Psalms 90-92

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POST XXXV OF LX

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The Book of Common Prayer (1979) includes a plan for reading the Book of Psalms in morning and evening installments for 30 days.  I am therefore blogging through the Psalms in 60 posts.

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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:

Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,

that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life,

which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ;

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.

—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 226

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How great your works,

Yahweh the Grand,

How deep your thoughts!

–Psalm 92:6, Mitchell J. Dahood translation

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Psalm 92, meant originally for recitation on the Sabbath, is a text of praise to God.  The author, citing examples of divine action, is purely thankful.  That mood contrasts with that of Psalm 90 and 91, being a royal psalm, is inherently national.  Psalm 90, attributed to Moses, is similar to Psalm 91 in that it demonstrates an understanding of the rewards of obeying God and the consequences of disobeying God.

The author of Psalm 90 knows that human beings are transient but that God is everlasting.  The reason for divine fury in the text is anyone’s guess.  The reference in Psalm 90 could be to any of a number of incidents after the Exodus from Egypt in which God smote rebellious Hebrews before the generation that left slavery died off.

In these three psalms, taken together, we have a balanced view of divine judgment and mercy.  Mercy for the oppressed is judgment for the oppressors.  Also, rampant and consistent ingratitude and rebelliousness are negative.  To be in a situation in which one cares more about the fact that one does not like manna and quail (That again!  I ate that yesterday!)  than one does about the reality that God, who has freed the people, is feeding them, is to occupy an unfortunate spiritual space.

Is gratitude to God really so difficult?

KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR

AUGUST 17, 2017 COMMON ERA

THE FEAST OF SAMUEL JOHNSON, CONGREGATIONALIST MINISTER, ANGLICAN PRIEST, PRESIDENT OF KING’S COLLEGE, “FATHER OF THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN CONNECTICUT,” AND “FATHER OF AMERICAN LIBRARY CLASSIFICATION;” TIMOTHY CUTLER, CONGREGATIONALIST MINISTER, ANGLICAN PRIEST, AND RECTOR OF YALE COLLEGE; DANIEL BROWNE, EDUCATOR, CONGREGATIONALIST MINISTER, AND ANGLICAN PRIEST; AND JAMES WETMORE, CONGREGATIONALIST MINISTER AND ANGLICAN PRIEST

THE FEAST OF JONATHAN FRIEDRICH BAHNMAIER, GERMAN LUTHERAN MINISTER AND HYMN WRITER

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