1 I love the Lord, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications.
2 Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live.
3 The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow.
4 Then called I upon the name of the Lord; O Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my soul.
5 Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful.
6 The Lord preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped me.
7 Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee.
8 For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.
9 I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.
10 I believed, therefore have I spoken: I was greatly afflicted:
11 I said in my haste, All men are liars.
12 What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me?
13 I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord.
14 I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people.
15 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.
16 O Lord, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds.
17 I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord.
18 I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people.
19 In the courts of the Lord's house, in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem. Praise ye the Lord.
Introduction
The story is told of a homesick, lonely soldier returning from Europe after World War II that humorously carries a thought-provoking punch. As the ship neared the coast of New York, the young man hugged the rail and with a catch in his voice and tears streaming down his face, he looked across to the Statue of Liberty and spoke with genuine eloquence: “Lady, take a good look at me now, because if you want to ever see me again, you are going to have to turn around.”
It is right and good for us to feel that way about our country, so long as our patriotism does not turn into a red, white, and blue religion. We must never mistake the difference between God and our government. We must not have a civil religion.
Jesus made this clear in Mark 12:13-17. In this experience there came to Jesus a group of Pharisees and Herodians to catch him in his words. Jesus had been in conflict with the Sanhedrin (chief priests, scribes and elders) for a long time. He had cleansed the Temple and they had wanted to know by what right he had done that.
In response to their question he told the parable about the wicked husbandman who took the owner’s only beloved son and killed him. This was a prophetic parable pointing to the fact that the leaders of Judaism would reject Jesus the Messiah and put him to death. The leaders knew that Jesus was talking about them. They wanted to take him and kill him right then, but they feared the people. So they left to plan their strategy.
They decided to send a delegation of Pharisees and Herodians to try to entrap Jesus. They did not have the power of life and death, so they decided that if they could trick him into an answer that might be an excuse to hand him over to Pilate and charge him with the rebellion and treason.
This was a strange coalition. Though both the Pharisees and the Herodians were nationalistic in bent they were not natural allies. Ordinarily they had little in common. The Pharisees were opposed to any foreign lordship while the Herodians supported the foreign government of Herod. After Herod the Great’s death in about 4 BC, his rule over all of Palestine was ended and the province divided. The Herodians wanted a descendent of Herod returned to authority.
Their intent was to “catch” Jesus by his words. This word catch is a hunting metaphor that means to take or catch by hunting or fishing. It was a carefully rehearsed plot designed to provide for an apprehension and arrest.
The approach of the Pharisees and the Herodians was very subtle. They began with flattery. They said, “Your teachings are not influenced by what your friends or your foes think.” That flattery was designed to do two things. It was designed to disarm the suspicions that Jesus might have had. And when it stressed his courage and his honesty, it was designed to make it impossible for him to avoid giving an answer without losing his reputation completely.
They probably made sure that the crowd heard the question posed. The question was this: “Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar or not? Shall we give or shall we not give?” No question could have been charged with more emotion than this. This issue had provoked a fierce insurrection and much blood had been shed.
Roman taxation was so hateful to the Jews because it was a sign of subjugation. The calmer section of the people accepted taxation as an inevitable necessity. But one Judas of Galilee raised violent opposition. The party of the zealots founded by Judas of Galilee held that Israel was theocracy and that God was their only king. They claimed that since God was the king of Israel, the land was defiled by the presence of the Roman power, and no true Jew was to pay taxes to it. He thundered that “taxation was no better than an introduction to slavery.” He called on the people to rise, and said that God would only favor them if they resorted to all the violence they could muster. Rather than call any Roman “Lord,” they would gladly die.
The Romans dealt with Judas in their customary efficiency, but the battle cry of Judas never died out. “No tribute to the Romans” became the rallying cry of the more fanatical Jewish patriarchs.
In view of those circumstances the question that the Pharisees and Herodians put to Jesus was a masterpiece of shrewdness and cunning. They must have thought that they had him impaled on the horns of an inescapable dilemma. If Jesus said, “Yes, pay Caesar,” the people would have rejected him as a coward. If Jesus had said, “No, don’t pay Caesar,” the Romans would have rejected him as a rebel. If he had said, “Yes, pay taxes,” the people would have thought that he was anti-Israel. If he had said, “No, don’t pay taxes,” the Romans would have said he is anti-Rome. He could hardly win either way.
Jesus saw the hypocrisy of these men. Before him hypocrisy is always a useless mask. He sees through it. So beware.
Jesus answers their question with a display of unassailable and perfect wisdom. Jesus said, “Show me a denarius.” This was the coin that was used to pay taxes with. He asked whose image was on it. The image would be that of Tiberius, the reigning emperor. Around the coin would be the title that declared that this was the coin of “Tiberius Caesar, the divine Augustus, son of Augustus,” and on the reverse there would be the title “Pontifex Maximus,” the high priest of the Roman nation.
With divine insight Jesus answers their question. He underscores a principle as operative today as then. Christians belong to two kingdoms, and we owe allegiance to both.
The whole principle laid down here turns on the change of words from “give” (verse 15) to “render” (verse 17). The word render means “to pay back.” The tax is not a gift, but a debt. Caesar gave them the inestimable benefits of a stable government. For the privileges provided by the Roman government the people were obligated to help support the government. Were they to take all of his benefits and decline to pay anything toward their maintenance? Duty to God and duty to country are not incompatible. We owe a debt to both. We must never be so heavenly minded that we are no earthly good. By the same token we are also to pay our obligations to God. There is no conflict. Both payments are the accomplishment of God’s will.
Caesar gave them many benefits: a stable government, peace, justice, and roads. It is inconceivable that they should receive all of these benefits and not pay something in return.
The coin has Caesar’s image stamped on it. It belongs to him. But we have God’s image stamped on us, and we belong to him.
When Jesus was finished his hearers “marveled” at him. This is an intense word for great astonishment. They grudgingly had to admire his answer.
Here are two great duties in life: our duty to Caesar (the government) and our duty to God.
1. Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s. The coin had Caesar’s image upon it and therefore belonged to Caesar. Man has God’s image upon him—God created man in his own image (Genesis 1:26-27) and man therefore belongs to God. The inevitable conclusion is that if the state remains within its proper boundaries and makes proper demands, then the individual must give to it his loyalty and his service, but in the last analysis both state and man belong to God, and therefore should the claims of the state and God conflict, loyalty to God comes first. But it remains true that in all ordinary circumstances, a man’s Christianity should make him a better citizen than any other man.
There are several points to be drawn from this lesson: The state is ordained by God. Without the laws of the state life would be chaos. Men cannot live together unless they agree to obey the laws of living together. Without the state there are many valuable services that no man could enjoy. No individual man could have his own water supply, his own sewage system, his own transport system, his own Social Security organization. The state is the origin of many of the things that make life livable. The civil government therefore has some valid claim on its subjects. One of them is taxation.
This claim is partly for value received. The government does much good that we benefit from. No man can accept all the benefits that the state gives him and opt out of all the responsibilities. It is beyond question that the Roman government brought to the ancient world a sense of security it had never had before. For the most part, except in certain notorious areas, the seas were clear of pirates and the roads of robbers. Rome brought its peace to the world and nations enjoyed tranquility and security to an extent and for a length of time unknown before and probably since. People could conduct business, provide for their families, send letters, and make journeys in security thanks to the strong hand of Rome. It is still true that no man can honorably receive all the benefits that living in a state confer upon him and then opt out of all the responsibilities of citizenship.
This claim is not inconsistent with the authority of God, but rather enforced by his authority. Obligations to the state are within the design of God for mankind.
The claim of government is not entirely dependent on the subject’s approval of the character of the civil magistrate. The Caesar of that day was Tiberius. He was a despot, a dictator. Nevertheless, Jesus made it clear that he did not come to establish an earthly kingdom and he never supported any party that advocated the violent overthrow of the civil government of his day.
There is a limit, however, to the obedience due to the civil power. When Caesar asks not for tribute, but for worship, he is to be resisted. Caesar must not be given the things that belong to God. The conscience belongs to God. Worship belongs to God. Absolute loyalty belongs to God. Caesar must not be worshipped, or looked to for support. The Lord is our shepherd, not the government. It is in God we trust, not Washington.
God can tell us to do our duty to America. But America cannot tell us to do our duty to God. Our forefathers recognized this. We must learn to say to all swelling Caesars, “Human life is God’s affair.”
If there is a conflict between Caesar and God, then we must obey God first (Acts 4:18-20, 5:29).
2. Render unto God the things that are God’s. But what do we owe the Lord? The psalmist answers our question when he says, “What shall I render unto the Lord for all of his benefits toward me?” The word render here also means to return or to give back. Ours is not a religion of payback. It is of grace. However, out of gratitude we do owe the Lord something. This psalmist understood that, as we see from the selection today.
Psalm 116 is a peculiarly personal song. It is personal testimony of one man who was seriously ill and almost died. The Lord heard his prayer and delivered him. So he is praising God for what he has done and paying his vow to the Lord. As he praises God we find him in the midst of the presence of the assembled congregation testifying of divine deliverance.
There are two parts to this psalm: an expression of praise for God’s deliverance (verses 1-8), and an expression of commitment (vs. 12-19)
The psalmist begins by expressing his love for God. He says, “I love the Lord because ...” If you were asked to fill in the blank or to complete that sentence, what would you say? The psalmist says he loves the Lord because the Lord has answered his prayer. He tells us that out of the depths of trouble, sickness, and near death he called upon the Lord and the Lord answered him. He now writes this psalm of grateful thanksgiving.
Without being told the nature of his trouble, we do learn of its severity. It seemed likely to end in death. The word hell is the Hebrew word “Sheol,” which means a pit or the grave. In this condition the psalmist called upon the Lord and the Lord heard him. Therefore he vows to call upon the Lord as long as he lives.
The psalmist does not dwell on his suffering that is now passed. He is too preoccupied in giving thanks to God who had delivered him. From his experience he came to know God as gracious, righteousness, merciful (verse 5). He came to know the Lord as one who takes care of the “simple.” That word means “young, inexperienced, helpless.” He came to know God as one who helped him in all of the experiences of life. The Lord delivered his soul from death, his eyes from tears, and his feet from falling.
He came to know the Lord as one who never fails. He said in haste, foolishly, “All men are liars.” He had learned that men can’t be counted on. That we should not trust ourselves wholly to others. He came to the conclusion that he could only rely upon God.
He had to trust God in the face of human frailty. There is a lesson for us in this. Don’t trust yourself wholly to others. Trust yourself only to God. In a time of stress he looked to men for help and found none.
With this in mind he asked the question, “What shall I render unto the Lord for all of his benefits toward me?” (verse 12) This is a rhetorical question. He is going to answer it himself. He makes his vow: “I will take the cup of salvation. I will call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all of his people.”
Then he adds this postscript: “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints” (verse 15). This means that the deaths of those who are loyal to him are no light matter to God, but a costly loss in his sight. Or it is of such consequences to God that he will require a penalty for it. For the death of God’s people does not happen lightly, but is a thing prized and guarded by him. He realizes how near he came to death but was drawn back by the Lord.
He closes out the psalm by declaring himself a servant of the Lord and vowing to serve the Lord faithfully. Here then is a personal testimony of a man who is ill, about to die, until he prays. God raised him up and now he vows that he will pray to the Lord for as long as he lives. He then asks himself the question, “What shall I render unto the Lord for all of his benefits toward me?”
Here are three things we should render to the Lord. We owe it to him. It is our debt.
We must accept his salvation. The psalmist declares, “I will take the cup of salvation.” Salvation is to be gratefully taken.
This psalm along with Psalms 115-118 are a group of hymns that were very probably sung by our Lord and his disciples, especially at the Passover. Some were sung before the meal and some after the meal. This is one that was sung after the meal. Remember Matthew 26:30, when they sang a hymn and went out into the night. This is probably the hymn that they sang.
The psalmist uses the analogy of a cup. The cup of salvation was the Passover cup. To us it is the cup of the Lord’s Supper. Remember how Jesus took a cup, passed it among his disciples, and said, “Take this drink, new testament in my blood that is shed for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” It then is symbolic of salvation. It is symbolic of the blood of Christ.
In the Garden Jesus prayed, “Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not my will but thine be done.” But Jesus drank the bitter cup of the wrath of God that we might drink the cup of salvation. Later on a writer declares that Jesus has “tasted death for all men.”
Now the psalmist resolves to take the proffered salvation. He will accept God’s salvation.
Elizabeth Swank spoke at our widows’ banquet in 1984. She said that during the later years of their life she and her husband, Fred, went to Europe as special appointees of our Foreign Mission Board. There they served as the pastor of an English-speaking church. Occasionally they would visit the cemeteries of that country and read the epitaphs on the tombstones.
One day she found these words under the name of a young boy: “To the world—just another one. To us—the only one in the world.”
That’s the way we feel about Jesus. This is our message to lost mankind. To the world he was just another one who died on a cross. To us, he is the only one in the world who can bring us to God. There is no other name given unto heaven thereby men must be saved.
God is provided salvation. It costs him his Son. Now it is our duty to accept him, to submit to him, to recognize him as Lord and Savior. The sin of sins is to reject the Christ. It is the one damaging sin. All other sins can be forgiven except the sin of complete and final rejection of salvation. It is our duty then to turn to Christ, to repent of sin, and to commit our lives to him.
We also have a duty to God to persevere in prayer (verse 17). Here is a commitment to pray, to bathe all of our actions into prayer.
Jesus said men ought to pray. Prayer ties us to God. It is the supreme act of faith. It is living your life in fellowship with God. Either we meet God in prayer or we do not meet him at all.
Prayer is no substitute for action. Prayer power is no substitute for any other kind of power. It is not a substitute for plowing a field, studying for a test, or seeing a doctor. We can do all of these things for ourselves. Prayer is bringing the power of God to bear and is a request for something more than we can do. Prayer is a request for a miracle.
When my child gets sick, I don’t just pray or just take him to a doctor. I do both. When I pray for the recovery of my sick child I’m asking God to bring to this concrete situation something more than antibiotics can do. It grows from the conviction that God is my friend, my Father who stands ready to help.
Prayer is a request for a miracle. A prayer of intercession or petition is always a request for a miracle. Otherwise there is no need to pray. Prayer is not overcoming God’s reluctance. It is laying hold to God’s highest willingness.
Eight times in this psalm the writer talks about prayer. He either mentions that a prayer has been answered or that he will call upon the name of the Lord. It is a psalm that bathes in statements concerning prayer.
We owe it to God to trust in him, to call upon him, to walk in fellowship with him. Nothing pleases God more than to see his children loving him, calling upon him, and walking with him.
Finally, we must keep our promises to God. The psalmist says, “I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all of these people” (verse 14). He launches out in a public commitment. It is a commitment to public devotion. What he feels in his heart he will seal by public witness. He will publicly acknowledge his obligations to God.
In times of sickness, trouble, and distress, we all make promises to God. Who among us has not been sick, had a troubled marriage, had a wayward child, been through a dangerous situation such as a war, and not made promises to God? We made vows to God of how we would serve him if he spared us. Now he has done it and we owe it to God to pay our vow, to keep our promises.
The vows that we have made in our hearts should be sealed by a public witness. There are to be no secret disciples. We are to openly and publicly declare for our Lord. Jesus promises, “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32-33).
If we want Jesus to claim us before God we must claim him before men. If we want him to stand up before us in heaven, we must stand up for him on earth. We must not fear men but rather publicly line ourselves up with God.
Everyday men and women are battering the gates of heaven with storms of prayers and finding emancipation. When it happens to us, let us not go away as though nothing has happened but let us offer the sacrifices of thanksgiving, pay our vows, and do it in the presence of all of the people.
The time to begin is now. Augustine, as he neared the time of commitment to Christ, prayed, “Grant me chastity, but not now.” Many times we feel the tug of God at our hearts but we want to enjoy our sin just a little bit longer. We intend to turn from it and to him one of these days, but not now. One of these days is none of these days. We need to begin now.
What shall I render unto the Lord? What shall I give unto him? I owe it to God to accept the gift of his salvation, to walk in continual fellowship with him through prayer, and to openly and publicly commit myself to him and declare my faith in him.