The Psalms seize the total vary of human expertise. Private and collective, unhappy and joyful, remembering God’s faithfulness and questioning what has come of it – the books of the Bible, prayed by generations of believers, invite us to enter God’s presence with honesty.
For these of us weaned on the positivity of American evangelicalism, Lamentations can shock us. The authenticity of their anger pushes the boundaries of what we have seen in company prayer. It calls us to reject poisonous positivity and embrace godly disappointment. And whereas this wake-up name to embrace the psalm of lament remains to be badly wanted, I believe we want an identical reckoning with regards to the psalm of reward.
The hymn’s declare is strikingly distinctive in its context and powerfully related to our case, particularly in an election yr charged with political vitality. As candidates compete for our votes, Christians passionately debate which contenders finest replicate our values and which points deserve our consideration. On prime of that, as Jared Stacey factors out in a current article within the Metropolis, we’re experiencing a rise in politically motivated violence.
Whereas lament is actually applicable at occasions like these, maybe the very best we are able to do is interact in daring reward!
I’ve usually felt about reward songs the way in which a mom feels about receiving a store-bought Mom’s Day card proclaiming in all caps that she’s “the very best mother ever.” We all know the corporate prints hundreds of those playing cards—and I am the one mother my children have, so how might they know any higher?
However when Israel cried out, “Reward the Lord!” They have been making a a lot bolder declare than a easy greeting card. As Outdated Testomony scholar Walter Brueggemann factors out in his wonderful guide, From whom no secret is hidden, “An act of reward just isn’t a innocent ‘non secular’ act. It’s somewhat to take the facet of this god towards all different gods.” He explains that “reward hymns are devotional works with political and polemical overtones… [and] Acts of disobedience to the world that’s earlier than us.”
One cause we regularly fail to understand the facility of reward offered within the Psalms is that almost all English translations render the distinctive divine identify, Yahweh, as Lord (in all caps). Lowercase “Lord” just isn’t a reputation, however a title that refers to an individual. Most Bible readers miss the excellence. And so, in our efforts to honor God’s identify as Lord, now we have inadvertently erased His divine identify, Jehovah. So, the phrase “Reward the Lord” feels like a Hallmark card—or a Christian model of the “Dwell, Chuckle, Love” credo.
A second cause why the psalm’s invitation to “reward Jehovah” usually lacks affect is that in monotheistic contexts, the place many people have been raised (accurately) instructed that there’s just one God, praising the Lord can seem to be a mistake. apparent Certainly he’s the one one worthy of reward—for what different creature can compete?
However Israel’s track was a lot grittier than we notice. Each time they sang a track, they have been concurrently making a daring declare for Jehovah and towards different gods.
That is important, as a result of the Israelites lived in a world with a large number of different potential gods to worship. A number of thick books on my workplace cabinets catalog these gods alphabetically, explaining what every was recognized for. In Egypt, Re, was the solar god; Isis, goddess of safety and therapeutic; Hathor, goddess of fertility; Osiris, whose bloodstream was considered the Nile; And dozens extra. In Canaan, Baal and Asherah, gods and goddesses of fertility, have been worshiped together with El, the Supreme God, and a complete pantheon of different options. Mesopotamian gods embrace Marduk, Isis, Ashur, Enlil, Ea, Tiamat, and Adad, to call a number of.
Extra importantly, historical cultures worshiped these gods not out of affection, however out of necessity. They believed the gods have been liable for the success of their crops and the survival of their kids. They believed that kings dominated underneath divine patronage and that the operate of rulers was to do the bidding of the gods and preserve order of their kingdoms. Most historical Close to Jap gods weren’t absolute however had a particular specialty or a sure jurisdiction.
Once we learn the psalms of reward towards that backdrop, a complete new world unfolds earlier than us—a world during which now we have the potential to reshape ourselves. Let’s think about Psalm 96 for example of this. I quote right here from the NIV, however substitute “Lord” with the divine identify Yahweh to assist us really feel the facility of the unique Hebrew in its context:
Sing unto the Lord a brand new track;
Sing to the Lord, all of the earth.
Sing unto the Lord, reward his identify;
Day after day introduced his salvation.
Declare his glory among the many nations,
His wondrous work amongst all males. (vv. 1-3)
Psalm 96 just isn’t odd. It can’t be utilized in any worship context, however solely to worship Jehovah, the God of Israel. However that is what makes this psalm so authentic: it calls “all of the earth” to reward Jehovah, not simply the Israelites! All nations should hear the story of “His salvation.”
Jehovah’s salvation was not one thing Israel seemed ahead to sooner or later however one thing that they had already skilled when Jehovah defeated Pharaoh at sea and introduced them to security. Jehovah’s salvation supplied not solely a private assurance but additionally the decisive defeat of Egypt and her gods on the world stage (Ex. 12:12; 15:2). Psalm 96 continues:
For the Lord is nice and to be praised;
He’s to be feared above all gods.
For all of the gods of the nation are idols,
However the Lord created heaven
Glory and majesty are earlier than Him;
Energy and glory are in His holy place. (vv. 4-6)
This Sam’s smackdown is deliberate and apparent, as soon as you recognize to search for it. To glorify Jehovah is to demote some other claimant to divine proper. Jehovah has all of the glory, whereas the gods of the nations are nothing however mute objects. Singing this track is denying the legitimacy of all of the foundational myths of Israel’s neighbors.
Be grateful to the Lord, all you households of the nations.
Reward the glory and energy of the Lord.
Declare the glory of the Lord;
Convey an providing and are available to his courtroom.
Worship the Lord within the glory of his holiness;
All of the earth will tremble earlier than him.
Say among the many nations, “Jehovah reigns.”
The earth is firmly established, it can’t be moved;
He’ll decide the folks with justice. (vv. 7-10)
What’s outstanding about these verses in Psalm 96 is that they name the nations to worship on the Temple in Jerusalem. It isn’t sufficient for them to acknowledge Jehovah’s energy from afar. Their recognition ought to be translated into motion of the humblest selection—pilgrimage to international lands overseen by one other ruler and occupied by one other folks.
To say that Jehovah reigns not solely undermines the authority of all different gods within the historical pantheons of Israel’s neighbors but additionally calls into query the legitimacy of each human king besides Jehovah’s anointed one. Since no king dominated with out divine appointment, one of many first priorities of any king was to determine the legitimacy of his rule by displaying how the gods had chosen him. If these gods have been faraway from their heavenly thrones, the kings recognized with them have been additionally illegitimate. Psalm 96 ends with these phrases:
Let the sky rejoice, let the earth rejoice;
Let the ocean and every little thing in it resound.
Let the fields and all which can be in them rejoice;
Let all of the bushes of the forest sing for pleasure.
Let all creation rejoice earlier than the Lord, for he’s coming,
He got here to guage the world.
He’ll decide the world in righteousness
And his faithfulness to man. (vv. 11-13)
Israel’s neighbors depicted their gods utilizing animal symbols and noticed divine illustration in bushes and oceans—whereas Psalm 96 depicts each created factor celebrating Jehovah’s rule and standing earlier than him as the ultimate decide. Ultimately, all will reply to the Lord. These are combating phrases!
Maybe an illustration will assist us admire the boldness of the psalm of reward. 1965 basic movie The sound of music presents an analogy. Captain von Trapp is a retired naval officer from Austria who raised his seven kids with the assistance of 1 rule. The youngsters are robust on these surrogate moms, so the captain goes to a close-by monastery for assist—perhaps a monk can hold his kids in line! The abbey sends him a brand new individual, Fraulein Maria, who wins the hearts of the youngsters in addition to their father.
Captain von Trapp and Maria’s romance is ready in 1938 towards the backdrop of the rising risk of Nazi German occupation. They return residence from their honeymoon to discover a Nazi flag flying over their entrance door, together with a summons to serve in Hitler’s navy and an (incoherent) invitation to the music household to the Salzburg Competition. Attempting to flee that night time to impartial Switzerland underneath cowl of darkness, the household is caught within the act. However pondering rapidly, they fake they are going to carry out at a music competition as a substitute.
That joyous night of music was overshadowed by Nazi troopers guarding the exit. Seated within the entrance row is the officer despatched to escort Captain von Trapp to his new submit in Hitler’s navy. Because the judges consider the outcomes of the competitors, Captain von Trapp sings alone within the highlight, beckoning the ready crowd with a easy track a couple of white alpine flower in Austria.
The lyrics will not be seditious in themselves, however sung on this context, its bravado is palpable. The lilting melody of “Edelweiss” evoked for the gang a eager for Austrian independence from Nazi Germany. The captain is overcome with emotion and is unable to convey himself to complete the track. Maria, the youngsters, and your entire viewers be part of him for the previous few stanzas, which finish with a hopeful prayer: “Bless my homeland eternally!”
The psalms are very similar to the captain’s track. On their very own, they don’t appear rebellious, however towards the backdrop of Assyrian or Persian rule they signify a type of non secular riot—a type of energetic protest towards authority. Psalms of reward exalt Jehovah above all human rulers and rival gods, diminishing their declare to sovereignty. As we learn them right this moment, they name us to rethink our final citizenship—reminding us that even our elected public officers should at some point bow the knee to Jehovah, and that every one our allegiance is to Him alone.
On this election yr in the US, or wherever we discover ourselves, allow us to re-employ the Bible’s psalms of reward with eyes huge open—recognizing their inexorable name to bow all the way down to our sovereign King.
Carmen Pleasure Eames is affiliate professor of Outdated Testomony at Biola College and creator of Bearing God’s Identify and Being God’s Picture. He’s presently writing his subsequent guide, Changing into God’s Household: Why the Church Nonetheless Issues.
