EPISODE · Jun 11, 2017
Uncommon Ground – Psalm 70
from Providence Community Church · host Ken Carlton
Psalm 70 is a refrain from Psalm 40. A virtually verbatim echo of verses 13-17 of the prior song. Psalm 40 contains direct Messianic fulfillment as Hebrews 10 recognizes its foretelling of the incarnation. The messianic allusions extend to the rest of Psalm 40 and Ps 70 as well as we recognize the attitude of the unbeliever mirrored in its hatred of Jesus, not to mention His physical lineage (David) and spiritual lineage (all united to Him by faith). Ps 40 and 70 stand as counter-examples to the all-to-common tendency in our modern day of seeking common ground with the world and the enemies of Christ. While common ground of a certain type certainly exists (Original sin, Adam's federal headship, image of God, all are without excuse, all have suppressed the Law of God written on their conscience), these points of contact are not the popular emphasis, instead, we often seek to minimize our peculiarity in a world of self-worshipping unbelief. We do this through compromise, false ecumenism, and syncretism etc.. This is a tendency worth fighting against in every age. Edward Gibbon in “The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire” said of the doomed state: “The various modes of worship, which prevailed in the Roman world were all considered by the people as equally true, by the philosophers as equally false; and by the magistrate as equally useful.” Men sought then what they try to do now... to flatten out true distinctions and find consensus in the idolatry of their common experience seeking to transcend God. Little wonder the one religion Rome could not tolerate was the only power holding the pieces together when she imploded. Let us turn to Ps 70 to help us fight in our time.
What this episode covers
Psalm 70 is a refrain from Psalm 40. A virtually verbatim echo of verses 13-17 of the prior song. Psalm 40 contains direct Messianic fulfillment as Hebrews 10 recognizes its foretelling of the incarnation. The messianic allusions extend to the rest of Psalm 40 and Ps 70 as well as we recognize the attitude of the unbeliever mirrored in its hatred of Jesus, not to mention His physical lineage (David) and spiritual lineage (all united to Him by faith). Ps 40 and 70 stand as counter-examples to the all-to-common tendency in our modern day of seeking common ground with the world and the enemies of Christ. While common ground of a certain type certainly exists (Original sin, Adam's federal headship, image of God, all are without excuse, all have suppressed the Law of God written on their conscience), these points of contact are not the popular emphasis, instead, we often seek to minimize our peculiarity in a world of self-worshipping unbelief. We do this through compromise, false ecumenism, and syncretism etc.. This is a tendency worth fighting against in every age. Edward Gibbon in “The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire” said of the doomed state: “The various modes of worship, which prevailed in the Roman world were all considered by the people as equally true, by the philosophers as equally false; and by the magistrate as equally useful.” Men sought then what they try to do now... to flatten out true distinctions and find consensus in the idolatry of their common experience seeking to transcend God. Little wonder the one religion Rome could not tolerate was the only power holding the pieces together when she imploded. Let us turn to Ps 70 to help us fight in our time.
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Uncommon Ground – Psalm 70
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