July 10, 2017
Worship:
I see Your face in every sunrise
The colors of the morning are inside Your eyes
The world awakens in the light of the day
I look up to the sky and say
You’re beautiful
I see Your power in the moonlit night
Where planets are in motion and galaxies are bright
We are amazed in the light of the stars
It’s all proclaiming who You are
You’re beautiful
I see You there hanging on a tree
You bled, and then you died, and then you rose again for me
Now You are sitting on Your heavenly throne
Soon we will be coming home
You’re beautiful
When we arrive at eternity’s shore
Where death is just a memory and tears are no more
We’ll enter in as the wedding bells ring
Your bride will come together, and we’ll sing
You’re beautiful
I see Your face, You’re beautiful
You’re beautiful
You’re beautiful
I see Your face, You’re beautiful
You’re beautiful
You’re beautiful
You’re beautiful
All that You are is beautiful
You’re beautiful
You’re beautiful
All that You are is beautiful
You’re beautiful
You’re beautiful
You’re beautiful
When we arrive at eternity’s shore
Where death is just a memory and tears are no more
We’ll enter in as the wedding bells ring
Your bride will come together, and we’ll sing
You’re beautiful
You’re beautiful
You’re beautiful
Lyrics: https://steverebus.com/2014/01/24/%E2%9C%9E-music-youre-beautiful-by-phil-wickham-ft-shane-shane/
Video: https://youtu.be/aky-FkqH6Ng
Ps 27:4
One thing I ask of the Lord,
this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
and to seek him in his temple.
NIV
Perhaps I should have saved the song of worship for when I begin my study on Psalm 27. However, the locus of Psalm 27 is in the Temple, whereas the focus of this song is in creation, the cross, and eternity. Whether in the Temple or Church building or out in a field admiring sunrise or nighttime sky, our gaze should look beyond the beauty of construction or creation to the One who is the source of all beauty. And our praise should ultimately terminate on the Lord of glory.
WORD:
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Ps 26:8-27:1
8 I love the house where you live, O Lord,
the place where your glory dwells.
9 Do not take away my soul along with sinners,
my life with bloodthirsty men,
10 in whose hands are wicked schemes,
whose right hands are full of bribes.
11 But I lead a blameless life;
redeem me and be merciful to me.
12 My feet stand on level ground; in the great
assembly I will praise the Lord.
NIV (’84)
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Ps 26:8-27:1
8 I love your sanctuary, Lord,
the place where your glorious presence dwells.
9 Don't let me suffer the fate of sinners.
Don't condemn me along with murderers.
10 Their hands are dirty with evil schemes,
and they constantly take bribes.
11 But I am not like that; I live with integrity.
So redeem me and show me mercy.
12 Now I stand on solid ground,
and I will publicly praise the Lord.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation ®, copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.
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Ps 26:8-27:1
8 Lord, I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thine honour dwelleth.
9 Gather not my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloody men:
10 In whose hands is mischief, and their right hand is full of bribes.
11 But as for me, I will walk in mine integrity: redeem me, and be merciful unto me.
12 My foot standeth in an even place: in the congregations will I bless the Lord.
KJV
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Ps 26:8-12
8 O Lord, I love the habitation of your house
and the place where your glory dwells.
9 Do not sweep my soul away with sinners,
nor my life with bloodthirsty men,
10 in whose hands are evil devices,
and whose right hands are full of bribes.
11 But as for me, I shall walk in my integrity;
redeem me, and be gracious to me.
12 My foot stands on level ground;
in the great assembly I will bless the Lord.
ESV
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As I near the end of my study in Psalm 26 I observe that David has come full circle, and has returned to what he states in verse 1. Compare verse 1b with verse 11a.
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NIV
1 Vindicate me, O Lord,
for I have led a blameless life;
11 But I lead a blameless life;
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Holy Bible, New Living Translation ®, copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.
1 Declare me innocent, O LORD,
for I have acted with integrity;
11 But I am not like that; I live with integrity.
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KJV
1 Judge me, O LORD; for I have walked in mine integrity:
11 But as for me, I will walk in mine integrity:
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ESV
Vindicate me, O Lord,
for I have walked in my integrity,
11 But as for me, I shall walk in my integrity;
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In both verses, he speaks of his “blameless life” or “integrity.” Notice that all four versions translate the word “walk” or “act” [Heb. – halak] in the present perfect tense (Heb. – perfect tense – Hebrew only has two tenses: perfect and imperfect) – “have walked/acted.” The difference comes when we look at verse 11. The NIV and NLT translate the word “walk” or “act” [Heb. – yalak] in the present tense (Heb. – imperfect tense). The KJV and ESV translate the word in the future tense – “will/shall walk.” Hebrew grammar allows for either translation.
Notice also the difference in how each version on begins verse 11. The NIV is the briefest with “But.” The KJV and ESV (as well as the NASB and NRSV) both have “But as for me.” Again, both translations are possible. The NLT is more periphrastic but agrees more with the way the NIV takes it. The word translated “I” or “me” here, is a pronoun in the Hebrew with a conjunction attached to it that can be translated “and” (see Youngs Literal Translation) or “but” as the translators of the versions I have included above. Since I am no expert in the original languages, let alone the English language (TTL for Grammarly and Google 😊), I would not adventure to say which is better. To me, they may differ little in meaning. However, I do believe the point they are trying to emphasize is slightly different.
All seek to highlight the contrast David is making between his behavior and the wicked mentioned in the preceding verses. The NIV and NLT seem to bring verse 11a in closest parallel to verse 1b. They use the present perfect in v. 1 (have led/acted) to point to an action in the past that continues up until the time of David’s writing of the Psalm.In verse 11 they use the present tense to emphasize his current lifestyle/action (“I lead”/”live”).
The KJV and ESV both translate v. 1b as “have walked” which yields the same meaning as the one I mentioned for the NIV and NLT. However, when we come to v. 11a, the KJV and ESV seem to point to a commitment to future action rather than a present reality. Thus, if we were to summarize what the NIV/NLT are trying to say it would be – I have led a life of integrity and still do, and the KJV/ESV – Up until now, I have led a life of integrity, and I am committed to continuing to live one.
If I had to choose which one I think David had in mind, I would go with the KJV and the ESV. To me, David is saying “I have, and I will continue to walk in integrity.”
Barnes commenting on this says,
[But as for me] The Hebrew is, "and I." But there is evidently a contrast between what he purposed to do, and the course of life pursued by those to whom he had just referred; and this is correctly expressed in our translation, "But as for me." It is a statement of his profession of piety, and of his purpose to lead a religious life. He "meant" - he solemnly "purposed" - to lead a holy life.(from Barnes' Notes, Electronic Database Copyright © 1997, 2003, 2005, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
And Matthew Henry says,
David, with a holy humble confidence, commits himself to the grace of God, v. 11,12. 1. He promises that by the grace of God he would persevere in his duty: "As for me, whatever others do, I will walk in my integrity." Note, When the testimony of our consciences for us that we have walked in our integrity is comfortable to us this should confirm our resolutions to continue therein.(from Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible, PC Study Bible Formatted Electronic Database Copyright © 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All Rights reserved.)
Yet, because we have read of David’s actions as recorded in God’s Word, both good and bad, we know that even the best of resolutions may fail.
Verse 11. - But as for me, I will walk in mine integrity; i.e. I will continue to walk as I have walked hitherto (see ver. 1) - I will be "integer vitae scelerisque purus" - a brave and good resolve. Had he but kept to it!
(from The Pulpit Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright © 2001, 2003, 2005, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
David was aware of this future possibility as well as the failures of his past (see Psalm 25:7), and even the sins he might not be aware of (see Psalm 19:12). Therefore he prays, “redeem me, and be gracious to me.” These are words I have commented on in Psalm 25 (“redeem” and “gracious” ESV/”merciful” NIV. I said that the word “redeem” usually spoke of deliverance from troubles rather than sin. That may be uppermost in David’s mind here.
As Calvin puts it,
He, therefore, beseeches God to redeem him, because, being oppressed with wrongs, and tempted in various ways, he relied only on God, trusting that he would deliver him. From this we may conclude, that he was at this time reduced to great straits.(from Calvin's Commentaries, PC Study Bible formatted electronic database Copyright © 2005-2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
Nevertheless, we must remember that David prayed that he would not suffer the same fate as the wicked. By the wider application, we trust that God has and will continue to deliver us from the ultimate fate of all who reject Him and practice evil (Col. 1:13-14, Rev. 21:6-8).
The decisive grounds for deliverance and the blameless walk is God’s grace. That brings me to the second word, gracious/merciful. In my study of Psalm 25, I made these comments,
It is a word others may have used when coming before him as king, for it refers to a superior in standing coming to the aid of an inferior. (See my journal entry for Dec. 27, 2016)
I then referenced Vines,
In many ways, chanan combines the meaning of the Greek Haris (with the general classical Greek sense of "charm" or "graciousness") and the New Testament sense of "undeserved favor" or "mercy."(from Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, Copyright © 1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
Therefore,
He prays for the divine grace both to enable him to do so and to give him the comfort of it: "Redeem me out of the hands of my enemies, and be merciful to me, living and dying." Be we ever so confident of our integrity, yet still we must rely upon God's mercy and the great redemption Christ has wrought out, and pray for the benefit of them.
(from Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible, PC Study Bible Formatted Electronic Database Copyright © 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All Rights reserved.)
And,
Be merciful to me, by which he shows that this deliverance flows from the grace of God, as its true source; and we have already seen that the cause is often put for the effect.(from Calvin's Commentaries, PC Study Bible formatted electronic database Copyright © 2005-2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
[And be merciful to me] In connection with redemption. The prayer for mercy is always an acknowledgment of guilt, and the plea here shows that with all his purposes of holy living, and notwithstanding all that he had referred to in the psalm as evidence of uprightness of intention and integrity of life, he still felt that he was a sinner, and that his only hope was in the mercy of God.(from Barnes' Notes, Electronic Database Copyright © 1997, 2003, 2005, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
Let me end today with a quote from Spurgeon to remind us that the walk of integrity is not only a matter of personal resolve but also divine grace upon which all resolve is grounded and fulfilled.
Ver. 11. Here is the lover of godliness entering his personal protest against unrighteous gain. He is a Nonconformist, and is ready to stand alone in his Nonconformity. Like a live fish, he swims against the stream. Trusting in God, the psalmist resolves that the plain way of righteousness shall be his choice, and those who will, may prefer the tortuous paths of violence and deceit. Yet, he is by no means a boaster, or a self-righteous vaunter of his own strength, for he cries for redemption and pleads for mercy. Our integrity is not absolute nor inherent, it is a work of grace in us, and is marred by human infirmity; we must, therefore, resort to the redeeming blood and to the throne of mercy, confessing that though we are saints among men, we must still bow as sinners before God.(from The Treasury of David, PC Study Bible formatted electronic database Copyright © 2005, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
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