Psalm 5

Psalm 5

Introduction:

Structure:

Intro: superscription

A. vv. 1-3, Hear my cry for help

  B. vv. 4-6, You destroy all who speak falsely

    C. v. 7-8, I can worship in Your holy Temple

  B’. vv. 9-10, Declare them guilty

A’. vv. 11-12, You cover/surround him with favor

Superscription: What is interesting in the superscription is the instrument mentioned here is a flute. Flute is a very soft and gentle instrument, while the theme of the psalm is crying and pleading of the righteous with his request to God to declare the evildoers guilty (v. 10).

A. vv. 1-3, David had many people opposing him. In life, in ministry, in warfare… At the same time, he is reaching out to God – hoping that God will pay attention to his words, consider the groaning, listen to the prayers etc. Psalmist prepares a sacrifice, but the main “line” is his unity with God in prayer and waits. We can assume he waits for a response, any response: yen, no, later.

And while he prays to the LORD, he confesses Him to be his King and God. That’s the words that Thomas will use responding to the appearance of resurrected Jesus (John 20:28). Saying King, he pledges his loyalty. Saying God, he identifies YHWH as the only object of worship.       

B. vv. 4-6, 7 characteristics of sinful life: wickedness, evil, boastful, evildoers 9lit. workers/doers of iniquity), speaking lies, bloodthirsty, and deceitful. God rejects them all.  

C. vv. 7-8, David builds up the contrast with the wicked people – “but as for me” would be a better translation than “but I” (however literal it is). This is the first in Psalms when the word hesed appears. Very often it is translated as “steadfast love” (like here). Or mercy, grace, compassion, patience etc. The main aspect of this divine attribute is faithfulness. Faithfulness in a sense that nothing (grace, mercy, compassion etc.) is one time event – it has divine longevity. From the beginning of creation until we see Him face to face, He holds us in His arms and supports us by His love – all the time, that means faithfulness. Knowing this quality of God, psalmist is not looking for his way but is in search of Lord’s way.  

B’. vv. 9-10, now the psalmist goes into a comparison or response mode

	wicked	Response
1	No truth in their mouth	Make them bear their guilt
2	Their inmost is destruction	Fall by their own counsel
3	Throat is an open grave	Cast them out, for transgressions
4	Flatter with their tongue	For they have rebelled

 

A’. vv. 11-12, The LORD is a place of refuge for a godly person. See. Psalm 7:1, or Proverbs 18:10. David begins with the Name of the Lord and concludes that in Him – personally – he finds safety. We find safety being forgiven by God, reconciled with God, and restored to the right place in the presence of God.      

  

ROMANS 7

Romans 7

The chapter has two parts: (A) vv. 1-6 and (B) vv. 7-25.

(A) marriage illustration

a. 7:1, brothers

  b. 7:2-3, she is released from the Law

a’. 7:4, brothers

  b’. 7:5-6, we are released from the Law

Law has authority while a person is alive.

Example of a married woman – should be read on two levels:

1. Practical, she should be a lawful wife as long as husband is alive.

2. symbolic, husband-wife paradigm is a paradigm of relationship between

a. LORD and Israel and

b. sinful flesh and Law    

 

(B) inner conflict 

a. 7:7-13, sin is known through the Law

  b. 7:14-17, it is no longer I do it, but the sin that dwells in me

  b’. 7:18-20, it is no longer I do it, but the sin that dwells in me

a’. 7:21-25, law of sin

Inner conflict of a believer:

Self-identity – I – is a new person, who died in baptism (cp. 6:1).

Yet, the sin still lives/dwells in “me” – the sin produces death, using good gifts of God – Law. Humans are very creative turning good gifts of God into idols.  

Romans 6: Gifts of the Spirit in the Baptism

Gifts of the Spirit in the Baptism

Romans 6 – intro

Structure:

a. 6:1-2, Persistence of sin for a greater grace? No

  b. 6:3-7, being absolved from sin

    c. 6:8-13, parts of your bodies as weapons of righteousness

a’. 6:14-15, Should we sin because we are not under the Law? No

  b’. 6:16-18, being freed from sin, you are slaves of righteousness

    c’. 6:19-23, present them as slaves to righteousness

 

Last time we talked about the concept of SIN.

This chapter approaches sin from two angles:

1. Status of dead to sin, being baptized – gift of status   

2. Not giving our members (parts of the body) to sin – gift of obedience

First, baptism – connection with the death of Jesus.

Pauline logic is simple: if we are connected with Him in His death, we – as the children of God – will be connected with His resurrection. This promise takes care of the past (including the original sin impact) and carries us into the future, pointing to our resurrection in the world to come.

Second part is more related to “the present”. Verse 17 summarizes the point, and the Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration IV:17 uses it the following way:

The people of the New Testament are to be willing (Psalm 110:3) and sacrifice freely (Psalm 54:6), “not reluctant or under compulsion” (2 Corinthians 9:7). They are to “obedient from the heart” (Romans 6:17). 

THOUGHTS on SIN

 THOUGHTS on SIN

Romans 6 – INTRO

Middendorf comes up with a helpful table in his Romans commentary (Romans 1-8, CPH, 2013, p.441), an improved version is here:

Word	Earlier	5:12-21	6:1-23	7:1-25	8:1-13	8:14-39	latter	Total
Sin	4	6	16	15	5	0	2	48
Death	2	5	7	5	2	1	0	22
Law	35	3	2	23	5	0	6	73
Flesh/ mortal Body	4/2	0/0	1/2	3/2	13/3	0/1	5/3	26/13 =39

 

According to table the main theme for chapter 6 is sin which results in death. The final verse of the chapter summarizes it, connecting both terms together: for the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (6:23).

48=12*4 – square shape of 12 (tribes of Israel, apostles, etc.)

22 – number of letters in Hebrew alphabet – a complete basis for the Word. In connection with death might mean a complete sentence or judgement (cp. the structure of the Book of Lamentations).

So, what is sin? St. John says: sin is lawlessness (1 John 3:4b). This reinforces what St. Paul wrote in the previous chapter – 5:13.

Both Hebrew and Greek words mean missing the mark. It might relate to the Garden story – how Adam and his wife missed the mark using the wrong tree for their spiritual growth (Gen. 2:25-3-7).

We can’t fix this – the eternal life that we get in Christ Jesus is a free gift (MS Word underlines this phase [free gift] as redundant). Question at hand – how God “brings us back to the trek” to the ways of the righteous? That’s our next lesson.