Praise, then, is the most appropriate expression to God. In other words, from the womb until old age, the Psalmist has always, and will always belong to God (v. How does the Psalmist know this? By experiencing YHWH’s protection and deliverance throughout a lifetime. Verses 5 and 6 make clear that any strength the Psalmist will have does not reside in self, but in God. Here, the Psalmist is making an eschatological statement that even in the midst of powerful opposition, God will rule and prevail over that which is unjust in both the short-term as well as the long-term (v. 2 Perhaps a victim of some sort, the Psalmist trusts that God has the ability and the power to set the wicked, the unjust, and the cruel right (v. In contrast to other passages of scripture that speak metaphorically of YHWH as a high cliff or ask to be taken away to Zion, this Psalmist claims YHWH is an abode under which to take refuge (v. This pattern repeats itself in verses 9-13 and 14-17, as well as in verse 18 and 19-24.įrom the opening four verses, it is clear that the Psalmist is entirely dependent on God (v. 1-4), and follows with a statement of trust (v. ![]() The Psalmist issues an opening statement requesting help (v. The six verses laid out in this week’s lectionary passage introduce a structure that will be maintained throughout the remainder of Psalm 71. 1 Verse 21 suggests the author of the psalm could have been a leader. That individual could be David in old age shortly after Absalom’s revolt, or more likely a member of the Rechabite community in exile (see Jeremiah 35). While the suppliant is not immediately apparent, it may be that the Psalm is voiced from the perspective of an individual in a latter stage of life capable of reflecting on all stages. No matter when it is voiced, one thing is sure: the Psalm’s message of trusting and hoping in a faithful God is capable of enduring throughout the long-haul of life.Ĭompared to its predecessor Psalm 70, Psalm 71 is a less urgent plea for help and a more sturdy statement of hope and trust. Though construed as a prayer, this Psalm is primarily a declaration of an individual’s trust and hope in God that can be voiced in various life stages: birth (v. And, like so many other Psalms in the Psalter, Psalm 71 makes use of the familiar prayer pattern that moves from petition to declaration. ![]() And mostly, against all odds, they do.”Ĭould Psalm 71 be one of those rusty, bent, old tools for Christians, no matter where we find ourselves in life? It may not be a stretch to claim this Psalm as such, particularly since it borrows lines from other Psalms with frequency (e.g.: Psalm 22, 31, and 38). But then when I grew up I found that life handed you these rusty bent old tools - friendships, prayer, conscience, honesty - and said ‘do the best you can with these, they will have to do’. “It’s funny: I always imagined when I was a kid that adults had some kind of inner toolbox full of shiny tools: the saw of discernment, the hammer of wisdom, the sandpaper of patience. In the well-loved Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith, Anne Lamott writes:
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