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Top 5 Reasons to Celebrate Ascension Thursday

Christ Reformed DC is celebrating its first Ascension Day service this Thursday. Since this is a new practice for us we thought it would be wise to give the top five reasons to celebrate the Ascension in worship.

The Ascension of Christ is Neglected Today

If you, like me, did not grow up in a Dutch Reformed context, I would wager you have a 4/5 experience of celebrating the Evangelical Feast Days (see #3 below). Not only is this Christ Reformed DC’s first Ascension service, but it will also be the first Ascension worship service for many, if not most, of our members. As a correction to this imbalance we should follow the emphasis of our Savior in his Word, as Michael Horton noted:

“Jesus Did not downplay his ascension, but comforted his disciples with the promise of the Spirit and his Word.”

— The Christian Faith, 534

We should not downplay Christ’s ascension but rather “play it up” in our churches. And an Ascension Thursday service is one traditional way to do so.

2. The Ascension is a vital Part of Christ’s Work as summarized in our Creeds and Confessions

Out of our Creeds and Confessions, all but the Canons of Dort mention the Ascension. This distinct point was codified in the creeds. The brief creeds, short enough for recitation in worship at Baptism or Communion, all include the Ascension. It was not omitted from a single one in deference to brevity. Again Michael Horton is helpful:

“The Ascension is not merely an exclamation point to the resurrection, but a distinct event within the history of redemption.”

— The Christian Faith, 533-34.

Part of being a Confessional and Creedal church is to recognize that the Ascension is its own distinct event, and that it has a place in the Reformed tradition.

The Catechism has four questions on the Ascension of Christ. The Ascension is, and always has been, a part of the life and teaching ministry of the Church. To neglect it now is to our detriment. As C.S. Lewis said,

“Every age has its own outlook. It is specially good at seeing certain truths and specially liable to make certain mistakes. We all, therefore, need the books that will correct the characteristic mistakes of our own period. And that means the old books.”

— Introduction to "On the Incarnation"

If I may apply Lewis’ observation to ascension Thursday: Ascension Thursday is a chance for us to challenge our modern assumptions about what is important about Christ’s work and see afresh what the scriptures and the church have seen as vital.

3. It is one of the Evangelical Feast Days

It is important to remember that the Reformation was a reformation of worship and practice, no less than it was a reformation of doctrine. Yet the Reformed churches on the continent retained five evangelical (read, gospel) feast days: Christmas, Good Friday, Easter, Ascension, and Pentecost. We readily grasp the other feasts days and their importance. And many churches, even from traditions that at one point eschewed these days, recognize 4/5 (see #1 above). Ascension Thursday is retained because there’s Gospel in it, because it is a biblical event. Ascension Thursday is no “feast of Saint X,” it is no procession of relics. It is a celebration of a gospel event.

4. Ascension Thursday is a Chance to Sing Psalms and Hymns

Like reading old books, Ascension Thursday gives us the chance to sing old ( though sometimes new to us) songs through a new lens. We can sing Ascension Psalms like 47, “God has gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet.” (v. 5, ESV) 68, “You ascended on high, leading a host of captives in your train and receiving gifts among men, even among the rebellious, that the LORD God may dwell there.” (v. 18, ESV) and others that might be appropriate.

If you use the Trinity Psalter Hymnal Hymns 370-373 are for the Ascension. You can sing old Latin hymns, like one from the Venerable Bede “A Hymn of Glory Let Us Sing.” Or the Anonymously penned “Christ, above All Glory Seated” When we (and our Children) sing Psalms and Hymns celebrating the Ascension, it reminds us that the Ascension of Christ is important enough to ring out in the church’s praise.

5. Having more worship services is a good thing

Unlike some of our reformed and presbyterian brothers and sisters we believe in celebrating worship services on days other than Sunday. We also believe this is a good, beneficial, practice. While we are more restrained than Anglican, Catholic, and Lutheran communions in the amount of days celebrated, we nevertheless believe it is important to mark the historic works of Christ in Worship.

While we typically preach continuously through one book at a time(lectio continua), we also preach through the catechism in keeping with our church order in the URCNA. This is a type of doctrinal or topical preaching. As an extension of the commitment to both models, our services honoring the “evangelical feast days” provide an opportunity for us to preach through the significant events of the Christian faith. Because Christ was, born, died, was raised, ascended, and poured the Spirit out on the church on real days in history. By his work he bridges the spiritual and eternal with history.

Given the above, you are invited to Church this Thursday to hear the Good News Proclaimed about our ascended Lord. We’ll meet at 6PM.

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Preaching The Nicene Creed

This Past Sunday we began a new series in our catechism service on the Nicene Creed. We are proud to be a creedal and confessional Church at Christ Reformed DC (you can find our Creeds and Confessions at threeforms.org). When the Churches of the Reformation sought to reform and restore the Church they turned to Scripture as the only infallible rule, but they turned also to the Church Fathers and the creeds as faithful summary of Scripture. You can see this respect for history in the Belgic confession where it commits to willingly accept the Ecumenical Creeds: Apostles’, Nicene, and Athanasian. It does this because they are faithful to Scripture and summarize it well.

““And so, in this matter we willingly accept the three ecumenical creeds—the Apostles’, Nicene, and Athanasian—as well as what the ancient fathers decided in agreement with them.” ”

— Belgic Confession, Article 9

We also have in our tradition, from the time of the reformation, the practice of catechetical preaching. Ordinarily, this service is an evening service. We believe that viewing catechesis, doctrinal teaching and preaching, as worship is a strength of our tradition. The ordinary practice is to teach through the Heidelberg Catechism, which is fittingly divided up into a year.

“At one of the services each Lord’s Day, the minister shall ordinarily preach the Word as summarized in the Three Forms of Unity, with special attention given to the Heidelberg Catechism by treating its Lord’s Days in sequence.
”

— Church Order of the URCNA, Article 40

We just wrapped up a year through the catechism which you can find (here). In the catechism we teach through the Apostle’s creed (Lord’s Days 7-22). And in addition, a few years ago we did a series through the Athanasian Creed at Advent. Now we are beginning a new series through the Nicene Creed.

The Nicene Creed, like other creeds, has been used in conjunction with the sacraments. Whereas the Apostles’ Creed was developed from Baptismal creeds, the Nicene came to be used by some communions in connection with the Eucharist as a full statement of faith before communing members of Christ’s Church.

“in the East it incorporated the earlier baptismal Creed, and so became itself a baptismal Creed, it is more properly a Creed for the matured Christian, and has been used in the West as well as in the East as the appropriate Creed for the Eucharist. The Apostles’ Creed was a Creed the acceptance of which was necessary for baptism and incorporation into the Christian Church. The Nicene Creed was a test of orthodoxy, and necessary for full communion in the Church.”

— Charles Augustus Briggs, The Fundamental Christian Faith

Whenever we turn to our church’s creeds and confessions, we are mindful that they are not divinely inspired scriptures, but human documents produced as a result of particular historical controversies. Understanding this context is important for understanding not only what we confess, but why we confess it. In our series we will seek to be mindful of the long story that begins in Alexandria, Egypt, early in the fourth century, runs through Nicea, in 325, and reaches a climax of sorts at Constantinople in 381. Characters in this story include the Presbyter Arius, who believed that there was a time when the eternal Word did not exist, the Emperor Constantine, and Athanasius.

The Nicene Creed has much to teach us about who God is and what the scriptures teach when carefully considered. Join us Sunday mornings at 9:30 as we dive deeper into the Christian faith and into the message of a Trinitarian God who saves.

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Catechism Preaching and Psalm Singing

The Reformed Church prominently features in its worship two things that seem odd to American Christians. First, we have a catechetical worship service where teaching and preaching our catechism and doctrinal standards is ordinary. Second, we sing primarily Psalms in our services. This is not a new thing, but as old as the reformation itself, if not older.

As a pastor, this creates an interesting challenge. It might be easy to name a hymn for a given doctrine or Lord’s day, but what about Psalms? Enter this index from Het Boek der Psalmen nevens de Gezangen bij de Hervormde Kerk van Nederland (Amsterdam, 1773). What follows is a keyed index to help a minister, parents, and others choose fitting Psalms to sing with Catechism lessons, when teaching on Doctrinal topics, or when studying through the Apostles’ Creed, Ten Commandments, or Lord’s Prayer.

(Note that in the following historical list, decimals such as “73.2” or “119.4” don’t refer to verse numbers. They refer, instead, to different stanzas or parts of the psalms. The precise reference in modern psalm settings is difficult to determine, but the numbers can still be a rough guide to the section of the psalm that addresses the relevant topic. In general “.2” refers to the second half of the psalm, and decimals for Psalm 119 refer to stanzas in that long acrostic poem.)

Lord’s Day 1 “What is Your Only Comfort?”— Psalm 73.2

Part 1: Misery

Lord’s Day 2 “Our Knowledge of Misery out of the Law”—Psalm 19.2
Lord’s Day 3-4 “The Source of Our Misery”— Psalms 51; 5; 49

Part 2: Deliverance

Lord’s Day 5-6 ”The Mediator”— Psalms 25; 36; 130
Lord’s Day 7 “What is True Faith?”— Psalm 2.2

Beginning of the Apostles’ Creed

Lord’s Day 8 “Doctrine of God”— Psalms 139; 145
- “Trinity”— Psalms 33
Lord’s Day 9 “The Creation of All things”— Psalms 115.2; 136
Lord’s Day 10 “The Providence of God”— Psalms 33; 104; 147
Lord’s Day 11 “The Name Jesus”— The Hymn of Mary
Lord’s Day 12 “The Name Christ”— Psalms 2; 89
- “The Name Christian”— Psalms 45.2; 72.2
Lord’s Day 13 “God’s Only-begotten Son”— Psalms 2.2; 45.2; 72.2
Lord’s Day 14 “The Savior’s Conception and Birth”—The Hymn of Mary
Lord’s Day 15 “The Savior’s Suffering”— Psalm 42
Lord’s Day 16 “The Savior’s Death, Burial and Descent to Hell”— Psalm 22
Lord’s Day 17 “The Savior’s Resurrection”— Psalms 16; 118.3
Lord’s Day 18 “The Savior’s Ascension”— Psalms 47; 68.3
Lord’s Day 19 “The Savior’s Sitting at God’s Right Hand”— Psalm 110
- “The Savior’s return in judgment”— Psalm 96.2
Lord’s Day 20 “The Holy Spirit”— Psalm 119.3
Lord’s Day 21 “The Church”— Psalm 48
- “The Communion of Saints”— Psalm 133
- “The Forgiveness of Sin”— Psalm 32
Lord’s Day 22 “The Resurrection of the Body”— Psalm 49.2
- “The Life Eternal”— Psalm 73.2

End of the Apostles’ Creed

Lord’s Day 23 “Justification”— Psalms 32; 103; 130
Lord’s Day 24 “The Insufficiency of our good works before God”— Psalms 19.2; 143
Lord’s Day “The Sacraments”— Psalm 111
Lord’s Day 26 “Baptism”— Psalm 51
Lord’s Day 27 “Infant Baptism”— Psalms 71.2; 87
Lord’s Day 28 “Lord’s Supper”— Psalm 23
Lord’s Day 29 “The Rejection of Transubstantiation”— Psalm 119.4
Lord’s Day 30 “The Popish Mass”— Psalm 115
- “The Requirements of Lord’s Supper participants”— Psalms 25.2; 26.2
Lord’s Day 31 “The Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven”— Psalms 15; 24; 65

Part III: Gratitude

Lord’s Day 32 “The Necessity of Good Works”— Psalm 119
Lord’s Day 33 “Conversion or Repentance”— Psalms 119.9; 119.22

Beginning of the Ten Commandments

Lord’s Day 34 “God’s Law”— Psalm 1
- “The First Commandment”— Psalm 81.1
Lord’s Day 35 “The Second Commandment”— Psalm 115
Lord’s Day 36 “The Third Commandment”— Psalm 145.2
Lord’s Day 37 “Oaths”— Psalm 24
Lord’s Day 38 “The Fourth Commandment”— Psalms 63; 84; 92
Lord’s Day 39 “The Fifth Commandment”— Psalms 34.1; 78
Lord’s Day 40 “The Sixth Commandment”— Psalm 5
Lord’s Day 41 “The Seventh Commandment”— Psalms 50.2; 51.2; 119.5
Lord’s Day 42 “The Eighth Commandment”— Psalm 62.2
Lord’s Day 43 “The Ninth Commandment”— Psalm 120
Lord’s Day 44 “The Tenth Commandment”— Psalm 131
- “The Necessity of Preaching the Law”— Psalm 19.2

Beginning of the Lord’s Prayer

Lord’s Day 45 “The Necessity of prayer”— Psalms 65; 145.2
Lord’s Day 46 ”The Address of Our Prayer”— Psalm 103.2
Lord’s Day 47 “The First Petition”— Psalm 89
Lord’s Day 48 “The Second Petition”— Psalm 72
Lord’s Day 49 “The Third Petition”— Psalm 119
Lord’s Day 50 “The Fourth Petition”— Psalm 145.2
Lord’s Day 51 “The Fifth Petition”— Psalm 51
Lord’s Day 52 “The Sixth Petition”— Psalm 141.1
- “The Close of Prayer”— Psalm 5.1

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Psalm and Hymn Sing || Thursday the 22nd

This Thursday, the 22nd, we will host our first midweek event at our new location (Capitol Hill SDA—914 Massachusetts AVE NE). To celebrate God’s faithful provision of a new place of worship and to inaugurate what we hope to be a regular practice, we will have a Psalm and Hymn sing in the evening from 7-8. The doors will be open at 6:30. We look forward to seeing you there. Don’t forget to tell your friends who like to sing.

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New Wednesday Study || God's Pattern of Creation, by W. Robert Godfrey

God’s Pattern For Creation

New Study, 7PM on Wednesday

This Wednesday we’ll begin a new study. We’ll be reading and discussing Robert Godfrey’s book God’s Pattern For Creation: A Covenantal Reading of Genesis 1. You can pick up a copy here. This coincides with our ongoing sermon series through Genesis 1-11.

There has been a glut of books on creation. So why are we reading this one? There are a handful of reasons. One is that Dr. Godfrey is writing to a group just like ours, reformed Christians comprised mostly of lay people. He is writing for an astute reader, but not a trained theologian.

Another is that Dr. Godfrey is writing constructively. His book builds a case for a particular reading of Genesis 1 by looking primarily to scripture. His work is not seeking to settle any debate, or to serve as a rejoinder to any other work. Instead, Godfrey wants us to look closely at scripture, and leads us there again and again. Many books among the gallons of ink spilled on this topic are quite polemical. They are seeking to prove their case against some other case. Dr. Godfrey avoids this pitfall by focusing on scripture and treating other views both generously in tenor and sparingly in practice. His focus is on understanding the written word of God, not on the debate of the age.

Lastly, we’re working through this book so that we might all pay closer attention to Genesis. Dr. Godfrey connects Genesis 1 to the rest of the book, and helpfully draws out principles for interpreting Genesis 1 that will serve all of us as readers of the whole of the Bible.

*What is in it?*

The book is brief and simple. There’s an introduction and three chapters. The first chapter covers days one through three, the second days four through seven, and the third chapter and conclusion draw the threads of the close interpretation of Genesis 1 into what it is and isn’t teaching us.

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Themes in Psalm 119

IntroDUCTION

At Christ Reformed in DC we have been studying Psalm 119 together on Wednesday nights via Skype. It’s been beneficial to take a deep dive together on an often neglected song cycle. We’ve been listening to a series of chapel messages from Hywell Jones at Westminster Seminary California (my Alma Mater). As our church’s resident Hebraist I have also been reading the Psalm in Hebrew as we have gone through it. I also spent some time reflecting on the vocabulary of these 22 stanzas to produce a small reference for our members for the synonyms for legal words, as well as some others in Psalm 119. This extended time with the Psalm has caused me to see it in a new and better light after some reflection. This has inspired this post, which is a broader summary of the themes which are prevalent in the Psalm.

One of the ways we can grow in our understanding of the Psalm is to look at semantic domains. A semantic domain is a way to group words which relate to one another. For example, a recliner, stool, and a barstool all belong in a broader domain of “single person seats.” That “single person seats” category is a domain with other words underneath it. They all share the commonality that they are words for single person seats, but they also have distinct attributes that make them differ for one another. One of the ways Hebrew poetry works is to use these domains to expand on the meaning of the poem and cause the reader or listener to meditate.

When we see the Psalm through these prevalent word domains we see that God’s word to us in Psalm 119 is bigger than we probably realize. The themes of Psalm 119 can be explored by looking at the words which occur and how they occur in the Psalm.

Word and Law

This is the first and perhaps most dominant set of words that define the poems of Psalm 119. This domain can negatively influence our perception of this poetic cycle. Our thoughts of Psalm 119 are often of an idealized life; or of someone who loves something that we find burdensome. I think our impression of these poems are often entirely law based. We think the message is only “do this and live.” And this conception has kept us from seeing the gospel in the Psalm. We find instead when we read the Psalm that the Word of God is not only law, but also gospel:

On two occasions, (vv. 18 & 27) we find the word niplāɂôt translated as “wondrous works” or “wondrous things.” In the first instance the wondrous things are in the Torah, the law as we often translate it. And in the latter it is parallel to the “precepts.” Now these wondrous works are things like the miraculous plagues on Egypt (Ex. 3:20) or to the exodus itself, (Judges 6:13, Micah 7:15, & Neh. 9:17).

Now why would I mention these wondrous works? Well the first thing to note is that the Word of the Lord in Psalm 119 is not just a list of rules. But also recounting the miraculous deliverance that God makes for his people. The declaration and praise God’s word is not only praise of requirements.

Another way we see this is the word ɂimrāh translated as “promise” or “word.” Half of the occurrences of this word are in Psalm 119. It is not the usual way to say “word.” It mostly refers to God’s word in the bible with only a handful of exceptions. In Psalm 119 it is always God’s word.

We see it in three ways, in some verses it isn’t clear from context if requirement or promise is in view, and perhaps one can view these as just invoking revelation in general (vv. 11, 38, 123, 140, 148, & 162). In other places it is very clear that this word is “kept” by behaving correctly, (vv. 67, 133, 158, & 172). In these verses it is often translated “word” instead of “promise.” Lastly, there are the verses where one see that God’s word is the object of trust, or petition, (vv. 41, 50, 58, 76, 82, 116, 154, & 170). In these uses God’s word is a comfort, it gives life, it is something to which the Psalmist can cling; to which we can cling.

These words about God’s revelation fit together in covenant. On the first level, a covenant with God, imposed by God and his messengers, is revelation of God. In the Mosaic covenant we see God’s standard revealed. We see the standard to which he holds all men in the Ten commandments.

But also, in this covenant the beginning and the end is God’s saving action. This parallels the history of Israel, God saves his people in the Exodus, and this is the people whom he brings to Sinai. He first reveals himself as their saving God, then he gives them another covenant, with requirements and sanctions (as a type of the covenant of works). And the works aspect of the covenant is not something his people can keep, so in that covenant he promises a second Exodus (cf. Deut. 30:1-10),

If your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there the LORD your God will gather you, and from there he will take you. And the LORD your God will bring you into the land that your fathers possessed, that you may possess it. And he will make you more prosperous and numerous than your fathers. And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.
DEUT. 30:4-6

This is only an excerpt, but we see that the Exodus and the conquest form the pattern for future action of God to deliver his people again.

Recently when teaching on the covenant of works, I used the metaphor of Adam and Israel’s story rhyming. Israel is given the land, not salvation itself but types of it, conditionally. A condition they can’t keep. This is why there is need for a second Exodus, because the covenant is breakable. You can think about Jeremiah 31, the difference in that passage between the New Covenant and the Old (Mosaic) covenant is conditionality. The Mosaic gift of the Land is conditioned on Israel’s obedience, the gift of Salvation in Christ is a free gift (Rom. 5) based on Christ keeping the conditions of the law (Gal. 4:4).

Covenant put in proper perspective that God’s revelation comes to us as both Law and Gospel. Covenant theology also shows us how Law and Gospel relate. The law drives us to Christ, to God’s action to save us. We cannot save ourselves. The Psalmist recognizes this and finishes his cycle, “I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek your servant, for I do not forget your commandments” v. 176. It is the action of the God who seeks that he hopes in, that God will seek out his servants according to his promise.

At the same time the “good life” is firmly for the Psalmist the life of following God’s law. This aspect is what we will discuss in the next section.

Path and Way

The idea of law and rules have an associated metaphor; the idea of being on a road. That our behavior is a road on which we travel. Or even broader, that our lives have a direction and a path that we set them on by our choices. Another way to say this is that we are pilgrims, travelers. Jesus himself uses this imagery in Matthew 7,

Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
MATT. 7:13-14

Psalm 119 reminds us that we are on a way. One way or the other. Every morning we wake up and out feet take us somewhere. Jesus reminds us that the path is difficult and small that leads in the direction of life. Psalm 119 reminds us that our path is illuminated by God’s word (v.105). The way of life, the way of following Jesus, is hard but we can see it clearly in God’s word. It points us to Jesus.

There are three roads in Psalm 119, God’s (v. 3), the psalmist’s (v. 5), and false roads (v. 29). The psalmist reminds us that he is torn between the false way and the way of God (vv.37 & 101). Surely here is an image with which we can sympathize. We certainly feel the pull between mortification and vivification, between the way of the flesh and that of the Spirit. We may be uncomfortable with the language of the law being “the way.” After all isn’t Jesus the way? My old Seminary professor J. V. Fesko might be able to square this circle for us,

The law in its normative use is not the actual road upon which we travel, but the guardrails on either side of the road. The road on which we travel is Christ. Like guardrails, the law shows us where the path of righteousness lies and keeps us traveling on it.
J. V. FESKO, GALATIANS, LECTIO CONTINUA COMMENTARY SERIES, ON GAL. 3:19-22.

Christians know that ultimately the “word” which is a lamp is Christ. Christ who is the way in which we walk. Christ is the one who gives us his righteousness as a new creation, a new man (Col. 3; 2 Cor. 5:16-21). One of the ways we see Christ in the Psalm is that he is the Word, he is the sinless savior who perfectly loved and kept God’s law for us. The law shows us what it looks like to conform to Christ. The “guardrails” of the law show us the edges of the way which is Christ, who perfectly kept the law.

When we see the way of God in Psalm 119 we know that we are seeing Christ concealed in the Old Testament. He kept the law, he did not stray like the Psalmist. In another manner when the Psalmist struggles or desires to follow one path and not the other we are seeing the fight between the dying old man and the life of the new man in Christ.

Lament and Persecution

Perhaps most surprising to those of us who have an idealized picture of Psalm 119 is to see the language of lament and persecution in Psalm 119. We can remove the humanity from the Psalmist if we think that the Psalm is solely, only, a praise of God’s Law. We disconnect it from our human experience. We will be surprised to find that often the Psalmist praises and petitions God from the standpoint of affliction and persecution. Often for the Psalmist’s love for God’s word, he is persecuted.

The Psalmist loves God’s word in the midst of affliction. In fact it is the promises and word of God that is a comfort to the Psalmist. Think about vv. 114-116,

You are my hiding place and my shield;
I hope in your word.

Depart from me, you evildoers,
that I may keep the commandments of my God.

Uphold me according to your promise, that I may live,
and let me not be put to shame in my hope!
PS. 119:114-116

Evildoers are around the Psalmist and he hopes in God’s word, God’s words of promise and comfort. The Psalmist finds God’s word a hiding place, and fortress protecting him from evildoers. He finds the promise of God as a shield that protects him from assaults of the world. That is why he loves God’s word, it comforts him in the midst of the turbulence of life. In a world that seems to not work as it should, in a broken world the Psalmist understands that a promise from God is firm. That he can bank his whole well being on the foundation of God’s word.

Or consider these verses from Psalm 119,

The wicked ones set a snare for me
And from your precepts I have not strayed.

I inherited your testimonies forever
for they are joy for my heart
PS. 119:110-111—(translation mine)

We see that the Psalmist is being hunted, they’ve set a snare. They are luring him into danger. But he sees clearly the path he should take, he doesn’t stray. The way is hard, persecution is making it harder, but he knows the way to go.

These verses remind me of the story of Daniel. Daniel was trapped by other officials. They exploited his convictions against idolatry. They set a snare by making Daniel choose between faithfulness to his God and to the country he served. Ultimately Daniel is sentenced to the lions den for not committing idolatry. God preserves Daniel in this story. Ultimately, we know that even if God does not shut the mouth of the lions in this world, the fangs of death have been removed by Christ (Isa. 25, 1 Cor. 15).

Returning to the Psalmist, his love for God’s word isn’t conditioned by blessing but refined by trials and persecutions. He isn’t living in some unreal world where he gets everything he wants because of his love for God’s word. Instead, he lives in a dangerous world, with the world, the flesh, and the devil trying to lead him down the path that ends in destruction. This is the real world, our world, and in this world we too have the joy of the testimonies, the word of God’s salvation.

These testimonies, refer to the stipulations of a covenant. The psalmist inherits an eternal relationship with his creator. This document, these provisions, though they may seem distant, are a joy to the Psalmist. These testimonies are written down and they are the Psalmist joy in the midst of trials. We too can point to God’s work in Christ, to the new covenant and our place in it in Christ as our source of comfort and joy, and this new covenant has testimonies written for us in a New Testament (or another translation, a new covenant).

Priesthood and Ritual

One of the things we discussed a bit in our study of Psalm 119, was the lack of any priestly language. Instead of seeing the psalmist write about keeping the temple, in his Psalm the laws and word of God are kept. Instead of bringing offerings of rams and sheep, there are freewill offerings of words:

Please accept the freewill offerings of my mouth, O Yahweh
and your judgements, teach me.
PS. 119:108—(translation mine)

The offerings that the Psalmist offers God are words. In response to the sure words of God the Psalmist offers his words. A freewill offering is something you offer as thankful praise, after freely fulfilling an obligation like a vow. It is gratefulness to the Lord for his care and provision. Out of the thankfulness of the Psalmist’s heart words overflow in praise.

Another time we see such praises is in the final stanza,

My lips will gush Psalms
for you teach me your statutes

My tongue will sing your word
for all your commandments are right.
PS. 119:171-172—(translation mine)

Ultimately the Psalmist’s thankfulness overflows with singing and declaring God’s word. Because the Lord taught him, for the Lord taught him commandment which are right.

Some translations obscure the force of these verses, in v. 171 the word is the same as the title for the “Psalms.” And in 172, the tongue sings God’s word. There is no indication that the Psalmist is singing “about” God’s word, or “of” God’s word. These Psalms where made to be used in the Old Covenant people of God and they continue to have their home in the worship of God’s new covenant people. These Psalms are our words of prayer, praise, lament, confession words that we, like the Psalmist, can sing back to God.

Instead of the sacrificial system, the psalm is focused on the word. Surely God’s word contains instructions for the temple and sacrificial system; the sacrifices are a crucial part of the teaching of that word. But, it is not the focus here, the Psalmist is appealing directly to God to keep him from straying, the Psalmist understands that the temple, and the sacrifices pointed him to his relationship with the God of Israel.

This song cycle of Psalm 119 is placed between two collections that are focused on sacrifice and temple. Before Psalm 119 there are the Hallel Psalms (113-118), associated with Passover. After Psalm 119 begin the Psalms of Ascent (120-134). Passover features the sacrifice of a Lamb, and a meal remembering God’s salvation in the Exodus. The Psalms of ascent are pilgrimage Psalms for approaching the temple.

Yet, Psalm 119 at very best has allusions to these realities. One possibility is that this Psalm was written when the types were taken away, the temple destroyed, and Judah was exiled. There is great comfort in a record, a contract, with the true God. How much more would someone exiled cling to the word, when the types were taken away. In fact from history we know that synagogues developed as places for study of the Hebrew Scriptures. The word was a great comfort and source of identity for the Psalmist. As it should be to us, we have the much fuller word in Christ. We should cling to the pages in which Christ speaks to us, and speaks “Do not be afraid.”

Zacharias Ursinus, one of the authors of the Heidelberg Catechism once commented on Q&A 1,

The design is, that we may be led to the attainment of sure and solid comfort, both in life and death. On this account, all divine truth has been revealed by God, and is especially to be studied by us.
URSINUS, ZACHARIUS, COMMENTARY ON THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM. LORD’S DAY 1, QUESTION 1.

Conclusion

This word of comfort is plentifully contained in Psalm 119, we see it revealed to us in the Word. We see the path our savior walked, the narrow way, in the words of the law. We see that in the midst of persecution, we can lament this persecution but also trust in the promise of God to deliver us in Christ. This promise is a great comfort in the midst of our own broken lives, full of lament. God is always near to us in his word, even as we live as “elect exiles” in this world (1 Peter 1:1). On our pilgrim journeys to a better country we can trust that Christ is near to us in his word, and that it testifies to us no one loves us more than he (Belgic Confession 26). Nothing else could motivate us towards clinging to this word and following Christ but gratefulness for such a great savior.