Psalm 32

⁰⁸          I will instruct you,

 and teach you in the way you should go;

I will counsel you with my eye upon you.

⁰⁹          Do not be senseless like a horse or a mule,

that need bit and bridle to curb their spirit,

            so that you can approach them.

¹⁰             Many are the sorrows of the wicked,

            but the grace of the Lord,

enfolds those who trust in the Lord.

¹¹             Be glad in the Lord,

 rejoice O righteous,

shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

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Rejoice

For the Lord’s Day:  the 18^th of December 2005

 

Introduction:  In our three meditations on the joys of this particular psalm, we began with the concept of forgiveness, then examined the necessary confession of sin and here in this last section we come to the joy of redemption.  The opening words in verse eight, remind me of a spiritual song:  His eye is on the sparrow.  And just as the Lord of all the earth knows the paths and flights of all the creatures on earth, so does he have us in mind as well.  But, as we immediately realize, His concern for us is greater and much more intense in its ordinary relationships – especially with the redeemed.  Certainly, we know and realize that humanity in general is appreciated, ordered and judged at a higher level than any livestock, wild or domestic.  But, for those who love God: the relationships is grandeur and finer than the mere worldly can ever know.

 

At least with the godly line, in all ages – we may know that God loves us because He tells us so.  Those who know His love are instructed, taught and counseled because His eyes are upon us.  The three main verbs in the verse, while similar, are somewhat distinct in their meanings.  “Instruction” is nothing more than the body of knowledge related to in the commandments and theology of the revealed word, which is outlined in our confession and catechisms.  “Teaching” of course is the practical understanding and application of the laws of God to the daily events as we live before the face of God.  And our last verb, “counsel” includes the contending of our personality and character with the Spirit of the Living God.  By this I mean our reluctance to be instructed and taught.  Remember it is very easy to teach the way that men and women should go.  But, it is something else to watch the mistakes and misfortunes that come from an all too human rebellion against that which we should have learned. 

 

And so, we are reminded in the last line of verse eight, that God’s eye is continually upon us.  And it is the best of wisdom to realize this and by the Spirit’s counsel to attune our lives more thoroughly to the revelations of the Lord God of heaven and earth.  With all of this said, can we begin to fathom and understand the experience of Jacob the evening he spent wrestling with God?  Are we spiritually attuned enough to even realize when the Holy Spirit contends with our Spirit.

 

Development:  In this dialogue between God and the psalmist, the Lord informs the psalmist that he should not exhibit what we might commonly cause fallen horse sense!  I don’t know where the term originated, but I have been around horses long enough to know that they can be very independent creatures, not easily harnessed to the benefit of men.  Regular feeding times would guarantee their presence when you wanted them, but try and collect them from the pasture when their schedule did not include any work.  The haughty animals were almost unionized in their stubbornness to not be taken away from their ordinary habits, unless there was a carrot, apple or other tasty tidbit to tempt their interest? 

 

When I was a teenage, I had a paint mare for riding.  As long as you had a treat in hand, you could approach her in the pasture and even put a twine string in her halter and ride bare back without benefit of bit and bridle.  But, turn up in the pasture without any bribe and carrying your tack, you could chase her until the cows came in for the evening milking.  The horses would always come along in case some hay, chopped corn or such might be thrown over the fence for an extra meal!  I know that the words in verse nine are difficult to translate exactly, but like several such passages in the Old Testament, a proper understanding of the whiles and habits of God’s creatures helps us to comprehend whether we are like lost sheep or in this case stubborn mulish horses.  Now, I have never worked with mules, but I have heard that they have a double dose of horse sense in many ways!  With that experience, I have chosen to translate the ninth verse in this manner:

 

“Do not be senseless like a horse or a mule,

that need bit and bridle to curb their spirit,

                so that you can approach them.”

 

One these domestic creatures have been approached, it is simple enough to throw saddle or harness upon them and thereby enjoy the fruits of their labor as you have need.  One lady once said that while she had bought a horse for exercise, she didn’t realize how many miles she would have to walk and run, just in order to take a ride now and then!  And or course, we must know that these animals are high maintenance creatures.  More so than most animals down on the farm, there are a lot of things you have to do to guarantee their good health.  One had to become a hunter to rid the property of ground hogs and pigeons: the first to prevent broken legs and the second to prevent the spread of disease from one farm to another.  In addition one had to become an amateur veterinarian to treat many possible afflictions.  Unlike sheep, to which humans are usually compared – horses were always expensive and it was not every family that could afford the luxury.

 

Was a psalmist a high maintenance believer in this regard?  Or is this just a poetic way to remind us that even in the redeemed state we all too often remain standoffish in our relationship to the Lord?  Growing up, one only had to step to the gate and call the sheep, but the horses always needed some proof that you really wanted them right now!  All of this of course relates to our willingness to be instructed, taught and counseled.  If we are always hiding in the back forty, when we should be in the barn yard waiting to serve our Lord, we miss out on an awful lot!  Do you catch my meaning there?  Nothing frustrates me more than spiritual sheep that must be chased, caught and brought back to the church whenever they wander far from the fold.

 

Application:  In the next verse, the Lord changes His charge to the psalmist dramatically:

 

“Many are the sorrows of the wicked,

but the grace of the Lord,

enfolds those who trust in the Lord.”

 

I suppose that the church is always somewhat like a barnyard?  Do you remember the fictional Animal Farm of George Orwell?  There each of the domestic creatures exhibited a specific personality, with all the strengths and weaknesses inherent in their genes and calling.  Such is the church of the Living God, all manner of people attend and learn to serve our Lord Jesus Christ.  Even some horses develop a loving affection for their masters and become less horsey.  Such is our calling to become less worldly in order that we may better know the grace of the Lord.  After all, the way of all worldly flesh is to remain standoffish and never come under the authority and grace of God.:  forever in the back forty, wild and free to explore the wilderness and even the very precincts of hell.

 

By comparison, the psalmist encourages us that those who belong to the Lord will be surrounded by love, grace, mercy and all the benefits of belonging to the family of God.  “Enfolded” is a word that I have used at the end of this verse and it is an apt description of being held in the hand of God where He can not only command our service but also enjoy the fruits of faith that He has given us by grace alone.

 

Here in our country, the wild horses out west multiply so rapidly that the herds must be thinned on a regular basis.  There are groups of people who will catch some and offer them for adoption back east.  Sadly, not all find homes and the glue factory beckons a sad and sorry end to their freedom.  And yet, those who find their way to a happy barn and corral do indeed discover a life not anticipated.  In a similar way, those of us, who are captured by the power of the Spirit and brought into the household of God, we do find joy, peace and happiness in the presence of our King, both in this life and for evermore.  Well does the psalmist encourage us one and all to:

 

“Be glad in the Lord,

 rejoice O righteous,

shout for joy, all you upright in heart!”

 

Just as we began this psalm selection with a threefold admonition, so may we respond in the Lord’s house with a threefold worship and devotion.  In “gladness” we may demonstrate our thankfulness to be present in His sanctuary.  “rejoicing” we come into His presence with imputed righteousness from our Savior Jesus Christ.  And in His presence, we may “shout for joy” because we have been redeemed.  Yes, it is one and all the same thing – but one of the things we all too often forget, is this:  wherever the worldly are, whatever their favorite sins may be – they are on their own and for all eternity, they will not know the Creator God and His only Son Jesus Christ.  What a misery that must be for all eternity.  Thanks be to God that we have been delivered from the very gates of Hades and into the eternal light of His Son.  Do you sense the joy of that equation?  May the Lord bless you and keep you.  Amen.

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