As always, here’s my fairly literal translation of these verses:
17To
You I will sacrifice a thank-offering and I will call in the name of the Lord. 18I
will repay my vows to the Lord before the all of His people, 19in
the courts of the house of the Lord, in the midst of me, Jerusalem. Praise the
Lord.
These verses, of course, repeat (to some extent) thoughts
the Psalmist has expressed earlier. For the fourth time he expresses the idea
of calling on the name of the Lord, and for the second time he repeats his
determination to “fulfill his vows.” He adds the “thank-offering” and also the
specific reference to the temple and to Jerusalem.
The passage, once again, has some grammatical oddities I’m
not sure what to do with. He says he will fulfill his vows “in the midst of me,
Jerusalem.” The “me” is universally translated “you” in order to make sense,
but, unless I’m missing something, it is clearly “me” in the Hebrew. In this
case, I just left it “me” in my translation, even though I don’t think that
makes any sense. I don’t know if the rest of the world is translating it “you”
just to make sense or if they know something I don’t. Always learning!
I need to wrap up this study but did want to record some
thoughts on the business of vows. Apparently while the Psalmist was in the
midst of this calamity, he must have made vows like, “If You’ll get me out of
this, I promise I’ll …” For whatever it’s worth, I want to say that I long ago
decided vows are dangerous things and probably most often best left unsaid.
Ecclesiastes 5:4-6 says,
“When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it. He has no
pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. It
is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it. Do not let your mouth lead you into sin ...”
My issue with “vows” is the idea that it is
better not to vow than to make one and not fulfill it. The “not fulfill it” is
too likely a possibility for this sinner. I have failed at too many good
intentions too many times in my life, to the point I don’t trust myself to make
vows. I like better what Jesus said, “And do not swear by your head, for you
cannot make even one hair white or black. All you need to say is simply 'Yes'
or 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one” (Matt 5:36,37).
Obviously there is a place for vows, particularly in
marriage, because of the momentous issues involved. Thankfully I can say I’ve
“kept my vows” and been faithful to my wife these thirty years. In this case I
personally think it’s a good thing to have those vows “hanging over my head”
like an executioner’s axe. It doesn’t hurt anything to add that element of
fear. On the other hand, I realize that I didn’t simply vow not to fall in bed with
some other woman. I vowed to “love her and cherish her ‘til death do us
part.” That’s where my problem with vows
comes in. It’s a good thing I’m covered in the blood of Jesus because this
impatient, selfish, proud sinner has too many times failed at this business of
loving and cherishing – which is precisely “having made a vow and not keeping
it.”
So, I guess, bottom-line is that a vow is a good thing in a
marriage because of the dire consequences involved, but beyond that, I don’t
know of anywhere in my life I want to get in the business of making vows.
“Better to not make them than to make them and then fail to keep them.” “Let
your yes be yes and your no be no.”
This has been quite a Psalm for me. I am still reeling in
the realization that love is inherently reciprocal and that, by choosing to be
thankful to God and others, I am actually feeding the love-cycle in my life. It
also still floors me that it is actually a form of praise to God when, after
having cried out to Him and been delivered, I cry out to him again. I’m so glad
He cleaned out even that last little sense of “apology” in my heart for coming
“again.” Now I can tell Him, “Here I am again, needing You” and say it fully as
a praise.
I also appreciate Him teaching me so poignantly in verses 10
and 11 that, in the midst of pain, I need to be careful what I say. Although
even my expressions of pain (“I am greatly afflicted!) can still be faith, it
is also easy to say things that I will later regret (“All men are liars!”).
I am so thankful He helped me understand verse 15, “Precious
in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.” In the midst of trouble –
when we feel we’re going to die (literally or figuratively), we should always
remember, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.” We
will not die one second before or after that which the Sovereign of the
universe has decreed, and we will die in exactly the way He has planned (not
that of some malevolent person or even the devil himself). Our very death is a
matter of great importance to our Lord. There’s never just “a step” between me
and death, but there’s always just a God between me and death. So, man up, look
it all straight in the eye, and rest assured, what doesn’t kill you will make
you stronger!
Last of all, I just want to say what a pleasure it has been
to study the whole Psalm where I long ago found verse 7, “Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the Lord hath dealt bountifully
with thee.” What a jewel this verse has been to my heart. Over 30 years
later, those words “The Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee” are literally a “full
measure, pressed down and running over.” I’m still trying to learn to “rest” in
Him, but He has certainly given me plenty of reason to.
Just makes me want to say,
I love the Lord, for He heard my voice;
He heard my cry for mercy.
Because He turned His ear to me,
I will call on Him as long as
I live.
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