Obedient Living

Preparing for the Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany: Two Days before Sunday (Year A)

Scripture

Psalter: Psalm 112:1-9 (10)

Old Testament: Isaiah 29:1-12

Epistle: James 3:13-18

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Prayer

O God, you spoke your word and revealed your good news in Jesus, the Christ. Fill all creation with that word again, so that by proclaiming your joyful promises to all nations and singing of your glorious hope to all peoples, we may become one living body, your incarnate presence on the earth. Amen.

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Reflection

Praise the Lord!

    Happy are those who fear the Lord,

    who greatly delight in his commandments.

Their descendants will be mighty in the land;

    the generation of the upright will be blessed.

Wealth and riches are in their houses,

    and their righteousness endures forever.

They rise in the darkness as a light for the upright;

    they are gracious, merciful, and righteous.

It is well with those who deal generously and lend,

    who conduct their affairs with justice.

For the righteous will never be moved;

    they will be remembered forever.

They are not afraid of evil tidings;

    their hearts are firm, secure in the Lord.

Their hearts are steady; they will not be afraid;

    in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.

They have distributed freely; they have given to the poor;

    their righteousness endures forever;

    their horn is exalted in honor (Psalm 112:1-9).

by Joan Stott

The Psalms are the Hymn Book and the Prayer Book of the people of Israel, having been collected over a long period of time and created by different people in different circumstances. There are prayers and songs of praise of God; of thankfulness for past blessings; petitions for help, liberation and revenge; and revisited history lessons. Some of the hymns/prayers are deeply personal, whilst others are for use in shared worship experiences. The psalmists encouraged a God-centred lifestyle; an ethical approach to business and relationships; an integrity in personal lifestyle; and an emphasis on justice and on living in such a way that brought honour and praise to God within their covenantal relationship with God. Despite their close association with God, the creators of the Psalms were also very human, with all humanity’s limitations, weaknesses and issues— which is probably why so many people so love the Psalms and their messages!

Creative pause: Which psalm speaks to you most clearly of God?

The Psalms also give us a deeper and richer understanding of God, through the eyes, ears and personal lives of the psalmists. Psalm 112 opens with these words: “Praise the LORD! How joyful are those who fear the LORD and delight in obeying his commands…” and then adds: “...Light shines in the darkness for the godly...” as a further description of people who live in complete awe of God. “Righteous” is a rather old fashioned word often used for people who are “godly”; but the associated synonyms for those two descriptive words: “reverent”, “pious”, “virtuous”, “religious”, “devout” and “saintly” are today often used negatively! Yet the light of God still shines through the darkness onto the people thus derisively described! “…They do not fear…they confidently trust the LORD to care for them.”

Creative pause: Would you describe yourself as being “godly”?

How do we discern the values of a person we meet for the first time? How do we assess where their priorities lie; and whether they are an ethical person to be trusted and believed? Do we listen to what they tell us or do be assess their actions first? Professor Walter Brueggemann’s commentary in his book “Psalms” enabled me to come to grips with this difficult psalm, which again praises the committed life of people who live in “Torah obedience”. He writes: “...The reading of Psalm 112 herein suggests that context is central for interpretation... The context is the Hebrew wisdom tradition and an artful alphabetic acrostic from a teacher who has learned about life and as a result in this poetic form commends a lifestyle in line with YHWH’s created order. The lifestyle is based on integrity, both in terms of justice and in terms of lives being wholly integrated. The lifestyle finds hope not in self-confidence or in feverish effort but in faithful relationships initiated and sustained by the creator. The psalm imparts divine guidance for living. Such relationships and guidance can offer stability in the face of chaos...”1

Creative pause: That “godly” person finds hope in their relationship with their Creator.

NOTES

1 Text by Professor Walter Brueggemann & William H Bellinger Junior from “Psalms” Psalm 1121: 1-9, page 487 © 2014 Cambridge University Press

PRAYER: God of every land and nation, you have created all people and you dwell among us in Jesus Christ. Listen to the cries of those who pray to you, and grant that, as we proclaim the greatness of your name, all people will know the power of love at work in the world. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

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More from “The Timeless Psalms” can be found here.