January 8: The Sunday of the Baptism of Our Lord
Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack! The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. –Psalm 34:9-11
I recently happened to hear Piers Morgan on CNN ask the actor Morgan Freeman, “Are you a God-fearing man?” Without hesitation Freeman answered, “No, I don’t fear anything. I’m God.”
Gulp.
But you know, there’s a part of me that appreciated his candor. He was concise and consistent. He answered in the way that any unbeliever should answer that question. He didn’t pretend or play it politically correct. He came right out with it. “I am my own god.”
The Psalmist connects those who fear the Lord as being His saints and those who lack nothing. Lions know what it’s like to go hungry, but those who fear the Lord don’t.
Oh no! Maybe we don’t fear the Lord? Or maybe we don’t fear the Lord right? The Psalmist intervenes with a Fear of the Lord 101. Ready for Lesson One?
Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry. The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. (vv.13-16)
Wait a sec. I thought we were talking about fearing the Lord and how not to go hungry! Is he giving us an old bait and switch and trying to lecture us about controlling our tongues? It seems that way at first blush.
He leads off with that pesky thing: the tongue. His admonishment: control it. Okay, put me down for “fail” on that one. Next, he moves on to seeking and pursuing peace. Um, better put me down for a fail on that one, too. Then, he tells us that the eyes of the Lord are toward those who do what the Lord commands. Wait, didn’t we just determine that we don’t do what the Lord commands? Then, he ices the cake with “the face of the Lord is against those who do evil”….you know, the ones that break his commands and don’t control their tongues, and don’t pursue peace. Oh yeah, us.
Well, we might as well start shredding our clothes and heaping ashes on our heads then, right? We’re evil and the face of the Lord is against us, right? Why is the psalmist even bringing this up? Is he out to make us feel guilty? Remember I told you he was going to give us a lesson in fearing the Lord. Do you see how he did it? By giving you the law, by convicting you of sin, and causing you to acknowledge your grievous and manifold sins.
When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. (vv. 17-18)
And that’s the gospel! Come hear it preached and enacted in the supper with Jesus this Sunday.
The related hymns we’ll sing are:
O Father, You Are Sovereign
O Sacred Head, Now Wounded
Our God, Our Help in Ages Past
MEN’S PRAYER BREAKFAST/GODLY MANHOOD AND HUSBANDRY
Men’s Prayer Breakfast is this Saturday, January 7, at 8:30 downstairs in the Tuscan Café. Use the front chapel door for entry. The reading will be pages 67-89. We have more books available if you need one. Don’t miss it!
SUNDAY SCHOOL
The adult Sunday school class will resume on 1 Peter 3. Audio of the Sunday school lessons is now being posted each week on the audio page of the church website.
The children’s Sunday school classes meet on the top floor (you can use the elevator by the chapel if necessary). The adult class is on the basement level (again, the elevator is available) in what is labeled the “Disciples Class.” Coffee and treats begin at 9:15 and class beings at 9:30 (or so).
Visitors are always welcome!