In Psalm 144, King David opens with a truth about God we might question: He tells us the LORD trains his hands for war. Really? Our God, the God who sent His only Son, Jesus, to die in our place? Yes, the very same God. He used David to protect His people. He has used many people through the ages to do the same. Jesus’ purpose was to die for our sins and rise again to demonstrate His victory over sin and death. He tells us He will return to conquer His enemies, and to establish His reign on the earth forever. God’s goodness requires punishment for evil. He made it possible for us to be forgiven, but if we reject that offer, our punishment will come, too.
In Psalm 145, King David offers an extended psalm of praise to the LORD. He lists dozens of the LORD’s attributes, each of which is a reason for our praise and thanksgiving toward Him. In verse 20, David briefly addresses the harsh reality that God destroys the wicked. It seems out of place in a psalm so dedicated to telling us of God’s goodness, love and mercy. Yet at the same time, His goodness requires judgment of evil.
Psalm 146 is anonymous, but it sounds a great deal like many of King David’s psalms of praise. The psalmist tells us of the LORD’s many actions on our behalf, and briefly about the LORD’s judgment on evil.
In Psalm 147 we read again of the LORD’s love for Israel, and for His creation. The LORD cares about humanity more than anything else He created, but He also loves the other creatures of the earth. He feeds and cares for them. As we consider how we are to steward or manage the LORD’s “property,” starting with the earth and moving all the way to our own families, let’s remember the example He has given us by His great love and concern for us.
As we return to Luke 10, a chapter filled with interesting accounts from Jesus’ life, let’s turn to His words to the lawyer who wanted to know what he needed to do to inherit eternal life. Jesus asked the lawyer what he thought, how he read the Scriptures. What a great tactic! The lawyer wanted to trap Jesus, but he fell into Jesus’ trap, when he answered Jesus’ question. The lawyer summed up the entire Law and the Prophets the way Jesus had done in Matthew’s gospel: Love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. And love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus affirmed the response. In fact, Jesus told the lawyer if he did this he would live. But the lawyer wanted to “justify” himself. He asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” The religious leaders had answered the question. My neighbor is my fellow Jew, who is following the Law of Moses. Jesus had a different answer. He told the lawyer his neighbor was a hated Samaritan, who Jesus turned into the hero of a parable that has forever left us with the paradigm for helping others who are in need: The Good Samaritan. We even have “Good Samaritan” laws, which prevent someone who stops to help someone in a dire situation from being prosecuted for attempting to help. Jesus wanted us to understand being a neighbor is not about ethnic similarity, or family connection. It is about being ready to serve the LORD by helping those in need. Some days we might not “feel” neighborly. Feelings don’t have anything to do with it. Jesus didn’t offer someone with warm feelings as the example of a neighbor. He offered the example of someone who no one would have expected to offer help, but did. As we seek to be neighbors in this sense of the word, let’s remember our goal is not to be liked, or to help those who are like us, but to be faithful to offer help when the opportunity arises.