From what we've learned of McVeigh's attitudes and opinions, those lines probably come as close as any to a philosophy of life for him. Even to the point of ending the appeals process, McVeigh sought to be the master of his fate. Yet the irony was that for all his proclamations of self-determination, he spent the last years of his life in prison and his death orchestrated by others. His fate was certainly in the hands of others. His soul? That of course in the hands of God. In a letter written just a day before his death, he demonstrated how little he understood that truth. He wrote that if it turned out that there was an afterlife, he would "improvise, adapt and overcome." (Bonne, "Unrepentant McVeigh is executed" MSNBC.com, 6/11/01) But what I thought most fascinating in the barrage of media attention to this man’s death was the posturing in the press, the discomfort with McVeigh which demanded distancing ourselves from him. In order to stymie the sting of self-critique, McVeigh was portrayed as an animal, a mindless drone who could heartlessly refer to the children killed in his blast as "collateral damage." It becomes necessary to demonize the despicable for to allow their humanity to be seen would shatter the myth of our own goodness. McVeigh’s final statement, his fist shaken at his Creator, betrays the depth of depravity. But the attitude expressed in that poem, read at his final hour, is an attitude rampant not just in the serial killer, in the twisted miscreants who deserve death. That is the attitude of our hearts. We rarely state this rebellion so blatantly, so defiantly, yet it is seen in how we order our lives, in what we hold dear. What produced such a monster is the seed of rebellion that resides in each one of us. Henley’s poem epitomizes the attitude not only of a McVeigh, but also of the cute, yet headstrong toddler rejecting his mother’s request, the teenager casting aside her father’s wisdom, the student choosing to disregard God’s Word, the husband walking out on his wife for the arms of another woman. What must we believe, how must our thinking be reoriented, so that we do not gravitate toward our natural proclivity? What must we realize about our God so that we, in default mode, do not vainly imagine that we are the masters of our own fate, the captains of our own souls? Psalm 24 answers the affirmation of autonomy, the assertion of independence by pointing us to the Lord Almighty who is the Creator and Redeemer and who is worthy of all praise. God orders creation - verses 1-2 David begins with Creation. This starting point is often ignored, but we do so at our own peril. To neglect Creation is to forget that we exist only by God’s permission. We are not self-created, self-ordering beings; rather to be human is to belong to our Creator. These opening verses establish God’s sovereignty as a given. While philosophers and theologians may debate the relative freedom of the human will, we can not disregard that we are the creation of another and are therefore accountable to the one who made us. All belongs to God; nothing is outside His power. In order to guard against autonomy, we begin with the Lord’s dominion over creation. The earth belongs to God; we are stewards. When we speak of God’s sovereignty, we refer first and foremost to what verse 1 says: Every inch of God’s dominion is stamped with His name. Since all that is, is from God, all that is, is responsible to God. David makes it clear that God’s ownership belongs not just to the inanimate objects, but to people as well. Not just "everything" but also "all who live in it." In business thievery is a problem. To combat the pilfering of possessions, companies will often place an identification code on its property. It reminds those tempted to take the item, to pass it by and to prosecute those who do steal. God’s ownership is written on all of us and all creation. To misuse or ignore His ownership is piracy of the worst kind. It is for this reason the Creed begins with the affirmation: "I believe in God the Father, maker of heaven and earth." If our starting point misses creation, we miss our accountability to the Creator. To refuse to see that is to excuse our sin and therefore to never see the need of a savior. David further clarifies God’s supremacy over all due to his ownership in creation in verse 2. God founded and established all that which exists. There is a certainty, a permanence to creation, an order. The controlling authority of God is expressed in verse 2 in a fashion that escapes our attention as David critiques the common theories of his own day. In the ancient world it was assumed that the gods in heaven constantly battled the gods of the deep, of the oceans. Those on the land were caught in the middle of this war, whose outcome was at best uncertain. Canaanite cosmology viewed the world like a floating saucer, anchored on the waters. Yam (the sea god) and Nahar (the god of the rivers) threatened the rule of Baal’s kingship by bringing chaos to bear with their storms. David takes those names, yam and nahar and guts them of all power and authority. There is no chaos, no cosmic battle brewing in the deep. God has dominion over all aspects of creation. We might say: "God achieved order out of disorder; He made design to overcome chance." Since God orders all creation, we must consider how He orders our lives as well. To many in our culture this is an unwelcome imposition. We do not like this accountability. We think being in control is far superior to submitting to the one who designed us. Yet, to take such a view would be as though saying it is better to be an orphan on the street than living in a home with loving parents. God’s order in creation, even in the face of disaster and hardship, is what comforts us. While south Texas recovers from the blast of Hurricane Allison, we know that such events do not occur apart from God’s mysterious will. When summer storms in Wisconsin spawn tornadoes we must bow in submission to a sovereign God. This is our Father’s world. God orders redemption - verse 3-8 What is true of creation is therefore true of redemption as well. The question that is asked in verse 3 is not disjointed from verses 1-2. Rather it follows that if God orders creation, what does this mean for our approach before God? The exchange is written as though chanted responsively between worshippers and the priests at the tabernacle, as they climb from the Kiddron Valley to the high point in Jerusalem. The question asked is the question people still ask: "Who can stand before God?" Just as God exercises dominance over all His creation, just as there is order to the created realm, there is order in the moral universe as well. The two can never be separated. What does God demand of those who wish to stand in His presence? In order to appear before this God who created us, who owns us, we are told what to expect. The list makes it clear that it is impossible for anyone to muster sufficient ability to stand before such a holy God. The hands must be clean. The heart must be pure. The worship must be correct. The mind must be true. There must be moral integrity in both actions (hands) and thoughts (heart). Worship must not be empty nor values vain in order to be accepted by God. That single stray thought, no matter how quickly we turn from it, soils our soul. That ever so slightly unethical deal tarnishes any perfect record. The momentary blast of anger, the devotion to anything but God, removes us from those who may stand before our perfect God. Have you ever mistakenly trusted in that which you later found to be false? If so, any climbing to God knocks you back down. This is not a call to try harder, but a reminder of the distance between us and our God. A similar, fuller list is found in Psalm 15 which leaves each and every one of us both bloodied and bowed before God. We can not imagine anyone in light of this list imagining that they could, with Henley in his poem "Invictus," say that: Under the bludgeonings of chance – My head is bloody, but unbowed. The likely background to this Psalm is helpful. The reason for this Psalm, although not detailed in the inscription, is implied from the context. Scholars generally agree that ascending the hill, the necessity for purity, the calling for the gates to be opened, all refers to the bringing of the Ark of the Covenant into the tabernacle in Jerusalem for the first time during David’s reign. We read about this in 2 Samuel 6. The Ark, the wooden box covered in gold, was 3½’ x 2½’ x 2½’ and housed God’s Covenant with His people along with a jar of manna and Aaron's staff. It symbolized God’s presence, His kingly authority over His people. The box was more than just a storage container for memories of the past. It was a symbol of God's holiness, God's presence, and God's power at work among His people. It was the throne where God was symbolically seated to reign, the symbol of His lordship. But for years the Ark had been neglected in Israel. During Saul’s reign as king the Ark was captured by the Philistines after Israel used it as a talisman, thinking its mere presence would guarantee success. When the Philistines displayed their new trophy of war, plague swept through their land, so they returned the booty, fearing for their lives. When Israel got it back, it was moved to the village of Beth-shemesh where 70 men from the village were curious, opened a lid and were struck dead. Understandably, the Ark lay neglected for twenty years in a field. David, desiring to restore God’s honor to Israel, sought to return the Ark, but his first attempt met with disaster. Treating the throne of God as a common piece of furniture, he loaded it onto a cart and hauled it toward Jerusalem. As he ignored God’s demands that it be carried by priests and that sacrifices be offered, the Ark, en route, tottered. A man named Uzzah, concerned for God’s honor, reached out to steady it. But as well intended as he may have been, he was not one with clean hands and a pure heart. He died on the spot. With this as background, the plaintive question is asked and the weighty response is clear. At first glance we may imagine that the list given implies that such a stance is possible. If God demands it, we must then possess the ability to fulfill those demands; or there is the mistaken notion that the demands, since they are impossible, must be taken as a hyperbole, a wish list of God. God grades on a curve and as long as our hands aren’t too dirty, our hearts too impure, He’ll bless as promised in verse 5. But such twisting of the text is disallowed. Uzzah died. The demands are too great. If this is true does this then imply obedience is unnecessary and foolish to even try? No, rather we should be concerned with the conduct in our lives, but we must never mistake our relative piety meeting God’s perfect demands. We are not left without hope. Notice the language in verses 5-6; the answer is found not in what we can try to do to make God pleased with us, but what God will do to declare us acceptable. Verse 5 gives a parallel statement, so that the second half explains the first. There is a blessing from God called "vindication." To vindicate or exonerate a person is to clear them of charges. What charges would there be if they’ve met the demands of verse 4? But there is a presumption of guilt here. He receives vindication from God his Savior. A perfect person does not need a Savior, only a sinner. The option left open to a just and merciful God is to either punish the offender whose hands are filthy and heart defiled, or He may clear them of the charges by placing the offense on another. Vindication here is sadaq, the Hebrew term often translated as "righteousness." The blessing from the Lord is that the sinner is declared to be righteousness. Not that he is innocent, but that the guilty are freed because a just and merciful God provides salvation by means of placing His wrath on His one and only Son. This is the blessing received from God His Savior What are the means by which we can stand before God, know that we are accepted by Him? The answer can not be found in ordinary human piety. Being good is necessary, but we never can be good enough. We can't undo what we’ve done. What is demanded is perpetual perfect purity. We must find someone who will fit the bill, one who will meet the demands of God. That is the quest expressed in verse 6: perfect fidelity to God is found in another. That is the one who must be sought. There is an innocent one who stands before God. That is, of course, Jesus Christ. The Psalm which recalls the entrance of the Ark into the holy city as the victorious King who defeats all His enemies is fulfilled in Jesus Christ as He ascended to be seated at the right hand of God. Having conquered death and sin, He is the Lord Almighty. God orders all for His glory - verse 7-10 Having declared that the God who orders creation is the same God who orders our redemption, the Psalm calls us to join in worship of our God. God’s sovereign rule in all aspects of the universe is a reason for celebration. David takes us from the evident but frightening truth of God’s authority over us because of creation to the revealed and comforting reality of His authority in our salvation. With creation and redemption fitting together, there is a celebration as the Ark of the Covenant enters Jerusalem and the glorious rule of God is praised. That Ark, prefiguring the work of Christ, enters the Holy City as our mercy seat. It was there the blood of the lamb, sacrificed on the Day of Atonement, was sprinkled. Earlier we heard read Luke 24:44 referring to the fulfillment of what was written of Christ in the Psalms; this is one such passage. That work of Christ then guarantees our forgiveness, our acceptance, and our adoption as the children of our Heavenly Father. We have nothing then to fear. Christ enters heaven as a conquering King. Christ, strong and mighty in battle, waged a war against those chaotic forces of sin and death. He is the Lord Almighty (Yahweh Sabbaoth), the Lord of hosts. This all encompassing title for our God in verse 10 takes us back to verse 1. The God who owns all creation is the Lord who commands the hosts of heaven and earth. The Lord is the warrior King who has defeated the forces of chaos and established the order of creation. The King of the army is also our Savior. The importance of the Ascension of Christ is often little more than an appendage to His work, tagged on the end to give a proper ending to a nice story. But the Ascension is far more than that. That Christ died and rose from the dead certainly secures for us our salvation. As the Son returns to the Father and is seated at His right side we know we are secure; our standing can never be questioned. Our invincibility comes not from our ability to withstand the turmoil of life, but in the unconquerable Son of God. When William was only 12 he developed tubercular arthritis, a disease of the bone in a day and age where cures could be worse than the disease. His afflicted foot, treated by crude methods, had to be amputated directly below the knee. Worse yet, physicians announced the only way to save his life was to amputate the other also, but he fought them, unwilling to lose another leg. He spent years in the hospital, suffering, tormented. It was while lying in his hospital bed that he penned the words I quoted at the beginning of this sermon. William Henley would not be broken by his disability. While we may at first applaud his fortitude against difficult odds, his misdirected anger burned to bitter hatred toward God. He refused to believe that the God who created him was his only hope for redeeming him. So Henley, like McVeigh, refused to bow his blooded head. But bloodied heads and bloodied knees will someday bow, for you and I are not invincible. The stoic facing death without Christ has no hope, for no one may ascend that hill, no one may stand before Him. We do not possess the necessary holiness to stand unafraid at the final Judgment. Yet, fortunately, there was another, who did bow His bloodied head for us. The only unconquerable soul was crucified for us. Jesus Christ, the only one who could ever ascend to that holy place, first ascended Calvary’s hill. With clean hands and a pure heart, He is the only hope for our vindication, our righteousness. That is the one we must seek. And if we do we may then all face the horrors of the shade unafraid, for our God is the master of our fate. He is the captain of our soul. |
