CP 293 An Irish Blessing for the Lutheran Pastors

 

CP 293 An Irish Blessing for the Lutheran Pastors

Sometime during the 1980’s, when I was still youngish, I attended a Lutheran Pastors’ Conference at Warrambui, near Canberra. Our VP Carl Dohler, had a surprising agenda in store for us. To this day I am still astonished that he had both the freedom and the courage to arrange for our gathering to have not one, but two Irish priests to lead a clutch of Lutheran Pastors in biblical study. One priest was a spirit-filled Matthew’s Gospel scholar. The other priest was also wonderfully switched-on to Jesus Christ. His particular teaching centred on discerning and discovering how the Christ-revelation changed the way we read the Psalms of Israel. His insights deepened my understanding of my Lord Jesus and his work. It also massively impacted and influenced the way I read the entire Old Testament.

The guest-speaker priest’s primary point was that we are called to look beyond the psalms we have in front of us. No, he was not suggesting the Psalms were irrelevant. Yes, we acknowledge that the Psalms were Word of God to Israel, worship songs expressing the faith of Israel as it had come to know the Lord God Almighty. However, they are not the songs of faith for the community of Christ Jesus. The Psalms, and in fact the whole of the OT Jewish scriptures, are not the Lord’s complete or final word for the world. We are called to hold on to the truth that in Jesus Christ a better, perfect word has been spoken. This better word (Hebrews 12:24) is based on the better sacrifice (Hebrews 9:23) which undergirds the better covenant. (Hebrews 7:22) This better covenant delivered better promises, (Hebrews 8:6) and therefore a better hope. (Hebrews 7:19) It is the Christ – Messiah – who has moved us beyond the Kingdom of earthbound Israel to the better, heavenly Kingdom of God. (Hebrews 11:16)

Our Irish teacher admonished us to always view the Old Testament through the dynamic lens of the breath-taking coming, life, suffering, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus the Christ. Our anchor for understanding the Word of God is found in Christ alone. As John the Gospel writer confesses, ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth… For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.’ (John 1:1, 14, 17)

I was reminded of this recently when a bunch of us Pastors spent a few moments, verse by verse, considering that great psalm – Psalm 46 – which has so often comforted Christians. Let me share how I reacted to this devotional exercise. 

Psalm 46 RSV (in italics)

God is our refuge and strength… ‘Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?’ (Romans 8:35)

a very present help in trouble… ‘Immanuel… I am with you always…’ (Matthew 1:22, 28:20)

² Therefore we will not fear though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea… ‘Since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken…’ (Hebrews 12:28)

³ though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult…. ‘There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone…’ (Matthew 28:2)

⁴ There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God… ‘Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. ³⁸ Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.’ (John 7:37-38)

the holy habitation of the Most High….  ‘My Father’s house has many rooms.’ (John 14:2)

⁵ God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God will help her right early. ‘Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”’ (Luke 24:36)

⁶ The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts… ‘Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. ¹⁸ I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.”’ (Revelation 1:17-18)

⁷ The Lord of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our refuge... (see the comment at verse 11)

⁸ Come, behold the works of the Lord, how he has wrought desolations in the earth… ‘Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us…’ (Galatians 3:13)

⁹ He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear,
he burns the chariots with fire!...  ‘I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33)

¹⁰ “Be still, and know that I am God. I am exalted among the nations,
I am exalted in the earth!...” ‘When I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.’ (John 12:32)

¹¹ The Lord of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our refuge. (RSV)

Special comment… verse 11 and verse 7:

1. The Lord of hosts is the Lord of heaven’s armies. The power is on the Lord’s side. It was with this mighty public display of power that the Lord defeated Pharoah and the gods of Egypt. ‘The Lord your God brought you out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm…’ (Deuteronomy 5:15) Note, however, that the greater redemption of the world from Satan’s dominion came not by mighty ‘right-hand power’ but by the humility and meekness of ‘left-hand power’ through Jesus’ free-willed sacrificial death. ‘…by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil… (Hebrews 2:14) Or as Paul so desperately wants us to know, ‘the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God… (1 Corinthians 1:18)

2. The God of Jacob. Israel defined itself as the people of God, descended from Abraham through the patriarch Jacob. The Apostle Paul, however, delivers an astonishing and transforming insight in his letter to the Galatian churches when he declares, ‘The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,” meaning one person, who is Christ.’ (Galatians 3:16)

Conclusion: What would Psalm 46 look like if David had known the full revelation which came in Jesus Christ? ‘For all the promises of God find their Yes in him!!!’ (2 Corinthians 1:20)

Be blessed in HIM

Fred the Rev