Journal for Christ: March 2022

March 28, 2022

Worship in WORD

Ps 31:23-24

23 Love the Lord, all you his saints!

The Lord preserves the faithful

but abundantly repays the one

who acts in pride.

24 Be strong, and let your heart take courage,

all you who wait for the Lord!

ESV

Ps 31:23-24

23 Love the LORD, all his faithful people!

The LORD preserves those who are true to him,

but the proud he pays back in full.

24 Be strong and take heart,

all you who hope in the LORD.

The New International Version. (2011). Zondervan.

Ps 31:23-24

23 O love the LORD, all ye his saints: for the LORD preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer.

24 Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.

KJV

Ps 31:23-24

23 Love the Lord, all you godly ones!

For the Lord protects those who are loyal to him,

but he harshly punishes the arrogant.

24 So be strong and courageous,

all you who put your hope in the Lord!

I. Hope – vv. 1-8

A. Action – v. 1

B. Appeal – v. 2

C. Acknowledge – vv. 3-4

D. Abandon – v. 5

E. Abhor – v. 6

F. Acclaim! – vv. 7-8

II. Help! – vv. 9-18

A. Sorrow – vv. 9-13

1. Soul sickness – vv. 9-10

2. Societal scorn – vv. 11-13

B. Sovereign – vv. 14-18

1. Surrender – vv. 14-15

2. Shine – v. 16

3. Shame – v. 17

4. Silence – v. 18

III. Hail – vv. 19-22

A. God, for His Great Goodness – v. 19

B. God, for His Sheltering Presence – v. 20

C. God, for His Hesed [ds#j# ]#] – V. 21

D. God, Who Hears and Answers His People – v. 22

IV. Heart – vv. 23-24

A. Love – v. 23

B. Long – v.24

Thought flow: Hope→Help!→Hail→Heart

A. Love— v. 23

I want to look at the Hebrew word Hasid* found here in verse 23. If we consult the many English translations we have today, we will see that it has been translated in various ways. For example, as “godly ones (NLT, NASB),” as “faithful ones (CSB),” as “faithful people (NIV 2011),” as “saints (KJV, ESV, NIV’ 84),” and as “faithful followers (NET).”

Before I delve into this further, I must say as an aside (and an important one at that) that David may have had an “Elijah moment,” as expressed earlier in verses 11-13. In those verses, he speaks of a period in his life where he felt alone, abandoned, and like the “last believer standing.” But, like Elijah, he found that there is always a remnant (see 1 Kings 19:13-18). So David exhorts these “saints,” those who are the “hasid” of God, to love God (see https://journal4christ.blogspot.com/2022/01/o-love-lord-all-ye-his-saints.html).

Let me point out two things about the word “hasid,” which is translated in various ways by the aforementioned translations. First is its meaning, and secondly, its relationship to another word I wrote about in previous studies.

Its Meaning:

As noted above, this word has been translated differently by different translations. Consulting the various resources I have, I can see why. If we choose to use the word “saints” or “godly ones,” we may be misled by its widespread use today. On the other hand, if we translate it with the adjective “faithful,” we limit it to only one aspect of this word. The word saint can conjure up a more holy and pious person in the minds of many. Or a special group of men and women that have attained a higher level of spirituality. These “saints” are distinguished from the ordinary rank and file person. However, scripture everywhere calls all of God’s chosen “saints.” We seem to have lost the word’s true meaning, leading to a two-tiered view of the Christian life.

One resource I read from defines the word this way, and I think it covers all the bases when translating it as “saint(s).”

An adjective meaning kind, benevolent, merciful, pious. The word carries the essential idea of the faithful kindness and piety that springs from mercy

Do you see it? To be a saint is to be giving, gracious, and godly. This is a name God gives to His people. This is a name God calls all His people to be. Therefore, there are to be no “super saints” as opposed to ordinary, run-of-the-mill “saints.”

Its Relationship to Hesed:

The reason we are called saints, I believe, is because of a word closely related to it. The word hasid is the adjectival form of the noun hesed. I have written about the word hesed in many of my previous blog entries. I have done so because this word appears so often in the Psalms and the rest of the OT.

(see for example→ https://journal4christ.blogspot.com/2021/12/hesed-omnipotent-love-that-will-never.html).

The word hesed is essential for describing who God is and how He acts. With reference to God, the word hesed points to His:

“loving-kindness; steadfast love; grace; mercy; faithfulness; goodness; devotion.”

Because of God’s prior hesed, we can be called the hasid or saints of God. As objects of God’s hesed, He has chosen us to reflect His hesed to the world. That is why it is wrong and dangerous to have a two-tiered view of the word saint. To do so may give one an excuse for lax and loveless living. Or it may give one a feeling of inferiority and failure because they do not see themselves as being as giving, gracious, and godly as another person they consider a “super saint.”

But God calls all His people saints. He does so because of His righteousness He bestows on them through Christ (2Cor. 5:21). All who place their faith in Christ are declared righteous. God sees us as saints in light of His Son, in whose image we are being conformed (Rom. 8:29). We are saints - and are becoming saints (Heb. 10:14). Thus whether we perform mighty deeds of sacrifice (John 15:13) or give a cup of water (Mk 9:41) to “the least of these” (Mt 24:34-46), we are His saints.

The giving, gracious, and godly life can be summed up in the word love. And this life of love flows out of God's holy, merciful, steadfast love (hesed!). The Apostle John states it succinctly this way:

We love, because He first loved us.

1 John 4:19 NASB

Worship in Witness:

Lord,

Please let me be described as one who is giving, gracious, and godly, for this is my calling. A calling that is not done in isolation, but together with all believers. Alone, Lord, these graces in me may grow cold. But stoked in the firepit of fellowship, they will always be flamed by the mutual love and encouragement of others and by the bellows of Your Holy Spirit. Thank You, Lord, for Your prior love by which You chose me, called me, and consecrated me to demonstrate Your hesed to the world.

— Amen

1 Cor 1:2-3 ESV

² To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:

³ Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

1 John 3:18-19 NLT

Dear children, let's not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.

James 1:27

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

NIV (' 84)

Mic 6:7

He has shown all you people what is good.

And what does the Lord require of you?

To act justly and to love mercy

and to walk humbly with your God.

TNIV

Worship in Promise, Poem, Prayer, and Praise

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fimg.heartlight.org%2Fcards%2Fg%2F1john4_19.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

Burning Coals

O, Christian, you are burning coal

Aflame with a loving fire

With an all-consuming goal

To encourage and inspire

But like a coal that falls away

This truth you must remember

When you choose to go astray

You become a dying ember

A Prayer To See The Needs Of Others

Lord open my eyes to see the needs,

And bless others with words and deeds.

Grant to me a heart full of compassion,

And Thy strength to me, do not ration.

Open doors for me to serve people

In all places, not just under a steeple.

In Christ's Name. Amen!

Because He First Loved Us by Cheri Keaggy

We will stop and help when someone's in a bind

If we see a need, we will try to make the time

And while others think of reasons not to love

We love because He first loved us

We are quick to say "I'm sorry" when we're wrong

And instead of holding grudges, we move on

For we know the Father's grace will be enough

And we love because He first loved us

Teach us to love when we don't get it right

So when the world looks at us

They will see Your light

Teach us to love and to lay down our lives

And we'll praise our Father in heaven

We don't seek revenge; instead, we seek the peace

When life strikes a blow, we turn the other cheek

We will persevere when others would give up

And we love because He first loved us

Teach us to love when we don't get it right

So when the world looks at us

They will see Your light

Teach us to love and to lay down our lives

And we'll praise our Father in heaven

Yes, they'll praise our Father in heaven

We won't brag, we won't boast

But if they want to know

We will point to the One

Who has loved us the most

Well, it's not that we don't ever disagree

Still, when times get hard, you will find us on our knees

You might say we're all just diamonds in the rough

But we love because He first loved us

You might say we're all just diamonds in the rough

But we love because He first loved

That's what His love does

We love because He first loved us

Lyrics: https://flowlez.com/en/songs/because-he-first-loved-us-353421/

(With corrections made)

Video: https://youtu.be/436Zd0Srd6Q

For Further Thought or Study

It seems as if David felt that he could not love the Lord sufficiently by himself, so he calls upon all the saints to bring their hearts full of love, and yield their treasure unto God.

SAINTS

Chasid means "to be kind or merciful." These are qualities of God. Thus, chasid people are godly people because they reflect His character. Saints praise the Lord for His lifelong favor (Ps 30:4), rejoice in goodness (2 Chron 6:41), and know that God keeps their paths (1 Sam 2:9). God's encounter with His people through the covenant enables them to walk as His saints.

* The Hebrew words ds#j #(µesed) and dys!j* (µ¹sîd) are spelled differently depending on which reference works you consult. For instance, Strong's spells them as chesed and chaciyd.

My spellings come from this resource:

Journal for Christ

Monday, March 28, 2022

Who are the saints of the Lord?

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