Psalm 113

Here is a wonderful, short and symmetrical (three stanzas with six lines each, and a call to praise the LORD at the beginning and end) Psalm that involves a great call to praise.  It is the first of the Hallel Psalms, Psalms 113-118 which were read at various feasts but were especially fit for Passover (according to Spurgeon in his introduction to Psalm 113).  Passover, of course, celebrated God’s deliverance of His people from Egypt, an event (and series of events) that could fit well the theme of praise in Psalm 113.

·         113:1-3: The servants of the LORD are called to praise Him forever (from this time and forevermore) and always (from the rising of the sun to its going down).  What reason is there for such praise?

·         113:4-6: Our motivation is, as always, the character and goodness of the LORD.  There is no one like Him in the way that He, the One who is high above all nations and Whose glory is above the heavens, the way that He humbles Himself to behold what is going on in the heavens and earth.  Yes, He must humble Himself to observe the goings on in heaven; He looks down upon them.  (Note: the Hebrew word for "humbles" is used 29 times in the Old Testament and this is the only time it refers to God.  Otherwise it always refers to those that He looks upon and cares for as we see in the concluding versus of this Psalm.)

     So how much greater our praise when He also pays attention to what happens on earth and cares for people there.  Do we have any examples of God doing this?  Yes!

·         113:7-9: He takes the weakest on earth, the poor and needy, and He raises them to sit with princes.  And He blesses the barren woman by granting her a home and joy like that of a mother.  Likely the writer has specific situations in mind as we generally assume that the Psalms come from the experiences of the composers.  As we noted, the desire to remember the deliverance of the enslaved people of Israel from Egypt makes this a great Hymn.

Is there actually any person who cannot give a hearty AMEN to this Psalm?  Who has experienced any blessing or privilege or encouragement that should not stop and praise the LORD for bending down from His exalted position to bless the poor and needy?  This Psalm is about the grace of God.  It is a reminder that, at all times and in every situation, any goodness we experience is from the hand of the LORD Most High who, unlike any other god has humbled Himself so as to pay attention to those He has made!

Let us make this day a great day of praise.  With our lips, and with our life, let us PRAISE THE LORD!

2 Cor. 3:1-6, Our Sufficiency

As we continue, even in the ordinary uses of this adjective (e.g. a “long” time) we see that one thing in our lives is connected to another.  If I spend a long time focused on animosity towards someone it will develop into bitterness.  The size of the crowd at a funeral will say something to those who grieve. 

·                   Acts 14:21  They preached the good news, won a large number of disciples.

·                   Acts 17:9  Then they made Jason and the others post bond and let them go.

·                   Acts 18:18  Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time.

·                   Acts 19:19  A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls, etc.

·                   Acts 19:26  Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers in Ephesus.

·                   Acts 20:8  There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we met.

·                   Acts 20:11  After talking a great time until daylight, he left.

·                   Acts 20:37  They all wept freely as they embraced and kissed Paul.

·                   Acts 22:6  Suddenly a very bright light from heaven flashed around me.

·                   Acts 27:7,9 We made slow headway for many days; much time had been lost.

·                   Rom 15:23  I have been longing for many years to see you

·                   1 Cor 11:30  That is why many among you are weak and sick

·                   1 Cor 15:9  I do not even deserve to be called an apostle.  This is the second time this translation has been uses.  This word has to do with what is fitting for people to think of us.  God does not treat us as our sins deserve (Ps. 103:10).

·                   2Cor 2:6 The punishment inflicted by the majority is sufficient for him.

·                   2Cor 2:16  We are smell of death, fragrance of life. Who is equal to task?

·                   2 Cor 3:5  Not that we're competent but our competence (n) comes from God.

·                   2Tm 2:2  Entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.  The kind of men are those who seek after the qualifications of 1 Tim. 3 and Titus 1.

ikanoths (n): fitness, capability, qualification

·                   2Cor3:5: our competence comes from God. 

ikanow (v): to make sufficient, qualify; empower, authorize

·                   2Cor 3:6: God made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant

At this point, glance back up at the various uses in 2 Corinthians.  In the matter of our testimony to the world, in ourselves we are not competent.  But our competence comes from the fact that Christ is in us and living in us and we have submitted ourselves to Him, presented ourselves as living sacrifices.

·                   Col 1:12: Father qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance with Christ

Lastly, except that it is first, we do not deserve the inheritance that belongs to Christ, but the Father has made us qualified as heirs of eternal life through the new birth (Titus 3:4-7), but even more so by our adoption (Eph. 1:3-6).  He did not treat us as our sins deserve but qualified us for our eternal inheritance!  Hallelujah!!

Matt. 3:1-12, What is “adequate” or “fitting?”

This will take at least a couple of posts.  We have the Greek adjective for “sufficient, competent, qualified, able.”  It is not ability based on strength but ability based on being qualified.  Some uses are pretty mundane, but if we know that this is the word, some uses are worthy of meditation.  After working through the 41 adjectives, there will be one noun and two verbs that are quite important.

·                   Mat 3:11 John the Baptist speaks of One more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. Mk 1:7; Lk 3:16. John was not qualified to be Jesus slave!

·                   Mt 8:8 Centurion, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. Lk 7:6.  This important man knew his place in comparison to Jesus.  Comparing ourselves with others is usually a matter of pride; but comparing ourselves to Jesus with accuracy and thus humility is proper.

·                   Mat 28:12  Chief priests gave the soldiers a large sum of money.  I.e. it was enough to get the job done.

·                   Mark 10:46 Jesus together with a large crowd, were leaving the city

·                   Mark 15:15  Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas.

·                   Luke 7:12  A large crowd from the town was with widow of Cain.  It was large in the sense of being fitting, given the sadness of the grieving widow.

·                   Luke 8:27  For a long time this man had not worn clothes, etc.

·                   Luke 8:32  A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside.

·                   Lk20:9 Man planted vineyard, rented to farmers, went away for long time.

·                   Lk 22:38  "See, Lord, here are two swords." "That is enough," he replied.  This is interesting.  What is Jesus saying?  Perhaps that this is enough swords to get us into trouble but not to win the day.  The definition of “enough” depended on the will of God for the situation.

·                   Luke 23:8-9  For a long time Herod had been wanting to see him.  He plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer.  (As we work through many uses of the term for “large” or “great” this particular term is saying that something was of sufficient size or length so as to have a particular effect.  E.g. Herod’s desire to see Jesus had been going for such a long time that, when he finally saw him, he plied him with many questions.)

·                   Acts 8:11 Simon had amazed them for a long time with his magic.

·                   Acts 9:23  After many days had gone by, the Jews conspired to kill him.

·                   Acts 9:43  Peter stayed in Joppa for some time with a tanner named Simon.

·                   Acts 11:24  A great number of people were brought to the Lord.

·                   Acts 11:26  Barnabas and Saul taught great numbers of people.

·                   Acts 12:12  Many people had gathered and were praying for Peter.

·                   Acts 14:3  So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there.

Heb. 12:1-12, Despise Not the Lord’s Chastening

Pedagogy is the art of teaching, for the purpose of training and/or instruction.  This comes from the Greek paideia (n, 6x)/paideuō (v, 11x).  There are differing approaches to this art. What we need to get is God’s approach to pedagogy.

·       Eph 6:4 (n): Bring children up in the training and admonition of the Lord.

·       2 Tim 3:16 (n): Scripture is profitable for instruction in righteousness.      

·       Heb 12:5,6,7ab,8,10,11 (nvnvnvn): Despise not the chastening of Lord (from Prov. 3:11-12 & Job 5:17!). Chastening is evidence of the teacher’s  love for the learner (Rev. 3:19 has same quote: whom the Lord loves He chastens).  If you are under chastening God is dealing with you as sons; a father always chastens his son. If you're without chastening you are illegitimate children of God. Our earthly fathers chastened a short time as seemed best to them.  No chastening seems joyous now but painful, but it will eventually bear fruit of righteousness.

Before we move on, consider what we have so far.  We have three English translations: training, instruction and chastening.  Biblical pedagogy involves “training and admonition,” meaning positive and negative forms of teaching (building up, tearing down; putting off, putting on).  BP involves words, especially Scripture; the teacher communicates truth.  BP involves actions or life situations.  Information is taken in but must be used in life so that it moves to the heart, shaping the learner for his entire life.  The goal of Biblical pedagogy is righteousness.  The mind is renewed and the lifestyle changed.  Biblical pedagogy applies to training up of children in the home as well as to the development of the followers of Christ. 

·       Lk 23:16,22: Pilate wanted to chastise Jesus and let him go.  That’s what government does: seeks to change the behavior of the criminal.

·       Ac 7:22: Moses was learned in ways of Egypt.  The LORD used this learning, perhaps even in being the first to put Scripture in writing.  Yet, Moses needed 40 years in the desert as a shepherd where he learned the ways of God.  And he continued to learn and be changed in the last 40 years of his life.

·       Ac 22:3: Paul was taught according to the perfect manner of the law.  Like Moses, and all who are born again, there needed to be much learning to be the righteous man of God he came to be.

·       1 Cor 11:32: When we are judged by God we should not get offended because we are being chastened by Lord.

·       2 Cor 6:9: Paul as a minister had been chastened but not killed (cf. Pr. 23:13f).

·       2 Tim 1:20: Two men delivered to Satan so as to learn not to blaspheme.

·       2 Tim 2:25: Tim to instruct those that oppose, gently but firmly.

·       Tit 2:12: God's grace teaches us.  In other words, chastening is a grace thing.  (Note that Gal. 3:25 days that the paidagōgos, schoolmaster, refers to the law that is the teacher that turns us to Christ.)