NORTHERN STYLE NEWSWATCH NO.12
CREDO ` On the occasion of a politician's comments ' Psalm 48 is set within the Second Book of Psalms, and is a reminder to us that the Hebraic understanding of this placement is based on a commentary on Psalm 1:1 in the Jewish Midrash, which says:

"As Moses gave Israel the five Books of the Law, so David correspondingly gave the five Books of Psalms. "

This takes our initial thinking on Psalm 48 back to the Book of Exodus, which shows the principal theme that is running through this Psalm to be one of salvation, a mighty deliverance from the yoke of slavery! In the Book of Exodus we hear this when: (Ex:3:7-8)

"The LORD said, `I have indeed seen the misery of My people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey . . . "

We see from the opening title of Psalm 48 that it is called a `Shir', meaning `a song to be sung', and a `Mizmor' - a song to be sung and to meditate upon concerning a mighty deliverance, which is revealed in the concluding words of the title, `of the Sons of Korah'. This is a reminder of the rebellion that broke out in the camp of the Israelites following their deliverance from Egypt, led by Korah, Dathan and Abiram, and of the LORD's dealing with that rebellion and His sparing of the line of Korah. This is recorded in the listing of the census in Numbers 26:10b-11:

"And they served as a warning sign. The line of Korah, however, did not die out. "

The Psalms of the Sons of Korah are there as a perpetual reminder of the grace of God who brought about their mighty deliverance, a reminder to meditate upon this as they sang the joyful songs of deliverance. Perhaps this is something that we too, in this Dispensation of Grace, need to remember as we joyfully sing our songs of thanksgiving: (Psalm 48:1-3)

"Great is the LORD, and most worthy of praise, in the City of our God, His holy mountain. It is beautiful in its loftiness, the joy of the whole earth. Like the utmost heights of Zaphon is Mount Zion, the City of the Great King. God is in her citadels; He has shown Himself to be her fortress. "

The Psalmist calls us to sing this Song of Praise, not because of the beauty of the City of God, but because God has shown Himself to be present in power in raising up and keeping safe this City and all who dwell in her:

"He has shown Himself to be her fortress. "

As the Psalmist moves into his Song we see the historical setting which gives cause for his praise and thanksgiving. He reminds the people that their deliverance - when the LORD had said that He would `rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land' - was to be a continuous and everlasting salvation. He reveals this against the backcloth of their recent deliverance from the Assyrian armies of Sennacherib as they laid siege Jerusalem during the reign of Hezekiah. Psalm 48 is the last of four Psalms commemorating the deliverance of the city of Jerusalem from the armies of their enemies. (We can read about this in Isaiah chapters 36 and 37.) And this Psalm could well have been written by King Hezekiah, for Isaiah goes on to record in chapter 38 that, following Hezekiah's illness, which caused him to `turn his face to the wall and pray to the LORD', he wrote: (Isaiah 38:20)

"The LORD will save me, and we will sing with stringed instruments all the days of our lives in the Temple of the LORD. "

We see this historical record of God's continuous salvation in the words: (Psalm 48:4-5)

"When the kings joined forces, when they advanced together, they saw her (Jerusalem) and were astounded, they fled in terror. "

The armies of Sennacherib saw the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob for:

"God is in her citadels; He has shown Himself to be her fortress. "

Our security lies in the Lord God who shows Himself as the Deliverer, and the Protector of that deliverance, for all who are brought into the City of Peace, and our joyful songs need to be centered upon that same God! Our security lies not in our own righteousness but in God manifest in Jesus, who has wrought our salvation and who is able to keep secure that deliverance for all in Christ Jesus: (v8)

"As we have heard, so we have seen in the City of the LORD of Hosts, in the City of our God; God makes her secure for ever. Selah! "

Selah! the Psalmist cries . . . stop . . . pause . . . and consider all that has been done and is being undertaken:

"God is in her citadels; He has shown Himself to be her fortress. "

The Psalmist continues to remind us of the only place in which that salvation can be found, for as Peter says, when speaking of Jesus in a later age, `there is no other name under heaven, given to men by which we must be saved'. We return to Psalm 48: 9-10:

"Within Your Temple, O God, we meditate on Your unfailing love. Like Your name, O God, Your praise reaches to the ends of the earth. "

Within the deliverance of God there is total security; a freedom from tyranny to be found; a place in which each person can express their praise and thanksgiving in their own unique way, for we have been called by a personal God - One who knows each one of His children by Name! There is no room in His Temple for rigid adherence to religious formulae, and no condemnaton for non-conformity to the rules of men: (Psalm 48:12-14)

"Walk about Zion, go round her (in security and freedom) count her towers, consider well her ramparts (look at all her strengths) view her citadels, (rejoice over the variety of gifts) that you may tell of them to the next generation. (this is a continuous salvation) For this God is our God for ever and ever; He will be our guide even to the end. (Those whom God brings in are secure in His strength and His ability to keep them). "

The Psalmist concludes his meditive song of praise, entrusting the words to the Chief Musician of the Temple (the Director of Music). Written to commemorate God's deliverance of Jerusalem from the armies of Sennacherib, it is to be placed in the Temple's Repository of Music to be brought out at other times to remind the people that:

"God is in her citadels; He has shown Himself to be her fortress. "

Why, then, has this Credo `on the occasion of a politician's comments' been written within a Northern Style Newswatch? On a recent news programme a politician was being interviewed, and he gave the background to the reason why he had become a politician. Earlier in his `career' he was a Methodist lay-preacher, genuinely wanting to serve people through a religious calling. Being careful in his words, as politicians must be, there was the suggestion that he had quickly found that Christians were insignificant unless they were linked to direct action through politics! Over the years this led him to enter the political life of the country where he could express that concern for people through direct action. We are not intending to denigrate the sincerity of this man, indeed we have no way of knowing if he is truly in the `City of God' - in the Scriptural way by which we understand salvation - but his comments brought us back to what we have set out in this Credo `on the occasion of his comments'. The Psalmist brings us back to this truth: That all who have been brought into that mighty deliverance need to know, and to keep on knowing, that our security lies in God alone, who `has shown Himself to be her fortress', and our direct action needs to be placed within that understanding. From that position it does seem to show that Christians are insignificant, but it reveals a God who is powerful to save. And as Christians walk in the security of their own unique calling to proclaim the Gospel of God, and to know the mighty power of God's Word, which will bring deliverance to all who respond, this equals Direct Action indeed! There lies within that politicians comments a reminder that a Government's role is to provide security for its people and judgement for all who threaten that security. This then allows its people freedom to express and exercise their freedom. However, today we see that freedom becoming increasingly restricted as politicians move beyond their given role and seek more and more direct action over their people, restricting their freedom to exercise their security.

But within the Governmental `land' of God, the Church, we find the same spirit emerging, and as we move rapidly into the last years of this 40 years Probation Period we would expect to see that restrictive authority being exercised more rigidly. Paul, writing to the Romans, sets out his understanding of the security and freedom to be found in this `City' of the Church.

Romans 12:1-8
"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - which is your spiritual worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - His good, pleasing and perfect will. For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgement, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one Body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage, if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is in leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully. "

On this occasion of a politicians comments perhaps we need to return to the Chief Musician of the Temple Music and joyfully sing and meditate on our security in Christ Jesus, for He has shown Himself to be our fortress! Then, surely, we will be able to walk about Zion in security and freedom, in each one's unique way, to undertake the direct action of proclaiming the Good News of our continuous deliverance so that others can be brought in - truly insignificant Christians, but a Gloriously significant Lord God, who has shown Himself to be her fortress! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
March 2001


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