly. And His love for you is not based on your obedience. Though He tells us in His Word that obedience is better than sacrifice, the thing that God wants most from you is a love that comes from your heart. He doesn’t stop loving you just because you do something wrong. None of us can earn God’s love by being good or trying to be perfect. For one, we do not have the ability to do either of these on our own. We need a Savior. And this is why Jesus came to die for you and me. He does the very thing that you cannot do for yourself. He makes you acceptable in God’s eyes. He sets you free from sin. When we ignore the Lord, we are the ones who suffer and miss a great opportunity for blessing. God is not a strong and mighty taskmaster who waits for us to do something wrong so He can pounce. He is a loving God who listens to our cries. When He draws you to Himself, He uses love, not a rod of thunder. God knows that once you drink of His love, the world’s appeal will fade. Give Him your heart, and you will be blessed by what you receive from Him.”[2]

[1] Loizeaux, Paul J. 1921. “Prefatory Note.” In Notes on the Book of Esther, 2d ed., 5. New York: Loizeaux Bros.

[2] Stanley, Charles F. 2006. Pathways to His Presence. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.

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Isaiah 1:4-6, Various

The Problem Within

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
June 27, 2023

In the first three verses of the book of Isaiah, God calls forth the universe to stand up as witnesses against his people, Israel. They are children who have rebelled against him, and unlike animals, the ox and the donkey who come home when they’re hungry, they remain alienated from the one who feeds and cares for them out of his great love. God sends Isaiah to ask them to consider what their rebellion brought them. Isaiah lays out the current condition of God’s people in the next three verses. Isaiah 1:4-6 says, “Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, children who deal corruptly! They have forsaken the Lord, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, and they are utterly estranged. Why will you still be struck down? Why will you continue to rebel? The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it, but bruises and sores and raw wounds; they are not pressed out or bound up or softened with oil.”

Isaiah charges the nation with deep-seated sin. Briley says, “The parallel terms nation, people, brood, and children are comprehensive, and the descriptors sinful, loaded with guilt, evildoers, and given to corruption refer to a deeply rooted problem rather than a superficial one.”[1] Isaiah is describing the symptoms of leprosy. McGee suggests this is exactly what Isaiah thought when he wrote this passage. He says, “Isaiah also had leprosy in his thinking as he described the sins of his people: “From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrefying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment” (Isa. 1:6).”[2] The sin has gone so deep into the very core of the nation that there was no one to treat it. There is no medicine or treatment of any kind that might cure this disease. Like leprosy, it has spread to all aspects of the nation. Ryrie adds, “Principally, leprosy illustrates the defilement of sin, which results in separation. Insidiousness, loathsomeness, uncleanness, separation, defilement, death, are all points of comparison between leprosy and sin.”[3] Even though you saw leprosy on the outside of the body, the real cause of the disease was lying beneath the surface. The sores and other problems were symptoms of the disease, but the cause ran deeper still. Sin is precisely the same. We are not sinners because we sin. We sin because we are sinners. The root of sin runs deep. Sin proceeds from a sinful heart. We all have sinful hearts. Jeremiah tells us that the heart is desperately wicked and deceitful above all things. Who can know it? That answer is no one can know it. Jesus tells us in Matthew 15:19 that evil thoughts, murders, adultery, theft, and lies all proceed from the heart of man. The disease lies at the heart of man. We have it long before the symptoms begin to show. One blogger writes, “sin does its work in us well before others may ever see it. It often starts with secret sins, where only we will feel the tenderness. Then it begins to show itself in public sin, then when we defend and justify our sin, it starts to fester and putrify, but it all starts from within.”

 Isaiah introduces his readers to the condition of the people of Israel. He is also introducing us to our own condition, which is not unlike leprosy. But Jesus can heal lepers. Isaiah is going to speak of this truth through his book. The description of Jesus’ cleansing action is seen clearly in chapter 53, where Isaiah writes, “Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds, we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

[1] Briley, Terry R. 2000–. Isaiah. The College Press NIV Commentary. Joplin, MO: College Press Pub.

[2] McGee, J. Vernon. 1991. Thru the Bible Commentary: The Law (Leviticus 1-14). Electronic ed. Vol. 6. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

[3] Ryrie, Charles C. 1956. “The Cleansing of the Leper.” Bibliotheca Sacra 113: 264.

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Song of Solomon 1:4

More than Smell and Taste

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
June 26, 2023

Verse 3 of the first chapter of the Song of Solomon informed us that the lover smelled like sweet perfume and fragrant oils. In verse 2, the lover informs her lover that his kisses are sweeter than wine. All the young girls were attracted to the young king and praised all his lovable attributes. Then verse 4 adds the idea of urgency and haste to the maiden’s love for this man. She says, “Draw me after you; let us run. The king has brought me into his chambers.” Instead of running after party pleasure, the maiden prefers her lover’s company. She continues, “We will exult and rejoice in you; we will extol your love more than wine; rightly do they love you.”

The senses of smell and taste play a large part in how people are attracted to each other. “Compared to most other animals, humans are not historically known for their keen sense of smell. However, when it comes to falling in love, recent research shows that people do, in fact, rely on their noses to perceive chemical signals in a potential mate. These signals, known as pheromones, give the brain subtle pieces of information that, in combination with our other senses, help people determine the viability of a budding love interest. Additionally, ‘if you have a positive experience with someone whose smell you enjoy and to whom you’re attracted, your body’s dopamine system will register this interaction as a reward worth seeking again,’ says Dr. Stieg. From this point, the brain will correlate being in that person’s presence with the insatiable desire to do so over and over again.”[1] Also, “Tasting something sweet sets off the brain’s pleasure center, flooding it with dopamine and the strong urge to repeat the behavior — in this case, the reward of being with that other person.”

The King’s lover wants to be with him. His attraction is stronger than anyone or anything else in her life. Everything about the king draws them to himself. When commentators see this book as an allegory of the church’s love for her king, they understand this to be teaching about the general attraction Christ has above all others. Taking this book as a literal presentation of love between a man and a woman has its merits, yet, that love, as seen in all of David’s affairs and Solomon’s affairs, brings diminishing returns as life goes on after the initial stages. They also all end in death. There seems to be more lasting value to understanding the Holy Spirit wrote this book through the hands and experience of Solomon to teach us of a far more comprehensive love. Charles Simeon writes, “Who is there so excellent in himself, or such a source of blessedness to them that love him? Go through the universe; survey everything that stands in competition with him, and see what it can do for your souls. Take that highest of earthly bliss, which is here used to shadow forth the blessedness of union with Christ: how often have they been disappointed who have most passionately sought, and fondly hoped that they had attained, the summit of human happiness! And where it has been enjoyed in its utmost perfection, how soon has it been cut short by the hand of death! But nothing can damp, and nothing can terminate, the blessedness of those who are united to Christ.”[2]

[1] Your Brain and Five Senses: The Science Behind Falling in Love (nyp.org)

[2] Simeon, Charles. 1833. Horae Homileticae: Proverbs to Isaiah XXVI. Vol. 7. London: Holdsworth and Ball.

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Ecclesiastes 1:4-7, Various

He Cares!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
June 25, 2023

The earth is the most insensitive thing of all. It doesn’t care a thing for those who live upon it. It carries on as if nothing has happened in the middle of life’s greatest pains and losses. This is what Solomon means in Ecclesiastes 1:4-7. He writes, “A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever. The sun rises, and the sun goes down and hastens to the place where it rises. The wind blows to the south and goes around to the north; around and around goes the wind, and on its circuits, the wind returns. All streams run to the sea, but the sea is not full; to the place where the streams flow, there they flow again.” The wind doesn’t care about you or me at all! The rivers don’t care about you or me either. I wonder if the writer of the old song “Ole’ Man River” had this in mind when he wrote about the Mississippi that “must know somethin’ but don’t say nothin. He just keeps rolling along while “you and me sweat and strain, body all achin’ and racked with pain.” The rivers don’t care about those who plant potatoes; they are soon forgotten.” I suppose the writer felt like Soloman when he closes his song, “I get weary and sick of tryin’, I’m tired of livin’, but I’m scared of dyin’ but ol’ man river, he just keeps rolling along.

When Skeeter Davis lost her first love, she lamented the insensitive nature of the world around her. Nothing in the great creation cared about her loss at all. She sings, “Why does the sun go on shining? Why does the sea rush to shore? Why do the birds go on singing? Why do the stars glow above? I wake up in the morning and I wonder Why everything’s the same as it was. I can’t understand, no, I can’t understand how life goes on the way it does.” She wants to know why nothing cares about her pain and suffering!

The writer of the book of Ecclesiastes leads us to but one obvious conclusion regarding all of life: “It’s vanity of vanities.” It’s all smoke and mirrors. It’s not until he introduces God into his narrative later in the book that we see there is meaning and purpose in life. The rivers don’t care. The winds don’t care. Nothing in the created order cares. But the creator cares. The one who made the whole universe: the stars, the winds, the seas, and everything else in the world does care about you and me. John 3:16 is the most famous verse in the Bible for a reason. It stands in stark contrast to the impersonal world in which we live. “God so loved the world (the world of people!) that he sent His only son so that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Yes, a generation is born only to die in this world under the sun, but God’s great love for us delivers us from the futility and insensitivity of this earth. Romans 5:8 says, “God demonstrated His love for us in this, while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.” Christ was crucified at the hands of an insensitive world so that we could have life, eternal life. The universe couldn’t care less about you! But God loves you with an everlasting love.

 

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Proverbs 1:7, Various

Taking God Seriously

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
June 24, 2023

Three key ideas are repeated often in the 31 chapters of the book of Proverbs. They are knowledge, wisdom, and instruction. They can often be exchanged for each other, but all three of them have their roots in believing in and trusting God. Solomon puts them together in Proverbs 1:7. He writes, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” When Solomon was offered the opportunity to ask God for anything he wanted, he didn’t ask for gold, fame, or pleasures. He asked God for wisdom.  According to 1 Kings 4:29f, God granted his request.  It says, “And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding beyond measure, and breadth of mind like the sand on the seashore so that Solomon’s wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the people of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt.  For he was wiser than all other men…He also spoke 3,000 proverbs, and his songs were 1,005.”  In Matthew 12:42, Jesus confirms the Old Testament historical account of the great wisdom of Solomon.  In this quote, Jesus also commends the Queen of the South.  He says, “The queen of the South…came from the ends of the earth to hear the Wisdom of Solomon….”

We don’t have to travel vast distances to get advice from the wisest man who ever lived. We need only open our Bibles to the book of Proverbs.  Both wisdom and folly call out to us every day, according to the first ten chapters of Proverbs.  Every day we need to seek its advice. We will face many decisions each day of our lives that demand a decision in the form of a thought, word, or action.  What Timothy George said about the Bible as a whole is especially appropriate for the book of Proverbs. He writes, “The Bible is a living book. You cannot read it and put it down the way you might the sports page or a Stephen King novel. It addresses you, provokes you, questions you, commands you and calls out to you. It has your number.”

The key phrase in the Book of Proverbs is found in at least 18 references. (1:7, 29; 2:5; 3:7; 8:13; 9:10; 10:27; 14:2, 26–27; 15:16, 33; 16:6; 19:23; 22:4; 23:17; 24:21; 31:30). It’s also found in Job 28:28 and Psalm 111.10. Briefly summarized, it says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom.”  We will never be all that we can be until we take God seriously. Wiersbe says that it means, “…we acknowledge from our hearts that He’s the Creator, we’re the creatures; He’s the Father, we’re His children; He’s the Master, we’re the servants. It means to respect God for who He is, to listen carefully to what He says, and to obey His Word, knowing that our disobedience displeases Him, breaks our fellowship with Him, and invites His chastening.”One reason many of us have real-life problems today is that we do not take God seriously.  We trivialize the holiness of God, so we end up with a trivial view of sin. We trivialize the majesty of God, so we end up with trivial worship. We trivialize the truth of God, so we end up with a trivial grasp of his Word. We trivialize the judgment of God, so we end up with a trivial appreciation for the atonement of Jesus Christ. Our God is too trivial! Although I do not believe that the “fear” of the Lord means to tremble at our knees or to shake in our boots, it does mean to take God seriously. The wisest man in the world tells us that true wisdom, knowledge, and instruction come only when we begin to take God seriously.

 

 

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Psalm 5:4-6, Various

Repentance for the Forgiveness of Sins

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
June 23, 2023

David explains in Psalm 5 that he would rise early to pray and offer his sacrifices to God. His concentration and focus on God assisted him throughout his days to live holy and a life pleasing to God. It appears that he has developed this practice in his life so that he would not delight in sin. Psalm 5:4-6 continues David’s prayer, “For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you. The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers. You destroy those who speak lies; the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.” Even though these are the words of David, we also know that he was the adulterer and murderer. I think the key to understanding the theology of this part of Psalm 5 is to understand the first phrase about “the boastful.” How does pride fit in with evil doers, liars, and murderers?

 Jesus made it clear to his disciples that the “boastful” will not win God’s favor. He told about the two men who came to pray at the temple. The “boastful” one looked up to heaven and talked about how many good things he did in life. His prayer is found in Luke 18, beginning at verse 11, “The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’” I don’t expect to find a better example of the “boastful.” On the other hand, the sinner, the tax collector’s prayer follows, “But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’”

The fact that this psalm is attributed to David leads us to remember that he himself was an evildoer. He did evil with regard to Bathsheba and shed the innocent blood of Uriah, and then lied about it until confronted by the prophet. Considering this fact, along with the statements in Psalm 5, we see the reality of the sinfulness of all mankind. It teaches us that we are all sinners. Only the boastful and the blind could pray the way the Pharisee prayed. This is not belittling mankind. It’s just being honest. Repentance is what God wants, not self-justification for our sins. After the tax collector prayed, Jesus said, “I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” Jesus also said in Mark 2:17, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” This is the gospel, and the law has a role to play. I like the way MacArthur puts it, “Law and gospel have differing purposes, of course. We know that sinners cannot be justified by the works of the law. But don’t conclude that the law, therefore, plays no role whatsoever in the proclamation of the gospel. The law reveals our sin and shows the real nature of sin for what it is. The law is a tutor to lead us to Christ. It is the chief means God uses to make sinners see their own helplessness. The law’s moral standards give us the necessary foundation for understanding what sin is.”[1] Psalm 51 is the record of David’s repentance and forgiveness. It pictures for us that which is available to all sinners through Jesus Christ. We need to identify with the tax collector, not with the pharisee. When sending out his disciples to preach the good news, Jesus says in Luke 24:47, “repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations.”

[1] MacArthur, John. 1998. Successful Christian Parenting : Raising Your Child with Care, Compassion, and Common Sense. Bedford, Tex.: Word Pub.

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