Sunday Worship Preparation: Psalm 119b (Beth)

Last week for our Sunday devotionals we began to treat Psalm 119 section by section, pointing out that this unique psalm is a twenty-two (22) stanza acrostic, each stanza and line (eight in each stanza) beginning with the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. In the first stanza the eight lines began with the first letter – Aleph. As we look at the second stanza today, we note that each of the eight lines begins with the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet: “Beth” (comparable to our letter “b”). Perhaps this was in part a memorizing tool for the psalmist and for the people of God for whom he wrote. This would certainly fit well with the content of Psalm 119, which is devoted to the theme of love for the law (Word) of God. One of the ways in which we show and deepen our love for God’s Word is by memorizing it. And even if we do not know Hebrew, the KJV rendering of the stanzas of this psalm also makes it conducive to committing it to memory. Something for us to think about (perhaps commit to memorizing one verse from each section each week – pay special attention to v.11 below!).

In any case, here is the Word of God through the psalmist in this second stanza:

BETH.

9 Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.

10 With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.

11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

12 Blessed art thou, O Lord: teach me thy statutes.

13 With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth.

14 I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches.

15 I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways.

16 I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.

We will see immediately that the psalmist has concern for the youth of the church and kingdom of God. Whether he is himself a young man (as many think he was), or an older believer reflecting back on his youth, he begins this section by asking how a young person should cleanse his or her way. I.e., how shall a believing young person stay in the way of and grow in sanctification? What means must they use to abide in holiness, staying devoted to the Lord and rejecting the twisted ways of sin, Satan and the world? The answer is clear: God’s law or Word, where His holy ways are plainly spelled out!

But then, notice, the means of sanctification is not simply reading or knowing the Word of God, it is “taking heed” to that law. “Taking heed” is more than listening to and taking in the Word of God. This is a military term and means “to guard or keep”, in the sense that we take commands and follow them. If the Lord is our Commander-in-Chief (and as our Creator and Redeemer He is!) and we are soldiers of the cross (and by grace through faith in Christ we are!), then His Word is law in our lives. He gives us commands (-ments) and we are to take these words to heart (in that sense “guard” them in our hearts) and keep them (in the sense of obeying them). That’s the way we cleanse our way, whether young or old. That’s the way of sanctification throughout our lives, no matter how young or old we are. God’s Word never changes, and God’s way of our spiritual cleansing never changes. Day by day till the day we die we are preserved in holiness and make progress in holiness by taking heed to God’s Word.

Do we fully realize the vital place God’s Word has and must have in our lives? Do we consider this when we start each day? Do we think about it now before we enter God’s holy courts of praise? We need the Word for our week of work! And we need to Word as we prepare to worship on our day of rest!

But then that means that we must love God’s Word and devote ourselves to taking it in every day. And you will see how the psalmist reveals that devotion. He seeks God with his whole heart (v.10). He rejoices in the way of God’s testimonies (v.14) and delights himself in His statutes (v.16). He meditates on the Word (v.15) and hides it in his heart (v.11). And so he will not forget God’s Word (v.16) but declare His judgments (v.13). Do we have that same devotion to the Word of God? I must confess to my shame that I do not. But going through this psalm should inspire us to be and do better, in reliance on God’s grace and Holy Spirit!

And thus too the psalmist prays about this matter. Notice his petitions in this section: that he not wander from God’s commandments (v.10) and that he be taught these statutes (v.12). Those are important requests to make. Prayer too is a vital means of sanctification for us. As we must be in God’s Word daily, so we must also be in humble reliance on Him for our personal holiness. And we express that reliance in prayer. Is prayer part of our daily devotion to the Lord? Are cleansing our way by “taking heed” to His Word and calling upon Him for grace to do so?

How we (I!) need Psalm 119! May we weigh the words of this second stanza carefully and learn again the wise way of walking with our God through this world.

If you wish to meditate on this section by way of music, you may do so by visiting our Psalter page. Below is the versification that matches the second stanza of Psalm 119. Click on the title to hear piano accompaniment.

322.  Guidance for Youth.   Psalm 119.  L.M. (4 stanzas)

1. How shall the young direct their way?
What light shall be their perfect guide?
Thy word, O Lord, will safely lead,
If in its wisdom they confide.

2. Sincerely I have sought Thee, Lord,
O let me not from Thee depart;
To know Thy will and keep from sin
Thy word I cherish in my heart.

3. O blessed Lord, teach me Thy law,
Thy righteous judgments I declare;
Thy testimonies make me glad,
For they are wealth beyond compare.

4. Upon Thy precepts and Thy ways
My heart will meditate with awe;
Thy word shall be my chief delight,
And I will not forget Thy law.

 

 

Word Wednesday: “Synod”

Since it is the season of synodical gatherings in the Reformed church world – including in the PRCA – I judged it appropriate to make “synod” our Wednesday word feature for this week. “Synod” has come to have a very narrow meaning (high or broad church assembly), but it actually has a very simple and broad origin and meaning. While the word found its way into our English language through the Latin, “synod” has its roots in two simple Greek words: syn- (“together”) and -ode (or hodos, “way”). So that a “synod” is literally a group of people (or things, like planets – see below) who have found their way together. They all probably took the same road to get to the same meeting place too!

Technically and literally then, a family supper could be called a “synod”, or a group of men in the coffee shop or on the golf course. But the word has not taken on this broad meaning. Instead, “synod” has become a narrow word for a church gathering or assembly. And in the Reformed churches we apply it to our broadest (not highest – we are Reformed/Presbyterian in our church government, not hierarchical) church assembly – “Consistory” (or “Council”) being the narrowest, with Classis” being more broad.

Giving the word a spiritual meaning in light of its Greek origin, we may also see the unity of the church in that word “synod”. And not just because the synodical delegates come “together” (“syn-”) in a certain church building. But more importantly, because they are all in the same “way” of salvation in Jesus Christ, Who is “The Way”, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6), and all in the same “way” of the truth of Scripture as summed in the Reformed confessions and Church Order (1 Cor.14:40; 1 Tim.3:15; Jude 3). Which is why it was appropriate that Rev.S.Key spoke on the blessedness of the church’s unity from Psalm 133 in his pre-synodical sermon Monday night. Pray, then, that the men of our Synod may stay together in this “way” as they do the Lord’s work this week.

Here is what I found at Dictionary.com, which closely matches what my Webster’s New World College Dictionary (4th ed., 2002) has:

syn·od

[sin-uhd]

noun

1.

an assembly of ecclesiastics or other church delegates, convoked pursuant to the law of the church, for the discussion and decision of ecclesiastical affairs; ecclesiastical council.

2.

any council.

Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English  < Latin synodus  < Greek sýnodos  meeting, equivalent to syn- syn- + ( h ) odós  way

Word Origin & History

synod

late 14c., “ecclesiastical council,” from L.L. synodus, from Gk. synodos “assembly, meeting, conjunction of planets,” from syn- “together” + hodos “a going, a way” (see cede). Used by Presbyterians for “assembly of ministers and other elders” from 1593 to c.1920, when replaced by General Council.

“Faith and Repentance” – Sinclair Ferguson

Faith and Repentance by Sinclair Ferguson | Reformed Theology Articles at Ligonier.org.

Yesterday before worship services I read a few more articles in the June issue of Tabletalk, Ligonier Ministries’ monthly devotional magazine. One was on the main theme of “Faith and Repentance”, with the same title (linked above) by Sinclair Ferguson, senior pastor of First Presbyterian Church (ARP) in Columbia, SC and professor of systematic theology at Redeemer Seminary. Ferguson, a Scotsman, has been one of my favorite contemporary Reformed authors for years, and this article did not disappoint.

In it he addresses which activity of true conversion is first, faith or repentance. After presenting several positions on both sides, he takes his side with John Murray, that the argument is not necessary since “saving faith is permeated with repentance and repentance is permeated with saving faith” (Murray). He proceeds to defend this with arguments from Scripture and our own experience.

At the end of his article Ferguson raises an important question and gives a solid answer. It is from that that I quote today, encouraging you to read the full article at the link above.

This, however, raises a final question: Does the necessity of repentance in conversion constitute a kind of work that detracts from the empty-handedness of faith? Does it compromise grace?

In a word, no. Sinners must always come empty-handed. But this is precisely the point. By nature, my hands are full (of sin, self, and my own “good deeds”). However, hands that are full cannot hold on to Christ in faith. Instead, as they take hold of Him, they are emptied. That which has prevented us from trusting Him falls inevitably to the ground. The old way of life cannot be retained in hands that are taking hold of the Savior.

Yes, repentance and faith are two essential elements in conversion. They constitute twin graces that can never be separated. As John Calvin well reminds us, this is true not only of the beginning but of the whole of our Christian lives. We are believing penitents and penitent believers all the way to glory.

A second article I read with profit was by well-known commentator, Douglas Moo (see biographical information below).. He has an article titled “Commentaries as a Ministry”, in which he not only describes how he views his own work in writing commentaries as a ministry, but also how we who use commentaries in our Bible studies and sermon preparation should view them as part of a ministry.

While not agreeing with all of the language he uses to describe the Scriptures (E.g., “God and human beings together producing the words of life”), I did appreciate the way he summarized at the end of his article how we should use commentaries. This is how that reads:

If the ministry of commentaries is important for the church, how can we best utilize this resource? A quick Google search on”commentaries on John” turns up a bewilderingly long list. Which commentaries should we use? First, use more than one. The very best commentator who has ever written made all kinds of mistakes. Comparing commentaries reveals these errors. Second, use commentaries from different times and cultures. John Chrysostom in the ancient church and John Calvin at the time of the Reformation still have a lot to teach us. And we are blessed to live in a time when more and more commentaries are being written by scholars from different parts of the world. Reading commentaries distant from us in time or culture can help reveal our own biases. Third, read commentaries from different theological traditions. We may not agree with everything such commentators say, but they help us think better about the text and why we believe what we do about it. Finally, use different levels of commentaries. Commentaries vary from massive scholarly tomes that require a lot of dedication to plow through to brief, often superficial reflections on the text. Our tendency is to be content to read the easy ones. But it is good to challenge ourselves sometimes with more detailed commentaries. It pays rich dividends in getting us to think more deeply about Scripture.

Dr. Douglas J. Moo is the Kenneth T. Wessner Professor of New Testament at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Ill. He is author of numerous commentaries, including his most recent on Galatians in the Baker Exegetical Commentary series.

J.Calvin on Psalm 119a: “…God is by no means satisfied with mere external service.”

Also for our meditation on the opening stanza of Psalm 119 today, we consider these words of John Calvin on vss.1-2 (Taken from the website “Christian Classics Ethereal Library and slightly edited by myself.). May Calvin’s thoughts on this passage also teach us the path of true godliness pleasing to the Lord.

The term way, is here put for the manner, or course and way of life: and hence he calls those upright in their way, whose sincere and uniform desire it is to practice righteousness, and to devote their life to this purpose. In the next clause of the verse, he specifies more clearly, that a godly and righteous life consists in walking in the law of God. If a person follow his own humor and caprice, he is certain to go astray; and even should he enjoy the applause of the whole world, he will only weary himself with very vanity.

But it may be asked, whether the prophet excludes from the hope of happiness all who do not worship God perfectly? Were this his meaning, it would follow that none except angels alone would be happy, seeing that the perfect observance of the law is to be found in no part, of the earth. The answer is easy: When uprightness is demanded of the children of God, they do not lose the gracious remission of their sins, in which their salvation alone consists. While, then, the servants of God are happy, they still need to take refuge in his mercy, because their uprightness is not complete. In this manner are they who faithfully observe the law of God said to be truly happy; and thus is fulfilled that which is declared in Psalm 32:2, “Blessed are they to whom God imputeth not sins.”

In the second verse, the same doctrine is confirmed more fully, by pronouncing blessed, not such as are wise in their own conceit, or assume a sort of fantastical holiness, but those who dedicate themselves to the covenant of God, and yield obedience to the dictates of his law. Further, by these words, he tells us that God is by no means satisfied with mere external service, for he demands the sincere and honest affection of the heart. And assuredly, if God be the sole judge and disposer of our life, the truth must occupy the principal place in our heart, because it is not sufficient to have our hands and feet only enlisted in his service.

Sunday Worship Preparation – Psalm 118

As we enter this month of June and enjoy our first Lord’s Day in it, we turn to Psalm 118 for help and guidance in preparing to worship the one, true and living God, the Triune Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. The human instrument also of this psalm we do not know, but it is evident that it is the psalmist’s personal testimony to the mighty and enduring mercy of the Lord, Who chastened him through oppressing nations yet also delivered Him. Because of that deliverance the psalmist calls the people of God to put their trust in Jehovah alone and to praise His enduring mercy. And at the end of the psalm it is evident that he also will express his thanks to the Lord in corporate worship. As sinners saved by God’s grace and mercy, this may also be our personal testimony – today and every day. With this in mind let’s read and meditate on Psalm 118:

Psalm 118

O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever.

2 Let Israel now say, that his mercy endureth for ever.

3 Let the house of Aaron now say, that his mercy endureth for ever.

4 Let them now that fear the Lord say, that his mercy endureth for ever.

5 I called upon the Lord in distress: the Lord answered me, and set me in a large place.

6 The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?

7 The Lord taketh my part with them that help me: therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me.

8 It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.

9 It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.

10 All nations compassed me about: but in the name of the Lord will I destroy them.

11 They compassed me about; yea, they compassed me about: but in the name of the Lord I will destroy them.

12 They compassed me about like bees; they are quenched as the fire of thorns: for in the name of the Lord I will destroy them.

13 Thou hast thrust sore at me that I might fall: but the Lord helped me.

14 The Lord is my strength and song, and is become my salvation.

15 The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous: the right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly.

16 The right hand of the Lord is exalted: the right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly.

17 I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord.

18 The Lord hath chastened me sore: but he hath not given me over unto death.

19 Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the Lord:

20 This gate of the Lord, into which the righteous shall enter.

21 I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation.

22 The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.

23 This is the Lord’S doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.

24 This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

25 Save now, I beseech thee, O Lord: O Lord, I beseech thee, send now prosperity.

26 Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord: we have blessed you out of the house of the Lord.

27 God is the Lord, which hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar.

28 Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee.

29 O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

There is really one other outstanding feature of this psalm that we want to point out today, and that is that it has Christ written all over it. We believe, of course, that the entire OT Psalter is Messianic, pointing to and declaring God’s Christ. But in some psalms this is more implicit and in other psalms this is more explicit. Psalm 118 is in the latter category. Plainly and powerfully Psalm 118 declares Christ. I would ask you to examine it again and look closely for these references to our Savior.

For one thing, and in general, when the psalmist speaks of his deliverance through the mercy of God, we know from the rest of Scripture that such deliverance and such mercy are only and always through Christ. God’s mercy to His elect people is centered in Christ alone and revealed in Him alone. So when the psalmist says he was rescued through God’s mercy, it means he was saved in Christ.

For another thing, notice how vss.15-16 speak of the “right hand” of God. From our NT perspective, and especially our recent commemoration of Christ’s ascension into heaven to the right hand of God, it should not be hard to see how Christ is referred to and extolled in these verses. He is not only at the right hand of God; He is the right hand of God. As the One through Whom the sovereign God exercises all His authority and power, and through Whom He does valiantly, Christ is the One who brings victory to His people, delivering them not only from mighty nations set on their destruction but also from sin and death and hell.

Further,  and more specifically, we recognize the Christological significance of the words found in vss.22-23. They speak of our crucified Savior. And, indeed, Jesus Himself quoted from these verses to explain what was happening to him in his suffering and death (cf. Matt.23:29; Mk.12:10-11; Lu.13:35 – see also Acts 4:11). When we read these familiar verses, we should pause and reflect on their meaning in Christ and be humbled by what it took for God to rescue us. And we should remember that the truth contained in these verses is what enables us to say what we do in v.24. We can rejoice in this day that the Lord has made because Christ died for us and is now exalted for us at God’s right hand!

Finally, we see Christ here also in vss.25-26. These are the words the people shouted at the time of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem at the beginning of the passion week (cf. Matt.23:39; Mk.11:9-10; Lu.19:38; Jn.12:13). Even though many of those people did not truly know what they were saying because they did not understand the nature of our Lord’s ministry, yet when we in faith shout “Hosanna”! (“Save now, I beseech thee.”) and “Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD”, we recognize Him as our conquering King, and we know and are assured of his saving ministry for us. The day is rapidly coming when God’s people shall shout these words again – this time at his final coming. Of all the days that God has made for us, that will be the day of greatest gladness and rejoicing.

And so we see how we are pointed to our beautiful Savior in this psalm. May our souls be stirred up to enter into the gates of the righteous and praise the God Who delivered us by sending His own Son to become our salvation (vss.20-21). Have a blessed Lord’s Day!

If you wish to meditate on Psalm 118 through music, I point you to our PRC Psalter page and specifically to this versification of this psalm (Click on the title below to hear the piano accompaniment.).

320.  Thankfulness and Triumphant Joy.  Psalm 118.  L.M. (4 stanzas)

1. Ye gates of peace and joy untold,
Ye gates of righteousness, unfold,
That I may enter in and raise
A song of thankfulness and praise.

2. Within Thy gates, O God of grace,
Thy saints shall find a dwellingplace;
My thanks and praise to Thee I bear,
My Saviour, Who hast heard my prayer.

3. What wondrous things the Lord hath wrought!
The stone the builders set at naught,
Established by no human hand,
The chiefest cornerstone doth stand.

4. In this the day the Lord hath made
To Him be joyful honors paid;
Let us Thy full salvation see,
O Lord, send now prosperity.

5. Hosanna! Praise to Him proclaim
Who cometh in Jehovah’s Name;
May blessing from God’s dwellingplace
Descend on us in boundless grace.

J.Calvin on Psalm 117: “…God’s mercy and truth furnish materials for celebrating his praises.”

Also for our meditation on Psalm 117 today we post these thoughts of John Calvin on v.1. May they too help us to marvel at the mercy of God to us sinners, lost in ages past, but now found and gathered into the church by His amazing grace.

1 Praise Jehovah, all ye nations.

The Holy Spirit having, by the mouth of the prophet, exhorted all nations to celebrate the praises of God’s mercy and faithfulness, Paul, in his Epistle to the Romans, very justly considers this as a prediction respecting the calling of the whole world, (Romans 15:11.) How can unbelievers be qualified for praising God, who, though not entirely destitute of his mercy, yet are insensible of it, and are ignorant of his truth? It would therefore serve no purpose for the prophet to address the heathen nations, unless they were to be gathered together in the unity of the faith with the children of Abraham.

…I grant that the Holy Spirit elsewhere calls upon the mountains, rivers, trees, rain, winds, and thunder, to resound the praises of God, because all creation silently proclaims him to be its Maker. It is in a different manner that he is praised by his rational creatures. The reason assigned is, that God’s mercy and truth furnish materials for celebrating his praises. Besides, the prophet does not mean that God shall be praised everywhere by the Gentiles, because the knowledge of his character is confined to a small portion of the land of Judea, but because it was to be spread over the whole world. First, he enjoins God to be praised, because his goodness is increased, or strengthened, for the Hebrew term admits of both meanings. Secondly, because his truth remains steadfast for ever. How, then, are those qualified to celebrate his praises, who, with brutal insensibility, pass over his goodness, and shut their ears against his heavenly doctrine?

Sunday Worship Preparation – Psalm 117

Our next Psalm to help guide us in our preparation for worship this Lord’s Day is a very brief one. Psalm 117 consists of only two verses (sometimes known as the shortest chapter in the Bible), containing a simple call to praise the Lord. Here is the Word of God in this Psalm:

 

 Psalm 117

 

O praise the Lord, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people.

 

2 For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever. Praise ye the Lord.

 

Because of its brevity, Psalm 117 may not seem to be very significant. It would be easy to pass over it and move on to Psalm 118. But Psalm 117 is significant, if for no other reason than that it too is inspired by the Holy Spirit of Christ and is the Word of God. And because it is, we must stop and ask ourselves, “What is God saying to us (me) here? What does He want us to learn about Himself (this is revelation of God!)? What does He want us to do?”

When we consider these questions, then we see that Psalm 117 is a call to worship: “O praise the LORD.” This is what God wants us to do – praise Him, laud Him, extol Him. Why? Vs.2 tells us: because His merciful kindness (steadfast love) is great to us and because His truth endures forever! In other words, because our covenant God has loved us and saved us from our sins with an unchanging, faithful, abiding love! Here in simple words is the gospel: in Christ God loved us, redeemed and reconciled us by the blood of the Lamb, took us into His own covenant life as His friends, and according to that steadfast love will not ever (never!) let us go! And that love and faithfulness (truth) calls for our praise. Of course! Our thankful praise! Our faithful praise! Our private praise (in daily devotions)! Our public praise (in worship)! Our endless praise (now and in glory)!

Do we understand now why Psalm 117 is significant? Through Psalm 117 God wants us to grasp the simplicity of the gospel of grace: being saved by Jehovah’s sovereign mercy we praise Him all our days.

But that’s not all. Did you notice that v.1 of this psalm calls for all nations to praise the Lord? Why is that, if this psalm was no doubt penned by an Israelite (Jew) in the OT church and was designed to be used in their worship? Not only because God is the Creator of all men and sovereign over the nations of the world such that He deserves their praise too. But also because it was God’s will from the beginning of time (rooted in His eternal plan of salvation) that not only the Jews would share in His mercy and grace in Christ, but also people from all nations of the world. This is why God promised father Abraham that all nations would be blessed in Him (Gen.12:3). This is why God made many other promises to the Gentiles in the OT (read Isaiah, e.g.). This is why God saved certain Gentiles already in the OT – Rahab the Cannanite, Naaman the Syrian, Ruth the Moabitess, etc. And we who live in the New Testament, who have the NT Scriptures, who have had the gospel of salvation brought to us, and who have been saved by its power (according to the great mercy of God!) can testify to the reality of this plan and these promises of our covenant God!

And now, with this in mind, did you know that Psalm 117:1 is quoted by the apostle Paul in Romans 15:11 for proof that the promises made to the OT patriarchs are also for the Gentiles (all nations) – for you and me, who may be Dutch, German, Greek, Chinese, Russian, Italian, etc.?! Go, look it up. Yes, it’s true. No wonder then that God calls all nations to praise Him. He has saved and is saving His elect people from every nation! He has His church in every land and place, from the farthest reaches of the earth to the isles of the sea! And on this day of rest, set aside by the Lord of creation and the Lord of the covenant for the praise of His glorious name, it is good that we join with His people in all nations to extol and laud Him for His great merciful kindness to us.

Are you ready to do that? Shall we do that? Meditate on that mercy, and God will fill your soul with the praise that delights Him.

J.Calvin on Psalm 116: “…The very thought of them (God’s benefits) ought to fill us with admiration.”

For our further meditation on Psalm 116 today, we also post these thoughts of John Calvin on v.12. May they also serve to encourage us to heart-felt thankfulness to the Lord for His great salvation.

12. What shall I render unto Jehovah?

He now exclaims with devout admiration, that the multitude of God’s benefits was greater than he could find language to give expression to the grateful emotions of his heart. The question is emphatic, What shall I render? and imports, that it was not the desire, but the means, of which he was destitute, to enable him to render thanks to God. Acknowledging his inability, he adopts the only means in his power, by extolling the grace of God as highly as he could. “I am exceedingly wishful to discharge my duty, but when I look around me, I find nothing which will prove an adequate recompense.”

…It is much better to make the first clause of the verse a complete sentence, by putting a period after Jehovah. Because, after confessing his incompetency, or rather his having nothing to offer to God as a sufficient compensation for his benefits, he at the same time adds in confirmation of it, that he was laid under such obligations, not by one series of benefits only, but by a variety of innumerable benefits. “There is no benefit on account of which God has not made me a debtor to him, how should I have means of repaying him for them?” All recompense failing him, he has recourse to an expression of thanksgiving as the only return which he knows will be acceptable to God.

David’s example in this instance teaches us not to treat God’s benefits lightly or carelessly, for if we estimate them according to their value, the very thought of them ought to fill us with admiration. There is not one of us who has not God’s benefits heaped upon us. But our pride, which carries us away into extravagant theories, causes us to forget this very doctrine, which ought nevertheless to engage our unremitting attention. And God’s bounty towards us merits the more praise, that he expects no recompense from us, nor can receive any, for he stands in need of nothing, and we are poor and destitute of all things.

 

Sunday Worship Preparation – Psalm 116

For our worship preparation on this new Lord’s Day we consider our next psalm in the OT Psalter, Psalm 116, which also happens to be a personal favorite (See the Psalter versification below too.). The human instrument who penned this “exuberant thanksgiving to the Lord” (New Geneva Study Bible) is unknown, but that only serves to bring out that this psalm is inspired by the Holy Spirit and is word for word the Word of God. Out of the heart and mouth of one of His children the Lord wished to speak to us and for us a glad song of gratitude for deliverance from death. Here, then, is that grateful song:

Psalm 116

I love the Lord, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications.

²Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live.

³The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow.

⁴Then called I upon the name of the Lord; O Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my soul.

⁵Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful.

⁶The Lord preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped me.

⁷Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee.

⁸For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.

⁹I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.

¹⁰I believed, therefore have I spoken: I was greatly afflicted:

¹¹I said in my haste, All men are liars.

¹²What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me?

¹³I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord.

¹⁴I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people.

¹⁵Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.

¹⁶O Lord, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds.

¹⁷I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord.

¹⁸I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people,

¹⁹In the courts of the Lord’S house, in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem. Praise ye the Lord.

While the entire psalm is beautiful and significant, there are a couple of things worth highlighting. For one thing, it is evident that the psalmist experienced the Lord’s merciful hand of deliverance from death. Whatever his particular circumstances were, he was clearly in the grip of death and its sorrows, body and soul. In the midst of this experience he believed in the Lord and cried out for help. He loved the Lord before his great affliction and he loved Him more deeply afterward. That love was rooted in God’s own love for him first, of course. But out of that love and with a true faith he ran to the Lord in his trouble and sorrow. And God out of His great love for His child heard his cry and rescued him from death. The psalmist had not earned that response from the Lord, nor did he deserve it, not even for his faith and love. God’s deliverance was an act of pure grace and mercy, as the psalmist himself declares (vss.5-7).

As such this deliverance is a powerful witness to our own deliverance from sin and its just reward, death. And yet, ours is even greater, for God loved us when we hated Him and were His enemies (Romans 5:6-11). He saved us from death when we didn’t want to be saved and didn’t believe in Him and didn’t seek His help (Romans 3:9-19). How much more then should we love the Lord and how much greater should our song of gratitude be! Do we sing this song with hearts that break with love for and gratitude to the Lord? If we know our deliverance from death’s grip, we cannot do otherwise.

For another thing, notice that the psalmist testifies to the fact that he will render his deep and devoted thanks to the Lord in public worship (vss.12-19). Asking himself what he could possibly give to the Lord in return for His gracious salvation (a good question for us to ask daily!), he determines to offer the sacrifices of thanksgiving to the Lord in the midst of corporate worship – “in the presence of all his people” (vss.14,18). That is significant. While this song of thanks in Ps.116 is intensely personal, the psalmist intended that it be used not merely for personal thanksgiving but also and especially for the united praise of God’s people. His vow would be paid and his praise would be heard in the company of his fellow saints. He would join them in magnifying the God of his salvation.

And so it is that our hearts are stirred on this day of rest and worship to give God thanks and lift up our exuberant song to Him. Personally and privately? O, yes, by all means. We may start right now. Read, pray, and sing Psalm 116 as your personal testimony of thanks to the Lord for what He has done for your soul in Jesus Christ! But then also go the house of the Lord, meet the Lord’s people there, and join with them in making corporate and public praise to the Lord! Take the cup of salvation and call upon your Savior with your fellow saints! Pay your vow of gratitude to the Lord “now in the presence of all his people.” For having experienced a common salvation, we have a common song to sing.

If you wish to mediate on Psalm 116 through music, may I suggest you visit the PRC Psalter page, where you will find several versifications of this psalm set to music (Scroll down to Ps.116). Below is my personal favorite, found in the Choral section of our Psalter.

426.  I Love the Lord.  Psalm 116.  10 11 11 10. (click on this title to hear piano accompaniment)

I love the Lord, the fount of life and grace;

He hears my voice, my cry and supplication,

Inclines His ear, gives strength and consolation;

In life, in death, my heart will seek His face.

 

The cords of death held me in deep despair;

The pangs of hell, like waves by tempest driven,

Rolled o’er my soul; by grief and sorrow riven,

I turned in my distress to God in prayer.

 

I cried, Deliver Thou my soul, O Lord!

Jehovah heard. I pledge Him my devotion.

The Lord is just, His grace wide as the ocean;

In boundless mercy He fulfills his word.

 

The Lord preserves the meek most tenderly;

Brought nigh to death, in Him I found salvation.

Come, thou my soul, relieved from agitation,

Turn to thy rest; the Lord has favored Thee.

 

Thou, O Jehovah, in Thy sovereign grace,

Hast saved my soul from death and woe appalling,

Dried all my tears, secured my feet from falling.

Lo, I shall live and walk before Thy face.

 

I have believed, and therefore I did speak

When I was made to suffer tribulation;

I said in haste and bitter desperation:

All men are false, ’tis nought but lies they speak.

 

What shall I render to Jehovah now

For all the riches of His consolation?

With joy I’ll take the cup of His salvation,

And call upon His Name with thankful vow.

 

Before His saints I’ll pay my vows to God;

E’en in death’s vale He keepeth me from evil;

How dear to God the dying of His people!

Praise Him, ye saints, and sound His Name abroad.

 

I am, O Lord, Thy servant, bound yet free,

Thy handmaid’s son, whose shackles Thou hast broken;

Redeemed by grace, I’ll render as a token

Of gratitude my constant praise to Thee.

 

Jerusalem! Within thy courts I’ll praise

Jehovah’s Name; and with a spirit lowly

Pay all my vows. O Zion fair and holy,

Come join with me and bless Him all thy days!

 

Christ Ascended for His Glory and Our Interest

As we continue our own year-long series on the Heidelberg Catechism – remembering and celebrating her 450th anniversary (see my Thursday posts this year) – today we mark “Ascension Day”, the day the church of Christ commemorates His glorious going up into the glory of heaven, by quoting from Zacharias Ursinus’ commentary on Lord’s Day 18, Q&A’s 46-49. First, let’s put the catechism itself before our eyes and minds:

XVIII. LORD’S DAY.

 

Question 46. How dost thou understand these words, “he ascended into heaven”?

Answer. That Christ, in sight of his disciples, was [a] taken up from earth into heaven; and that he continues [b] there for our interest, until he comes again to judge the quick and the dead. 

Question 47. Is not Christ then with us even to the end of the world, as he hath promised?

Answer. Christ is very man and very God; with respect to his [c] human nature, he is no more on earth; but with respect to his Godhead, majesty, grace and spirit, he is at no time absent from us. 

Question 48. But if his human nature is not present wherever his Godhead is, are not then these two natures in Christ separated from one another?

Answer. Not at all, for since the Godhead is illimitable and [d] omnipresent, it must necessarily follow that [e] the same is beyond the limits of the human nature he assumed, and yet is nevertheless in this human nature, and remains personally united to it. 

Question 49. Of what advantage to us is Christ’s ascension into heaven?

Answer. First, that he is our [g] advocate in the presence of his Father in heaven; secondly, that we have our flesh in heaven as a sure pledge that he, as the head, will also [h] take up to himself, us, his members; thirdly, that he [i] sends us his Spirit as an earnest, by whose power we “seek the things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God, [j] and not things on earth.”[a]: Acts 1:9; Mark 16:19
[b]: Heb. 4:14; Rom 8:34; Eph. 4:10
[c]: Acts 3:21; John 3:13; John 16:28; Mat. 28:20
[d]: Acts 7:49; Mat. 24:30
[e]: Mat. 28:20; John 16:28; John 17:11; John 3:13
[g]: Heb. 9:25; 1John 2:2; Rom. 8:34
[h]: John 14:2; Eph. 2:6
[i]: John 14:16; 2Cor. 1:22; 2Cor. 5:5
[j]: Col. 3:1; Phil. 3:20

 

And from The Commentary of Dr.Zacharias Ursinus on the Heidelberg Catechism (Transl. by Rev.G.W.Williard; Presbyterian and Reformed, 1982) we find these words (We can only quote a small portion of his treatment of this section of the catechism. To find all of it visit this site. It is from this online version that I quote below.):

III. FOR WHAT PURPOSE DID CHRIST ASCEND INTO HEAVEN?

Christ ascended into heaven for his own glory, and for that of his Father. It was proper, and necessary, that he should have a heavenly kingdom.  Hence it was not expedient that he should continue on earth. “He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things “Wherefore God hath also highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name, that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Eph. 4:10. Phil. 2:9, II.) It also belonged to, and was proper that Christ who is the Head should be glorified with an excellency, and superiority of gifts above all the members, which could not have been the case had he remained on earth. And still further, Christ ascended for our benefit, and that in these three respects. 1. That he might make intercession for us in heaven. “ Who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” (Rom.  8:34.) He intercedes for us, first, by the value of his sacrifice, already offered in our behalf, which is so great that the Father ought, on this account, to receive us into favor. Secondly, by Us own will, by which he continually desires, that the Father would receive us into favor at the sight, and recollection of that sacrifice which he accomplished in his own body. Thirdly, by the consent of the Father, approving the will, and de sire of the Son, accepting the value of his sacrifice, as a sufficient satisfaction for our sins, and together with the Son receiving us into favor. It is by making intercession for us in this manner that Christ applies unto us the benefits and merit of his death. And the entire glorification of the mediator, consisting in his resurrection, ascension and sitting at the right hand of the Father, was necessary in order that this application might be made unto us. But some one may, perhaps, be ready to object and say ; but Christ interceded for us already when he was on earth ? To this we reply, that the intercession which Christ made on earth had respect to that which was yet future; for it was made upon the condition, that the mediator, after he had accomplished his sacrifice on earth, should for ever appear in the sanctuary on high. 2. That we might also ascend, and have assurance thereof. Christ him self says in the gospel of John, “ I go to prepare a place for you.” “ In my Father’s house are many mansions,” that is, places to abide for ever; for he speaks of our continuance there. Christ ascended; therefore we shall also ascend. This conclusion is proper, and forcible ; because Christ is the head, and we are the members ; he is also the first-begotten among many brethren. 3. That he might send the Holy Spirit, and by him gather, comfort, and defend his Church, even to the and of the world. Hence he says, “If I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you.” “ Which (Holy Ghost) be shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (John 16:7. Tit. 3:6.)

IV. IN WHAT DOES THE ASCENSION OF CHRIST DIFFER FROM OURS?

Christ’s ascension and ours agree, first, in this, that both, he and we, ascend to the same place. They agree, secondly, in this that both, he and we, ascend to glory. “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory.” (Joh. 17:24.)

They differ in the following respect: 1. Christ ascended by his own peculiar power and virtue. “No man hath ascended up to heaven (that is, by his own peculiar virtue) but the Son of man.” (John 3:13.) Our ascension, on the other hand, will be effected by, and for the sake of, Christ. “I go to prepare a place for you.” “I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am.” (John 14:2; 17:24.) 2. Christ ascended that he might be head, we shall ascend that we may be members; he ascended to glory such as is proper for the head, we shall ascend to glory such as is becoming those who are members; he ascended that he might sit at the right hand of the Father, we shall ascend that we may sit upon his throne and that of his Father, not in the same dignity, but only by a participation therein. “To him that ovcrcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame and am set down with my Father in his throne.” (Rev. 3:21.) We shall, therefore, be partakers of his glory, a just proportion being preserved between the members and the head. 3. The ascension of Christ is the cause of ours, but not the contrary. 4. Whole Christ ascended, but not the whole of Christ; because he ascended only as to his human nature, and not as it respects his divine nature, which is also on earth. But we shall ascend whole, and the whole of us; because we have only a finite nature, and that but one.