I found I could identify well with Asaph in Psalm 73. Why does it always look like "good guys finish last??" Why is it so many non-Christians ~ some of them really quite unsavoury characters ~ seem to have such a good, easy life, while so many Christians struggle? They seem untouched by the worries and circumstances that plague so many. It's so easy to "envy the arrogant when [I see] the prosperity of the wicked." How many times have I felt there seems so little point in living like a Christian when life could be so much easier, business would be more profitable, and I'd get the things I want if I didn't?
Just like Asaph, I feel confused and frustrated (v. 16)... until I enter the sanctuary of God. I open His Word and I am reassured once again that there IS a point, that the good life non-Christians enjoy now is their only reward, but I have a reward in heaven to look forward to. I realize how ignorant, selfish, and petty my thoughts were when I'm reminded that God is my strength, my portion forever. I love Psalm 73!!
Skipping over Psalm 85 brings us to a pretty monumental passage in the New Testament. Because the letters to the Corinthians don't appear first in our New Testaments, it's easy to forget that Paul's first letter to the believers in Corinth was likely the very first written document after the time of Christ to be included in the Scriptures. It was written approximately 20 years after Christ's death ~ a good 5-10 years before the books of Matthew and Luke were written, and 30-40 years before the Gospel of John.
Only the book of Mark was written around this same time, but since Mark gives only the barest of details, Paul's writing here to the Corinthian church is really the first instruction the early church got on the observance of the Lord's Supper. Many scholars believe this is why there is actually fairly little detail given in any of the Gospels about HOW the Lord's Supper should be observed; Paul had already addressed it here.
He actually gives the instruction in the midst of a harsh rebuke of how the Corinthian Christians had begun to pervert the observance. Evidently, what we'd call the Communion "service" was preceded by something generally called "The Love Feast," which was, essentially, a potluck dinner. The problem was, the rich would get there early and eat all the good stuff, get drunk on all the wine, and the poor would be left with nothing when they arrived. So Paul lambastes the church for this practice, telling them that in no way could what they're doing be called the Lord's Supper, and then he drops in the beautiful explanation of the remembrance ceremony before continuing on with the rebuke.
He continues on, stressing the importance of examining our hearts before we take Communion and of coming with the right attitude and the right view of the whole thing so that we won't bring God's judgment on ourselves. Evidently, some Corinthian Christians had become sick ~ some had even died ~ as a result of God's judgment on their flagrant abuse of what was supposed to be a beautiful symbol of unity with Christ and His sufferings, as well as the anticipation of His coming Kingdom.
Before wrapping up his instruction with a reminder to eat at home so that over-eating at the communal Love Feast wouldn't be as much of a temptation, Paul says something that REALLY caught my attention. He's still talking about bringing judgment on ourselves, but notice verse 32: "When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world." Did you get that? God punishes believers so that we will not be damned with the rest of the world in eternity! Isn't that incredible??!
Hebrews 12:6 says God disciplines the ones he loves, and chastens every son whom he receives. His loving discipline isn't just to teach us right from wrong, but as part of His plan to save us from a fiery eternal destiny. And this, I think, brings us back to the theme of Psalm 73 and gaining a better perspective of why it looks sometimes like God is letting unrepentant sinners get away with things He'd NEVER let us get away with!
Just one more reason to love Him more, to want to identify ourselves with Him more, and to continue to anticipate the glorious goodness of eternal fellowship with Him.
Tomorrow's passages: Psalm 87-88; 1 Corinthians 12
4 comments:
Great post! I had some of the same thoughts reading Psalm 73. Nice job tying the New and Old Testament passages together. Our church got a new pastor about two years ago and before our first communion with him as pastor he put an insert in the bulletin quoting this passage with a couple of paragraphs of his own about what could be considered an unworthy manner. It was a great reminder about the importance of showing reverence and remembering the importance of communion, not just doing it because I am a Christian.
I think Psalm 73 is my new favourite Psalm! I can relate to it so well. Great post!
"And this, I think, brings us back to the theme of Psalm 73 and gaining a better perspective of why it looks sometimes like God is letting unrepentant sinners get away with things He'd NEVER let us get away with!"
I think this is why we as dedicated parents discipline our children-to teach and guide them in the way they should go-and yet in comparison to other parents we are looked at as too strict.
The part Pam quoted stuck out for me too. Great post, thank you.
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