CCRC Song/Psalm of the Month for June, 2014

At CCRC we are endeavouring to learn/focus on a Psalm or song each month. Psalm 72 - "O Lord, Thy Judgements Give the King" from the Cantus Christi hymnal is June's song of the month. Below is a meditation for this month's Psalm.

Meditation on Psalm 72

- A Psalm for Solomon -

Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king's son. He shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judgment. The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness.

He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor. They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations. He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth.

In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth. He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth. They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust.

The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts. Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him. 

For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper. He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy. He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: and precious shall their blood be in his sight.

And he shall live, and to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba: prayer also shall be made for him continually; and daily shall he be praised. There shall be an handful of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains; the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon: and they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth.

His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun: and men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed. Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things. And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen.

- The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended. –

Originally Psalm 72 would have been a prayer for the coronation (“anointing”) of Solomon.  Enduring-kingship is a repeated theme: verse 11 – Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him; verse 17 – His name shall endure for ever.

Note how David's prayer for his son is not selfish or self-serving; David asks for God to give the king thy judgments . . . and thy righteousness unto the king's son (verse 1), and the motivation behind this prayer is in order that Solomon might be a servant-king, endowed with wisdom, thus, enabled to judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judgment (verse 2). David prays this prayer for Solomon because David is a man after God's own heart. David loves Israel, and when he is gone he wants Israel to be cared for by a good king. David knows that if the king is righteous then the people will be righteous and flourish (verse 7).

Solomon did become a wise king. 1 Kings 4:30-31 says, And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore. And Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt. Solomon, however, was not perfect, and later on in 1 Kings many of his moral failures are recorded. Because of Solomon’s sin eventually (after his death) the kingdom was torn in two.

Psalm 72, however, is not only a prayer for Solomon, it is also a prophecy regarding a different king—the Messiah. Jesus Christ is the anointed-king who truly has an enduring-kingship. He not only binds broken Israel back together post-Exile, but Christ also binds broken man back together (see Isaiah 57:19; Ephesians 2:17; Galatians 3:27-28). David prayed for Solomon to be a servant-king, and Solomon was, but only in part. However, Jesus Christ is the son of David who fulfilled David's prayer. Consider just verses 1-8:

• Jesus is the son of David to whom righteousness is given (verse 1, see Isaiah 11; Matthew 1:1 & 3:17).
• Jesus judges people with righteousness (verse 2, see Matthew 25:32).
• Jesus uses mountains to bring peace to people (verse 3, see Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7; see also the crucifixion at Golgotha, the little hill called Calvary, in Matthew 27).
• Jesus saves the children of the needy, and breaks in pieces the oppressor (verse 4, see Psalm 2).
• Jesus is feared throughout all generations (verse 5, see Habakkuk 2:14).
• Jesus enduring-kingship is a life-giving rain that will water the entire earth (verse 6, see John 7:38).
• Jesus ensures that the righteous will flourish, that is, the Church will multiply and get dominion (verse 7, see Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 1:8).
• Jesus’ enduring-kingdom will extend from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth (verse 8, see Daniel 2:44-45).

Psalm 72 ought to be one of the most joyful songs sung by the Church of Christ. In this song we are proclaiming the righteousness of King Jesus, the redemption he secures for men, and both the arrival and the permanence of the Kingdom of God. Truly Christ’s redemptive work was once for all (Hebrews 10:10), therefore, with faith we hope for things unseen: we victoriously celebrate Christ’s enduring-kingship, both here and now, all-the-while anticipating the consummation of eternal life when we will sit down at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9).

In 1 Corinthians 13:12 Paul says, For now we see through a glass darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. Today when Christians sing Psalm 72 it is a prayer that we know will be answered in full, but it in praying this prayer it is like seeing through a glass darkly. However, when Christians sing Psalm 72:19 at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb – And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen and Amen – it will be face to face with God. Changed from glory to glory, what once was our prayer will have been changed into enduring-praise that proclaims the attributes of Christ's enduring-kingdom!

Reading Notes for Church History in Plain Language by Bruce L. Shelley

Shelley, Bruce L. Church History in Plain Language (Rev. ed. by R.L. Hatchett). Thomas Nelson, 2013.

Today, after two thousand years, Christianity is the faith, at least nominally, of one-third of the earth's population. . . . no other person in recorded history has influenced more people in as many conditions over so long a time as Jesus Christ. The shades and tones of his image seem to shift with the needs of men: the Jewish Messiah of the believing remnant, the Wisdom of the Greek apologist, the Cosmic King of the Imperial Church, the Heavenly Logos of the orthodox councils, the World Ruler of the papal courts, the monastic Model of apostolic poverty, the personal Savior of evangelical revivalists (517, 521).

By far the most accessible "Church History" book I have ever read. Shelley painted with a broad brush, but each chapter contains biographical material over theologians or religious leaders indicative to each of the "ages" of the Church. The final effect is a presentation that never feels thin like a watercolor wash, but rather it is as thick and topographic as Van Gogh. Due to the informative, personal element, this book reads far easier than most historical "surveys" might. I'm a fan of Shelley's integrated mini-biography pedagogy for presenting Church History: "Why so many personal stories? Again, the answer is communication. Without ignoring ideas, I have tried to wrap thoughts in personalities" (xii). There is a lot of "story" in this Church History, indeed.

Kudos to Shelley for his ability to present each side of a coin: presentation of the "Church", on the one hand, as society, as well as, on the other hand, the "Church" as individuals.

Church historians often ask, 'Is the church a movement or an institution?' These pages will show that I think it is both" (xii).

Where, after all, is true Christianity? In a sacramental institution, or in a self-denying lifestyle?" (215).

Shelley says, "I think it is both." I believe, however, that sometimes his personal bent towards one way over the other comes through. Certainly a Christian historian can think it is both ways, but that doesn't not mean the split is 50/50. Truly that would be a challenging wake to surf.

Sometimes I find Shelley's analysis questionable,  e.g., see page 358, Shelley describes the Protestant Reformation as hi-jacking ("shattering") traditional Christendom. To be fair, I know Shelley is pointing out the errors of deep-and-wide, contemporary Christian individualism, but (IMHO) it is erroneous to make a one-to-one correlation between the Reformation and Individualism. In effect, this makes one look back with a somewhat critical eye at the Reformation. (It is exactly how my undergrad *Protestant* Church History professor presented the Reformation: with a straight face and no qualifiers he essentially said the Reformation was a big mistake because of the subsequent denominational splintering, etc. Such presentations oversimplify the larger political and philosophical forces at play in the past 500 years.) Personally, I cannot relate to and unceasingly look sideways at Protestants complaining about the Reformation or the effects of the Reformation . . . the fallout and collateral damage of the Reformation are inconsequential compared to the primacy and necessity of the Church to reform when necessary and according to Scripture her witness to the Gospel. (I know this sounds like "the means justify the end", but we are talking about the Gospel! If the Church has to be temporarily- temporally-divided while we all wait for our RC and EO brothers to get in tune with the Kingdom of Heaven, well, then so be it.)

Moving on, there is a bizarre critique of Pilgrim's Progress in the section on "The Age of Global Expansion and Relocation 1900--". Just to clarify, in the Foreword the revised edition's editor, R.L. Hatchett, said he "added information" to that section, so I am not sure if the Bunyan critique was original-Shelley or sans-Shelley via Hatchett. However, Hatchett does say, "There are minor alterations throughout, but I wished to honor Shelley's personal imprints upon every page" (ix). Regardless of whether it is Shelley or Hatchett, the following statement poo-pooing Bunyan's great work makes me frown.

The Christianity that grew most rapidly in North America, and that has been most widely embraced in the Global South, was voluntary. In North America it also emphasized personal, individual conversion. Americans embraced Bunyan, whose Pilgrim's Progress (1678) both illustrates and proliferates a Christianity that focuses upon the Christian life of the individual. Bunyan does not abandon Puritanism, yet his story has the effect of communicating that Christianity was a matter of an individual conversion and pilgrimage. In the revivals and awakenings that shaped American religion, the emphasis again fell upon conversion of the individual. Sometimes this emphasis is received in the global churches despite their more communal and collective orientation (500).

 I do not believe that Pilgrim's Progress has that effect, or if it does, it can't be in a more meaningful way than any other classic book that "focuses upon the Christian life of the individual", e.g., Augustine's Confessions, Thomas Merton's The Seven Storey Mountain, C.S. Lewis' Surprised by Joy, etc. In any case, as I said earlier, Shelley said "Where, after all, is true Christianity? In a sacramental institution, or in a self-denying lifestyle?" (215). Shelley thought it was in both. Believing that he did a good job writing a church history that accounted for both via historical prose with the inter-weaved mini-biographies. Compared to how enjoyable and informative this book is, personally being tweaked is insignificant. 

Gay Marriage

Five Questions for Christians Who Believe the Bible Supports Gay Marriage by Kevin DeYoung.

Once we’ve accepted the logic that for love to be validated it must be expressed sexually and that those engaged in consensual sexual activity cannot be denied the “right” of marriage, we have opened a Pandora’s box of marital permutations that cannot be shut.

Wisdom of Eeyore

"A little Consideration, a little Thought for Others, makes all the difference."
                 -- Eeyore (in Christopher Robin Leads and Expotition)

Bruce Shelley on Christianity and Jesus Christ

"Today, after two thousand years, Christianity is the faith, at least nominally, of one-third of the earth's population. . . . no other person in recorded history has influenced more people in as many conditions over so long a time as Jesus Christ. The shades and tones of his image seem to shift with the needs of men: the Jewish Messiah of the believing remnant, the Wisdom of the Greek apologist, the Cosmic King of the Imperial Church, the Heavenly Logos of the orthodox councils, the World Ruler of the papal courts, the monastic Model of apostolic poverty, the personal Savior of evangelical revivalists" (Bruce L. Shelley, Church History in Plain Language (Rev. ed. by R.L. Hatchett), 517, 521).

Needle-Sharp

"There's something devastating about the simple, needle-sharp intelligence of a child."
          -- From the novel Cocktails with a Stranger

History

"History . . . is thought in action. The history of the future will be thought in action. We can fully share in the history of the past only be reading, or by hearing, about it" (Eric Partridge, English, 11).

Wandering: Depressing, Omnidirectional Movement

"For mortals, nothing is worse than wandering (Odyssey 15.343)" (Silvia Montiglio in Wandering in Ancient Greek Culture, 1).

Words = Tools

"Obviously, then, we must possess a store of words and we must understand those words; they are the tools of all our thinking" (Eric Partridge, English, 10).

Teacher

"If a teacher cannot strike sparks from the anvil of young, impressionable, fresh and lively minds, then he should not be teaching. If he is so set upon his own ideas that he cannot, or will not, welcome the ideas of others, then he should not be teaching. If he cannot prepare for his pupils a plentiful supply of examples and exercises to supplement those example and exercises which the author of this or that Course has furnished, then he should not be teaching. As a teacher he would make an excellent undertaker. All those requisites which I have mentioned are well within the range of the averagely intelligent teacher" (Eric Partridge, English, 8).

Scripture: Understand and Teach

"There are two things on which all interpretation of Scripture depends: the mode of ascertaining the proper meaning, and the mode of making known the meaning when it is ascertained."
          -- Saint Augustine, On Christian Teaching

Rhetoric Learned

"Given a sharp and eager mind, eloquence is picked up more readily by those who read and listen to the words of the eloquent than by those who follow the rules of eloquence."
              -- Saint Augustine, On Christian Teaching

Wisdom Learned

"We learn wisdom primarily by dwelling in a community that worships the source of all wisdom and studies his Word and world" (Quentin Schultze, An Essential Guide to Public Speaking, 54).

Evolutionary Theory: Man Alone in the Universe (But With a Conception of God?)

"How primitive man comes upon a conception of God in a world where God does not exists is a conundrum to the mind of the evolutionary naturalist. . . . These religious conceptions demand an explanation, and Darwin pulls an answer out of a hat. He opts for psychological explanation, attempting to attribute man's spiritual nature to another animal trait. According to Darwin, all notions about the cruder religions and the "more advanced" monotheistic religions (such as Christianity) come from "the same high mental faculties," and God does not reveal Himself to man. Instead, the evolutionist must view man as alone in the universe, and therefore he will have to figure things out for himself. Darwin concludes that man is becoming more self-aware, more intelligent, more advanced, not because he submits to God's revelation but because he is evolving into a higher creature. For Darwin, religion is just a phase as the human species evolves into a higher form" (Kevin Swanson, Apostate: The Men Who Destroyed the Christian West, 130-131).

Expectation for the Christian Future

"For the Christian, exegesis and theology should provide the basis of expectation for the future, not current events" (Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr., He Shall Have Dominion: A Postmillennial Eschatology, xxvii-xxviii).

Accomplishment: The Dividend of Discipline

"[P]ersonal discipline is the indispensable key for accomplishing anything in this life" (R. Kent Hughes, Disciplines of a Godly Man, 11).