THE EYE OF THE STORM
Psalm 107: 23-43
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A PRESBYTERIAN PSALTER - by Pastor Max A Forsythe |
Unlike several of the US Navy's Admirals of World War Two, who came from the farmlands of the Mid West, I have never been comfortable with the winds and waves on even the smallest bodies of water. Even the minuscule three square mile Indian Lake in our region has mighty six to eight inch white caps by my estimation. However, I have twice crossed the Irish Sea from Wales to Ireland to Scotland. The whitecaps there were somewhat larger. The longest day of my life was that first three hour passage on the way over, since the ferry boat sailed through what the captain called, a minor rain squall.
Because of that experience, I can well appreciate the land lubbing preferences of the ancient Israelites. And that preference for solid ground is made quite evident in the psalm portion before us today. The tension that I believe is in this passage is not adequately addressed by Spurgeon whose whole life was spent in an Island nation whose wealth and Empire came from the benefits of controlling the sea lanes of the world. What we need to catch so that we can really appreciate the wonder of the Hebrew mind is that sense of strangeness that the sea always had to the people of Israel. Well did the Hebrews understand wandering in the desert, laboring in prison, and the foolish rebellion which three, we considered last week.
But the implication of our translation is that it is others who went down to sea in ships. And yet these others are like the land bound Hebrews for they too are found by the Lord in their desperate encounter with the elements of the seascape. The tempest is raised by the Lord for their eternal benefit. Here in the psalm that tempest is the sea, but this is only a scene to describe the tempest of the soul which prepares hearts to accept Christ as Lord.
Shakespeare too wrote his Tempest and other plays as well. These timeless histories, comedies and tragedies explore the intricacies of the human mind and emotions which are symbolized here in verses twenty-three to thirty-one. The times of the bard were indeed tempestuous. A new King of Scots had ascended the British throne. The newly "united" island nations of Great Britain held their peace barely. What was needed was a unifying theme to make them one in notion and one in spirit as well. The King was intelligent enough to order a common tongue Bible to be printed for the united kingdoms of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.
After a brief censorship of the popular tales of the bard, the affections of the king were won with the popularity of Macbeth which warned the population of the former bloody ways of murder and revenge. In Hamlet the prince wrestled emotionally with the means and necessity of revenge. To have struck down his father's usurper would have reduced him to that low level. Hamlet, like David feigned madness to accomplish his ends, but even this mild attempt to attain God's righteousness on earth brought him to an untimely end. We must well learn that we are not about our own business and will in our short years on earth. Like Shakespeare believed, "all the world's a stage" and we each have our part to play in the grandest design of all. The play to end all plays, the providential will of God.
It is this theme and other religious ideas as well that the younger generation does not understand in the tales of the bard. You see, along with the King James Bible, the writings of Shakespeare shaped the language, the thoughts and the emotions of ten generations and made that biblical language, thought and emotion common. The historic plays demonstrated the necessity of princely restraint. The tragedies showed how the fatal flaws of personality could lead to personal destruction. The comedies explored and exposed the pathetic seriousness of the seven deadly sins. When ever professional educators ask me why students should watch Mel Gibson's version of Hamlet, I casually observe, that in our time, it might be worthwhile to explore the nature of a broken home and the sudden intrusion of a stranger into the family relationship.
What feelings might Hamlet reveal in the midst of tragedy? In Shakespeare's time, the carefully staged passions helped to establish the civility of the West in the formerly more violent lands of the British isles. Within the providence of God, the storms of ascension to the throne were stilled to a whisper; the waves of the restless sea were hushed. All Britain eventually gave thanks for this peaceful England which went on to affect the lands and literature of half the planet. These others of half a world away would eventually come into the greater empire of the psalmist's King and Lord. For this great providence of God who blessed our language and literature we ought to exalt him in the assembly of the people and praise him in the council of the elders.
By contrast the former rivers and streams of ancient Israel have been turned to desert and thirsty ground. Verses thirty-four and thirty-five take this theme further and explain the wickedness of those who lived there. We should well wonder at the former blessedness of the chosen people and realize that the heights of our own English civilization are too at risk. Certainly the wilderness of the Americas were settled, and fields and vineyards planted to an abundant harvest. The Lord's blessings have flowed down upon us as upon no others in modern history. But verses thirty-nine and forty are an important commentary on our time as well as the list of blessings known.
Verse forty in Calvin's estimation is particularly fitting. "Mighty potentates, who have been the terror and dread of the whole world, when once denuded of their dignity and power, have become the sport even of their own dependents." Well might we substitute the spirited cartoons and surveys of popular affection to realize that God is still in control even as our leaders plead for our confidence even as they manipulate the news and events to prove our wisdom in voting for them. I often wonder if our corporate socialism is any more deserving of survival than the state socialism in the former Soviet Union? What God's future brings our way is not knowable.
However, we may be certain that any ups and downs in our economic waves may serve the Lord's spiritual purpose. Recently a retired lady had an accident with her ancient car. The other party offered to pay for repair, instead a modest sum was accepted and the old car was taken to the junk yard. Because of the accident at least ten per cent for a newer vehicle was acquired.
Verse forty-one assures us that God will lift the spiritually needy out of their afflictions. Verse forty-two tells us that the upright will see and rejoice what the hand of the Lord has accomplished in bringing them into the glories of Christ's eternal kingdom.. But, isn't there always a restriction in our common experience? But, the waves of economy and emotion do not lead every human to cry out in need to our Father in heaven! Instead of crying out to the Lord in the midst of trouble, the wicked will shut their mouths.
Our One hundred and seventh psalm closes with an admonition. "Whoever is wise, let him heed these things and consider the great love of the Lord." Here is a somber reminder as Derek Kidner explains it. We must not be carried away with the eloquence of literary explanations in understanding or even the imaginations of our hearts in applying the lessons of language and experience. Instead we are to realize that the Lord Himself has the means to use these all for our eternal benefit. And in the our experiences of intellect and life we are more and more to appreciate that God is sovereign and that we should exalt Him above all. Amen.
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Resources Used: |
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Kidner, Derek. |
Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries: Psalms. | |
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Spurgeon, C.H. |
The Treasury of David. | |
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The Holy Bible, New International Version. International Bible Society (1973, 1978, 1984) | ||
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Psm 107b |
09 February 92 & 02 November 97 | |