PSALM 107
PART 2
WITH SOME REPETITION FROM PSALM 107, PART 1
PSALM 107 IS A PSALM OF GENERAL TRUTH
Do you have friends and relatives who have little time for Jesus Christ? Do you have friends and relatives, both men and women, who think that they are macho, and who think that Christianity is for sissies, and not for macho men and women such as they think they are? Do you have neighbors who, if you invited them to come to Sunday School and church with you Sunday morning, would tell you that Sunday morning is the only morning that they have to sleep in; but they would get up before dawn on a Sunday morning to drive hundreds of miles to go hunting and/or fishing? Do you have friends, neighbors, or relatives, who really see no practical purpose for being a Christian? In their best moments they are just indifferent to the claims of Christ. In their worst moments they might scoff at your religion, calling it pie in the sky when you die. Are you concerned about their salvation? Do you want to see them coming to Christ?
I want to assure you this morning that God is more concerned about their salvation than you are. And throughout the course of the lives of your friends and relatives He has been doing something about it. What He does first is to let them carry on life as usual, to try to cope with life as best they can. Generally speaking, they think that they are managing fairly successfully. As long as they have a good job, good health, and fairly normal, healthy children - they think that they are coping. But then God allows unusual stress to come to their lives, troubles which stretch them beyond the point of coping. And then they often do one of three things. What most non-Christians do under unusual stress is merely to seek some form of medical help. Rather than go also to the Great Physician who treats causes, they often go only to a human physician who sometimes only treats symptoms with pills, which often only aggravate the cause.
If they see the hand of God at all in their trouble, they usually do one of two things. They either become bitter against God, or they cry out to God for help. When they become bitter, God just lets them carry on in their own strength and bitterness for another period, and then he allows them to have more stress. If they cry out to God for help, He answers them, and sends them at least temporary relief; which is often all that they really want. You see, what God is seeking is an eternal covenant relationship, which involves a commitment to the Lordship of Jesus Christ; and a commitment to love God as a heavenly Father. What they are often seeking is merely temporary relief. More often than not, after the temporary relief has come, they go back to the same old reliance upon self. In other words, they practice what has been called fox-hole religion.
Now all these acts of God in bringing people in and out of trouble are acts of loving-kindness. You see, one of the kindest things God can do for any person, Christian or non-Christian, is to wean him from trusting in his own finite human resources, and to lead him to trust in the infinite divine resources of Jesus Christ. And God=s loving-kindness is so great, that no matter how bitter Christians and non-Christians become, and no matter how much they cry to God for help in their troubles and then forget him in their good times, He keeps at this loving task of weaning them from trust in self to trust in Christ. And some times, but not always, they come to the realization that they are being utter fools in resisting His love, that fox-hole religion is both unstable and foolish. Today God may be working in this way with some non-Christians on your street. Tomorrow he may be working in this way with some non-Christians among your friends, relatives or associates at work. God will not stop His ways of loving-kindness with these individuals. God knows that trust in self in foolish, and that trust in Christ is indispensable to proper living. And so through troubles God continues to encourage all people to experience proper trust in Christ. This is part of the reason why there is so much trouble in the world. God is teaching individuals and the whole world that reliance on self is sin, and that the wages of sin is death. He is weaning individuals to trust in Christ, a gift which brings eternal life.
Psalm 107 discusses this rocess.
You will find at the end of this manuscript a translation of Psalm 107 which I have prepared from the original Hebrew. Psalm 107 talks about people who practice fox-hole religion, and contrasts them with Christians who recognize God as their heavenly Father who is to be obeyed, and who recognize that Jesus has redeemed them to be His slaves.
Psalm 107 describes true Christians, people who recognize that God is their Father who is to be obeyed, and who recognize that Jesus is their Lord who has freed them from slavery to obey Him. People who practice fox-hole religion treat God as though He was their slave, as though He was some sort of cosmic machine which they can put into operation whenever they are in trouble.
Those who are redeemed recognize that we are God=s slaves. He has redeemed us. We owe Him everything we are and have because He gave His Son to redeem us. We want to be more like Jesus. We count it as a gracious gift from God when we suffer for His Name=s sake. We praise Him for the trials of life, for they refine the gold in our lives.
We sing with the songwriter:
THROUGH IT ALL, THROUGH IT ALL, I’VE LEARNED TO TRUST IN JESUS,
I’VE LEARNED TO TRUST IN GOD; THROUGH IT ALL, THROUGH IT ALL,
I’VE LEARNED TO DEPEND UPON HIS WORD.
Generally people who practice fox-hole religion do not praise God or thank God. They use God as their cosmic slave, but they do not praise Him or thank Him.
Psalm 107 describes four kinds of people who practice fox-hole religion: I have called them sojourners or wanderers who are constantly getting lost because they do not allow Jesus to lead them; shackled who wind up in jail because of their rebellion; sick people who wind up in hospital because of their foolishness; and sailors who think they can navigate without God.
The section on sailors is a climactic section. A key phrase is Acome to their wit=s end.@ If you don=t relate to the waves of the sea, think of people who are sunk in debt or sunk in despair or sunk in some quagmire of some sort.
Now I want to point out that the truths we are discussing are general truths; they do not happen once or twice in history in a few places; they happen throughout history and throughout the world; in the east, in the west, in the north, and in the south; in Canada, in Virginia, in any place you could mention.
There are no specific people or places mentioned in Psalm 107. This is true because the psalm is a psalm of general truth. And because it is a psalm of general truth, in order for us to study it together, I have prepared a translation from the original Hebrew in which most of the tenses are present, for in English we use the present tense to express general truth. Birds build nests. That is a general truth.In English we express it in the present tense. God seeks worshipers. That is a general truth. In English we express it in the present tense. God leads people in and out of trouble. That is a general truth. In English we express it in the present tense. God loves the nation of Israel, always has, always will. That is a general truth; we express it in the present tense. Two and two is four. Two and two used to be four when I went to school. Two and two in normal math always has been four. Two and two will most likely be four tomorrow. But to express the sum of two and two as a general truth, we use the present tense. Two and two is four.
Because Psalm 107 is a psalm of general truth, and has no mention of specific persons or places, scholars have had a hard time figuring out who wrote it and when it was written. Now it is obvious that one person wrote it at a given time, but because the truths in it are general truths, theoretically anyone could have written it at any time. Trying to figure out when Psalm 107 was written is a little like trying to figure out when two and two equaled four in the history of Israel, or when birds built nests in the history of Israel, or when God loved Israel in the history of Israel. Two and two equals four. In normal math it always has and always will. Birds build nests. This is not a new phenomenon. It is a general truth. God loves Israel, always has, always will. It is not always easy to tell from the Bible who the real people of Israel are. But whoever they are, God loves them; always has, always will.
In Hebrew poetry no one tense was reserved for statements of general truth. Depending on the meter which he wanted a Hebrew poet would say: Two and two used to be four. Two and two has been four. Two and two will be four. Two and two is four. In English, one tense, the present tense, is used for statements of general truth. Theoretically in English we could make any of these statements about the sum of two and two, and they are all true. But in English we generally use the present tense to express general truth. That is why I have prepared the translation which was handed out with the bulletins.
Psalm 107 is a very structured psalm. It can be broken down into its component parts much like a tangerine. The first three verses are introduction. They urge the people of God, when God redeems them from trouble, to say so. The reason for this is obvious. Usually people who do not belong to God do not say anything about God’s goodness in taking them in and out of trouble. Generally, at worst, they become bitter, and at best they keep quiet.
This contrast between the godly and ungodly reaction to trouble is spelled out very clearly in verse 42. The upright experience (see) it, and are glad (rejoice), But all unrighteous people shut their mouths.
When God brings troubles to righteous people, they rejoice and are exceedingly glad, knowing that their reward is great in heaven, and knowing that this trial is helping them to grow and mature. Godly people realize that suffering, like faith, is a gracious gift from God which refines our faith.
When God brings trials and troubles to ungodly people, they either open their mouths to complain; or they open their mouths to ask God to get them out of the trouble; but after the trouble is over, they generally close their mouths again, content to continue their normal life without due recognition of God’s goodness. So verses 1-3 are an introduction, encouraging truly godly people to talk about how God in His goodness redeems them from trouble.
The next four sections describe God’s use of trouble in the lives of unsaved, unredeemed, non-Christian people. These people in general practice what is generally called fox-hole religion. As long as they can cope with life as it is, they do, without any significant recognition of God. When troubles come to these people, and these people come to the end of their own resources, they cry out to God; or they ask some Christian friend to cry out to God for them, and God brings them out of trouble. The psalmist then urges them to praise the Lord for His goodness to the sons of Adam, to everybody, to saints and sinners alike. But these sinners, these sons of Adam, generally don’t praise God. They generally lapse back into their old ways of self-reliance.
I have labeled these four sections as follows:
The sojourners or tent-dwellers vv. 4-9
The shackled or jail dwellers vv. 10-16
The sick or hospital dwellers vv. 17-22
and
The sailors or sea-dwellers vv. 23-31.
The fifth and last section is considerably different in many ways. It describes the saints or the sanctuary dwellers. True saints are regularly praising God; they are regularly thanking God. They do not practice fox-hole religion. They do not call out to God only in time of trouble. They are regularly praising God and rejoicing in God. They may have twice as much trouble as unsaved people, but true saints generally do not complain. They, like their Savior, endure, knowing that the trial of their faith works patience and a great reward.
The people in the first four sections only cry out to God when they want His rescue squad. They generally do not praise God or serve God. They expect God and His rescue squad to serve them, when they come to the end of their own resources. They certainly do not join regularly with God’s gathered people in the congregation of the people and the assembly of the elders. In this psalm they are sometimes called numbskulls, fools, or wicked. They rejoice when things go right. They know nothing of what it means to rejoice in God alone. They are sons of Adam or sons of men. They are not sons of God.
Though God would like to have a covenant relationship with them, they are not interested in a covenant relationship with Him, because that would mean submitting to the Lordship of Jesus Christ; and they have not learned that such submission brings the greatest freedom in all the world. They have no real understanding of the redemption which Jesus purchased for them by His death on Calvary. The only redemption they experience from day to day is a redemption of their food stamps, or a redemption of their savings certificates.
The people in the fifth section are not characterized by crying out to God only in trouble. The word for "cry out" used regularly in each of the first four sections is not used at all in the fifth section. The people in the fifth section are regularly praising God and serving God. They serve God as part of His rescue squad. They rejoice in God and in the covenant relationship they have with Him. They rejoice in their submission to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Their covenant relationship with God through the Lord Jesus Christ is more important than anything else. And if suffering means that the covenant relationship will be strengthened, they rejoice in the suffering.
In the translation, which I have provided for you in your bulletins, you will find some numbers in brackets after certain words. I have chosen eight different words and indicated the number of times the particular words occur. The first number in the bracket is the number I have assigned to the word.
Word #1 is praise.
word #2 is mercy;
word #3 is cry out;
word #4 is problem;
word #5 is distresses;
word #6 I have translated wonderful acts;
word #7 is Adam;
and word #8 is rescues.
The second number in a bracket is the number of occurrences of that particular word up to that point in the psalm. Look especially at the words cry out and problem, which I have called words three and four. These words occur four times each, because they each occur in each of the first four sections. These words clearly describe those who practice fox-hole religion.
Now let us look at the psalm verse by verse.
Praise (1-1) the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy (goodness, lovingkindness) (2-1) is eternal (everlasting).
The command to praise the Lord is a command, to which in this psalm, only the godly respond. The ungodly cry out to the Lord; they practice fox-hole religion. But unless they get converted, they do not praise the Lord. What insurance people call acts of God, disasters, the psalmist calls wonderful acts of God’s goodness; because these so-called disasters challenge us all to stop trusting in our own finite human resources, and to start trusting in the infinite divine resources of Jesus Christ.
2. Let those redeemed (special) by the Lord say so, those whom He has redeemed (special) from the hand of the oppressor;
In this psalm the expression redeemed is a special word reserved for godly people. The word redeemed implies a covenant relationship which comes with submission to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Moreover, those who are redeemed are generally redeemed from the hand of an oppressor. The problems from which God redeems them generally are not ones they themselves have created by their own sin. Rather the problems are generally sufferings for the sake of righteousness.
God rescues ungodly people; He snatches them from trouble and delivers them; even when the problems they are in are problems they themselves have created by their own sin, rebellion, stubbornness, and foolishness. They have either forsaken God or wandered away from Him. So God snatches them or rescues them from their troubles. But in this psalm they are never described as being redeemed.
3. And gathered (special) them from the lands; from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.
The term gathered likewise is used only of the godly in this psalm. Godly people gather in the church, gather in congregations to praise the Lord. Ungodly people are really not interested in that kind of life style. Notice that the redeemed are gathered from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south. These experiences occur all over the world. This psalm is a psalm of general truth. It is not talking about something unusual which happened at one place at one time in history. This psalm is not what might be called a historical psalm. If it were, it would mention specific places and people. It is a psalm of general truth. It is talking about something which happens to all sorts of people, everywhere, all the time.
There is a great difference between a psalm of general truth and a historical psalm. You can compare them by comparing Psalm 107, a psalm of general truth, with Psalm 106, a historical psalm. A psalm of general truth discusses what happens at all times to all people in all places. A psalm of general truth has no references to specific people and places, and should be translated into the present tense.
A historical psalm discusses specific events which happened to specific people in specific places. A historical psalm, therefore, will have specific references to specific people and places, and should be translated into the past tense. Look at Psalm 106 and notice all the specific references to people and places. It is humorous for me to read commentaries by scholars who treat Psalm 107 as though it were a historical psalm such as Psalm 106. These scholars make all sorts of wild guesses as to when in the history of Israel people looked for cities in which to dwell, when in the history of Israel people were put in jail for doing wrong, when in the history of Israel people became so sick that they nearly died, when in the history of Israel people went down to the sea in ships. Do you understand how foolish that is? That is like asking when in the history of Israel two and two was four, and when in the history of Israel birds built nests. And not only that, but there is not even the slightest indication that the first four sections are discussing Israelites.
Verses 1-3 are really introduction. With this introduction, let us look at the first section describing the unsaved. Over the next few weeks, as we look at each of the four sections describing the unsaved, we shall ask ourselves seven questions.
1. How can you tell when a section ends?
2. Is there any indication that these people are non-Christians? Are they called sinners, or numbskulls, or fools? Is there any indication that they practice fox-hole religion? Is the key word "cry out" used to describe their reaction to problems? Is the term upright or righteous used of them, or are they described as sons of Adam? Are they like the people in the fifth section, or is there a significant difference between them and the people in the fifth section?
3. For what different things is each group looking? What do the individuals in a given group want more than anything else?
4. Each group has trouble. How does the trouble manifest itself? Is the trouble caused by the individuals themselves, or are the troubles caused by other people who are acting in a sinful way?
5. When do the unsaved cry out to God for help?
6. Does God answer their prayer?
7. When do they praise God?
1. SOJOURNERS OR TENT-DWELLERS vv. 4-9
2. There are those who wander in the wilderness, who tread the barren lands. They cannot find a city in which to dwell.
Wandering, and looking primarily for an earthly city are not characteristic of godly people. These sojourners or tent-dwellers are not called ungodly or wicked, but they sure do not have the priorities which godly people have.
3. Hungry and thirsty their soul within them faints.
When do they cry out to the Lord? When they run out of their own resources.
6. Then they cry out (3-1) to God in their problem (4-1), and He snatches them from their distresses (5-1).
These people practice fox-hole religion. Crying out to God when they run out of their own resources is characteristic of them. And it is characteristic of God to rescue them or snatch them from trouble, for He allowed them to have the trouble so they would in fact cry out to Him.
7. Then He leads them along a straight road, so that they may come to a city in which to dwell.
And that is what they want more than anything else, a city in which to dwell.
8. O that they would praise (1-2) the Lord for His goodness (2-2), and for His wonderful acts (6-1) for the sons of Adam (7-1),
Do they praise the Lord? Generally not. Why not? Because they are sons of Adam, not sons of God. They live for life here and now, and now that they have found their city, they do not think that they have any further need for God, until someone comes to destroy their city.
9. Because he satisfies the parched throat, and fills the hungry person with good things.
And that is all that they really want: food, drink and an earthly city.
Now let us review our seven questions about these sections describing the unsaved.
How can you tell when one of these first four sections ends?
Each of the first four sections ends with an expression like this:
O that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful acts for the sons of Adam.
Sometimes this expression is followed by a reason. In the first section the reason is that he satisfies the parched throat, and fills the hungry person with good things.
2. Is there any indication that these people are sinners, and that they practice fox-hole religion?
These people are described as wandering, which is characteristic of ungodly people rather than godly people. The word "cry out" is used of them. They definitely practice fox-hole religion.
3. For what is this group looking?
For an earthly city, in which they can dwell without the regular threat of running out of food and drink.
4. How does trouble manifest itself to this group?
Lack of food and water?
5. When do they cry out to the Lord?
When they run out of resources? When they become so hungry and thirsty, that their very inner being faints.
6. Does God answer their prayer?
Of course. He allowed them to have the trouble so that they would cry out to Him.
7. When do they praise God?
They generally do not praise God. Praising God is characteristic only of the redeemed, of the upright. Generally, after God has rescued or snatched the ungodly from their troubles, they lapse back into their old ways of self reliance.
As I have studied for these sermons I have realized afresh with tremendous force that there are only two basic types of people in this world. There are those who are committed to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, whose greatest desire is to be used by God to minister to others. There are others who are not committed to the Lordship of Christ, and who think that they can use God to minister to their own selfish needs.
Some day this latter group will have a tremendous shock.
Let me read to you again a few verses from Matthew 25.
As I read these verses to you, please be aware of how we enter the kingdom.
We enter the kingdom by inheritance, by being born again spiritually.
But please notice how we demonstrate that we have been born again, that we are truly children of God. We demonstrate this by acts of kindness to other people as we serve the Lord.
(Mat 25:31 NIV) "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels
with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory.
(Mat 25:32 NIV) All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will
separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the
goats.
(Mat 25:33 NIV) He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
(Mat 25:34 NIV) "Then the King will say to those on his right, ’Come, you who
are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you
since the creation of the world.
(Mat 25:35 NIV) For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was
thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me
in,
(Mat 25:36 NIV) I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked
after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
(Mat 25:37 NIV) "Then the righteous will answer him, ’Lord, when did we see you
hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?
(Mat 25:38 NIV) When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing
clothes and clothe you?
(Mat 25:39 NIV) When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
(Mat 25:40 NIV) "The King will reply, ’I tell you the truth, whatever you did
for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’
(Mat 25:41 NIV) "Then he will say to those on his left, ’Depart from me, you
who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
(Mat 25:42 NIV) For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty
and you gave me nothing to drink,
(Mat 25:43 NIV) I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes
and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after
me.’
(Mat 25:44 NIV) "They also will answer, ’Lord, when did we see you hungry or
thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help
you?’
(Mat 25:45 NIV) "He will reply, ’I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do
for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
(Mat 25:46 NIV) "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the
righteous to eternal life."
TRANSLATION OF PSALM 107 BY DR. GEORGE E. (TED) BARTON
Please note that there are eight words which are repeated and which refer to God=s relationships with all people who practice fox-hole religion. Those eight words are: 1. praise; 2. mercy, goodness, loving-kindness; 3. cry out; 4. problem; 5. distresses; 6. wonderful acts; 7. sons of Adam; and 8. rescues. After each of these words the second number indicates the number of times it appears to that point in the poem. There are some special words used which only refer to redeemed people, Christians, people who regularly gather in the assembly or congregation and praise the Lord.
1. Praise (1-1) the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy (goodness, loving-kindness)
(2-1) is eternal (everlasting).
2. Let those redeemed (special) by the Lord say so, those whom He has
redeemed (special) from the hand of the oppressor;
3. And gathered (special) them from the lands; from the east and from the west,
from the north and from the south.
1. SOJOURNERS OR TENT-DWELLERS (VERSES 4-9)
4. There are those who wander in the wilderness, who tread the barren lands.
They cannot find a city in which to dwell.
5. Hungry and thirsty their soul within them faints.
6. Then they cry out (3-1) to God in their problem (4-1), and He snatches them from
their distresses (5-1).
7. Then He leads them along a straight road, so that they may come to a city in
which to dwell.
8. O that they would praise (1-2) the Lord for His goodness (2-2), and for His
wonderful acts (6-1) for the sons of Adam (7-1).
9. Because He satisfies the parched throat, and fills the hungry person with good things.
2. SHACKLED OR JAIL-DWELLERS (VERSES 10-18)
10. There are those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, shackled in stocks and iron,
11. Because they rebel against the words of God, and spurn the counsel of the Most
High.
12. He humbles their heart by hard labor; they stumble and there is no one to help them.
13. Then they cry out (3-2) to God in their problem (4-2), and He rescues (8-1) them
from their distresses (5-2).
14. He brings them out from darkness and the shadow of death; and their shackles
He snaps.
15. O that they would praise (1-3) the Lord for His goodness (2-3), and for His wonderful acts (6-2) for the sons of Adam (7-2),
16. Because He shatters doors of bronze, and cuts in two bars of iron.
3. SICK OR HOSPITAL DWELLERS (VERSES 17-22)
17. Numbskulls (fools), because of their rebellious ways, and because of their iniquities, become very sick.
18. Their soul abhors every kind of food; and they draw near to the gates of death.
19. Then they cry out (3-3) to God in their problem (4-3), and He rescues (8-2) them from their distresses (5-3).
20. He sends His word and heals them, and delivers them from their afflictions,
21. O that they would praise (1-4) the Lord for His goodness (2-4), and for His wonderful acts (6-3) for the sons of Adam (7-3),
22. And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of praise, and declare His works with rejoicing.
4. SAILORS OR SEA DWELLERS (VERSES 23-31)
23. There are those who go down to the sea in ships, who do business in mighty waters.
24. These (emphatic) see the works of the Lord and his wonderful acts (6-4) on the vast sea.
25. For He speaks and raises up the stormy wind, which lifts up high His waves.
26. They go up to heaven; they go down to the lowest depths
Their soul is melted because of the danger.
27. They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunkard, and come to their wit’s end.
28. Then they cry out (3-4) to the Lord in their problem (4-4), and from their distresses (5-4) He brings them out.
29. He stills the storm to a whisper, and their waves are hushed.
30. Then they are glad because they are calm, and He guides them to their desired haven.
31. O that they would praise (1-5) the Lord for his goodness (2-5), and for His wonderful acts (6-5) for the sons of Adam (7-4).
5. SAINTS OR SANCTUARY DWELLERS (VERSES 32-43)
32. There are those who lift Him high (once) in the congregation (once) of the people (once), and praise (once) Him in the assembly (once) of the elders (once).
33. He changes rivers into deserts, and springs of water into parched ground,
34. A land of fruit into salt flats because of the wickedness of those who dwell there.
35. He changes deserts into pools of water, and parched earth into springs of water.
36. There he makes the hungry dwell, and they establish a city in which to dwell
37. They sow fields, and plant vineyards, and harvest a fruitful yield.
38. He blesses them, and they multiply greatly, and He does not allow their cattle to decrease.
39. Again (Notice the two cycles.) they are diminished and brought low through oppression, affliction, and trouble.
40. He pours contempt upon princes, and causes them to wander in a trackless wasteland.
41. The poor, however, He lifts up from affliction, and makes his clans like lambs.
42. The upright (first) see, and rejoice, but every iniquitous person shuts his mouth.
43. Whoever is wise will pay attention to these things, and will understand the loving-kindness (mercy, goodness) (2-6) of the Lord.
Notice that in this fifth section there are two cycles in and out of trouble. Notice also that the troubles come because of the sins and errors of others (primarily ungodly political leaders), not because of the sins of the righteous. Notice also that after verse 34 and after verse 40 there is no mention crying out to God as in previous sections. These people do not practice fox-hole religion.
