A Song for the Sabbath

Psalm 92 - “A Song for the Sabbath”

??????????? People who choose to be critical of religion in general and/or Christianity sometimes condemn faith as being ONLY a coping mechanism.? “Religion is just a crutch,” they say, implying that only sick or broken people need it.

??????????? My response is to say, “Everyone needs to cope, and when life takes the legs out from underneath you, a pair of crutches are indispensable!”? My objection to the word “only.”? Religious belief is not only for moments of greatest need, but for the improvement of all one’s life.

??????????? The relationship of religious exercises like worship and overall health is affirmed by some members of the scientific community. ?They offer statistical evidence to support what we’ve learned from experience: having and practicing a genuine faith in God creates greater mental and physical health.? Life is better because we have faith.? Life is better when we practice the faith we claim.

??????????? Today I am offering Psalm 92 as an example of how a person struggling with the hurt inflicted by evil people, was comforted by his faith in God.? He uses worship to celebrate God and to heal his own wounded heart.

??????????? As Christians, we go deeper than psychology and affirm that worship heals when we worship the one true God through His Son, Jesus Christ.? The Holy Spirit empowers us to heal and be healed in Jesus’ name.

Worship is the greatest coping mechanism.

1. A call to worship. (1-3, 15)

??????????? One reason we worship God is because it is a GOOD thing to do. Three reasons why it’s a GOOD thing to do. ?The LORD is worthy of thanksgiving and praise. Indeed, God is the highest good and deserves our worship. ?Worship is appropriate at any time of day.? For example, worship God for His UNFAILING LOVE in the MORNING and His FAITHFULNESS in the EVENING.

??????????? In worship we declare His justice, trustworthiness and goodness. (15)? The psalmist offered three praiseworthy aspects of God.?

- God is JUST = Even though it may appear to us that wicked people are getting away with murder, God will not allow injustice to stand.

- God is MY ROCK = God’s word, His commands give us a stable foundation for daily living.? We don’t need to give into temptation as we serve our God who is entirely trustworthy and true.

- There is NO EVIL IN HIM = As Jesus said, “Only God is good.”? Because He is perfectly good, we have nothing to fear.

??????????? Worship is also a form of witness.? When we worship we are making God known and inviting others to come to Him and be saved.

??????????? Worship is offered in music.? That seems obvious because the Psalms are, after all, songs.? Music is one of the important ways we offer worship to God.

- We are to SING His PRAISES. (1)? God created the human voice with all its power to vocalize thoughts and express emotions for the practice of praising Him.? Our voice is the first choice of musical instruments.

- Our songs are to be ACCOMPANIED by musical instruments. (3)? However, beautiful sounds made by musical instruments provide wonderful accompaniment/alternative to voices.

2. God is good; He does good works. (4-5, 8)

??????????? God’s good works are GREAT and fill us with joy. (4-5)? The Psalms affirm and express the emotions we feel, even difficult ones in hard times. ?As the psalmist thinks about all God has DONE for him, he is THRILLED and is so full of JOY that he must sing God’s praises!? When he thinks about all of God’s GREAT WORKS, he is motivated by awe and reverence to worship Him. When the psalmist thinks about God, he knows that God’s DEEP THOUGHTS are praiseworthy, though they are far too complex for us to understand.

??????????? God will be EXALTED FOREVER. (8)? This is the central truth of this psalm, not just because it is found in the middle of the psalm. ?Our God is so worthy of praise, there will never be a situation or a time when His name shall not be EXALTED. ?In fact, in heaven now and in the New Creation to come, God will be worshipped and EXALTED FOREVER.

3. God is just; evildoers will perish and good people will be rewarded. (6-14)

??????????? The ultimate outcome of wicked people. Often the psalmists were puzzled about the apparent success of wicked.? They would ask God to explain this and, on occasion,? complained to God about it.? In this psalm, the psalmist is comforted by the knowledge that evildoers will not allow them to get away with their evil deeds.? He has faith that God will accomplish perfect justice on Judgment Day, if not before.

??????????? Their future is eternal destruction. (6-7) ?Notice the strong language the psalmist used to condemn those who reject God: SIMPLETON, FOOL, WICKED, and EVILDOERS.? They are condemned by their choice to not recognize God or receive His DEEP THOUGHTS. Though they may be full of pride (and usually are) the stupidity and evil of those who reject God is revealed by their words, deeds, and destination. ?The song writer compares such people with WEEDS that SPROUT and temporarily FLOURISH, but whose end is eternal destruction. ?Jesus made a similar comparison in His Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds in Matthew 13:24-43. ?For the purposes of comparison, the word FLOURISH will be used again in v. 12, this time to describe the faithful people and how God will cause them to truly FLOURISH, unlike the temporary flourishing of evil people.

??????????? Wicked people will PERISH and be SCATTERED. (9) ?Judgment Day is inevitable. Just as certain as the Lord’s eternal exaltation, the Lord’s ENEMIES will PERISH; all EVILDOERS WILL BE SCATTERED. ?In the OT, God repeatedly warned His people if they didn’t keep His commandments they would be scattered among the nations, then regathered when they repented.? In v. 9, the EVILDOERS are simply SCATTERED, there is no promise gather them up again.? Their fate is sealed and irrevocable for eternity. ?Warnings to the wicked are part of God’s answer to His people’s concern about the prosperity of the wicked.? His people are to be comforted by the knowledge that they will meet the outcome they deserve.

??????????? The DOWNFALL and DEFEAT of wicked people is found in verse eleven. ?In contrast to verse nine where he referred to God’s ENEMIES, verse eleven refers to the psalmist’s ENEMIES.? They are the same people. ?The promised defeat of evil is an eternal victory for God and His people.

??????????? The ultimate outcome of godly people. ?One way God equips His people is with spiritual and physical STRENGTH. STRONG AS A WILD OX (10), is a symbol of being invincible.

??????????? God’s support of His people is symbolized by the practice of anointing: ANOINTED WITH THE FINEST OIL (10). ?Anointing with oil was an everyday event, done for several purposes.? The fact that it is done with THE FINEST OIL leads me to believe that this is a special occasion, a celebration of God’s victory.

??????????? In verses twelve and thirteen, God’s promises include fruitfulness and strength. ?God’s people are likened to trees, a familiar biblical symbolism:

- PALM TREES grow in well-watered areas and produce dates.? They were, in ancient times, symbolic of life and fertility.

- CEDARS OF LEBANON were tall and stately trees, particularly valuable in the ancient world.

??????????? The reference to being TRANSPLANTED TO THE LORD’S OWN HOUSE and THE COURTS OF OUR GOD may be in connection with the fact that King Solomon brokered a deal to obtain CEDARS OF LEBANON for use in constructing the temple.? Similarly, PALM TREES were carved into the walls of the temple as decorations. (1 Kings 5+6)

??????????? Lastly, God empowers His people with vitality, even in OLD AGE. (14) ?Vitality is symbolized with tree-appropriate metaphors, PRODUCE FRUIT, REMAIN VITAL AND GREEN. There are many things that come with OLD AGE that make us feel unfruitful, lifeless, and burned out.? Contrary to those hopeless feelings, the conclusion of this psalm offers reason for optimism in OLD AGE, an assurance that we are yet here to fulfill the Lord’s purposes.

Worship is the greatest coping mechanism.

??????????? To briefly enlarge what I said earlier, religious expression can help anyone cope because it takes our focus on self and puts it on something greater than self.? It’s ironic how egotists think they’re healthier for their atheism, but they’ve cut themselves off from the most basic kind of healing – inward healing.? So, there is a merely psychological/emotional basis for the statement that worship is healing.

??????????? Stack on top of that the actual spiritual connection with God through Jesus Christ that is only available to persons with genuine faith.? By magnifying God in worship, we multiply the health benefits for ourselves and others.? This cannot be our motive for worship, but it is a by-product of worship for which we can be thankful and grateful.

RESOURCES:

??????????? Tremper Longman III, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries, Vols. 15-16, Psalms, 2014, pp. 332-334.

??????????? Mark Futato, Cornerstone Biblical Commentary, Vol. 7, Psalms, 2009, pp. 298-301.