December 7: Destruction Comes to Those Who Don't Fear the Lord
♫ Music:
Day 9 - Monday, December 7
Title: DESTRUCTION COMES TO THOSE WHO DON’T FEAR THE LORD
Scripture: Psalm 2:9-11
Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
Poetry:
Meditation on Soteriology
by Karen An-Hwei Lee
The poet is in labor.
—Denise Levertov
I confess the obvious, my inadequacy to
translate
famine to bread to feed all the hungry children on
earth.
Wish I could invent a happiness machine or dollar
tree
blossoming with nontaxable revenue for small
businesses.
Wish for a thousand bitcoins, wild doves of aqueous
tongues,
non-walled paradises of flora and flame, psalms of
untilled
ardor, testimonies on fevered inkstone. Inner voice
says,
Aren’t you asking whether there is a soul
or whether souls may be
saved?
Wish I could do more than arrange inklings into
lines,
whisper God’s love into our millennial vanity as
labor.
Wish I cobbled heels of solace at funerals for
mothers.
In a vision, Jesus is younger than I am now,
bleeding
on iron pikes driven to bone. See a letter in the
shape
of a T-square, pin on pin. Wonderful how he fulfills
his divine assignment, what he is called to do.
Night
drops like a black lily—
the labor is finished.
THE KING WHO DESTROYS
At the head of the Psalms stands the King (Ps. 2) with his law (Ps. 1). The Lord in his goodness gives his people the law to meditate on day and night, that they might flourish like riverside trees. He gives them a king, too.
Despite the pageantry and triumph associated with royalty, kings are not always good news. At times spoiled, at others ruthless, they seldom keep their eye on the good of their people. When Israel first asked for a king, they made it clear that they weren’t interested in the reign of God. They wanted a Pharaoh, a Caesar – just like all the other nations. The Lord let them have their way, let them experience life under the thumb of the power-hungry, the wayward, the wicked. Quickly, the kingdom itself was divided; then, it was no more, as God’s people scattered in exile. And so Israel became just all the other nations.
But this king will be different. This king will establish justice and peace in his kingdom and in all the earth. In Psalm 2, we get a rare peek at what’s to come, as the Lord says to his anointed king, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you.” God will give the nations to this one; the ends of the earth will be his possession. The Lord instructs his Son, the King: “Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”
I find myself wondering about these words. The Son will “break” and “dash…in pieces” the nations. The language of destruction seems ill-fitting to the one we await during Advent. He is the one sent so that whoever believes in him might have life. But here, the Lord anticipates his kingly Son’s shattering of the nations. I wonder how the one Isaiah called the prince of peace can also be the king of calamity.
What we do know is that the end of all this will be the establishment of the universal reign of the Lord’s anointed in a kingdom of justice and peace. No longer will we see the never-ending, nauseating tug-of-war, as nation destroys nation destroys nation destroys nation. This king will be king over all, the king of kings. No one will usurp his throne; there will be no coup. No rivals will arise to wrest the crown away from him. And his judgment over all others will be swift and final.
The psalmist’s warning is apt: “Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.” After all, perhaps there is time for repentance, time to declare allegiance to the Lord’s king.
Prayer:
O coming King, we await your arrival with joy and fear. You, and you alone, are the Lord. We declare our allegiance to you, the good and mighty king over all the earth. Come quickly.
Amen.
Matt Jenson
Professor of Theology
Torrey Honors College
Biola University
For more information about the artwork, music, and poetry selected for this day, we have provided resources under the “About” tab located next to the “Devotional” tab.
About the Artwork:
War and Pieces (multiple views of installation)
Bouke de Vries
2012
8th, 19th, and 20th-century porcelain, plastic, sprayed plaster, Perspex, steel, aluminum, gilded brass, and mixed media
Various installation venues
A former conservator of art objects, de Vries assembles pieces of broken ceramics that would have been discarded and imbues them with new life. His inspiration for War and Pieces, an elaborate tablescape sculptural installation, was inspired by the master chefs of the 17th-century who used sugar, a rare and valuable commodity at the time, to create decorative centerpieces that signaled the wealth and status of the dinner party host. In the eighteenth century, porcelain companies began to manufacture porcelain replacements for these large-scale sugar installations. Presented as a grand war banquet similar to those held on the eve of important battles in the seventeenth century, War and Pieces combines porcelain shards with modern plastic elements. The past and present clash in a battle of objects, climaxing in a nuclear mushroom cloud embedded with small broken figures including one of Christ himself.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82xglplYn6U
https://mmfa.org/exhibitions/bouke-de-vries-war-and-pieces/
https://dailynews.news/sculptor-uses-sugar-porcelain-and-transformers-as-a-commentary-on-warfare/?politica-cookies=1
About the Artist:
Bouke de Vries (b. 1960) is a London-based Dutch artist specializing in ceramic art and porcelain. De Vries studied at the Design Academy Eindhoven and Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London before retraining in ceramics conservation and restoration, a skill that is integral to his artistic practice. At first, de Vries made a steady living as a private conservator fixing broken pieces, sometimes working on pieces that were not even worth the cost of fixing, in which case many clients would leave him with the pieces. This ultimately caused him to begin making sculptures from broken china and porcelain. Instead of attempting to erase the traces of use and damage, he gives new life to the discarded and rejected. In an interview by Pallant House Gallery, de Vries was quoted saying, "We all carry around a mental compendium of things that inspire us. I'm inspired by the broken and discarded ceramic objects I find. They suggest situations, connections, compositions, which I then translate into sculptures."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bouke_de_Vries
Music #1:
“Zabur, Pt. 1: Part I: Serve the Lord with Fear” from the album Mohammed Fairouz: Zabur
Lyrics:
Aukhdumuu alraba bikhawf
wayahtafilun bihukmih yartajifuna.
Qbbl aibnih wa'illa sayughdib
wasatuadiy tariquk 'iilaa tadmirik,
li'anah qad yandalie fi lahzatin.
tubaa lajamie almutakaliyn ealayhi.
Lyrics Translation:
Serve the Lord with fear
and celebrate his rule with trembling.
Kiss his son, or he will be angry
and your way will lead to your destruction,
for his wrath can flare up in a moment.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
Performers:
Indianapolis Symphonic Choir, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra conducted by Eric Stark
The Indianapolis Symphonic Choir, celebrating its 84th season in 2020-2021, is proud to be one of the nation’s most established and dynamic musical institutions. The Choir is among the most active symphonic choruses in the United States, is composed of 150 volunteer singers, and reaches more than 20,000 persons each season through performances, education, and community engagement programs. Founded in 1937 at the request of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra to perform the great choral-orchestral repertoire, this continued partnership exhibits the best of collaborative ideals – two independent arts organizations combining their strengths to create beautifully lasting musical results.
https://indychoir.org/
The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra (ISO) was founded in 1930 by German conductor and local violin teacher Ferdinand Schaefer. At first composed of volunteer musicians who split the revenue from ticket sales, the ISO became a professional orchestra with salaried musicians in 1937. That same year, Fabien Sevitzky became Music Director of the ISO. The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra has since become a leading orchestra in the nation with its commitment to artistic excellence, diverse and creative programming through its engagement with communities throughout Indiana, and ambitious approaches to music education, performance, and collaboration.
https://www.indianapolissymphony.org/about
Eric Stark is the Artistic Director of the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir, a Professor of Music, and the Director of Choral Activities at Butler University's Jordan College of Fine Arts. Stark’s work as artistic collaborator and community leader has been both broad and unique. His musical leadership continues to receive international recognition, including acclaimed performances at Carnegie Hall; the Hong Kong Cultural Center Concert Hall; Beijing’s Forbidden City Concert Hall; Sao Paulo’s Teatro Municipal; and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Named a Fulbright Scholar in 2020, Stark taught and conducted at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul and the Pontifical Catholic University in Brazil and he served as guest conductor of the acclaimed Coral Paulistano in Sao Paulo. Stark is also a volunteer pilot for Angel Flight, a non-profit network of pilots providing free air transportation for those with medical needs.
https://www.butler.edu/directory/user/estark
Composer:
Mohammed Fairouz (b. 1985) is an American composer. He is one of the most frequently performed composers of his generation. Fairouz’s cosmopolitan outlook reflects his transatlantic upbringing and extensive travels. His catalog encompasses virtually every genre, including opera, symphonies, vocal and choral settings, chamber, and solo works. As an artist involved with major social issues, Fairouz seeks to promote cultural communication and understanding. His fourth symphony, In the Shadow of No Towers for wind ensemble, is about American life in the aftermath of 9/11 and premiered in 2013 at Carnegie Hall. It was described by Steve Smith of The New York Times as “technically impressive, consistently imaginative and in its finest stretches deeply moving.” Fairouz has lectured and led residencies across the country at the Festival of New American Music and at Columbia; Brown; New York University; and University of California at Los Angeles. He has served on the faculty at Northeastern University in Boston.
https://www.millertheatre.com/explore/bios/mohammed-fairouz
https://www.fordfoundation.org/campaigns/the-art-of-change-meet-our-fellows/mohammed-fairouz/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammed_Fairouz
Lyricist:
Najla Said (b. 1974) is a Palestinian-American author, actress, playwright, and activist. Through her literary and academic work, Said has confronted racism, stereotyping, social and economic inequality and the specific challenges that face immigrant and second-generation Americans. Said has performed Off-Broadway, regionally and internationally, as well as in film and television. In 2010, she completed a nine-week sold-out Off-Broadway run of her solo show, Palestine, which features some of the material from her memoir Looking for Palestine: Growing Up Confused in an Arab-American Family. She speaks and performs at schools across the country and lives in New York City.
https://www.prhspeakers.com/speaker/najla-said
Music #2:
Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 2: 20. Thou
Lyrics:
Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron;
thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.
Messiah Performers/Musicians/Lyricists/Composer:
Unless otherwise noted, all Messiah performances are by Margaret Marshall, Catherine Robbin, Anthony Rolfe-Johnson, Robert Hale, Charles Brett, Saul Quirke, the English Baroque Soloists, and the Monteverdi Choir conducted by Sir John Eliot Gardiner. Biographical information for the performers and musicians can be found by clicking here.
About the Poet:
Karen An-hwei Lee (b. 1973) is a Chinese American poet, translator, and critic. She earned an MFA in creative writing from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, and a PhD in literature from the University of California, Berkeley. Lee has received six Pushcart Prize nominations, the Poetry Society of America's Norma Farber First Book Award, the Kathryn A. Morton Prize for Poetry from Sarabande Books, and the July Open Award sponsored by Tupelo Press. Lee’s work appears in journals such as The American Poet, Poetry, Kenyon Review, Gulf Coast, Journal of Feminist Studies & Religion, Iowa Review, and IMAGE: Art, Faith, & Mystery. A recipient of an NEA Fellowship, in 2020 she became a Professor of English and the Provost of Wheaton College in Illinois.
https://www.pw.org/directory/writers/karen_anhwei_lee
About the Devotion Author:
Matt Jenson
Associate Professor of Theology
Torrey Honors College
Biola University
Matt Jenson is Associate Professor of Theology in the Torrey Honors College at Biola University. He is the author of The Gravity of Sin: Augustine, Luther, and Barth on ‘homo incurvatus in se’ (with David Wilhite) and The Church: A Guide for the Perplexed. Jenson is a systematic theologian specializing in theological anthropology and ecclesiology. He holds a B.A. in literature and philosophy from Wheaton College and a Ph.D. in theology from the University of St. Andrews, Scotland, where he was part of the Institute for Theology, Imagination, and the Arts. Jenson is a happy and grateful part of Fountain of Life Covenant Church in Long Beach and an ordained minister in the Evangelical Covenant Church.