Psalm 99
THE POSITION OF GOD IN OUR CULTURE
Position 01: God’s Reign
“The Lord reigns, let the people tremble! He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake!” –Psalm 99:1
“But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” – Amos 5:24
Amos is considered a “minor prophet of the Bible” that covers a time when Israel experienced economic advancement that led to significant social injustice.
Position 02: God’s Greatness
“The Lord is great in Zion; he is exalted over all the peoples. Let them praise your great and awesome name! Holy is he!“ – Psalm 99:2-3
Zion was a city of refuge if you will… a city of protection against the evils of the world… safe space.
Position 03: God’s Justice
“The King in his might loves justice. You have established equity; you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob. Exalt the Lord our God; worship at his footstool! Holy is he!” – Psalm 99:4-5
THE JUSTICE OF GOD IN THE BIBLE
“Moses and Aaron were among his priests, Samuel also was among those who called upon his name.”
– Psalm 99:6
God uses Moses, a product of injustice, to OVERTHROW AN EMPIRE BUILT ON SLAVERY.
God uses Aaron as an ALLY OF THE PEOPLE AND ACTIVIST AGAINST OPPRESSION.
God uses Samuel, who even under the umbrella of monarchy, deeply associated with kings even, REFUSED TO ABUSE POWER WHEN HE HAD A WEALTH OF OPPORTUNITIES TO DO SO.
“God is a just God who challenges us to: learn to do good, seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s case.” - Isaiah 1:17
SPIRITUAL PRACTICE: THE WAY OF GOD IN US
Seek God
”They called to the Lord…” – Psalm 99:6Follow God
“and he answered them. In the pillar of the cloud he spoke to them; they kept his testimonies and the statute that he gave them. O Lord our God, you answered them; you were a forgiving God to them, but an avenger of their wrongdoings.”
–Psalm 99:6-8Worship God
“Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his holy mountain; for the Lord our God is holy!”
–Psalm 99:9
Psalm 8
3 things to keep in mind about the Book of Psalms:
Composed of 150 Hebrew poems. 73 of them were written by David.
Scholars say the Psalms are broken in 5 sections with an introduction and an ending. The ending is 5 chapters of praise to our God.
Lament and praise are the main expressions in Psalms. Lament is an appropriate response to the evil that we see in the world. While praise expresses joy and celebration of the goodness of God.
Psalm 8; A Psalm of Praise.
The significance of Psalm 8 being squished between two disparities helps us to understand that the poor & afflicted are the ones chosen to rule the world.
Psalm 8 opens with words of praise “O LORD our Lord”; better be translated as “Oh Yahweh, our Adoni”. This phrasing tells us so much about who we are crying out to in our prayers.
The name ‘Yahweh’ reveals God to mankind as the majestic, all-powerful, self-sufficient Creator who knows us and desires to be known by us personally.
Adoni, meaning King is important to remind us that God is the King of the universe and King of our life.
The Psalms express what creation tells us about God & His power.
Creation itself praises God (Psalm 19:1, 96:11-12, 98:4-8)
All things originate with God (Psalm 33:6)
Creation tells us of God’s wisdom (Psalm 104:24), love (Psalm 36:5), and power (Psalm 148:5)
“It suddenly struck me that that tiny pea, pretty and blue, was the Earth. I put up my thumb and shut one eye, and my thumb blotted out the planet Earth. I didn't feel like a giant. I felt very, very small.” – Neil Armstrong
“...creation invites us to participate in its joy in God, and in giving ourselves willingly to this joy, we discover our true purpose as creatures made in the image of a joyful God: to faithfully reflect the divine image in all contexts of our created life as royal representatives of our Creator-King.” – W. David O Taylor
In moments of powerlessness, we can either run away from God or run toward God. If we choose to run away from God we breed hopelessness and pride. If we choose to run toward God we breed healing and praise in our lives.
God’s glory is displayed through weak people who he has chosen to do His great work.
In vs. 2 David says God defeats his enemies and makes His name majestic through using our weakness even that of babies.
The entirety of David’s life is an example of God using weak people.
Jesus and the incarnation is the greatest example of God’s transcendent power through the weakness of humans. (2 Corinthians 5:21)
God’s Role for Mankind
Made in God’s Image (Gen 1:27)
Children of God (1 John 3:1; Rom 8:14)
Co Heirs with Christ (Rom 8:16-17)
God has bestowed all of us with dignity & dominion.
“Our royal dominion, therefore, is qualified by our priestly calling: to offer the things of God in love to all of creation and, in turn, to offer all the things of creation back to God in love.” – W. David O Taylor
We were created with a purpose, but when that got messed up in the Garden of Eden, Jesus died to restore that purpose.
“...to live a life marked by joyful praise, wonder-filled thanksgiving, care-filled stewardship of creation, hopeful work of restoration and reconciliation, gracious communion with others, and faithful living.” – W. David O Taylor
Worship requires space to reflect.
Spiritual Practice
The Divine Game of Pinzatski: one person points out an object in nature and another says what that object might say about God and why.
Read One Psalm a Day: The Psalms reframe our sense of life
Let’s form habits that lead our hearts to praise!
Psalm 22
The First Forsaken King
“According to The Doe of the Dawn, A Psalm of David”
Psalms by David normally have two headers:
Of David, a Psalm
A Psalm of David
Psalms that start with “of David, a Psalm” are when David finds himself directly in the presence of God. As a result David picks up an instrument and plays.
Psalms that start with “A Psalm of David,” David does not find himself in the presence of God but rather picks up an instrument and begins to sing about what he is experiencing in the moment.
“My God, why have you forsaken me?”
Contrast with Psalm 139, “Where can I go from your presence?”
Not only a question, it is also an assumption by David.
“God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pain: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world” - C.S. Lewis
The alternating themes of Psalm 22
David begins to recount the goodness of God from the past
David focuses on himself again in the third paragraph, “I am a worm”
He goes back to focusing on the goodness of God, ending with a plea to God
The danger of isolation
We can isolate ourselves from the church, family, and God as a result of our feeling abandoned.
This is damaging to our spiritual health as well as our health in general.
“The lies of the enemy thrive in isolation” - Alex Ferren
The church culture of being composed
Sometimes questioning God makes us feel like we don’t have everything together and that is okay. It is okay to not be okay.
There is value in crying out to God because by doing so we are in communication with God.
There is comfort in knowing that the God we cry out to, knows exactly what we are going through. He’s lived it.
“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.” – Hebrews 4:15
The Second Forsaken King
The prophetic elements of Psalm 22
Psalm 22:1 Both David and Jesus say, “My God, why have you forsaken me?”
Verse 7-8 both had insults thrown their way, both mocked for their trust in God. Matthew 27, the governor’s soldiers mock Jesus as the king of the Jews. Matthew 27:43 tells us that people would walk around Jesus on the Cross almost taunting him saying “Let God rescue him now if he wants him.
Verse 16 David says his hands and feet are pierced, Jesus were as well.
Verse 18, Lots were cast for Jesus robes in Psalm 27:35.
“I am a worm”
Jesus in John 5:58 goes from saying “Before Abraham was born, I am” to quoting the same chapter that says, “I am a worm”
The crimson worm, Tola.
Immanuel, God with us
“He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” - Colossians 1:17
Christ feels as though God is away from him for the first time in Christ’s entire existence. In desperation, Christ cries out to the Father.
God hurts with us.
“He is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” - Psalm 34:8.
“Jesus doesn’t just teach us what to believe, but how to believe.”– Heath Adamson
Spiritual Practice
“I have learned to kiss the waves that throw me against the rock of ages” – Charles Spurgeon
The lessons from the Forsaken Kings
Our first prayer and request on a daily basis should be, “God, be not far from me.”
Jesus cries out to God, why have you forsaken me? But Matthew ends with Jesus promise of “I will be with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Who are we in proximity with? We should help carry each other’s burdens
The strength in our vulnerability helps us build community.
Psalm 142
Summary of Psalms
Composed of 150 Hebrew poems. 73 of them were written by David.
Scholars say the Psalms are broken into 5 sections with an introduction and an ending. The ending is 5 chapters that end in praise to our God.
Lament and praise are the main expressions in Psalms. Lament is an appropriate response to the evil that we see in the world. While praise expresses joy and celebration of the goodness of God.
“With my voice, I cry out to the Lord; with my voice, I plead for mercy to the Lord. I pour out my complaint before him; I tell my trouble before him” – Psalm14 2:1-2
“Caves make good closets for prayer; their gloom and solitude are helpful to the exercise of devotion. Had David prayed as much in his palace as he did in his cave, he might never have fallen into the act which brought such misery upon his later days.” – Charles Spurgeon
“When my spirit faints within me, you know my way! In the path where I walk they have hidden a trap for me. Look to the right and see: there is none who takes notice of me; no refuge remains to me; no one cares for my soul.” – Psalm 142:3-4
“I cry to you, O Lord; I say, ‘You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.’” – Psalm 142:5
“Attend to my cry for I am brought very low Deliver me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me! Bring me out of prison, that I may give thanks to your name! The righteous will surround me, for you will deal bountifully with me.” – Psalm 142:6-7
The story of David isn't one that celebrates only mountain tops; It's one that shows the practical struggles and God still being faithful to us.
Spiritual Practice
Lament and praise. Take time to grieve the hard and trying times. But also give thanks and praise to God in the bad and good.