Do You Even Understand My Question?

Psalms 118

In a Bible college literature class we were discussing a story where the image descibed was that of a large laboratory. As one came through the entrance of the room what is seen at the other end of the laboratory was the somewhat large workbench with all kinds research apparatus. There were flasks of bubbling liquids and various other similar equipment and tests being conducted. And on the particular scene when this person entered the room at that moment the scientist was standing facing his workbench with his back to the door and was working away at his bench. As we were discussing this scene the teacher of our class is explaining this imagery. The teacher, who at one time earlier in his life had been studying for the priesthood in the Catholic church, said that this imagery in this part of the story was depicting a priest before the altar at the front of a typical Catholic church. In my innocency I raised my hand and asked a basic question, If I had never been in a Catholic church, had never seen a priest standing at the altar as such, then how would I understand that imagery? I was stunned by the response I received. "It is very clear that this is what the imagery is describing." Wait, hold on just a second. Did you even understand my question? When I tried to rephrase my question for the teacher to reconsider the fact I had never been in a Catholic church, much less even been to a Catholic service like Mass or anything, I knew nothing about a Catholic church at that point in my life, the teacher again stated something similar to, "It just does."

As I have gone through life seeking to grow as a believer knowing God, believing God, trusting completely in God I still have great questions that form in my mind and have asked pastors, preachers, Bible teachers some of those questions. But more often than not I still get a remarkably like answer, "It just does.". The idea that comes to my mind is like they are saying, Why would you even think that way?" or “Don't bother me with such trivial questions “. For me right now my response is, This is my meditation, these are my ponderings, and personally I believe that God would want me to ask these questions and meditate on His Word for the simple fact that I may know Him more.

In my mind I might ask why in verse 1 of Psalms 118 do later translations used apparently watered down phrase like "loving kindness" when for years the word "mercy" has sufficed and is much more powerful in describing who the Lord is and what He is like. The "pat answer" would come back that the translators know what their doing and have studied great insights to the meaning of the Hebrew word. "Loving kindness" almost has the connotation of gently adoringly holding a pet rabbit or cat. Mercy has always been described as God not giving me what I deserve. God's loving kindness is seen in many other ways throughout the Word of God, so why is mercy being taken away? In the first four verses of Psalm 118 the phrase repeated is that "His mercy endures forever", the Lord's not giving me what I deserve endures forever.

Now it is very true that God is love. And among the fruits of the Spirit, and God has to have these in His being for those same fruits to be grown in my life, so God has goodness and gentleness along with love so yes, loving kindness (love, goodness, gentleness) exists in God. But the mercy of God, God not giving me what I deserve, it is so very important to know God has that mercy for me enduring forever.

But beyond translation questions what other questions might I have. When I ask myself, could Jesus have prayed this psalm, could this psalm be a prayer He himsel prayed? The point where I get stuck is from what I have been taught for years about people and my actions and attitudes toward others from a believer's point of view.

David, the man after God's own heart excepting what he did in the case of one of his faithful men, Uriah the Hittite, by all other ways of thinking is a "good all around Christian guy", and yet he expresses:

[7] The Lord is with me among them that help me: therefore shall I see my desire upon mine enemies.

[10] All nations have compassed me: but in the Name of the Lord shall I destroy them.

Psalms 118:7, 10 GNV

David says "I shall see my desire upon my enemies", "in the Name of the Lord shall I destroy them". My initial thought is, that isn't the nice Christian attitude I have been taught all these years. Yeah, when was the last time I heard preached from the pulpit, “In the Name of the Lord I shall destroy them"? It seems that this David is the same little shepherd boy who when amongst the whole army of Israelites recognized what Goliath said wasn't just scary talk about fighting one on one to determine which nation would be the other nation's slaves, but truly what Goliath said was an afront to God Himself.

[25] For every man of Israel said, Saw ye not this man that cometh up? even to revile Israel is he come up… [26]Then David spake to the men that stood with him, and said, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the shame from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he shoulde revile the host of the living God?

1 Samuel 17:25-26 GNV

To revile Israel? No, to revile the hosts of the Living God! That's how David saw God... and how God saw him. (1 Samuel 16:7, 11-13).In fact God saw several men and women throughout His Word and made strong statements about them. Enoch walked with God and was not, for God took him. (Genesis 5:21-24). Noah found grace (Genesis 6:8, 9). Job (1:1) was a just man and served God. Joseph, betroth to Mary is a just man (Matthew 1). Zecharias and Elizabeth were also just as was Mary the mother of Jesus (Luke 1). Time and space fails for all rhose who have such recorded of their lives forwver. God saw to it these had their lives made known to all. And as notable is the inclusion of Gentiles (Cornelius - Acts 10).

Yet to add to these thoughts David himself said,

The Lord shall judge the people: judge thou me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, and according to mine innocency, that is in me.

Psalms 7:8 GNV

What? According to MY righteousness? According to MY innocency? Yes, there's a lot more questions that challenge the thinking of what God sees of a person beyond what is often considered a saved/not saved threshold. Common throughout the book of judges is the phrase that "every man did that which was right in their own eyes”. The kings of Judah were not compared to David, but rather compared as to whether they sought the Lord in the same way and manner that David did. (see 2 Chronicles 33:1-3; 2 Chronicles 34:1-3).

The extent, the reach of these ideas while they are pertinent to Psalms 118 brings up an entirely separate set of meditations in and of themselves. Yes, there is obviously a place as David said for my desire for the Lord to destroy an enemy in His Name, yet still, as is seen as the second greatest commandment to "love your neighbor as yourself". Jesus Himself said that it would be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah than Chorizan because of the works that spoke of God working and yet they did not turn to Him. Jesus was very clear on that, but often what is caught from what is taught does not reflect answers to the questions that more inquisitive minds have in seeking for wisdom and understanding.

Jesus accepted questions, but He didn't necessarily believe the same question always deserved the same answer (see Luke 10:25 and Luke 18:18). Jesus accessed the need of each person who asked the same question and was better able to help the one asking not just receive an answer, but rather gain understanding to fully know how His answer pertained specifically to them.

Jesus told Pharisees to go learn what it means that I will have mercy and not sacrifice, but then not much later told them they would understand if they had went and learned what is meant by, I will have mercy and not sacrifice (see Matthew 9:13 and Matthew 12:7). Jesus wants us to know the answers. He wants us to go learn the answers, and how they apply to us in more than one type of situation. In so doing He wants us to know Him more.