Journal for Christ: The PerIls of Prosperity

May 5, 2020

Worship in the WORD

A psalm. A song. For the dedication of the temple. Of David.

30 I will exalt you, O Lord,

for you lifted me out of the depths

and did not let my enemies gloat over me.

2 O Lord my God, I called to you for help

and you healed me.

3 O Lord, you brought me up from the grave;b

you spared me from going down into the pit.

4 Sing to the Lord, you saints of his;

praise his holy name.

5 For his anger lasts only a moment,

but his favor lasts a lifetime;

weeping may remain for a night,

but rejoicing comes in the morning.

6 When I felt secure, I said,

"I will never be shaken."

7 O Lord, when you favored me,

you made my mountain stand firm;

but when you hid your face,

I was dismayed.

8 To you, O Lord, I called;

to the Lord I cried for mercy:

9 "What gain is there in my destruction,d

in my going down into the pit?

Will the dust praise you?

Will it proclaim your faithfulness?

10 Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me;

O Lord, be my help."

11 You turned my wailing into dancing;

you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,

12 that my heart may sing to you and not be silent.

O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever.

NIV

A psalm of David. A song for the dedication of the Temple.

30 1 I will exalt you, Lord, for you rescued me.

You refused to let my enemies triumph over me.

2 O Lord my God, I cried to you for help,

and you restored my health.

3 You brought me up from the grave,* O Lord.

You kept me from falling into the pit of death.

4 Sing to the Lord, all you godly ones!

Praise his holy name.

5 For his anger lasts only a moment,

but his favor lasts a lifetime!

Weeping may last through the night,

but joy comes with the morning.

6 When I was prosperous, I said,

"Nothing can stop me now!"

7 Your favor, O Lord, made me as secure as a mountain.

Then you turned away from me, and I was shattered.

8 I cried out to you, O Lord.

I begged the Lord for mercy, saying,

9 "What will you gain if I die,

if I sink into the grave?

Can my dust praise you?

Can it tell of your faithfulness?

10 Hear me, Lord, and have mercy on me.

Help me, O Lord ."

11 You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing.

You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy,

12 that I might sing praises to you and not be silent.

O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever!

A Psalm and Song at the dedication of the house of David.

30 I will extol thee, O LORD; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me.

2 O LORD my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me.

3 O LORD, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.

4 Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.

5 For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

6 And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved.

7 LORD, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled.

8 I cried to thee, O LORD; and unto the LORD I made supplication.

9 What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise thee? shall it declare thy truth?

10 Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon me: LORD, be thou my helper.

11 Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness;

12 To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.

KJV

Joy Comes with the Morning

A Psalm of David. A song at the dedication of the temple.

30 I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up and have not let my foes rejoice over me.

2 O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me.

3 O Lord, you have brought up my soul from Sheol; you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.

4 Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name. 5 For his anger is but for moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.

6 As for me, I said in my prosperity, “I shall never be moved.”

7 By your favor, O Lord, you made my mountain stand strong; you hid your face; I was dismayed.

8 To you, O Lord, I cry, and to the Lord I plead for mercy:

9 “What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness?

10 Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me!O Lord, be my helper!”

11 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,

12 that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!

ESV

I. Personal/Public Purpose - Title

II. Personal Praise: vs. 1- 3

III. Public Exhortation & Encouragement: vs. 4 - 5

IV. Personal Plea: vs. 6 - 10

V. Personal/Public Praise: vs. 11 – 12

This psalm begins like many a show or movie. It starts in the present and then moves to the past. After a few minutes, a subtitle splashes across the screen, “-------- Years Ago.” The scene then reverts to that time and begins the story leading to the present. David begins in the present, recounting his deliverance by God and enjoining others to praise God with him (vs. 1-4). He then moves to the Divine origin of his predicament, and a contrast between the discipline and favor of God (v 5). Now David recounts the actual reason that led to the Lord’s discipline and his plea for deliverance (vs. 6-10). Unlike the movies, He does not get into the specifics enough for us to identify the historical setting in which this occurred. And that perhaps is best, lest someone claim that because their circumstances are different, that this psalm doesn’t apply to them.

Whatever the circumstances, this psalm deals with pride, false assurance, remembering who we are, and knowing who God is. I must give Alexander McLaren credit again for giving me the seed thoughts for what is to follow. He reminded me that David had said, “I shall not be shaken (moved – KJV)” on another occasion.

In Psalm 16:8, David declares:

I have set the Lord always before me.

Because he is at my right hand,

I will not be shaken.

NIV

Here, David declares that he was secure in God’s presence. However, in psalm 30:6, David admits that he had said that he was secure in his prosperity. Oh, what a perilous thing prosperity can prove to be. The Apostle John calls this attitude “the boastful pride of life” (1 Jn. 2:16 NASB). In another place, David ascribes such an attitude to the wicked.

4 In his pride the wicked does not seek him;

in all his thoughts there is no room for God.

5 His ways are always prosperous;

he is haughty and your laws are far from him;

he sneers at all his enemies.

6 He says to himself, "Nothing will shake me;

I'll always be happy and never have trouble."

Ps 10:4-6 NIV

19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Matt 6:19-21 ESV

Paul, to the rich, has this to say:

17 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
1 Tim 6:17-19 NIV

All praise, all glory, all thanks, and all trust must be directed towards our God, who has blessed us with eternal treasure.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

Eph 1:3 NIV

Mammon

Perilous prosperity

Proclivity for pride

Churlish charity

Christ doth chide

Riches received

Rightly released

Selfishness sieved

Stinginess is surceased*

* surcease

transitive & intransitive verb: To bring or come to an end; stop.

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

https://www.wordnik.com/words/surcease

Worship in Witness:

I never could boast pridefully of being secure in my riches or high standing. And yet, I confess that when I am blessed with a sum of money, I tend to hold on to it tenaciously. I feel more secure when there is money in the savings account – a security that is fragile and fraught with worry that something will break and that nice little cushion will disappear. So my life may not be at all similar to David’s. Yet when it comes right down to it, when I take my eyes off the Giver and trust in the gift for my security, David and I are not much that different.

Jesus put his finger on the problem as well as the solution in Matthew 6:24-34.

24 "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

25 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

28 "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

NIV

David’s problem was an overly complacent attitude resulting from God’s favor on his life. For us “have nots,” it is an excessively concerned attitude towards our basic needs. Both can lead to the prizing of possessions and an idolatrous trust in goods over God. Christ’s solution deals with priorities. Which comes first? God’s program and practice, or produce and products? Our Lord calls us to place God’s priorities first, and He will provide what we need.

This is a hard one for me to practice. Not the seeking part so much, but the part about not being anxious when things are tight, and I’m not sure how I will pay all my bills. It affects my attitude when I send money to my brothers in need overseas. I am in debt. I need new glasses, clothes, and shoes. Giving keeps me from getting out of debt faster. Guilt rides me when I think of spending money on myself. This push-pull in my life distracts me from trusting in the Lord to provide for both my giving and my needs.

Of course, by the standard of living in many places in the world, I am fortunate and even considered rich in many ways. Let me remember that as well, and look for ways to share more with others.

Lord, please let me seek You first and leave lesser issues to Your providential provision.

Let me not grow weary in well-doing, nor become lax in the labor of love You have called me to do for Your heavenly kingdom in my witness, wealth, work, and worship.

May I see these things not so much as separate things, but in concert with each other.

I acknowledge You have placed me in a position of prosperity in comparison to many in the world,

Not for my gain, but for the good of others.

So loose my grip on this life and the love of temporal things over the eternal.

Remind me continually that I have everlasting riches beyond compare stored for me in heaven.

And I will abide in the glory of Your presence eternally, the greatest treasure of all!

In Christ’s Name, amen.

Worship in Song: I’d Rather Have Jesus by George Beverly Shea, Rhea Miller (attr. to Oscar C. A. Bernadotte, 1888)

I'd rather have Jesus than silver or gold,

I'd rather be His than have riches untold;

I'd rather have Jesus than houses or lands,

I'd rather be led by His nail-pierced hand.

Than to be the king of a vast domain

And be held in sin's dread sway.

I'd rather have Jesus than anything

This world affords today.

I'd rather have Jesus than men's applause,

I'd rather be faithful to His dear cause;

I'd rather have Jesus than worldwide fame,

I'd rather be true to His holy name.

Than to be the king of a vast domain

And be held in sin's dread sway.

I'd rather have Jesus than anything

This world affords today.

He's fairer than lilies of rarest bloom,

He's sweeter than honey from out the comb;

He's all that my hungering spirit needs,

I'd rather have Jesus and let Him lead.

Than to be the king of a vast domain

And be held in sin's dread sway.

I'd rather have Jesus than anything

This world affords today.

Written by: GEORGE BEVERLY SHEA, RHEA MILLER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

Historical Background to the Hymn

I’d Rather Have Jesus is a song written by Rhea F. Miller with the tune written by George Beverly Shea. This poem, written in 1922, was left on a piano in the Shea home by Bev Shea, who wanted her son to find it and change the course of his life.

The words, I’d rather have Jesus, moved George so much, and spoke to him about his own aims and ambitions in life. He sat down at the piano and began singing them with a tune that seemed to fit the words. Shea’s mom heard him singing it and asked him to sing it at church the next day.

George’s life direction did change. He was offered a popular music career with NBC, but a few years later chose to become associated with evangelist Billy Graham and sang this hymn around the world.

https://www.allaboutgod.com/id-rather-have-jesus.htm

Rhea F. Miller was the only daughter of Martin and Bertha Ross, from Brooktondale, NY, which is 8 miles out of Ithaca, NY. "Grampa Ross," we called him, had been a drunk and wanted nothing to do with religion. His wife, Bertha, was faithful to God in spite of her husband's drunkenness. Her faithfulness and the prayers of family and friends eventually led to his salvation and deliverance from alcohol. As a result, he entered the ministry and became pastor of the Baptist Church in Brooktondale. The Miller family attended the Baptist church, whose members included a young man named Howard Vassar Miller. He was saved in 1910 when he was just 16 years old. It wasn't long before he and Rhea caught each others' eye, and after he graduated from Colgate University, he and Rhea were married.

One day in 1922, at 28 years of age, while walking the fields of their Brooktondale home, Rhea began to reflect on her father's testimony of how he had been delivered from alcohol, and how he had said he would rather have Jesus than all the gold and silver in the world, and all the houses and land that money could buy. Thus the song was born and soon took form with her own words complete with her own music... [In 1939] is when George Beverly Shea found the song in just its poem form and wrote his version of the music to "I'd Rather Have Jesus."-- Ron Kelly, Jr.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/42445380/rhea-f_-miller

See Below for Further Study

OT:7962

š¹lû. Prosperity. A separate word and found only in Ps 30:7 (according to BDB, p. 1017). The context suggests the idea of the gross delusion that prosperity guarantees stability and is foundational: "In my prosperity I used to say, nothing can ever shake me."

Psalms 30:6

30:6 David had evidently become self-confident and had forgotten his complete dependence on the Lord (cf. John 15:5). Prosperity often tempts us with a false sense of our security (cf. Prov 1:32; Jer 22:21), and David slipped here. We should never conclude that, because we are presently experiencing peace and prosperity, these conditions will inevitably continue.

Alexander MacLaren: One Saying From Three Men

https://biblehub.com/commentaries/maclaren/psalms/10.htm

Easy circumstances and a careless outlook are seldom far apart when this Hebrew root is used for prosperity. Cf. e.g. the heedlessness in Jeremiah 22:21 and the fatal complacency in Proverbs 1:32. But the next verse in Proverbs shows the difference between the careless and the truly carefree.

Kidner, D. (1973). Psalms 1–72: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 15, p. 146). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

In the third and fourth stanzas of the psalm, the psalmist turns the focus again to his personal story, but not in an introspective fashion. The setting is still corporate. The psalmist refers to his own experience in order to offer a lesson to the community. In the third stanza, the psalmist looks back to a period of pride that led to downfall. In the fourth stanza, the psalmist rehearses part of a prayer for help that he spoke during his distress. The third stanza begins with an emphatic quotation that represents his attitude prior to the time of crisis: But as for me, I said in my complacency, “I shall never be moved.” The phrase I shall never be moved does not in itself imply a sin, as occurs in the Old Testament both as an appropriate expression of praise that exhibits faith in God’s providence (cf. Pss. 16:8; 62:2; 96:10; 121:3) and also as an inappropriate expression of pride that exhibits trust in one’s own self-mastery (cf. Ps. 10:6). In terms of this psalm’s use of the thematic issue of praise, what is at stake is whether the psalmist’s earlier attitude was characterized as appropriate praise of God or inappropriate trust in self. As the prepositional phrase in my complacency indicates, the psalmist clearly views her earlier attitude as flawed because it was based on personal pride. The word translated here as complacency is šalwî; the form occurs only here, but is related to šalwâ, which clearly means negligent self-confidence in a text such as Prov. 1:32: “the complacency of fools destroys them.” The psalmist quotes his earlier speech—I shall never be moved—here both to indicate that this attitude was a sin (i.e., he is confessing his sin) and also to indicate that he no longer holds this attitude (i.e., he has repented and changed his attitude).

The psalmist continues by addressing God directly—the ancient audience and the modern reader both overhear this personal conversation between believer and Lord. In v. 5, the psalmist had confessed that God’s favor (rāṣôn) lasts longer than God’s anger. Here, the psalmist recalls that in your favor” (rāṣôn) God had established him. The word you established (heʿemaḏtâ) is another play on the vertical “go down”/“draw up” metaphor of the psalm—you established means literally “you caused me to stand.” The psalmist’s point is that he had incorrectly conceived of his prosperity as the result of his own merit rather than as a result of God’s undeserved favor. Thus, when God turned away from the psalmist, he had no leg left to stand on. In the Old Testament, God’s face is a metaphor for God’s favor and protection. In this context, the metaphor evokes a hostile action on God’s part in which God withdrew favor and protection. It is difficult for the modern reader to grasp how aggressive this metaphor must have felt to the ancient believer. The psalmist’s crisis was not simply the result of divine oversight, but an active and intentional withdrawal of protection that led to a period of distress for the psalmist. This is an instance of what Martin Luther called God’s “alien work” (see below).

Jacobson, R. A., & Tanner, B. (2014). Book One of the Psalter: Psalms 1–41. In E. J. Young, R. K. Harrison, & R. L. Hubbard Jr. (Eds.), The Book of Psalms (pp. 295–296). Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.

The Alien Work of God

Perhaps the most difficult theological issue raised by Psalm 30 is its testimony not that only the deliverance came from God’s hand, but also that the initial distress was authored by God. Does God work this way? Does God “bring low” in order to “raise up” again? Borrowing language from Isa. 28:21 (in which Isaiah announced God’s judgment of Judah and cried, “strange is his work!… alien is his work!”), Martin Luther referred to this type of divine activity as God’s “alien work.” Luther wrote, “God’s ‘alien’ works are these: to judge, to condemn, and to punish those who are impenitent and do not believe. God is compelled to resort to such ‘alien’ works and to call them His own because of our pride. By manifesting these works He aims to humble us that we might regard Him as our Lord and obey His will.” As Luther emphasized, God’s alien work exists only for the purpose of accomplishing God’s proper work, which is to save, bless, and be gracious: “It is as if he were saying: ‘Although He is the God of life and salvation and this is His proper work, yet, in order to accomplish this, He kills and destroys. These works are alien to Him, but through them He accomplishes His proper work. For He kills our will that His may be established in us. He subdues the flesh and its lusts that the spirit and its desires may come to life.”22

ROLF A. JACOBSON

Jacobson, R. A., & Tanner, B. (2014). Book One of the Psalter: Psalms 1–41. In E. J. Young, R. K. Harrison, & R. L. Hubbard Jr. (Eds.), The Book of Psalms (p. 299). Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.

Journal for Christ

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

The PerIls of Prosperity

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