I have a few favourite books of the Word. They are books I can't help but come back to repeatedly, and certain chapters have always pulled me back. Book of Isaiah and the book of John have always been favourites. Isaiah for the full revelation of the human nature and nature of Christ and the poetic imagery of that message and the book of John because of how personable he reveals Christ.
As I read David and his condemnation of the wicked person and how he cannot come into the presence of God and there is no hope for him, I remembered Isaiah 55: 6-7:
Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
David speaks of his own experience, he an individual person against many. Isaiah speaks of Israel's experience, and he speaks for a multitude. When I read David, I feel like I looking into the thoughts of someone born and raised in the Church - they are in their younger years and their spiritual and life experience is a bit straightforward, no areas of grey. Reading Isaiah is like looking into the thoughts of an older Christian who has left behind the idealistic youthful years and struggles with God on a regular basis and questions the entire Christian walk. They know God exists but they struggle with their view of the world around them and the view of God and consolidating that information into their identity.
I guess this is my way of coping with reading Psalms. There are times it drives me dithers just because I can't entirely embrace what I am reading - I heavily question David's voice. Questioning his absolute statements with other part of the Bible is what's keeping me sane in reading through the early parts of Psalms.
Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment