August 31, 2008 The Heart’s Cry Psalm 112
When I first found out that I would be talking about wisdom today I was a little worried. What I know most about wisdom is that I wish I had more of it. But as I prayed I realized that I am probably not alone.
We live a culture that longs for wisdom. We never stop looking for it. Once we find some we hold it close and then we go looking for more. If you don’t believe me, just take a walk down the self-improvement section of Barnes and Nobles. If you had gone to the one in Sugarhouse this weekend you could have chosen between 962 books covering the gambit on self help (yes I did actually count them).
These books exist because when push comes to shove, we desire to be transformed… we desire to change. People feel they need a “Road Trip Guide to your Soul. “ They want to find their “Destiny Switch” (yes these are real titles). Shows like Oprah and Dr. Phil and newspaper advice columns make their money because of our belief that that with a little wisdom our life could be better. We really can be better than we are.
Unfortunately most real change takes time… it doesn’t happen over night. Books like “A Weekend to change your life” and “Make people like you in 90 seconds” can’t really deliver what they offer. But the desire to find a quick fix exists for all of us. As I looked at the books I have to admit that that I was even sucked in to wanting an instant fix. I couldn’t stop myself from reading just a little of “ Get Anyone to do Anything.” I mean wouldn’t that come in handy? Most days I would feel successful if I could get someone to do something… but getting anyone to do anything!! How awesome would that be!
The writer of Psalm 112 is also imparting wisdom. But unlike some of quick fixes offered in the books I’ve mentioned, the writer argues for a different kind of wisdom: wisdom that comes from God, wisdom that can truly transform our lives, and a wisdom that won’t appear over night.
Wisdom found in God’s Heart Songs of wisdom are scattered throughout the book of Psalms. At first glance they may seem a little strange. It is a prayer to God, yet seems more about what it means to be wise. It looks less like a prayer and much more like what we read in Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. It seems more concerned with what it looks like to be righteous.
What is righteousness? Well the word isn’t tricky… it means to do right, and specifically to do right in the sight of God. What does being righteous look like? Well in Psalm 112 it appears that there are 3 parts. First, in verse 1, it indicates that the righteous follow God’s law. Second, in verse 4, we see that the righteous person also is gracious (or merciful) and compassionate (or deeply loving and caring). And third in verses 5 and 9, we find that a righteous person is generous to the downtrodden and poor.
A righteous person follows God’s law, shows love and compassion to others, and is generous to those who need help. Essentially a righteous man or woman is called to be outward focused, caring for their community, protecting its peace and caring for the hurting.
But as we look a little deeper at this Psalm and the one that proceeds it, we see that the Psalmist is actually arguing that righteousness is all about acting with God’s heart. Most scholars argue that the author of Psalm 111 and 112 are the same (or at that very least that the author of 112 is a copy cat). Stylistically the two Psalms are just too similar.
When we compare the two Psalms it is clear that the acts of righteousness are major characteristics of God. Let’s compare for a minute. We read in Psalm 112 that we should follow God’s law in verse 1. Well in verse 5 of Psalm 111 we find that the Lord also follows his law. The Lord will remember his covenant forever. In verse 4 of Psalm 112 we see that we are supposed to be gracious and compassionate and in verse 4 of Psalm 111 we see that the Lord is gracious and compassionate. In fact, in the 13 times these Hebrew words are used in the Old Testament, Psalm 112 is the only instant were they describe human beings. Every other time they describe God. Finally, we are told in verse 5 and 9 that we are to be generous to the downtrodden and poor. In verse 6 and 9 of Psalm 111, we find that God is generous to the downtrodden. He gave Israel to his people when they had none and provides redemption for all.
Psalm 112 argues that finding wisdom requires living out the characteristics of God consistently. This is no small feat. No wonder transformation doesn’t happen over night!
Holy Fear Psalm 112 argues that there is one more pivotal ingredient necessary to grow in wisdom. That ingredient is fear. More specifically fear of God. In Psalm 111 verse 10 the psalmist writes that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” and in verse 1 of our Psalm we read “blessed are those who fear the Lord.” In fact if you look at the structure of Psalm 112, everything else in the Psalm is a bi-product of this fear. It is one who has a fear in the Lord who is righteous, compassionate, gracious, and generous. Even the blessings that such a person receives from God is not based on their righteousness but rather on the holy fear they have of the Lord.
Of course the fear we are talking about is not the same as just being terrified of God. It is a sort of holy fear. The difference between the two is most aptly contrasted in the story of Jonah. After Jonah decides not to follow God’s plan to go to Ninevah, and takes a ship in the opposite direction, God sends a huge storm so great that the ship Jonah is on is about to break. The sailors are TERRIFIED. (and even more so when they find out that Jonah’s God was to blame). Yet after throwing Jonah into the sea and the storm immediately stops, the sailors are filled with FEAR. They have seen the power of God. They make sacrifices to this God they did not know before.
It is this second kind of fear that the psalmist is talking about in this passage. Should we be afraid of God? When we really recognize how powerful God is, understand what it means that God is the creator of everything, shouldn’t we be a little awed? Should we be filled with holy fear? When we recognize what God knows, how he knows the past, the present, the future, and how many hairs are on each of our heads, shouldn’t we be filled with holy fear? When we grasp how much God loves each of us, how big that love is, so big that God was willing to be separated from his son through death, to know that God’s love for us is boundless, shouldn’t we be a little afraid? Should we have fear of God! Most definitely!
Fear, Righteousness, and Relationship I believe that fear is necessary for transformation to happen. For 4 years I worked at a summer camp that included in it’s training a high ropes course. From 20-30 feet up we would take turns walking across logs, balancing on wires, swinging across ropes, and jumping off platforms… (all of course while being safely harnessed on a guide wire above our heads). I remember vividly the 3rd year on the ropes course being partnered with a gal named Jenny who I just didn’t mesh with. We just didn’t get along. She was super afraid of heights. The year before, she refused to even start the ropes course. The second year she got ½ way up the ladder to the first element and had to quit. She worked real hard that third year with me and made it through the first element, walking across a log. It took her 3 hours. But afterwards I was amazed to see how much she had grown. She had a new found confidence, a different kind of smile on her face, and because I had helped her, our relationship had changed for the better.
I must admit that I was a little jealous of Jenny that day. You see the high ropes course never transformed me. I have no fear of heights. I completely trusted the harness and instructors. I could jump off any platform, walk blindfolded, or even upside down and it didn’t bother me. A ropes course was fun… and my lack of fear meant that it would never change me.
I believe that our text today indicates that fear is a necessary element for us to grow, to be transformed. It is what being in a relationship with God is all about. When we seek to learn more about who God really is, we are bound to be struck again and again about how amazing God is, how big He is, and how frightening.
Today we’ve talked about righteousness through serving others, fear, and relationship. Really they are the ingredients necessary to be transformed by God, to gain true wisdom. They are all important/ As we daily build a relationship with God we are reminded anew of how truly awesome he is (that would be holy fear). Then as we try to mold our lives after God’s character we find ourselves serving God in ways that stretch us… make us uncomfortable. This in turn helps us recognize how much we need to build a relationship with God. It’s really a vicious cycle… but a really good one. All the ingredients in this Psalm are important. The question we really need to ask ourselves is what ingredient is missing from our life?
Do you need to recapture the fear of God in your life? Do you need to see God in new light: to see His power, knowledge, or love anew? This is why there are so many small group opportunities and Bible studies at this church. A great way to see God anew is through the eyes of another. Maybe instead you need to slow down to take time to see God each day or read the Bible a little more often to get in better touch with God’s purpose.
Maybe instead you need to put your fear and growing relationship with God to practice. Do you need to find a place where you can serve the Lord, a place to show generosity to a stranger, or compassion to the weak and hurting? There are many opportunities for this kind of service right here in the church. But I believe if we looked hard enough we could find amazing opportunities on our block, in our school, and at our job.
Psalm 112 indicates that it is not the finished dish that brings about wisdom but rather the ingredients. How we serve others isn’t as important as the fact that we do it. What we learn about God isn’t as important as the fear that comes from learning it. My hope for each of us is that we would work hard to be continually stretched and made uncomfortable in order that we could be transformed into the wise people God intended. If our lives looked like that I wonder if we would even need to read books like “Get Anyone to do Anything.”
Will you pray with me? |
