Psalm Photos - 75 - Pride

Psalm 75

We give thanks to you, O God; we give thanks; your name is near. People tell of your wondrous deeds.

At the set time that I appoint I will judge with equity.

When the earth totters, with all its inhabitants, it is I who keep its pillars steady. Selah

I say to the boastful, “Do not boast,” and to the wicked, “Do not lift up your horn;

do not lift up your horn on high, or speak with insolent neck.”

For not from the east or from the west and not from the wilderness comes lifting up;

but it is God who executes judgment, putting down one and lifting up another.

For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup with foaming wine, well mixed; he will pour a draught from it, and all the wicked of the earth shall drain it down to the dregs.

But I will rejoice forever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.

All the horns of the wicked I will cut off, but the horns of the righteous shall be exalted.

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This Psalm had several strange words and phrases - horn and “insolent neck.” I’ve been wrestling with these words all day today. Eventually, I came to an understanding of what they are meaning - horn focusing on one’s strength and insolent neck being a connection to the “stiff-necked” that some in the OT are described as being. In what or in whom do we place our strength? In what or in whom do we have confidence? Are our necks so stiff that we are not willing to allow our eyes or head to be turned to see what is around or before us?

This picture is one of humility - it was taken as a part of a interactive worship experience we did where this station was the anointing of Jesus’ feet by the woman at Bethany - a deep act of humility. Are we willing to bend our necks down in humility before God and before others? Are we willing to have our strength not be found in ourselves but instead in God?