Psalm 31 and Praying Scripture

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Tom Fox preached a wonderful sermon on Psalm 31 yesterday. He made a number of good points, but one that particularly struck me had to do with praying Scripture. This topic has been on my mind and Psalm 31 is an interesting example of this as Tom pointed out. Not only do we have examples of later biblical authors using Psalm 31, in this Psalm David prays a portion of the Aaronic blessing from Numbers 6:26.

So in the prayerbook of the Bible, we have a prayer which itself draws on previous Scripture for language to pray. Then portions of this Psalm are prayed at least three times later in Scripture. Jonah, in the belly of the fish, draws on 31:6 as he prays (Jonah 2:8). Jeremiah, as he wrestles with God and the suffering his calling requires, uses the language of 31:13 (Jer. 20:10; this language shows up several times in Jeremiah. Was this Psalm particularly significant to Jeremiah? One could see why it would be). Then, Jesus on the cross prays 31:5 (Luke 23:46; and it seems Stephen may be alluding to this verse as well, imitating Jesus in Acts 7:59).

This is a powerful example of the praying of Scripture. This is a biblical model which can be a great help to us. It has been to me.

Bonhoeffer was right: “If we wish to pray with confidence and gladness, then the words of Holy Scripture will have to be the solid basis of our prayer.” (Psalms: The Prayer Book of the Bible, 11-12)

Christian Union and 2 Timothy

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Last August I was privileged to teach through 2 Timothy for the leadership of the Christian Union, a wonderful ministry to Ivy League schools. 2 Timothy was the focus of their Bible studies this academic year, and two young men from the Harvard group decided to memorize 2 Timothy.  The video below is of them reciting 2 Timothy together at the Harvard College Faith and Action Christmas party.

Describing Greatness, Robert Hall

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You can tell a lot about a person or a people by how they define greatness, what qualities they praise. I saw this again as I have been reading a pre-publication copy of the new edition of Robert Hall’s Help to Zion’s Travellers, updated and edited by Nathan Finn, to be published by Borderstone Press.

The book was originally published in 1781 and had significant influence on William Carey and others involved in the renewed mission efforts of that day. Finn’s introductory essay does a great job explaining the setting in which this book emerged and its influence.

My focus here, though, is the descriptions given in the two prefaces of Robert Hall:

“Strong natural powers, ardent piety, deep exercises of mind, a series of singular and sanctified trials, with a special unction from the Holy One, rendered him a man of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord” (John Ryland, of Robert Hall)

“I shall ever esteem it one of the greatest favors an indulgent Providence has conferred upon me, to have possessed such a father, whom in all the essential features of character it will be my humble ambition to imitate” (Robert Hall Jr., of his father)

It is so easy to be seduced by the world’s standards of greatness or significance, and the celebrity culture which invades the church is no help in this area. These descriptions of Hall are instructive. First, he lived a life which his son (an influential pastor as well) aspired to imitate. That is significant in itself. Then note the description of Ryland. In context, Ryland is saying Hall was a great man. How does he state it? He was “a man of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord.” That is indeed quite a man. No reference to his crowds or other resume builders. He was a man quick to fear the Lord. And what prepared him to live such a way? Natural gifting, piety, hard mental work and suffering. Hard work and suffering- we tend to shrink from these but this is the way in which God tends to train His people.

Gimmick or Gospel

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Al Mohler and Timmy Brister have already pointed out this interview. In case you have not seen it, it is worthwhile to do so for the sobering effect of realizing what too many are saying. What is the power of God unto salvation? God’s gospel or our gimmicks?

The closest thing I find in the New Testament to a gimmick being commended as a way to advance the Kingdom is when the Devil tempts Jesus to jump from the Temple (Luke 4; Matt 4).

2 Corinthians 4:1-6:

“Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. 2But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. 3And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing. 4In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

Use of the Psalms in the New Testament

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This past Sunday at our church I taught in our Sunday School on how the Psalms are used in the New Testament (audio). My focus was not on the various ways the Psalms are interpreted but what people (Jesus, the apostles) actually did with the Psalms. I summarized the various uses in 3 categories. They preached (or taught), prayed and sang the Psalms. We find Jesus involved in all three uses as well as the early church.

In fact, Jesus dies with the Psalms on his lips in prayer. Then in the book of Acts the church’s first major decision is made based on the Psalms (Acts 1), the first sermon is based largely on the Psalms (Acts 2), and in the first recorded prayer meeting they are praying the Psalms (Acts 4).

This work is part of an ongoing book project on the use of the Psalms, growing out of the “Psalms Project at Union University” which is scheduled to be published by B&H next fall.

Read the Bible For Life Conference, Wrap up

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It was a blessing to have almost 700 people gather with us last weekend for the Read the Bible for Life Conference. I am hopeful that the time together will have a lasting kingdom impact.

The audio from the conference is now available.
David Platt argued for reading the Bible as a whole, centered on Christ. Here are his three plenary lectures:
Plenary 1: Reading the Bible as Story
Plenary 2: Teaching the Bible as Scripture
Plenary 3: The Bible Teacher’s Purpose

George Guthrie gave an overview of the problem of biblical illiteracy and how the “Read the Bible for Life” curriculum aims to address it.

The available breakout recordings are:

Regrettably the recording of Paul Jackson’s session did not work.

We also have the audio from the panel discussion which I led with Platt, Guthrie and Card as panelists.

Audio from previous Ryan Center conferences can be found here.

“Fools for Christ,” An Inklings Weekend

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I am excited about participating this weekend in “Fools for Christ, An Inklings Weekend at Montreat,” a conference sponsored by the Inklings Fellowship and organized by my colleague, Hal Poe.

Here is the official conference description:

FOOLS FOR CHRIST

I Corinthians 1:18-25 “for the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom”

Join us to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the conversion of C. S. Lewis to faith in Christ.

Beginning our retreat on April Fool’s Day we will consider the tradition of the godly fool in the writings of Lewis and Tolkien.

Puddleglum from The Silver Chair – Don King

Merry and Pippin from The Lord of the Rings – Rebecca Hays

Lucy from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader – Nigel Goodwin

The Narnians from The Last Battle – Hal Poe

I will have the privilege of giving the Saturday morning devotion on the theme, “The Resurrection: The Ground of Christian ‘Folly’.”

The official deadline for registration has passed, but if you are in the area you might be able to contact Dr. Poe and still be able to register.

Bonhoeffer, Psalms: The Prayer Book of the Bible

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Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s little booklet, Psalms: The Prayer Book of the Bible, is a real gem. After reading it I bought a copy for each of my older boys for them to read and to have their own copy.

Much could be said about it, and I may say more in later posts, but here I will focus on his comments about the formative value of the Psalms for prayer. Too often we tend to think any guide to praying makes our prayers less genuine.  Bonhoeffer counters this, stating

“…it is a dangerous error, surely very widespread among Christians, to think that the heart can pray by itself. . . . Prayer does not mean simply to pour out one’s heart.” (9)

Yet God has given us words to guide us in our praying. As we teach our children how to speak properly and how to phrase things to communicate respectfully and effectively, so also our heavenly Father has given us instruction in the Psalms on how to address Him properly.

Here are a few quotes from the booklet on this point:

“So we learn to speak to God because God has spoken to us and speaks to us.” (11)

“If we wish to pray with confidence and gladness, then the words of Holy Scripture will have to be the solid basis of our prayer.” (11-12)

“It does not depend, therefore, on whether the Psalms express adequately that which we feel at a given moment in our heart.  If we are to pray aright, perhaps it is quite necessary that we pray contrary to our own heart.  Not what we want to pray is important, but what God wants us to pray.  If we were dependent entirely on ourselves, we would probably pray only the fourth petition of the Lord’s Prayer.  But God wants it otherwise.  The richness of the Word of God ought to determine our prayer, not the poverty of our heart.” (14-15)

“This is pure grace, that God tells us how we can speak with him and have fellowship with him.” (15)

God has seen fit to give us an inspired book of prayers and praises. We would do well to use it.

“Whenever the Psalter is abandoned, an incomparable treasure vanishes from the Christian church.  With its recovery will come unsuspected power.” (26)

 

Leupold on the Psalms

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I have previously mentioned how I have appreciated H. C. Leupold’s Exposition of Psalms. Here are some great quotes from his introduction on the nature and character of the Psalms (all from p. 28):

“There does not seem to be any situation in life for which the Psalter does not provide light and guidance.”

“They are not the fruit of abstract meditation.  They did not grow out of the study of the scholar.  They were born out of real-life situations.  They are often wet with tears and the blood of the writer.”

“All the psalms were prayed on the steps of the throne of mercy.  The light that emanates from that presence somehow gives light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.”

“…the psalms have the happy faculty of stimulating our own private prayers and of fructifying them to an unusual degree.”

The Lord’s Supper: Remembering and Proclaiming Christ Until He Comes

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I have often commented on the Lord’s Supper here as I believe it is an important practice which has fallen on hard times in our churches and has a significant place in pastoral ministry. It was, therefore, an honor and privilege to contribute to Tom Schreiner and Matt Crawford’s edited volume, The Lord’s Supper: Remembering and Proclaiming Christ Until He Comes (table of contents is available at the link). My chapter focuses on issues arising from the practice of communion in the church (e.g., frequency, manner, who can come to the table, etc.).

My hope is that the book will stir up good conversation about communion and help to revitalize our practice. So far, Baptist Press has posted an interview with contributors and Patrick Schreiner has an interview with the editors.  Trevin Wax and David Alan Black have reviewed the book.

If you know of other reviews or interactions, feel free to link them in the comments.

UPDATE: Jim Hamilton’s essay is available online.