Days' 14 and 15 Summer Psalms 66 - 75

The photo is of The Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish Church in Pittsburgh. It sits at the center of a small ethnic community called Polish Hill and is a reminder to us of the city's faithful. Tim and I walked the hill to the parish's festival on Sunday. By no means an affluent community, the humble homes of Pittsburghers surround the church, a church which is clearly struggling to do its best to continue its work for the people. The cobbled streets bare the wear of many lifetimes of faithful Catholics who trod to the church's pews to worship at daily Mass. On Sunday the festival's folk music reminisced of their devotion, the artisans created momentos of their beloved icons, and the same food that once nourished those tired Polish immigrants was served by the hands of their descendents. In today's psalms, I learned more about the dedication of such people, men who held their faith above all else, who "always" found the joy of the Lord in their hearts in the face of despair.

In Psalm 66, God gives Hezekiah, a Jewish king, fifteen more years of life. Hezekiah turned to the Lord instead of his doctors and pleaded with God to spare him. Hezekiah was elated when God heard his cry. In his psalm, he writes robustly, "Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth; sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise!" In Psalm 67, although the author is unknown, the verses are written again, in exultation as the line "Let the peoples praise thee, O God; let all the peoples praise thee!" is repeated several times.

After Psalm 68, Ezra writes about the persecution the Jews endure during their attempts to rebuild the temple of God. Despite the abuse they receive from the Samaritans (a new people made up of Assyrians who intermarried with Jews), the Jews continued on. They persevered, and continued their work as Ezra writes, with the joy of the Lord in their hearts. Verse 32 shouts out, "Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth; sing praises to the Lord."

We're back to David and his troubles in Psalm 69, and I have to admire David in this one. The poor guy has just lost another son, his handsome, personable second favorite son Adonijah. Like his son Absalom, Adonijah was on a power trip and wanted to steal the crown from Solomon, so Solomon had him slain. If we take a moment to ponder all of the heartache David suffered through his children, it truly is pitiful. David had a son that dies at birth, his son Absalom killed his brother Amnon for raping their sister, Absalom is later killed in battle for rebelling against David, now Adonijah is dead! Remarkable as it may be, David's love for God is still paramount. He finds it in himself to continue his praise of God's blessings. In Psalm 69: 30, David writes, "I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with Thanksgiving." Now, that is devotion and true commitment. For those of us who think we cannot endure another burden, think of David. God love him.

Even in Psalm 70 which is written after David hears the news of his son Absalom's death, David is thankful to God for delivering him from his enemy, his own son. He praises God with his words in verse 4, "May all who seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee!"

Always, always, always bless the Lord for his many favors. As Solomon shows us in Psalm 72, he is right in asking God to provide him with the wisdom to rule a nation. This should be the psalm that every politician on this earth wakes up and recites each morning. For instance in verse 4, "Defend the cause of the poor," and verse 13, "He has pity on the weak and the needy," we see Solomon's desire to do good. However, Solomon credits God for all of the good he is able to accomplish, "Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things." 

Psalm 73  is written by Asaph, David's choir director. Unlike David, Asaph has trouble understanding why God lets the wicked prosper. He cries out to God in verse 4, "For they have no pangs; their bodies are sound and sleek. They are not in trouble as other men are." Asaph questions why he even tries to be Godly in verse 13, "All in vain have I kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence." He tries to understand the God of David whose promises to reward the faithful with eternal life in heaven, but who will punish the evil with eternal damnation.

Asaph is really discouraged in Psalm 74. Following an invasion by Shishak, and Egyptian King, Asaph wrote this psalm as he watched Shishak's army pillage the temple of God in Jerusalem, taking off with all the gold. Asaph was devastated. Again we see in Asaph's writing his plaint against the wicked. How do they always come out on top? He wonders and questions God again in verses 10 and 11, "How long, O God, is the foe to scoff? Is the enemy to revile thy name forever? Why dost thou hold back thy hand, why dost thou keep thy right hand in thy bosom?"

Working to overcome his wavering faith in Psalm 75, Asaph begins a series of psalms written in praise of God. He starts, "We give thanks to thee, O God,; we give thanks." In this psalm he also warns people not to speak against one another or boast of themselves. He says, "...God is the judge; he setteth up and putteth down another." Asaph is still concerned with the evil of the wicked, but you can see that instead of complaining to God about it, he is now acting against it. In speaking out against wrong, he is using the strength provided by God to make a change for good. Asaph's ends today's readings as they began, he is praising God, his hope and refuge in, at times, a very ungodly world, "I will rejoice for ever, I will sing praises to the God of Jacob."

In response to Psalm's 66 to 75, I have to say, I am humbled. These people, Hezekiah, Asaph, Solomon, David, and Ezra are without a doubt God's faithful. I can't begin to understand the pain and suffering of their time, yet they did not waiver in their loyalty to the Lord. Always, always, always, they blessed the Lord in all things. These readings and the people of Polish Hill, teach me a great lesson; God deserves my praise, my joy, my glad heart, each and every day, in each and every situation or circumstance. When all seems at loss, I must remember, whom do I have but God? There is nothing on this earth that I should desire but Him.