01/12/2022 – Day 319 – Psalms 131 – 133 / “A Childlike Spirit”, shining a light on 131:1…
Last cycle, we had a post on this reading as well; just search on “Day 319” to call it up. So, this morning, I am exploring the Truth in minutiae. Why? Because it speaks to an area I should look out for. Let’s look at the first verse in our reading, 131:1: “Lord my heart is not proud; my eyes are not haughty. I do not get involved with things too great or too difficult for me.”
First , John Gill’s commentary on the verse:
https://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/gills-exposition-of-the-bible/psalms-131-1.html
I am going to the end of the verse commentary to highlight the area that I am looking at:
“He contemplated the wonderful make and frame of his body, the texture, symmetry, and use of each of its parts; he observed the wonderful providences of God towards him ever since he had a being; and particularly he took notice of the wonderful love of God to him, and remembered and talked of, and declared, the wonderful works of grace and redemption; but not things above his capacity, out of his reach, and which are secret, or not clearly revealed: and such things we should be content to be ignorant of, or not to have adequate ideas of, or be capable of accounting for; as the being and perfections of God, particularly his immensity and eternity; the mode of subsisting of the Persons in the Godhead; the generation of the Son and procession of the Spirit; the incarnation of Christ, and the union of the two natures in him; present providences, unsearchable and past finding out; and future things, especially the times and seasons of them; see ( Psalms 139:6 ) .”
This section is prefaced with an appropriate reference to Job: 42: 1-5. Job speaking to God: “You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me.’ My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefor I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.”
My Apologetics Study Bible short footnote may also help to bring this home:
“Ps 131 This short Palsm contains an implicit warning not to become too involved in trying to understand the mystery of God (see Deuteronomy 29:29; Psalm 139:6). It is enough to rely on Him as His child — the psalmist dared to use the picture of a mother to convert his thought (see Hosea 11: 1-4; Luke 12:34). The speaker saw himself as a member of his larger worshiping community (Psalm 131:3).”
I would submit that our childlike understanding extends into heaven and eternity. In other words, it is a good thing we have all of eternity to completely understand the Triune God, for that is how long it will take us. And, Soli Deo Gloria for that as well…
Perhaps I should have left it with just my footnote in “The Evidence Bible” (NKJV):
“Beware of ‘intellectual Christianity.’ It is easy to be puffed up with a theology that forgets ‘the simplicity that is in Christ’ (2 Corinthians 11:3). The quality of our Christian theology will be evidenced by the depth of our concern for the lost.” So indeed , I could test this to myself by asking was it ill advised to spend one hour last night listening to Jordan Peterson’s lecture on “The Logos” at Ephesus. I would argue that in fact it very well could be priceless, in that it cried out for concern for our lost future brothers and sisters in Christ.
Always connected through prayer and His grace…