The Bible in a Year – 10 July

If this is your first viewing, please see my Introduction before reading this, and the introduction to the Psalms for this book of the Bible in particular.

10 July. Psalms 74-77

These psalms are part of the block from 73-83 attributed to Asaph (which may have meant the worship leader, or the choral singers). The first three (74-76) are communal songs, whereas the last (77) is a personal one.

 

But 74 and 76 share a common structure.  At first the singer(s) is/are in despair at their situation: in one, the Temple has been severely damaged by an enemy raid, the round of Temple worship has had to cease and nor is there anyone who can prophecy; in the other, the individual is experiencing what has been called “the dark night of the soul” when all attempts at prayer seem only to find a darkness, an absence of God.

 

But in both cases, the remedy is to remember what God has done in the past. In the first, God is remembered by the community for his work of creation: defeating chaos, making the sun and stars, the earth and its animals.  In the last, the individual recalls the Exodus, that defining moment when God achieved the impossible and saved the descendants of Jacob by leading them out of Egypt through the waters.

 

It is all too easy, when depression sets in because of external pressure or internal turmoil, to feel there is no way out.  But for those who trust in God, remembering what he has done in the past either in our own lives or in the lives of other people, now or in the past, can be the beginning of a turning back to the light.

The Bible in a Year – 8 July

If this is your first viewing, please see my Introduction before reading this, and the introduction to the Psalms for this book of the Bible in particular.

8 July. Psalms 66-69

Psalm 66 can be summarised by three words: “Turn (verses 1-4), Trust (5-12), Thank (13-20)”.  It speaks of the importance of keeping one’s vows to God.  We don’t often talk of vows these days, except at a wedding, but monks and clergy still have to vow obedience to their abbot/bishop, as well as obedience to the rules of their order or denomination, and may also be required to take vows of poverty and/or chastity.  These are no idle promises, and many struggle with them at times in their ministry, and need the support of their brothers and sisters in their orders, or (in the case of parish priests) their congregation.

 

The vows mentioned here, though, are the voluntary promises of thanking and praising God (and other people) that are made by individuals.  There is no religious law requiring such vows, but once made they are to be treated just as seriously. They spring out of the experience of seeing God at work.

 

Psalm 67 is one of the shortest, but most radiant of them all.  It is entirely positive about our relationship with God.  The first verse is much used in liturgy (perhaps with variants): “May God be gracious to us and bless us, and make his face to shine upon us” (67:1).  The following Psalm 68 is, by contrast, much longer and full of references to enemies.

 

Psalm 69 contains several verses that are taken as pointing to Jesus and his crucifixion: “many are those who would destroy me, my enemies who accuse me falsely” (v.4); “I have become a stranger to my kindred, an alien to my mother’s children” (8); and most of all “For my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink” (21).   But of course such experiences are not uncommon. What we do know is that Jesus, by his own suffering, can identify with all those who experience such treatment themselves.

The Bible in a Year – 7 July

If this is your first viewing, please see my Introduction before reading this, and the introduction to the Psalms for this book of the Bible in particular.

7 July. Psalms 56-65

Psalms 56 to 60 were written in difficult times, when the enemy (Edom) was prevailing in war, and people needed reminding that their own tribes including Ephraim (Israel) and Judah belonged to God who would not abandon them.

Two types of “assault” are mentioned here: the physical violence of warfare, and slander and hate.  As children we used to say “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me”. Yet it is a rare person who is strong enough in their own self-esteem not to let cruel words hurt, and the mentally vulnerable can suffer worse than if they had been assaulted physically.

What also holds them in common is that they are all headed to be set to a tune; the middle three all to the same tune, for worship in the Temple.  We will never know what these tunes were, though the names might give us a clue to their style: “A dove on distant oaks” and “Lily of the Covenant” may have been gentle (although the plaintive Psalm 69 is also to be sung to “Lilies”), while “Do not destroy” (also used for Psalm 75) may have been more vigorous.  In Christian worship the psalms have been set to music in many ways – monastic plainsong, the more complex Anglican chant, Scottish metrical tunes, and in various contemporary styles.  These songs continue to fascinate and encourage us.

 

But why songs and not merely spoken poetry or even prose? For one thing, it is easier to remember words when you associate a tune with them, a process that starts with the nursery rhymes your mother taught you.  For another, singing together is a great way of forming an emotional bond between people, whether workers in a field or supporters at a rugby match. Apart from Holy Communion, nothing binds Christians together more strongly than shared music, although unfortunately, by the same token differences in preferred musical styles also easily bring division.

 

Moving on to Psalms 61-65, I will just contrast a couple of verses. Ps. 63 was written “in the desert” (perhaps on a kind of retreat) so we know that verse 1 “my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you in a dry and weary land where there is no water” is no metaphor, but spoken out of personal experience.  Whereas in 65:9-10 we read of the land being abundantly blessed, even drenched, with water.  Water is a basic human need, and if we are told to pray for our daily bread, how much more for daily water?  But as with all human needs, trusting God also means acting ourselves: there are still millions around the world living in places with little or no natural water supply, or polluted supplies.  There are charities such as Water Aid and UNICEF who work to provide this most basic of human rights, and they are worth supporting.

The Bible in a Year – 6 July

If this is your first viewing, please see my Introduction before reading this, and the introduction to the Psalms for this book of the Bible in particular.

6 July. Psalms 51-55

Psalm 51 is probably the most often heard sung, perhaps without realising it.  The text was set by Allegri as his Miserere which is often performed in concert or played on the radio, and because of its haunting plainsong harmonies is often considered “romantic”.   The text is anything but.  Its heading reveals the circumstances of its composition, when David was confronted by the prophet Nathan with the consequences of his sin of adultery (leading to the arranged death in battle of his mistress’s husband).  The words of his psalm remind us that true repentance is far more than saying “sorry”, it is a gut-wrenching sense of worthlessness, a cry to God to ‘blot out’ or ‘wash away’ everything I have done wrong and everything about me that turns away from God.   Some of the verses (10, 11 and 15) are also familiar from the Church of England’s daily prayers, as a reminder that we need God’s presence and forgiveness.

 

Part, at least, of Psalm 55 is also familiar to music lovers for Mendelssohn’s setting of “Hear my prayer” and especially verses 6-8, “O for the wings of a dove, far away would I rove; in the wilderness build me a nest, and remain there for ever at rest”.

 

By contrast, Psalm 52 is addressed not to God but to wrongdoers, those who mock and plot against righteous people. It predicts a reversal of fortune, when they receive the justice they deserve and it will be the righteous who do the mocking.

The Bible in a Year – 5 July

If this is your first viewing, please see my Introduction before reading this, and the introduction to the Psalms for this book of the Bible in particular.

If you are a regular visitor and wondering why the posts stop at 4 July it is just because I have been away for a few days – making notes but without the opportunity to post them online.  So we will catch up shortly.

5 July. Psalms 46-50

Psalms 42-49 are all headed “of the sons of Korah”. Perhaps they were a group of musicians who played for temple worship.

At present we need little reminder that “the nations are in uproar” (46:5), with violent demonstrations against world leaders in Hamburg this week, continuing warfare in the Middle East, central Africa and other places, and increasing numbers of migrants seeking asylum in more settled countries. But the Biblical response is to hold on in faith, even if the “whole world melts” (which with nuclear tensions building up again between America and North Korea does not seem much of an exaggerated fear). God, his support for the vulnerable, and his strength for the weak, will never cease.

 

Psalm 47 stands out from most of the others with its positive affirmation of monotheism – there is one God who rules over all the kingdoms of the earth.  The triumphal shout that “God has gone up!” is seen by Christians as a prophecy of the ascension of Jesus, forty days after his resurrection. Whether we think of that as a literal or metaphorical description of what happened, all Christians can agree that Jesus is now the “king of all nations” in a way that is much more real than when the Jews had to have faith in an unseen God.

 

Psalm 49 turns our thoughts to the unavoidable subject of our own mortality, with a reminder that, as we say in English, “you can’t take your money with you when you go [to heaven]”.  Riches (“mammon”) have no real existence, nor does the human body after death.   All that remain are the soul, and God’s memory of our thoughts, words and deeds.  Some of the verses, “No-one can redeem the life of another or give God a ransom for him – the ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough – that he should live for ever and not see decay” (49:7-9), are a worldview that is in fact overturned by the death of Jesus. We believe that in fact he did, by his death, ransom all people to God at great cost, so that they may have the opportunity of eternal life – free from guilt in this life, and with the promise of resurrection to a new life with a new kind of body beyond death.

 

The Bible in a Year – 4 July

If this is your first viewing, please see my Introduction before reading this, and the introduction to the Psalms for this book of the Bible in particular.

4 July. Psalms 40-45

I have just been on a train from Carlisle to Leeds, which crosses the infamous Dandry Mire viaduct. The story goes that this bog at the top of Garsdale was so wet that although the engineers trying to make an embankment across it spent weeks tipping thousands of tons of soil and stones onto it, the mire swallowed it all and the embankment could not be built.  Instead it was decided to build a viaduct, which meant piling down through the mire until solid rock was reached to erect the piers.  Hard work, but the resulting structure is still carrying heavy trains nearly 150 years later.

 

That was in my mind when I read Psalm 40, which starts with a brief preface, and verse 2 seemed relevant: “The Lord drew me up from the desolate pit, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure”. John Bunyan wrote in effect a commentary on this verse in his Pilgrims Progress: “This miry slough is such a place as cannot be mended: it is the descent whither the scum and filth that attends conviction for sin doth continually run, and therefore it is called the Slough of Despond.”

 

The point he is making is that recognising our own sin, although it is necessary before we can honestly turn to God for help, tends to make us despondent (afraid that nothing can help us).  But in the Pilgrims Progress, a character called Help come along and pulls the Christian out of it.  In response to Christian’s question why there was no path over the mire, Help answers that “It is not the pleasure of the King that this place should remain so bad. His labourers also have, by the direction of his Majesty’ surveyors, been for above this sixteen hundred years employed about this patch of ground, if perhaps it might have been mended: yea, and to my knowledge,” said he, “there have been swallowed up at least twenty thousand cart loads, … but it is the Slough of Despond still, and so will be when they have done what they can”.  In other words, no human attempts at dealing with the guilt of sin can ever achieve it.  Only Jesus (one of whose titles is the Rock), who deals with our sins, can pull us out of our despondency.

 

Both the first two psalms of today’s reading (40, after this preface, and 41) follow a similar pattern, common in this genre: first a statement that those who believe and trust in God, and do the right thing, will be happy (or blessed – different translations of the same word); then a cry to God for help in times of persecution or other form of trouble; then another declaration of trust in God.  The person who has faith will not be lacking in troubles and difficulties, and may well feel overwhelmed by them, like the man in the slough of despond; the difference is that they can call on God for strength, and believe that they will, sooner or later, in one way or another, be brought safely through their troubles.

 

Psalms 42 and 43 are actually a single composition (and appear as such in Catholic bibles), as can be seen from the refrain found in both of them: “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help and my God.”  The writer remembers times when he could praise God with joy, be satisfied with his presence, and take part in celebrations. But now he is feeling despondent (see above!) and unable to take part meaningfully in worship.

 

In one of the most vivid images in the Bible, he compares himself to a hunted deer, parched with thirst after the chase, and longing for the cool spring water of God’s love. Many people of faith have experienced this longing for God’s presence, especially when they have once known it and no longer do so, and described it in terms of other human appetites – desire, hunger or thirst.

 

So whether you experience the lack of God’s presence as hunger, thirst or being stuck in the mud, the good news is that if you call on him, he will hear, and respond.

 

No comment on Psalms 44 and 45 just now, except to note that they are very different in their content, one being a lament for a nation’s lost glory, and the other an ode for a royal wedding (probably of David himself).

The Bible in a Year – 2 July

If this is your first viewing, please see my Introduction before reading this, and the introduction to the Psalms for this book of the Bible in particular.

2 July. Psalms 32-35

Three of these psalms (32, 34 and 35) are attributed to King David, as are several others. The title of Ps.34 is more explicit: “Of David, when he feigned madness before Abimelech, so that he drove him out, and he went away.” As an aside, the account is told in 1 Samuel 21:10-15, although the incident is ascribed there to Achish king of Gath, not Abimelech, who does not appear in the stories of David elsewhere.   I suppose it is possible David used the same trick twice.

 

The point is, that titles such as this help us to remember that the Bible, and perhaps the Psalms especially, are based on real life.  David did not write these songs for commercial gain, or as a hobby.  He had a very eventful life, from being a shepherd boy, to a young warrior, to a military commander, to King, but it was not a smooth progression.  Along the way he made enemies, some of whom he defeated but others not.  Even after being king for a while, he had to flee, hide and rely on the protection of strangers.  He also got into trouble with his love for women.

 

But throughout his life David knew that he was supposed to be doing God’s will.  These songs are his honest response to those experiences.  To take just a couple of verses from one of them: “I sought the Lord, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears.  … O taste and see that the Lord is good; happy are those who take refuge in him.” (Ps.34:4,8).

 

Many people today find that creative writing, or music, help them cope with difficulty. Putting your thoughts and feelings down on paper, or even better saying or singing them out loud, are better than bottling them up unspoken.  While seeing a counsellor may well be helpful, God himself is the great counsellor. Talking to him in prayer and singing his praise are good therapy too.

The Bible in a Year – 1 July

If this is your first viewing, please see my Introduction before reading this, and the introduction to the Psalms for this book of the Bible in particular.

1 July. Psalms 26-31

These six psalms cover all the main themes found in the rest of the book: crying out to God for help in times of trouble, thankfulness when he responds and helps us; praise for God’s goodness and glory; dedicating oneself to holiness, in contrast to the wicked who face God’s judgement; and the fear of Sheol.

 

Sheol (also called “the Pit”) was to Jews what Hell was to medieval Christians, only without the horned devil and lake of fire.  It was, rather, a dark and Godless place to spend eternity, and being away from God’s presence in this life was nearly as bad.  The fear was that if one’s life as not good enough, that is where one would end up.  “To you, O Lord, I call; my rock, do not refuse to hear me, for if you are silent to me, I shall be like those who go down to the Pit.” (28:1); “O Lord, you brought up my soul from Sheol, restored me to life from among those gone down to the Pit” (30:3).

 

The Pit can take many forms: the darkness of depression, a sense of unforgiveable guilt (though in fact those who are aware of their guilt are very close to receiving God’s forgiveness, if only they ask), loneliness or physical pain.  The message of the Psalms, indeed the whole Bible, is that although such experiences may make us feel abandoned by God, in fact he is never far away and there will come a time when we can again experience the sunshine of his love. “For God’s anger lasts only a moment; but his favour lasts a lifetime. Weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning” (30:5). I quote here the New International Version, as this was among the first verses that I committed to memory as a new Christian. It is an important lesson: there will be times when we feel the Lord’s displeasure at something we have done wrong, but like a parent telling off a young child, he would much rather be praising us for doing well, and showing us his love.

 

Another of my favourite verses is “Into your hand I commit my spirit; for you have redeemed me, O Lord, God of truth” (Ps. 31:5), which is recited every night in the office of Compline – a good way to end the day, with a feeling of being protected by the hand of the Almighty.

The Bible in a Year – 30 June

If this is your first viewing, please see my Introduction before reading this, and the introduction to the Psalms for this book of the Bible in particular.

30 June. Psalms 21-25

Psalm 23 (The Lord is my shepherd) is probably the best known of all the psalms, for many people have found comfort in its image of God’s guiding presence in times of peace and times of trouble alike.  But I will focus today on the ones either side – Pss. 22 and 24.

 

Today is known as “Petertide” (St Peter’s day) and traditionally the day for ordaining new deacons and priests in the [Catholic or Anglican] Church.  These psalms speak to those called to this ministry.

 

In the first half of Ps. 22 the writer tells of how he feels persecuted by the people around him, describing them as dogs, lions and bulls.  But in verse 21 the mood suddenly changes and he is saved by God from them.  Then he declares “I will tell of your name to my brothers and sisters; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you … From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will pay before those who fear him” (22:22,25).  Those who feel called to leadership in the church often have a story to tell of how they themselves felt God calling them out of some difficult situation, and want to offer themselves to the Lord to serve him in gratitude.  They also want the opportunity to share their story with others and inspire them to find the saving grace of God.  As the Psalmist writes, “Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord, and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn, saying that he has done it.” (22:30,31)

 

Psalm 24 is one of the “songs of ascent” believed to have been sung in procession up the hill of Jerusalem to the Temple.  The song calls for the great doors of the Temple to be swung open – not so that people can enter, but that God himself can come in.  Part of the priest’s role in leading worship is to prepare his or her congregation – who make the Church, rather than the building itself – to receive God into their lives. But in order to fulfil this high calling, the priest has to be a person of integrity: “Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? Those who have clean hands and pure hearts, who do not lift up their souls to what is false, and do not swear deceitfully” (24:3,4).  Which is why ordinands usually go on a few days silent retreat before the ceremony so that they can examine their consciences and prepare themselves to meet with the Lord who calls them.

 

Both these Psalms, as well as Psalm 23, are also associated with the last days in the life of Jesus, by Christians who believe him to be “the Lord coming to his Temple”. John Stainer in his oratorio “The crucifixion” set those verses of Psalm 24 as the chorus “Fling wide the gates, the Saviour waits”; and the first half of 22 with its reference to abandonment, mocking, physical suffering and people casting lots for clothing, is seen as being fulfilled by his crucifixion.

The Bible in a Year – 29 June

If this is your first viewing, please see my Introduction before reading this, and the introduction to the Psalms for this book of the Bible in particular.

29 June. Psalms 17-20

Reading these four psalms is a game of “spot the odd one out”. It is not difficult.  Numbers 17, 18 and 20 are all about God giving victory to one person or army against another – although there are differences, as they seem to be responses to quite different circumstances.

 

PS 17 is the cry of a man under pressure, who calls on God to be on his side because he is the underdog, he is the one trying to do what is right while all around him are unscrupulous people who will do anything to get the better of him.  Ps 18 is a song of relief, written from the safe place after being rescued by God, looking back on how he did in fact deliver the righteous person from their enemies. The imagery used to depict God’s saving power is that of storm and earthquake when the battles is at its height, and that of one soldier training another for victory.  Ps 20 is written from the sidelines of battle, or perhaps before approaching the enemy, quietly confident that God will give victory to one’s own side.

 

In between these is Ps 19, very different in character.  It celebrates how God is found in both the natural order and in the Law (that is, sacred writings).  Joseph Haydn famously set the first verse (“The heavens are telling the glory of God”) to music in his choral masterpiece The creation. Many people testify that it is in contemplating the natural world, whether galaxies or the equally amazing scenes viewed in a microscope, that they have come to understand the divine presence behind the visible world.

 

Others find their inspiration in meditating on the Bible or other religious writings, which lead not towards the outer world but the inner world – contemplation of one’s own spiritual life.  And that naturally leads to self-examination: “But who can detect their errors? Clear me from hidden faults”.   The last verse is often used by preachers to ask God to guide their thoughts and words:  “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer” (19:14).

 

So whether in the heat of conflict, before or after it, whether gazing up at the stars, down into a microscope or into one’s own mind and heart, God is to be found in many ways.  He is never entirely absent from us and will take any opportunity to reveal himself.