Psalm 44 – Kicking and Screaming
Although this it is a kids movie….Kicking and Screaming is one of my favorite and most quoted movies. It may be because I have listened to this movie over 50 times while traveling…and it is playing on the DVD in the car (but I cant see it).
One of my favorite parts of the movie is when the little league soccer coach, played by Robert Duval trades his own grandson to another team. Duvals son played by Will Farrell confronts his dad about the trade….and his dad admits…”well I didn’t GET anything for him.”
I guess this is about as low down as you can feel….David admits this is Psalm 44. He has a sense that God has turned his back on them….that his worth to God is ‘craigslist’ cheap. You know….the crap you put out by the curb with a sign that says FREE on it…..and inevitably someone will take it.
Verse 12 says, “You sold your people for a pittance, gaining nothing from their sale.”
Then is verse 26 he asks God to complete the transaction, “rise up and help us; redeem us because of your unfailing love.” The last verse of the chapter he asks this of God, not because of any worth that we have….remember we are worth a pittance….but because God’s love of us.
One of my favorite shows when I come across it is Antique Roadshow. I don’t Tivo it or anything…but I always stop on it…and watch it for a while. The premise is that people bring ‘finds’ on the show and appraisers tell them how much their stuff is worth.
I love when people say, “I found this at a garage sale…..and paid $4 for this painting” or “ this was in the back of my grandmothers closet…and it was given to her by her grandmother…..” and the appraisers will say…”well what you have here is a Rembrandt….dated the turn of the 17th century….and this is one of the better preserved of his works…and I’ll place a value at somewhere in the neighborhood of $460,000 - 500,000.”
One of the things I was reminded about in last nights sermon…was role of Peter. And when Christ called him out…and said Peter…upon a faith like yours…I will build my church….Peter stepped up his game. His self worth increased to the value that Christ saw in him.
The grandson in the movie….the benchwarmer…..the grandfather traded for nothing…..and David is saying in Psalm 44….though in your economy….I am worth a pittance… buy me back.
Today….this side of the cross…..our value should never be in question. Christ paid the ultimate price for you and me. He laid down his very life…because of his unfailing love.
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1 comment:
In reading this psalm, I was struck by how right the first half of it is, and how wrong the second half. In the first half, David says that the Lord was responsible for all of his accomplishments. I love these lines:
"It was not by their sword that they won the land, nor did their arm bring them victory; it was your right hand, your arm, and the light of your face, for you loved them."
However, I feel like David gets it wrong after that. He says that God has abandoned him and his people even though they've been faithful to God.
"Our hearts had not turned back; our feet had not strayed from your path. But you crushed us and made us a haunt for jackals and covered us over with deep darkness."
I don't buy it. It's not in the character of the God I know to act without reason. He is just, not capricious. In this passage are we seeing David's humanity coming out... that is, blaming God for our problems when really we should point the finger at ourselves?
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