August 3 — Psalm 94

O LORD, you God of vengeance, you God of vengeance, shine forth! Rise up, O judge of the earth; give to the proud what they deserve! O LORD, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked exult? They pour out their arrogant words; all the evildoers boast. They crush your people, O LORD, and afflict your heritage. They kill the widow and the stranger, they murder the orphan, and they say, “The LORD does not see; the God of Jacob does not perceive.” Understand, O dullest of the people; fools, when will you be wise? He who planted the ear, does he not hear? He who formed the eye, does he not see? He who disciplines the nations, he who teaches knowledge to humankind, does he not chastise? The LORD knows our thoughts, that they are but an empty breath. Happy are those whom you discipline, O LORD, and whom you teach out of your law, giving them respite from days of trouble, until a pit is dug for the wicked. For the LORD will not forsake his people; he will not abandon his heritage; for justice will return to the righteous, and all the upright in heart will follow it. (Verses 1-15)

Vengeance is a real concern — an age-old problem. It appears to me that we are living in a society that wants to seek vengeance before it wants to seek reconciliation. What we forget is that one of these is in G-d’s purview, and one is in ours.

Vengeance sounds nice, on the surface — it sounds good in our heads. When someone does us wrong, our first impulse is to “get back at them”. But, how often I have felt the need for vengeance, and once it comes, I find it does not make me feel better for long, if at all. This is one of the reasons I like to read the Psalms, for they often remind us about what belongs to G-d, and what belongs to humanity. Thus, we see the Psalmist reminding us that vengeance belongs to G-d — but the Psalmist is also reminding G-d of the same.

There are always going to be righteous people being oppressed by the evil of this world, just as there will be others being oppressed in this world. Evil holds no regard for the righteous or the unrighteous. Here the Psalmist is asking G-d to go ahead and do something that will stop the oppression of those deemed righteous in G-d’s eyes.

Someday we will understand why our world functions the way it does, why what has happened throughout the ages has happened, and why G-d delayed in doing something about it. We do know and trust that G-d has the long-view of this world, while we see only in part. And, we also profess that G-d is long-suffering. Perhaps like the parable of the Weeds and the Wheat, G-d is giving all people the chance to produce good fruit and the time to repent.

Let us Pray:

Lord, you are a merciful and jealous God. Convert your enemies and draw to you those that are going astray; but restrain the persecutors of your Church and the corrupters of your truth. Build your Church and make it a city upon a hill that brings salvation to all.

Amen

Psalm 93 — August 2

The LORD is king, he is robed in majesty; the LORD is robed, he is girded with strength. He has established the world; it shall never be moved; your throne is established from of old; you are from everlasting. The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their roaring. More majestic than the thunders of mighty waters, more majestic than the waves of the sea, majestic on high is the LORD! Your decrees are very sure; holiness befits your house, O LORD, forevermore.

The Lord is forevermore — from the beginning of everything to the end of all things, the Lord “Is”.

This understanding of course moves beyond our fullest knowing. How can we fathom what was not — before what was? We cannot — at least I cannot. I think this is why I like G-d’s response to Moses — Moses, who in Exodus 3 has this exchange with God: “If I come to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” He said further, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ”

You see, G-d is an action — G-d’s name is a verb. G-d is not a thing — nothing we can actually put an image to — though that has not stopped us throughout the millennia. For example, when we hear the Psalmist say the “Lord is King” — well we know what a king sitting on a throne looks like — so that must be what G-d looks like. But that is a reductionist way to see our King.

I like to think of G-d as Spirit — as Creation — as Redemption — and as Sanctifier. Those are words that move, that demonstrate action, that keep G-d alive and active in my world. Yes, G-d is King — and Jesus is Lord. But they are not static and motionless among us. They are moving and acting in our world today — like the waters of a flood, they cannot be stopped.

Let us pray:

Lord Jesus, triumphant Victor and glorious King, continue to spread Your kingdom on earth, converting the nations from the power of darkness unto Your light. Preserve Your Gospel in its truth and purity to us and to our children in all generations. Grant us to worship You in righteousness and true holiness all our days, and finally receive us into those glorious mansions that You have prepared in the house of Your Father.

Amen.