February 7, 2020 --Psalm 119:108 -- True Worship

Accept my freewill offering of praise, O LORD,

and teach me your rules.

Psalm 119:108 English Standard Version

This is an interesting place in Psalm 119. It is the first time in fifty verses that the Name of the LORD is used in two consecutive verses. It is the covenant Name of God—the revelation God made of Himself to Moses and the Patriarchs. He is the Only God Who knows the end from the beginning. He is the only God Who is self-existent. He is the only Deliverer. In the Old Testament the LORD delivered His people from Egypt. This deliverance from Egypt is the type, teaching us what deliverance is. Jesus is the archetype, the perfect example of complete salvation and deliverance. The deliverance of God in the Old Testament, in all aspects, gives us rich insight and illustrations to help us understand the complete salvation Jesus brings.

In the previous verse the writer of this psalm lamented, crying out God in his distress, at the intensity of the affliction he faced. In our verse today the psalmist is praising the Living God of Glory for the salvation He has given to His petitioner. There is no sense of time that has lapsed between the petition and the praise. It may have been hours, it may have been days. These Psalm verses may well be a poem of praise showing the rhythm of God’s faithfulness and His perfect timing in hearing and responding to His people. The place of waiting on Him, after our tearful petition and when He dries our eyes, is also a place of blessing and fruitful learning.

We live in a culture that does much praising, but often does not reflect on what, who, or how it is praising. For example, Country Billboard lists Jon Pardi’s Heartbreak Medication as the top song. It is a song about a man drowning his sorrow in booze. It is ironic in its praise of booze as a man laments lost love—which is his true objective and the source of pain that needs to be medicated. The Rock Billboard lists Five Finger Punch’s Inside Out as the top song for Rock—it is obscene in its celebration of all that is vulgar.

Think of “classic hits” that so many people can hum to as soon as the radio plays them. When a song like “Stairway to Heaven” or “Bohemian Rhapsody” begins playing there is almost a hushed reverence as people head bob in time with the music, play air instruments and sing along. That is our culture’s praise for the artist, for the things of this world and through these exhibiting its defiance against the LORD.

Christians gather together and sing hymns, and songs and spiritual songs. These are freewill offerings of praise—voluntarily we stand outside of our culture and its ethos and focus on the great blessing of knowing the LORD. As we praise God we long for His rules to soak deep into our hearts, filling our thoughts and attitudes, directing our behaviour and restraining us from evil.

Many congregations and worship centres want to blur the lines between worldly entertainment and their times of praise. Ultimately it is not a question of what I prefer or what you prefer, the issue is this: what brings honour to the LORD Who is worthy of all praise and glory, blessing and dominion?! Perhaps as believers we need to go back to basics, listening to the instruction given in the Word of God and be guided by its instruction on praise and honour, lament and worship. For we present ourselves to the High King of Heaven, God, Who alone is worthy!

With the angels and the saints, the living creatures and the twelve tribes and twelve apostles before Your throne we join our voices in praise and adoration to You, King of kings and LORD of lords! Blessed and holy are You. Just and True are all Your ways. Perfect are Your judgments and glorious are all Your ways. Let the words of our mouth and the meditations of our lips bring You blessing and joy. Spirit of the Living God, bring us to prayer and praise through-out the day, whenever we think of Jesus and all He has accomplished in magnifying God the Father and bringing salvation to His people. Amen.