The Lord who beautifies the afflicted ones with salvation
[Psalms 149]
What do you life is? I think life is beautiful. So, one day (December 2007), I wrote an article under the heading “Life is Beautiful”
‘Life is beautiful.
Life is beautiful even in pain.
Life is beautiful because there are tears of prayer.
Life is beautiful because there is a family, that is a community of love.
Life is beautiful because there is restoration and transformation.
Life is beautiful because we can see Jesus in us.
Life is beautiful because we experience God's presence.
Life is beautiful because it reveals the glory of God.’
The reason I remember this article is because of Psalms 149:4 – “For the LORD takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the afflicted ones with salvation.” The psalmist says, 'God will make the afflicted ones beautiful with His salvation.’ This word is eschatological. It refers to salvation coming to us in the end times. This salvation that will come to us in the last day will inevitably bring us to victory (vv. 6-9, Park). This victory is “an honor” that God will give us (v. 9). How does God give this honor and victory to us? Look at verses 6-9a: “Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, And a two-edged sword in their hand, To execute vengeance on the nations And punishment on the peoples, To bind their kings with chains And their nobles with fetters of iron, To execute on them the judgment written; ….” God will give us victory by making us to give praise, honor and glory to God through our mouths, and by giving us the word of God, a two-edged sword, in our hands, to inflict vengeance and punish the nations with this. However, we must not interpret these words as words of prophecy that will be unconditionally fulfilled in the end time. The reason is because the beautiful work of God's salvation in the future, which has not yet been fulfilled, is already partially being done in our lives. In other words, even though God will make the afflicted ones, the saints who are suffering on this earth, beautiful with salvation at the Second Coming of Jesus, even now in our lives, God beautifies us by delivering us from adversity and suffering. We are already experiencing, at least partially, the fullness of beautifying us with the salvation that has not yet been fulfilled. The reason is because about 2,000 years ago, Jesus died on the cross and resurrected and accomplished the work of salvation. We are already saved. As those who are united with Jesus in His death and resurrection, all our sins have already been forgiven by His death on the cross, and we are justified by His resurrection. Therefore, we can say: ‘God has already made us beautiful because He already united us to His death and resurrection.’ Why does God beautify us with this saving grace? The reason is because God who made us (v. 2) takes delight in us, His people (v. 4).
How are we, who are partially experiencing the grace that makes us beautiful through the work of God’s salvation, to live in response to His saving grace while we are living on this earth? In other words, not only that God has already made us beautiful with His salvation, but also in the future He will make us beautiful with the consummation of His salvation. We who live between this already and not yet time, how should we live so that our lives may be beautiful in the sight of God? In a word, we must praise God. We must sing for joy to our God (v. 5), who takes delight in us and makes us beautiful with His salvation. We must praise God, who gives honor to us (vv. 5, 9). Look at verses 1, 2, 3, 5: “Praise the LORD. Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise in the assembly of the saints” (v. 1), “Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; let the people of Zion be glad in their King” (v. 2), “Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with tambourine and harp” (v. 3), “Let the saints rejoice in this honor and sing for joy on their beds” (v. 5). We should give thanks to God for the grace that God has already made us beautiful with His salvation in Jesus Christ, and should sing to the Lord with joy. And we must praise God with a new song as we experience the saving grace of God who rescues us and make us victorious in the pain and adversity of spiritual warfare in our daily lives. Furthermore, we must praise God with faith as we look to God's saving grace that will make us beautiful because of the glorious salvation that Jesus will grant us in His Second Coming. We should praise God until we die. It is beautiful to praise God.
After I wrote “Life is Beautiful” in December 207, I wrote “Even Death is Beautiful” about two months later, in February 2008:
‘Even death is beautiful.
Even death is beautiful in the midst of sorrows.
Even death is beautiful because there are tears of love.
Even death is beautiful because there is living hope of eternal meeting in heaven
in the midst of momentary separation.
Even death is beautiful because we lived a beautiful life.
Even death is beautiful because we see Jesus' beauty.
Even death is beautiful because we praise the greatness of the Lord together.
Even death is beautiful because God's great glory is being manifested even in death.
With gratitude for the grace of God who makes us beautiful with His salvation and makes us live beautifully in this ugly world,
James Kim
(Dedicated to praise the greatness of the Lord until I have breath)