“A pretty dismal ‘track record’”

By Rev. Michael Stonhouse

Meditation – Monday, November 27, 2023

Psalm 106 (Forward, p. 29) CEV p. 621

Whether in sports contract talks or employment interviews or a parole board, a person’s previous ‘track record’ becomes very, very relevant. The idea is that how a person has ‘performed’ or behaved in the past is a pretty good indicator of what to expect of the person in the future. This is, of course, anything but infallible—just think of the athletes who simply ‘come unto their own’ with a new coach or a new franchise—but even so, it is still thought of as being pretty reliable an indicator.

So, what about Israel’s track record in terms of its faithfulness to the God who rescued them from slavery in Egypt and cared for them in such amazing and wonderful ways over the years? I must say that it is pretty dismal—at least, according to the catalogue of misdeeds described in today’s psalm. Just note a few of them:

a) Their murmuring against Moses at the Red [Reed] (verses 6-12 (see Exodus 14:10-12);

b) Their continual grouching about food in the wilderness (verses 13-15)

(see Exodus 16:1-3 for just one instance);

c) The rebellion of Dathan and Abiram against the leadership of Moses and Aaron, God’s appointed servants (verses 16-18) (see Numbers 16:1-35);

d) Their apostasy with the golden calf (verses 19-23) (see Exodus 32);

e) Their turning to other gods and idols; even to the point of sacrificing their own children to them (verses 28-31, 34-39) (see Numbers 25:1-13 and 2 Kings 16:3);

f) And sadly, even Moses fell prey to frustration and angry at their continual murmuring and faithlessness, and acted rashly, with the result that he and Aaron were barred from entering the Promised Land (verses 32-33) (see Numbers 20:10-12).

The Hebrew Scriptures are quite explicit about the failings of God’s people and freely admits them. Furthermore, they admit that God was totally in the right for punishing them for their misdeeds and that God was incredibly fair and loving in saving them over and over again from their folly. And so,

now, as before, they ask for His mercy and forgiveness and praise Him for His ever-present goodness and love towards them.

All of this, for me at least, begs a question, a very pertinent one, it would seem. The question is this: if God was to draw up a list of charges against us, a list of our failings as His Church, as His redeemed people, what would that list look like? What would He count as our failings, our sins? Or, put another way—returning to our original image—what would our track record look like? I suspect that it would not be overly pretty.

So, maybe this is something well worth taking the time to ponder and pray over—especially as we remember yesterday’s theme of Christ as King and stand at the verge of Advent and Christmas, and the start of a new church year. Come, let us do this together. Amen.

Forward notes: “Remember me, O Lord, with the favour you have for your people, and visit me with your saving help; That I may see the prosperity of your elect and be glad with the gladness of your people, that I may glory with your inheritance” (verses 4-5).

“’Anyone can sympathize with the sufferings of a friend,’ said the Irish poet Oscar Wilde, ‘but it takes a very fine nature to sympathize with a friend’s success.’

“As a writer, I can attest to the truth of Wilde’s observation; I have never begrudged my friends their successes, but the green-eyed monster has feasted itself fat on them. And yet, the psalmist says he will be ‘glad with the gladness of your people.’ This is no zero-sum game, no pie chart, no winners and losers. Over time, I’ve learned that the ‘prosperity of (God’s) elect’ is more like stone soup; when everyone prospers and contributes what they can, everyone feasts alike, and everyone is glad. We are God’s inheritance; when I glory in that, I glory in everyone.”

Moving Forward: “Do you find yourself envious of others? Pray for wisdom to truly revel in their success.”

A concluding note or two: as much as our author is ‘dead on’ in terms of truly appreciating and applauding the success and achievements of others and not being jealous or envious of them, he is totally ‘off the mark’ in terms of the overall thrust of this passage. What our psalmist is celebrating in

verses 4-5 is not their success or achievement but the Lord’s doings in holding on to them as His people, even in their hopelessly fallen state, and saving and redeeming them. So, it is the Lord he is lauding, not them, and so too should we.