Psalm 82
It may seem odd to find a psalm dealing almost entirely with the presence of other gods. After all, Judaism is the very essence of monotheism and the Old Testament is full of reminders that there is but one God only. Yet this particular psalm speaks as if there were other gods, the gods of nations and of harvests and of seasons, and it is as if these gods were in fact active in human life. Of course at the time that Psalm 82 was written Israel was surrounded by nations and peoples, each of which claimed the existence of other gods –– their gods. How else could they explain the apparent ebb and flow of life than the existence of fickle or capricious deities? In light of these beliefs Psalm 82 takes on an especially monotheistic tone. Indeed, God –– the God of Israel –– is the supreme God and nothing lies outside of God’s sovereign control. “You are gods, children of the Most High, all of you;” the psalmist declares, “nevertheless, you shall die like mortals, and fall like any prince’” (Psalm 82:6-7).
We are far too sophisticated to fall for the notion of other, albeit lesser gods. We know there is only one God. And yet, we can not free ourselves from the sin of idolatry, the practice of setting up items to worship or placing matters of primary concern between ourselves and our Creator. Wealth, power, influence, the value of our own opinions and beliefs: these ideas cause great harm when we allow them to distract from our worship of God. These may be the gods of our age, but when Psalm 82 is read in the light of Easter, placed within a Christian context, it becomes a fresh breeze sweeping away the idols and the gods of our lives, reminding us once again that in Jesus Christ we are freed from our dependence on such false deities and enabled to live in full relationship with God alone.
Yes, God is in control so even the gods of the nations, even the idols of our lives fall under God’s authority. In grace, then, we are able to live as God’s people, confident of God’s love and mercy for us.
Prayer: Lord, help us to cast away our idols and to love you alone with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Showing posts with label The Psalmist. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Psalmist. Show all posts
Monday, October 8, 2012
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
New Songs, Old Wine?
Psalm 96
Luke 5:27-39
There is an interesting contrast in two of our readings for this morning. On the one hand the psalmist tells us, “O sing to the LORD a new song…” (Psalm 96:1a), but on the other hand, Jesus says, “And no one after drinking old wine desires new wine, but says, 'The old is good'" (Luke 5:39). The convergence of these two verses strikes me as typical of life in our times where that which is traditional and that which is new or contemporary often vie for our attention. It happens in every aspect of our lives, both secular and religious. Think of the music you listen to; what era does it come from? Think of the books you read; are they classics or were they recently published? Do you dress in a “retro” style or are you up to date on your fashions? And when you think of worship do you prefer hymns and prayers from an earlier time in the life of the church, or do you more readily respond to praise choruses and modern liturgies?
But in truth, Luke’s quote of Jesus is not easy to interpret. It may actually be intended as irony used to point out how complacent we may become with what we know until we are unwilling to try something that is new or different. If that’s the case, then Psalm 96 and Luke 5 may be saying essentially the same thing. Yet even here the tension between old and new remains, because while Jesus may be condemning false contentedness, the Psalm, even as it calls for a “new” song, is drawn from the heart of very ancient traditions dating back centuries and calling people to recognize what has always been true: God is King.
Ultimately we are left with the realization that the tension between old and new, between traditional and contemporary, between “the way we’ve always done it” and fresh perspectives is going to remain. But then God is going to remain as well, challenging us to consider both the new and the old as valuable to our lives of faith. The ancient truths about God remain relevant, but how we express those truths bears constant reevaluation. God is doing new things in our midst and they should remind us of the mighty acts that God has performed before. After all, history belongs to God, and we are blessed to be living in it.
Prayer: Lord, may our lives be centered on you alone and may we be open to your work in whatever form it takes. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Luke 5:27-39
There is an interesting contrast in two of our readings for this morning. On the one hand the psalmist tells us, “O sing to the LORD a new song…” (Psalm 96:1a), but on the other hand, Jesus says, “And no one after drinking old wine desires new wine, but says, 'The old is good'" (Luke 5:39). The convergence of these two verses strikes me as typical of life in our times where that which is traditional and that which is new or contemporary often vie for our attention. It happens in every aspect of our lives, both secular and religious. Think of the music you listen to; what era does it come from? Think of the books you read; are they classics or were they recently published? Do you dress in a “retro” style or are you up to date on your fashions? And when you think of worship do you prefer hymns and prayers from an earlier time in the life of the church, or do you more readily respond to praise choruses and modern liturgies?
But in truth, Luke’s quote of Jesus is not easy to interpret. It may actually be intended as irony used to point out how complacent we may become with what we know until we are unwilling to try something that is new or different. If that’s the case, then Psalm 96 and Luke 5 may be saying essentially the same thing. Yet even here the tension between old and new remains, because while Jesus may be condemning false contentedness, the Psalm, even as it calls for a “new” song, is drawn from the heart of very ancient traditions dating back centuries and calling people to recognize what has always been true: God is King.
Ultimately we are left with the realization that the tension between old and new, between traditional and contemporary, between “the way we’ve always done it” and fresh perspectives is going to remain. But then God is going to remain as well, challenging us to consider both the new and the old as valuable to our lives of faith. The ancient truths about God remain relevant, but how we express those truths bears constant reevaluation. God is doing new things in our midst and they should remind us of the mighty acts that God has performed before. After all, history belongs to God, and we are blessed to be living in it.
Prayer: Lord, may our lives be centered on you alone and may we be open to your work in whatever form it takes. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)