Reaction to Steadfast Love
By Anthony Casperson
6-22-24
Quite a number of YouTubers build their channels upon reaction videos. Whether TV shows, movies, or books, these presenters react to some form of media. And while some just ride the hype wave, many give their opinion in reviews, synopses, fan theories, or section-by-section analyses.
If you’ve watched any number of fan theorists or those who dig deeply in their analysis, then you’ve likely witnessed someone confound you with the depths of their words. What they say is nothing like the popular opinion on the work. Or their zoomed in lens on a particular part is so redefining of their subject that you start to wonder how anyone could’ve ever seen it. Especially when you would’ve never gotten that idea in a million years.
In a way, this summer’s blog series is meant to do the same type of thing. Redefine our view of God, past the typical perspective of our day. The incorrect interpretation that there’s something different about Yahweh between the Old Testament and the New Testament.
And perhaps, you’ve looked at the last two weeks’ blogs thinking that I was doing a poor job of stretching NT grace over OT wrath. After all, both the Exodus 34 and Numbers 13-14 passages showed God’s justice through his punishments, all while saying that he’s merciful and gracious, abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.
Many among us would point to the powering up of divine wrath in both passages—though, especially in Numbers 14—and question how that could be merciful and gracious and loving and faithful. And no amount of words about God waiting to forgive would make such individuals change their minds.
However, I would posit that I’m not the only one to look at those two passage and bow in worship to such an amazingly loyal God. And shout forth praise to the God who longs to forgive even as he bangs the gavel in justice against all sin.
I say that I’m not the only one because there is a person from the time of the Old Testament who meditated on one or both of the passages in question, whose reaction was to sing a song of praise to this God.
That person? David.
Psalm 86 is what I would call an old-time reaction “video” to Exodus 34 and Numbers 13-14. And David issn’t just hyping up God’s self-proclaimed bio. No, he dives deep into the words. And leads us to the comforting perspective found in them. Comfort particularly coming from God’s steadfast love. His covenant loyalty.
We could separate the seventeen verses of Psalm 86 into three sections. In each of which we see David use the single Hebrew word that’s honestly difficult to put into English. That steadfast love/covenant loyalty/lovingkindness/grace and et cetera. Because of this purposeful repetition of the word, we can understand that this steadfast love is the central core to his deep dive into the words of Exodus 34 and/or Numbers 13-14.
The first of these sections is found in verses 1-7. Here, we find the reaction that David has at the truth that God is merciful and gracious, abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. A reaction that’s self reflective.
These verses remind us that we’re poor and needy people with whom God wants to share his covenant loyalty. And the only reason why we can be godly and holy—anything other than miserable wretches who deserve his wrath—is because he offers his lovingkindness to us.
In verse 2, David calls himself “godly.” This exact term is from the same family of words as the “steadfast love” that that’s core to this song of praise. This means that only because of God’s loyalty to his covenant, can we then be loyal to it as well. It’s only because he’s been gracious that we can be recipients of grace. Only be holy because he is holy.
We can witness this aspect of reliance on God’s grace throughout these seven verses. David calls himself poor and needy. And the Lord’s servant—multiple times. He cries out for grace, joy, and preserving of his life. These are the words of the lesser party in a covenant calling the greater one to live out his part of the terms.
When we take a moment to look at the covenant loyalty of God, we’re reminded of our lowly place. Even as God lifts us up through his promised grace. It should make us look at ourselves as those only standing because of the steadfast love of the Lord. Without it, we’d find only his wrathful justice.
Part of the reason why so many question how God can be loving when he pours out his wrath is because we assume that we’re good at heart. That we deserve his grace for some reason internal to ourselves. But the truth is, for those who see God’s covenant loyalty in the perspective of holiness, we should realize that his grace is totally because of his own character. And is in spite of us. Despite our sinfulness.
We deserve his wrath. But because he’s loving, he offers covenant loyalty to we who seek his forgiveness.
When we look at it from the right perspective, being saved from his wrath is the exception. His grace should lead us to thankfulness for not getting what we deserve. It’s not love vs. wrath. Rather it’s love in spite of deserved wrath.
Verse 5 gives that to us the clearest. The reason why David can even be heard by God is because the Lord is, “good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon [him].” That forgiveness to thousands from Exodus 34:7—and showcased while Moses stood as representative of forgiveness-seeker in Numbers 14—is integral to God’s covenant loyalty. Our calling upon him in forgiveness is how we find his grace.
David’s exact word for “forgiving” in verse 5 is only found here in the whole of the OT. But the family of words it belongs to always and only refer to forgiveness from God. It’s so much a part of his character that none other can claim to perform this action. And this precise type of forgiveness is the same spoken of in Exodus 34 and Numbers 14. (Hence, my conclusion that David had to be looking at one or both of these passages for this psalm.)
While verses 1-7 point to our place in light of God, the second section—verses 8-13—lift our eyes to this gracious and forgiving God.
There are none like him. No other god is worthy of praise and worship and glory. His works are wondrous. He teaches. And delivers us from evil.
In verses 11-12, David expresses his desire to learn from God. Only God. With a heart that’s undivided in attention. And why is this David’s cry to his amazing God? Because he wants to walk in God’s truth. Be faithful like the one who is defined by steadfast love and faithfulness.
Yahweh’s the only one from whom we can find truth. The only one through whom we can learn total faithfulness. It’s because of this loving and faithful God that we can know what’s right and wrong. What is righteous and what is in need of forgiveness.
It’s only because of his steadfast love that we can realize the fact that we need forgiveness. The covenant loyalty that is great towards his people, as verse 13 tells us.
While many would stop looking once they viewed themselves and God in covenantal relationship, David doesn’t end his thoughts about God’s lovingkindness there. In the third part of this song of praise—from verses 14-17—he views others in relation to God’s grace. The forgiveness needed by those who stand opposed to God. Yahweh’s attending to the sins of the father to the third and fourth generation, as Exodus 34:7 speaks.
Remember, that word for visiting/attending isn’t about pouring down wrath upon someone, but a superior seeking the benefit of those under his care. Even though generational sins will abound, God doesn’t ever stop offering forgiveness. Generation after generation. He’ll still offer it regardless of how often our ancestors rejected it.
And David looks at those who seek his death—those opposed to God’s plan of restoration through his chosen king—and finds people who need to see Yahweh’s deeds. When David asks for God to give a sign in verse 7, it’s not in order for the psalmist to feel seen and heard. But so that those who hate him will see God’s work and be ashamed.
So that they might, in their shame, seek the restorative forgiveness offered by God to them.
Yes, David wants safety from the harm set against him. But he knows that this merciful and gracious God who is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness is willing to forgive any who seek it. Because we all we once enemies of God’s restorative plan. All once doomed for wrath, until we found the justly loving God who offered forgiveness to us.
In Psalm 86, we witness a man after God’s own heart sing the praise of Yahweh, whose bio is “a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” We find that same man view his own need, God’s glory, and forgiveness offered to his enemies. All in the light of the steadfast love/covenant loyalty/lovingkindness/grace of God.
The amazing grace that could save a wretch like me. And like all of us.
It’s only grace because we deserved wrath. In our poor and needy state, forgiveness was all that we could hope for. And because of his grace—only because of his character—he offers forgiveness. If we seek it.
When we see God’s wrath, let’s not assume that it shows him as bad or wrong. Rather, let’s sing songs of praise as it reminds us of the forgiveness offered because of his grace. And pray that those who are his enemies might realize his visitation of forgiveness for them through it.
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