As an American, I trust the people. As a Christian, I trust in God.
Psalm 60
July 4, 2010
Full Glory
The War of 1812, America’s “second war of independence,” had seen American and British forces fighting on several different fronts. The stronger Royal Navy had its way in the Atlantic waters. Even among the “united states” support for the war was divided. The New England states refused to send men or money to support the cause.
The British navy’s boldest move came in August 1814, when their ships moved up the Chesapeake Bay all the way to Washington. The British occupied our capital city and burned several public buildings, including the U.S. Capitol Building and the White House, in retaliation for the Americans burning York (now Toronto) the previous year.
The British then turned their attention on Baltimore and attacked Fort McHenry from their water. On September 13, 1814, as the exploding shells illuminated the sky over the fort revealing the U.S. flag, a Baltimore lawyer named Francis visited a British ship to secure the release of a prisoner of war. Detained on the British ship overnight, the next morning Francis wrote a now famous poem called “Defense of Fort McHenry.”
His poem included this verse –
On the shore dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe’s haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o’er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning’s first beam,
In full glory reflected, now shines on the stream:
Tis the star-spangled banner: O, long may it wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!
You might find the first verse of Francis Scott Key’s poem a little more familiar. Soon set to the now familiar (if difficult to sing) tune, the Star Spangled Banner gained popularity over the next century. During World War I it was sung by members of the Armed Forces during the World Series of 1917, the start of a tradition that propelled Congress to declare Key’s song our national anthem in 1931.
Psalm 60 is a lot like The Star Spangled Banner. Both were poems before they were songs. Both were written during a time of war. Both refer to a flag. Both were written when the outcome of the war was in doubt. Both express not only love of country (patriotism) but tie the identity of the nation and its battle success to its spiritual identity.
I thought it was appropriate for us today to reflect on what it means to be a Christian and an American. Some of my pastoral colleagues today will totally ignore the July 4th holiday. Others will turn the worship service and sermon into a patriotic rally. Somehow neither seemed appropriate to me. I am a Christian first, and I am also proudly American. They are not the same, but they are both critical to my identity.
Let’s look at three key contrasts in Psalm 60.
Desperate times (1-4)
As an American, I pray for blessing. As a Christian, I pray for desperation.
The title and first four verses of Psalm 60 place this psalm during the time of David’s life when he was expanding the kingdom. If the only record we had was in 2 Samuel, we would think that David never had any setbacks while fighting. Psalm 60 shows another side.
If we compare the title of Psalm 60 to 2 Samuel 7, the story unfolds something like this.
After David united the kingdom under his rule, he wanted to build a house for God to replace the temporary structure, not much more than a glorified tent (2 Samuel 7:2). God said no, that David was a man of war who had shed much blood (1 Chronicles 28:3). Instead, God promised to build a “house” for David – establish his dynasty (2 Samuel 7:11). David humbly erupted in humility, praise and thanks (7:18-29).
Emboldened by this promise of God’s blessing, David set out to expand the kingdom. He subdued Israel’s pesky neighbors to the west, the Philistines (8:1) and its perennial enemies on the east, the Moabites (8:2ff.). Some of his battle tactics were brutal and even inhumane by modern standards, but the Bible doesn’t endorse his methods.
2 Samuel does say twice, however, that “The LORD gave David victory wherever he went” (8:6, 14). The title of Psalm 60, however, reminds us that David fought some battles that were like the War of 1812 – back and forth, with an uncertain outcome.
If you compare Psalm 60 and 2 Samuel 8, you learn that David was fighting his enemies to the north (two groups of “Arameans”) at the same time that his kingdom came under attack from the south (“Edomites”). He sent his general, Joab, to the southern front where he struck down 12,000 Edomites (Psalm 60 title). Then they pushed back. David would eventually win and kill 18,000 Edomites, personally engaging a battle that made him legendary (2 Samuel 8:13). All this fighting secured his kingdom.
Sometime during the push back from the Edomites, David penned a “communal lament” (Psalm 60). It’s hard to find parallels in our worship music to laments in the Psalms. You find them in pop music. The Carpenters back in my day were pretty good with laments. “Rainy days and Mondays always get me down.” “I’ll say goodbye to love.” “Don’t you remember you told me you loved me, Baby?” But we don’t sing hymns like “God, everything’s bad and we’re so sad and if you don’t make us glad we’ll be really mad.” That would be a communal lament.
Many of the Psalms are laments. Look at Psalm 60:1-4. “You have rejected us, O God, and burst forth upon us; you have been angry – now restore us!” (v. 1) Verse 2 looks like there may even have been an earthquake during the battle. “You have shown your people desperate times; you have given us wine that makes us stagger” (v. 3). Verse 4 is a bit obscure, but the reference to a banner may be to a flag signaling retreat.
While David ultimately won this round of fighting (as he did all his wars), he wrote this Psalm while his soldiers were fighting on two fronts against multiple allies and the outcome was very much in doubt. He pleads for God to act on behalf of his people during “desperate times.”
Are these “desperate times” for our nation? Some would say yes based on economic indicators. Not only are we having a hard time bouncing back from a recession, two opposing philosophies say the government should “spend more” or “spend less” – and both insist the other will lead to doom. We are also fighting two wars. Many people are dismayed about the moral climate of the country.
How then shall we pray? As an American, I pray for blessing. I’m not sure there’s anything wrong with praying for God to give peace and prosperity to our land. But as a Christian, I pray for desperation. Quite honestly, when we feel “blessed” we don’t seem to have much need for God. Wars and recessions turn us toward him.
My scrub bucket (5-8)
As an American, I want to be proud. As a Christian I want to be humble.
Beginning in verse 5, David turns his lament into a prayer: “Save us and help us with your right hand that those you love may be delivered” (v. 5). The places mentioned in verses 6 and 7 are all related to Israel. “Ephraim is my helmet,” for example, because as a warrior tribe they were protectors of the other tribes. Judah is God’s “scepter” because David’s royal line is from the tribe of Judah.
Israel’s hostile neighbors are mentioned in verse 8. “Moab is my washbasin,” God says, it’s where I rinse my dusty, bloody feet after a victory. “Upon Edom I toss my sandal,” like coming home and taking my shoes off. “Over Philistia I shout in triumph.”
The Message captures the poetic emotion –
“Moab’s a scrub bucket,
I mop the floor with Moab,
Spit on Edom,
rain fireworks all over Philistia.”
Each of these nations is known elsewhere in the Old Testament for its arrogance (Isaiah 16:6; Obadiah 3; 1 Samuel 17:10). In this poem David shows how they are seen through God’s eyes – insignificant, powerless, subservient.
Before we get too caught up in this “us vs. them” mentality – and it’s easy to do as people of faith – let’s remember that the “us vs. them” in Psalm 60 is Jews vs. everyone else. Israel vs. every nation that is not Israel.
Which one is America: “Israel” or “not Israel”? There have certainly been Christians who have wanted to claim America has having similar calling and blessing from God, but there is no basis in Scripture for that.
If it’s “us” vs. “them” in God’s sight, we are the “them.” We are Moab – “a scrub bucket.” It’s hardly how we think of ourselves.
America is arguably the world’s greatest superpower today – unrivaled in our economic and military might. Our passion for freedom has been a model and a motive around the world. There’s never been a nation in the history of the world with such a combination of power, character, and generosity. No other people have given and sacrificed more collectively – not only to spread freedom but to meet needs and, most importantly, to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. I’m proud of that.
But there is a fine line between pride and arrogance. And most of the world sees America as arrogant. Collectively we think of ourselves not only as good but right. When pride turns to arrogance, even in perception, we are far less able to accomplish what truly matters.
When we send a mission team to Guatemala or Chris Van Allsburg to a slum in Ethiopia or a missionary family to Turkey, I don’t want those on the receiving end to think, “Here comes another arrogant American to straighten us out.” It’s an impediment to doing the Lord’s work.
As an American, I want to be proud. As a Christian I want to be humble.
Worthless help (9-12)
As an American, I trust the people. As a Christian, I trust in God.
David furthers his prayer in the final section. “Who will bring me to the fortified city?” he asks in verse 9. This is probably a reference to Edom’s capital, named Petra, which means “Rock.” David can’t win without God’s help. Yet he moans in verse 10 that God seems to have rejected him.
Where else will he turn? “The help of man is worthless,” he admits in verse 11. Only with God can we “gain the victory” (12).
How much confidence should a Christian place in political activism? This is a real point of tension for believers.
Charles Colson has a great chapter in his book, God & Government, titled “People Power.” In that chapter he says, “Democracy is not prescribed in the Bible, and Christians can and do live under other political systems. But Christians can hardly fail to love democracy, because of all systems it best assures human dignity, the essence of our creation in God’s image” (365).
This chapter of Colson’s book takes the reader back to 1983 when a would-be dictator named Ferdinand Marcos was attempting to hold on to power in the Philippines past his two terms of elective office. The primary opposition leader was a man named Benigno Aquino, who had given his life to Christ after reading Colson’s own conversion story, Born Again.
But when Aquino returned to his beloved country, he was assassinated in cold blood. His funeral processional drew two million Filipinos, and it was the beginning of a popular revolt that would chase Marcos from the country and install Aquino’s widow as President in a new day.
Colson’s version of the story, however, focuses on the Roman Catholic Cardinal, Jaime Sin. Cardinal Sin warned Marcos to step down when his term ended, to which Marcos responded, “I cannot lose an election to an opposition that is hopelessly divided.”
Cardinal Sin replied, “Sir, I will unite the opposition.” And he did, creating and endorsing a unified ticket that ran against Marcos.
What I like about this chapter is that Colson uses this story to say that even when the result turns out right, marrying the church to politics is wrong. Even when “the help of man” seems to accomplish something good, it’s dangerous to put our confidence there. It’s dangerous to ally ourselves with people who are only using us for their ends.
Americans created a system more than 200 years ago that put government ultimately in the power of the people. It seemed like a good idea at the time. Personally I think it’s a horrible idea – but as Winston Churchill famously said it’s better than any alternative that’s been devised. The only alternative to putting government in the hands of the people is putting it in the hands of a few. That’s even worse.
But the people collectively are what we are individually – somewhere between apathetic and selfish. You would think in a democracy that’s lasted 234 years we would all be fervent about understanding the issues, voting, and placing the good of the nation in front of our personal needs. How’s that working for us?
When government does get too far off base, at least the people have the right to, and eventually do, make a change. So as an American, I trust the people. But as a Christian, I trust in God.
His truth is marching on
I’m still not sure why Americans don’t sing communal laments, or why Christians don’t. If you can think of an example I’m missing, let me know.
As a culture, we are a hopeful, optimistic people. Maybe it’s the power of the Christian message itself that has made us so. If Christ has come and conquered death, perhaps we don’t have any real reason to lament.
You would think that the Civil War would have produced communal laments. Maybe it did, but they didn’t survive. One of the best-known songs to emerge from the Civil War has some themes that are parallel to Psalm 60 – so much so that one of my Bible study groups this week wanted us to sing it. Alas, it was a bit too late for worship planning.
The hymn to which I refer was written by a woman named Julia Howe, who visited a Union army camp and heard the soldiers singing a marching song called “John Brown’s Body” in honor of an abolitionist who died too young. She herself was an ardent abolitionist who believed that God and the people would eventually bring justice to the cause and right would win. She thought the tune needed better words, and turned that time of lament into an enduring song that combines what it means to be Christian and American –
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword;
His truth is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on.
I have read a fiery Gospel writ in burnished rows of steel;
“As ye deal with My contemners, so with you My grace shall deal”;
Let the Hero, born of woman, crush the serpent with His heel,
Since God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Since God is marching on.
He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat;
He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment seat;
Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him! be jubilant, my feet;
Our God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Our God is marching on.
In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me:
As He died to make men holy, let us live to make men free;
[originally …let us die to make men free]
While God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! While God is marching on.
He is coming like the glory of the morning on the wave,
He is wisdom to the mighty, He is honor to the brave;
So the world shall be His footstool, and the soul of wrong His slave,
Our God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Our God is marching on.
Amen!