Psalm 116:12-14

¹² What shall I render to the LORD for all his benefits to me? ¹³ I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD, ¹⁴ I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people.

I love the pairing of this answer with this question. The psalmist asks: “What can I give God in return for the favor He has shown to me?” Potential answers tumble into my mind by the dozen: more time? more money? better parenting? less selfishness? No, apparently, the Lord wants me to respond to His goodness simply by enjoying it, asking Him for more of it, and thanking Him for it. Each of these responses is expressed in the ceremonial activities described in verses 13-14: “lift up the cup of salvation… call on the name of the Lord… pay my vows.” Each of these deserves a brief comment.

Paying vows. In verses 17-18, the writer sets the clause “I will pay my vows” as parallel to “I will sacrifice a thank offering to the Lord.” I thus infer that the vows this poet has in mind are apparently the expressions of thanks associated with the thank offering. In other words, his vows are expressions of thanks, not pledges of self-sacrifice.

Calling on the Lord. Here is an interesting response to God’s goodness—ask Him for more! Psalm 50:14-15 offers an illuminating cross-reference: “Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High, and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.” Here is the explanation for why I should respond to God’s goodness by asking Him for more of it: because He wants to be glorified by delivering me. I get the help, and He gets the glory!

Lifting up the cup of salvation. In its Old Testament context, this cup was likely part of the thank offering ceremony. But this morning as my Bible reading plan took me from Psalm 116 to Mark 12, I couldn’t help but think of the cup of salvation when I read Jesus’ words on the cross: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (v 34). I imagined this scream echoing from the rocks and caves on Golgotha as Jesus drank the cup of His Father’s full wrath against my sin, and I worshiped Him afresh. He drank the cup of wrath so I could drink the cup of salvation all the days of my life.

So what shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits to me? I will pay my vows of thankfulness. I will glorify Him by asking for more of His mercy and grace. And I will joyfully lift the cup of salvation to my own lips and drink. Deeply.

Psalm 113

This psalmist points out the Lord’s greatness in two ways. First, He is unrivaled. No one and no thing are as high and glorious as He. “Who is like the Lord our God, who is seated on high, how looks far down on the heavens and the earth?” (vv 5-6) It’s an interesting time in our country to read a claim like that. The Eastern and Western Conference Finals are underway in the NBA. The Stanley Cup will soon be awarded in the NHL. Three United States Senators are vying for the Presidency, and in half a year one of them will win it. But this Psalmist seems to believe that all sports teams, all influential people, all nations, and even all celestial bodies aren’t even worth comparing to the greatness of God.

Second, He is condescending. What an unusual way to demonstrate greatness—by stooping low. “He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap” (v 7). Apparently God shows His greatness, not by controlling or putting down those who are smaller and weaker, but by being an inexhaustible supply of power to lift weak people up. He draws attention to His greatness by helping us in our weakness. Perhaps the most clear demonstration of this that I’ve seen lately has been His amazing grace to the older of my two sisters over the last 8 months. For everyone who has watched her story develop, He has proven beyond any doubt that “My God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19).

Fittingly, this psalm ends: “He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children. Praise the Lord!”

2 Samuel 15

I’m struck by the comparisons between David and Jesus in this story. Absalom, David’s beloved son, has betrayed his father’s trust. He has stolen away the hearts of many in Israel, and he is coming to Jerusalem with plans to overthrow David and take the throne for himself. In haste, a brokenhearted David gathers up his household and flees the city.

The allusions to Christ begin with David’s attitude toward God. David’s words “Behold, here I am, let him [i.e., the Lord] do to me what seems good to him” (v 26) sound an awful lot like Jesus’ prayer “Not my will, but yours be done.” Like Jesus, David realizes that some of his own close confidants are among those who have turned against him (v 31). And again like Jesus, David pours out his tears and his prayers on the Mount of Olives as the tragic drama unfolds (v 30).

But there is one critical contrast here. In this scene from David’s life, a son is coming against his father; but in Jesus’ case, it was the Father who came against His Son. Like David, Jesus prayed to God for deliverance; but unlike David, Jesus did not get it. God offered David a drink from the cup of salvation; He extended to Jesus the cup of wrath.

As I go up on the Mount of Olives with David and overhear his tearful prayers, I cannot help but see in the shadows the form of Another, weeping, betrayed, cast off by One He held dear.

You were broken that I might be healed
You were cast off that I might draw near
You were thirsty that I might come drink
Cried out in anguish that I might sing

You knew darkness that I might know light
Wept great tears that mine might be dried
Stripped of glory that I might be clothed
Crushed by Your Father to call me Your own

How deep is Your love
How high and how wide is Your mercy
How deep is Your grace
Our hearts overflow with praise
To You

~ Stephen Altrogge

Mark 14:61-62

But he remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?" And Jesus said, "I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven."

Jesus' answer shows me two things about what was going through His mind this final night before His crucifixion. First, He was looking past the cross to the glory on the other side. In the words of Hebrews 12:2, "for the joy that was set before him [He] endured the cross, despising the shame." Instead of focusing on the river, He looked across to the other shore. Even though my "trials" don't even begin to compare with His, I need to remember His example and follow it often. I can't think of a better way to kill my tendencies of avoidance, procrastination, and self-protection.

Second, His words show me that He went to the cross deliberately, of His own choosing, not as a victim or a powerless pawn. Basically, He volunteered. Where do I see that? Well, to this point in the narrative, the Council hadn't found the necessary 2-3 witnesses whose testimony agreed and thus incriminated Jesus. So finally, in desperation, the high priest asked him outright: "Are you the Messiah?" And instead of merely remaining silent or limiting Himself to a simple "Yes," Jesus answered him with an unambiguous claim to be, not only the Messiah, but God Himself! Several of the phrases He used were specific OT references to deity: "I am... Son of Man... seated at the right hand of Power... coming with clouds of heaven" (cf. Ex 3:14, Dan 7:13-14, Ps 110:1).

This means Jesus ignored the chance of protection via due legal process. Instead, He chose to incriminate Himself. The conclusion is unavoidable: He chose the cross on purpose. I'm reminded all over again that He went to Calvary deliberately, not by accident, to satisfy His Father and to make me His brother.

This, the pow'r of the cross:
Son of God—slain for us.
What a love! What a cost!
We stand forgiven at the cross.

~ Keith Getty and Stuart Townend

2 Samuel 12

The narrative of Saul’s life always frightens me. He seemed to have so much potential: he was humble (1 Sam 9:21), he had God’s Spirit on him (10:9-13), he looked the part (10:23-24), and he inspired others to follow (10:26). But he totally flamed out. He was completely rejected by God, and by the end he resorted to a séance to get anything going spiritually.

David’s life, of course, stands in sharp contrast. Everything Saul lost, David gained: God’s favor, the kingdom, popularity with the people, a lasting legacy… all of it. But today I noticed another contrast between David and Saul that I think might explain why David got it all and Saul lost it all. I noticed it in these six words from David’s mouth: “I have sinned against the Lord” (2 Sam 12:13).

Obviously, David’s sin isn’t the contrast. Admitting it is. I went back to 1 Samuel 13 and 15 and double checked, and sure enough… Every time Saul was confronted with his sin, he made excuses. He never comes right out and says, “I have sinned against the Lord” except as a last resort to impress other people (cf. 1 Sam 15:30). Saul handled his sin by rationalizing, denying, covering, ignoring, and blaming others for it. But David handled his with honest, humble confession.

What distinguishes David from Saul is not that Saul committed worse sins. No, it’s that Saul committed self-atonement for his sins. David, however, trusted another to atone for him: “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die.” (2 Sam 12:13)

What does it mean to be “a man after God’s own heart” like David? Apparently not sinlessness. Just repentance for sin and faith in Jesus Christ to forgive and cleanse.

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! Psalm 51:1-2