Psalm 83:1-2, Psalm 83:13-18, Genesis 3:9-19, 2 Corinthians 11:19-31, Luke 8:4-15
A). IMPRECATIONS IN CONTEXT.
Psalm 83:1-2, Psalm 83:13-18.
Today’s Psalm begins, “Keep not silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still O God” (PSALM 83:1). As if He ever would, when to attack God’s people is to attack the LORD Himself! ‘Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence,’ anticipates Psalm 50:3.
When we are faced with an imprecatory Psalm like this one, it is quite appropriate that we ask the question: ‘Is there not a cause?’ (cf. 1 Samuel 17:29). In Psalm 83, that cause is not far to seek: “For, lo, THINE enemies make a tumult: and they that hate THEE have lifted up the head" (PSALM 83:2). ‘They have taken crafty counsel against THY people, and have consulted against THY hidden ones. They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance’ (cf. Psalm 83:3-4). ‘Who said, Let us take to ourselves the HOUSES OF GOD in possession’ (cf. Psalm 83:12). Looking back over history and cataloguing several of Israel’s enemies from his past and present, the Psalmist Asaph envisages them as one single confederacy ‘against THEE’ (cf. Psalm 83:5-12).
It all sounds so modern: but whilst it is still our duty as Christians to ‘Pray for the peace of Jerusalem’ (cf. Psalm 122:6), it is also appropriate to pray that ‘the full number of the Gentiles be gathered in, and so all Israel shall be saved’ (cf. Romans 11:25-26). ‘Israel’ here comes to represent the persecuted church of God, both Jews and Gentiles (cf. Ephesians 2:13-14), scattered throughout the world (cf. Acts 8:1; James 1:1; 1 Peter 1:1-2). ‘The houses (or pastures) of God’ (cf. Psalm 83:12; 2 Chronicles 20:11) can then be recognised as ‘the Israel of God’ (cf. Galatians 6:16) - the beleaguered churches of our Lord Jesus Christ, as much ‘strangers and pilgrims’ in this world (cf. 1 Peter 2:11-12) as were our spiritual forefathers before us (cf. Hebrews 11:13).
The imprecation consists in ‘Do unto them as…’ (cf. Psalm 83:9-12), already referred to in the catalogue of enemies; and “O my God, make them like..” (PSALM 83:13-15). This is not vindictive, but honours God in that the LORD has promised such protection for His people. ‘He who has begun a good work in you will see it through to the day of Jesus Christ’ (cf. Philippians 1:6).
The “wheel” being tossed around in a whirlwind (PSALM 83:13) might refer to tumbleweed (it is simply called ‘a rolling thing’ in Isaiah 17:13). It evokes images of the devastation caused by a tornado; whereas “the stubble before the wind” reminds us just who it is, in the final analysis, who separates the wheat from the chaff (cf. Matthew 3:11-12)!
PSALM 83:14. The image of the “fire” devouring the mountains echoes the song of Moses in Deuteronomy 32:22. It is quite a picture!
“So persecute them,” says Asaph (PSALM 83:15), “with thy tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm.” In Psalm 50:3, (quoted above under PSALM 83:1) the writer goes on to invoke “fire” and “tempest:” ‘a fire shall devour before Him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about Him.’
As for the enemies, there is, after all, an evangelistic message here. “Fill their faces with shame, THAT they may seek thy name, O LORD” (PSALM 83:16; cf. Psalm 9:19-20). It is only when people are brought to the end of themselves that they might ever truly begin to seek the LORD. Then they might find out that, through the blood of Jesus, ‘There is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared’ (cf. Psalm 130:4).
Justice must be served, so the imprecation remains: but only for those who persist to the very end in their enmity to God (PSALM 83:17). For those who repent, we find that Jesus has already been judged in our place (cf. John 3:18; Romans 8:34; 1 Peter 2:24). The aim is always that the name of the LORD will be glorified as “the most high over all the earth” (PSALM 83:18; cf. Ezekiel 38:23).
B). WHERE ART THOU?
Genesis 3:9-19.
Adam was the representative head of the human race, and when he partook of the forbidden fruit he brought disaster and death upon all of his descendants. Spiritual death, separation from God, was immediate. Suddenly man and his wife realised that they were naked!
Physical death became an unavoidable prospect for mankind. Without the intervention of the LORD, there was nothing between man and hell.
When Adam and his wife heard the LORD God walking in the garden, they hid. It is quite sad to observe man’s feeble efforts to cover up sin. Breeches made of fig leaves may cover his outward nakedness, but he cannot silence his conscience.
We cannot hide from God. Neither can we hide our sins from Him. Ultimately the voice of the LORD cuts through the silence of that awful moment. “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9).
"It was the woman," protested Adam. "The woman you gave me!"
The woman defended herself: "The serpent beguiled me."
For his part, the serpent was not given the chance to answer on his own behalf. He had no right to be speaking anyway.
God's pronouncement of judgment against Satan was tempered with mercy towards the man and the woman. The enmity between the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman would culminate in the victory wrought by our Lord Jesus Christ upon the cross of Calvary, when He would at one and the same time have His heels "bitten" and "crush the head" of the Devil!
The relationship between the man and the woman became tainted by sin. The war of the sexes was begun! No longer was the woman going to enjoy being "like opposite" the man, but she would find herself desiring to rule over the man, and in fact be (wrongly) ruled over by man!
Man's days as a gentleman gardener were also at an end. The ordinance of work would give way to the tedium of toil. Since man had chosen to eat of the forbidden fruit, it would only be with a huge struggle that he would hereafter be able to sift out a living from the land.
The prospect of death at the end of his days of toil reminds man forever that out of the dust were we taken, and unto dust we must return!
C). PAUL PLAYS THE FOOL.
2 Corinthians 11:19-31.
While the Apostle Paul was delayed from his next visit to Corinth, certain ‘false apostles’ (as he calls them in 2 Corinthians 11:13) had come into the Corinthian church preaching ‘another Jesus, whom we have not preached,’ and offering ‘another spirit, which ye have not received,’ and ‘another gospel, which ye have not accepted’ (cf. 2 Corinthians 11:4).
If you take me as a fool, reasons the Apostle Paul, then bear with me and let me boast a little (cf. 2 Corinthians 11:1; 2 Corinthians 11:16). ’Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also’ (cf. 2 Corinthians 11:18).
There is a touch of irony in what Paul is saying: “For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise” (2 CORINTHIANS 11:19).
The fools to whom he is referring are those whom he styles (in 2 Corinthians 11:5 and 2 Corinthians 12:11) as ‘in a surpassing degree apostles’ (Greek); ‘the very chiefest apostles’ (KJV); ‘the most eminent apostles’ (NKJV). The tokens of their ministry appear to be violence and manipulation (2 CORINTHIANS 11:20).
Boasting was very much in vogue in the ancient world. The Pharisees boasted of their religiosity (cf. Luke 18:11-12). Politicians boasted of their accomplishments.
Soldiers boasted of their military prowess. It was an honour indeed to be first over the wall in the siege of a city. The irony in Paul’s boasting is that he mentions, almost as footnote, that he was let DOWN the wall of Damascus in order to escape persecution (cf. 2 Corinthians 11:32-33).
The false apostles were boasting about their authority, and Paul ironically suggests that in this “we” (the true apostles) have been “weak” (2 CORINTHIANS 11:21), not being of such a mind as to domineer over the Corinthian Christians the way these intruders did. Even so, Paul asserts, if any man “is bold, (I speak foolishly), I am bold also.”
Paul’s boasting ranges from his Jewishness (cf. John 4:22), in which he matched the false apostles (2 CORINTHIANS 11:22); to a catalogue not of his achievements, but of what he, as a servant of Christ, has suffered for the gospel of Christ (2 CORINTHIANS 11:23-27).
And “the care of all the churches” (2 CORINTHIANS 11:28). This is his ongoing pastoral concern for the churches which he has planted, and for the wellbeing of his spiritual children.
Especially the “weak” ones, who might so easily be led astray (2 CORINTHIANS 11:29).
“If I must needs glory,” concludes the Apostle Paul, “I will glory of the things which concern my infirmities. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not” (2 CORINTHIANS 11:30-31).
D). THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER EXPLAINED.
Luke 8:4-15.
There were great crowds pressing to see Jesus, straining to hear His words, or perhaps hoping for a healing touch. We can imagine Jesus spotting a farmer sowing seed somewhere nearby, and using this to illustrate His own ministry. This parable (Luke 8:4-8), along with Jesus’ interpretation of it (Luke 8:11-15), is the most well-known of all His parables. Even while talking about it, Jesus was sowing the seed of the Word of God!
The Word of God is good seed (Luke 8:11): of that there is no doubt. So why is it that it does not have a good result in the lives of all those who hear it? The fault is in the soil.
No matter how well the farmer prepared the ground, there would always be some part of that rocky terrain that would not yield any fruit. On any account, seed scattered would not always land in the good soil, the prepared soil. No matter how ‘good’ the preaching, the Word of God only takes root in hearts prepared by the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 17:32-34).
Jesus speaks of four types of hearers, with four results:
1. There are those who hear and do not understand (Luke 8:5; Luke 8:12). The Word is snatched away immediately upon their hearing it.
2. There are those who seem to receive the Word in an emotional moment, and with much celebration (Luke 8:6a; Luke 8:13a).
Not everybody will be enthusiastic when you are converted. Some will mock and scold, questioning your sanity; others will bully and apply psychological pressure upon you to conform to the world; others will persecute and murder. Then there is questioning in the heart when it seems that God’s providence is against us.
There is no root in them, and they fall away at the first sign of trouble (Luke 8:6b; Luke 8:13b).
3. For some, the seed falls among thorns (Luke 8:7; Luke 8:14).
The cares of this world soon smother the good work that God would do in their lives. And they “bring no fruit to perfection.” Those who lack, covet; and those who have riches must needs build bigger barns (cf. Luke 12:18). There are dangers in both extremes (cf. Proverbs 30:8-9).
4. Finally, there are those who hear and understand, and trust and obey (Luke 8:8; Luke 8:15).
How do I know that they trust? Because they bring forth fruit in their lives (cf. John 15:16). A fruitless life is a rootless life: ‘faith without works is dead’ (cf. James 2:17).
“What might this parable be?” asked Jesus’ disciples (Luke 8:9). Jesus’ answer is surely a surprise: “Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God; but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand” (Luke 8:10). It is a gift, “given to you” (disciples), but not given to the others.
Now Jesus makes it perfectly clear that the natural man is totally incapable of receiving the mysteries of the kingdom thus revealed. He speaks to them in parables “BECAUSE seeing they see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand” (Luke 8:10).
So Christianity is not a matter of laying hold upon some wonderful teaching, and following it as best we can. Nor is it about our striving to imitate Jesus - as if we could ever do that in our own strength. Christianity is about the unfolding of a mystery (cf. 1 Corinthians 2:7) - not to the knowledgeable, but to those to whom “it is given” (Luke 8:10), otherwise described as “they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience” (Luke 8:15).
And when He had said these things, He cried, “He that hat ears to hear, let him hear” (Luke 8:8).
Amen.
