WORDS: for good or evil?

 

                                     
                                                Psalm 4

                                                                          Entwined with the Pastoral Symphony 

You'll find the links to the Beethoven's 6th Symphony below the blog. 

    The conductor raises his baton. The violins poise their bows for the fourth movement of Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony. Sinister growls from the cellos rumble through the orchestra, redolent of a summer storm. A skittish theme surfaces, a scurry of swirling wind, gathering speed and intense power. Thunder erupts from the timpani, plummeting torrents of rain from a streaky green and black sky.

I came to the concert to escape a bitter argument, but as I listen, my heart thunders in my chest. I am in the eye of a storm, and it's engulfing me. How can I escape? Where is God? Can he speak peace into my churning heart? 

                                                                 I remember King David in Psalm 4.

 

When King David’s enemies surrounded him, he ran to God for refuge.

 

“Please, Lord, answer me, be merciful, and hear my distress, for you are righteous.”

 Evil men from his own kingdom had rallied against him. They pursued false gods and shamed the true God of their fathers, but the king longed for his enemies to repent and join him in praising the Lord. Worst of all, Absalom had led the revolt, but David’s love for his son remained steadfast.

 

A fresh motive grips the entire string section. As the clouds part, a sliver of sunlight glistens on water droplets falling from the trees. After another rumble from the timpani, bolts of lightning in staccato fifths hit the ground. I writhe in my seat, my muscles tense at the impending danger.

 

Every fiber in David’s body strained as he sensed his enemies encircling him, but God would deliver him because he had set the godly apart for himself. Long before the fray, God had anointed David as the king in Israel and God would fulfill his purposes for the nation through him by listening to David’s earnest plea.

 I feel my pulse slowing as the theme settles into a rhythm, intense and regular. I imagine I am sheltering in a cave from steady rain, continuous and unrelenting. A flash of lightning strikes the ground, but I will be safe until the storm passes. Selah.

 

David didn’t rage against the Lord. He remembered former sleepless nights, of meditating on his sin, repenting, in awe of the Lord’s glory, and he worshipped him with a pure heart. This was his faithful God, and David could trust him, regardless of whoever had plotted against him.

 

       The conductor softens the orchestra. Clouds break apart and bright sunlight filters onto the cave floor, my sanctuary in God’s brilliant outdoor arena. The thunder retreats as the timpanist performs a gentle roll.

 Many of David’s supporters had despaired, wondering if God’s blessing even existed, but the king prayed.

 “Let the light of your face shine upon us, O Lord.”

  I hear the plaintive tones of the oboe rise above the strings. The sun has pierced the clouds,  flooding my haven with pure light. A single chord refreshes my spirit and I await the peace of a restored world. The storm passes, and I revel in the beauty of a summer day.  

 The Lord has restored David’s confidence. Pure joy, greater than the taste of grain or the sweetness of new wine on his lips, lifts his spirit in praise of his God.

 The fifth movement bursts upon the scene with boundless exuberance. Glorious melodies rollick and flit across the orchestra, and I am ecstatic. I have survived the storm and I wander down a steep path to a soft green pasture, basking in the summer warmth. I will trust the Lord to heal the rift with my friend. As I drift asleep under a cloudless blue sky, the sun soothes me, and I pray alongside David.

 

“I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.”

 

 

 David’s struggles are common to all humanity. Beethoven composed the Pastoral Symphony during a summer vacation in the countryside. By this stage, he was stone deaf, only hearing the symphony in his imagination. His personal struggles as a composer and musician were fraught with pain and torment before he eventually came to terms with his silent existence.

 

You will appreciate this blog if you listen to this fabulous music as you read the Psalm. The music evokes both David’s sorrow and rejoicing because it mirrors Beethoven’s trauma and acceptance.

 

 These are the links to Beethoven’s Symphony No.6, Opus 68, the last two movements.

 

 Fourth movement: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZVdVuskkKU

 Fifth movement: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z16zh55I1dU

 

https://c02.purpledshub.com/uploads/sites/43/2020/05/beethoven_200_0-93b4837.jpg?w=750&webp=1 

Link to picture, a recording and BBC article.