Mitch Lewis

Whoever lives under the shelter of the Most High
will remain in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say to the LORD, "You are my refuge and my fortress,
my God in whom I trust." (Psalms 91:1-2)

Some call Psalm 91 the “Soldier’s Psalm,” and appropriately so. The psalm’s military origins are clear.

Psalm 91 declares that God is a place of safety and a fortress (metzuda). Modern English speakers know the word as Masada, the name of the famous Jewish redoubt in the war with Rome. Here in Germany, I've had the opportunity to visit many outdated military fortifications, from 20th century bunkers to medieval castles to the remains of the Roman defensive line known as the Limes. Pictured on the left are the ruins of Burg Hornberg on the Neckar, upstream from Heidelberg. It's a very pleasant place to spend a few hours, have a meal and drink a glass of wine from the vineyards below the fortress. The fortress, however, can no longer protect anyone from anything. All human fortresses eventually fall into ruins. Long before that, they lose their ability to protect those who run to them for safety. No human fortress stands forever. God alone is the feste Burg - the strong fortress - that will never fail.

The Psalmist says that God’s faithfulness is a shield and an encircling protection (personal armor or defensive wall) (Psalm 91:4). The two biggest threats to ancient soldiers on campaign were disease in the camp – which historically took more lives than combat - and the weapons of the enemy. The Psalmist declares that the person of God does not need to fear either one.

You will not be afraid of the terror by night,
Or of the arrow that flies by day;
Of the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
Or of the destruction that lays waste at noon. (Psalms 91:5-6)

Hebrew parallelism reveals just what the author envisioned as the terror that comes at night: sickness. Both plague and combat can be extremely deadly.

No matter what your eyes may see or your ears may hear or your panicked brain may tell you, God’s word can be trusted.

A thousand may fall at your side
And ten thousand at your right hand,
But it shall not approach you. (Psalms 91:7)

When the battle is fierce, or when disease is raging, the one who trusts in God need not fear. Multitudes may fall, but God’s person is safe.

It’s no wonder, then, that the Psalm is a favorite of soldiers and others who live in close proximity to danger. I carried the words of Psalm 91 with me throughout out my time in combat in Iraq to remind me of God’s promise.

Over the past several years, there has been an explosion of Psalm 91 books, pamphlets, jewelry and knick-knacks aimed at soldiers and their families. I’m afraid that much of it is severely misleading, not in what it says, but it what it doesn’t say. Here is the theoretical foundation of what follows:

The words of Scripture, when they are removed from the Biblical story of creation, fall, redemption and consummation that centers on Jesus Christ, no longer necessarily function as the word of God. They can, in fact, function as the words of Satan.

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Blessed are those who do not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but who delight in the torah of the LORD and meditate on his torah day and night. (Psalms 1:1-2)

The longest chapter in the Bible is Psalm 119,. It is composed of 176 verses, each one an acclamation of praise for God's self-revelation (and neatly arranged in stanzas of 8 verses each beginning with the same letter of the Hebrew alphabet). The author variously refers to God's law, words, precepts, decrees, statutes, commands, promises and so forth.

Similarly, Psalm 19:7-10 praises God's law, statutes, decrees and ordinances.

The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.
The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever.
The ordinances of the LORD are sure, and all of them are righteous.
They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb.

How did the author of Psalm 1 encounter the torah so that he could meditate on it day and night? We 21st century Christians need to remember that when the psalmist commends meditation on the torah of God, he wasn't talking about reading the Bible at home. Not until well after Mr. Gutenberg invented his printing press did individuals come to possess personal copies of God's word.

When the written word came to have a significant role in the religious life of Israel (and later, the church), the people encountered that word as they heard it read in the assembly of God's people. Someone would have the opportunity to read aloud, while the others would listen. This is the pattern we see in Luke 4:17-21.

He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. (Luke 4:16-17)

When Psalm 119:103 declares

How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

the author is most likely talking about his opportunity to read God's word aloud in God's gathered community. Except in the case of scribes who copied the sacred scrolls, the assembly was the only place that God's people could hear or read God's word.

The Christian church followed the pattern of the synagogue when it came to scripture reading. It was in the ekklesia ('assembly' but translated 'church') that Christians heard the scriptures (that is, the Old Testament) read aloud. In addition, they regularly listened to the writings that would come to comprise the New Testament. As they became a central element of corporate worship in the early church, the New Testament documents functioned like scripture. Over time, they came to be recognized as scripture.

When the Psalms praise God's laws, statutes, precepts and commands, they are also lifting up the importance of God's s people assembling together around the word of God. It is in the assembly that the word was read, heard and interpreted. And while it's a good thing that we can study the scriptures on our own today, we should remember that God's word was originally designed to be encountered in community and not treated as one's private channel to the almighty.

Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:19-20

How to Pray as a Christian

How can I learn to pray? Like many other evangelicals, I've given this advice: just pray whatever is on your mind. There is no right or wrong in prayer. We don't please God or earn his favor by saying the right formula (or feeling the right emotion or having the right spiritual experience) and God is certainly tough enough to handle our honesty in prayer. That's all true enough, but by itself this advice is somewhat misleading and unlikely to help one grow much in Christian prayer.

Christians pray with words. They may pray in other ways as well, but Christian prayer is basically verbal. For the most part, prayer in the Bible has to do with words and ideas. While there are instances of non-verbal prayer in the scriptures (e.g., glossolalia in 1 Corinthians 14:14-15), the passages which might refer to non-verbal practices in prayer are few and far between.

So when it comes time to pray, what do you say? The problem is not that we have too much wrong stuff to say to God; it's that we don't have much to say at all. In extemporaneous prayer, one can become lost in one's own emptiness and crushed by one's own shallowness.

Praying the scriptures is one antidote to the lack of direction in prayer. And within the scriptures, one section is stands out as the "prayer book of the Bible" - the book of Psalms. The Psalms are prayers. The proper response to the word of God in the Psalms is not just "what should I believe" but "what should I pray?"

What should I say, then, when I pray? The words of the Psalms are one answer to that question. Yet, when most Christians begin to pray the Psalms, they quickly come to Psalms that they know they cannot pray. It's easy to pray Psalm 23. It's much harder to pray the Psalms that claim innocence before God, that ask for the destruction of one's enemies, that cry out to God from a place of unparalleled suffering and so forth.

The secret to praying the Psalms is that you do not pray them alone. Only one man in all of history has been worthy to pray the Psalms. He lives and reigns at God's right hand and dwells in his people by the power of the Holy Spirit. When we pray the Psalms, we pray them with Jesus Christ.

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Thank a Soldier

In his 2008 Thanksgiving proclamation, the President of the United States said this:

Today, as we look back on the beginnings of our democracy, Americans recall that we live in a land of many blessings where every person has the right to live, work, and worship in freedom. Our Nation is especially thankful for the brave men and women of our Armed Forces who protect these rights while setting aside their own comfort and safety. Their courage keeps us free, their sacrifice makes us grateful, and their character makes us proud. Especially during the holidays, our whole country keeps them and their families in our thoughts and prayers.

It's almost as if President Bush reads my on-line articles. I use that same "comfort and safety" line to describe the Soldier's sacrifice on behalf of others (but perhaps I didn't invent it).

In my journeys around the web looking for what people of other faiths had to say about Thanksgiving, I found this from an atheist writer:

Giving Thanks to Soldiers and Veterans - Also commonly forgotten are the sacrifices made by those in our military. Even those who never fight in any wars still sacrifice several years of their lives in order to be a part of an organization which helps keep America free. The government has too often misused the American military, but disagreements about policies should not cause people to forget what our military personnel have done for us.

Soldiers, Airmen, Marines, Sailors, Coasties - The people of the United States remember you and give thanks for your service!

Here's the logic behind that sentiment: the nation's freedoms and blessings are a partly result of sacrifices made by those in uniform. Thanks, Troops!

So pat yourselves on the back. But don't get a big head.

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The people of the United States have elected a new president who will take office on January 20, 2009. As I wrote on Election Day 2006,

One of the strengths of our military-political system is the subordination of the armed forces to civilian control. I don't serve in a Republican army or a Democrat army, but in the Army of the United States. The members of the armed forces don't make policy; we implement it - often at great cost.  [That I Will Support and Defend]

While presidential candidates promise many things during a campaign, their first duty is to serve as the "Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States." This is the first of the very few duties enumerated in Article II of the U.S. Constitution. This will be the fourth president under whom I have served.

Military officers are taught that those in command are responsible for everything that the unit does - or fails to do - under their command. The new president will assume his responsibilities in a nation at war. He will bear the unimaginable burden of being responsible for the defense of the United States (and its allies). His decisions will affect the lives of both American citizens and people around the world. His decisions will also affect the lives of military members under his command. Every single president under which I have served has ordered military forces to engage in operations that intentionally took the lives of the enemies of peace, inadvertently took the lives of some innocent and cost the lives of American service members. The new president, as commander in chief of forces at war, will bear these burdens on day one of his term.

Paul encouraged Christians to pray for those in authority.

I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone; for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:1-4)

Psalm 72 offers this prayer for the sovereign:

Endow the king with your justice, O God, the royal son with your righteousness. May he judge your people in righteousness, your afflicted ones with justice. May the mountains bring prosperity to the people, the hills the fruit of righteousness. May he defend the afflicted among the people and save the children of the needy; may he crush the oppressor. May he endure as long as the sun, as long as the moon, through all generations. May he be like rain falling on a mown field, like showers watering the earth. In his days may the righteous flourish and prosperity abound till the moon is no more. May he rule from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth. May the desert tribes bow before him and his enemies lick the dust. May the kings of Tarshish and of distant shores bring tribute to him. May the kings of Sheba and Seba present him gifts. May all kings bow down to him and all nations serve him. For he will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help. He will take pity on the weak and the needy and save the needy from death. He will rescue them from oppression and violence, for precious is their blood in his sight. (Psalm 72:1-14)

Psalm 72 is offered within the context of Israel's unique covenant with Israel, and the president is not a king. In the United States, sovereignty rests with the people within the framework of the constitution. That the people might live in security - at peace from both foreign and domestic threats - is one of the constitution's primary aims ("insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence"). Congress has a constitutional role to play as well; it authorizes the establishment of military forces, pays for them and authorizes the use of military force.

Pray then, for the president, the congress and the people of the United States as they all perform their roles in exercising constitutional sovereignty within the United States.

Related:
That I Will Support and Defend
Who Made You King?
On the Force of Law

Endow the king with your justice, O God, the royal son with your righteousness. May he judge your people in righteousness, your afflicted ones with justice. May the mountains bring prosperity to the people, the hills the fruit of righteousness. May he defend the afflicted among the people and save the children of the needy; may he crush the oppressor. Psalm 72:1-4

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. Preamble to the United States Constitution

The Ideal King

Psalm 72 is a royal or messianic psalm. It describes the ideal king who establishes justice, defends the people from internal and external threats, and creates the conditions for prosperity. It is, in fact, a prayer to God that God might work through the king to establish these conditions perfectly and permanently.

As a prayer of God's people Israel, the psalm's fulfillment is found in Jesus Christ. It is Christ (which is Greek for "anointed one" ? a way of describing the king of all Israel) who at his appearing will bring perfect justice, peace and prosperity for all "till the moon is no more." (Psalm 72:7) It is Christ alone who is competent to rule from "sea to sea, from the river to the ends of the earth" (Psalm 72:8). It is Christ who is worthy to receive the tribute of the nations (Psalm 72:9-11). It his name that should "endure forever;" he is the one through whom all the nations will be blessed. (Psalm 72:17).

Psalm 72, then, is messianic and eschatological, but not exclusively so. The people who first chanted this Psalm in prayer did not envision Jesus the messiah. They were just praying for the old man in Jerusalem and for their community. Psalm 72 captures the biblical vision of the purpose and responsibility of human governments: defend the weak, the poor and the afflicted and establish the just conditions that lead to prosperity for all.

Defend the Innocent

It is a modern notion that defending the weak and needy consists solely of giving them handouts. The Psalmist envisions a king who will crush the oppressor (Psalm 72:4), save the needy from death, and rescue them from oppression and violence. (Psalm 72:13-14). It is the king's responsibility to defend the weak from criminals, marauding bands and invading states, all of which have the greatest impact on the poor and weak. If it's hard to eek out a living in hardscrabble, it's even harder when the king of Babylon or Assyria comes knocking on the door.

God intends for the king to defend the people of the land from harm - from all enemies foreign and domestic. That's the just purpose of his sovereign rule. The king who lets violent and wicked people run roughshod over those entrusted to him has failed in his God-given responsibilities.

The Sovereign People

All this talk of kings sounds strange to our ears. Perhaps you recall this conversation:

King Arthur: I am your king.
Woman: Well I didn't vote for you.
King Arthur: You don't vote for kings.
Woman: Well how'd you become king then?
King Arthur: The Lady of the Lake, her arm clad in the purest shimmering samite held aloft Excalibur from the bosom of the water, signifying by divine providence that I, Arthur, was to carry Excalibur. THAT is why I am your king.
Dennis: Listen, strange women lyin' in ponds distributin' swords is no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical aquatic ceremony.
Monty Python and the Holy Grail

Within the United States and other democratic nations, sovereignty belongs in the hands of the people and not in the hands of a king To whom does the God-given role of establishing justice, insuring domestic tranquility, providing for the common defense and promoting the general welfare of the people fall in our system? We have established constitutional processes and institutions at the federal, state and local levels to achieve these ends. The closest analogy to the king in our system, however, is not the President or the Congress or the Supreme Court. Sovereignty belongs to the people and they exercise it through the constitutional process of voting.

If the just purpose of political sovereignty includes defending the innocent against violence and oppression, within democratic forms of government it is the citizen who inherits that biblical mandate. HOW we fulfill that mandate is a matter for deliberation, debate and decision. The FACT of the mandate is not really a matter for discussion. He or she who votes bears the responsibility of directing the state to fulfill its God-given responsibilities.

The Double Mandate

The Christian citizen, then, finds himself with a double mandate: resist not him who is evil (Matthew 6:39) and crush the oppressor (Psalm 72:4). Some Christians believe the former supersedes the latter. I don't.

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