Working For God

Chinese translation (by Tze-John Liu) of "He that is spiritual" (original auther: Lewis Sperry Chafer). "Working for God" (orig
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Thesis (first draft: The pastoral effect in the O.T. Psalm

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          Thesis Title  



Some Pastoral Effect Found in the Psalm


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

              

    

           In Partial Fulfillment of 


        Master Degree of Biblical Study







Introduction:

 

 

During the first and second centuries of Christianity, 


while the Apostles' teaching was still fresh, the church had 


borrowed a lot from the Judia traditions.  At that time, the 


Psalms were repeatedly sung in the form of "Gradual"(1) in the 


church service.  It was used in Sunday worship.  The pastors


seemed to have no problem with using Psalms as the teaching


material, for correction, and for reproof.  The Psalms were so


rich in its equipping effect that the early churches constantly 


used them.  They directed the early churches in knowing their 


Master, pouring out their souls to Jesus who had just ascended


to the heaven.

 

 The goal of this paper is to try to reach some pastoral 


effect from the book of Psalm.  Most Bible students know that 


reading the Psalms was an enjoyment, since it contains a lot 


of human experience with God.  It breathes out the soul of a 


human toward God.  Although most Bible students read Psalms 


with great appreciation, most of them do not dig enough so as


to know more about the God the Psalmists knew or what kind of


God that Psalmists prayed to, worshiped, and praised.  They 


were getting the beneficial effect of the Psalm without know-


ing the cause (God's attributes) of it. However, if we can 


read out who, what, how, why, etc. of the God the Psalmists 


knew, we might get more knowledge about God, experiencing Him 


as we live out our own life experience.  


-----------------------

(1). Massey H. Shepherd Jr.  "The Psalms in Christians Worship, 

     A Practical Guide".  Ausburg Publishing House. Mineapolis, 

     Minnesota. 1976. p.34.

   

 

      The authors of the Psalms whether it was David, Solomon, 


or Moses, were the intermediate leaders of the kingdom of Is-


rael:  David was the shepherd of Israel (Exe37:24)¡  Solomon 


asked wisdom to rule the people of Israel, Moses was a faithful 


steward of God's household.  We might naturally expect that the 


Psalms have direct pastoral effect on us as well.  The Psal-


mists' reflection on the Big Shepherd could be our experience 


also.  Thus, it could have pastoral effect on us, because we 


serve the same God that David and the other Psalmists served.  


The goal of this paper is to propose some logic and thinking


for getting these pastoral effects from the Psalms (Part I and 


Part II), and to try to discovers some pastoral effects in some 


of the Psalms (Part III).

 

 The Psalms cover a wide range of biblical teaching, thus, 


having a correct theology on the book of the Psalm is crucial 


for the correct understanding and teaching of the Psalms.  On


the other hand, the Psalm were human's response toward God in 


an honest way.  The "understanding of the humanity" in light of 


God's revelation (the book of Psalm), particularly through the 


authors' (mostly David's) own experience, will be important as 


well.  Thus, this paper will be divided mainly into three parts.  


First, the general theology of Psalms.  Second, David's experi-


ence and his character.  Third, the pastoral effect of Psalm 


based on the first two parts.  For the first part, I used Mr. 


Kraus Hans-Joachim's "Theology of the Psalms" as the main Source


(2).  It contains many word studies on the Hebrew in the Psalm.  

------------------------

(2). Hans-Joachim Kraus.  "Theology of the Psalms". Augsburg 

     Publishing House. Minneapolis. 1986




The logic of this book was intellectual and effective.  For the 


second part, I used many sources.  For the third part, I used 


Pastor Leonard Griffith's work --"God in Man's Experience" as 


the main source(3), although he only covered a part of Psalms 


in his study.  I believed more pastoral effect could be learned 


from other chapters of the Psalms that he had not worked with. 


I will use Arthur Emerson Harris's work(4) as main reference 


for the exegetical works.  I will use Pastor Griffith's work as 


the main reference for applications.  (I think Pastor Griffith 


was very up front toward the thinking of the world of this time, 


and most of his work is like a 'teaching sermon' than a 'preach-


ing sermon'.)  

 

 First of all, we need to remember the Psalms were written 


by great men, actually, some of the best of believers.  David, 


for example, was a man of God's heart.  Like other men of faith, 


they usually went through much difficulty as they followed God's 


will.  We probably will never go through most of the experiences 


the Psalmists went through, but we can learn from their experi-


ences, and draw principles from them.  In the same way, we did 


not go through, what Job (or Paul) went through, but we still 


can learn from their experiences.  In some occasions, to apply 


word for word what the Psalmists did in the Psalms directly was 


unpractical, or even foolish.  On the other hand, to view the 


Psalmists' experience too high to reach, and detach oneself 


from it and not relate it to our Christian walk is also a big 


------------------------

(3). Leonard Griffith.  "God in Man's Experience". Word Books. 

     Waco, Texas. 1968  

(4). Authur Emerson Harris.  "The Psalms Outlined". The Judson 

     Press.  Philadelphia. 1925



loss.  To get teaching from the Psalm and thus get perseverance


and encouragement is, however, what the Bible teaches us to do:  


(Romans 16:13--"For what ever was written in earlier times was 


written for our instruction, that through perseverance and the 


encouragement of the Scripture we might have hope.").  




PART I:



Proposition One: The authors of the book of Psalm believed 

      that God reigned:

 

 

 To ask a three year old believer if he or she believed 


that God reigned, the answer would most likely be a big "yes". 


As we get more sophisticated, we would still say that God 


reigned, but we may ask, "in what way?"  Failing to get an  


answer from the world that we lived in, we may escaped to the 


skeptic, indifference, or at least weakening faith, but it was 


not so for the Psalmists.  The roles of "warrior, judge, bene-


factor, and shepherd, which belong to the human kingship de-


picted in the Psalms, are those of Yhwh" (5).  All the Psalms 


speak explicitly or implicitly that God reigned (            ). 


The Psalmist says that God reigned in term of sphere of His 


domination, institution of His reigned, and also activities of


sovereignty.(6).  Not only did the Psalmists have faith in God, 


at their lowest season and highest season, they are sure of 


God's providence.  God is ever present, God cares, God rules, 


And God provides.  To the Psalmist, the ruling of God over Is-


rael history can be found in several angles:

-------------------------

(5). James L. Mays.  "The Lord Reigns".  Westminister John Knox

     Press.  Louisville, Kentucky. 1994. p.13.

(6). ibid. p.14.



(a). God reigns from eternity to eternity as universal King. 


(Ps. 90:1):  Although the Psalmist did not know the Prayer the 


Lord taught His disciples.-- "For Thine is the kingdom, power, 


and glory for ever."  The Psalmists did show the eternal reign-


ing of our God.  They all agree that the Lordship of God is 


without question at all time.


(b). They all believed God reigned from the beginning. By al-


lowing the first parent the choice of choosing to eat the fruit 


from the tree of knowledge, God reigned through the consequence 


of it.  


(c). God reigned over Israel through intermediate leaders: Over


Abraham, Issac, and Jacob.  Moses, Joshua, Judges, Saul, David, 


Soloman, and so on, over all of them, God ruled. "God is God in 


Israel's history" is a very important theme in the Psalm.


(d). Future Messianic Kingdom is spiritual as well as physical.


(7):  The Psalmist did not know the Prayer the Lord taught the 


disciples, praying for the coming of Heaven's reign, on earth 


as it is in heaven.  The coming of the Kingdom on earth means 


the ruling of Christ (Messiah) Jesus "on earth".  It will be 


both spiritual as well as physical. 



Proposition Two: The Psalm has recorded wide span of personal       

                 experience (mostly David's) and Israelite's

            experience as a nation.  They called upon God 

      by calling His name.  Thus, in Psalm, we can 

      know God better through His Name and His cha-

            racter.



(A). God's name:  What it meant to the Psalmists?  


-----------------------

(7). Alva J. McClain. "The Greatness of the Kingdom". Zondevan

     van Publishing House.  Grand Rapids, Michigan.1959. p.519.


 

      Calvin used to say:  "There is a reason why the name of


God is used to stand for God Himself.  Because we cannot Com-


prehend the essence of God.  Insofar as His grace and power are 


made manifest to us, it is appropriate for us to place hope in 


Him.  Thus by calling His name, faith is born."(8).  The theo-


logical and historical knowledge depend alone on the name and 


the fullness of its presentation--the name, not something numi-


nous that has been experienced and explored phenomenological. A 


theology of the name, based on the O.T. and also on the Psalm, 


cannot ignore for a moment what is said of the name of Israel's 


God in the N.T. and directed toward the future.  It is Jesus 


Christ who has revealed the name of God in the exchaton(       


                         

                       ): "I have manifested the name" (John 17


:6). Christ Jesus Himself has been given the name that is above 


every name.  The name(             )(Kurios--Yahweh).  Whatever 


biblical theology says about the name of God must be related to 


this eschatological happening(9).


(a). (      ) Yahweh 


      To the Israelite and to us too, "any and all acquaintance 


with this name is based on the fact that the God of Israel has 


made Himself known.  Moreover, every concept of God is based on 


the fact that He has manifested Himself".  In the sanctuary it 


is not "Yahweh, who dwells, but the(    )("name") as His repre-


sentative(Ps.74:7).  And yet in the Psalm the presence and gift 


of the (    )("name") are constantly the presupposition of all 


prayers and songs, all confidence and hope, all cries and peti-

-----------------------

(8). Kraus. p.21.

(9). Kraus. p.22.



tions , and this name is the name (    )(Yahweh).  Those who 


pray and sing in the Psalm, however, base what they do on the 


fact that the name is not empty, but that in this everything is


contained -- justice and salvation, deliverance and life, know-


ledge and wisdom.

 

 The "name of Yahweh": is a gift, entrusted to Israel, and 


in it Yahweh is present: "In Judah God is known, His name is


great in Israel (Ps. 76:1)."  At the same time, this name as 


the reflection of the holiness of (     )(Yahweh) is itself a 


force that proclaims God's freedom and that can withdraw and 


bar access to itself.  


      In Psalm 9:10 -- We see Israel "knows" this name;  In 


Psalm 86:11 & 102:15 --"fear" it;  In Psalm 5:11, 69:6 and


19:132 -- "love" it;  In Psalm 33:21 -- "trust" in it;  In 


Psalm 75:1, 79:6, 80:18, 99:6, 105:1, and 116:4,13,17 etc -- 


"called on".  People "sing" (     ) this name, and it is 


"praised" (               ), People "exalt" over it, "rejoice" 


in it, "break in to shouts of joy" over it.  No one can tho- 


roughly understand this name or control it;  It is "holy and 


terrible"  It is "majesty" (Ps. 8:1,9), characterized by(     )


(glory, Ps. 66:2).  A frequent O.T. expression says that when a 


person dies or a nation is destroyed, his or her name or its 


name is "remembered no more" (Ps 83:4; 109:13).  Thus the name 


means at least: Life, Identity, and Presence.(10) 


(b). (        )(Elohim), or (        )(Eloah), or (    )(El) 


      As "       " (Elohim) is used in the O.T. (and thus also  


in the Psalm) of God other than Yahweh.  The use of "       " 

-----------------------

(10). Kraus. p. 21.



(Elohim) in the Elohlistic Psalm make it clear that "        " 


(Elohim) is used of God other than Yahweh, in the fullness of 


His divine power, in his uniqueness (11).  It encodes the Elohim 


is none other than "        " (Yahweh).  Both were used of God 


from the beginning in Genesis. "        " (Elohim) is Yaheweh.  


(c). Most High (        ), Elyon.      


In the Psalter, "        " (Elyon) is one designation of 


Yahweh among many others, an appellation.  If we examine the 


synonymous terms for God, it is striking that in the paralle-


lism of members "       " (Elyon) corresponds to "      " (God) 


(Ps. 57.2; Ps. 107:11; Num. 24:16).  Also synonymous use of 


"           " (Most High) and "      " (Shaddai, "Almighty") 


should be noted (Ps. 91:1; Num. 24:16) According to Ps. 47:2, 


the "        " (Most High) is "                               " 


("great king over all the earth"), (Ps. 97:9; Ps. 83:18).  This 


identifies the realm over which the "Highest God" exercises 


lordship.  The seat of His authority is the sanctuary on Mount 


Zion (Ps. 87:5; Ps. 46:4), but He rules in "Heaven"(Ps. 18:13).  


All the "       " (gods) are "            " ("sons of the Most 


High") and thus stand in the service of God "       " Most High


Ps. 82:6.  Yahweh is "          " (name "Most High") worthy of 


the praise of Israel (Ps. 7:17; Ps9:2);  He is the refuge of 


the poor (Ps. 91:9), and vows are paid of Israel (Ps. 50:14)


(12).


 (B). God's character: To the Psalmists, God is both immanent        
and transcendent at the same time.

   

------------------------

(11). ibid., p.2.  

(12). Kraus. p.25.


      

 The Psalmist believed the God whose providence is "the 


guidance or steering of nature, man and history".  On a person- 


al level, the Psalmist experienced God in His providence and in 


miracles.  Modern theologians like to elaborate further on this 


as: both General Providence -- the government of the universe 


through universal laws that control or influence the world 


without the need of faith for specific or ad hoc acts of divine 


will, and in Special Providence -- Specific evidence which is


understood by the man of faith to be particular evidence of 


God's activity, and in Miracle --- a non-repeatable counter-


instance of an otherwise demonstrable law of nature.  For the 


Christians, the world and history are not ultimately meaningful 


in themselves, but in relation to God and His purpose.  It is 


also true, for the Psalmist, whether referring to the choosing 


of Abraham (He is father of nations. etc.), and Moses (the es-


tablishment of His covenant on Sinai. Etc.); and David (the co-


venant of God and even David's talent of poetry. etc).  Even 


the prophecy of the coming, dying and resurrection of our Lord 


Jesus, although not clearly understood to the Psalmists --- all 


God's interaction with the world at the global and the personal 


levels were in line with His overall purpose for His creation 


--- "to share His life and love and glory with another reality 


over which he would be Lord." (13). (We can get some glimpse of 


this from Psalm 8).  In the book of Psalms, to the Psalmists' 


personal experience, and -- to Israelite as a nation, God re


-vealed much of His character and purpose, which often were not

-----------------------

(13). David Atkinson.  "The Message of Ruth, The Wings of 

      Refuge".  Inter-Varsity Press Leicester, England.  

      Downer Crove, Illinois. 1991. p.20.



only immanent to the Psalmists but also point to future events 


and even transcendent to eternity.

 

      Thus, to the Psalmists, God is both immanent and trans-


cendent at the same time.  The Psalmists thus call upon God 


sometimes by His name, and sometimes by using His character as 


adjectives.



Proposition Three:  The Psalm is an artistic literary work.   

                    A lot of symbolic language was used.



(a). The Psalms are artistic poems whose form cannot be ignored 


in order to abstract a few of the teaching of the Psalms.  Even 


where the poetry of the Psalter finds expression only in the 


use of forms according to traditional rules, where, for example


, the acrostic principle is employed, the parallelism of mem-


bers and the use of meter are able to give expression to the 


pleasing quality of the variety of repetition and the appropri-


ateness of the content being presented.  It would be inappro-


priate to evaluate the content of the Psalms by modern formalist 


standards. (14)


(b). The Psalmists lived in an agriculture culture, so a lot of 


agricultural language was used.  Although a lot of symbolic 


language was used, it did not make it more mysterious, but in 


instead, it made it more meaningful and sensible.  Agricul-


tural language, like sheep, stream, fish, flower, vine, wine, 


mountain, tree, etc. were used to illustrate truth.  


)





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