Posted by
peripheral on Saturday, November 21, 2009 7:43:40 AM
From My Perspective - - -
If a person is reluctant to use the Holy Bible as “the only infallible
rule for faith and practice”, neither should that one use it for any
political statement, sentiment or hopeful action. When people use the
Bible to espouse a political philosophy or to arouse and inflame public
sentiment, it is safe to say these people have gone too far. A valid
hermeneutical statement is: “A Text out of its Context is a Pretext.”
Also, this Catechetical thought given in response to the Question –
What do the Scriptures principally teach? – the Answer is: The
Scriptures principally teach what man is to believe concerning God and
what duty God requires of man.”
Well – along comes a current Bumper and
T-Shirt Slogan suggesting that one “Pray for Obama” and uses the “text”
in Psalm 109:8 to define a Political point of view and Sentiment: “May
his days be few; may another take his office!” In the “context” that
includes Psalm 109:9-10 the following is expressed: “May his children
be fatherless and his wife a widow! May his children wander about and
beg, seeking food far from the ruins they inhabit!”
Charles Haddon Spurgeon who wrote and produced the Treasury of David (a
detailed commentary on all of the Psalms) more than a century ago
offers this overview of Psalm 109: “In the first five verses (Psalms
109:1-5) David humbly pleads with God that he may be delivered from his
remorseless and false hearted enemies. From Psalms 109:6-20, filled
with a prophetic fervor, which carries him entirely beyond himself, he
denounces judgment upon his foes, and then from Psalms 109:21-31 he
returns to his communion with God in prayer and praise. The central
portion of the Psalm in which the difficulty lies must be regarded not
as the personal wish of the Psalmist in cool blood, but as his
prophetic denunciation of such persons as he describes, and
emphatically of one special ‘son of perdition’…” A safe instructional
(hermeneutical) principle is: “Let Scripture interpret Scripture…” To
properly understand the prophetic nature of Psalm 109:8-10, one must
read Acts 1:15 through 20, “In those days Peter stood up…and said:
Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit
spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a
guide to those who arrested Jesus. For he was numbered among us and was
allotted his share in this ministry…For it is written in the Book of
Psalms: May his camp become desolate, and let there be no one to dwell
in it; and Let another take his office…” Obviously, this became the
judgment upon Judas Iscariot for his disloyal and treacherous act of
betraying the Lord Jesus Christ.
We know from the life of David that violence of the suggested slogan
was not part of his thought-pattern or what was in his heart. A King
who had set out to kill David (who had been anointed by the prophet
Samuel as God’s choice to rule the nation of Israel) was King Saul. On
one occasion, David had the moment and opportunity to kill King Saul.
Instead, to let the King know what he could’ve done, he merely cut off
a piece (a tassel) from the hem of Saul’s Royal Robe (which Saul was
wearing at the time – See: I Samuel 24:4-11). David felt very convicted
for his act as he stated to Saul in I Samuel 24:10, “Behold, this day
your eyes have seen how the LORD gave you today into my hand in the
cave. And some told me to kill you, but I spared you. I said, I will
not put out my hand against my lord, for he is the Lord's anointed.”
The true sentiment of David’s heart and thoughts is expressed in I
Samuel 12:23-24, “As for me, far be it from me that I should sin
against the LORD by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the
way that is good and right. But be sure to fear the LORD and serve him
faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done
for you.”
A Supercilious Slogan conveys that the one embracing the slogan views
another from a perspective that is “haughtily disdainful or
contemptuous…” Perhaps the “failing to Pray For You” is more of the
issue that allows for the trends of our time. If one wants to quote
from the Holy Bible, such a one should make the Holy Bible the
foundation for his/her life. Quite simply – Live It before you Quote
From It! Consider these things with me!