Yet you are near, LORD, and all your commands are true. – Psalm 119:151

Today’s Scripture Reading (July 31, 2013): Psalm 119:145-176

Today marks the 26^th anniversary of “Black Friday” - the day an F4 (or possibly even an F5) tornado tore through the eastern section of Edmonton, Alberta Canada. The multi-vortex tornado caused millions of dollars of damage and killed 27 people, injuring more than 300. And on that day, almost with the storms dying breath, it ripped apart a manufactured home community on the north east end of the city. By that time the tornado had weakened to an F3, but the homes in the subdivision were still no match for it. By the time the storm was over, the subdivision looked like a battle field. Images flooded the media of flattened homes, of people whose lives had been changed in a moment, and of children picking through the rubble trying to find their lost treasures. Black Friday changed the lives of a lot of people in the Edmonton area, and I know that it changed the way the inhabitants of the city view tornado warnings during the summer months even 26 years later.

For those that lived through the experience and can still remember back to the day that the Tornado leveled a section of the city, I know that some of them still struggle with the idea of being alone during the ever present storms that grow out of the heat of summer. Some just want to cling to somebody every time bolts of lightning light up the sky and a storm draws near – all because they remember the day of the tornado. The Friday that no one had ever anticipated would become a reality.

The Psalmist cries out to God that those who are wicked are near. It is a cry that reveals that, in the eyes of the Psalmist, life is just no longer under control. It does not really seem to matter if the enemy has drawn near or whether it is a natural disaster that lurks on the horizon. Either way, life’s control has eluded him. He wishes it could be different than it is – but his reality is that in the face of these circumstances, he no longer wishes to be alone (Psalm 119:150.) But comfort comes with the next breath as he realizes that he is not alone – that God stands with him. No matter what it is that comes next, the God of the Psalmist stands at the ready.

The Black Friday tornado was not the first tornado, even in the Edmonton Area – many had preceded it. And it would not be the last the tornado. Our television screens have been filled over the past few months with the devastation that has been caused by the twisters given birth because of our summer storms. For some living in “Tornado Alley,” the devastation has convinced them that there must be someplace better to live. But with the Psalmist we can agree that there are some things that even the storms of summer cannot take away from us. And we know that our God has promised to us that he will stand with us through all of the storms of life – no matter what form the storms may take. We are never really alone – and for that we can be thankful. 

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Psalm 120 & 121

Your statutes are always righteous; give me understanding that I may live. – Psalm 119:144

Today’s Scripture Reading (July 30, 2013): Psalm 119:97-144

I have heard the story of a man who went out and purchased a brand new car. He drove the care for a long time – and it worked wonderfully. But one day it simply stopped working. No amount of gas in the gas tank could fix the problem, and so he had it towed to the local garage. There they examined the car and discovered some disturbing trends. First, the oil in the car had never been changed. The heat of the engine had literally fused the oil filter – the one that the car had originally come with – to the engine. It took hours of persistent work just to remove the oil filter – and the remnants of the oil filter – from the car. But there was a second problem. At some point the oil filter had also become damaged. A small crack had developed in the side of the filter and the oil from the car engine had leaked out. While not changing the oil and oil filter and properly maintaining the car was a real problem, the reason why the car no longer worked was that it had simply run out of oil. The oil had never been checked, and the all of the oil had vanished from the engine and the engine had seized.

The man decided to get the car fixed – which involved the expensive task of putting a new engine in the car – and he resolved to do the things that he had not understood were necessary before – regular maintenance and making sure that there was oil in the engine. But he was usually in a hurry when he stopped for gas, so he decided that since he had run out of oil before, rather than the time consuming task of checking the oil every time he stopped for gas, he would simply add oil every time he stopped. This went on for a short period, and oil built up in the engine along with pressure and it was not long before he had blown out every seal in the engine. With the seals gone, the oil leaked out and the engine seized one more time. While the man thought that he knew what it was that he had to do – he had never really understood the way a car worked – and so the things that he did only ended up causing him trouble.

The Psalmist knows that the statutes of God are good. He also recognizes that there is life in God’s commands. But he also knows that he probably does not have a complete understanding of the spiritual realm. He knows that his spirit has an effect on his body, but he wants to make sure that understands how. And so his prayer to his God is for understanding.

It is too easy to just follow the rituals. It is one of the questions that I am often asked is to describe the things that someone has to do so that they can follow God. What are the tasks that I have to complete? But ritualistic behavior seldom leads us to God. Keeping the rituals without understanding is like putting oil in your car because it needs gas. The Psalmist knows rituals cannot cut it in our desire to serve God – and that without understanding there is really no way we can ever be called the disciples of the living God.    

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Psalm 119:145-176

The arrogant mock me unmercifully, but I do not turn from your law. – Psalm 119:51

Today’s Scripture Reading (July 29, 2013): Psalm 119:49-96

An ongoing theme in the Science Fiction television series “Star Trek: Voyager” – the fourth fictional expression to grow out of Gene Roddenberry’s “Star Trek” franchise – was the question about whether or not the ideals that were presented in the laws and the charter of Star Fleet still held even in a universe that had never heard of the organization. In other words, the question that the series dealt with was does law just govern our willing interaction with each other, and would law disappear if we were no longer in community with each other or could no longer agree on these things, or are there some things that are absolute, things that we believe exist in every time and every place. And this is the very place that religion has done battle for the past few generations. As far as the relativists are concerned – and there were relativists on “Voyager” – laws and ideals are temporary. They exist in this moment, but may not exist if the situation changes in the next moment. In the Science Fiction series, the relativist agenda was well represented by those who saw the mission of the ship as simply being the crossing of the void to get home. Every ideal that they had held had now been superseded – the laws of Starfleet were out of place and antiquated and had been replaced with the desire to survive. But for those who believed in absolutes there existed some ideals that transcended all times and all possible places. Again, on “Voyager” this point of view is maintained by those who essentially see their predicament (being lost and far from home) as an opportunity to become missionaries for those ideals. They believe that the ideals put forth in the Starfleet charter to be ideals that are good and essential to life – in all times and in all circumstances.

The Psalmist voices a complaint to God. He finds himself being mocked by those around him. It is quite probable that these arrogant people are people that have never heard of God – and that did not know of his laws and ideals. The Psalmist probably shares a lot with the fictional crew of the “Voyager” spacecraft – both are lost in a strange place and find themselves in the midst of strange people who hold different beliefs. And they are both faced with a difficult question – are the things that I believe absolute, should the ideals have formed my behavior in the past still inform my behavior now, or are they relative and changing with the situations in which I find myself?

For the Psalmist, the answer is that the ideals that he has believed over his life are absolute – and even now in the face of those who mock him, he will stand his ground. It was not likely to have been a popular decision – but the Psalmist maintains that it is the right one. On board the fictional “Voyager” the crew comes to the same decision – some ideals are simply absolute.

It is not a mystery that we are still in the midst of the battle between viewing our ideals as absolute or relative. But we can echo the same conclusion as the Psalmist. We serve a God who never changes – and whose ideals given to us make sense in the midst of persecution and in any time and any situation.     

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Psalm 119:97-144

I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. – Psalm 119:10

Today’s Scripture Reading (July 28, 2013): Psalm 119:1-48

We seem to be a culture that is addicted to trying to know the future. Maybe it has always been that way, but we seem to need to know what it is that is about to happen. We are also a culture that is suffering from untold anxiety disorders. And it is quite possible that these two things are intimately connected. Because of our anxiety, we think that we need to know what it is that will happen - because if we know what it was that the future holds, then maybe we can prepare for that future that is standing in front of us.

But there is a problem. No matter where it is that we find the prophecies that we seek, they tend to be ambiguous. The reality about all prophecy is that no matter whether we are getting our prophecy from the Bible, or more popular sources like Nostradamus - the prophecy always seems to be clearer after the events have happened then they are beforehand. We usually recognize the truth of the prophecy only after the events have already become a reality.

It is one of the reasons why I question the value of Bible Studies on prophetic subjects. I admit that as entertainment this kind of study can be fun. I enjoy the argument and the discussion around prophetic ideas. But such discussions should come with a tag line that says “for entertainment purposes only.” The problem is that sometimes we come into these discussions thinking that somehow we can know the minute details of what is about to happen, and because it is the bible that we are reading, that future knowledge is filled with truth – and that just is not true. The best anyone can do is to be observant of the times and have a basic knowledge of what God says that he will accomplish. But beyond that we just don’t know – and moreover, from a biblical standpoint, we are not supposed to know the small details of what the future holds – we are just supposed to know that whatever it is that our future holds – God holds that future.

The bible supports the Psalmist – when we suffer from anxiety, we are not to seek answers in the knowledge of the future; rather we are to seek after the heart of God. If we know God’s heart we will realize that there is nothing in the future that can touch us. The truth is that we are at the core of God’s heart, and his commands will lead us into the best of possible futures – not just for us, but for the world. We can be assured that the future belongs to God – and he is capable of handling everything that the future – and more specifically our future – might hold.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Psalm 119:49-96

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. – Psalm 118:1

Today’s Scripture Reading (July 27, 2013): Psalm 118

I used to play golf – if what I used to do could be termed playing golf. Now I seem to lack the time and the money to pursue the sport. And to certain extent, I also lack the motivation to play. The problem with golf is that it is a sport that you have to be regularly involved in if you want to get better at it. That principle applies to almost every aspect of our lives, but the results are possibly a little more apparent in the game of golf. There was a time when I tried to get out on the golf course a few times a week. When I could do play that regularly, I felt that I was improving, but as soon as I was unable to maintain that level of commitment, my golf game slid backwards.

The secret to the game of golf is actually consistency. And that little secret is also why the game can be so frustrating. When I was playing well, I can remember stretches when I would be able to play a few holes of golf under par. But then, to me seemingly without reason, my game would deteriorate. All in sudden my drives were no longer hitting the fairway, my chips were missing the green, and my putts never went toward that hole on the green that I was aiming at. Far from the pars and birdies that I started the game with, it was now a good thing if I could even bogey a hole – and sometimes even that score was simply out of reach. But the nagging feeling remained – I could really be good at this game if I could only find a way to be consistent.

The Psalmist begins this psalm with a note of thanksgiving because “God is good.” What the little word “good” really means is that God is “consistent.” He works out of a character that never changes. As much as we might want to argue otherwise, what God views as right he has always declared right. And what he despises he has always despised. The Psalmist follows up the idea of the consistency of God with an example – “his love endures forever.” It does not matter in the eyes of God what has transpired before. Because God is consistent, and because one of the key areas of this consistency is found in his love, his love can be applied to us in every circumstance and in every time. Israel may have wandered away from God, but God had never wandered away from Israel – and God had never stopped loving the nation that he chose. The promise that God made to Abraham was still in force.

It is a promise that we need to recognize today. If we serve a good God or a consistent God, then he still loves the people of his promise. Israel still stands in his favor, as does the descendants of Ishmael – and by faith and adoption, the Christian Church. All of us stand in dependence on the goodness and consistency of God – and we stand in the knowledge that his love truly does endure – forever.  

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Psalm 119:1-48

… that I may walk before the LORD in the land of the living. – Psalm 116:9

Today’s Scripture Reading (July 26, 2013): Psalm 116 & 117

It is the time of year for sports fans of preparation. While Major League Baseball gets ready to enter the second half of the season, in North America the National Football, Basketball and Hockey Leagues have turned their focus to the season that will start in the next few months. And while hope reigns supreme for the fans, this tends to be the most selfish time of the year for the players. It is the period of free agency and of the signing of that next contract – a time when players argue about what their worth.

I recently read a story of a young Russian Hockey player that had been drafted into the National Hockey League who stated that he might come to North America to play hockey if things did not work out in Russia. And the question that hit me as I read the article was – what does that exactly mean. I totally understand sports players who want to play out their careers in their native countries - with the teams that they have been fans of all the way through their lives – but that is seldom an “if things don’t work out” situation. I am convinced that we are the ones that are in control of what does or does not work out. The closing statement of the article was the players comment that if he did come to play in North America, he would prove to the North American fans how good Russian players are. I love the confidence, but the truth is that North American sports leagues are filled with players who continually trying to show people how good they are. And they are laboring hard on losing teams – and I think there might just be a connection. Team sports are rarely about just the abilities of the individual players.

Championships in Team Sports usually seem to go to the team that works together the best. This is the reason why there are sometimes blue collar teams that seem to lack the star power of their rivals, and yet it is these teams that win the championships. (In the recently completed Hockey season, here enters the Pittsburgh Penguins, or in Basketball the Los Angeles Lakers, both of whom seemed on paper to be better teams than the eventual outcomes revealed.)  Star power is seldom enough to win championships. So, to return to the case of the young Russian Hockey player, if I was a fan of the team that drafted him my question would not be are you good enough – but rather will you fit in with the team dynamics and make the team better. Because in the end, as a fan I really don’t care how good you are – I want to know whether you are going to be able to bring the coveted championship to my home city.

The Psalmist knows that he and the nation have been delivered from something. In sports terminology, he realizes that the contract has been offered and signed. He is now playing for the home team. But he also realizes that the contract has not been signed because he is good enough. It has been signed with the understanding that he will “walk before the Lord.” This command would seem to indicate that he will be willing to be obedient to the God that had lifted him out of his distress and work hard in the direction of that God’s purpose. But the command does not stop there – he is expected to do it in the land of the living – or in the company and community of others. God’s expectation is that he will be part of the team that will complete the will of God on earth – ultimately making this world a better place and metaphorically bringing the championship home.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Psalm 118

Not to us, LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness. – Psalm 115:1

Today’s Scripture Reading (July 25, 2013): Psalm 115

I am seriously conflicted about awards that we give to each other. I mean, I understand the reason why we do it. To give an award; or to chase after an award, is always a good motivator. Even a lot of children will work harder for silver or gold star that lurks at the end of the road. But on the other side of the equation I also struggle with the current “everybody wins” strategy in children’s athletics. It seems that “everybody wins” only promotes mediocrity. And as much as we say that “everybody wins” promotes fun, I have to admit that as a kid I wanted a winner and a loser – even though most of the time I ended up on the losing side of the equation. I guess it was just my competitive nature that made me want to get better – at whatever it was that I was doing. And in this my conflict is revealed. For me, neither option really seems to work.

Life seems to be about winners and losers. I see it all around me. People either win or they lose. It seems to be one of the constants of our existence. But another constant of our existence is that while we may lose alone, we rarely win alone. Whenever we win there is usually a list of people that are standing with us. And for the Christian, we also recognize the role that God in our lives – and in our wins.

This Psalm seems to have been written after a time of national defeat and despair. The nation was vulnerable, and the Psalmist knew it. Three possibilities seem to have been raised about the possible time of national emergency and the composition of the Psalm. One is immediately following the defeat in which the good King Josiah was killed, and with Josiah’s death the hopes and dreams of the nation also died. A second possibility is following the first conquest of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, and the last possibility was during the early days of Judah’s return from captivity in Babylon. But whichever situation it was, the only way out of it was going to be if the people of Judah could learn to come together – and if they could put their full trust in their God. If they could not do both of these things, no win would be realized - and no award would be given.

When so much of the good that we do is because of the way we work together – and the way that we allow God to move through us, that it hardly seems fair to accept an award for the things that we get right. The Psalmist would seem to agree as he writes the words “Not to us but to your Name be the glory.” And for the Christian, I am convinced that the motive to get better should never be for the recognition that we might get out of the situation, but rather because we want to be the best that we can be in honor of our God. But in these situations we also have to come the realization that the win – and the award  - really belong to him.   

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Psalm 116 & 117

Why was it, sea, that you fled? Why, Jordan, did you turn back? – Psalm 114:5

Today’s Scripture Reading (July 24, 2013): Psalm 113 & 114

One of my favorite movies (and I admit that I have quite a list of them) is I-Robot. I have seen the movie several times – and I own and have read the Isaac Asimov’s book on which the movie is based. Asimov’s story is based around the idea that we see what it is that we expect to see. All through the movie there are examples of this phenomenon. Long before the viewer realizes that V.I.K.I is the antagonist, we are left with several other possible options – all of which appear quite logical at the time. But the plot hovers around the idea that Del Spooner (Will Smith) voices near the end of the movie. Dr. Alfred Lanning’s (James Cromwell) death which ushers us into the mystery also invites Detective Spooner into the case – and he is the only one that can solve the mystery because he is the only one that is willing to consider that a robot could be a possible criminal. No one else expects to see a Robot fulfill that role – the view of an evil robot just happens to be part of Spooner’s peculiarities.

Sometimes as we read through the Bible, we have an idea that people used to have different expectations of what they would see. But when Newton discovered the Theory of Gravity, it was not the first time that someone noticed that apples fall from the trees to the ground – or that anything that is dropped always moves in a universal direction (down.) Newton was just able to explain why the phenomenon happens. The expectation of people, even in the ancient world, was that something consistently draws the objects to the grounds. Even today I know of people (some very educated) who disbelieve the Theory of Gravity – as unbelievable as that might seem. But what they do believe in is the Law of Repeated Events – the phenomenon which accurately predicts that apples will always fall to the ground.

Miracles in the ancient times were just as surprising to the people then as they are now. They were simply actions that were totally unexpected – that broke the Law of Repeated Events. The Psalmist here remembers back to the early days of his nation. And he has a question – what made you do what you did. Maybe the more pointed question is directed at those who refused to believe in God – if it was not God, then what was it that made the waters move? The dualism in this passage is not just restating of the same principle twice, as is common in Hebrew poetry, but the mentioning of two separate events when something happened to hold the water back – once at the Red Sea (or the Sea of Reeds) and once at the Jordan River. Both were simply unexpected events – things that the people did not expect to sea (and one of the questions I would love to ask Moses is “what did you expect would happen when you held out your staff over the waters of the Red Sea. I would be surprised if his answer was that he expected the waters to part.)

Today we often believe that miracles no longer happen because we do not expect them to happen. And to a certain extent we might be right – after all, the Jordan did not turn back until the soles of the priest’s feet touched the water. But I also know that God is totally able to move even through my disbelief – his movement in this world is not dependent on what it is that I expect to see.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Psalm 115

He provides food for those who fear him; he remembers his covenant forever. – Psalm 111:5

Today’s Scripture Reading (July 23, 2013): Psalm 111 & 112

One of the temptations of Jesus in the desert was that he would turn a stone into bread in order to feed himself. It would have been a neat trick. In the passage it says that Jesus had been in the desert and without food for forty days. We can interpret this phrase two ways. Either it was actually forty days or could simply mean that Jesus was in the wilderness long enough to be really hungry (forty is one of those special numbers that is repeated in several places in the Bible – forty years in the desert wanderings, rain for forty days and nights in the story of Noah.) But no matter how you want to interpret the passage, the bread would have looked awful good to a hungry man (I wish I could turn a stone into bread whenever I miss lunch.) Jesus response to the temptation was that “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone’” (Luke 4:4) The allusion is to the speech of Moses in the closing days of the wilderness wanderings as he reminds the people that God had “humbled you, causing you to hunger and feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord” (Deuteronomy 8:3.)

Later Jesus would instruct the crowd that if they wanted to follow him they would need eat his flesh and drink his blood (John 6:51.) The crowd feigned that they did not understand and were angry at the thought, but the truth is that we rarely get angry at things that we do not comprehend. The words of Jesus were a clarion call to action, a demand that the people be committed to the teachings of Jesus to respond to the needs of the poor and the alien among them. As long as Jesus was performing miracles, the people were happy – but these words indicated that something more was expected of them then just watching Jesus perform.

Again, later, Jesus would meet with the twelve and break the bread and give it to them indicating that this bread was his body, broken for them. The allusion is once again to the bread which seems to be a staple for life.

This Psalm is known as the Communion Psalm – and is often used in the Communion Service. The indication in this verse to food means that God provides all of what is needed for life. Sometimes that comes in the form of bread and sometimes in the form of manna or quail. But there is so much more that is needed if we are to live. Bread alone may keep the body alive, but the soul will starve. This Psalm is a promise that God will provide the things that we need to keep the soul alive (as well as the body) – if we will only look to him – and let him.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Psalm 113 & 114

Note: The VantagePoint Community Church (Edmonton) message "First Blood" from the series "An Epic Summer" is now available on the VantagePoint Website. You can find it here.

At Horeb they made a calf and worshiped an idol cast from metal. – Psalm 106:19

Today’s Scripture Reading (July 22, 2013): Psalm 106

I recently watched Bruce Willis and Danny Aiello sing and dance their way through “Hudson Hawk.” In fact, as I write this I cannot get their duet of “Swinging on a Star” out of my head. The plot of the 1991 film is about a thief who is getting out of jail.  And the plot twists early in the movie as Hawk (played by Bruce Willis) is walking out of prison and his parole officer is casting the vision for the next crime that he wants Hawk to commit. Now, it is not supposed to be that way. The parole officer is the one person that you would think would be the one making sure that you were planning to go straight. But in this movie, the parole officer is playing for the other team. He tells Hawk that his future is in his hands, and if he refuses to do the crime then he will find some way to send him back to prison to do the time.

The Psalmist remembers what happened at Horeb. Horeb is another name for the area around Mount Sinai. And part of the shame of the events at Horeb (the making of a calf to worship) is that it happens in the shadow of Mount Sinai. While Moses is up on the mountain having an authentic experience with God, Israel is settling for a counterfeit experience.

Part of what God is telling Moses on the mountain while the Golden Calf is being created is that Israel shall make no image that is supposed to be him. The second commandment reads like this – “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them ... (Exodus 20:2-5a.) But that was exactly what Israel was doing. Sometimes we think that they were maybe worshiping other Gods, but the reality is that they made the Golden Calf and called it Yahweh. In the same way, the Northern Kingdom of Israel when they broke away from the Southern Kingdom of Judah, did exactly the same thing – they made two Golden Calves and called them the God who has brought us out of Egypt – they called them Yahweh.

Horeb became remembered as the first place where Israel sinned by trying to make an image of God. I have said this before, but I am honestly concerned about the way that we treat the cross inside the Christian Church. I know that we never intended it to be this way, but sometimes that cross has the potential to become our Golden Calf – it has the potential to become the plot twist that we never saw coming. The cross is a symbol, but it is not God. And for me the second commandment makes it clear that we are never to bow down to it. And yet I see good Christian people bowing down to a cross almost every week. I am scared that we are close to committing the sins of Horeb.

God says make sure that the one that you are bowing down to is me – and not any image of me. The Calf was not wrong because it was another god, but because it was supposed to be a representation of the living God – which God has prohibited. And good people were enticed into sin without realizing that what they were doing was wrong.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Psalm 111 & 112

Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced ... – Psalm 105:5

Today’s Scripture Reading (July 21, 2013): Psalm 105

I have to admit that I like the idea of the TV show “The Mentalist.” There is just something about a guy who is willing to debunk the idea of reading minds. In the show Simon Baker plays Patrick Jane, a man who at one point in his life had played the game of reading minds and the telling the future. But it was just a game that he was playing. In his new role with the California Bureau of Investigation, he admits that his mind reading days were all a hoax. All it takes to play the game of reading minds is to be observant of what is going on around you, and to remember what it is that you have seen.

It is interesting that the big secret to becoming a person of faith is actually found in the same abilities the Patrick Jane used to read minds. The heroes of the faith often simply remembered what had already happened in their lives. In the escape from Egypt, Moses simply experienced the burning bush and then remembered the God of that bush. The faith of the man as he stood before the Pharaoh pronouncing the judgment of God on the nation of Egypt was really based on Moses remembering the burning bush. As Moses stood in front of the Red Sea expecting God to move, that expectation was built on all that Moses had seen and remembered up until that point.

The failure of the twelve spies as they went into Canaan to scout out the land that God had given to Israel was really a failure to observe and remember on the part of the ten of the spies. It was only Caleb and Joshua who remembered and were incredulous that somehow the others had watched all that God had done in front of their eyes and yet seemed to draw the line at what God might be able to do in the future in the Promised Land. For the ten, in spite of having front row seats for the plagues in Egypt and the crossing of the Red Sea, they forgot the power of their God and were intimidated by the Giants of the land in front of them.

The Psalmist implores Israel to simply remember what it is that God has done. Remembering the acts of God is the central theme of this Psalm – so that the believing community could be transformed into an incredible people of faith. And the concept of remembering was central to everything that God encouraged the people to do. It is even found in what could be described as the foundational scripture of Hebrew faith – the Shema. The second paragraph of the Shema finishes with these words – “be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery” (Deuteronomy 6:12.) All it takes to be a person of faith is to watch what God is doing all around you – and remember.     

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Psalm 106

There the ships go to and fro, and Leviathan, which you formed to frolic there. – Psalm 104:26

Today’s Scripture Reading (July 20, 2013): Psalm 104

For most of the history of creation the sea has been terrible place. It has been describe throughout the ages as a place of chaos and the unknown. I like to play the various versions of Sid Meyer’s computer game “Civilizations.” And in the early versions of the game there were certain boats that could not wander far from shore. The early game would let these boats roam, but there was a chance that the boat would simply sink at the end of your turn. And it reflected very accurately the early days of sea exploration. You could take your boat out beyond the horizon, but there was no guarantee that you would ever come back. When you go beyond the horizon you might find a new land, with minerals and riches and the fame that goes along with discovering some place that is totally unknown – but you also might just find more water and chaos and death. It might be that you find the land, or that you miss the land all because your starting place was incorrect or you went slightly in the wrong direction. Survival on the water so often seemed to depend on the roll of the dice.

So there has been a mystery about the way that the ships survived on the seas – and along with that mystery was the reality that not all of the ships did survive.  On the water, it seemed that chaos reigned. And for a long time there was nothing more courageous in all of humanity than the person who wants to fight the chaos and explore the mysteries of the oceans.

But there is another reality. As much as we battle the water, there are other beings for which the oceans are their playgrounds. If we could speak with them of our fear of the chaos that is the oceans of this world, they would not understand. And this would be especially true for the huge ones that are at the top of the food chain - the ones that fear nothing that is in the sea and that do not fear the water itself. The psalmist uses a word here that we really do not have a definition for – Leviathan. The Leviathan is a sea monster, some have described it as a dragon, but the most likely animal that the Psalmist is referring to is a whale. For the whale, this place of chaos is nothing but the place where they get to swim and play – jumping up into the air for the fun of it and then crashing back into the ocean splashing water all around them – all so that they can turn and do it again. But the reality for the whale is that they have a place of chaos as well, but for them it is the land that offers them chaos and death – the very place where we run and play.

The Psalmist loses himself in the recognition of the diversity of life. And how God could create beings that live in the places where we fear to go, that we live in the places where they fear to go - and that all of this is just part of his amazing plan.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Psalm 105

Note: The VantagePoint Community Church (Edmonton) Message "Clothed" from the series "An Epic Summer" is now available on the VantagePoint Website. The Message includes a great dramatic presentation by Greg Gerdes and Craig Mullen. You won't want to miss it and you can find it here.

In the course of my life he broke my strength; he cut short my days. – Psalm 102:23

Today’s Scripture Reading (July 19, 2013): Psalm 102

Our culture does not like to speak of death. We have built a lot of expressions into our language so that we do not have to speak the words. People who have died are sometimes said to be “no longer with us” – a phrase which could just as easily mean that someone has left the house to go to the local 7-11. Or maybe it is the phrase “passed on” which sometimes seems more appropriate for the kidney stone we have expelled from our life. Or maybe it is the phrase that someone has “crossed over to the other side” which seems to bring images of someone who once was a Republican but now they are a Democrat (and for all of the Democrats out there, I could have just as easily reversed the order.) Even Jesus when he was speaking of Lazarus used the term “fallen asleep” to indicate death, and the disciples thought that was a good thing since sleep is often what we need to feel better.

The reality is that we do not like to speak of death because it is the one thing we will all have to face, but for most of our lives we live as if that is just not true. Its presence, when death finally shows, often seems to be a surprise. In our world, it is not even enough that the person is old. Our first question when someone dies is often “were they sick?” I once read a story of the death of one of my ancestors. According to the story, at the young age of 104, she rose from her bed, made the bed, went and made herself some breakfast and then returned to her room and sat down and died. I am not certain that “died suddenly” is quite the word that is appropriate here, after all death had been coming for 104 years, but she certainly died without illness.

The psalmist seems to lament the shortness of his days. He says that they are cut short, which usually indicates that there was still a lot more that he felt needed to be done. And in this way the psalmist was actually blessed, he still had purpose throughout all of the years of his life. For some, this psalm is a reminder and a prophecy of the life of Christ - the one who came and lived a life that was cut short to pay for our sin. But that is not the only interpretation available to us. For me, it is a reminder of the life of Hezekiah and the announcement that came to him that God had decided that it was time for him to die. Hezekiah pleaded with God for extra years and his request was granted, because Hezekiah still felt that he had things left to do. It may be that the Psalmist was going through a similar experience.

But, for me, it is also a reminder of Moses request of God in Psalm 90 that that he “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12.) Moses request recognizes the shortness of life, and asked God to remind us so that we can make every day count.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Psalm 104

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. – Psalm 100:4

Today’s Scripture Reading (July 18, 2013): Psalm 100

I think all of my life I have heard the idea that it is time for the church to rise up. The image seems to me to be very much a military one. And the scenario often seems to be that when things are not going well that the church militant will rise and set things right. And the military image is intentional. One Christian man recently reminded me of how many Christians in North America own guns. The time has to come when the Christians will start to use their guns to force the nations into the moral condition that God desires. And nobody seems to recognize the problem – that the use of guns to force morality is like evil being united with goods – and the thought does not seem to reflect the character of Christ who told us that if someone asks us to walk one mile, we should walk two. The imagery being used is that a Jew could be conscripted into serving the Roman Army and could be asked to go one mile, but that they should go beyond what was being asked. The response of his listeners was probably – “Jesus, do you not understand that we are the enemies of the Romans. They have invaded our country and what we need to do is pick up arms against them and refuse when they want us to serve them and their purposes.” But then again, Jesus also said that if someone was to strike us on the cheek, we should offer the other cheek for them to strike as well.

By the way, I agree with the idea that it is time for the church to rise up – but I am not sure that I am talking with the same military imagery that some inside the church community seem to want to adopt. Paul in Ephesians 4 makes the admittedly awful assertion that we are not to “let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (Ephesians 4:29.) The command seems to be totally against the way that we live. How often do we complain about something and speak words that are only designed to tear down rather than build up?

This psalm is a Psalm of Ascent - a psalm that is intended to be spoken as the people entered a holy place of worship, often the temple although it should not be restricted to the temple – it should be spoken wherever it is that we come to worship. And the central idea is that when we come to worship we should do so with an intense feeling of gratitude rather than with complaints. The problem is that the complaints will only tear down – the only power that a complaint has is to focus us on the negative and make the world just a little bit of a darker place. But an attitude of thankfulness has the opposite effect. It reveals all that is good and worthy that exists around us. When we are thankful when we enter a place of worship – we recognize all of the ways that God has blessed us rather than all of the ways that we still do not have all the things that we desire. And when we enter a relationship with another person with thankfulness, we are being given the power to help that person recognize what is good and right in their lives, things that can be built on, while complaints only remind them of all the ways that they still do not measure up. And in my life I  have to admit that this is my kryptonite – I am a natural complainer.

Enter the places of worship in your life with thankfulness. But do not let it stop there. Let the thankfulness overflow to every relationship – every person that you are involved with. If you can do that, you will begin to lay the foundations for a better world.   

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Psalm 102

Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music ... - Psalm 98:4

Today’s Scripture Reading (July 17, 2013): Psalm 98 & 99

The charge given to Abraham by God was that “all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:3.) From the very beginning of the nation of Israel, Israel was to be blessed so that the world could be blessed. The idea was that Israel would be conduit through which God would change and heal the earth. God’s blessing of Israel was never intended to be so that Israel would be glorified. The purpose was always so God would be glorified in the presence of the world – and that everyone would know that the God of Israel reigns – in Israel and throughout the rest of the world. Israel was created to serve the nations.

I believe that the charge that has been given to Abraham and the nation of Israel (and is still in force for Israel) has been extended to the Christian Church. God does not endeavor to bless the church so that the church can be glorified – so that those of us who walk around carrying the name of Christ can be honored or revered. That may be what we want, but it was never the purpose God had for his church. The Christian Church has been charged to become the servants of the world – so that the world can be a better place. Jesus probably sets the charge to the church best in the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount – “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-26.) The purpose of both Israel and the churches existence is so that the world might be blessed and know God.

And it is this purpose that is alluded to in this verse. The Psalmist cries out that it is all the earth that should be filled with a song for God. The Psalm alludes to the day when God would clearly leave the mountain in Jerusalem and become the property of the entire world. The day would come when Jews and Gentiles would both be invited into the act of worship of the living God – together.

It is also the moment that Jesus speaks of to an unnamed woman at their meeting at a well in a small town in Samaria – “... believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem ... a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks” (John 4:21, 23.)

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Psalm 100

Note: The VantagePoint Community Church (Edmonton) message "Naked" from the series "An Epic Summer" is now available on the VantagePoint Website. You can find it here. 

Clouds and thick darkness surround him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. – Psalm 97:2

Today’s Scripture Reading (July 16, 2013): Psalm 97

On the night that Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, the story is told of James Garfield standing in front of a mob on Wall Street. The country was in disarray. For most of the people, the dark time that surrounded the civil war and all of the uncertainty that brother standing against brother always brings, was supposed to be ending. And now, the president and leader of the nation was dead. It was a time of upheaval and questions; a time when people really, maybe for the first time even with the civil war, wondered if this nation could truly stand – that maybe the radical New World experiment called the United States of America was a mistake. The mob on Wall Street confronted Garfield (then a congressman) and Garfield is reported to have said to the people these words - "Fellow citizens! Clouds and darkness are round about Him. The dark waters of the seas and stars of the skies form His pavilion. Justice and judgment are the establishment of His throne. Mercy and truth go before His face. Fellow citizens, God still reigns! He will enable the government in Washington to carry on." The words, which were remembered at President Garfield’s funeral after he became the second sitting president to be assassinated, were a direct allusion to Psalm 97.

On that night of the Lincoln tragedy, Garfield words reminded a nation that God is shrouded by mystery – none of us really understand the mind of God. But just because we do not understand God, does not mean that he is no longer there, or that he no longer cares what happens on the earth. Garfield’s words of faith to a nation was basically – I know that we do not understand what has happened, not the war that we have been involved in for the last four years and not this terrible act of vengeance, but nothing that has happened in these dark times means that God is not accomplishing his work here among us. I do not understand why this has happened, but I know God. God is still on the throne, and the Republic still stands. God will see us through this time of national tragedy and carry us forward into the future.

The Psalmist could have been speaking his words to a nation in a time of national tragedy. But the reality is that God is still on the throne and that he is still the one that will lead the nation into the future. God himself may be shrouded in mystery. The traditional way of viewing any of the gods of the ancient world was with them wearing the clouds and darkness like clothes, and we may not understand all of the things that are happening, but he is still here.

There is no reason to doubt God because of the tragedy. Hardship is a natural occurrence of this life. And as much as we sometimes do not want to admit it, we grow more through the hard times then we do through the good. And that is in itself evidence that God still reigns and is still carrying us through even the toughest moments of our lives

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Psalm 98 & 99

Note: The VantagePoint Community Church (Edmonton) message "Baal Out" from the Series "I Married a Prostitiute" is now available on the VantagePoint website. You can find it here.

In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. – Psalm 95:4

Today’s Scripture Reading (July 15, 2013): Psalm 95 & 96

I am admittedly amused by all of the people that seem to believe that they can only find God is inside the walls of a church. The belief is most definitely a by product of an age that produced some of the most beautiful cathedrals that could be imagined. Every aspect of these places of worship was designed to draw the view of the person upwards toward the God of the Cathedral. The history of our understanding of how it is that we need to build large buildings, in the early days of architecture was literally driven by the desire to build lofty buildings as homes for God. And that was in turn driven by the large buildings built to honor the gods of the ancient world. These temples were the places where the gods took up their seats on the earth.

When Israel cried out to Samuel that they wanted to be just like the other nations, they were specifically talking about their desire for king, but it didn’t stop there. Israel would set themselves up to be in competition with the other nations with everything that they did. They wanted their nation to be more beautiful; and their people richer and smarter – in everything they wanted to be the best. So it is no wonder that David looks at the temples of other gods and desires to build a temple that is better to his God. But God turns him down. One thing that I continually miss in the Bible is that God never asks anyone to build him a temple. And the reason is that he didn’t need it. Isaiah would write that God says that “Heaven is his throne and earth is footstool” (Isaiah 66:1.) What need have I to have a temple built for me? Just walk outside, the majesty of the mountains and the depths of the valleys, the mighty oak and the delicate flower – all of these things which you cannot duplicate in your wildest dreams, these things are my footstool – the place where I rest my feet. You think that this temple will honor me, but the place where I put my feet is more glorious than anything that you can build. Can you imagine what heaven is like – the place where my being lives?

So the psalmist reminds us that God’s presence is known in the deep of the oceans. In the ancient world there was no idea how deep the oceans were; no person alive had ever been there. The only ones that visited the depth of the sea were lost to us forever. But God’s presence was there. And even the highest peaks, again in the ancient world the highest mountain tops were places where men were too frail to ever visit – but God was already there.

I know of a church that meets outside without the benefit of a building. The church is in a rain soaked northern city so I am not sure how they actually accomplish what it is that they do, but I think they have the right idea. After all, why would we not want to serve God in the midst of his handiwork, rather than worship him in the middle of the inferior things we have built with our own hands.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Psalm 97

Can a corrupt throne be allied with you— a throne that brings on misery by its decrees? – Psalm 94:20

Today’s Scripture Reading (July 14, 2013): Psalm 94

A few years ago I had the privilege of being in court when a gentleman decided that he was going to fight a speeding ticket. The man started out by questioning whether or not the camera was in good working order. And then he moved on to questioning the law itself. Finally, after everything else had failed he maintained that he had to speed for health reasons (as weird as this might sound he argued that he had left his diabetic medication at home and was driving quickly so that he could get to the medication before he fell into a diabetic shock.) The judge calmly informed him that there was no good outcome (and I am not sure that driving fast to keep ahead of diabetic shock was really a good outcome) that could justify the breaking of the speed limit. The court was not interested in why he broke the law – only in the fact that he did.

Niccolò Machiavelli wrote “The Prince” in 1532. The book was a group of maxims on the rule of the political leader, but rather than focusing on hereditary king, the book places its concentration on what a new king would need to do in order to retain power. Machiavelli maintained that the book dealt with a fictitious kingdom and was not a commentary on any ruling party. But in spite of Machiavelli’s defense, “The Prince” was banned by the Roman Catholic Church and was looked on with disdain by the humanists of the day.

One of the maxim’s that Machiavelli wrote about was the idea that “the ends justifies the means” (basically that speeding to avoid diabetic shock is truly a good thing.) In philosophy this belief is known as Consequentialism. Consequentialism simply states that the basis for any judgment about the rightness of an action is dependent on the end result of that action. Thus, from a consequentialist standpoint, a morally right action is an action that will produce a good outcome, or consequence. So Machiavelli supported the ruling party’s right to wage war if the desired outcome was peace and security – even though the act of war was a disruption to both of the desired outcomes. For a new king, all that was important was the outcome of the action.

The Psalmist looks back over the history of Israel and Judah and asks a question – can what is corrupt end up producing good – or can evil be allied with God. We do not really know specifically what reign the psalmist was thinking about, but the context of the Psalm leads us to believe that he had in his mind the long and wicked fifty-five year reign of Manasseh of Judah. But the Psalmist also seems to understand that no king takes the scepter of the kingship intending to be evil. Manasseh did not rise to power desiring to be remembered as the most evil king to ever rule Judah. He wanted to do good; but he seemed to believe that good could result from evil actions. His hope was that because he sacrificed the innocents on the altars of the local gods, that somehow God would honor his rule. Of course, that never happened. And the Psalmist asks a question already recognizing the answer. Consequentialism does not work - evil inputs will never result in good outcomes.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Psalm 95 & 96

Note: The VantagePoint Community Church (Edmonton) Sermon "Contents of a Dead Man's Pockets" is available on the VantagePoint Website. You Can find it here.

They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green ... – Psalm 92:14

Today’s Scripture Reading (July 13, 2013): Psalm 92 & 93

In 1933, James Hilton wrote his classic novel “Lost Horizon.” The novel has had a massive impact on our culture, even if you have never even heard of the book – let alone have read it. It is in James Hilton’s 1933 book that we first find a place called Shangri-La – a fictional utopian monastery high up in the mountains of Tibet. In Hilton’s book, the main character (Hugh Conway) is kidnapped along with three other people and taken to this mountain hide out. And there they begin to realize what a paradise really looks like. In one of the many turns of the book, Hugh comes to the realization that the head of the monastery is really a Catholic monk who got lost in the mountains of Tibet over 200 years earlier. Shangri-La is not just a place of peace and refuge (James Hilton in “Lost Horizon” actually predicts that World War I will not be the last world conflict, but that there is another world wide war coming soon to Europe) but it is also a place of incredible health and longevity. In fact, it would seem that in Shangri-La was a place where people truly lived until the moment of their death.

The Psalmist in this Sabbath Day hymn, says that the righteous are like the inhabitants of Shangri-La in that they live until they die. The Psalmist reminds us of the incredible promise and potential that is in the lives that we are living - that there will be no moment when it is simply impossible for us to bear fruit. If we can draw breath, then there is still something that needs to be done.

And for most of us this is true. But we also have to admit that as we watch our population age that there are many people that are ending this life in illness, and sometimes in debilitating mental stress. It is so widespread that in the area where I live there are public service announcements imploring people to live healthier lives because most people will spend the final decade of their lives in sickness – and whether or not they lived good moral lives would seem to have little effect on that reality.

But then, maybe the way that we care for our earthly bodies is a moral discipline. It is our responsibility to care for that which God has given to us – so that we can be productive for him late in life. But we also have to admit that there is something that is at work in the world that seems to be totally beyond our ability to protect against. We know that Shangri-La is still a long way away from us – it is a place that we can only long for.

With the Psalmist we also have to admit that there is something permanent about our soul. There is something that goes beyond. For the righteous, it is a something that can never be touched by the pains of this world. Hugh in “Lost Horizon” leaves Shangri-La in order to help a friend, but the reader is left with the impression at the end of the book that Hugh returns to this place of incredible peace and health. What might be here only a dream, there could become a reality. And for the Psalmist that is something that he believes in and wants to point towards – this place of health and longevity where the righteous can make every moment count.   

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Psalm 94

I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself. – Psalm 89:2

Today’s Scripture Reading (July 12, 2013): Psalm 89

My son is getting married today. In just a little while he will appear at the front of a church and prepare to watch his bride walk down the aisle toward him. This day symbolizes the start of their life together. Together they will promise to love each other, to cherish the moments of their lives, in the most basic way they will promise to simply be with each other through all of the happenings of life. It was over thirty years ago when I stood in the same place, with my bride, that he stands in today. And I know that there will be tough times ahead – we all go through them. But the mystical understanding is that love is the thing that gets you through life – even when life is hard. Love becomes the strength in the relationship, the back bone, the thing that keeps you going when every fibre of your being wants to simply give up.

But love does not just happen. It is something that my son and his bride will have to work at, to keep fresh. The terrible truth is that life can crush love if we are not careful. The very thing that we need to keep going dies when we need it most because we have never cultivated it when times were good. My hope and my prayer is that my kids will learn to cultivate their love, to help it grow and flourish in the good times so that, when the situations of life turn bad, the love that they need will be there for them, able to carry them through the rough waters of life – together.

The Psalmist, in the midst of the terrible flood waters of life is able to stand before God and say – I know that you still love me. I know that your love is totally capable of being the strength that I need right now. That even though I will have an end and these troubles will eventually be over, your love will never end.  Through every conceivable moment of my life, I know that your love is there.

But if we are honest, we also know that we struggle with the idea of a truly unconditional love. I mean, have you ever tried to tell someone that you love them unconditionally. A friend of mine tells of a conversation that he had with his love. And it was one those moments when she was feeling inadequate, and she asked him why he loved her. And the groom put his arm around his bride and said “I love you for no reason.” The words did not have the intended response. “There is no reason why you should love me?” she cried. But that was never the intention behind the words. What words could never fully describe was the idea that because love had been cultivated and cared for, he did not need a reason to love. He simply loved her. He was trying to tell her that his love had no conditions attached to it. But the truth is that in that moment, his bride wanted to be loved conditionally. She needed to be told that she was loved because she was beautiful and intelligent, that he loved the way that she cared for the children and the way her smile lit up a room the moment that she entered.

But the psalmist knows that none of those reasons are needed with God. His love is totally unconditional – which was good because in this moment of their existence there were very few reasons why God should love the rebellious nation. So the psalmist simply says that God’s love is forever.

Craig and Michelle – God’s love is forever. I hope that you can come to know the unconditional love that comes from him. And that you learn to give and accept that kind of love from each other throughout the days of your marriage. You are special – and loved not just by an earthly father, but by a heavenly one as well. The day is here – and the family has gathered to walk with you into a new reality. Let love lead the way.

With much love - Dad.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Psalm 92 & 93

Come and hear, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me. – Psalm 66:16

Today’s Scripture Reading (July 11, 2013): Psalm 66 & 67

When I was eighteen and living on my own for the first time, I had the opportunity to go and see a concert (the band was Prism and I loved their first single – Spaceship Superstar.) I didn’t have a car so I was dependent on public transit to get around the city. So I came out of the stadium after a great concert and a great night, said good-bye to a friend who was heading to the opposite end of the city, and went to find my bus. But I was too late; all of the buses had left. There was no way out of the downtown area, except to walk. And so that was what I did. It was miles from where the concert was to my apartment in the south end of the city, but I had run out of choices. It was a warm night and I needed to get home. At one point in the trip I remember stopping on the side of the hill for a rest when a police cruiser passed by. At four in the morning I still remember their opening pick up line of the police officer – he told me that I was on the wrong side of the hill for sun tanning. Well, I had to admit that he was right – and at time of the morning it was not just the hill that I was on the wrong side of.

There is power in a story. If you read this one, it might have triggered memories of things that have happened in your life – maybe concerts you have seen – or times when you were trapped somewhere with no option to go for a long walk. To be honest, this story was brought to mind by the story of a friend who had to make a similar trip out of the center of the same city (Calgary) because of recent flooding in that city. A story has the power to do that. But that story is his – and not mine. But one thing leads to another, and the hearer makes connections that we could never have guessed could be made. And sometimes, if the right connections are made, the result of a simple story can result in a changed life.

In the book of Acts, Luke tells the story of Paul’s conversion three times. Each time the story is told it is from a bit of a different angle, but every time the story is told, it is told with the potential to change a life. Now, Paul probably told the story a lot more than just three times, but that is natural because it was, after all, his story.  

So it is not surprising that the Psalmist asks us to come close and hear the story of what God has done in his life. But the intention of the Psalmist goes beyond his own story. It is a reminder to all of the listeners that the story of God needs to be told. Because within the words of the story is the power to change the lives of everyone who is willing to hear.       

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Psalm 89

Send me your light and your faithful care, let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell. – Psalm 43:3

Today’s Scripture Reading (July 10, 2013): Psalm 43

I am a homebody. There is no place quite like home. It is good to sometimes get away (right now I am looking forward to a much needed break that I will be taking later this month) but for me it is almost better to come back home. In fact, I often try to arrange my holiday time so that there is some part of the vacation that is just spent at home. And if I am away from home too long, I start to literally dream about the things that I could do - if only I was home.

There is some confusion about when this Psalm was written. Some experts believe that at the latest it was written during the last days of Israel. The proof that they offer for this belief is found in the last clause of this verse – the place where you dwell. In some translations this phrase is translated into the word tabernacle. And the tabernacle was the place of worship actually before the building of the temple. Supporters of this date argue that the phrase indicates that there was still activity going on in the temple or on the temple mount. And all of that kind of activity ceased when the temple was destroyed and Judah was finally carried off into captivity.

But the argument might be flawed. The actual word used in this passage (Mishkan) is one that really means dwelling place. In some translations it is translated as tabernacle, but never temple. We are fairly sure that the Psalm is post David, so the literal tabernacle tent was long gone – it had been replaced by the more permanent temple. So the NIV’s translation of this as the “place where you dwell’ fits nicely.

It also highlights another problem. There is a considerable discussion among Biblical experts as to whether or not the building of the temple was ever requested by God. We know that David wanted to build the temple, but God said no. We are not sure whether the final go ahead for the temple that Solomon would build really came from David (Dad) or God. And part of the problem that emerged with the temple was the idea that God could only live on the temple mount. While the tent of the tabernacle could have been raised anywhere – and moved frequently during the desert wanderings – the temple became God’s fixed address on earth. And it became difficult for the people to imagine God anywhere else. So as the captives are carried into Babylon, they are actually being carried away from their God – because even though the temple was gone, temple mount was still the place where the God of Judah lived.

And so this Psalm emerges as a lament for what went before, and a misplaced lament for the presence of God the people still believed lived on that mountain in Jerusalem. If it was really written during the time of exile, it is a cry of longing of a people who just want to go home.    

Tomorrow’s, Scripture Reading: Psalm 66 & 67

The LORD foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. – Psalm 33:10

Today’s Scripture Reading (July 9, 2013): Psalm 33

It is interesting that Robert Downey Jr. has now signed up to don the armor of Iron Man at least a couple of more times. All of this after what looked like his retirement scene at the end of Iron Man 3. But writers have a tendency to be able to resurrect their dead money making heroes. When I saw “The Wrath of Khan” for the first time and watched the touching death scene of Spock, heard for the first time the now often repeated phrase that “logic clearly dictates that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few – or the one” - I really thought that we had seen the last of iconic Star Trek character. So I was amazed when I heard the projected title for Star Trek III was “The Search for Spock.” I mean, didn’t we all know exactly where Spock was. He was dead and out into space – or toward what was supposed to be a dead planet. But the writers of the Star Trek series couldn’t just allow Spock to die. He was too important to the franchise. And as intriguing as it might have been to watch Leonard Nimoy play through the Death of Spock – the franchise needed Spock alive and well – and willing to be part of stories beyond the depictions of the original series. All of this gives me hope that Batman too will emerge from retirement to take up the cowl one more time.

The Psalmist would seem to carry the same idea of to the concept of history. God would play the part of the writer of the movie, and it is his will that would be done. But this concept of God carries with it some interesting baggage. We have to admit that if God is the author of history, then he gets exactly what wants. Of course, this is exactly what Rob Bell tries to say in his book “Love Wins” – that we serve an all powerful God that gets exactly what it is that he wants, and since the Bible says that he wants all people to be saved, how can that not be true?

The Christian community passed on Bell’s conception of God preferring something else. And there is a good reason for it. God seems to have limited his own power and his own desire when it comes to us. It is part of the idea of free will – God gives to us the freedom to choose whatever path we want in life – not just the one that he knows is best for us. But the Psalmist would probably be quick to also say that while we have a choice over all of our lives – God holds all of the rest of the cards, which makes him a hard one to win against.

If we date this Psalm from the early years of the exile, then it really becomes a Psalm of hope. Life as the people had known it may have changed because of the life choices the nation had made, but God was still in control and still getting what it was that he wants. He had thwarted their plans in an attempt to move them toward his perfect will without interfering with their imperfect will. And if he had thwarted their plans, he could also thwart the plans of their captors and return them to their home – after all, if God is truly the writer of history, why would we assume anything but that he will get what he wants.   

Tomorrow’s, Scripture Reading: Psalm 43