Saturday, November 21, 2009

Supercilious Slogan

From My Perspective - - -

If a person is reluctant to use the Holy Bible as “the only infallible rule for faith and practice”, neither should that one use it for any political statement, sentiment or hopeful action. When people use the Bible to espouse a political philosophy or to arouse and inflame public sentiment, it is safe to say these people have gone too far. A valid hermeneutical statement is: “A Text out of its Context is a Pretext.” Also, this Catechetical thought given in response to the Question – What do the Scriptures principally teach? – the Answer is: The Scriptures principally teach what man is to believe concerning God and what duty God requires of man.” Well – along comes a current Bumper and T-Shirt Slogan suggesting that one “Pray for Obama” and uses the “text” in Psalm 109:8 to define a Political point of view and Sentiment: “May his days be few; may another take his office!” In the “context” that includes Psalm 109:9-10 the following is expressed: “May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow! May his children wander about and beg, seeking food far from the ruins they inhabit!”

Charles Haddon Spurgeon who wrote and produced the Treasury of David (a detailed commentary on all of the Psalms) more than a century ago offers this overview of Psalm 109: “In the first five verses (Psalms 109:1-5) David humbly pleads with God that he may be delivered from his remorseless and false hearted enemies. From Psalms 109:6-20, filled with a prophetic fervor, which carries him entirely beyond himself, he denounces judgment upon his foes, and then from Psalms 109:21-31 he returns to his communion with God in prayer and praise. The central portion of the Psalm in which the difficulty lies must be regarded not as the personal wish of the Psalmist in cool blood, but as his prophetic denunciation of such persons as he describes, and emphatically of one special ‘son of perdition’…” A safe instructional (hermeneutical) principle is: “Let Scripture interpret Scripture…” To properly understand the prophetic nature of Psalm 109:8-10, one must read Acts 1:15 through 20, “In those days Peter stood up…and said: Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. For he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry…For it is written in the Book of Psalms: May his camp become desolate, and let there be no one to dwell in it; and Let another take his office…” Obviously, this became the judgment upon Judas Iscariot for his disloyal and treacherous act of betraying the Lord Jesus Christ.

We know from the life of David that violence of the suggested slogan was not part of his thought-pattern or what was in his heart. A King who had set out to kill David (who had been anointed by the prophet Samuel as God’s choice to rule the nation of Israel) was King Saul. On one occasion, David had the moment and opportunity to kill King Saul. Instead, to let the King know what he could’ve done, he merely cut off a piece (a tassel) from the hem of Saul’s Royal Robe (which Saul was wearing at the time – See: I Samuel 24:4-11). David felt very convicted for his act as he stated to Saul in I Samuel 24:10, “Behold, this day your eyes have seen how the LORD gave you today into my hand in the cave. And some told me to kill you, but I spared you. I said, I will not put out my hand against my lord, for he is the Lord's anointed.” The true sentiment of David’s heart and thoughts is expressed in I Samuel 12:23-24, “As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right. But be sure to fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you.”

A Supercilious Slogan conveys that the one embracing the slogan views another from a perspective that is “haughtily disdainful or contemptuous…” Perhaps the “failing to Pray For You” is more of the issue that allows for the trends of our time. If one wants to quote from the Holy Bible, such a one should make the Holy Bible the foundation for his/her life. Quite simply – Live It before you Quote From It! Consider these things with me!

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