Inherit the Land

Psalm 37:4, 9, 11, 22, 29, 34

Delight yourself in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.  

For the evildoers shall be cut off,
but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land. 

But the meek shall inherit the land
and delight themselves in abundant peace. 

...for those blessed by the Lord shall inherit the land,
but those cursed by him shall be cut off. 

The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell upon it forever.  

Wait for the Lord and keep his way,
and he will exalt you to inherit the land;
you will look on when the wicked are cut off.

Matthew 5:5

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

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Its likely that verse 4 is the most well known part of this psalm. Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. This is a rich and thrilling promise. But notice that the only reference to this psalm in the New Testament is to verse 11, mentioned by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth. I would like to submit that these two parts of psalm 37 are closely connected and shed light on one another.

This psalm is a great example of Hebrew parallelism and repetition. There are several references to the threat of wicked men and that our response to injustice should not be fretting, but rather a deep trust and delight in the Lord. To bolster this call for trust in the midst of adversity, the psalmist presents several promises from God: that he will grant our desires, that he will not forsake us, that he will not let his children go hungry. And then the ultimate culmination of these promises - inheriting the land!

The passage in Matthew 5 reads "the earth," and you could say this is merely interchangeable with "the land," for the Hebrew "eretz" means both and typically refers to the promised land of Isreal. But I do not think it is an accident that Jesus broadens this word's meaning for the new covenant audience. What once was a promise and hope for material comfort and political protection has now become something much grander in scope.

For truly, those who trust in Christ with a meek heart can now expect an inheritance that encompasses the whole earth. We are given glimpses of what this will be in passages that describe our inheritance and what place we will have in the new heavens and new earth:

Our salvation: 1 Peter 1:3-4

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you...

The indwelling Spirit of God: Ephesians 1:11-14

In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

An incomparable welcome home: John 14:1-3

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

The judging of the world and the angels: 1 Corinthians 6:2-3

Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life!

A seat with God on his throne: Ephesians 2:4-7

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

There are other passages too, but these provide a powerful link between the salvation from sin that we typically focus on and the inheritance of a place in God's kingdom, of which we are now chosen citizens. There is a unique delight and trust that comes from looking ahead to our inheritance, over and above merely looking back to what we once received.

Can I say that it is easy for me not to fret because I am so confident in God's promised inheritance? Do I anticipate his coming and his reckoning more than I worry about my security and reputation? If this new earth is given to the meek, how can I repent of every proud and self-righteous thought that may keep me from it?

I think the psalmist may tell us to delight in Him, for that is the mark of a meek heart who has confident hope in a rich inheritance. Lord, help me to delight in you and look to my inheritance, for it is bigger and grander than anything I can imagine. Let it captivate my thoughts and bring meekness to this heart. Amen.

Motivated by God's Sovereign Care

Luke 12:4-7, 32-34

"I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows....

"Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

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God is sovereign.

The Bible attests to this in many places, both explicitly or implicitly. He is sovereign over the grand design of human history, over the forces of nature, over the free moral agency of mankind, and even over the schemes of our Enemy. His sovereignty is both general and particular, impacting the vast span of the universe and the meticulous details of birds, hairs, food, and clothing, as described in this chapter of Luke.

There are at least two responses to the biblical claim that God is sovereign - Fear or Trust.

This passage connects God's sovereignty and our response in a couple of ways. The first is in the passage about persecution (v. 1-12). Jesus claims that God is sovereign in eventually judging the earth - bringing all secret things to light and determining the eternal fate of every soul based on whose kingdom they belong to. We are commanded to respond to this truth in reverent fear of our Judge. But the passage quickly turns to a reminder of God's care over the particulars of sparrows' breath and numbers of hairs. As the passage continues, we see that our response to this particular care will drive our response to persecution. If we ignore or forget God's sovereign care, we will fear others and ultimately be judged as lacking faith. But if we meditate of this sovereign care and respond with obedient trust, we will face our enemies without fear, knowing that our sovereign God will provide the words to say and ultimately guard our souls, even if our bodies perish.

Jesus teaches a parallel message linking our response to God's sovereignty and material possessions in verses 13-48. Again we are reminded of God's meticulous care over animal and plant life, so that we also will live without anxiety and respond in trust. Luke differs from Matthew in placing this passage between two additional admonitions against covetousness. The parable starting in verse 16 is meant to illustrate this truism from verse 15:

And he said to them, "Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." (Luke 12:15)

By putting the "anxiety" passage in this context, Luke is furthering his Gospel's emphasis on generosity, and he is connecting our response to God's sovereignty with our response to material possessions. The degree to which we trust God to care deeply for our basic needs is also the degree to which we will be "rich" toward him and treasure Him above anything this world can offer (v. 21).

Lord, help me to dwell deeply on your meticulous care for me, and let that drive me to trust and obey with my life and my possessions. Help me to fear you more than any man, but to find great assurance that your care will motivate me to speak your name without shame and give of my possessions generously - for this is the kind of life that testifies to your glory, sovereignty, and personal care. Amen.

Gratitude, Trust, and a Song

Psalm 21:1-2

O Lord, in your strength the king rejoices,
and in your salvation how greatly he exults!
You have given him his heart's desire
and have not withheld the request of his lips.

...............

We saw in Psalm 20 the prayer of David for God to shed his special favor on the king of Israel. Here in Psalm 21 we see what could be described as a parallel passage that praises God point by point for answering the prayers in the previous chapter.

1. God has granted the king's desire. Psalm 20:4 is fulfilled in 21:2:

"You have given him his heart's desire and have not withheld the request of his lips." 

The psalmist then proceeds to briefly describe the many blessings for which he is grateful, including his longevity, his place of honor as king, and most importantly the privilege of experiencing the joy of God's presence (see Psalm 103 for a similar list). I've heard it said that the etymology of the words "grace" and "gratitude" are one and the same. The lesson for us here is that the proper response to receiving God's many blessings is to live in daily gratitude. Paraphrasing Ben Patterson, the voice of God's grace calls out into the deep canyon of our sinful hearts, and the corresponding echo in return must be "thank you, thank you, thank you!" This demands that we be mindful of these undeserved blessings and meditate on them daily.

2. God has proven trustworthy. The prayer of 20:7 is fulfilled in the description of the king in verse 21:7:

"For the king trusts in the Lord, and through the steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be moved." 

What was previously an abstract hope is now a proven reality - God is more trustworthy than the inventions of warfare, the chariots and horses. As the Old Testament describes in several narrative passages, the outcome of Israel's battle was always in the hands of Yahweh, not their small human strength. Today, we do not battle flesh and blood, but our war against injustice and the forces of evil are just as real and just as dependent on our level of trust in Almighty God. I'd like to emphasize that connection between the king's gratitude and his trust in God - the more that we are looking back on God's many blessings the more our trust in Him will grow stronger and stronger.

3. God will save his people. The final plea for salvation in 20:9 has now become a detailed song of assurance that God will crush every enemy and ultimately save the king and his people:

"For you will put them to flight; you will aim at their faces with your bows. Be exalted, O Lord, in your strength! We will sing and praise your power." 

What is the result of gratitude and trust? A song. A song of God's salvation in the heart of every weak and weary son and daughter, trudging through the trenches of a war-torn life with confidence that God will prevail, that the battle is His, and it is not just enough to believe it, but he must sing about it. The enemy will go down in flames, and we will walk in that victory even today - though the victory may be no where in sight, it is nonetheless true and it is ours:

When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

"Death is swallowed up in victory."
"O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?"

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:54-57)

Who is Righteous?

Psalm 5:12

For you bless the righteous, O Lord;
you cover him with favor as with a shield.

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On first reading, this sounds like salvation by works. The Psalms contain many verses that sound that way, especially when David is banking on his integrity in order to obtain God's protection in some dire circumstance. But, does this verse really mean that God gives his favor to those who have made themselves righteous? God helps those who help themselves?

Two reasons from this very chapter that go against that notion:

(1) The immediate context (verse 11) reads,

But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;
let them ever sing for joy,
and spread your protection over them,
that those who love your name may exult in you.

This puts the primacy on the power of God, not man. The order of things is, first, we should take refuge in God and find our joy in Him. Then, we are considered righteous and receive his favor and protection. Here is, yet again, a reference to "heart-religion" in the fact that "those who love your name" is the description of those who seek refuge in God and are therefore considered righteous. Genuine love for God, and trust in his protection, will proceed any state of rightness with him.

(2) Verses 9 and 10, along with their reference in Romans 3.

For there is no truth in their mouth;
there inmost self is destruction;
their throat is an open grave;
they flatter with their tongue.
Make them bear their guilt, O God;
let them fall by their own counsels;
because of the abundance of their transgressions cast them out,
for they have rebelled against you.

Here again, we get the general vibe that David is justifying himself in the face of his enemies' threats, willing to confess his hatred of them, and then calling down the judgment of God upon them. Should we emulate such "hatred?" I believe the answer is NO.

This passage is used by Paul to under gird his argument in Romans that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23). The curse of sin is all-pervasive, touching every person who ever lived and binding them all together under the just wrath of God. We have all rebelled, not just David's enemies. None are righteous, "no not one." Yet another reason to say that Psalm 5 is no encouragement for us to trust in our own righteousness and walk around with an attitude of self-righteous indignation and bravado. Rather, we should fly to the refuge that God has provided - his own house (5:7). While we deserve to be cast out because of the "abundance of [our] transgressions" (5:10), we have received, in Christ, quite the opposite:

But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love,
will enter your house.

A Tall Glass of Perfection - Part 3

Matthew 7:23

And then will I declare to them, "I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness."

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I promised to give some practical encouragement on how to avoid hypocrisy. Well, the more I thought about it, and thought about the Sermon on the Mount, the harder it became to make this practical. I've already said that this issue is one of internal transformation, rather than a superficial spirituality. The heart of the matter is a matter of the heart. Our Father sees what is done in secret and rewards us accordingly.

A wise man once said, "Integrity is who you are when no one else is around." That's true to an extent, but I think Matthew 7 gives us some clues to how a person of integrity (in contrast to a hypocrite) would act around other people. Rather than giving you another spiritual "to-do" list, Matthew 7 provides some characteristics, some signs, that someone is genuinely living for God from the heart.

(1) A person of integrity will search their souls carefully before confronting sin in others. "You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye" (7:5). It is important to note that rebuking someone is not forbidden here, and confronting someone's sin is not antithetical to having integrity. Rather, the sign of a true believer is confronting self before confronting others.

(2) A person of integrity will treat others the same way that they want to be treated. "So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets" (7:12). The Golden Rule. 'Nough said.

(3) A person of integrity will be careful not to follow the teaching hypocrites. "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves" (7:15). How do we know if we're following a false teacher? "You will know them by their fruits" (It's so important, he says it twice in this passage, and gives an illustration).

(4) A person of integrity is more interested in knowing God than impressing Him. Matthew 7:23, quoted at the top, is the key verse here. False teachers will be known by their bad fruits, and one of those bad fruits is a showmanship that is for one's own glory. If we are truly seeking first His kingdom and His righteousness, we will avoid this kind of self-glorifying behavior. Let us be careful too, that our tendency toward works-righteousness does not lead us to trust in ourselves and our own merit rather than only in the blood of Christ - the once for all sacrifice that has torn the veil and brought us back into the presence of our Creator.

(5) A person of integrity will build his life on the promises and commands of God. "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock" (7:24). It's easy to yawn at this point and say, "Every sermon application I've ever heard tells me to read the Bible more!" Well, it kind of looks like that is how Jesus is ending His sermon, too! But, look carefully and notice that it is not about the quantity of Scripture that you take in to your life. Rather, the man who will withstand life's stormy trials (and eventually withstand the storm of God's judgment) is the one who trusts in those promises and banks on the wisdom and goodness of those commands. Such a person will remain standing no matter what happens.

Again, this is not a spiritual "to-do" list. The glass of perfection is still too tall for us to handle in our own strength. We would end up like the man who built his house on the sand if we tried to impress God with our own wisdom and strength. And He wouldn't want it that way. He would rather that we come to him, trust him like a child with a father, and let our hearts be transformed from the inside out.