Jesus Creed

Jesus Creed

Against the Wall: Longing for Life

posted by xscot mcknight | 2:10am Tuesday March 13, 2007

The psalmist’s back is against the wall. He has faced God, he has asked God for rescue, and he has appealed to his own integrity — that’s 119:153. In v. 154 there is a subtle, revealing development.
“Plead/defend my cause and redeem me” is largely the same as 153a — he faces God, he asks God to redeem (or rescue) him. But notice the following:
“Give me life according to your promise” (154b).
Two things:
Rescuing and redeeming is understood as “life.”
More importantly, instead of appealing to his own integrity, as he does in 153b, in 154b he asks God to preserve his life “according to your promise.” The uttered word of God, the promise that God would be Israel’s God (as Israel remained faithful), is the foundation of his longing for life.
Covenant faithfulness is what he appeals to with God. He thinks his life should be preserved in order to demonstrate to the world that God is faithful to his covenant words of promise.
Are we this theological? This protective of God’s glory? This protective of God’s reputation? This protective of God’s covenant words of promise? Do we want deliverance in order to bring glory to God or to save our own skin?



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Marcia

posted March 13, 2007 at 8:35 am


Thanks for sharing this. It’s challenging thought. I would hope I will always be protective of His glory, and that I will always keep in mind that it’s a privilege to do so.



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CAS

posted March 13, 2007 at 9:37 am


yes! i was ahead of the curve yesterday, and i hadn’t even read the second part of the verse yet. a lifetime of good Bible teaching must have sunk in!thanks mom and dad!



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Daniel

posted March 13, 2007 at 3:50 pm


Scot
That is a great way of thinking about that verse. My question would be this: what kind of people, or better yet what kind of church would be presented if we cared more for God’s reputation of faithfulness than on how we ourselves look to the outside world? Does that create more confrontation or less? I would hope that it creates a pause in us to speak with more humble hearts.



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