sacrifice – Written Exposition

INTRODUCTION

In this modern world things can change very quickly. Take, for example, the international political scene which has seen big changes recently. Suddenly nothing is as it has been for the past seventy years. Allies who could once be trusted are now at best unpredictable and at worst treacherous. New power blocs are forming. During the past week I have even heard some (non-Christian) people say that a new world order has arrived.

In world economics tit-for-tat tariffs, we are told, are likely to result in global shortages, price increases, job losses and higher inflation. Such possibilities can make us fearful. We may begin to worry about things like the threat of nuclear war or the possibility of environmental disaster. Closer to home, and at a more personal level, Christians are not exempt from anxiety and fear. Some worry about the stability of their marriage, the well-being of their children and grandchildren or about their own state of health. Some, perhaps, wonder just how they are going to face the future without a loved one who has passed away. In addition to the cares of everyday life, of course, the Christian also has to contend with ongoing opposition from the world, the flesh and the Devil.

At times our faith is strong. We are full of confidence, secure in our beliefs and living a contented Christian life. Then trouble comes along and in comes fear and doubt. We see that in this psalm. Notice an abrupt change at v.7. The one who at the beginning of the psalm has made a strong declaration of confidence then starts to waver.

PSALM 27

Let me briefly introduce Psalm 27. According to its Hebrew title it is a psalm of David. The title in the Septuagint (LXX) Greek translation of 3^rd century BCE adds the words ‘before he was anointed.’ Assuming that David was the author, then he may have drawn upon his experience of being hunted by King Saul.

Psalm 27 is one of a group of sanctuary Psalms (22-29, excluding 25), so called because they are linked by the theme of the ‘house of the Lord.’ At that time this would still have been the tabernacle, later it was the temple.

I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee. Psalms 22:22

My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him. Psalms 22:25

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. Psalms 23:6

Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? Psalms 24:3

LORD, I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thine honour dwelleth. Psalms 26:8

One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple. Psalms 27:4

Hear the voice of my supplications, when I cry unto thee, when I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle. Psalms 28:2

The voice of the LORD maketh the hinds to calve, and discovereth the forests: and in his temple doth every one speak of his glory. Psalms 29:9

I am sure that much could be gained from a study of just those references but let us now focus on Psalm 27 – a psalm of confidence in the face of adversity.

It falls into 2 main sections: In vv.1-6 David talks about the Lord – in the third person – ‘he’, ‘him,’ ‘his.’ In vv.7-14 David talks to the Lord – second person – addressing him directly as ‘you.’ The psalm lends itself to further subdivision; I’ll use the following 4 headings:

1-3 David’s confidence in the Lord’s protection.

4-6 David’s desire for the Lord’s presence.

7-12 David’s prayer for the Lord’s deliverance.

13-14 David’s trust in the Lord’s goodness.

DAVID’S CONFIDENCE IN THE LORD’S PROTECTION (1-3)

In these three verses David makes a bold declaration of trust in the Lord amid trying circumstances. Verse 1 is introspective – he looks inward. Verse 2 is retrospective – he looks back. Verse 3 is prospective – he looks forward. In v.1 he speaks about the present, in v.2 he speaks about the past and in v.3 he talks about the future.

The Present

(1) David starts his psalm with ‘the Lord’ before mentioning men. That is the best place to begin when encountering difficulties – focus your attention on the Lord and keep it focused. The divine name YHWH (the Lord) occurs 12 times in these 14 verses. ‘The Lord is’ – he is sovereign. ‘The Lord is my’ – he is personal.

In this verse David uses various metaphors for God.

The Lord is my light – He guides me. In the New Testament this metaphor is taken up in the writings of the apostle John: Jn 1:4-9; 8:12; 1 Jn 1:5-7; Rev 21:23.

The Lord is my salvation – He saves me – whatever my circumstances, victory is certain.

The LORD is the strength of my life – He keeps me safe – a stronghold – a safe haven -a place of refuge such as a fortified city. There I am shielded from the enemy.

The Past

(2) David looks back to times when violent enemies attacked him suddenly like wild beasts, wanting to eat him up (this can refer to slander, or perhaps false testimony in a court of law). Thanks to intervention by the Lord these ‘cannibals’ ‘stumbled and fell’ (i.e. were vanquished). Like David, we too have no idea what tactics the enemy will employ in order to bring about our downfall.

The Future

(3) In the previous verse the attacks by his foes were swift and sudden. Now David foresees the possibility of a sustained assault. An army of enemies may besiege him (all around) or declare a long war but he will still be confident. He trusts God to handle his enemies.

What ‘enemies’ are you facing today? You may not be facing literal physical violence but fear, anxiety, sickness, financial problems or relationship problems could be your enemy. Draw comfort from David’s response to adversity. He considers the present, reviews the past and anticipates the future. In them he sees God’s power and greatness and this realisation gives him confidence and courage. The Lord is his light, his salvation and his stronghold, therefore he has no reason to be afraid.

DAVID’S DESIRE FOR THE LORD’S PRESENCE. (4-6)

This declaration of confidence in the Lord (vv.1-3) leads David to say that his priority in life, his greatest wish, in fact the only thing he craves, is intimacy with the Lord. He wants to have fellowship with the Lord and experience his presence. He expresses this in terms that are poetic and not meant to be taken literally, e.g. David could never see the splendour of the Lord in the Holy of Holies – unauthorised entry of that sacred space meant instant death.

He envisages himself living, serving and praying to the Lord in the Tabernacle (also called a temple in 1 Sam 1:9; 3:3) for an extended period (‘all the days of my life’). While there he could hide from all his cares and troubles, sheltered in the Lord’s pavilion. In these verses he uses several words to refer to the sanctuary: House of the Lord – the place where God lives; Temple – a palace or royal building; Pavilion – a cover, hiding place; Tabernacle – tent.

Verses 4-5 convey the thought that David yearns to experience the glorious and protective presence of God, not just as a one-off, but throughout his life. His primary aim is to live a life characterised by worship and prayer. As a result he will not only be hidden and protected but later exalted (‘set up upon a rock’ and lifted up above his enemies). When that happens he will publicly sacrifice (possibly a thank offering, Lev 22:28) at the Tabernacle and sing praises to the Lord.

What a great attitude to have in ‘the time of trouble!’ How do we compare? In adversity do I seek God above all else, longing for his presence more than approval, success or personal comfort? Do I pray that I might, by faith, get a sight of his person and his power? Is worship a feature of my daily life, or is it restricted to Sunday morning only?

This Old Testament ‘one thing’ that David desires in Psalm 27 reminds me of the apostle Paul’s ‘one thing’ in the New Testament: But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Phil 3:13-14 (ESV)

DAVID’S PRAYER FOR THE LORD’S DELIVERANCE. (7-12)

What is happening here? As already mentioned, there is a striking and an abrupt change of tone at v.7. Notice the many references to ‘me’ and ‘my’ in these verses. It seems that David has taken his eye off the Lord and now focuses on himself. The one who has declared that he has nothing to fear is now extremely worried. The person whose only priority is the Lord’s presence now fears his absence. The one who announced his confidence in God is now in distress.

In this David is being honest and realistic. Isn’t it true that amid trials fear and doubt can torment us. We feel abandoned. God can at times seem silent; even believers who are strong in the faith can think this. In v.7 David articulates this struggle: Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud; be gracious to me and answer me! (ESV). David has spoken about God in the third person, now he talks to him in the second person.

In David’s heart he recalls a command from the Lord for people (‘ye’ in v.8 is plural) to seek his face and so he responds with prayer; bringing his problems and requests to the Lord – hoping, since the Lord has always been his helper (v.9), that even should those nearest and dearest to him let him down the Lord will take him up (v.10).

Expressing his feelings of isolation David in vv.7-12 implores the Lord using a series of imperatives, 5 positive and 5 negative.

v.7 hear, have mercy, answer.
v.9 hide not, put not, leave me not, forsake me not
v.11 teach, lead,
v.12 deliver me not

Notice that in v. 11 he commits himself to going God’s way and asks the Lord for guidance (‘teach me’) and asks that he might be led along a level path; one without bumps and obstacles that might cause him to trip and fall, because his enemies are out to get him.

David has already mentioned his enemies in vv.2, 6, and 11. Now in v.12 he provides more details about them. They are cruel and corrupt; they bear false witness against him. This may recall verse 2 where he said that his enemies and his foes came upon him to eat his flesh (slander him). This idea may also be present in the first phrase of v.12 (‘deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies’). The word ‘will’ may also be translated ‘appetite’ – i.e. Don’t feed me to my enemies.

This prayer in vv.7-12 reminds us that when fear or doubt arises we can bring all our anxieties to God, crying out to him honestly while holding on to his promises.

I’ll just mention in passing that some words which occur in the first part of the psalm appear again in the second, giving a kind of symmetry:

salvation – v.1 and v.9

enemies – v.2, v.6 and v.11 and v.12

heart – v.3, v.8 and v.14

rise – v.3 and v.12

seek – v.4 and v.8

life – v.1, v.4 and v.13

DAVID’S TRUST IN THE LORD’S GOODNESS (13-14)

David is overcome with emotion when, with renewed faith, he expects that he will see the Lord’s goodness deliver him from his problems while he is still alive. In v.13 that emotion is conveyed by means of a figure of speech known as aposiopesis. This is a literary device where a sentence is deliberately left unfinished, leaving the rest implied and thus creating an effect of suspense or strong emotion. David writes: ‘unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living…’ That is an unfinished sentence so, for it to make sense, the KJV translators have supplied the words ‘I had fainted’ in italics. In other words when he says: ‘If it were not for the fact that I had faith that I would see the Lord’s goodness while still alive….,’ we must supply the missing thought – something like: ‘I would have utterly despaired’ This is an expression of confidence, but David is so emotional that he can’t quite get it out.

He ends the psalm by encouraging himself, and others, to believe in the goodness of God despite adverse circumstances and to wait on God with patience, trusting him to act at the right time. In v.14 there is repetition for emphasis: ‘wait on the Lord….wait, I say, on the Lord.’

SUMMATION

Psalm 27 takes us on a journey from faith, through fear and doubt, to hope. It encourages us to trust God to be our protector, guide, and refuge. It reminds us that where faith thrives fear has no place. The psalm ends with good advice: ‘Rise above your fears, be strong, take heart and wait with expectancy for the Lord to act on your behalf.’

As you meditate further on this psalm, may it inspire you to enter God’s presence and seek his face daily, to cry out to him in times of need, and wait patiently for his perfect timing.

‘The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’ Jn 1.29

This quotation from the first chapter of the Fourth Gospel records the words of the austere early first century Jewish prophet John the Baptist addressing a crowd of people which included Jewish religious leaders (Jn 1.19). In those days many flocked to the desert locations which John preferred in order to hear him preach. On the day in question John saw Jesus approaching and pointed him out to the assembled crowd with these immortal words: ‘Look, the Lamb of God!’

It may be difficult for anyone brought up in the western world to grasp what John meant by this expression, but to someone living in a culture where the ritual slaughter of animals to placate a deity is commonplace, his words would be more obvious. Certainly the first century adherents of the Jewish religion, with its temple and offerings, would have immediately understood that this son of a priest (Lk 1.5-25; 57-80) was using the terminology of sacrifice.

New Testament writers describe the death of Jesus Christ in various ways. It is called, for example, a ‘ransom’ (Mk 10.45) and a ‘redemption’ from bondage (Eph 1.7; Col 1.14). Terms implying the payment of a price occur also in 1 Corinthians 6.20; 7.23 and in Galatians 3.13; 4.5. It is viewed as an ‘expiation’ or ‘propitiation’, which have the idea of appeasement (Heb 2.17; Rom 3.25; 1 Jn 2.2, 4.10), releasing one from guilt, delivering from the fear caused by a bad conscience and restoring peace with God. But the writers of the New Testament most commonly explain His death as a ‘sacrifice’ for sin (1 Cor 5.7; Eph 5.2; Heb 7.27; 8.3, 9.14, 26, 28; 10.10, 12, 14).

Thus, when John cried out ‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’ he may have reminded his hearers of the lamb slain at the time of the Exodus from Egypt (Ex 12.1-14, 1 Cor 5.7) and commemorated annually in the Jewish Festival of Passover. Or he may have been thinking of countless animals offered over the centuries as Jewish offerings (Lev 1-7). More likely, however, he had in mind the haunting words of the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah’s prophecy, which proclaimed the Suffering Servant of the Lord who gave His life for many:

‘He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He opened not His mouth;
He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,
And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
So He opened not His mouth.’ (Is 53.7)

The Christian faith is based on the doctrine that the death of Jesus Christ was a sacrifice that paid the penalty for the sins of mankind. So why was it necessary that one should be offered on behalf of others? In our search for an answer we must go back to the beginning, to the Book of Genesis. There we see that sacrifice was instituted by the one living creator God of the universe. We read about the first sacrifice, although it is not specifically so described, in the book of Genesis chapter three. The first human couple, Adam and Eve, warned by God not to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, disobeyed, with the result that sin entered the world. This is often referred to as ‘the fall’.

The basic meaning of ‘sin’ is to ‘fall short’ of a target. For example, in Judg 20.16 the Hebrew word is used in its ordinary sense describing elite troops who could sling a stone at a hair’s breadth and not miss. To sin is therefore to ‘miss the mark’, to ‘fall short’ of God’s standard of holiness and righteousness (Rom 3.23). The first sin was no isolated act of disobedience to the will of God, but rather set in motion a host of disastrous consequences for humanity. Since then every one of us has been born with a fallen nature and has the disposition to disobey God (Gal 5.17).

In addition to this inherent sin nature, we have Adam’s sin imputed (credited) to us as members of the human race. Because he is head of the human race we are reckoned to have sinned in him, and are therefore liable to the same judgment (Rom 5.12). In addition we all habitually make wrong choices which the Bible refers to as ‘sins’. These are evident in our thoughts, words and actions. The only exception to this universal guilt is the Lord Jesus Christ who could not, would not and did not sin (2 Cor 5.21; Heb 4.15, 7.26; 1 Pet 1.19, 2.22; 1 Jn 3.5).

Not only are we all sinners (Rom 3.23), our sins result in alienation from God who is just and holy (Isa 59.2). He cannot overlook sin and requires that a penalty be paid. That penalty is death (Ezek 18.20; Rom 6.23). God must punish sinners and we are unable to save ourselves. How can we therefore escape the righteous judgment of God? That is only possible by a sinless sacrifice that satisfies God’s justice!

After the fall, Adam and Eve had a sense of their nakedness and tried to make coverings out of the leafy material available to them in the Garden of Eden. Their own efforts to conceal their shame were unsuccessful, leaving them exposed to God’s judgment. God, however, in His kindness and mercy provided them with coats of skins (Gen 3.21). This teaches us that our own efforts to deal with the effects of sin are useless; only God can meet our need. In the case of Adam and Eve the provision of the skins had a cost. For them to live animals had to die. This principle of the sacrifice of a life is set out in Leviticus chapter 17.11:

‘For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.’

The death of these animals, and others subsequently killed in Jewish worship rituals, pointed forward to the one great, perfect sacrifice provided by God. That was the Lord Jesus Christ who is God manifest in flesh. He is both human and divine and on earth lived a life of perfect obedience to the will of God, even to the extent of death by crucifixion (Phil 2.8). His offering was a once and for all infinite sacrifice (Heb 10.12), acceptable to God – as proved by his resurrection from the dead (Acts 2.24-26) – and able to reconcile us to God, making amends for our offences.

Thus, drawing upon the rich Old Testament background of substitutionary sacrifice, John the Baptist proclaimed Jesus as the ‘Lamb of God’. Those who heard him that day were privileged to have the Lamb of God among them, already on his way to the cross to bear the burden of sin and guilt. The accumulated transgressions, past, present and future, of God’s children in every tribe and nation worldwide, was summed up by John in that simple expression: ‘the sin of the world’.

When John the Baptist declared, ‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’ he was acknowledging that God demands a sacrifice in order to forgive sins, and was directing attention away from himself to the One who would be that all-sufficient sacrifice. Christ offered ‘one sacrifice for sins forever’ (Heb 10.12). The work of salvation has been completed. Neither you nor I can do anything to merit or to improve it; instead, we must accept salvation by faith in Jesus Christ (Eph 2.8-9). Such loving sacrifice demands a response (Jn 15.13-14). May ours be that of the two disciples of John who heard his second proclamation the following day and ‘followed Jesus’ (Jn 1.35-37).

Tag: sacrifice

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