Why Foreign Missions? 10. Luke’s Salvation History in the Infancy Songs
and Pss. 104-108.
Luke offers two Biblical perspectives on God’s salvation
history. Both have to do with God’s work
with and for Israel, but that work has the greater objective of God’s salvation
for the world. The first perspective
comes from several psalms, the second from Isaiah. We will here examine Luke’s salvation history
from his use of Psalms 104-107 and possibly also Ps. 108.
This study rests on more detailed
work of mine presented in an article entitled, ‘God’s Mercy from Generation to Generation: Luke’s use of Psalms 105-108
in his Infancy Narrative Songs to Provide a Salvation Historical Understanding
for his two-volume History.’[1] Scholars have not, to my knowledge, noted
Luke’s intentional use of Psalms 104-108 in his infancy songs. In my article, I lay out the evidence that
Luke draws particularly from these psalms in his infancy songs (‘The
Magnificat,’ or ‘Mary’s Song,’ Lk. 1.46-55; ‘The Benedictus,’ or ‘Zechariah’s
Song,’ Lk. 1.68-79; ‘The Nunc Dimitis,’ or ‘Simeon’s Song,’ Lk. 2.29-32). These psalms provide Luke with a theology of
salvation history—a mission theology—in which history is seen as the unfolding
of God’s salvation plan through his people, Israel, for the nations. This is accomplished despite Israel’s
sinfulness.
The Particular Message of
These Psalms
Ps. 104 is about the goodness of God the creator. It ends with a request that sinners be
consumed from the earth (v. 35).
Ps. 105 speaks of God’s goodness to Israel, from Abraham through the
exodus from Egypt.
Ps. 106 retells the story of Israel with her sinfulness from the time of
the exodus from Egypt to the time of the exile.
God’s salvation keeps coming to a sinful people, and the psalm ends with
the hope of being gathered from the nations.
While Ps. 107 begins the next book of the psalter, Luke uses it as
well. Ps. 107 fits well with the
progression of thought: it is a thanksgiving psalm, thanking God for his steadfast
love and deliverance from exile.
Ps. 108 is significant, possibly, for v. 3: ‘ I will give thanks to
you, O LORD, among the peoples, and I will sing praises to you among the
nations.’ Like Ps. 107, it speaks of God’s
steadfast love (v. 4).
These psalms, then, hold in view God’s creation and salvation
activity. Luke’s use of these psalms
emphasises that God’s work continues with Jesus’ coming: there is continuity in
salvation history from the beginning of creation to the present time. God’s steadfast love can be seen in his creation
and saving work, even when Israel is sinful.
The Missiological Perspective of
Psalms 90-106 According to E. Zenger
Psalms 104-106 conclude a book of
the psalter that includes Pss. 90-106. Erich
Zenger draws attention to the unified theology of this book of the psalter:[2]
Zenger argues that Pss. 90-106 overlap with Isaiah on the
notions of God’s restoration of Israel [from exile] and the salvation of the
nations…. Zenger also argues
convincingly for a consecutive reading of these psalms. Psalm 100, e.g., brings the previous ‘Royal
YHWH’ psalms (93-99) to a ‘high point’, referencing or quoting earlier lines …
in calling ‘Israel and the nations to the common
acknowledgement of YHWH’s reign over the whole world. Thereby the
prerogative of Israel named in Ps 95.6-7 is extended to the nations who
acknowledge YHWH’ (Zenger, p. 178). Ps. 100 even ‘places the covenant formula …
in the mouth of the nations as a confession of their “new” relationship with
God’ (Zenger, p. 178). Zenger emphasises that the nations do not replace Israel in these psalms. He
concludes his examination of Pss. 90-106 as follows:
… the reign of YHWH over creation, established from of old,
has chosen Zion, in order, on the one hand, to work [tsadikah] (‘saving deeds’) here in the midst of YHWH’s people
Israel and in order, on the other hand, from Zion to “lure” the nations,
fascinated by the God of Sinai’s palpable steadfast love for Israel, into
YHWH’s covenant of peace, and to let them live peacefully next to and with one
another on the basis of the “truth of God” common to Israel and the nations –“Know
the LORD (alone) is God. It is he that made us, and we are his; we are his
people, and the sheep of his pasture (Ps 103.3)”.[3]
The Message of the Infancy Songs in Luke
Mary’s song moves from singing of her Saviour to singing of Israel’s Saviour. God’s promise to Abraham is now fulfilled.
Zechariah’s Song also speaks of
salvation for Israel because God forgives her sins (Lk. 1.77). Its perspective explains why the disciples
still anticipate a restoration of the kingdom to Israel in Acts 1.6 and why
Paul continues to extend the Gospel to Jews in Rome in Acts 28.
Simeon’s Song draws attention to
salvation for the Gentiles. Zechariah’s
Song did mention that salvation was coming to all in darkness, but Simeon explicitly extends the coming of light
to the Gentiles:
29 "Master, now you are
dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; 30 for my eyes have seen your
salvation, 31 which you have
prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to
your people Israel" (Lk. 2.29-32).
The Significance of the Theology of the Infancy Songs for Missions
Four points seem justified from
observations on Luke’s use of Pss. 104-107 or 108.
1. Salvation stands open for the Jews. There is no replacement theology in Luke.
Luke’s theological statement … is that Israel’s salvation sung about in the
songs of Mary, Zechariah and Simeon is an open offer: Psalms 105 and 106 stand
before Israel as a challenge over how they will respond to God’s consistent
working of salvation in history. Will they respond positively (Ps. 105) or
negatively (Ps. 106) to the mercy that God offers from generation to
generation? … The offer of salvation remains open to the Jews if they will
follow their history of God’s acts of salvation through to what God has now
done in the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 28.31).[4]
2. Salvation is through Jesus and is the culmination of God’s history of salvation: Luke sees the progression of God’s work from
creation through Israel’s history and restoration, a restoration that he finds
in Jesus rather than in an earlier restoration of Israel from captivity. Just here his reading of Ps. 107 will
coincide with his and the early Church’s reading of Is. 40-66 (and related
passages): the restoration of Israel from captivity or exile is fulfilled
through Jesus.
3. Salvation is the same for Jews and Gentiles: God’s single act of
salvation in Jesus Christ offers salvation to Israel and the Gentiles. Israel’s restoration out of exile and
darkness means that she is not different from the nations in her need of redemption, and God’s work among
both is a work of salvation, not election for one and something else for the
other. Both need God’s salvation in the same
way, a salvation that only Jesus provides for both. The message of Pss. 90-106 is that God is
King, and his salvation of Israel includes the Gentiles.
4. Salvation is holistic: salvation may be understood as delivery from
oppression, as in Mary’s Song, but it is also a release from darkness and a
forgiveness of sins, as in Zechariah’s Song.
Here lie the roots of a holistic theology that does not limit salvation
to either a social or spiritual Gospel.
Jesus’ ministry to the poor and marginalized is consistent with his
offering forgiveness to Jews and Gentiles.
[1] Rollin G. Grams, ‘God’s Mercy From
Generation to Generation: Luke’s Use of Psalms 105-108 in His Infancy Narrative
Songs to Provide a Salvation Historical Understanding for His Two Volume
History,’ Baptistic Theologies 2
(Autumn, 2009): 93-108.
[2]
This paragraph is a quote from my article, p. 106 n. 20.
[3] Erich
Zenger, ‘The God of Israel’s Reign Over the World (Psalms 90-106)’, in The God of Israel and the Nations: Studies
in Isaiah and the Psalms, eds. Norbert Lohfink, Erich Zenger, trans.
Everett R. Kalin (Collegeville, MN: The Order of St. Benedict, Inc., 2000;
orig. German, Stuttgart: Verlag Katholisches Bibelwerk GmbH., 1994), p. 190.
[4] R.
Grams, ‘God’s Mercy from Generation to Generation,’ p. 108.
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