Proper 9
Preaching
Aids To The Psalms
Exploring The Message
I have found my servant David;
with my holy oil I have anointed him;
my hand shall always remain with him;
my arm also shall strengthen him.
The enemy shall not outwit him,
the wicked shall not humble him.
I will crush his foes before him
and strike down those who hate him.
My faithfulness and steadfast love shall be with him;
and in my name his horn shall be exalted.
I will set his hand on the sea
and his right hand on the rivers.
He shall cry to me,
"You are my father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation!"
I will make him the firstborn,
the highest of the kings of the earth.
Forever I will keep my steadfast love for him,
and my covenant with him will stand firm.
I will establish his line forever,
and his throne as long as the heavens endure.
If his children forsake my law
and do not walk according to my ordinances,
if they violate my statutes
and do not keep my commandments,
then I will punish their transgression with the rod
and their iniquity with scourges;
but I will not remove from him my steadfast love,
or be false to my faithfulness.
I will not violate my covenant,
or alter the word that went forth from my lips.
Once and for all I have sworn by my holiness;
I will not lie to David.
His line shall continue forever,
and his throne endure before me like the sun.
It shall be established forever like the moon,
an enduring witness in the skies. Selah
Alternate Image
The Singer sits looking at a rock. He gazes on an immense rock
rising out of the sea. It looks solid and substantial, a fortress
against the crashing seas. The rock suddenly topples over and
falls into the sea. The Singer and others look on dumbfounded.
Shaking his head in bewilderment the Singer moves down the
road. On the road a woman spies him and runs to him with open
arms. She grabs him in a great hug and exclaims: "I've found you.
Oh, this makes me very happy. I have such great plans for you.
You will be the rock of my design. You are essential to my grand
design." The Singer looks at her in amazement. "Don't worry," she
says. "I will always be with you to help you with your
responsibilities." With that the woman kisses him on the forehead
and moves on down the road and rapidly vanishes from sight.
The Singer stands in the middle of the road. He is bewildered
and at the same time resolute. He is confused and also feels a
clear direction and purpose. He feels as though he has been
touched by God.
Reflection
What can we count on in the world? Not much. Even things that
look as stable as the Rock of Gibraltar can vanish in the blink
of an eye. And in a transitory world, who are we? Our lives, in
the course of the history of the universe, are mere specks. When
we view ourselves against the backdrop of the cosmos we seem so
insignificant and tiny and lost.
Each one of us is as essential to God's plan as was David, the
prophets, the apostles or even Christ himself. Each of us has
great power because our God has great power. Each of us can be
loyal and steadfast and keepers of the covenant because God is
steadfast and loyal to us. Because of God's intent and care for
us, we are the rocks that can easily shed the torrents of the sea
that may cascade over us but cannot topple or destroy us.
with my holy oil I have anointed him;
my hand shall always remain with him;
my arm also shall strengthen him.
The enemy shall not outwit him,
the wicked shall not humble him.
I will crush his foes before him
and strike down those who hate him.
My faithfulness and steadfast love shall be with him;
and in my name his horn shall be exalted.
I will set his hand on the sea
and his right hand on the rivers.
He shall cry to me,
"You are my father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation!"
I will make him the firstborn,
the highest of the kings of the earth.
Forever I will keep my steadfast love for him,
and my covenant with him will stand firm.
I will establish his line forever,
and his throne as long as the heavens endure.
If his children forsake my law
and do not walk according to my ordinances,
if they violate my statutes
and do not keep my commandments,
then I will punish their transgression with the rod
and their iniquity with scourges;
but I will not remove from him my steadfast love,
or be false to my faithfulness.
I will not violate my covenant,
or alter the word that went forth from my lips.
Once and for all I have sworn by my holiness;
I will not lie to David.
His line shall continue forever,
and his throne endure before me like the sun.
It shall be established forever like the moon,
an enduring witness in the skies. Selah
Alternate Image
The Singer sits looking at a rock. He gazes on an immense rock
rising out of the sea. It looks solid and substantial, a fortress
against the crashing seas. The rock suddenly topples over and
falls into the sea. The Singer and others look on dumbfounded.
Shaking his head in bewilderment the Singer moves down the
road. On the road a woman spies him and runs to him with open
arms. She grabs him in a great hug and exclaims: "I've found you.
Oh, this makes me very happy. I have such great plans for you.
You will be the rock of my design. You are essential to my grand
design." The Singer looks at her in amazement. "Don't worry," she
says. "I will always be with you to help you with your
responsibilities." With that the woman kisses him on the forehead
and moves on down the road and rapidly vanishes from sight.
The Singer stands in the middle of the road. He is bewildered
and at the same time resolute. He is confused and also feels a
clear direction and purpose. He feels as though he has been
touched by God.
Reflection
What can we count on in the world? Not much. Even things that
look as stable as the Rock of Gibraltar can vanish in the blink
of an eye. And in a transitory world, who are we? Our lives, in
the course of the history of the universe, are mere specks. When
we view ourselves against the backdrop of the cosmos we seem so
insignificant and tiny and lost.
Each one of us is as essential to God's plan as was David, the
prophets, the apostles or even Christ himself. Each of us has
great power because our God has great power. Each of us can be
loyal and steadfast and keepers of the covenant because God is
steadfast and loyal to us. Because of God's intent and care for
us, we are the rocks that can easily shed the torrents of the sea
that may cascade over us but cannot topple or destroy us.
