David Bahn – Reflections – Page 97 – Light from the Word and through the lens

Psalm 23: Who is leading you?

January 31, 2023

David Bahn-Reflections Podcast

Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
²    He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
³    He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
    for his name’s sake.

⁴Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

⁵You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.
⁶Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever.

Still Standing – A Study of a Roadside Tree #10 | Outside Elgin, TX | January 2023

I am known as a leader. It’s been validated in any number of ways – from responsibilities I have in the church, to comments of others, to my interest in leadership and in teaching others about it. I don’t say this to boast. In fact, we are all leaders in some realm. We all have influence over others. Some of us are more aware of it than others. Some are better than others. Some are more hesitant than others. And some are more dangerous than others.

The danger comes when you combine a high degree of competence with a low level of godly and moral character. Think of Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Pol Pot, Idi Amin. David Koresh. Competent. Capable. Charismatic. Deceitful. Dangerous. Deadly. Too many people have been led by such as these. Too many have been used and abused by such as these.

Jesus makes a comment about such leaders, with Satan as the chief example. He is the one who comes to steal, kill, and destroy. He is capable but cunning, and set on our eternal doom. Jesus, however, describes himself as the Good Shepherd who has come to give us life in abundance. He speaks of leading his sheep who know his voice and follow him.

David – 1000 years before Jesus was born – writes about the LORD being his shepherd. And all that he does is good. Safety, security, and rich supply are the LORD’s gifts. Eternal joy in his presence is his hope. Confidence in the face of challenge and danger is his fortune.

David identifies the One who supplies all this: the LORD. This is the holy name of God, the One who is, who revealed himself to Moses as “I AM WHO I AM.” (Exodus 3:14) He was to tell the children of Israel that “HE WHO IS” had sent him to them. It’s lost on us when we use the word, “LORD,” even when it’s written in ALL CAPS. But this is no throw away term. God has a name – a good name – and wants to be known by us. We can call on his name. He hears and answers when we call.

Perhaps this can better come into focus by way of an illustration. A tour guide in Israel was telling his group about how shepherds don’t drive their sheep, they lead them. And over the next hill there appeared a herd of sheep being driven rather than led. The group asked about this, wondering whether he had been mistaken. The guide replied, “That’s not the shepherd. That’s the butcher. He’s driving them to the slaughter.”

Are you being driven or led? Are you following God’s lead or others? Are you in a place of security, safety, and supply? If so, thank God! If not, seek him and know that he is the truly good shepherd.
Psalm 23: Beyond Sentimentalism

January 30, 2023

Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
²    He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
³    He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
    for his name’s sake.

⁴Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
    I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
    your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

⁵You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.
⁶Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever.

Still Standing – A Study of a Roadside Tree #9 | Outside Elgin, TX | January 2023

I don’t like sentimentalism when it comes to faith or religion. I’m not particularly drawn to schmaltzy illustrations the pull on heartstrings without substantive truth at the core. I’m not unmoved by a heartwarming story, or a heroic tale. I am not unmoved by pain or beauty. But I am skeptical of emotional manipulations. So I’ve had to overcome a certain negative bias against this psalm. For whatever reason I used to think of this as my grandmother’s psalm. And I looked down on this psalm as if she didn’t have anything to teach me about God and faith, comfort and love. I confess this as a sin of arrogance and pride. For this psalm is not only a sentimental favorite of many. It’s also a beautiful profession and expression of faith.

The psalm begins with a profession of faith. David professes his belief in God’s grace, provision, protection, and mercy. God provides for all his needs, he professes. God leads him to good places of refreshment and rest, peace and comfort. David was a man of war. He was a leader. He was a ruler. He was large and in charge. But he was not above expressing appreciation for peaceful repose, gracious provision, and merciful leadership. This is the first part of this psalm (v. 1-3).

Then comes an expression of faith. David begins talking not about God, but to God. He talks to God about death and fear. He talks with God about enemies and honor. He talks to God about protection and comfort. He talks to God about honor and abundance. In all these conversations, David is telling God that His presence, honor, guidance, and protection sustain and delight him.

David ends with a declaration of confidence and joy of being in God’s presence forever. This is not sentimentality. This is substance, faith, hope, and a recognition of David’s need for and delight in God. This psalm is a worthy prayer for the most gentle and humble grandmother and the greatest and mighty king. I suspect you and I would fall somewhere in the spectrum between those two examples.
Today’s Psalms for January 29

January 29, 2023

Please pray these psalms with me on this Lord’s Day.

Psalm 29:1-2

Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings,
    ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
²Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
    worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.

Psalm 59:16-17

I will sing of your strength;
    I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning.
For you have been to me a fortress
    and a refuge in the day of my distress.
¹⁷O my Strength, I will sing praises to you,
    for you, O God, are my fortress,
    the God who shows me steadfast love.

Psalm 89:1-5

I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord, forever;
    with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations.
²For I said, “Steadfast love will be built up forever;
    in the heavens you will establish your faithfulness.”
³You have said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one;
    I have sworn to David my servant:
⁴‘I will establish your offspring forever,
    and build your throne for all generations.’” Selah

⁵Let the heavens praise your wonders, O Lord,
    your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones!

Psalm 119:105, 169-170

Your word is a lamp to my feet
    and a light to my path.

¹⁶⁹Let my cry come before you, O Lord;
    give me understanding according to your word!
¹⁷⁰Let my plea come before you;
    deliver me according to your word.

Psalm 149:1-4

Praise the Lord!
Sing to the Lord a new song,
    his praise in the assembly of the godly!
²Let Israel be glad in his Maker;
    let the children of Zion rejoice in their King!
³Let them praise his name with dancing,
    making melody to him with tambourine and lyre!
⁴For the Lord takes pleasure in his people;
    he adorns the humble with salvation.

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016.
Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Psalm 22: It all comes together in Jesus

January 27, 2023
David Bahn-Reflections Podcast

Psalm 22

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
    Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?
²O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,
    and by night, but I find no rest.

³Yet you are holy,
    enthroned on the praises of Israel.
⁴In you our fathers trusted;
    they trusted, and you delivered them.
⁵To you they cried and were rescued;
    in you they trusted and were not put to shame.

⁶But I am a worm and not a man,
    scorned by mankind and despised by the people.
⁷All who see me mock me;
    they make mouths at me; they wag their heads;
⁸“He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him;
    let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”

⁹Yet you are he who took me from the womb;
    you made me trust you at my mother’s breasts.
¹⁰On you was I cast from my birth,
    and from my mother’s womb you have been my God.
¹¹Be not far from me,
    for trouble is near,
    and there is none to help.

¹²Many bulls encompass me;
    strong bulls of Bashan surround me;
¹³they open wide their mouths at me,
    like a ravening and roaring lion.

¹⁴I am poured out like water,
    and all my bones are out of joint;
my heart is like wax;
    it is melted within my breast;
¹⁵my strength is dried up like a potsherd,
    and my tongue sticks to my jaws;
    you lay me in the dust of death.

¹⁶For dogs encompass me;
    a company of evildoers encircles me;
they have pierced my hands and feet—
¹⁷I can count all my bones—
they stare and gloat over me;
¹⁸they divide my garments among them,
    and for my clothing they cast lots.

¹⁹But you, O Lord, do not be far off!
    O you my help, come quickly to my aid!
²⁰Deliver my soul from the sword,
    my precious life from the power of the dog!
²¹    Save me from the mouth of the lion!
You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen!

²²I will tell of your name to my brothers;
    in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:
²³You who fear the Lord, praise him!
    All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him,
    and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!
²⁴For he has not despised or abhorred
    the affliction of the afflicted,
and he has not hidden his face from him,
    but has heard, when he cried to him.

²⁵From you comes my praise in the great congregation;
    my vows I will perform before those who fear him.
²⁶The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied;
    those who seek him shall praise the Lord!
    May your hearts live forever!

²⁷All the ends of the earth shall remember
    and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
    shall worship before you.
²⁸For kingship belongs to the Lord,
    and he rules over the nations.

²⁹All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship;
    before him shall bow all who go down to the dust,
    even the one who could not keep himself alive.
³⁰Posterity shall serve him;
    it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation;
³¹they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn,
    that he has done it.
Still Standing – A Study of a Roadside Tree #8: To One Side | Outside Elgin, TX | January 2023

My son one time made a comment that he intended as a bit of constructive criticism. “Dad,” he said, “whenever you preach, no matter what you talk about you always end up talking about Jesus.” Maybe he was concerned that I was letting people off the hook too easily. Perhaps he was wondering if I was too narrowly focused. Could be that he was simply making an observation. Whatever the case, I used it as a teaching moment (not that I couldn’t learn something from my 18 year old son!).

“That’s intentional,” I told my son. “Jesus is the center of our theology. He’s the fulfillment of all Scripture. He is the ultimate answer to our greatest needs. We’re all about Jesus – us Lutherans.” Well maybe I didn’t say exactly that, but it’s the essence of what I believe and why – no matter what topic I’m preaching on – I end up at Jesus.

This psalm takes us to Jesus. In fact there are those commentators who will hardly speak of David’s part in the context or substance of this psalm. I find it helpful to look at both. David wrote it, and surely his life is testimony to the fact that there were many times he could have prayed this prayer. David was a man after God’s heart. But he was also a fallen sinner. Adultery, deceit, murder, false witness, and pride marred him. But just like this psalm’s swings from agony to glory, he was a man who also gave highest praise to God, and was seen as the greatest king of Israel. In fact the Messiah would be called the Son of David.

And so Jesus was. Son of David is a messianic title. Matthew’s genealogy (Matthew 1) identifies Jesus as the Son of David. The two blind men call out to Jesus, “Have mercy on us, Son of David.” (Matthew 9:27) A Canaanite woman cries out, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” (Matthew 15:22) On Palm Sunday the crowds called out, shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” (Matthew 21:9)

The imagery of suffering and torment in this psalm surely reflects that of Jesus on the cross: bones out of joint, pierced hands and feet, lots cast for his clothing, people mocking him. Jesus endures this for us because of his love for his Father and for us and all sinners. He perfectly fulfills all this – not just symbolically. I don’t know of a situation when David’s hands and feet were pierced, but Jesus’ certainly were – literally. Jesus also fulfills this most telling of hope’s expression:

³⁰Posterity shall serve him;
it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation;
³¹they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn,
that he has done it.

Thanks be to God that he has done it. Whenever we are facing severe suffering and distress, we can look with Jesus to a day of redemption and the consummation of his salvation. I like to put it this way:
- We have been saved when Jesus lived, suffered, died and rose from the grave.
- We are being saved by God’s grace daily as he gives us the Holy Spirit and protects us from the Evil One.
- We will be saved when Jesus comes again at the end of all time to judge the living and the dead and gives to all who believe eternal life.
Jesus is the fulfillment of Psalm 22 and all Old Testament promises and prophecies. I all comes together in him.
Psalm 22: The Cry of True Hope

January 26, 2023

David Bahn-Reflections Podcast

Psalm 22

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
    Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?
²O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,
    and by night, but I find no rest.

³Yet you are holy,
    enthroned on the praises of Israel.
⁴In you our fathers trusted;
    they trusted, and you delivered them.
⁵To you they cried and were rescued;
    in you they trusted and were not put to shame.

⁶But I am a worm and not a man,
    scorned by mankind and despised by the people.
⁷All who see me mock me;
    they make mouths at me; they wag their heads;
⁸“He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him;
    let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”

⁹Yet you are he who took me from the womb;
    you made me trust you at my mother’s breasts.
¹⁰On you was I cast from my birth,
    and from my mother’s womb you have been my God.
¹¹Be not far from me,
    for trouble is near,
    and there is none to help.

¹²Many bulls encompass me;
    strong bulls of Bashan surround me;
¹³they open wide their mouths at me,
    like a ravening and roaring lion.

¹⁴I am poured out like water,
    and all my bones are out of joint;
my heart is like wax;
    it is melted within my breast;
¹⁵my strength is dried up like a potsherd,
    and my tongue sticks to my jaws;
    you lay me in the dust of death.

¹⁶For dogs encompass me;
    a company of evildoers encircles me;
they have pierced my hands and feet—
¹⁷I can count all my bones—
they stare and gloat over me;
¹⁸they divide my garments among them,
    and for my clothing they cast lots.

¹⁹But you, O Lord, do not be far off!
    O you my help, come quickly to my aid!
²⁰Deliver my soul from the sword,
    my precious life from the power of the dog!
²¹    Save me from the mouth of the lion!
You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen!

²²I will tell of your name to my brothers;
    in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:
²³You who fear the Lord, praise him!
    All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him,
    and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!
²⁴For he has not despised or abhorred
    the affliction of the afflicted,
and he has not hidden his face from him,
    but has heard, when he cried to him.

²⁵From you comes my praise in the great congregation;
    my vows I will perform before those who fear him.
²⁶The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied;
    those who seek him shall praise the Lord!
    May your hearts live forever!

²⁷All the ends of the earth shall remember
    and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
    shall worship before you.
²⁸For kingship belongs to the Lord,
    and he rules over the nations.

²⁹All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship;
    before him shall bow all who go down to the dust,
    even the one who could not keep himself alive.
³⁰Posterity shall serve him;
    it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation;
³¹they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn,
    that he has done it.

Still Standing – A Study of a Roadside Tree #8 | Outside Elgin, TX | January 2023

Jim Collins, in his book, Good to Great identified the “Stockdale Paradox,” named after Admiral James Stockdale. Stockdale was one of the most decorated United States Navy officers, who was also awarded the Medal of Honor in the Vietnam War. As a prisoner of war from 1965 to 1973, Stockdale was tortured over 20 times, had no prisoner’s rights, no release date, and no idea of whether he would survive to see his family again. Yet, he survived when many of his co-prisoners didn’t.

He did so by facing the brutal facts of his situation, but never giving up hope of being freed.

“I never doubted not only that I would get out, but also that I would prevail in the end and turn the experience into the defining event of my life, which, in retrospect, I would not trade.” – James Bond Stockdale

His was not a hope oblivious of his dreadful situation.

“You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end—which you can never afford to lose—with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.” – James Bond Stockdale

Stockdale might have learned this from this very Psalm. David faces the brutal facts; no question about that. He pictures himself surrounded by dogs, bones out of joint, abandoned by God. But he also reflects a hope in the goodness, faithfulness, justice, and mercy of God.

Look at the last ⅓ of the psalm. It’s filled with hope, beginning with “I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you.” (v. 22). And ending with

Posterity shall serve him;
    it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation;
³¹they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn,
    that he has done it.

Those are words of hope. Real hope. Not denying the grave agony and urgent distress of the current troubles, but holding to hope in the end. Such is the cry of true hope.

You may be facing nearly insurmountable challenges, subject to unimaginable stress, or feeling grave difficulties. God does not want you to deny these brutal facts. But neither does he want you to give up hope. He is good. And our hope has been secured in the One who quotes this psalm from the cross. Our Lord Jesus remained faithful to the very end, and now has the name above every name. At the name of Jesus Christ, every knee will bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. We who hope in him will prevail.
Psalm 22: The Cry of Abandonment

January 25, 2023

David Bahn-Reflections Podcast

Psalm 22

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
    Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?
²O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,
    and by night, but I find no rest.

³Yet you are holy,
    enthroned on the praises of Israel.
⁴In you our fathers trusted;
    they trusted, and you delivered them.
⁵To you they cried and were rescued;
    in you they trusted and were not put to shame.

⁶But I am a worm and not a man,
    scorned by mankind and despised by the people.
⁷All who see me mock me;
    they make mouths at me; they wag their heads;
⁸“He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him;
    let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”

⁹Yet you are he who took me from the womb;
    you made me trust you at my mother’s breasts.
¹⁰On you was I cast from my birth,
    and from my mother’s womb you have been my God.
¹¹Be not far from me,
    for trouble is near,
    and there is none to help.

¹²Many bulls encompass me;
    strong bulls of Bashan surround me;
¹³they open wide their mouths at me,
    like a ravening and roaring lion.

¹⁴I am poured out like water,
    and all my bones are out of joint;
my heart is like wax;
    it is melted within my breast;
¹⁵my strength is dried up like a potsherd,
    and my tongue sticks to my jaws;
    you lay me in the dust of death.

¹⁶For dogs encompass me;
    a company of evildoers encircles me;
they have pierced my hands and feet—
¹⁷I can count all my bones—
they stare and gloat over me;
¹⁸they divide my garments among them,
    and for my clothing they cast lots.

¹⁹But you, O Lord, do not be far off!
    O you my help, come quickly to my aid!
²⁰Deliver my soul from the sword,
    my precious life from the power of the dog!
²¹    Save me from the mouth of the lion!
You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen!

²²I will tell of your name to my brothers;
    in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:
²³You who fear the Lord, praise him!
    All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him,
    and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!
²⁴For he has not despised or abhorred
    the affliction of the afflicted,
and he has not hidden his face from him,
    but has heard, when he cried to him.

²⁵From you comes my praise in the great congregation;
    my vows I will perform before those who fear him.
²⁶The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied;
    those who seek him shall praise the Lord!
    May your hearts live forever!

²⁷All the ends of the earth shall remember
    and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
    shall worship before you.
²⁸For kingship belongs to the Lord,
    and he rules over the nations.

²⁹All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship;
    before him shall bow all who go down to the dust,
    even the one who could not keep himself alive.
³⁰Posterity shall serve him;
    it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation;
³¹they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn,
    that he has done it.

Still Standing – A Study of a Roadside Tree #7 | Outside Elgin, TX | January 2023

Sometimes I feel like a motherless child. Sometimes I feel like a motherless child. There is some painful history behind this Negro Spiritual from the mid 19th century. It’s the cry of a child being sold at a slave auction; being taken from her mother to become the property of another owner. That is a powerful image. Deeply distressing. That would be a time to cry out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Or imagine discovering a newborn baby left in the woods by his mother. What about a man who has sinned, repented, asked for forgiveness, and is seeking to rebuild his life but whose friends will have nothing to do with him. He is left utterly alone. Sure he’s done wrong. But in light of God’s promise of forgiveness, he may wonder whether God has forsaken him.

Sadly, not every response to this sense of abandonment is healthy or salutary. The feeling of abandonment may be legitimate. We all experience a sense of loss or disconnectedness from time to time. And sometimes we may experience a severe sense of loss and loneliness. A spouse dies. A child runs away. A friend moves away. A relationship changes. A co-worker turns on you. A neighbor shuns you. You might feel abandoned by God.

In those situations you might be tempted to resent God, become bitter, and refuse to forgive those who have wronged you. You may decide to abandon the faith and give in to despair. You might give up hope.

But you must remember that God has not abandoned you. Jesus endured that for you and all mankind. He suffered God’s abandonment so we would never have to. I say, “have to,” because we may stubbornly and sinfully refuse God’s presence. We can abandon him. The ultimate experience of that would be eternal abandonment from God in hell. But it need never be!

The good news, also, is that when we feel abandoned by God, and call out to him, we are in good company. And God hears the prayers of his people. He loves us all, and pours on us the balm of Gilead. That may come through the kind word of a brother or sister in Christ. A neighbor may sense your loneliness and visit you or invite you to be with her. Sometimes we must simply continue in prayer and seek God’s comfort from his word.

That’s where the Psalms are so very precious. We can pray the psalms and express our earnest needs and woes through psalms such as this one. But even in this one, we see words of hope-filled faith. That’s the other blessing of praying the psalms: They don’t leave us in the doldrums of grief and sadness. They also express great faith in God. He is good. He will act. He has acted in Jesus. Our ultimate future has been secured. And as lift our cry of abandonment to God, we must also hold to the hope that is secured in Jesus.
Psalm 22: The Cry of Faith

January 24, 2023

David Bahn-Reflections Podcast

Psalm 22

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
    Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?
²O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,
    and by night, but I find no rest.

³Yet you are holy,
    enthroned on the praises of Israel.
⁴In you our fathers trusted;
    they trusted, and you delivered them.
⁵To you they cried and were rescued;
    in you they trusted and were not put to shame.

⁶But I am a worm and not a man,
    scorned by mankind and despised by the people.
⁷All who see me mock me;
    they make mouths at me; they wag their heads;
⁸“He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him;
    let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”

⁹Yet you are he who took me from the womb;
    you made me trust you at my mother’s breasts.
¹⁰On you was I cast from my birth,
    and from my mother’s womb you have been my God.
¹¹Be not far from me,
    for trouble is near,
    and there is none to help.

¹²Many bulls encompass me;
    strong bulls of Bashan surround me;
¹³they open wide their mouths at me,
    like a ravening and roaring lion.

¹⁴I am poured out like water,
    and all my bones are out of joint;
my heart is like wax;
    it is melted within my breast;
¹⁵my strength is dried up like a potsherd,
    and my tongue sticks to my jaws;
    you lay me in the dust of death.

¹⁶For dogs encompass me;
    a company of evildoers encircles me;
they have pierced my hands and feet—
¹⁷I can count all my bones—
they stare and gloat over me;
¹⁸they divide my garments among them,
    and for my clothing they cast lots.

¹⁹But you, O Lord, do not be far off!
    O you my help, come quickly to my aid!
²⁰Deliver my soul from the sword,
    my precious life from the power of the dog!
²¹    Save me from the mouth of the lion!
You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen!

²²I will tell of your name to my brothers;
    in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:
²³You who fear the Lord, praise him!
    All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him,
    and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!
²⁴For he has not despised or abhorred
    the affliction of the afflicted,
and he has not hidden his face from him,
    but has heard, when he cried to him.

²⁵From you comes my praise in the great congregation;
    my vows I will perform before those who fear him.
²⁶The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied;
    those who seek him shall praise the Lord!
    May your hearts live forever!

²⁷All the ends of the earth shall remember
    and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
    shall worship before you.
²⁸For kingship belongs to the Lord,
    and he rules over the nations.

²⁹All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship;
    before him shall bow all who go down to the dust,
    even the one who could not keep himself alive.
³⁰Posterity shall serve him;
    it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation;
³¹they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn,
    that he has done it.

Still Standing – A Study of a Roadside Tree #6 | Outside Elgin, TX | January 2023

Songs or psalms of lament are not very popular. We would rather lean toward happy, hopeful, and helpful Bible passages. “Rejoice in the Lord…” (Philippians 4) “O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good and his mercy endures forever.” (Psalm 107) Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding…” (Proverbs 3) “All things work together for good for those who love God…” (Romans 8)

We’re not too keen on passages like “My God, my God, why have you forsake me?” That sounds like a cry of faithlessness. We don’t find much comfort in phrases like, “I can count all my bones…” (v. 17) But here they are. And in that same psalm as joyful and faith-filled exclamations:

²⁵From you comes my praise in the great congregation;
    my vows I will perform before those who fear him.
²⁶The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied;
    those who seek him shall praise the Lord!

This is exactly what makes faith true faith and not just wishful thinking. Faith doesn’t pretend things are good when they are obviously not. Faith looks beyond the troubles of this world. But faith doesn’t deny their existence. Faith trusts in God’s ultimate deliverance in the face of real and present dangers and distress. Jesus (and David) was in real distress. He of perfect faith was enduring unimaginable physical, emotional, and spiritual pain. Crucifixion is an extremely cruel and painful means of torturous execution. His friends and disciples had all fled. Peter had denied him. And worst of all, based on this cry, we must conclude that God Himself turned his back on his Son. Unimaginable! Difficult to believe.

Yet Jesus cries, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Though God had forsaken him, he kept faith in God. Please don’t try to comprehend the mysteries of the triune nature of God in regard to this. Entire seminary classes are given to Christology including things like the Genus Apostelismaticum, Genus Majestaticum, and Genus Idiomaticum, (the communication of human and divine attributes within the person of Christ). We study how opera ad extra indivisa sunt, and opera ad intra divisa sunt. I’ve studied all these things, can maybe satisfy a systematics professor that I understand it. But it would be more accurate to say, I believe it. I take it all by faith.

But even there, my faith is imperfect. Perhaps I’m too dismissive of the apparent contradictions and impossibilities of Jesus’ divine nature and his human nature as he suffers so and calls out to God in agony. But what I believe is precious to me. For me of little and faltering faith I look to the pioneer of faith (cf. Hebrews 12:2). Jesus never turned away from his Father – even when his Father forsook him. This is the cry of perfect faith. When my faith fails me, I have a Savior who is perfectly righteous and faithful. He is my righteousness. He is my salvation.

Jesus also looks with confidence to his ultimate delivery. That is expressed in this psalm as well. His is the ultimate cry of faith.
Psalm 22: The Cry of the Soul

January 23, 2023

David Bahn-Reflections Podcast

Psalm 22

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
    Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?
²O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,
    and by night, but I find no rest.

³Yet you are holy,
    enthroned on the praises of Israel.
⁴In you our fathers trusted;
    they trusted, and you delivered them.
⁵To you they cried and were rescued;
    in you they trusted and were not put to shame.

⁶But I am a worm and not a man,
    scorned by mankind and despised by the people.
⁷All who see me mock me;
    they make mouths at me; they wag their heads;
⁸“He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him;
    let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”

⁹Yet you are he who took me from the womb;
    you made me trust you at my mother’s breasts.
¹⁰On you was I cast from my birth,
    and from my mother’s womb you have been my God.
¹¹Be not far from me,
    for trouble is near,
    and there is none to help.

¹²Many bulls encompass me;
    strong bulls of Bashan surround me;
¹³they open wide their mouths at me,
    like a ravening and roaring lion.

¹⁴I am poured out like water,
    and all my bones are out of joint;
my heart is like wax;
    it is melted within my breast;
¹⁵my strength is dried up like a potsherd,
    and my tongue sticks to my jaws;
    you lay me in the dust of death.

¹⁶For dogs encompass me;
    a company of evildoers encircles me;
they have pierced my hands and feet—
¹⁷I can count all my bones—
they stare and gloat over me;
¹⁸they divide my garments among them,
    and for my clothing they cast lots.

¹⁹But you, O Lord, do not be far off!
    O you my help, come quickly to my aid!
²⁰Deliver my soul from the sword,
    my precious life from the power of the dog!
²¹    Save me from the mouth of the lion!
You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen!

²²I will tell of your name to my brothers;
    in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:
²³You who fear the Lord, praise him!
    All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him,
    and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!
²⁴For he has not despised or abhorred
    the affliction of the afflicted,
and he has not hidden his face from him,
    but has heard, when he cried to him.

²⁵From you comes my praise in the great congregation;
    my vows I will perform before those who fear him.
²⁶The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied;
    those who seek him shall praise the Lord!
    May your hearts live forever!

²⁷All the ends of the earth shall remember
    and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
    shall worship before you.
²⁸For kingship belongs to the Lord,
    and he rules over the nations.

²⁹All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship;
    before him shall bow all who go down to the dust,
    even the one who could not keep himself alive.
³⁰Posterity shall serve him;
    it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation;
³¹they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn,
    that he has done it.

Still Standing – A Study of a Roadside Tree #5 | Outside Elgin, TX | January 2023

Maybe you know someone given to extreme expressions of feelings and emotions. Hopefully they do not have (HPD). HPD is a mental health condition marked by unstable emotions, a distorted self-image and an overwhelming desire to be noticed. People with HPD often behave dramatically or inappropriately to get attention. More often we deal with people with bipolar disorders. One minute they’re highly joyful and effusive in happiness. The next day they are deeply sad and gravely depressed.

Some have suggested that David was such a one. Reading his psalms, you can surely sense strong emotions of great joy and deep distress. He cries, at the beginning of this psalm, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” In later verses, he sings God’s praises:

²²I will tell of your name to my brothers;
    in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:
²³You who fear the Lord, praise him!
    All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him,
    and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!

This is one of the reasons I love the psalms. They give expression to all kinds of emotions. From the depths of woe to the heights of joy, David and the other psalmists pour out their prayers to God. Sometimes I need that to put my joys and sorrows into words. They can also give me permission to be down. Sometimes life is not going well. Sometimes I am sad. God knows it already. And he stands ready to hear us when we bring prayers of distress and sorrow to him. Not only is he not surprised by all this. He has promised, “A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” (Psalm 51:17)

While this Psalm expresses both distress and joy, it is surely known as a psalm of distress. If God has forsaken us, that is cause for distress. And David begins this psalm with that cry. Perhaps as David was on the run from Saul, he felt this deep sense of being forsaken. It might have been in the throes of his sin with Bathsheba and the death of their child, he felt this. Was it when his son Absalom rebelled against him he cried out so.

Followers of Jesus, however, cannot read this psalm without thinking of Jesus on the cross. He cries these words as he suffers so unjustly. Later this week, I’ll be reflecting more on Jesus’ prayer. For now, consider with me the way in which these words – written 1000 years before Jesus so clearly describe Jesus’ suffering and death. He did that for you and for me. He was forsaken so that we may never be forsaken by God.

English Standard Study Bible Chart
Today’s Psalms for January 22

January 22, 2023

Please pray these psalms with me on this Lord’s Day. Note that Psalm 22 forms Jesus’ prayer from the cross.

Psalm 22

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
    Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?
²O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,
    and by night, but I find no rest.

³Yet you are holy,
    enthroned on the praises of Israel.
⁴In you our fathers trusted;
    they trusted, and you delivered them.
⁵To you they cried and were rescued;
    in you they trusted and were not put to shame.

⁶But I am a worm and not a man,
    scorned by mankind and despised by the people.
⁷All who see me mock me;
    they make mouths at me; they wag their heads;
⁸“He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him;
    let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”

⁹Yet you are he who took me from the womb;
    you made me trust you at my mother’s breasts.
¹⁰On you was I cast from my birth,
    and from my mother’s womb you have been my God.
¹¹Be not far from me,
    for trouble is near,
    and there is none to help.

¹²Many bulls encompass me;
    strong bulls of Bashan surround me;
¹³they open wide their mouths at me,
    like a ravening and roaring lion.

¹⁴I am poured out like water,
    and all my bones are out of joint;
my heart is like wax;
    it is melted within my breast;
¹⁵my strength is dried up like a potsherd,
    and my tongue sticks to my jaws;
    you lay me in the dust of death.

¹⁶For dogs encompass me;
    a company of evildoers encircles me;
they have pierced my hands and feet—
¹⁷I can count all my bones—
they stare and gloat over me;
¹⁸they divide my garments among them,
    and for my clothing they cast lots.

¹⁹But you, O Lord, do not be far off!
    O you my help, come quickly to my aid!
²⁰Deliver my soul from the sword,
    my precious life from the power of the dog!
²¹    Save me from the mouth of the lion!
You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen!

²²I will tell of your name to my brothers;
    in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:
²³You who fear the Lord, praise him!
    All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him,
    and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!
²⁴For he has not despised or abhorred
    the affliction of the afflicted,
and he has not hidden his face from him,
    but has heard, when he cried to him.

²⁵From you comes my praise in the great congregation;
    my vows I will perform before those who fear him.
²⁶The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied;
    those who seek him shall praise the Lord!
    May your hearts live forever!

²⁷All the ends of the earth shall remember
    and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
    shall worship before you.
²⁸For kingship belongs to the Lord,
    and he rules over the nations.

²⁹All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship;
    before him shall bow all who go down to the dust,
    even the one who could not keep himself alive.
³⁰Posterity shall serve him;
    it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation;
³¹they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn,
    that he has done it.

Psalm 52:1-3

[Sadly evil is “out there” which we must confront. We must also confront the evil within our own hearts.]

Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man?
    The steadfast love of God endures all the day.
²Your tongue plots destruction,
    like a sharp razor, you worker of deceit.
³You love evil more than good,
    and lying more than speaking what is right. Selah

Psalm 82:1-4

God has taken his place in the divine council;
    in the midst of the gods he holds judgment:
²“How long will you judge unjustly
    and show partiality to the wicked? Selah
³Give justice to the weak and the fatherless;
    maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute.
⁴Rescue the weak and the needy;
    deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”

Psalm 112:1-5

Praise the Lord!
Blessed is the man who fears the Lord,
    who greatly delights in his commandments!
²His offspring will be mighty in the land;
    the generation of the upright will be blessed.
³Wealth and riches are in his house,
    and his righteousness endures forever.
⁴Light dawns in the darkness for the upright;
    he is gracious, merciful, and righteous.
⁵It is well with the man who deals generously and lends;
    who conducts his affairs with justice.

Psalm 142:5-7

I cry to you, O Lord;
    I say, “You are my refuge,
    my portion in the land of the living.”
⁶Attend to my cry,
    for I am brought very low!
Deliver me from my persecutors,
    for they are too strong for me!
⁷Bring me out of prison,
    that I may give thanks to your name!
The righteous will surround me,
    for you will deal bountifully with me.

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016.
Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Psalm 19: Words and Thoughts

January 20, 2023

David Bahn-Reflections Podcast

Psalm 19

The heavens declare the glory of God,
    and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
²Day to day pours out speech,
    and night to night reveals knowledge.
³There is no speech, nor are there words,
    whose voice is not heard.
⁴Their voice goes out through all the earth,
    and their words to the end of the world.
In them he has set a tent for the sun,
⁵    which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber,
    and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.
⁶Its rising is from the end of the heavens,
    and its circuit to the end of them,
    and there is nothing hidden from its heat.

⁷The law of the Lord is perfect,
    reviving the soul;
the testimony of the Lord is sure,
    making wise the simple;
⁸the precepts of the Lord are right,
    rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is pure,
    enlightening the eyes;
⁹the fear of the Lord is clean,
    enduring forever;
the rules of the Lord are true,
    and righteous altogether.
¹⁰More to be desired are they than gold,
    even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey
    and drippings of the honeycomb.
¹¹Moreover, by them is your servant warned;
    in keeping them there is great reward.

¹²Who can discern his errors?
    Declare me innocent from hidden faults.
¹³Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins;
    let them not have dominion over me!
Then I shall be blameless,
    and innocent of great transgression.

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

Still Standing – A Study of a Roadside Tree #4 | Outside Elgin, TX | January 2023

We’ve been looking at how little things can have a big impact at St. John, where I used to serve as senior pastor and now attend as a happy member. Pastor Mark Wuggazer has opened our eyes to some important realities: Our thoughts inform our words. Our words impact our actions. And our actions become habits. The key thought is that thoughts and words matter. That’s sometimes less obvious than the idea that our actions matter.

People like to claim that they cannot control their thoughts. But we must let go of that excuse. For that is what it is: an excuse to indulge our flesh in sinful imaginations, schemes, and fantasies. Scripture tells us to take every thought captive to Christ. (cf. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5) Romans 12:1-2 states,

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. ²Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Then come the words. Carole Mayhall wrote a book, Words that Hurt, Words that Heal. In it she makes the point that words can have profound impact for good or ill. God calls us to speak words that are fountains of life. (cf. Proverbs 10:11) That is at the root of this prayer.

What better example do we have than Jesus as one who spoke words of life.

“Neither do I condemn you. Go, and sin no more,” he says to the woman caught in adultery. (John 8:11)

“What do you want me to do for you?” he asks the blind man. (Mark 10:51)

“If you would ask, I would give you living water,” he says to the woman at the well. (John 4:10)

“And surely, I will be with you always, even to the end of the age,” he promises his followers. (Matthew 28:20)

St. Paul urges us: “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” (Philippians 4:8)

Not long ago a friend offered this suggestion to overcome insomnia. I had shared that I will pray the Lord’s prayer again and again, or sing/pray the Agnus Dei, or a favorite hymn. His suggestion: When you wake up in the middle of the night think of all the things for which you’re thankful, things that bring you true joy. I wonder now if the glory of the heavenly witness, the beautiful truth of God’s word, the blessed promises of Scripture, and the gift of God’s forgiveness and redemption should fill my mind, not only when I cannot sleep, but throughout the day. And then, my words would surely be gracious and full of life as well.