Day 303: Your Key to Life (Psalm 119:129-136, Hebrews 1:1-14, Lamentations 3:40-5:22)

Psalm 119:129-136

פ Pe

¹²⁹ Your statutes are wonderful;
  therefore I obey them.
¹³⁰ The unfolding of your words gives light;
  it gives understanding to the simple.
¹³¹ I open my mouth and pant,
  longing for your commands.
¹³² Turn to me and have mercy on me,
  as you always do to those who love your name.
¹³³ Direct my footsteps according to your word;
  let no sin rule over me.
¹³⁴ Redeem me from human oppression,
  that I may obey your precepts.
¹³⁵ Make your face shine on your servant
  and teach me your decrees.
¹³⁶ Streams of tears flow from my eyes,
  for your law is not obeyed.

Psalm Commentary

Jesus provides cleansing from our sins

Reading the Bible is, in some ways, like looking in a mirror with a very bright light: ‘The unfolding of your words gives light’ (v.130a). The light reveals what is wrong with our life and what we need to have cleaned up. It reveals the things that cause a barrier between us and God.

This barrier was removed when Jesus provided cleansing for your sins. Through Jesus, you can be confident that God’s face will shine upon you (v.135).

Pray like the psalmist:
'Turn to me and have mercy on me,
  as you always do to those who love your name.
Direct my footsteps according to your word;
  let no sin rule over me.
Redeem me from human oppression,
  that I may obey your precepts.
Make your face shine on your servant' (vv.132–135a).

The psalmist’s prayer foreshadows the great act of Jesus in providing purification for sins. Through Jesus always turn to God with confidence knowing that he will have mercy, ‘as you always do to those who love your name’ (v.132).

Prayer

Lord, thank you for Jesus. Thank you for your mercy. May no sin rule over me. Keep me from pride, anger, lust, greed, envy, prayerlessness, rivalry and all the other temptations of life. I pray that you would make your face shine upon me today.

Hebrews 1:1-14

God’s Final Word: His Son

1 In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, ² but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. ³ The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. ⁴ So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.

The Son Superior to Angels

⁵ For to which of the angels did God ever say,

“You are my Son;
today I have become your Father”?

Or again,

“I will be his Father,
  and he will be my Son”?

⁶ And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says,

“Let all God’s angels worship him.”

⁷ In speaking of the angels he says,

“He makes his angels spirits,
  and his servants flames of fire.”

⁸ But about the Son he says,

“Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever;
  a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.
⁹ You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
  therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions
  by anointing you with the oil of joy.”

¹⁰ He also says,

“In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth,
   and the heavens are the work of your hands.
¹¹ They will perish, but you remain;
   they will all wear out like a garment.
¹² You will roll them up like a robe;
   like a garment they will be changed.
But you remain the same,
   and your years will never end.”

¹³ To which of the angels did God ever say,

“Sit at my right hand
   until I make your enemies
   a footstool for your feet”?

¹⁴ Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?

New Testament Commentary

Jesus is superior to angels

Jesus is unique and he is all you need. As Eugene Peterson points out, you do not need Jesus-and-angels. You do not need Jesus-and-Moses. You do not need Jesus-and-priesthood. ‘This letter deletes the hyphens, the add-ons.’ All you need is Jesus.

The book of Hebrews is all about who Jesus is and how he is better and greater than any other being, teaching, or religious system. It opens with a comparison between Jesus and the Old Testament prophets. It explains the wonderful truth of how God spoke through the prophets, but then describes how Jesus is even better (vv.1–3). He is ‘the heir of all things’, he was involved in creation, he is the ultimate revelation of God, he is your sustainer, and he is your redeemer. The reason for all of this lies in who Jesus is.

Jesus ‘is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being’ (v.3). As The Message puts it, he ‘perfectly mirrors God, and is stamped with God’s nature.’

Jesus came to sort out our lives. ‘After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven’ (v.3b). Sitting down symbolises the fact that his work was finished (see also John 19:30).

There have always been people who can’t accept this truth. Today, some argue that Jesus was ‘just a great religious teacher’, and nothing more. In a similar way, at the time of this letter, some people were arguing that Jesus was ‘just an angel’. The writer of Hebrews says: ‘So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs’ (Hebrews 1:4). He then goes on to argue the superiority of Jesus over the angels.

There are nearly 300 references to angels in the Bible. What do we know about them?

In this passage we see that angels worship and serve God (vv.6–7). They are God’s messengers (v.7, MSG). They are spiritual beings who serve Christians (v.14). They ‘are sent to serve those who will inherit salvation’ (v.14).

Angels are nearer than you think. They guard and protect you. God has given ‘his angels charge of you to guard you in all your ways’ (Psalm 91:11). For example, an angel strengthened Jesus at Gethsemane (Luke 22:43). Each church has one (Revelation chapters 1–3).

But Jesus is far greater. The writer of Hebrews sets out seven passages from Old Testament Scriptures to show the superiority of Jesus over the angels (Psalm 2:7; 2 Samuel 7:14; Deuteronomy 32:43; Psalms 45:6–7; 102:25–27; 104:4; 110:1).

All these passages are more than the answer to anyone who says that Jesus was only an angel or (more likely today) a ‘great religious teacher’. The peak of the argument is in Hebrews 1:8, ‘About the Son he says, “Your throne, O God…”’ This is an outright ascription of divinity to Jesus. Jesus is the one whose identity is God.

Prayer

Lord, thank you that you send angels to guard and protect us. Thank you that they serve us. But thank you even more for Jesus, who is far superior to all angels.

Lamentations 3:40-5:22

⁴⁰ Let us examine our ways and test them,
   and let us return to the Lord.
⁴¹ Let us lift up our hearts and our hands
   to God in heaven, and say:
⁴² “We have sinned and rebelled
   and you have not forgiven.

⁴³ “You have covered yourself with anger and pursued us;
   you have slain without pity.
⁴⁴ You have covered yourself with a cloud
   so that no prayer can get through.
⁴⁵ You have made us scum and refuse
   among the nations.

⁴⁶ “All our enemies have opened their mouths
   wide against us.
⁴⁷ We have suffered terror and pitfalls,
   ruin and destruction. ”
⁴⁸ Streams of tears flow from my eyes
   because my people are destroyed.

⁴⁹ My eyes will flow unceasingly,
   without relief,
⁵⁰ until the Lord looks down
   from heaven and sees.
⁵¹ What I see brings grief to my soul
   because of all the women of my city.

⁵² Those who were my enemies without cause
   hunted me like a bird.
⁵³ They tried to end my life in a pit
   and threw stones at me;
⁵⁴ the waters closed over my head,
   and I thought I was about to perish.

⁵⁵ I called on your name, Lord,
   from the depths of the pit.
⁵⁶ You heard my plea: “Do not close your ears
   to my cry for relief.”
⁵⁷ You came near when I called you,
   and you said, “Do not fear.”

⁵⁸ You, Lord, took up my case;
   you redeemed my life.
⁵⁹ Lord, you have seen the wrong done to me.
   Uphold my cause!
⁶⁰ You have seen the depth of their vengeance,
   all their plots against me.

⁶¹ Lord, you have heard their insults,
   all their plots against me—
⁶² what my enemies whisper and mutter
   against me all day long.
⁶³ Look at them! Sitting or standing,
   they mock me in their songs.

⁶⁴ Pay them back what they deserve, Lord,
   for what their hands have done.
⁶⁵ Put a veil over their hearts,
   and may your curse be on them!
⁶⁶ Pursue them in anger and destroy them
   from under the heavens of the Lord.

4 How the gold has lost its luster,
   the fine gold become dull!
The sacred gems are scattered
   at every street corner.

² How the precious children of Zion,
   once worth their weight in gold,
are now considered as pots of clay,
   the work of a potter’s hands!

³ Even jackals offer their breasts
   to nurse their young,
but my people have become heartless
   like ostriches in the desert.

⁴ Because of thirst the infant’s tongue
   sticks to the roof of its mouth;
the children beg for bread,
   but no one gives it to them.

⁵ Those who once ate delicacies
   are destitute in the streets.
Those brought up in royal purple
   now lie on ash heaps.

⁶ The punishment of my people
   is greater than that of Sodom,
which was overthrown in a moment
   without a hand turned to help her.

⁷ Their princes were brighter than snow
   and whiter than milk,
their bodies more ruddy than rubies,
   their appearance like lapis lazuli.

⁸ But now they are blacker than soot;
   they are not recognized in the streets.
Their skin has shriveled on their bones;
   it has become as dry as a stick.

⁹ Those killed by the sword are better off
   than those who die of famine;
racked with hunger, they waste away
   for lack of food from the field.

¹⁰ With their own hands compassionate women
   have cooked their own children,
who became their food
   when my people were destroyed.

¹¹ The Lord has given full vent to his wrath;
   he has poured out his fierce anger.
He kindled a fire in Zion
   that consumed her foundations.

¹² The kings of the earth did not believe,
   nor did any of the peoples of the world,
that enemies and foes could enter
   the gates of Jerusalem.

¹³ But it happened because of the sins of her prophets
   and the iniquities of her priests,
who shed within her
   the blood of the righteous.

¹⁴ Now they grope through the streets
   as if they were blind.
They are so defiled with blood
   that no one dares to touch their garments.

¹⁵ “Go away! You are unclean!” people cry to them.
   “Away! Away! Don’t touch us!”
When they flee and wander about,
   people among the nations say,
  “They can stay here no longer.”

¹⁶ The Lord himself has scattered them;
   he no longer watches over them.
The priests are shown no honour,
   the elders no favour.

¹⁷ Moreover, our eyes failed,
   looking in vain for help;
from our towers we watched
   for a nation that could not save us.

¹⁸ People stalked us at every step,
   so we could not walk in our streets.
Our end was near, our days were numbered,
   for our end had come.

¹⁹ Our pursuers were swifter
   than eagles in the sky;
they chased us over the mountains
   and lay in wait for us in the desert.

²⁰ The Lord’s anointed, our very life breath,
   was caught in their traps.
We thought that under his shadow
   we would live among the nations.

²¹ Rejoice and be glad, Daughter Edom,
   you who live in the land of Uz.
But to you also the cup will be passed;
   you will be drunk and stripped naked.

²² Your punishment will end, Daughter Zion;
   he will not prolong your exile.
But he will punish your sin, Daughter Edom,
   and expose your wickedness.

5 Remember, Lord, what has happened to us;
   look, and see our disgrace.
² Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers,
   our homes to foreigners.
³ We have become fatherless,
   our mothers are widows.
⁴ We must buy the water we drink;
   our wood can be had only at a price.
⁵ Those who pursue us are at our heels;
   we are weary and find no rest.
⁶ We submitted to Egypt and Assyria
   to get enough bread.
⁷ Our ancestors sinned and are no more,
   and we bear their punishment.
⁸ Slaves rule over us,
   and there is no one to free us from their hands.
⁹ We get our bread at the risk of our lives
   because of the sword in the desert.
¹⁰ Our skin is hot as an oven,
   feverish from hunger.
¹¹ Women have been violated in Zion,
   and virgins in the towns of Judah.
¹² Princes have been hung up by their hands;
   elders are shown no respect.
¹³ Young men toil at the millstones;
   boys stagger under loads of wood.
¹⁴ The elders are gone from the city gate;
   the young men have stopped their music.
¹⁵ Joy is gone from our hearts;
   our dancing has turned to mourning.
¹⁶ The crown has fallen from our head.
   Woe to us, for we have sinned!
¹⁷ Because of this our hearts are faint,
   because of these things our eyes grow dim
¹⁸ for Mount Zion, which lies desolate,
   with jackals prowling over it.
¹⁹ You, Lord, reign forever;
   your throne endures from generation to generation.
²⁰ Why do you always forget us?
   Why do you forsake us so long?
²¹ Restore us to yourself, Lord, that we may return;
   renew our days as of old
²² unless you have utterly rejected us
   and are angry with us beyond measure.

Old Testament Commentary

Jesus is the anointed Messiah

The writer of Lamentations says, ‘Let us lift up our hearts and our hands’ (3:41). The lifting of hearts and hands seem to go together in prayer. Raising hands in prayer is not eccentric or weird, it is the traditional form of prayer in both the Old Testament and New Testament.

The writer calls the people to pray and says, ‘Let’s take a good look at the way we’re living and reorder our lives under God’ (v.40, MSG). This is an important discipline in a life of faith. Ask God to reveal if there are any areas of your life that you need to change.

If there are, then return to God in confession and repentance (v.42 onwards). Now you know that you will be forgiven and your relationship with God will be restored because of what Jesus has done for you. This passage, like so many others in the Old Testament, points forward to Jesus.

The writer of Lamentations says, ‘You, O Lord, reign for ever; your throne endures from generation to generation’ (5:19).

The writer of Hebrews says of Jesus: ‘“Your throne, O God, will last for ever… therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy”’ (Hebrews 1:8–9). Jesus is God’s anointed one – the Christ, the Messiah.

He is the one to whom all the Scriptures point. The people of God were expecting the Lord’s anointed. The writer of Lamentations speaks of ‘the Lord’s anointed’ (Lamentations 4:20). The Hebrew word for anointed one is ‘Meshiach’ from which we get the word Messiah. He goes on to say, ‘to you also the cup will be passed’ (v.21). Jesus spoke of the cup he would drink (Mark 10:38; John 18:11). Jesus was alluding to the cup of God’s wrath against sin.

God’s anger is not like ours. It contains no element of spite, pettiness or hypocrisy. It is the reaction of a holy and loving God towards sin. Passages like this help us to understand how serious our sin is in God’s sight and how amazing it is that, on the cross, Jesus bore the wrath of God for you and me.

The prophet sees that they are cut off from God by their sin: ‘You have covered yourself with a cloud so that no prayer can get through’ (Lamentations 3:44). This is the barrier that Jesus removed when he drank the cup of God’s wrath and provided purification for sins. This is the answer to the prayer of the writer of Lamentations when he prayed, ‘Restore us to yourself, O Lord, that we may return; renew our days as of old’ (5:21).

Because of Jesus, the Anointed One and the one who drank the cup, God’s presence is no longer covered with a cloud, and your prayers can get through to him. You can lift up your heart and your hands to God. He will restore you and renew you.

Although there are many words about judgment in the Bible, they can be read through the lens of Jesus who revealed the true character of God and provided purification for your sins.

Prayer

Father, thank you for Jesus. Thank you that I can know and understand who you are through Jesus. Thank you that the key to life is in Jesus.

Pippa adds

Hebrews 1:7,14 says:

‘In speaking of the angels he says, “He makes his angels winds, his servants flames of fire”’ (v.7).

And in verse 14, he says:
‘Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?’ (v.14).

I have heard of unexplainable stories of rescue or remarkable intervention that may well have been an angel. It is hugely encouraging to know there are angels descending from heaven, flying around helping those who are in desperate need of God.

Verse of the Day

Psalm 91:11

Angels are nearer than you think.
They guard and protect you:
God has given ‘his angels charge of you to guard you in all your ways’.

References