Psalm 4 – Answer Me!
The first words of Psalm 4 – answer me, reminds me of a petulant child, stomping their foot and making loud demands. The words also can be a cry for help, or a cry of despair.
Psalm 4
The writer of Psalm 4 is confident that God is with him. He calls upon “God of my righteousness” Then he states how God has helped him, given him space when he was in trouble. “You have given me room when I was in distress.” He has reason to trust God. This is the basis of his confident request, much like a child. Confident in their parents’ love, the child isn’t afraid to make demands and even scream a little when they want something.
The writer then goes on to ask another question of those who are working against him. “O men, how long shall my honor suffer shame? How long will you love vain words and seek after lies?” (2) He asserts the reason for his confident trust in God. “But know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself; the Lord hears when I call to him.” (3) He lets his adversaries know that God is on his side. This can be cause for concern. Many wrongs have been done by those who claim God is on their side, but this is more the confident trust of someone who knows the ways of God and feels confident in God’s love, as we see in the next lines. The writer calls upon those who are harassing him to be transformed by the ways of God. He doesn’t berate them, rather he offers advice.
Be Angry, But Sin Not
“Be angry, but sin not; commune with your own hearts on your bed and be silent. Offer right sacrifices and put your trust in the Lord.” (3-5) Good advice to anyone. Be quiet, pray, seek out God and put your trust in God. He tells them that if they must be enraged, speak those words to themselves, not in the marketplace. Don’t let that anger lead them into sin. If only more people today would listen to those words and keep their angry words to themselves rather than pouring them out to the world.
He then speaks of the joy found in trusting God. He states: “There are many who say, ‘O that we might see some good? Lift up the light of your countenance upon us, O Lord!’” (6) People are looking for good. They want God to greet them with a shining or smiling countenance as an assurance of God’s good will.
In the midst of this conflict, the psalmist is able to express great joy. “You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound.” (7)
The psalm closes with the beautiful passage, “In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” (8) In confident trust in God, the writer is able to sleep.
Answer Me! The Feast of the Holy Innocents
December 28 is the Feast of the Holy Innocents on the Roman Catholic calendar. I’ve often found it sad that the celebration of Christmas is followed so closely by this feast day reminding us of the innocent children that were killed by King Herod as he sought to destroy any male baby that might grow up to challenge his rule. It also reminds of the male babies slaughtered by the Egyptians during the time that the Hebrew nation was held as slaves by Pharoah. Innocent lives offered up on the altar of lust for power.
Holy innocents have been killed throughout the centuries and in our own times. Innocent babies and small children who are the victims of wars, social policies that are not supportive of life, and natural disaster.
Most recently, far too many innocents have been killed in the holy land, the place of Jesus’ birth. Celebrations of Christmas have been canceled because of the war. In its place people are mourning the loss of their babies. In Bethlehem, the sleeping baby Jesus has been wrapped in a shroud as a reminder of all the children killed in the fighting in Gaza. I believe these babies hold a special place before God, a place where God’s countenance shines upon them.
Still, it is so sad. It makes me want to stomp my foot and scream at God. Answer me! Stop the massacre! There is plenty enough blame on all sides. If only all parties would follow the advice of the psalm, express their anger to God and sin not.
Psalm 4 – Answer Me!
Psalm 4 doesn’t give us any answers. What it does is remind us that our God is worthy of our trust.
To return to our beginning image, the impudent child, tired out from their tantrum, succumbs to peaceful sleep, knowing all is well, they are safe under the watchful care of their loving parents and God. In the same way, we call out to our God, whether in anger, despair, or sorrow, confident that our God is worthy of our trust.
Do you trust God with your anger, your despair, your deepest sorrows? What may be keeping you from that trust?
This post is part of a series of blog posts on the Psalms. Sign up to follow this blog and and receive a free copy of Still Dancing, the second book in my Dancing through Life Series. click here to sign up
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