Week of November 10

We are at war! No, a rogue nation has not crossed a “red line,” but we are engaged in daily conflict. As the comic strip Pogo once famously stated, “We have met the enemy and it is us.” I opened my social media threads this morning and was hit with a barrage of venomous rhetoric in what are often claimed to be trusted news sources. The psalmist reminds us that war does not take place solely on battlefields, but also in our daily relationships! The writer has been attacked by slanderous enemies, and he is in distress. Therefore, he cries out for God to bring shalom into all areas of life.

We should notice that he seeks de-escalation of the conflict by actively seeking peace. He was not a pacifist; instead, he was a peace activist. Perhaps we have not thought of peace in quite this way, nor have we seen it as an active response to hurtful words. So, our understanding of this key virtue needs to be stretched greatly, and Psalm 120 will help us to do so.

Choose peace as a first response. “The peace-loving psalmist was distressed at the slanders spoken against him, but was certain that God would save him” (HCBC). The circumstances were close-quarter attacks, not with weapons, but with words. I hasten to write that the psalmist’s cry is upward, not outward. He does not respond in kind to his attackers; instead, he cries out to God to bring peace into the situation. We shall soon see that there are certain steps to peace. First, however, we can discover a pattern to the psalm that fits a lifestyle of peace. Psalm 120 has been termed a “Song of Ascents” or “Pilgrim Song,” which may mean that it was sung while the exiles were returning from Babylon. If this interpretation is accurate, Israel had endured brutal war-crimes and deportations, decades-long displacement, and a return to a homeland in total disrepair. A longing for the covenant peace of their homeland was a catalyst for their return. 

Pour out bitterness in prayer and praise to God, but not with bile dished out upon your enemies. The psalm is a complaint by an individual who has been persecuted by his enemies. Some scholars believe the step-like progression through the psalm was useful to worshipers as they walked in the temple precincts to move from one court to another. However, most interpreters believe it was used as worshipers ascended the hill to the temple (EBC). So, this hymn became a part of the Great Hallel psalms and was very likely sung during the three annual festivals (Psalms120-136). How wonderful to think that worshipers sang about peace when so much around them was about war. If ever there is a need for this psalm, it is today!

Steps to peace

Let’s walk with the psalmist of peace. The first step along the pathway to peace is to empty our hearts’ complaints to the Father, rather than set our jaws against our neighbors (v. 1). Jesus was slandered by His enemies, yet He did not return insult for insult (1 Peter 2:23). We are called to this same ministry (1 Peter 3:13-16). The author of the song places the phrase “on the Lord” in such a position that God becomes one upon whom he is solely dependent in his hour of great distress. We have every opportunity to do the same and we also have the additional benefit of the Holy Spirit’s aid (Luke 12:11-12). 

Secondly, our next step on the pathway to peace is to take the active step of praying through the situation (vv. 2-4). Notice that while he is absolutely assured God will respond favorably in verse 1, he still encounters suffering in verses 2-4. He tells God that he has been falsely accused and dealt with treacherously. Rather than lash out against these verbal assailants, he prays and asks God in an oath-like way to judge them (v. 3). They were hurling words like fiery arrows made from the broom tree that flourished there, so he prays for God to do something, like uproot the tree, for the sake of His honor (v. 4; cf. EBC). This was an eye-for-an-eye form of justice (lex talionis); whereas now we are to pray for our enemies to experience God’s mercy and grace (Matthew 5:44). 

Thirdly, our pathway to peace includes being realistic about the situation—it is bad. Do not sugarcoat the circumstances when falsehood is at the root of the problems you face. He uses two barbaric locations—Meshech and Kedar—to describe the intensity of his desperation. His enemies are no better than the godless people who lived in these places. Do not miss the point: Even though he has a permanent abode, he feels as though he is a sojourner among his people! With reverence for God’s sovereignty, we can feel free, like the psalmist, to lay our situations clearly on the line. 

Finally, take the active step of calling on God to restore the peace (vv. 6-7). Yes, it is a positive, active response to pursue peace. Cry out for shalom even amid your agony (v. 6). In his whole being—because this is the meaning of shalom—he prays for the establishment of peace. If you and I have trouble making peace, then invite the Prince of Peace to do it through you. There are times like today, when only the Lord can intervene to bring about peace. Invoke His name and His aid in every circumstance where there is war.

I am amazed at some of the slanderous words Christians are using across the social media platforms “X” and Facebook. I am equally surprised at the manner with which believers speak about other brothers and sisters in Christ. Just as there is a tempo to this psalm, there is a rhythm to the life of peace. And we need to find it!

Here is a spiritual application. Just as the “Little Engine That Could” struggled up the hill repeating “I think I can, I think I can,” we must struggle up the hill of slander by repeating, “With peace I can, with peace I can!” We must keep in mind that peacemaking is a virtue and a fruit of the Spirit, so we are already equipped to respond to hurtful words and actions with the plowshares of peace (Matthew 5:9; Galatians 5:22; Ephesians 6:15, “gospel of peace”). Take the pathway of peace today.

1. Consider your response to some future conflict. Each of us has what I will term a “default decision-making” process. Many of our chosen responses to conflict are merely reactions learned in our childhood homes, but not necessarily from the Lord. Be led by the Spirit to choose the way of peace.

2. For Families: Sometimes even the most devout Christian household erupts in agitation, robbing its family of peace. When this happens to your children, pray first, and then address the cause of the upset. After the dust settles, ask your family members to follow the steps to peace with a pencil and paper.

Make sure everyone has letter-writing paper and a pen or pencil. If you have little ones, provide crayons too. Now, invite everyone to write a letter to God, telling Him all about what happened to rob your family of peace. Encourage your youngest children to draw what they were feeling during the tumult.

The first step is to tell God what happened. The next steps are to pray about the situation, admit that your family needs help, and then ask Him to bring you all His peace. After the letters have been written, gather as a family and thank God for His peace, and ask Him to teach your family to walk in His ways.

May your paths be straight,
Larry C. Ashlock