Pentecost+14 – Call to Christ
Rev. Doug Floyd
Psalm 26

The Lord tells Jeremiah, “If you return, I will restore you, and you shall stand before me. If you utter what is precious, and not what is worthless, you shall be as my mouth. They shall turn to you, but you shall not turn to them.” (Jeremiah 15:19, ESV) The Jews will mock Jeremiah’s words. They will beat him. They will throw him down a well and leave him to die. Yet, the Lord continues to raise him up and send out His Word through Jeremiah. Long after his enemies have died, the Word of the Lord through Jeremiah will stand.

The Lord tells Peter, “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”” (Matthew 16:18–19, ESV)

A moment later He tells a baffled Peter and the other disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 16:24–25, ESV) Though Peter will take up this cross and eventually be killed for the faith, the Word of the Lord will speak through him to bring multitudes into the family of God.

Jesus tells Nicodemus, ““For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16, ESV) Later, Jesus will be crucified by the Pharisees and the Sadducees and the Roman governor. In three days, He the Father will raise Him from the dead. Jesus brings life to the people of the world on the “basis of an indestructible life.”

In each of these stories, we see the vindication of God. Though God’s people may be mocked, beaten, and even killed, He will vindicate them. He will reveal His glory in and through them. He will raise them up as His people.

In today’s Psalm, the writer faces various enemies within and beyond Jerusalem. He faces liars, hypocrites, evildoers, and the wicked. This sounds like the same motley crew who appear in Psalm 1. God’s people face opposition: human and spiritual. We may not be physically beaten, but we may face mistreatment, struggle, and sometimes very real suffering from co-workers, family, and even our own thoughts.

Like this ancient Psalmist we cry out, “Vindicate me, O Lord!” N.T. Wright sees this cry for vindication like Paul’s promise of justification in Christ. It is a cry of God’s people, “Remember me! Remember I am yours!” And in the words of Jude, “Remember that you promised to present me as blameless.” He writes,

“Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.” (Jude 24–25, ESV)

Vindicate me O Lord! Vindicate us O Lord!

In trying to emphasize the goodness of grace, we sometimes over emphasize human sinfulness. Yes, we are sinners. And yet, we trust that God is transforming us. When the Psalmist declares, “Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity, and I have trusted in the Lord without wavering. Prove me, O Lord, and try me; test my heart and my mind.” (Psalm 26:1–2, ESV) It might be easy to reject the idea that we walk in integrity, that we walk without wavering. We can only see Jesus fulfilling this prayer. It is true that Jesus does fulfill this prayer, but remember it is the prayer of ancient Israel. It is the prayer of God’s people.

Douglas Webster responds to the tendency to only human see humans considering our sinfulness. He writes, “Some preachers have a strange way of proclaiming the gospel message. They only seem to know how to target their Sunday morning sermon to the lost. These preachers assume the worst of the gathered congregation, even though they are in the presence of sincere believers. “You may look all put together,” the preacher says boldly, “but inside you are filled with deceit and guilt.” …He is used to preaching this way even though his congregation has just finished singing songs and hymns with gratitude in their hearts to the Lord.”

Webster continues, “The seeker in the congregation who has yet to come to Christ must wonder at the power of the gospel to change lives if a seemingly vibrant and redeemed congregation is so lost and in such need of saving.”[1]

In our Psalm today, the writer is not presuming by saying, “Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity, and I have trusted in the Lord without wavering. Prove me, O Lord, and try me; test my heart and my mind.” (Psalm 26:1–2, ESV) When we hear the Scripture, we should hear the Good News that Christ has embraced us and is transforming by His love.

In verse 3, we read, “For your steadfast love is before my eyes, and I walk in your faithfulness.” (Psalm 26:3, ESV) What a beautiful and bountiful promise of God. This word for “steadfast love” is hesed, which can refer to unfailing love between humans, but also and most sublimely speaks of God’s unfailing love toward us. The Psalmist trusts that God is leading Him on the path of righteousness. Though he may struggle at times, the goodness of God is leading him forward.

Charles Spurgeon calls attention to this glorious promise of God’s hesed, God’s loving-kindness. He writes, “Dwell, dear reader, upon that celestial word lovingkindness. It has a heavenly savour. Is it not an unmatchable word, unexcelled, unrivalled? The goodness of the Lord to us should be before our eyes as a motive actuating our conduct; we are not under the bondage of the law, but we are under the sweet constraints of grace, which are far more mighty, although far more gentle. Men sin with the law before their eyes, but divine love when clearly seen, sanctifies the conversation.^[2]

Our psalmist reminds us that the lovingkindness of God draws us. It is the aroma of life to those who are being saved. Like sweet nectar to a bee, we are drawn the sweetness of our God. We long to hear His good Word, we long to feast upon His love and life. We rejoice to gather with His people, for in the congregation of the saints, we ourselves are being changed as we all gather around the life of our Risen Lord.

Like Psalm 1, our writer avoids the company of the wicked who would seek to harm, to deceive, the corrupt. He declares, “I wash my hands in innocence and go around your altar, O Lord, proclaiming thanksgiving aloud, and telling all your wondrous deeds. O Lord, I love the habitation of your house and the place where your glory dwells.” (Psalm 26:6–8, ESV)

This not a posture of self-satisfied righteous over the sinners. Rather, it is the joy of the redeemed who long to the see the sinner come into the communion of the beloved. It is in this sweet communion of saints, we can pour out our hurts, our wounds, our suffering as well as our joys, our praises, our thanksgiving. In Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12, we are reminded that our Lord has chosen to share His grace gifts in our lives through the people of God. It is in company with God’s people we find encouragement in difficult seasons, prayers for healing in physical weakness, wisdom in challenging decisions, and so much more. We are walking together in this world to the New Jerusalem, and we help and encourage one another along the way.

Thus, our psalmist ends by declaring, “My foot stands on level ground; in the great assembly I will bless the Lord.” (Psalm 26:12, ESV)

Let us bless the Lord. Let us rejoice. Let us shower one another with His peace and love. And let us bring His Gospel to the world in need.

[1] Douglas D. Webster, The Psalms: Jesus’s Prayer Book, vol. 1 (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Academic, 2023), 219.

^[2] C. H. Spurgeon, The Treasury of David: Psalms 1-26, vol. 1 (London; Edinburgh; New York: Marshall Brothers, n.d.), 416.

Pentecost +13 2026
Dr. Christopher Graham
Psalm 138

On November 19, 1863, people gathered in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, to dedicate the Soldiers’ National Cemetery. The then-famous headline orator, Edward Everett, had spoken over two hours. President Abraham Lincoln then stood and used about 270 words in only 10 sentences to offer his address. In the days following the event, Everett wrote to Lincoln: “I wish that I could flatter myself that I had come as near to the central idea of the occasion in two hours as you did in two minutes.”

The Gettysburg Address: 270 words. The Psalm this morning as we have it before us is 173 words. Like last week’s psalm (Psalm 67), it is short. And like last week’s psalm, it is quite straightforward. As I said at the beginning of our series on the psalms, one danger in preaching on the psalms is overthinking or overanalyzing a psalm such as this, and, in doing so, removing its musical, rhetorical oomph. This morning you are going to help me from overdoing that.

Let me explain: Psalm 138 is a thanksgiving psalm that is rooted in God’s action in the psalmist’s experience in the past, which gives hope for the future. Notice verse 3: When I called upon you, you heard me; and gave me increase of strength.

This Psalm is a result of David looking back on a time when he called on the Lord. And the Lord answered! It’s not the angst-filled supplication seeking God’s action when the psalmist is in a tight spot, nor the lament when God is not answering the psalmist’s cries. This is the testimony of the psalmist that God has heard and has acted. There is a strange phenomenon in my home. When I sleep, I sleep hard. I can sleep through storms, noises, with the light on . . . But all Jill or one of my kids has to do is say “Christopher.” She can even whisper “Christopher” from another room. And I am awake and ready for action.

I know that this congregation has seen God work in your lives in this way. And so, here is how we are going to proceed. As I work through the Psalm and draw out a few observations that may be helpful as you reflect on it this week, you are going to help me from getting too deep by testifying about God’s work in your life. All you have to do is this. If you can relate to the psalmist and can testitfy to this in your life, stand up or raise your hand to get my attention. Start with the words from the psalm: When I called upon you, you heard me; and gave me increase of strength. If you then give us a reader’s digest or Twitter-sized testimony.

Anyone want to offer one now? Alright, anytime, stand up or raise a hand. I’ll pause and give you the floor.

With the memory of what God has done in the past, the psalmist is compelled to give thanks. Verses 1 and 2:

I will give thanks to you, O Lord, with my whole heart; * even before the gods will I sing praises to you.

I will worship toward your holy temple and praise your Name because of your loving-kindness and truth;

for you have magnified your Name and your word above all things.

Notice first the deeply personal nature of this section. The use of personal pronouns: I/You, I /You. The Lord’s love and faithfulness is not a general idea but has been displayed in his relationship with David. Growing up I sang this chorus:

Lord I praise you, because of who you are Not for all the mighty things that you have done Lord, I worship you, because of who you are You’re all the reason that I need to voice my praise Because of who you are.

That’s a great song that certainly fits other psalms, but it’s not Psalm 138. Remember, this is the psalm of one who has experienced God. It is precisely because of what God has done that elicits David’s praise.

Notice also how the work of God compels the psalmist’s whole being…my whole heart/bow down/sing praise. “Bless the Lord all my soul . . . and all that is within me, bless his holy name.”

And this thanksgiving is not constrained to those in the congregation. Verse 1: even before the gods will I sing praises to you. David stands before the “Elohim” – Either angelic beings or pagan gods. Either way, David is aware that in addressing God he testifying to the cosmos. It’s Buddy the Elf bursting into the room declaring before a room full of executives, “I’m in love, I’m in love and I don’t care who knows it!” But even in their midst, David still keep his orientation towards God.

In the second movement, David reflects on the nature of God’s relation to us:

4 All the kings of the earth shall praise you O Lord; * for they have heard the words of your mouth.

5They shall sing of the ways of the Lord;* that great is the glory of the Lord.

6 For though the Lord be high, yet he has respect for the lowly;* as for the proud, he beholds them from afar.

Clearly, David indicates that God is pleased with humility and not pride. But more than that, there is a paradox here: the ones who, by their position, are closest to God and can in fact declare the glory of the Lord are the ones who are low—positionally and in posture of heart who receive help from the Lord.

This reminds me of several places in the Gospels where we see this at work in relation to those around Jesus. The ones who are closest to him, don’t get it. But those who need help the most do get it. Consider, for example, the encounters Mark records (Mark 10: 35–52). Jesus first has an encounter with those closest to him—his disciples. Jesus asks James and John, “What can I do for you?”, and they say “Let each of us sit at your right hand and the other at your left when you come into your glory.” Jesus responds, “But to sit on My right or on My left is not Mine to give; but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” The scene broadens to the bickering disciples to which Jesus says “You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles domineer over them; and their people in high position exercise authority over them. But it is not this way among you; rather, whoever wants to become [u]prominent among you shall be your servant; and whoever wants to be

first among you shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

Immediately Jesus sets out and “a beggar who was blind named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the road.” Jesus asks him the exact same question that he asked James and John: “What do you want Me to do for you?” Except this time, Jesus actually fulfills the request: And the man who was blind said to Him, “Rabboni, I want to regain my sight!” And Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he regained his sight and began following Him on the road.” What is the difference, this stranger to Jesus does not ask to sit with Jesus when He comes into his glory. He presently sits before the one he knows is the Son of David.

With his experience of the Lord’s work in his past, and with his reflection on the proper posture before God, David has confidence in the future. Notice verses 7 and 8:

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, yet shall you refresh me;.

you shall stretch forth your hand upon the furiousness of my enemies, and your right hand shall save me.

The Lord shall make good his loving-kindness toward me;*

your mercy, O Lord, endures for ever; despise not the works of your own hands.

God becomes the active subject here. He is faithful to his word and will accomplish what he sets out to do. 1 Thessalonians “He who has begun a good work in you will carry it out to completion.” God has done it in the past and he can at his will do it in the future.

When I called upon you, you heard me; and gave me increase of strength. The Lord shall make good his loving-kindness toward me;

Pentecost +12 – The End is Music
Rev. Doug Floyd
Psalm 67

After the dark night of the soul, the morning sun dawns on a beautiful day. The worshiper is refreshed and renewed by the Spirit’s rhythms of grace. The psalmist resists the bland recital of religious rhetoric. David’s doxology draws worshipers out and into thanksgiving and praise. We bless God because we are blessed by God. God’s grace always goes before, blessing the world, and making gospel praise possible. – Douglas D. Webster

As showers which first fall upon the hills afterwards run down in streams into the valleys, so the blessing of the Most High comes upon the world through the church….Despite the gloomy notions of some, we cling to the belief that the kingdom of Christ will embrace the whole habitable globe, and that all flesh will see the salvation of God….Nothing creates gladness so speedily, surely, and abidingly as the salvation of God.— Charles Spurgeon

Psalm 67 fills our hearts with joy. Fills the church with praise. And fills the world with song.

The Psalmist asks the Lord for a threefold blessing: “May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah” (Psalm 67:1, ESV)

He invokes the Lord to come and renew His people with His mercy and grace; His blessing, and His face upon us. When I first think of these words, I am struck by the image of a mother holding her child. The mother of a newborn may be tired from caring for the baby round the clock. And yet, the baby is part of her. She delights in this child. She looks with favor on this child and provides for his every need.

How much more will our Father in heaven delight in us? He looks upon each of us with favor, delighting in His children. He overwhelms with blessings spiritual and physical. What delights you? I give thanks almost every day for a hot shower, a cool air conditioner, delicious, juicy tomatoes, good friends and long conversations. Every day, every moment we experience God’s overwhelming blessings.

As the Psalm 40:5 proclaims,

O Lord my God, you have performed many wonders for us. Your plans for us are too numerous to list. You have no equal. If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds, I would never come to the end of them. (Psalm 40:5, NLT)

This threefold blessing in verse 1 echoes the Aaronic blessing in Numbers.

“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24–26, ESV)

This image of the Lord shining His face upon us is quite glorious. It speaks of favor, delight, joy, love and light. In 2 Corinthians 4:6, Paul speaks of “For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:6, ESV)

This speaks of His opening our hearts to truth and life and transformation. As we read in 2 Corinthians 3:18:

“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:18, ESV)

We’ve looked back to the Aaronic blessing, but we can go back even earlier to the blessing of Abraham. In Genesis 12, the Lord tells Abraham,

“And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”” (Genesis 12:2–3, ESV)

The Psalmist prays for this blessing of God, this light shining from the face of God that it might flow through God’s people to the peoples of the earth.

“May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations.” (Psalm 67:1–2, ESV). We also invoke this blessing every week as we prepare to go forth into the world. This blessing flows through us to a world in need.

I love Charles Spurgeon’s response to this blessing in Psalm 67. He writes, “As showers which first fall upon the hills afterwards run down in streams into the valleys, so the blessing of the Most High comes upon the world through the church….Despite the gloomy notions of some, we cling to the belief that the kingdom of Christ will embrace the whole habitable globe, and that all flesh will see the salvation of God….Nothing creates gladness so speedily, surely, and abidingly as the salvation of God. (Charles Spurgeon, Treasury of David, Psalm 67

In verses 3 and 5, we hear the following words sung and repeated, “Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!” (Psalm 67:3&5, ESV) Hallelujah. All the peoples. I love that Spurgeon says, “Despite the gloomy notions of some, we cling to the belief that the kingdom of Christ will embrace the whole habitable globe, and that all flesh will see the salvation of God.” Praise the Lord!

Verses 3 and 5 surround verse 4, which I would suggest is the central proclamation: “Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth” (Psalm 67:4, ESV)

The blessing of God upon the people of God has become song, and all the nations, all the peoples of the earth are singing praises to our God and King. Robert Jenson completes his Systematic Theology with four short words, “The end is music.”

We are longing, hoping, stretching toward the great day of celebration when all creation will join in adoration. What more can I say, except to repeat the call of that glorious nineteenth hymn,

“O come let us adore him.”

Pentecost +11 2026 Our God Reigns
Rev. Doug Floyd
Psalm 29

The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
The voice of the Lord is powerful;
The voice of the Lord is full of majesty;
The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire;
The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
“The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth and strips the forests bare, and in his temple all cry, “Glory!”” (Psalm 29:9, ESV)

Last week, I quoted Eugene Peterson who refers to the voice of God as a javelin piercing the human heart with His life-giving truth. In Psalm 29, the Voice of the Lord echoes throughout. It is over the waters; it is powerful and majestic; it breaks cedars, flashes forth flames of fire; it shakes the wilderness; it makes the deer give birth and strips the forests bare.

The Voice of the Lord is truly awesome, even terrifying. Imagine the former Hebrew slaves standing at the foot of Mt. Sinai. In Exodus 20, the Lord tells Moses to prepare the people for His appearing,

“The Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments and be ready for the third day. For on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. And you shall set limits for the people all around, saying, ‘Take care not to go up into the mountain or touch the edge of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall be put to death. No hand shall touch him, but he shall be stoned or shot; whether beast or man, he shall not live.’ When the trumpet sounds a long blast, they shall come up to the mountain.”” (Exodus 19:10–13, ESV)

“On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly. And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder. The Lord came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain.” (Exodus 19:16–19, ESV)

Imagine standing at the foot of that mountain. Thunder and lightning; the mountain itself quaking, smoke enveloping the whole mountain.

Terrifying.

Those who live through a hurricane or a tornado get some sense of this terrifying power. Nature gives us a sense of the awesome terror of this encounter.

After the Lord speaks the 10 commandments, the people are shaken to the core. In Exodus 20, we read:

“Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.”” (Exodus 20:18–19, ESV)

Our Psalm today, reveals the mysterium tremendum of God speaking to His people. Rudolf Otto coined that phrase in his 1917 book, The Idea of the Holy. To encounter the Creator, the Wholly Other is both a terrifying and fascinating mystery. To encounter God in His glory is to remind humans of our nothingness. We see a glimpse of this in Isaiah 6. Isaiah’s friend, King Uzziah has died. He is at the Temple grieving. God shows up in all His glory.

He suddenly sees the Lord. Angels surround Him, but their wings cover their faces and feet. God is too glorious even for them. Isaiah’s response is to cry out,

“Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”” (Isaiah 6:5, ESV)

Paul speaks of this overwhelming glory in 1 Timothy 6:

“He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.” (1 Timothy 6:15–16, ESV)

His glory is overwhelming. Psalm 29 reveals our glorious Creator as the true Sovereign of all creation. All glory is due Him. The waters are under His thunderous voice. The trees tremble before Him. The land and the mountains shake before Him. The wilderness and the forests shake. He is truly Lord of the Cosmos. And all creation cries, “Glory!”

Underneath this vision of God’s majesty and power and glory is a challenge to all the powers that be. Israel is surrounded by other tribes who worship various powers and spirits. At the same time, the rulers of these tribal groups would seek to assert themselves over the Hebrews. If you read the ancient Mesopotamian saga, The Epic of Gilgamesh, you meet the nature of early rulers.

The King of Enuk is a strong man or big man. He has wealth and he is powerful. He can protect the city but he also takes from the citizens whatever he desires, including all the women. The Israelites still see this pattern around them, and this is why Moses warns the future kings of Israel to study the book of the Law. He writes,

 “And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests. And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them, that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left, so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel.” (Deuteronomy 17:18–20, ESV)

It’s very clear in the law that many laws address the danger of powerful men taking advantage of poor and weak people. We even see this when David takes Bethsheba and ends up having her husband killed.

While David repents, we see a pattern in the history of the Israelites of kings and wealthy people who worship false gods and oppress the weak.

Psalm 29 uses language and imagery that have made some scholars think this was originally a Canaanite poem to one of their gods. The imagery seems to address various gods such as Baal who is much like Thor, a god of Thunder and power. The true power over the thunder and lightning and waters of the earth in the YHWH, the God of Israel. Thus, the Psalm opens with “Ascribe to the Lord of heavenly beings.” These beings could refer to angels. It could also refer to the people of God who are “Sons of God.” And it could also refer to all the powers on earth and in the heavens that rule or seek to impose obedience.

Think of all the corrupt rulers in our world today. Ultimately, they must bow and ascribe to God glory. Paul prays that God’s people would see the glory and power of who Jesus is in the opening of Ephesians. He prays,

“For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.” (Ephesians 1:15–23, ESV)

All powers on this earth must eventually submit to the rule of God. Psalm 29 also gives us a great picture of God’s rule over the waters. There appears to be a fear of the deep among the people of Israel and probably among most peoples. Psalm 29 tells us that, “The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord, over many waters.” (Psalm 29:3, ESV)

And

“The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord sits enthroned as king forever.” (Psalm 29:10, ESV)

The people fear the chaos of the deep overtaking creation. In the flood, it appeared that this chaos unraveled creation as all things were destroyed by the great waters. But Psalm 29 assures us that YHWH “sits enthroned over the flood.” (Psalm 29:10, ESV)

If you saw read or saw The Odyssey, you would have seen the Scylla (SkyLa) (the many headed sea monster). The sailors are caught between the Scylla and the Charybdis – (Karibdis),a great whirlpool: whichever way the sailors would choose someone would die. The dangers of the deep are common across multiple cultures. Israel feared the Leviathan, who is also a seven headed sea monster. Psalm 74 show YHWH ruling over this threat,

“Yet God my King is from of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth. You divided the sea by your might; you broke the heads of the sea monsters on the waters. You crushed the heads of Leviathan; you gave him as food for the creatures of the wilderness.” (Psalm 74:12–14, ESV)

No power in land or sea could threaten the absolute rule of YHWH, the king and creator of all things. Psalm 29 overwhelms with images of the power and terror of YHWH’s over all things. Yet, it ends with a reminder that he draws near to His people.

“May the Lord give strength to his people! May the Lord bless his people with peace!” (Psalm 29:11, ESV)

Isaiah reminds us that this God who terrified him also comforted him. He writes,

“For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.” (Isaiah 57:15, ESV)

Jesus Christ comes in human flesh. He draws near. The God whose voice rattles the earth and brings down every throne comes to us in love. He strengthens His people and He blesses His people with peace.

In Scripture and in creation, we behold the Creator who sometimes reveals Himself through the raw and overwhelming power of creation. In Scripture, we behold the Savior who draws near in our weakness and who embraces us, redeems us and lifts us up.

As we look around our world today, there are many reasons to be fearful. Wars; economic challenges, political disputes, violence in the land, sickness, and so much more. Yet we can find refuge in the God who is Lord over all creation and who also draws near to us in love.

Every weapon formed against us shall ultimately fall. We are safe in His love. Let us trust in Him alone.

Pentecost +10 – A Fruitful Tree in a Dry Land
Rev. Doug Floyd
Psalm 1

The prophet Isaiah proclaims,

“The poor and needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. But I the Lord will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. I will make rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys. I will turn the desert into pools of water, and the parched ground into springs.” (Isaiah 41:17–18, NIV84)  

I was sitting in church daydreaming. This was the first church where I served full time; a lively inner-city Pentecostal church and folks carried their offering to the front while singing. I was at the front, it was a big church, and I had a long wait. My mind wandered. I envisioned walking across a vast desert. The sun above beat down upon me. Thirst took hold. I cried out, “Lord I need water!” Suddenly, a canteen was flung down from the sky. “No I need water. More water than that canteen.” As I looked ahead, I saw a lush green spot. Rich vibrant trees encircling a beautiful blue pool of water. I ran and jumped in the water, quenching my thirst by total immersion into this blessing of God.

Back to the service. People were still singing and dancing their way to the front, so I picked up my Bible and decided to read a little. I flipped it open, and the first passage I saw was Isaiah 41:17-20.

““The poor and needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. But I the Lord will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. I will make rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys. I will turn the desert into pools of water, and the parched ground into springs. I will put in the desert the cedar and the acacia, the myrtle and the olive. I will set pines in the wasteland, the fir and the cypress together, so that people may see and know, may consider and understand, that the hand of the Lord has done this, that the Holy One of Israel has created it.” (Isaiah 41:17–20, NIV84)

Weird. That passage sounds like the daydream I just had. Gradually, I began to think that the Lord was giving me a vision of some sort and just maybe it had to do with the journey ahead. I’ll come back to this in a moment.

Today, we pause over Psalm 1. We see a picture of a person meditating upon the law of the Lord. Imagine yourself sitting and reflecting on God’s Word. I imagine sitting beside the flowing water up in the Smoky Mountains. I hear the water rippling as I read. You might imagine walking along the beach on an early morning, ruinating on God’s Word as you hear the roar of the ocean in the background. Then again, you might see yourself sitting by a cozy fire. The wood crackles and the fire pops as you meditating upon a passage of Scripture. Now wherever you are in your imagination, listen the psalmist.

He tells us that this person has faced and avoided the counsel of the wicked, the way of sinners, and the seat of scorners. This person has resisted those distractions and continues to contemplate the Law of the Lord both day and night. The psalmist also tells us that this person is like a tree planted by the streams of water who bears fruit in season and whose leaves never wither.

Let’s sit with that picture this morning. First, we notice that there are wicked people, naysayers, critics, and scoffers that this person encounters regularly. Proverbs 2 gives us a similar picture. The person who seeks for God’s wisdom and meditates upon God’s Words will gain wisdom and know the true path. He will not be moved by those who left the path of righteousness and now speak perverted speech, and he will not be seduced by the adulteress who seeks to lead him astray.

Throughout the Psalms and the rest of Scriptures, we see a host of characters who have left the paths of God and chosen the way of sin and death. In many places the psalmist cries out,

Psalm 3:1–2: “Lord, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me! Many are saying of me, ‘God will not deliver him.'”

Psalm 7:1–2: “Save me and deliver me from all who pursue me, or they will tear me like a lion and rip me to pieces with no one to rescue.”

Psalm 17:8–9: “Hide me in the shadow of your wings from the wicked who are out to destroy me, from my mortal enemies who surround me.” [1, 2]

Psalm 57:4: “My soul is in the midst of lions; I lie down amid fiery beasts— the children of man, whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords.”

Psalm 41:9: “Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.”

Psalm 120:7: “I am for peace, but when I speak, they are for war!”

As it turns out, the psalmist is not sitting around enjoying the “best life now” and singing songs or posting pictures about it. Even in the Promised Land, the psalmist cannot escape hardship and struggle.

Psalm 1 prepares us for a book of prayers and praise that are also filled with grief, struggle, cries for help, and questions like “God where are you?”

We live in one of the richest countries in the world, and we enjoy privileges that most people in history couldn’t imagine, and yet we still face struggle, suffering, doubt, pain, grief, and people who turn against or seek to lead us astray.

In the middle of this struggle, the psalmist begins to talk about the Law of the Lord. Most of us grew up in a culture where law was a bad thing that Jesus came to deliver us from. We are free.

When I first heard about Richard Foster’s book, Celebration of the Discipline back in the 1980s, I thought, “I’m under grace, I’m not reading any of that legalism stuff.” Finally, I did read t and reread. As a result, Richard Foster, who was a Quaker, started me on a path to becoming an Anglican.

And eventually, I began to study Torah. I discovered that the Jews saw this as the greatest gift of God they ever received. All through Psalm 119, we hear rejoicing for the gift of the Law, of Torah:

“How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Blessed are you, O Lord; teach me your statutes! With my lips I declare all the rules of your mouth. In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches. I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.” (Psalm 119:9–16, ESV)

The Torah was seen as a way, a path, a way of blessedness that could lead through the wilderness and still bear fruit. Yet, why is Paul so opposed to Torah? Isn’t the book of Galatians and Romans about the terrible effect of the Law? I do not have time to do justice to this question today, but I might highlight Paul’s opening verse in Roans 8,

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:1–2, ESV)

The Law, Torah, God’s instruction does not forgive sin or make me righteous. That gift comes from God alone. Humans since the beginning of the world must depend upon the Creator for life and health and holiness and forgiveness. It’s all grace. God the Father ultimately fulfills this way of grace in His Son, Jesus Christ. As Romans 8:1 states,  There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Our of life and salvation is rooted in Christ Jesus alone. He is the way, the truth and the life. Our salvation is always personal. Rooted in the person of Jesus Christ. We turn to Him, we look to Him, we trust in Him.

And yet, all of Scripture is filled with His guidance. He teaches us through His word. Eugene Peterson speaks of “torah” as a javelin. In his book Answering God, Peterson writes,

God’s word has this aimed, intentional, personal nature. When we are spoken to this way, piercingly and penetratingly, we are not the same. These words get inside us and work their meaning in us. As we prepare to pray, to answer the words God addresses to us, we learn that all of God’s words have this characteristic: they are torah and we are the target. God’s word is not a reference book in a library that we pull off the shelf when we want information. There is nothing inert or bookish in these words. God’s words, creating and saving words every one, hit us where we live.[1]

Why do we have faith in Jesus Christ? The Word of God has pierced us. Penetrated our hearts by the power of the Holy Spirit. By His grace, faith awakens in us and we follow Christ.

Our psalmist is calling us to heed the Word of God. We’re not trying to accumulate as much knowledge as we can about Scripture. We read with a listening heart. Sometimes that means reading a verse or two and praying it back to God. We are listening, soaking, reflecting. Other times it can mean that we are reading through the whole Bible each year. This is a different kind of listening. We are letting the grand story of Scripture shape our imagination. As we discover this story, it reshapes how we think about God and about this life.

The psalmist is suggesting that as God’s people soak in this word, they are like a tree, taking deep root in God, in Christ and bearing fruit. This takes me back to that vision of walking through the desert a few moments ago. Isaiah is giving us a picture of the exiles returning home and of God restoring His people. Keep this in mind as we think about Psalm 1.

Eugene Peterson suggests we night read Psalm 1 through the lens of the people in exile in Babylon. They are in the blazing heat of Babylon. In Psalm 137, we hear the cry of the exiles:

“By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion. On the willows there we hung up our lyres. For there our captors required of us songs, and our tormentors, mirth, saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!” How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land?” (Psalm 137:1–4, ESV)

The people are grieving. Their people are dead or taken captive. The Temple is destroyed. Their hope is gone. In this dreadful land, the people cannot sing. In fact, some abandon their faith. They join the mockers, the scoffers, the wicked.

Others become trees in the desert. An oasis bursts forth like that vision of Isaiah. It is a river of flowing water from the Word of God. In the midst of the struggle, in the midst of the grief, in the midst of the hopeless situation, these people become trees of righteousness. Their leaves do not wither. They bear fruit.

It makes me think of Ezekiel’s vision of the rebuilt Temple. He writes about this vision in exile with the other captives. At one point he sees water flowing out from the Temple and trees on either side of this river. He writes,

“And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing.”” (Ezekiel 47:12, ESV)

The captives are exiles in a strange land. Like Psalm 1 says, those who meditate on the Word, who listen and seek God’s face, they become like trees flourishing, bearing fruit, with leaves that do not wither.

Sadly, we do wither sometimes. We do feel dry, overwhelmed, fearful, angry, weary. Ultimately, Jesus is that tree that never withers, always bears fruit, is always vitally alive. He is the Tree of Life. He sustains us, speaks His Word of Life into our hearts, feeds us with His body and blood. He is the oasis in the desert, the wilderness.

In and through Christ, God’s people have thrived in dark and difficult times. They have brought beauty and joy and healing and life to world drowning in darkness. My prayer is that we might overflow with the very life of Christ to the world around us. May we become like the trees in Revelation:

“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.” (Revelation 22:1–2, ESV)

Our Lord let your healing grace flow through to world in desperate need of your grace.

[1] Peterson, Eugene H.. Answering God: The Psalms as Tools for Prayer – A Biblical Guide to Finding Fulfillment in Your Spiritual Life (p. 25). (Function). Kindle Edition.

Pentecost +9 – Faithfulness of God
Dr. Christopher Graham
Psalm 19

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be always acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

If you have been in church for any length of time, you will recognize the words that conclude our Psalm today. In fact, you may have heard them so many times you have memorized them. They are a wonderful way to start a lesson or homily or sermon as a way to dedicate the speaker and what the speaker will say. It is possible that the psalmist ends his song this morning as a dedication of what he has said. There is, however, another possibility given by clues in the psalm itself, which is that these words are actually the climax of the song itself. And that is how I am going to approach it this morning. That is, these words receive their oomph! as the climactic result of three movements.

Movement 1 is found at the beginning in vv 1–6

1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows his handiwork.

Clearly the Psalmist directs our attention to nature in the first movement. This is a common device of the psalmists. There are different reasons for this call. At times, it is to direct our attention to the heavens as in Psalm 148 which Francis of Assisi set to music that has come down to us: “Thou burning sun with golden beam, Thou silver moon with softer gleam, O praise him, O praise him, Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.” At other times as Fr. Doug showed us from Psalm 145 it is to pay heed to the fact that we live in a world radiating with God’s glory. Again our song “This is my Father’s world: The birds their carols raise, The morning light, the lily white, Declare their Maker’s praise.”

In our song today, the psalmist also has a reason for drawing our attention to nature. It is hinted at in verse 2-4

2 One day speaks to another,

and one night gives knowledge to another. 3 There is neither speech nor language, and their voices are not heard;

4 But their sound has gone out into all lands,

and their words (*utterances) to the ends of the world.

But then really comes into focus in verses 5–6:

5 In them he has set a tent for the sun; which comes forth as a bridegroom out of his chamber, and rejoices like a strong man to run his course.

6 It goes forth from the uttermost part of the heavens, and runs about to the end of it again; and there is nothing hidden from its heat.

By drawing attention to the cycles of day and night, the steady movement of the sun each day running its course, the psalmist draws attention to God’s faithfulness. This is not the view of a Creator who created, spun up things to run on their own, and then took his hands away. It is a Creator who created the rhythms and then, by his Word continues or sustains those rhythms.

And this gives rise to praise. On one hand, Scripture teaches that we are beneficiaries of God’s faithful governance of nature in a very direct way. Jesus says, “He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” Matthew 6: 25–32 “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as

to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is life not more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the sky, that they do not sow, nor reap, nor gather crops into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.

Are you not much more important than they? And which of you by worrying can add a single day to his life’s span? And why are you worried about clothing? Notice how the lilies of the field grow; they do not labor nor do they spin thread for cloth, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! Do not worry then, saying, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.”

But the psalmist seems to be getting at something even more basic and a bit more subtle for us, which is that the very action of the heavenly bodies is a result of God’s actions. It is what we sang about this morning, “Summer and winter and springtime and harvest, sun moon and stars in their courses above join with all nature in manifold to his great faithfulness, mercy and love.”

But while these bodies and cycles witness, they do so without words. We, on the other hand, are created by the Word of God in the image of God to use words. And so our prayer “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be always acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer,” is a reminder of our responsibility as God’s creation to whom He has given words to proclaim “All I have needed thy hand hath provideth.”

Which leads to the second movement found in verses 7–11

7 The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul;

the testimony of the Lord is sure, and gives wisdom to the simple. 8 The statutes of the Lord are right, and rejoice the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, and gives light to the eyes.

9 The fear of the Lord is clean, and endures for ever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.

10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; * sweeter also than honey, than the drippings from the honeycomb. 11 Moreover, by them is your servant taught, *

and in keeping them there is great reward.

Clearly, there is a shift from nature to law, statutes, commandments, and judgments. For the sake of ease this morning, I am going to refer to all of these simply as “law.” What is the relationship between the first movement and second movement? We could draw out a contrast here between these movements. This Psalm is helpful, for example, in contrasting the limited knowledge that God provides through his natural or general revelation and the specific knowledge that God gives through his special revelation. But this morning, we want to see that the psalmist pushes these two movements up against each other without contrasting language: on one hand/on the other, this but that. There seems to be continuity. And what is the common melody that runs through both movements? The faithfulness of the Lord himself.

To understand this, though, we need to take a brief look at the nature of the law from the psalmist’s perspective, which is different than our dominant view. In fact, I would dare say that without realizing this difference, we impose how we think of law on the words here; rather, we mute the significance of these words.

Our dominant view of law is very impersonal. We tend to think of Law as an independent thing separated from the one (or ones) who have issued the Law. If a cop stops me and says I have broken the law, rarely will I ask “whose law.” And if I did, we may get a civic lesson on how the legislature makes the law, the executive enforces the law, and the judiciary judges whether I have broken the law. Rarely would we take it to the next step to indicate that by electing the legislative branch, the law is one we ourselves have endorsed. Law, then, is something separated from any persons. Not so for the ancient mind.

The dominant understanding of pre-modern and ancient times is that the Law is an extension of the one giving the law. We do, by the way, sometimes acknowledge though it is less common. So if I walked in my house and said to my kids, “Someone needs to feed the dog” or even more directly, “Feed the dog,” the power of my law is wrapped up in the fact that I am the father whose word is law. We even have a response that indicates this. Should one of my kids have had the temerity to ask “Why?” The response was always at hand: “Because I said so.”

With this in mind, then, God’s law is an expression/manifestation of God’s will provided by God’s Word, which is God himself. There is very little difference, then, between the Law with respect to nature and the Law with respect to us. The cycles of night and day and the movement of the sun and heavenly bodies are a response to God’s will that is to his law. In fact, ancient writers were happy to point out that nature’s obedience to the will of God is exemplary for us. The quote from Clement of Rome in your prefatory reading is set within an admonition that Clement gives to the church at Corinth to say, “See how the elements of creation play together nicely? If they can do it so well, then certainly you can. It is a matter of obeying his will.”

Of course, God communicates his will with creation in a way that is designed for creation, whereas he communicates with us through words as befits our nature. But this does not change the underlying melody.

God is faithful in giving order to his creation through the expression of his will. We do not go to bed wondering, “huh. I wonder what will be in the sky tomorrow when I wake up? Maybe the sun will decide to sleep in.” In the same way, we do not have to wonder, “If I run the course God has set for me in obedience to his will, what will happen? Something bad?”

Verse 11: Moreover, by them is your servant taught, and in keeping them there is great reward.” Heeding God’s will is not like buying a lotto ticket or rolling dice. Notice the pattern in verses 7-9. God’s word IS blank, DOING this thing for us:

7 The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul;

the testimony of the Lord is sure, and gives wisdom to the simple. 8The statutes of the Lord are right, and rejoice the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, and gives light to the eyes.

By giving ourselves to the Lord’s Word for his work in all areas of our being: soul, mind heart, eyes. He even throws in our bodies:

10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey, than the drippings from the honeycomb. NOTE ABOUT EATING HONEYCOMB

It is because of God’s faithfulness that his will expressed to us through his Word is to our benefit, that we can say with confidence “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be always acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.”

We will pray in our prayers later this morning: “And to all your people give your heavenly grace, especially to this Congregation, that with reverent and obedient hearts we may hear and receive your holy Word, and serve you in holiness and righteousness all the days of our lives.” But notice that that we are praying for is grace that we may hear and receive. Which leads to our third movement and final movement.

For the third movement we have to move outside the psalm itself. Because it was a movement that happened after David’s time. As we saw in movements 1 and 2 it is Good News is that the same Word by which He brought all things into creation and sustains them and gives expresses his words of Law to us. That Good News takes on a different key in the third movement, though, because in the third movement, that very same creating, sustaining, law-giving Word became flesh in the person of Christ. And that Jesus, as the enfleshed Word, fulfilled the Law. As we hear Fr. Doug say every week: “In obedience to your will, he stretched out his arms upon the cross and offered himself once for all, that by his suffering and death we might be saved.”

And as if that is not enough, that Word did something more than fulfilling the law. By his resurrection, ascension and sending of the Spirit, God’s Word did something else. Again, from the Prayer of Consecration: “Jesus Christ our Lord, who on the first

day of the week overcame death and the grave, and by his glorious resurrection opened to us the

way of everlasting life. In him we see our God made visible and so are caught up in the love of the God we cannot see.

God now, in our communion with him made possible through the work of Jesus and the Spirit, inscribes within that which had before been on the outside. We are reminded in the words of our prayer of preparation this morning. “Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name.”

And as if that is not enough, that same Word still is active against that which threatens to undo us. You heard the words of Paul this morning from Romans 8: 31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.

All of this gives rise to the prayer:

14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be always acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

God’s faithfulness seen in nature.

God’s faithfulness seen in his law for us.

God’s faithfulness in the Word made flesh who fulfilled the law, who inscribes his law in us, and who intercedes for us.

Pentecost +8 2026
Rev. Doug Floyd
Psalm 86

“Bow down your ear, O Lord, and hear me; for I am poor and in misery.”

Our Psalm begins by crying out to God. “Bow down and hear me!” There are times when the soul is so grieved that these words take shape in a groan, a cry. God does hear. He hears the cries of the broken heart. As we read in Exodus,

“And the sons of Israel groaned under their bondage, and cried out for help, and their cry under bondage came up to God. And God heard their groaning….” (Exodus 2:23–24, RSV2CE)

Our Psalm today is a groan of King David. This groan, this psalm was sung by choirs in Ancient Israel. I can hear Hezekiah crying out this psalm centuries later when the Assyrian king, Sennacherib, calls over the gates of Jerusalem, threatening starvation and destruction. We hear echoes of Psalm 86 in his prayer recorded in Isaiah:

“Incline your ear, O Lord, and hear; open your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to mock the living God.” (Isaiah 37:17, ESV)

The prayers of Ancient Israel have been a gift to the peoples of the earth for thousands of years. Today’s psalm is a gift to the fearful, the anxious, the depressed, the one swallowed by darkness and danger. The psalm is filled with cries for God to act. Oh God,

Bow down and hear me
Preserve my life
Save me
Be merciful to me
Comfort me
Give me your ear
Teach me your way
Knit my heart to you
Turn to me
Have mercy upon me
Give me strength
Show me a sign of your favor

The psalmist is in a quandary. There are threats on all sides. Enemies stand ready to invade.

“O God, the proud have risen up against me; and the company of violent men have sought after my life…” (86:14, New Coverdale)

When I worked with the inner-city community, many of these people faced the threats of physical enemies. They would hear gunshots in the neighborhood. Many had family members who had been murdered.

Many of us don’t know these exact threats. Our dangers are not specifically violent people but less tangible but no less painful like sickness, finances, and especially emotional distress (fear anxiety, depression, loneliness). When I was growing up, I often experienced fear. When I was real young, my sister and I were taking a bath upstairs. My dad was at the front door and made some crazy noise joking. I heard it and screamed. Fear paralyzed me. I’m sure my sister joined in the terror as well. In seconds my dad and mom came into the bathroom, comforted us, and calmed us. Isn’t that what we sometimes long for? The psalmist wants God to bow down, hear his cry, comfort him, and protect him. We all desire this.

As I grew older, I often thought I had whatever disease was discussed in health class. Oddly enough, when I faced a serious kidney disease, I was not afraid. I was not afraid. I guess I rehearsed all the sicknesses so many times that it didn’t seem that major.

For me personally, I came to see that the terrors around us are deeply bound up with our minds and emotions. Suddenly financial problems can keep us from sleeping. Times of anxiety can be paralyzing. Depression can smother us like a black cloud. I have said before that the terrors of my mind are far more terrifying than anything I’ve experienced in the outer world.

Many of you already know the great comfort in prayers shaped and inspired by the psalms. Psalm 86 is a gift to us as we face struggle, grief, anguish, loneliness, and depression. In verse 17, the psalmist cries out for some sign, some token that God has heard him. This makes me think of a poem by Czeslaw Milosz. Choked by a world that has lost its faith, he needs a sign that God is still there. In his poem, Veni Creator he prays,

Come, Holy Spirit,   
bending or not bending the grasses,   
appearing or not above our heads in a tongue of flame,   
at hay harvest or when they plough in the orchards or when snow   
covers crippled firs in the Sierra Nevada.   
I am only a man: I need visible signs.   
I tire easily, building the stairway of abstraction.   
Many a time I asked, you know it well, that the statue in church   
lifts its hand, only once, just once, for me.   
But I understand that signs must be human,   
therefore call one man, anywhere on earth,   
not me—after all I have some decency—   
and allow me, when I look at him, to marvel at you.  

He gets it. God sends people. He sent the 12 disciples. He sent Paul. He sends us friends and sometimes strangers who bring a word of comfort, a word of wisdom, and maybe even a word of challenge.

As we take up the words of Psalm 86, we ask God to hear us, preserve us, be merciful to us, comfort us, attend to us, answer us, teach us, lead us, turn to us, remember us, help us. As we pray, we might become aware of something else.

We are joining in the prayers of Jesus.

The church has often considered the psalms as the prayers of the prophets and of Jesus.

Already in the New Testament we see references to Jesus in the psalms. In Acts 2, we see Peter referencing Jesus in Psalm 16. He says,

“For David says concerning him, “ ‘I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; my flesh also will dwell in hope. For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’ “Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption.” (Acts 2:25–31, ESV)

St. Augustine explicitly makes connections with Jesus in his sermons on the Psalms. For Augustine, the Psalms and all Scripture for that matter points to Christ, he says that in the Psalms we hear, the “voice of the whole Christ, head and members…”^[1] Augustine likes to consider this idea of the “whole Christ” by this he means “Christ as the Head” and we as “the body of Christ.” We pray the Psalms as part of the whole Christ.

In his commentary on Psalm 85, Augustine writes, “The one sole savior of his body is our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who prays for us, prays in us, and is prayed to by us. He prays for us as our priest, he prays in us as our head, and he is prayed to by us as our God. Accordingly, we must recognize our voices in him, and his accents in ourselves.”^[2]

When we pray, cry, groan Psalm 86, we are joining Christ. Jesus Christ entered the total agony of human sin and death. In our distress, we are bowing down into Christ. Like a faithful parent who runs to the cry of their dear child, Christ is comforting us by His Spirit. Our anguish may not seem to leave right away, but He has not, will not forsake us in our distress.

Now I might add one last thing. As we come to see that we always pray these psalms in and through Christ, we might sense Him leading beyond our pain to the pain of the world. There are people today surrounded by their enemies, and they are crying, groaning for rescue. We need only look around the world and even our own country.

Sometimes the news can be gut-wrenching and maybe we should avoid, but it may also lead us into pray. We take Psalm 86 upon our lips and cry out with and for the abused child, the family in the war zone, the desperate refugee, the captive, the dying patient. Without Christ, we simply cannot bear the grief of this world. It would kill us.

But we can face a world suffering and dying in and through our dear Savior who will not forsake His people and hears the cry of the lonely, the desperate, the oppressed. In and through Christ alone, we can look forward knowing that the Lord God is “full of compassion and mercy; [He is] long-suffering, plenteous in goodness and truth.” (Psalm 86:15)

^[1] Laurence Kriegshauser, Praying the Psalms in Christ, ed. Gary A. Anderson, Matthew Levering, and Robert Louis Wilken, Reading the Scriptures (Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press, 2009), 4.

^[2] Laurence Kriegshauser, Praying the Psalms in Christ, ed. Gary A. Anderson, Matthew Levering, and Robert Louis Wilken, Reading the Scriptures (Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press, 2009), 4.

Sea Sunday 2026
Dr. Christopher Graham
Psalm 107

1 O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is gracious, and his mercy endures for ever. Let those whom the Lord has redeemed give thanks . . . 43 Whoever is wise will ponder these things, and shall understand the loving-kindness of the Lord.
Last week, in Psalm 145, we heard David’s invitation to look, to reflect, to meditate upon the works of God, and then to give him praise. What are the works of God? As Fr. Doug pointed out, “This would refer to both God’s creation and to God’s redemption.” He then helped us follow the psalmist’s lead, specifically regarding creation. As we will see, this week’s psalm is devoted to praise resulting from God’s redemption.
This week’s psalm is framed by the Psalmist’s opening and closing; v. 2: “Let those whom the Lord has redeemed give thanks.” At the end, in v. 43 Whoever is wise will ponder these things, and shall understand the loving-kindness of the Lord.

As we look at the body of the psalm this morning, then, we need to keep these purposes in mind. To move both those who have experienced God’s redemptive work AND those who need to hear and experience that work themselves.
With regard to the former, the clear assumption of the psalmist is that those who have experienced God’s redemption are far and wide. He immediately employs a merism in verse 3 to signal this, “east, west, north, south,” which presages the sections that follow in which different groups who have experienced redemption are highlighted:
• vv. 4–9: Those wandering in the wilderness, the desert experiencing hunger and thirst.
• vv. 10–16: Those enslaved in darkness, in the shadow of death, in misery and iron,
• vv. 17–22: The whose foolish and wickedness brought them to death’s door.
• vv. 23–32: Those who go down to the sea in ships, who carry out their business in great waters

Each of these sections serves as a sort of stanza with a repeating pattern, though they expand in substance and detail as we move from the first to the last. Given that it is Sea Sunday and that the last stanza is the fullest of the four, we will look at this last group in verses 23-32 as a sort of template for the others.
In each case, the psalmist first explains the life-threatening plight:
Vv. 25–27: “For at his word the stormy wind arises, which lifts up the waves. They are carried up to heaven and down again to the deep; their soul melts away because of the trouble. They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end.”

If you will allow me this morning, one sea story. I was a 19-year old engine cadet on the M/V American Condor, a car carrier running between the East Coast of the United States and Europe in 1990. Winter in the North Atlantic is particularly brutal and sure enough we were taking 25 degree rolls as get got closer to Europe. When you walked down the passageway, you truly walked like the psalmist said reeling back and forth. You learned how to wedge yourself in your bunk at night. Years later I realized that I had developed a particular habit from that cruise. I had come home from the grocery store and placed my groceries in my sink and thought, why did I do that? Because on ship, that was where you could place things without them falling off onto the deck. So one particularly rough morning, I came down for our morning briefing in the machine shop of the engine room and when I opened the doors, I saw all of these old salts sitting there in their life jackets. Now no alarm had sounded and the machine shop was not one of the stations if the alarm had sounded. So I assumed this was just another one of their tricks that they liked to play on young cadets. But no, they were genuinely worried. And about that time, we took a heavy roll and heard a loud bang right outside the door. We rushed up to get out and take care of it but couldn’t get out. On the next roll we heard a grinding sound and opened the door to find that a spare one-ton cylinder head broke loose, had slid vacross the deck in front of the door on the first roll, and was not sliding back across to the other side.

Times like these make for great sea stories after the fact, but at the time, they are frightening because they life-threatening. In our psalm, each stanza briefly describes the life-threatening situation. Each stanza also describes the resolution of the situation:
2G-30 For he makes the storm to cease, so that the waves are still. Then they are glad, because they are at rest, and so he brings them into the haven where they desire to be.
For those wandering in the desert facing thirst and hunger, they are given a straight way to a place with provision (5, 7). Those who suffer crushing, dark heaviness that imprisons them find light and release from bondage (12, 14), those whose afflictions lead to loss of appetite up to the point of death find a life-giving word that saves them from destruction (18,20).

I would simply draw from these sections that the crises and the redemption/salvation spoken of here are clear and present dangers to their very life in the present. These are things that could truly kill them, and the resolution is a restoration of their present life. This psalm (and many other psalms) assume that our lives here and now really matter to God. That God intends for us to have a life in the here and now that can be full and fulfilling. In his lecture on Psalm 90, Martin Luther says “It is the most terrible of disasters and the one most deserving of tears—when people who are about to die still imagine they will go on living; when, overwhelmed by miseries, they still dream of happiness; and when, in the most critical perils that surround them, they are deliriously self-assured” (Luther Works 13, Concordia: St. Louis, 1956, p. 129). Gracia Grendal has said, “People who are unable to see the truth of what is going on about them: death, suffering, disasters make poor believers.”

In each stanza, two lines are repeated. The first between the descriptions of the crises and resolutions. First, (vv6, 13, 1G, 28): So when they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, he delivers them out of their distress.
The second after the resolution.: (vv. 8, 15, 21, 31) Oh, that they would therefore praise the Lord for his goodness and declare the wonders that he does for the children of men

These lines marry the two purposes of the psalm found at the beginning and end of the psalm. Remember the closing exhortation of v. 43 “Whoever is wise will ponder these things, and shall understand the loving-kindness of the Lord.”
Why should those who are in tough times, life-threatening times, yield themselves to the Lord? Because the God who responds does so from hesed, from a faithful lovingkindness. Even before the first exhortation, the Psalmist sets the tone of the psalm: 1 O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is gracious, and his mercy endures for ever.
All of God’s work is rooted in his loving faithfulness and his faithful love. And this we see displayed most clearly in the work of Christ. As Bernard of Clairvaux said in our prefatory reading this morning
“Creation was not so vast a work as redemption; for it is written of man and of all things that were made, ‘He spake the word, and they were made’ (Ps. 148.5). But to redeem that creation which sprang into being at His word, how much He spake, what wonders He wrought, what hardships He endured, what shames He suffered! Therefore what reward shall I give unto the Lord for all the benefits which He hath done unto me? In the first creation He gave me myself; but in His new creation He gave me Himself, and by that gift restored to me the self that I had lost.
Bernard of Clarivaux, On Loving God 5 https://www.ccel.org/ccel/bernard/loving_god.all.html

People all around us face tough times, and the one who gave them breath now has his ear inclined to help them in their distress when that breath is threatened. What the psalmist is saying and displaying here is that the way to get that message across is through sharing your testimony. Which is why the second purpose is repeated even more than the first.

v. 2 Let those whom the Lord has redeemed give thanks . . .
It is echoed in the words repeated in each of the stanzas: (vv. 8, 15, 21, 31) Oh, that they would therefore praise the Lord for his goodness and declare the wonders that he does for the children of men.
And again at the end: v. 42 The righteous will consider this and rejoice, and the mouth of all wickedness shall be stopped.
There is efficacious power in our thanksgiving shared through the rehearsing of God’s redeeming work in my life and our life. To speak of God’s faithfulness in my life and our life is to speak of his presence in our world. It reminds those who need to hear it that the Almighty, the Creator of all that is seen and all that is unseen does not sit far off but is here. That today we have communion with and have a place in the very Christ who ascended to the right of the Father. That this king still acts on our behalf.

Sharing our story says, “Trust him, because of how He has treated me.” And of the ways to rehearse it, song may be the most powerful.
The third and fourth stanzas actually elaborate on how “the groups should praise the Lord for his goodness and declare the wonders that he does for the children of men.”
v. 22 That they would offer unto him the sacrifice of thanksgiving * and tell of his works with gladness! Should actually be “with joyful singing”
v. 32 That they would exalt him also in the congregation of the people * and praise him in the seat of the elders!

The prose of Romans 8:15–16 “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” Should break into “Long my imprisoned spirit lay Fast bound in sin and nature’s night. Thine eyes diffused a quickning ray, I woke; the dungeon flamed with light. My chains fell off. My heart was free. I rose, went forth and followed thee.”
The exhortation of Isaiah: 6 “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; 7 let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.”
Break into the testimony:

My heart was distressed ’neath Jehovah’s dread frown, And low in the pit where my sins dragged me down;
I cried to the Lord from the deep miry clay, Who tenderly brought me out to golden day. He brought me out of the miry clay,
He set my feet on the Rock to stay; He puts a song in my soul today,
A song of praise, hallelujah!

This morning we share together as objects of God’s loving kindness. We share together in singing of God’s redemptive love in our lives. We sing of our Redeemer.
1 O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is gracious, and his mercy endures for ever. Let those whom the Lord has redeemed give thanks . . . 43 Whoever is wise will ponder these things, and shall understand the loving-kindness of the Lord.

Pentecost +6 – The Works of God
Rev. Doug Floyd
Psalm 145

“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:18, ESV)

When preaching on 2 Corinthians 3, JB Lightfoot proclaimed, “Already the New Jerusalem, is seen by the eye of faith coming down from heaven ablaze with the glory of the Almighty; already the tabernacle of God has descended and is pitched among men; already we are permitted to gaze on the jewelled walls and the gates of pearl, and the pavement of pure gold; to bathe in the brightness of that Eternal City, which knows not either sunlight or moonlight, ‘for the glory of God doth lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.”^[1] He continues, “The true Shekinah, the Person of Christ, shines forth in all the glory of its unapproachable beauty and brightness. And we—we feeble, unworthy, sin-stained, death-stricken men—are suffered, are invited, are entreated, nay, are compelled to come in, and to gaze on the peerless sight, till our own nature is changed by the absorption of its rays, and we are ‘transformed into the same image from glory to glory.”’^[2]

We live in a world radiating with God’s glory. But so often we fail to see. As GK Chesterton wrote, “The world will never starve for want of wonders; but only for want of wonder.”[3] Step outside in the evening and gaze upon the sunset. One moment, you behold the end of the day. Look again, and suddenly you behold a world ablaze with the glory of God.

Today our psalmist wants us to look, to reflect, to mediate upon the works of God and to give praise. Psalm 145 is an acrostic poem of praise to God, meaning that each verse begins with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Like many ancient Hebrew acrostic poems, this poem is missing a couple letters, and yet it still gives us a sense of comprehensive praise to God.

The theologian Douglas Webster said that this psalmist is calling us into his fervor of praise to God. Webster writes, “The forceful and declarative “I will” statements from the psalmist overshadow whatever lingering malaise we might bring to the psalm. His enthusiasm shakes us out of our lethargy and apathy.”[4] These “I will” statements echo through the Psalm: I will extol you, I will bless you, one generation shall commend your works to another, I will meditate, they shall speak, they shall pour forth, all your works shall/saints shall, my mouth will speak.

This is not simply praise to God because we feel warm and content. This is a choice to shout God’s praises up into the heavens no matter what we face. We choose to praise God, to meditate upon God, to shout His praises.

The psalmist invites us to consider the works of God and then suggests that those works teach us about the character of God.

What are the works of God? This would refer to both God’s creation and to God’s redemption. Ancient Israel would rehearse the story of God redeeming their ancestors from slavery in Egypt and leading them to the Promised Land. Even as we remember the story of Moses, we see it brought to fulfillment in the story of Jesus.

God comes and rescues us from slavery to sin and death and is leading us to the fullness of Himself. As we heard earlier, “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:18, ESV)

Even as we remember God’s saving grace in our world and our own lives, we are invited to consider the works of creation. The psalmist declares, “On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.” (Psalm 145:5, ESV) And again, “The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season. You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing.” (Psalm 145:15–16, ESV)

It is a good thing to enjoy this glorious creation. The novelist Marilynne Robinson writes, “We live in a time when many religious people feel fiercely threatened by science. “O ye of little faith. Let them subscribe to Scientific American for a year and then tell me if their sense of the grandeur of God is not greatly enlarged by what they have learned from it.”[5] She acknowledges that many scientists have materialist presuppositions and make no room for God, and yet even as they explore the world and describe their discoveries, we are treated to glories and wonder within our creation.

Recently, we watched a NOVA episode on “Secrets of the Forest.”[6] We discovered that, “There are more trees in Earth’s forests than stars in our galaxy.” The episode explored how the complex biodiverse forests of trees, fungi, and more play a key role in creating and maintaining a healthy climate around the world.

John Calvin saw creation filled with colors and wonder that give us joy while also pointing us to God. He writes, “For our salvation was a matter of concern to God in such a way that, not forgetful of himself, he kept his glory primarily in view, and therefore created the whole world for this end, that it may be a theater of his glory.”[7]

Everywhere we look, we might find occasion for joy and praise. GK Chesterton looks down at his feet and declares,

Once I looked at my bootlaces
Who gave me my bootlaces?
The bookmaker? Bah!
Who gave the bootmaker himself?
What did I ever do that I should be given bootlaces?[8]

Meditating upon creation might be as simple as taking a walk outside, sitting on the porch, smelling the flowers, and listening to the birds. We are attuning our senses to this glorious world that God has created. When Kelly and I traveled to Glacier National Park several years ago, we were amazed at all the colors of rocks in the water. We saw blue, red, and purple, green, and gray rocks.

I tell my students that it takes time to behold the world around us. Sometimes you must sit and wait and watch, listen, touch and smell. Gradually, we adjust to what we are observing and soon we begin to see more color, more texture, hear more variation in the sounds, smell more distinct scents. This is an important aspect of science: slow and careful observation. It is amazing what we discover when we slow down.

We might respond to creation by writing a reflection or a poem, drawing a sketch, painting a watercolor or even composing a song (even if it is just a song for our ears). We are honoring the works of God even as we are learning to praise Him in all things.

There is another aspect of creation that we may tend to overlook: humans and the things humans create. James Houston told the story of a young man heading into the city, and he said, “Well I’m off to discover God’s creation.” Ted Wright who came to St. Brendan’s when he lived here, often posts pictures online of all the amazing architecture he observes. It is a thing of glory.

The Jewish scholar Amy-Jill Levine says that when she was in college, she would step out of the show, look at herself in the mirror, and proclaim, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” At 70 years old, she continues to step out of the shower, look at herself in the mirror and declare, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” We give praise to God for our bodies, our hands, our feet, our eyes, our ears. Instead of putting down what we don’t like about our bodies, we give praise to God for how He has made us.

God has created us and given us a world to enjoy. We give praise to Him in all things. If I am watching a good movie, I may give thanks to God for the film and the filmmaker. Raymond Ortland tells the story of Theodore L. Cuyler, an American minister from Brooklyn, visiting Charles Spurgeon. After a long day, the two men were walking through the fields and enjoying the outdoors. Dr. Cuyler told a story that made Spurgeon laugh uproariously. Suddenly Spurgeon turned to Cuyler and said, “Theodore, let’s kneel down and thank God for laughter!”[9]

I think in seeking to be faithful disciples of Christ, some believers have become too serious for God. They fail to see His gracious love all around them and to enjoy His goodness and grace.

Our psalmist today suggests that as we pause over the great works of God, we begin to learn of His character. He declares, “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable.” (Psalm 145:3, ESV)

His greatness is unsearchable. We can never plumb the depths of His greatness, and yet we can have fun exploring! In verses 8-20, the psalmist declares the following characteristics of God: He is righteous, gracious, merciful, good to all, mercy over all that he has made, He has dominion over all, is faithful, upholds all who are falling down, raises up those who are bowed down, the eyes of all look to Him, He is near to all who call on him, and all flesh shall bless his name.

Let us behold God’s wondrous works and give our lives to bless His holy name.

^[1] Joseph Barber Lightfoot, Cambridge Sermons (London; New York: MacMillan and Co., 1890), 101–102.

^[2] Ibid,.

[3] Chesterton, G.K.. Tremendous Trifles (p. 7). (Function). Kindle Edition..”

[4] Douglas D. Webster, The Psalms: Jesus’s Prayer Book, vol. 4 (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Academic, 2023), 277.

[5] Robinson, Marilynne. When I Was a Child I Read Books: Essays (pp. 8-9). (Function). Kindle Edition.

[6] See NOVA on PBS <https://www.pbs.org/video/secrets-of-the-forest-preview-pc9ryn/>

[7] John Calvin, “Institutes of the Christian Religion”, I.v.8.

[8] G.K. Chesterton, GK Chesterton Collected Works, Volume X, Collected Poetry Volume 1, Ignatius Press: 1994, p. 197.

[9] Raymond C. Ortlund Jr., Preaching the Word: Proverbs—Wisdom That Works, ed. R. Kent Hughes (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2012), 119–120.

Pentecost +5
Rev. Doug Floyd
Psalm 89

King David wants to build a house for the Lord. The Lord says, “No but I will build you a house; the house of David is established by God forever. This means the kingship will never pass from David’s family through all time and time again.

Now we come to our Psalm for today. Psalm 89 is a celebration of God’s faithfulness to the house of David and therefore faithfulness to Israel. In verses 3 and 4, we read, “You have said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant: ‘I will establish your offspring forever, and build your throne for all generations.’ ” (Psalm 89:3–4, ESV)

The Psalm is celebrating and emphasizing God’s pledge to Israel. The Psalm moves back and forth between the faithfulness of God and the faithfulness of David’s house. At times it might seem unclear who is being referenced. For instance, “For you are the glory of their strength; by your favor our horn is exalted. For our shield belongs to the Lord, our king to the Holy One of Israel.” (Psalm 89:17–18, ESV)

The Lord is a shield of protection to Israel. The house of David is a shield of protection to Israel. The name David is associated with all future kings in the line of David. The horn of Israel is the king.

In a beautiful and poetic picture, the Psalm connects God’s faithfulness to His creation with His faithfulness to David. It speaks of the three-fold creation we see in Genesis: the heavens above, the earth below, and the waters under the earth. The Psalmist sings, “Steadfast love will be built up forever; in the heavens you will establish your faithfulness.”” (Psalm 89:2, ESV)

We look up to the heavens, the sky, the clouds, the sun, moon, and stars, and we see the absolute surety of God’s promise. The unseen spiritual powers in the heavens have joined in the chorus: “Let the heavens praise your wonders, O Lord, your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones! For who in the skies can be compared to the Lord? Who among the heavenly beings is like the Lord, a God greatly to be feared in the council of the holy ones, and awesome above all who are around him?” (Psalm 89:5–7, ESV)

Now the Psalm moves down the waters below the earth: “O Lord God of hosts, who is mighty as you are, O Lord, with your faithfulness all around you? You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, you still them. You crushed Rahab like a carcass; you scattered your enemies with your mighty arm.” (Psalm 89:8–10, ESV)

Finally, the earth, “The heavens are yours; the earth also is yours; the world and all that is in it, you have founded them. The north and the south, you have created them; Tabor and Hermon joyously praise your name. You have a mighty arm; strong is your hand, high your right hand. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you. Blessed are the people who know the festal shout, who walk, O Lord, in the light of your face, who exult in your name all the day and in your righteousness are exalted.” (Psalm 89:11–16, ESV)

All creation moves in a festal shout and a dance of joy before the Creator. At the center of His creation, the Lord has raised up David and he will be like a god among the nations. “I will set his hand on the sea and his right hand on the rivers. He shall cry to me, ‘You are my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation.’ And I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth. My steadfast love I will keep for him forever, and my covenant will stand firm for him. I will establish his offspring forever and his throne as the days of the heavens.” (Psalm 89:25–29, ESV)

As the Psalm continues, the Lord promises that the house of David will stand even if the people are unfaithful.

“If his children forsake my law and do not walk according to my rules, if they violate my statutes and do not keep my commandments, then I will punish their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes, but I will not remove from him my steadfast love or be false to my faithfulness. I will not violate my covenant or alter the word that went forth from my lips. Once for all I have sworn by my holiness; I will not lie to David. His offspring shall endure forever, his throne as long as the sun before me. Like the moon it shall be established forever, a faithful witness in the skies.” (Psalm 89:30–37, ESV)

After David dies, Solomon his son and many other kings of Judah introduce idolatry in the land. The idolatry leads to a series of sinful behaviors such as false worship, sexual slavery, oppression, the rich taking advantage of the poor. God shows mercy to the kingdom year after year after year. Eventually, the prophets declare enough: the Day of the Lord is at hand. Babylon invades the land, takes the people captive, kills the king’s sons, blinds the king, and drags him to Babylon.

Then they destroy the Temple and salt the land. The once thriving city of Jerusalem lays in ruins. The house of David has fallen. And there will never be another king on the throne…until Messiah comes.

In verse 38, today’s Psalm takes a sharp turn.

“But now you have cast off and rejected; you are full of wrath against your anointed. You have renounced the covenant with your servant; you have defiled his crown in the dust. You have breached all his walls; you have laid his strongholds in ruins. All who pass by plunder him; he has become the scorn of his neighbors. You have exalted the right hand of his foes; you have made all his enemies rejoice. You have also turned back the edge of his sword, and you have not made him stand in battle. You have made his splendor to cease and cast his throne to the ground. You have cut short the days of his youth; you have covered him with shame.” (Psalm 89:38–45, ESV)

The kingdom has fallen like a tree chopped down. The house of David is no more. The people are cast off and cast out. Abandoned, Captured.

“By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion.” (Psalm 137:1, ESV)

After spending most of the Psalm extolling God’s faithfulness, the psalmist now offers a sort but earnest plea to God:

“Lord, where is your steadfast love of old, which by your faithfulness you swore to David? Remember, O Lord, how your servants are mocked, and how I bear in my heart the insults of all the many nations, with which your enemies mock, O Lord, with which they mock the footsteps of your anointed.” (Psalm 89:49–51, ESV)

Where are you Lord?!? The kingdom is shattered. The world has come to an end. A pagan country that follows pagan gods now rules God’s chosen people. Where is our king? We know you are faithful, why have you forsaken us?

A small percentage of Jews will eventually return home and even rebuild the Temple. But life will be difficult. There is still no king on the throne. The glory seems to have faded in spite of the prophets assuring the people that the latter glory is greater than the former glory. Hundreds of years will pass as the people continue to cry out for the king. Different empires will rule over Israel and eventually Rome will take charge, and the false king Herod will rule Jerusalem.

Jesus comes as the true king. He will restore the House of David. And he will rule forevermore. He does not look like the king they’ve been expecting. He has no army. He is gentle. And like a lamb led to the slaughter, he is handed over to be killed. When Jesus is lifted up on the cross, He is lifted up as the true and final King of the Jews. Pilate puts an inscription on the cross reading, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” It is written in Aramaic, Latin, and Greek. This is the King.

Many Jews and Gentiles still cannot see Jesus as the true King, the Messiah. Yet Scripture promises that all humans will kneel and acknowledge Jesus Christ as the last King of the Jews (Philippians 2:9-11).

We don’t know exactly when Psalm 89 was written, but it is at least 2,400 years old and possibly longer. We are not Jews. We do not have an earthly king. How do read this Psalm about God’s faithfulness to the House of David?

1. The psalm praises God for His faithfulness to His people and looks to God’s faithfulness in all creation. Just the regularity of sun and moon speaks to us of God’s sustaining care of His creation. While we see repetition in nature and call these laws like the laws of motion, thermodynamics, and electromagnetism. G.K. Chesterton reminds us that behind the law is a will. God wills His creation, and He is never absent from His creation. So might we take more time to meditate upon the heavens above, the sea below, and the earth abroad. We might take time to praise God’s faithfulness to is creation.
2. The psalm celebrates the House of David. We acknowledge Jesus Christ as our Sovereign Ruler, but we do not live under human kings like ancient Israel. We do have leaders who make decisions that impact our lives: leaders in government, in business, in healthcare, and all across our society. We should pray for all our leaders and for wisdom as they serve.
3. Finally, this Psalm explores the great disappointment when it seems God has abandoned David, sent Jerusalem into exile, and allowed foreign nations to rule over Israel. If we look at history, we realize Israel is not the only nation to fall. Every great and glorious work falls and fades. It doesn’t mean the end of the world is at hand. But it can mean that the world as we know may dramatically change. This may happen in government, business, healthcare, and other places. And this can be difficult and even painful. This may really hit home in business when a new leader comes and reorients the whole workplace. I’ve experienced this many times and I know many of you have. During times of great change, we may not like what is happening all around us, so we pray. We look to our Lord, King Jesus, knowing that He rules and sustains all things. We may never go back to where we were, but we can learn a new path forward. He can lead us and teach us how to live in this new era. Disappointment can lead to bitterness, but I would hope it might lead us to trust, to pray, and ultimately to thanksgiving to our faithful God. So that even after we have cried out for God to remember us and even if our situation does not change, we might join with today’s final verse in Psalm 89,

“Blessed be the Lord forever! Amen and Amen.” (Psalm 89:52, ESV)