Tuesday 05 September 2023

Psalm 117

Background

In the Old Testament holiness can be about special places, behaviours, rituals or people. Most importantly though, it is the character of God, and so what his people should also be like – verse 16 quotes Leviticus 11:44 – "Be holy, for I am holy." Christians' behaviour is to mirror the character of God, which will make them stand out from people around them. It is as if they are living in exile in a foreign culture (v.17), which links to several key Old Testament episodes.

It is encouraging for the Christians first receiving this letter – they are facing persecution and feel like outsiders, but this is to be expected as they are living in a way that shows God’s character to a culture that does not know about it.

As they face danger and suffering, they are assured that their faith is based on a firm foundation in Jesus Christ. The death of Christ was like a ‘ransom’ from being captive to unhelpful, ungodly ways of living. Their freedom has been bought with ‘the precious blood of Christ’ (v.19). This way of understanding the effects of Christ’s death has resonance elsewhere in the New Testament (eg Jesus’ own words in Mark 10:45).

By putting their faith in Jesus who died and rose for their sake they can respond to God’s loving plan by themselves having "genuine mutual love… deeply from the heart" (v. 22). Christian friendships and community life should display God’s own loving character. To begin this new life of love is like being ‘born anew’ (v. 23) and is not reliant on human effort, but on the word of God. ‘Word’ here in Greek is logos – it is not just about the words of the Bible, but about God’s will, God’s plan, God’s logic (an English word with the same Greek root). This word ‘endures for ever’ (quoting Isaiah 40:6-8) and is the ‘good news’ about Jesus Christ (v. 25).

To Ponder:

• How can Christian love demonstrate God’s character to our culture? How do Christians stand out?
• What behaviours make people captive now? How might people be set free by faith in Christ, as if a ransom has been paid for their freedom? 

Prayer

Loving God, we pray for people who feel trapped and held captive by harmful lifestyles and behaviours. May they receive the gift of love and find freedom. We pray that we can know genuine mutual love in our relationships and communities, and that we might be able to communicate your love to others. Amen.