Arrogant foes are attacking me; ruthless people are trying to kill me—people without regard for God. – Psalm 54:3

Today's Scripture Reading (April 24, 2022):  Psalm 54

There is a fight taking place within the Christian Church. It is not a new argument but rather one that has been taking place since the early days of the church in the first century. In the first century, that fight took place between those who believed that the Christian message was meant only for those who were willing to keep the Jewish traditions and those who thought that the message of Christ was intended for the whole world. It was a very real fight about which Paul had much to say. Paul wrote to the Church at Galatia bluntly with these words:

You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? Have you experienced so much in vain—if it really was in vain (Galatians 3:1-4)?

You masquerade as Christians, but Christ has nothing to do with you. Rather than placing the reality of salvation on Christ's crucifixion, you put your assurance on the things you have done. You have been bewitched. You are lost, even though you don't seem to understand that.

Today the fight continues with people who believe that they are somehow better than others. Love in some sections of the church is not seen as essential. And some of these people have been able to convince themselves that the Christian message can be compatible with a theology of hate, especially hating those who are not like us. It was as if Jesus's teaching to Nicodemus was that "God so loved the Christians (or people who look and act like us) that he gave his one and only son." Of course, that was not Christ's teaching. He said, "For God so loved the world" (John 3:16), and I tend to believe that God meant "world."

In Psalm 54, David writes, "arrogant foes are attacking me." A better translation of the verse might be "strangers are attacking me." But translators have used "arrogant foes" with good reason. The explanation for their choice of wording goes back to the inscription attached to the Psalm. The caption reads, "When the Ziphites had gone to Saul and said, 'Is not David hiding among us?'" The Psalm is written about the Ziphites who had decided to side with Saul over David. They were actively looking for opportunities to sell out David. But the reality is that the Ziphites weren't strangers. They were Israelites. And not just Israelites; they were members of the Tribe of Judah, David's Tribe. Most of the tribe had come together to back David, but not the Ziphites. The Ziphites were acting like they were strangers, even though they were family members. Apparently, there was an argument within the tribe of Judah over David, and the Ziphites were acting the part of the arrogant foe. In reality, the Ziphites were part of the family, and this conflict was a family fight.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 24