Psalm 33
*Note-- Graeme Goldsworthy in Gospel Hermeneutics, Christopher Wright, Tim Keller, David Powlison, and other authors I have read recently have all said that the Old Testament first and foremost is about Christ. Christ himself said that in Luke 24 to his disciples on the Emmaus Road. These authors warn against jumping straight from the Old Testament to us--too often it waters down the Old Testament to a set of examples. When we see how it foreshadows, reflects, prefigures, hints, at Christ, we gain a deeper, richer joy in God, his plan, and in Christ. Only then do we find ourselves in this rich, intentional, purposeful story--in Christ. "....making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fulness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth" (Ephesians 1:9-10).
"The LORD looks down from heaven; he sees all the children of man; from where he sits enthroned he looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth, he who fashions the hearts of them all and observes all their deeds" (Psalm 33:13-15).
The Sovereign Lord, in Trinity Completeness, in his glory and allness, looks down and his heart is grieved. He is wronged, slandered, and rebelled against by many. So he did more than look--he came down. He left his glory in heaven and became poor, a humbled carpenter, scoffed and scorned. His bleeding heart refashioned our hearts in him. It is only in Christ we can find comfort in these verses--our Creator God has restored us to himself. He knows our hearts and our deeds, but we have the imputed righteousness in Christ. Therefore, we find joy in the Sovereign Lord seeing us, knowing us, and in being known by him. Otherwise, it strikes a deep terror in our hearts from which we run, drink in denial, and suffocate in theories of tolerance.
"The king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength. The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue" (Psalm 33:16-17).
Our King of Glory did not trust in his own glory while on earth, but lived the life of perfect trust, submission, and dependence we should have. He could have turned stones into bread, called on angels to deliver him, and used his own strength to gain glory for himself. Instead, he died. And was raised to life again by the power of God (Eph. 1:18).
"I am not saved by the amount of knowledge I have; I am delivered by proving I have great and profound thoughts. My importance in the eyes of other people (as much as I crave it and think that is what I want) is a false hope for salvation, and as much as the world values intelligence, it cannot rescue."
"I am not saved by the many acts of charity, the works of service I do; I cannot be delivered by my own kindness and love. My acts of love and sacrifice are a false hope for salvation, and even by its praise in the eyes of religious men it cannot rescue."
Comfort, control, money, family, sex, pleasure, careers, perfectionism, religion and more--all serve as substitute saviors. Yet, they are false hopes, disappointing and enslaving.
"Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love, that he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine" (Psalm 33:18-19).
Only one of the Trinity himself feared the LORD his Father completely in life and in death. Only one had hope in his Father's steadfast love, even in the face of death, and death on the cross, and in the face of the separation and condemnation and incredible anguish he knew he would bear. He hoped in Father's steadfast love beyond death. And he was delivered from death and kept alive in the famine of the separation from his father.
Seeing this love of God demonstrated in him who trusted his Father's love, we know the love is steadfast. We rejoice and we worship and we fear. We fear and we hope because we have seen his love that is deeper than death. So now, we face no death and no famine of the presence of God. We have eternal life through his death; we glory in the presence of God through his separation.
"Our soul waits for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us, even as we hope in you" (Psalm 33:20-21).
Because Jesus faced the torment of God's wrath, we find him as our help and our shield. His love is upon us fully in Christ; we are accepted in the Beloved (Eph. 1:6). He Himself is our Hope.
"The LORD looks down from heaven; he sees all the children of man; from where he sits enthroned he looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth, he who fashions the hearts of them all and observes all their deeds" (Psalm 33:13-15).
The Sovereign Lord, in Trinity Completeness, in his glory and allness, looks down and his heart is grieved. He is wronged, slandered, and rebelled against by many. So he did more than look--he came down. He left his glory in heaven and became poor, a humbled carpenter, scoffed and scorned. His bleeding heart refashioned our hearts in him. It is only in Christ we can find comfort in these verses--our Creator God has restored us to himself. He knows our hearts and our deeds, but we have the imputed righteousness in Christ. Therefore, we find joy in the Sovereign Lord seeing us, knowing us, and in being known by him. Otherwise, it strikes a deep terror in our hearts from which we run, drink in denial, and suffocate in theories of tolerance.
"The king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength. The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue" (Psalm 33:16-17).
Our King of Glory did not trust in his own glory while on earth, but lived the life of perfect trust, submission, and dependence we should have. He could have turned stones into bread, called on angels to deliver him, and used his own strength to gain glory for himself. Instead, he died. And was raised to life again by the power of God (Eph. 1:18).
"I am not saved by the amount of knowledge I have; I am delivered by proving I have great and profound thoughts. My importance in the eyes of other people (as much as I crave it and think that is what I want) is a false hope for salvation, and as much as the world values intelligence, it cannot rescue."
"I am not saved by the many acts of charity, the works of service I do; I cannot be delivered by my own kindness and love. My acts of love and sacrifice are a false hope for salvation, and even by its praise in the eyes of religious men it cannot rescue."
Comfort, control, money, family, sex, pleasure, careers, perfectionism, religion and more--all serve as substitute saviors. Yet, they are false hopes, disappointing and enslaving.
"Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love, that he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine" (Psalm 33:18-19).
Only one of the Trinity himself feared the LORD his Father completely in life and in death. Only one had hope in his Father's steadfast love, even in the face of death, and death on the cross, and in the face of the separation and condemnation and incredible anguish he knew he would bear. He hoped in Father's steadfast love beyond death. And he was delivered from death and kept alive in the famine of the separation from his father.
Seeing this love of God demonstrated in him who trusted his Father's love, we know the love is steadfast. We rejoice and we worship and we fear. We fear and we hope because we have seen his love that is deeper than death. So now, we face no death and no famine of the presence of God. We have eternal life through his death; we glory in the presence of God through his separation.
"Our soul waits for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us, even as we hope in you" (Psalm 33:20-21).
Because Jesus faced the torment of God's wrath, we find him as our help and our shield. His love is upon us fully in Christ; we are accepted in the Beloved (Eph. 1:6). He Himself is our Hope.
Gillian,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing the information on the OT and Christ. Always good to remember the cohesiveness & bigger picture of the complete scriptures.
Also, I would like you to elaborate on your thought of us "suffocating in theories of tolerance." I think I know where you're coming from, but you can put it into more concise terms, I'm sure.
Thank you so much, Cindy--I elaborated. A lot. See today's post. : )
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