Psalms 89 and 90: The 52 verses of Psalm 89 close out Book III of the Psalms with both a history of what was and a lament for what is now. Norman Whybray says this is a complex and composite psalm that doesn't neatly fit a genre, but it does include a divine oracle and then a lament, what he calls episodes of documenting "the glorious past and the lamentable present." Most likely, the glorious past is before the exile and destruction of Jerusalem, and the present is a time when the psalmist accuses God of having broken the covenant. Whether it is a theological or literary history, that's a pattern many of us can identify with, a grass is greener approach. Life used to be good, but now God has left me, God's face is hidden from me.
With Psalm 90, we're at the beginning of Book IV, reading the only psalm ascribed to Moses. My study Bible notes say that superscription may be trying to connect the tradition of Moses asking God to turn from wrath in Exodus 32:12 to verse 13: "Turn, O Lord! How long?"
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I've finally got back to your blog and enjoyed reading your reflections. I am very impressed with your determination and faithfulness to the project. Looking forward to your reflections next week. TC
ReplyDeleteWhat strikes me in the Psalm 89 is David as firstborn. It is easy to forget the importance of primogeniture in our modern urban society. Who would think to give the oldest son the double portion? Who would think to discriminate against daughters in favour of sons? In much of Western society, primogeniture or alternatively ultimogeniture has been preferred to partible inheritance. In some Arab cultures, once a woman has given birth she is know as umm “firstborn son’s name” -- mother of . . . A woman is defined by relationship, specifically to the firstborn son. In the Bible, Jacob steals the firstborn Esau’s birthright; Joseph’s son Ephraim receives the firstborn blessing from Jacob over firstborn Manasseh. Being the firstborn son was something to be coveted. Who God’s firstborn is changes over time. In Ex.4:22, Israel is God’s firstborn; in Psalm 89, David is God’s firstborn; in the New Testament, Jesus Christ is God’s firstborn. My own bent toward Judaism is more Mosaic than Davidic so I am comfortable with Jesus being in the tradition of Israel in the Exodus story but I am a little unsure about Jesus being in the tradition of David.
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