February 5th

Psalm 97

GOD OF OUR WEARY YEARS

God of our weary years,
God of our silent tears,
Thou who has brought us thus far on the way;
Thou who has by Thy might
Led us into the light,
Keep us forever in the path, we pray….

The now well-known hymn “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing” was performed for the first time on February 12, 1900, at the segregated Stanton Elementary School in Jacksonville, FL. James Weldon Johnson, principal of Stanton and author of the poem, wrote the piece for his students as part of a celebration of Abraham Lincoln’s birthday.

Drawing on the themes and imagery of Psalm 97, Johnson wrote “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing” just four years after Ferguson vs. Plessy decision was handed down by the Supreme Court.  The Court upheld the “separate but equal” doctrine under which states could legally require separate-but-equal public facilities, such as schools thus enshrining racist practices in public places such as schools and restaurants. 

Deeply discouraged, but also hopeful for change in the future, Johnson connected the suffering of African American people to a better future, encouraging them to keep up the good fight, to trust that “a new day” would come. In many ways, Psalm 97 and “Lift Ev’ry Voice” share this theme, forming a bridge between the ancient Israelites and African Americans at the turn of the 20^th century.     [story by Karla Suomala]

Psalm 97 is another of the ‘Yahweh is King’ psalms (see last week on Psalm 96).  Here is a hymn of praise designed to declare to all that Yahweh reigns, that His authority extends beyond the heavens, that . . .

⁵ The mountains take one look at God
And melt, melt like wax before earth’s Lord.

The glory of the Divine King fills the cosmos.  Only a fool would fail to offer Yahweh his due which is praise and awe. 

Three themes are present in our psalm.  The first is praise.  Yahweh’s throne room is above the cosmos, his very arrival makes earth tremble (v.1-6). 

The second theme (v.6-9) grows out of the first. In the face of Yahweh’s awesome majesty, the gods of the other nations are ‘nothing.’

⁷ All who serve handcrafted gods will be sorry—
And they were so proud of their ragamuffin gods!

On your knees, all you gods—worship him!

The third theme (v.10-12) is exhortation – a call to the believer to live righteously (practicing justice) in imitation of the ways of Yahweh, to turn away from what is not of God.

“Righteousness and justice are the foundations of his throne.” That is, God’s kingdom does not rest on pure power, but on doing what is right. In this statement Psalm 97 reaffirms that justice is God’s central concern and with that God oversees the world.  Such justice involves the defense of those who are victims of abuse at the hands of the wicked (verse 10).

¹¹ Light-seeds are planted in the souls of God’s people,
Joy-seeds are planted in good heart-soil.

The Lectionary wisely chooses this psalm to be read both on Christmas Day and on Easter.  Both days celebrate the King: his humble birth and his triumph over death!

“Lift Ev’ry Voice” was written as a poem, then put to music, spread and became the Negro National Anthem in 1919, gained further inspiration during the civil rights movement, has been reinterpreted by musical artists throughout the 20^th century, was sung Obama’s 2009 inauguration,

Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us,
Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us,
Facing the rising sun of our new day begun
Let us march on till victory is won.