Grace to Persevere

Introduction

When I was in seminary, one of the favored sayings at the school was that we are living in the "already/not-yet" of the Kingdom of God. We recognize the "already" of the Kingdom because of the empty tomb. We acknowledge the "already" of the Kingdom through the beautiful relationship with our Savior, through the relationships with our families and friends and particularly through the relationships with our brothers and sisters in Christ. However, we know the "not-yet" of the Kingdom all too well as we encounter heinous evil and destruction all around us on a daily basis. Unfortunately, I don't know most of you who read my postings every week. I want you to know that my heart has been heavy for you in my prayers this week. I know from personal experience that life can be terribly difficult at times. For you, maybe another week has gone by without a job offer, maybe you're wondering how you will keep a roof over your family's head, maybe you are struggling with a health matter, perhaps you have lost someone close to you, perhaps you live somewhere where there is constant civil unrest and you fear for yourself and the safety of your family, or maybe you're being persecuted for your faith. Whatever your struggle, know that I have been praying for you this week and if there were any way possible, I would put my arms around you and cry with you if that's what you needed. I know life can be a struggle. I know being faithful in an unfaithful world can stretch not only our faith but our very being to the brink of despair. We pray, we cry, and we pray some more but in the end, when nothing seems to be working, all we can find ourselves doing is crying out to God: Help me!!

The Psalms are replete with examples of poems, songs and prayers that do just this. Many are prayers that boil down to a simple cry for help. The Psalms show us that faith is not some fairytale story where everything is rainbows and butterflies. Many of the Psalms express exactly what we have said or want to say when we struggle and our hearts are breaking and we're ready to quit. There is a consistent theme in many of the Psalms—a cry for help and the desire and strength to be faithful in spite of our struggles. What we’re asking for, what we’re pleading for, what we’re crying for is relief and the Grace to Persevere. In this lesson, I'd like to look at just such a Psalm, or specifically in this case, a section of Psalm 119. The purpose of this lesson is not just a matter of teaching. I know from personal experience that when you are in the storm of your struggles, it can feel as though no one knows or recognizes your pain. I want you to know that even though I don't know you or your specific struggle, I know you're there and I know you're crying out for help. This lesson is for you and my prayer for you is that God would grant you the Grace to Persevere if relief is not God’s will for you.

Psalm 119:81-88

⁸¹ My soul faints with longing for your salvation,

but I have put my hope in your word.

⁸² My eyes fail, looking for your promise;

I say, “When will you comfort me?”

⁸³Though I am like a wineskin in the smoke,

I do not forget your decrees.

⁸⁴ How long must your servant wait?

When will you punish my persecutors?

⁸⁵ The arrogant dig pitfalls for me,

contrary to your law.

⁸⁶ All your commands are trustworthy;

help me, for men persecute me without cause.

⁸⁷ They almost wiped me from the earth,

but I have not forsaken your precepts.

⁸⁸ Preserve my life according to your love,

and I will obey the statutes of your mouth.

Background Information

The author and the date of this psalm is not specifically known. It has been suggested that some of the possible authors are David, Hezekiah, Jeremiah or Ezra—with the last of these being, perhaps, the most plausible. Arthur Clarke writes, “Many coincidences between the language of the text and the history of Ezra’s time seem to point to the last-named [Ezra]…He was clearly the one who resolved to make God’s Law the governing principle of his life.”[1] Some, however, ascribe authorship to a consortium of wisdom teachers. Nevertheless, Hans-Joachim Kraus writes,

“Psalm 119 is a collection of the statements of the individual Torah piety of postexilic times that originated from the study of Scripture, of Deuteronomic theology, of cultic Torah instruction of an individual, and of the stimulus of wisdom teaching.”[2]

Psalm 119 is “Read at the Feast of Pentecost…The Feast celebrates the giving of the Torah [Law] to Moses at Sinai during the wilderness wandering.”[3] It is creatively written in an acrostic format corresponding to the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet with eight verses in each section. There is, however, considerable debate as to its precise form. Some claim it is poetry while others insist it falls strictly under the category of wisdom literature. Krause attempts to grasp the psalm in its entirety when he writes,

“Actually Psalm 119 will have to be described as a ‘necklace,’ or ‘anthology,’ as a complex collection of a special kind. Psalm 119 is close to the category of the didactic poems…And in view of the predominant theme of the whole poem, we would be able to speak of a Torah psalm.”[4]

Verses 81-88 is the section of verses associated with the Hebrew letter “kaph.” “Some writers…pointed out that for the ancients there was often significance in the Hebrew letters. Such is the case here…Kaph is a curved letter, similar to a half circle, and it was often thought of as a hand held out to receive some gift or blessing. Here the author is in need, and he knows that the only one who can answer his need is God. Hence, he holds out his hand toward him as a suppliant.”[5] The overall theme of the psalm as a Torah psalm holds true for this section of verses as well.

Theological Explanation of Key Words

The psalmist begins this section of verses making very clear through the use of the word hlk (Hebrew literal—“failing;” NIV—“faint”) that he is consumed and desperately waiting for God’s salvation—the fulfillment of his promise. The verb form of hlk occurs more than 200 times in the Old Testament and a precise English equivalent meaning is difficult to determine. Generally speaking, the word denotes the completion of something. However, it can be completion or finality in a positive or negative sense. For example, Genesis records the completion, hlk, of the creation of heaven and earth and it is deemed as “good.” “For the most part, however, a negative meaning is associated with hlk.”[6] This negative use is the context for the word in verses 81, 82 and 87. Specifically, in verses 81 & 82 “The vb. also denotes the frailty of human existence…[and] conveys the meaning of wasting and fading away.”[7] The sense of its usage in these verses might best be conveyed “With the English idiom ‘I am dying for.’”[8] The sense of verse 87 seems more dire—the end of life or a worthwhile life may be in view.

In verse 85, tAx+yvi, translated as “pits,” (NIV—“pitfalls”) is an interesting word in light of the verses that follow. Normally the word denotes something that is used to catch animals. “The pit is dug and camouflaged, so that the weight of the animal will land in the pit, where it may be impaled on stakes of left to die of hunger.”[9] This would seem consistent with verse 87 where the psalmist speaks of nearly meeting his end at the hands of his pursuers. Some commentators translate #r<a'_b' in verse 87 as “in the earth” (NIV—“from the earth”) which seems to flow with verse 85 that those who are pursuing him “Wanted to kill him and see him buried.”[10] However, there is another, and I believe, more plausible understanding of the use of tAx+yvi (Hebrew literal—“pits;” NIV—“pitfalls”) in the context of Psalm 119 overall. Remembering that God’s law is the over-arching theme of Psalm 119, “In Ps 119:85 the writer warns of those (arrogant ones) who dig pits, to draw the righteous away from faithfulness of God’s law.”[11] This understanding of the word seems far more accurate in the context of these verses considering the juxtaposition of actions that are “contrary to your law” in verse 85 as compared to the psalmist who does not “forsake your precepts.” Additionally, #r<a<, “Usually denotes earth, but here the context suggests it denotes the attackers’ imperiling of the suppliant’s place in the land or worthwhile life in the land.”[12] This is a critical point since Israelite land and identity are so closely tied together.

Commentary

Verse 81: This verse plunges us into the psalmist’s dire condition as he “Has been consumed with longing for Yhwh to deliver, in light of that word that has been the object of waiting, but deliverance does not come, and that spirit has no energy left.”[13] It is important to note that even though the psalmist is in such distress, he doesn’t trust in his own strength or in the strength of others but instead continues to put his hope in the promises contained in God’s word.

Verse 82: There is an interesting query that is included in verse 82—“When will you comfort me?” Goldingay writes, “The question confronts that promising statement, or rather confronts Yhwh over its not issuing in comfort, in action bringing restoration.”[14] Even though he hoped in God’s word, his distress was so acute that it nevertheless caused him to ask God when he would find relief. At the bedside of a child suffering from the ravages of cancer, a parent may surrender the child to the care of the Father but that doesn’t restrain the inevitable cries of “Why has this happened?” or like the psalmist, “When will you comfort me?”

Verse 83: Ancient people used animal skins to make drinking flasks for water or for wine. Wine skins, “When not in use, are hung up in the room which has no chimney for the escape of smoke.”[15] Anyone who has ever sat around a campfire can well attest to the ravages of smoke. Similarly, a wine skin exposed to smoke becomes useless as the taste of the smoke taints the contents of the wine skin. The psalmist may feel contaminated by a godless world trying to draw him away from being faithful to God’s law, but the purity of God’s law has not been lost to him.

Verse 84: A question is presented in relation to the length of the psalmist’s life and how the psalmist believes God should act that would bring him the comfort he desperately longs for in verse 83—justice! The implication being that his days are few and that God should act quickly before it is too late. Allen writes,

“The persecuting enemies of vv. 84, 86 appear all the blacker against the light of God’s revealed character. Correspondingly, divine faithfulness shines out all the more, and mention of it serves to urge God to act now in conformity with it.”[16]

Verse 85: The psalmist is asking to be saved from those who do not follow God’s law and are trying to corrupt him and draw him away from being a faithful follower of God’s law. This familiar Old Testament metaphor of digging a pit to capture a wild animal is illustrative of the fact that those who do not follow God’s law willfully choose to do so and actively seek to draw others away from being faithful followers as well.

Verse 86: There are few things in life more painful than being falsely accused of something and not being immediately vindicated. The psalmist’s frustration with false accusations and God’s inaction becomes evident. “The argument is that Yhwh’s commands, all of them, are truthful in their promise that life will work out for people who heed them.”[17] In desperation, there’s no time for long speeches and supplications. Instead, the psalmist prays what any of us would pray—“Help!”

Verse 87: There are two key words in this verse: “Almost” and “But.” Those persecuting the psalmists falsely almost succeeded in their efforts at drawing him away from faithfully following God’s law and therefore forfeit his inheritance #r<a'_b' (“in the land”) but they failed and he reiterates that he has faithfully observed all of God’s precepts.

Verse 88: The psalmist is able to continue being faithful to God’s commands even when the world seems to be crashing in on him through God’s kindness or in a word; “Grace!” The words “Make me alive” are more than a reference to God’s deliverance. They communicate that it is by God’s grace alone that the psalmist has the strength to endure the persecution of a world that willfully disobeys God’s laws and actively seeks to draw him away from obedience to the commands given to us directly from the mouth of God.

Application

Sex, money and power have as their commonality a vehicle through which humanity has the opportunity to either be obedient or disobedient to God’s commands. The ever-increasing divorce rates, soaring personal and national debt and the exploitation of those who are most vulnerable in our society is an object lesson of how sex, money and power can serve as instruments of disobedience. These verses are a common refrain for followers who persevere in a life that is lived in the world but not of the world. There is great pain and yet great hope in this tension. I have seen how healthy relationships (sexual and otherwise) that are based on God’s truths are a model of strength and inspiration that serve to perpetuate faithful obedience to God’s truths in future generations. Likewise I have seen money used in service to God to feed starving people around the world or provide adequate shelter for those living in cardboard shacks. Finally, I have witnessed, in my generation, powerful social justice movements of people like Martin Luther King who used his power, based on the truth of God’s word, to inaugurate the Civil Rights Movement.

However, those trying to draw the faithful away from God’s word also have at their disposal sex, money and power as part of their arsenal to wage war against the faithful. No doubt there are countless people who are victims of infidelity in their relationships, who deal dishonestly with other people’s money and who overstep their authority over others. It rarely makes the news unless there is some sort of public outcry. However, when it involves a Christian, it becomes front page news! Deceiving or leading a Christian astray is tantamount to a trophy kill that is mounted on the wall for everyone to see. It’s no wonder that the psalmist used the metaphor that his pursuers where digging pits to capture him since that was the common way ancient people captured and killed animals they hunted. However, the faithful in all ages have depended on the same thing to give them the strength to endure in a world that actively pursues them in order to draw them away from being faithful—God’s grace! The psalmist’s petition for God to give him life so that he could be faithful to God is the same as Jesus’ prayer for his disciples and applies to all those who seek to be obedient to God in a world that is hostile toward God and those who would be faithful to him:

“I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.” (John 17:14-16)

As believers, we are not of this world yet we have to live in this world and that means we have to endure the struggles associated with this life. We have tasted the “already” aspect of the Kingdom of God when we believed in Jesus Christ and his sacrifice on the cross. However, we have also tasted the bitterness of the “not-yet” aspect of the Kingdom of God when our sin, the sins of others or the brokenness of creation generally smash our lives against the rocks. Yet it is precisely when our lives are tangled in this “not-yet” aspect of the Kingdom of God that God’s strength can be manifest in our lives. It is precisely at this darkest moment that God’s glory shines the brightest for all to see in our lives. We may feel like our strength is failing as we cry out to God for help. Yet we are somehow not crushed. Instead, even as we strain under the weight of our struggles, God gives us the strength to say with the psalmist: “All your commands are trustworthy…I have not forsaken your precepts…I will obey the statutes of your mouth.” We may not understand the purpose of our struggles or why God seems to take his time to rescue us. But one thing is certain when everything in our lives seems so uncertain—God will give us the Grace to Persevere.

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[1] Arthur G. Clarke, Analytical Studies in the Psalms, (Grand Rapids, MI, Kregel Publications, 1979), p. 293.

[2] Hans-Joachim Kraus, Psalms 60-150 A Commentary, (Minneapolis, MN, Augsburg Fortress, 1989), p. 414.

[3] Nancy L. deClaisse-Walford, Introduction to the Psalms, (St. Louis, MO, Chalice Press, 2004), p. 119.

[4] Kraus, Psalms 60-150 A Commentary, p. 411.

[5] James Montgomery Boice, Psalms, Vol. 3, (Grand Rapids, MI, Baker Books, 1998), p. 1009.

[6] Willem A. VanGemeren, ed., Dictionary of Old Testament Theology & Exegesis, Vol. 2, (Grand Rapids, MI, Zondervan Publishing House, 1997), pp. 641-642.

[7] Ibid.

[8] A. Cohen, The Psalms, (London, England, Soncino Press, 1968), p. 405.

[9] Willem A. VanGemeren, ed., Dictionary of Old Testament Theology & Exegesis, Vol. 4, (Grand Rapids, MI, Zondervan Publishing House, 1997), p.62.

[10] James Montgomery Boice, Psalms, Vol. 3, (Grand Rapids, MI, Baker Books, 1998), p. 1,009.

[11] VanGemeren, Dictionary of Old Testament, Vol. 4, p.62.

[12] John Goldingay, Psalms, Vol. 3, (Grand Rapids, MI, Baker Books, 2008), p. 414.

[13] Ibid., p. 412.

[14] Ibid.

[15] A. Cohen, The Psalms, p. 405.

[16][16] Leslie C. Allen, Word Biblical Commentary-Psalms 101-50, Vol. 21, (Nashville, TN, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2002), p. 189.

[17] Goldingay, Psalms, p. 413.