Psalm 111 and Psalm 112 | A Song in two-part harmony

A SONG IN TWO PART HARMONY

PSALM 111 AND PSALM 112

AUGUST 16, 2015

THERE ARE LOTS OF INTERESTING THINGS ABOUT THESE TWO PSALMS WE JUST READ TOGETHER. I REALIZE “INTERESTING” IS A RELATIVE TERM, BUT IF YOU WILL BEAR WITH ME FOR A MOMENT, I THINK YOU WILL AGREE.

IN THE FIRST PLACE, AS I MENTIONED A MOMENT AGO, THESE TWO PSALMS WERE WRITTEN TO GO TOGETHER – ONE MIRRORING THE OTHER.

PSALM 111 PRAISES THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD, WHILE PSALM 112 PRAISES THE ATTRIBUTES OF THE PEOPLE OF GOD; AS WE SAID, ONE PSALM MIRRORING THE OTHER. WE’LL SAY MORE ABOUT THIS IN A MOMENT.

SECONDLY, BOTH OF THESE PSALMS ARE WHAT ARE KNOWN AS ACROSTICS.

AN ACROSTIC IS A VERSE OR ARRANGEMENT OF WORDS IN WHICH CERTAIN LETTERS IN EACH LINE, SUCH AS THE FIRST OR LAST LETTERS, WHEN TAKEN IN ORDER SPELL OUT A WORD, MOTTO, OR ARE IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER.

HERE’S ONE: GLORY

GOD’S

LOVE

OPENLY

RECEIVES

YOU

OR THE ONE ADOPTED BY THIS CONGREGATION YEARS AGO: CHANGED

CHRIST

HAS

A

NEW

GIFT

EVERY

DAY

WHILE IT IS NOT APPARENT IN OUR ENGLISH TRANSLATION, IN THE CASE OF OUR TWO PSALMS FOR THIS MORNING THEY ARE ACROSTICS IN THE SENSE THAT EACH VERSE BEGINS WITH THE NEXT LETTER OF THE HEBREW ALPHABET.

ALEPH, BEYTH, GYMEL, DALETH, ETC. – I TOLD YOU “INTERESTING” WAS A RELATIVE TERM.

BUT SERIOUSLY, THAT THESE TWO PSALMS ARE MEANT TO BE READ TOGETHER;

THAT ONE MIRRORS THE OTHER – THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD MIRRORED IN THE ATTRIBUTES OF THE PEOPLE OF GOD;

AND THAT BOTH ARE WRITTEN AS ACROSTICS DEMONSTRATES, I THINK, A CERTAIN SOPHISTICATION IN WRITING WE MAY NEVER HAVE THOUGHT OF THE BIBLICAL WRITERS HAVING.

AND THIS IS WHY I WOULD LIKE US TO CONSIDER THESE TWO PSALMS AS A SONG OF FAITH WRITTEN IN TWO PART HARMONY;

NOT IN THE CLASSIC MUSIC SENSE, BECAUSE WHAT I KNOW ABOUT READING MUSIC CAN BE SUMMED UP IN ONE GREAT BIG GOOSE EGG;

BUT IN THE SENSE THAT THE TWO PSALMS READ TOGETHER, SUNG TOGETHER, ARE A DUET, IF YOU WILL, ONE VOICE SINGING THE PRAISES OF GOD, THE OTHER VOICE SINGING THE PRAISES OF THE PEOPLE OF GOD;

AND THIS IS WHY I HAD US READ IT AS WE DID; ANTIPHONALLY – ONE VOICE RESPONDING TO THE OTHER.

YOU MAY HAVE ALSO NOTICED THAT EACH OF OUR PSALMS FOR THIS MORNING HAS TEN VERSES, AND THERE IS A REASON FOR THIS.

NEARLY EVERY VERSE IN ONE PSALM MIRRORS A CORRESPONDING VERSE IN THE OTHER. AND WE’LL SAY MORE ABOUT THIS IN A MOMENT AS WELL.

NOW, THE APOSTLE PAUL WAS FAMOUS FOR MIXING HIS METAPHORS – FOR CHANGING HORSES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREAM OF WHICH HE WAS UP WITHOUT A PADDLE… AND I KNOW I AM DOING THE SAME THING HERE THIS MORNING.

IN PAUL’S CASE HE WOULD BE TALKING ABOUT JESUS AS THE GREAT SHEPHERD, THEN SWITCH TO TALKING ABOUT JESUS AS THE SHEEP GATE, THE GATE THROUGH WHICH THE SHEEP ENTER, THEN ABOUT JESUS AS THE SACRIFICIAL LAMB, ALL IN A MATTER OF A FEW VERSES.

OR, PAUL WOULD BEGIN BY TALKING ABOUT JESUS AS THE HOST AT THE TABLE, THE ONE OFFERING THE BREAD AND CUP TO THOSE GATHERED AROUND, AND THEN HAVE JESUS SPEAKING OF HIMSELF AS BEING THE BREAD BROKEN AND CUP THAT IS POURED OUT – THE WORDS WE USE FOR COMMUNION.

WELL, IN THAT SAME VEIN LET ME SWAP METAPHORS FOR A MOMENT – OR SWAP BACK, AS THE CASE MAY BE – FROM A SONG IN TWO PART HARMONY – TO OUR IDEA OF THESE PSALMS BEING A MIRROR IMAGE OF EACH OTHER.

ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THE OLD MIRROR ROUTINE?

PERHAPS THE BEST KNOWN AND MOST LOVED EXAMPLE OF IT WAS FROM THE TELEVISION SHOW I LOVE LUCY WHERE LUCILLE BALL IS DRESSED UP AS HARPO MARX FOR A COSTUME PARTY – AND THINKS SHE IS LOOKING INTO A MIRROR;

ONLY THE MIRROR ACTUALLY IS HARPO MARX MIRRORING EVERY MOVEMENT LUCY MAKES.

THE ROUTINE ACTUALLY, ALSO, APPEARS IN A MARX BROTHERS’ MOVIE – DUCK SOUP AND HAS BEEN REPEATED BY COUNTLESS OTHER COMEDIANS AND CARTOONS OVER THE YEARS.

NOW, FORGETTING FOR A MOMENT THE COMEDIC EFFECT, THIS IS NOT ONLY WHAT OUR TWO PSALMS ARE INTENDED TO DO – ONE MIRRORING THE OTHER – THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD MIRRORED IN THE ATTRIBUTES OF THE PEOPLE OF GOD;

BUT WHAT WE ARE TO DO IN OUR LIVES, AS THE PEOPLE OF GOD.

WE ARE TO MIRROR GOD IN OUR LIVES OF FAITH. WE ARE TO REFLECT THE IMAGE OF GOD IN WHICH WE HAVE BEEN CREATED IN THE LIVES WE LIVE, AND IN THE FAITH WE SHARE.

AND IF I MAY COMPLICATE THINGS EVEN MORE FOR A MOMENT, AS IF THEY WEREN’T COMPLICATED ENOUGH, WHAT WE HAVE IN THE PERSON OF JESUS CHRIST IS THE PERFECT EXAMPLE OF MIRRORING GOD; OF REFLECTING THE IMAGE OF GOD IN US.

DO YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT GOD LOOKS LIKE; WHAT GOD IS LIKE; WHO GOD REVEALS GOD’S SELF TO BE? LOOK AT CHRIST. IN CHRIST, WE SEE GOD.

BUT HERE’S WHERE IT REALLY GETS COMPLICATED: DO YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT WE ARE SUPPOSED TO LOOK LIKE; WHAT WE ARE INTENDED TO BE AS THOSE CREATED IN THE IMAGE OF GOD; WHO WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE AS THE PEOPLE OF GOD? LOOK AT CHRIST.

JESUS CHRIST REFLECTS BOTH THE IMAGE OF GOD, AND THE IMAGE OF HUMANITY AS IT IS MEANT TO BE.

IN ESSENCE, JESUS IS DOING THE OLD MIRROR ROUTINE WITH HIMSELF – REFLECTING, AT ONCE, BOTH GOD AND HUMANKIND.

NOW THIS SERMON IS SUPPOSED TO BE BASED UPON TWO PSALMS FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT; ON PSALMS 111 AND 112; AND I’VE ACTUALLY READ NOTHING FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT THIS MORNING; NOTHING, ABOUT CHRIST;

SO LET’S GET BACK TO OUR PSALMS FOR A MOMENT AND SEE WHAT IT IS THAT THEY HAVE TO SAY ABOUT GOD AND ABOUT US.

“GREAT ARE THE WORKS OF THE LORD, STUDIED BY ALL WHO DELIGHT IN THEM.”

“HAPPY ARE THOSE WHO FEAR THE LORD, WHO GREATLY DELIGHT IN HIS COMMANDMENTS.”

“FULL OF HONOR AND MAJESTY IS GOD’S WORKS, AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS ENDURES FOREVER.”

“THEIR DESCENDANTS WILL BE MIGHTY IN THE LAND; THE GENERATION OF THE UPRIGHT WILL BE BLESSED.”

“GOD HAS GAINED RENOWN BY HIS WONDERFUL DEEDS; THE LORD IS GRACIOUS AND MERCIFUL.”

“WEALTH AND RICHES ARE IN THEIR HOUSES, AND THEIR RIGHTEOUSNESS ENDURES FOREVER.”

I COULD KEEP DOING THIS ALL DAY LONG; FOR THE REST OF THIS SERMON;

WITH EACH OF THE VERSES FROM PSALM 111 AND PSALM 112 MIRRORING EACH OTHER, BUT I THINK YOU GET THE POINT.

(PLEASE GO BACK AND READ THESE TWO PSALMS TOGETHER ON YOUR OWN AND SEE WHAT I MEAN.)

SO NOT ONLY DO THE PSALMS MIRROR EACH OTHER; NOT ONLY DOES EACH VERSE IN EACH PSALM PRETTY MUCH MIRROR THAT VERSE IN THE OTHER;

BUT WE, THE PEOPLE OF GOD, ARE TO MIRROR THE GOD IN WHOM WE BELIEVE; THE ONE IN WHOSE IMAGE WE HAVE BEEN CREATED.

YEARS AGO, BACK IN MY HIGH SCHOOL DAYS, MAYBE YOURS TOO; OR THOSE OF YOUR CHILDREN IF YOU ARE LITTLE OLDER THAN ME; AND IT PAINS ME TO SAY THIS, BUT FOR SOME OF YOU, MAYBE IT WAS IN BACK YOUR PARENT’S HIGH SCHOOL DAYS – I’M GETTING OLD –

THERE WAS A SONG, “AND THEY’LL KNOW WE ARE CHRISTIANS BY OUR LOVE.”

“WE ARE ONE IN THE SPIRIT, WE ARE ONE IN THE LORD…”

“WE WILL WALK WITH EACH OTHER, WE WILL WALK HAND IN HAND…”

“WE WILL WORK WITH EACH OTHER, WE WILL WORK SIDE BY SIDE…”

“WE WILL GUARD EACH ONE’S DIGNITY, AND SAVE EACH ONE’S PRIDE…”

“AND THEY’LL KNOW WE ARE CHRISTIANS BY OUR LOVE, YES THEY’LL KNOW WE ARE CHRISTIANS BY OUR LOVE…”

WHEN I USED TO JOIN IN SINGING THAT SONG ON THE CHURCH BUS, ON OUR WAY TO A YOUTH RETREAT OR SOMETHING, PEOPLE WOULD SAY STUFF LIKE:

“HEY SCHENK, IF YOU’LL SING A LITTLE CLOSER TO THE WINDOW, WE’LL HELP YOU OUT!”

OR, “HEY SCHENK, WHY DON’T YOU SING A SOLO? SO LOW WE CAN’T HEAR YOU!”

BE THAT AS IT MAY, THE BASIC POINT OF THE SONG WAS THAT OTHERS WOULD KNOW THAT WE ARE CHRISTIANS, YES, BY OUR LOVE;

BUT ALSO BY WHAT THEY SEE; BY THE IMAGE OF GOD WE REFLECT;

BY OUR MIRRORING THE ATTRIBUTES OF THE GOD IN WHOM WE LIVE, AND MOVE, AND HAVE OUR BEING.

WHAT DO OTHERS SEE, WHEN THEY SEE US? WHO DO OTHERS SEE, WHEN THEY LOOK AT US?

WHEN THEY SEE US, WHEN THEY HEAR US, WHEN THEY LISTEN TO WHAT WE HAVE TO SAY AND HOW WE SAY IT;

WHEN THEY LOOK AT OUR ACTIONS, AND THE WAY WE DO BUSINESS, AND HOW WE TREAT OUR PARTNER, AND THE WAY WE ARE RAISING OUR CHILDREN, ARE THEY ABLE TO CATCH AT LEAST A GLIMPSE OF GOD?

COULD PEOPLE EVER SAY OF US: “MY, MY, YOU DO HAVE YOUR FATHER-WHO-ART-IN-HEAVEN’S EYES!”

WOULD ANYONE EVER MISTAKE US FOR JESUS: “WHY, YOU’RE THE SPITTING-IMAGE OF JESUS CHRIST!”

ARE WE GOD’S DOPPLE-GANGERS?

I REMEMBER A MAN TELLING ME ONE TIME ABOUT THE MOMENT HE FIRST TRULY BELIEVED IN GOD. HE WAS JUST A BOY AT THE TIME.

HE SAID IT HAPPENED ONE DAY WHEN HE CAUGHT A GLIMPSE OF HIS FATHER ON HIS KNEES, AT HIS BEDSIDE, PRAYING FOR THEIR FAMILY.

HE TOLD ME – “I FIGURED IF THE BEST MAN I EVER KNEW, THE STRONGEST MAN I EVER KNEW, WAS PRAYING TO SOMETHING BIGGER THAN HIM, BETTER THAN HIM, STRONGER THAN HIM, THEN IT MUST BE TRUE. I BELIEVE, BECAUSE I SAW MY FATHER PRAYING TO GOD.”

HE BELIEVED, BECAUSE HE SAW…

AS SOMEBODY WHO GREW UP IN AN ERA OF MUSICALS –

WEST SIDE STORY, SOUTH PACIFIC, OKLAHOMA, THE MUSIC MAN, PAINT YOUR WAGON, EVEN GREASE…

NOT TO MENTION, GODSPELL, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, AND THE COTTON-PATCH GOSPEL…

IT ALWAYS STRUCK ME A LITTLE FUNNY HOW THE PLAY OR MOVIE WOULD BE ROLLING RIGHT ALONG, AND THEN OUT OF NOWHERE, SOMEONE WOULD JUST BREAK INTO SONG, AND START SINGING THEIR PART…

BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, MAYBE THAT’S HOW LIFE IS SUPPOSED TO BE.

WE GO ALONG, EVERY DAY, DOING OUR EVERYDAY STUFF, LIVING OUR EVERYDAY LIVES, AND THEN SOMETHING, SOMETHING WONDERFUL, SOMETHING MOVING, SOMETHING SO HUMAN, OR HAVING TO DO WITH OUR FAITH IN GOD, CAUSES US JUST TO BREAK OUT IN SONG! IF NOT OUT LOUD, AT LEAST INSIDE OF OURSELVES.

MAYBE WE SHOULD TRY IT…

“ALL PRAISE TO THE FATHER, FROM WHOM ALL THINGS COME,

AND ALL PRAISE TO CHRIST JESUS HIS ONLY SON,

AND ALL PRAISE TO THE SPIRIT, WHO MAKES US ONE;

AND THEY’LL KNOW WE ARE CHRISTIANS BY OUR LOVE, BY OUR LOVE,

YES, THEY’LL KNOW WE ARE CHRISTIANS BY OUR LOVE.

PERHAPS, IN TWO PART HARMONY (OR MAYBE JUST ANY HARMONY!)

I DON’T KNOW WHICH IT IS –

OUR LIVES AS MIRRORS REFLECTING THE IMAGE OF GOD IN WHICH WE HAVE BEEN CREATED…

OR A SONG WE SING WITH GOD AS A DUET…

WHATEVER IT IS, SOME HOW, SOME WAY, OTHERS OUGHT TO BE ABLE TO SEE, AND KNOW, AND BELIEVE IN GOD, BECAUSE THEY SEE GOD REFLECTED IN US.

“WHY, YOU’RE THE SPITTING IMAGE OF JESUS CHRIST.”