Today's Scripture Reading (November 8, 2025): Psalm 55
I keep returning to a quote
from American Bible scholar Walter Wink. Wink argued that "I for one do
not abandon scripture, but neither do I acquiesce. I wrestle with it. I
challenge it. I am broken and wounded by it, and then in defeat I
sometimes encounter the living God." I feel the same way. Often, when
people disagree with me, they argue that I don't believe in the Bible because I
don't arrive at the same interpretation they do. Frequently, these people will say
that they follow "a plain reading of the text." I would argue that
when we are talking about a document written 2000 years or more ago, in a
language that most of us don't understand, and in a culture and society that
are very different from our own, a plain reading of the text is impossible. We
don't understand some of the simplest things about that society. As a result,
often a plain reading of the text just isn't available. We usually need help
understanding the Bible, but we also need to go slowly and look beyond the
words toward the complete biblical text.
One of my social media
friends calls me a per-verse Pastor —a critical evaluation of my tendency to
highlight and speak about one or two verses in this blog. He says my evaluation
focuses on just one verse. I have often told him that his assessment is not
correct. I may highlight a verse for ease of speaking, but I try to keep my
focus on the whole book—and even the entire Bible—when I am speaking about any
text. I wrestle with the whole Bible.
The heading to Psalm 55 tells
us that it is a "maskil." Likely, if you check the footnote provided
for the verse, it will tell you that we don't really know what "maskil"
means, but that it is likely a musical term. As a musician, there are many
things that could mean. But there is also a bit of a trend that sees this as a "contemplative
Psalm." Contemplative might indicate a reduced pace of the music for the
Psalm, or just the process of writing the Psalm.
It makes sense that this
Psalm is contemplative. The words indicate that this is a Psalm David spent
time in deep thought on as he composed it. It wasn't quick. He struggled with
God as he wrote the words, and in the process, he encountered the living God.
The King James version
translates the last phrase of the verse, "do not ignore my plea," as "hide not thyself from my supplication" (Psalm
55:1b KJV). Charles Spurgeon likens this moment in David's
life to Jesus on the cross. He argues that "In that dread hour when
Jesus bore our sins upon the tree, his Father did hide himself, and this was
the most dreadful part of all the Son of David's agony" (Charles
Spurgeon). The message seems to be that just like the Father hid himself from
Jesus, so he also hid from David.
I disagree.
I don't think God hid from either David or Jesus, or even from you, during your
worst moments. He is there; it is just that sometimes, in our worst moments, we
can't feel him. But if we are willing to struggle and spend time contemplating
God's Word, we will encounter God, because I believe the Bible tells me he has
promised to be with us. "And surely I am with you always, to the very
end of the age - Jesus" (Matthew 28:20b).
Tomorrow's Scripture Reading:
2 Samuel 18
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