suffering – jeremycouture.me

A Reflection on Psalm 9 and 10

The ninth and tenth Psalms are linked together by a nearly perfect acrostic alphabet structure. In addition, the ninth Psalm ends with a Selah (which is unusual), and the tenth Psalm has no superscription (which is unusual in this part of the Psalter). Since they also share some common language, it makes sense to read them together as a matched set composed by David.

In Psalm 9, the aspiring king praises God for His righteous judgment on behalf of those persecuted. In Psalm 10, he turns his attention to a particular kind of persecutor – the practical atheist. It would have been difficult to be a theoretical atheist in ancient Israel. The Tabernacle, the feasts and the sacrifices, the Torah, and the Mosaic Covenant all pointed toward the existence and intervention of Yahweh. The ancient Israelites could not reject these marks of Judaism openly, but they could reject them in their daily life and practice.

The Psalmist refers to this mindset three times in chapter 10 (verses 4, 11, and 13). In each case, the persecutor denies God’s existence and intervention in human affairs, saying to himself, “There is no God.” Verses 5 to 11 describe the inner workings of one who has rejected the existence of God, as well as their motivations. Without the threat of accountability from a higher power, the atheist feels free to take advantage of the weak and powerless.

David never accuses Saul directly in these Psalms, but one is left to wonder if the elder king gave himself over to this kind of practical atheism. Officially, he was God’s representative to the Israelite people. But practically, privately, he found it hard to follow God’s commands. When he was corrected by Samuel the prophet, he was dismissive and defensive, and when given the chance, he killed the whole priesthood at Nob (1 Samuel 15, 22). Everyone else viewed David as a “man after God’s own heart,” but Saul viewed David with murderous rage.

I usually see atheism as a mild form of unbelief, but these two Psalms put it in a much more dangerous category. Atheism tends to drive people toward aggression since it has no respect for a higher power. Practical atheism is especially dangerous because it changes one’s mindset in secret. The church, like ancient Israel, must stand with the Psalmist and call for God to take action on behalf of the afflicted. This may be one of the most powerful apologetics of them all.

A Reflection on Psalm 6

What makes you weep? Maybe it’s the physical discomfort of an extended illness? Maybe it’s the emotional ache of a betrayal? Maybe it’s the spiritual sting of disappointing God? Whatever the source, we all experience pain, which brings out our tears.

Psalm 6 was written during a time of intense suffering for David. He felt as if he could “dissolve his couch with tears” (v. 6). Weather metaphorically or literally, the Psalmist was sick with grief.

But in the middle of the final section of this Psalm (v. 8-10), David offers a hint of hope. The Lord hears the voice of those who cry out for help; the Lord listens to those who pray (v. 9). There are all kinds of solutions that people turn to in times of trouble, but this musical psalm foreshadows what another musical psalms make abundantly clear, that God is a refuge and a present help in times of struggle (Psalm 46:1).

The Foolishness of God

Some people can’t make sense of a suffering Savior. They don’t understand why Jesus allowed himself to be humiliated and disgraced the way He did. They think they know what salvation looks like and Jesus doesn’t measure up.

Have you ever struggled with the events leading up to Easter? Have you ever wondered why Jesus had to suffer and die? Wasn’t there another way?

The Apostle Paul encountered those kinds of questions at the church at Corinth. The people in the church believed in Jesus but struggled with the crucifixion and the resurrection. To them, the crucifixion was foolishness.

As we read 1 Corinthians 1:18-25, we find out that the “foolishness” of God is far better than the “wisdom” of man. We also discover two reasons why the gospel requires a crucifixion.

1. The Gospel is the story of a suffering Savior. (v. 18-19, 23)

In verse 18, the gospel is described as “the word of the cross.” Before the cross became a symbol of forgiveness and life, it was a symbol of death and shame. People weren’t just killed on a cross, they were humiliated. Imagine if we traded out the symbol of the cross for an electric chair or a hangman’s noose on our churches? The Gospel is so closely tied to the crucifixion that Paul says there is no preaching outside of preaching a crucified Christ. (1:23)

2. There are two basic responses to the Gospel. (v. 22-24)

Unfortunately, some people reject the gospel as foolishness. Many of the Jews in the first century thought Christ’s death was scandalous and absurd. They expected Jesus to perform a sign after miraculous sign to prove his power. In their minds, there was no way the Messiah would be crucified. Many of the Greeks through Christ’s death was foolish, but for different reasons. They were always looking for something sophisticated and complex. In their minds, Jesus was too basic and humble.

Thankfully, there are also those who accept the gospel as the wisdom of God. Those who believe the Good News about Jesus know that the gospel has to power to change lives. Romans 1:6 reads, “For I am notashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”

When you come upon to an exit ramp on the highway you only have two choices: take the exit or stay on the highway. When someone calls you on the phone you also only have two choices: answer the phone, or let it ring. Those that hear the Gospel only have two ways to respond: accept it or reject.

In 1 Corinthians 1:18-25, we learn not only that Christ’s crucifixion is necessary, but that God’s “foolishness” is far better than anything we can come up with to save ourselves. As you respond to the Gospel for yourself, let me encourage you to embrace the paradox of the gospel. Through Jesus, we know that salvation comes through suffering, freedom comes through submission, and life comes through death.