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ק (Qoph) Call out to the Lord with all my heart
Series: Finding the Gospel in Psalm 119 – A Hymn to the Law (19/22) Psalm 119:145–152
Andy Nagahrara
We continue with Psalm 119, which I have been talking about in a series for a while. Today we will take up verses 145-152, where the 19th letter of the Hebrew alphabet, “ק (Qoph),” is placed at the beginning of each line of the 19th paragraph.
What is impressive in today’s part is how the psalmist repeatedly calls out to God.
Have you ever had the experience of calling out to God or crying out to God? It is easy to misunderstand, I know, but believing in Jesus does not mean believing in Christian doctrine or in the writings of the Bible. It is about trusting in the One called Jesus. If it is doctrine or the Bible that we trust, we cannot call upon it. But what we believe in is Jesus, who is God in person. So we can call on Him in our crises, in our difficulties.
So, let’s continue reading a few verses at a time. First, verses 145 and 146.
1. Seeking Salvation (145,146)
145 I call with all my heart; answer me, O LORD,
and I will obey your decrees.
146 I call out to you; save me
and I will keep your statutes.
In this part, the psalmist calls out to God for “salvation.” To be saved is to be released from a captive situation. In what situation did he call upon God to save him?
We often describe being a believer in Jesus as being “saved,” but from what have we been saved by believing in Jesus?
What do you think you were saved from?
“Salvation” is a fundamental theme of all religions, not just Christianity. However, it is a word that is not well understood even though it seems to be understood. What the Bible emphasizes most is “salvation from sin,” but that “sin” is not a simple matter either. At least, it is not a crime in the social sense of what one did or did not do.
There is also the expression “rescue from death,” but it does not refer to physical death.
The psalmist says in verse 146, “Save me, and I will keep your statutes.” We can only imagine what the situation was like specifically, but I think it was difficult for him to listen to God’s words.
God must have created human beings in his own likeness, beings who are closer to him than any other creature. The situation that makes it difficult for human beings to hear God’s voice is the state of our souls, which the Bible describes as “sin” and “death.” It is a state of being separated from God. We are unable to hear the voice of God who made us good.
We look for its cause in our interpersonal relationships, our health, or our financial situation. However, although they interfere with our relationship with God, they are not absolute. This is because even when we turn our backs on God, sometimes God speaks to us.
The conversion of the apostle Paul is written in Chapter 9 of the Acts of the Apostles. It all started with Jesus saying, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” In response to that voice, Paul asked, “Lord, who are you?” Jesus answered, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting,” and Paul’s life of following Jesus began.
Calling out to the Lord is not an empty call to the void, but a response to God that we can do. The thought we have, “I can’t live my life as it is,” is God’s call. In response, we can ask God to save us from this situation we are stuck. And from there, we can begin the original walk of walking in dialogue with God.
2. Crying for help (147,148)
147 I rise before dawn and cry for help;
I have put my hope in your word.
148 My eyes stay open through the watches of the night,
that I may meditate on your promises.
Salvation” and “help” are similar concepts, but the major difference is that “salvation” is a unilateral act that God does when we cannot do anything about it ourselves, while “help” is God lending His power to our actions.
The psalmist cries out that his steps be sure even in the midst of difficulties. And this is what I would like you all to follow.
The psalmist ‘s troubles were such that he could not sleep at night with worry. Are there any of you who are so worried, anxious, and distressed that you cannot sleep at night because of personal relationships, work, studies, or financial problems? Then all you have to do is cry out to God for help. And that is none other than the “worship” that I usually recommend. Regardless of our senses, there is no doubt that Jesus hears our cries.
This is a personal experience, but it is also a community experience of the church. The body of Christ, the church, has continued to exist in the world in difficult times. That is the proof that Jesus will always hear and help you when you need it.
In today’s service, of course, during this week’s walk, when you can’t sleep at night, when you have a little time, please worship and seek help as many times as you like.
3. Seeking Justice (149,150)
149 Hear my voice in accordance with your love;
preserve my life, O LORD, according to your laws.
150 Those who devise wicked schemes are near,
but they are far from your law.
The psalmist cries out for justice because he himself is unjustly oppressed, while his persecutors continue to torment him with impunity from God. How is God’s righteous judgment expressed? We just heard about it in last week’s message.
They have already been judged. (John 3:17-18) It means continuing to bear the misfortune of living in disobedience to God. But the psalmist has not yet realized it. Because it became clear several hundred years after his time.
Two thousand years ago, God revealed himself as one person, Jesus. People’s sins were so deep that they could not follow Jesus, who appeared with the authority of God. God’s judgment, which was originally supposed to be expressed to people, came down in the form of tacit approval to the execution of Jesus, who was a manifestation of himself.
It was us sinful human beings who should have been crucified there and suffered, because we did not listen to God, but rather thought and acted as if we were God. But instead of avoiding suffering, Jesus accepted suffering and death without resistance. That is what happened at the cross 2000 years ago.
But although Jesus endured suffering, he was not defeated by the power of death. After three days Jesus was resurrected and appeared among his disciples until he disappeared into heaven.
It would not be a matter that can be accepted by reason. But because it was true, the number of people who live believing in Jesus as the Christ not only disappeared, but has increased and spread throughout the world, and many people continue to walk with Him today.
It is true that God has judged the world. Those who refuse to obey God’s will have already been judged. They are not caged or chained. However, they are actually placed in the most terrible condition of living without God. Its horror can only be understood by those who know the joy of being with God.
Don’t think that God overlooks their wickedness because they are rich and powerful. If we think the joy of living with the Lord is supreme, no matter how they live, they are living a sad life without God.
But that never means that we should only focus on ourselves with God, without caring about those who suffer from the injustice that we see before us. Because Jesus with us is always with such people. We who follow Jesus are also where he is.
4. Let us call on God, too (151,152)
151 Yet you are near, O LORD,
and all your commands are true.
152 Long ago I learned from your statutes
that you established them to last forever.
Today we have touched the heart of a psalmist who calls on God for salvation, help and judgment, but the call in these last two verses is not to ask for anything, but to express his conviction.
It is the conviction that “God, you are near,” “All your commandments are true,” and “Your statutes are the same from the beginning and forever.” From this part, we can learn that calling on God is not only meaningless, but it is also an important activity of believers who should continue to do so as long as they live, precisely because they have faith in God.
Let us remember that being called by God and calling back is the essence of the worship we offer.
Finally, I would like to introduce to you another poet who called on God. That person is not a poet of the Biblical era, but Jukichi Yagi, a poet born in Machida, Japan, about 130 years ago. He contracted pulmonary tuberculosis and passed away at the age of 29. Only one book of poetry was published during his lifetime, but many more were published later by many selectors.
Among them is a collection of poems called “Let’s Call God”. Here are two poems from this collection that teach us the importance of calling on God.
Because you call
There are things that can be seen
If you don’t call, some things will disappear
Jesus is the one whose presence becomes more real to a person the more the person calls on Him. On the other hand, if a person does not call on Jesus, His presence will become less and less important to that person.
So I would like to conclude today’s message by introducing this poem that encourages us to call on God more simply. I think this poem needs no explanation.
Now,
why do babies cry so much,
like wha, wha, wha, wha?
Really, really,
It’s too noisy,
Wha, wha, wha, wha,
Wha, wha, wha, wha.
It’s not noisy,
It’s not noisy,
Babies are calling on God,
They’re calling out to God,
Call everyone too,
Call God persistently like them.
(Prayer) Dear God, we call on you too, so that we don’t forget that you are by our side.
For ourselves, for our families, for our neighbors, for the world, we call on you for salvation, for help, and for judgment.
Reveal Your glory today to those who seek it in all parts of the world. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ.
Summary
Calling on God is an important activity that is indispensable for the soul of those who are called by God. We tend to focus our minds directly on our daily lives, difficulties, and worries, but the most important thing at times like these is to feel that God is close to us. It can be obtained by constantly exchanging voices with Jesus, as in the poem by Jukichi Yagi.
For Discussion
1. What is “salvation”?
2. What made you call on the Lord recently?