Psalm 22 (Part 2)

Introduction:

Last week we began by mentioning that this is one of the most difficult and yet beautiful Psalms in the Psalter.This is a Psalm by David, clearly not taken from his own life and/or experience . . . we would refer to this as a prophetic or Messianic Psalm.What we passed through already, in the first half of the text, is a relatively graphic description of the crucifixion of Jesus.Just in the way of a reminder, we read of:

• The Savior Forsaken (1-2)
• The Savior’s Hope in The Character of God (vs.3-5)
• The Savior Mocked (vs.6-8)
• The Savior Crucified (vs.12-18)
• Hope is Restored (19-21)

Transition:

Now . . . what we ended with last week was a note of hope, vs.19-21This records the moment when, while Jesus is still on the cross, still suffering, and still crying out in pain . . . the darkness lifts and He understands God’s presence is with Him again.  Jesus’ cry now becomes a shout of victory…The sin debt is paid . . . and then He takes one last breath and cries “It is finished!”The Psalm now turns from tragedy to triumph as God speaks.

The Atonement:

What we’re about to read is the atonement proclaimed centuries before anyone has even heard the gospel.Word clarification time . . . atonement, what does that mean.The easiest way to explain this is to picture a shattered vase . . . the vase used to be whole but now it’s in a thousand pieces.Now imagine you slowly and with a great deal of labor, you glue every piece of the vase back together perfectly.You have just taken something that was in thousands of separate pieces and made it one again.Atonement is exactly that.  It’s At-one-ment . . . it’s bringing something that was separated back together . . . into a oneness or whole.Everything that Jesus suffered on the cross was our reglueing process.Now, when we talk about doctrine, we usually take onto the beginning of the word atonement the word vicarious . . . the vicarious atonement . . . and this is unique and important to the crucifixion story because vicarious simply means that we broke it . . . but He fixed it. 

The Gospel Message Proclaimed (vs.22-27)

Notice the order of delivery: brethren then assembly (vs.22), descendants of Jacob and offspring of Israel (vs.23), the great assembly (vs.25), all the ends of the earth and all the families of the nations (vs.27).This resonates with Romans 1:16 - “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.”What we have hear is an explanation of how the Gospel will be delivered and received . . . but it’s not finished yet.

The Inevitable Growth of the Kingdom (vs.28-29)

Two quick questions: 1) Who’s Kingdom is heaven? (John 18:36 - “Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.’”); 2) Who will eternally rule over the nations? (John 5:22 - “For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son,”)This is about Jesus . . . The Gospel will produce an ever expanding Kingdom for Jesus.  As the Good News spreads, the Kingdom grows . . . but it’s not finished yet…

The Reason for the Continuous Growth of the Kingdom (vs.30-31)

Verse 30 tells us that the message of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ is an unchanging ever powerful life changing message.  It never changes and always accomplishes God’s purpose.  God’s purpose is to bring about a people that live for and serve Him.Why?  As we look at verse 31, I want to explain that in a literal Hebrew rendering of the final phrase, the words should be translated: It is Finished!Salvation is accomplished by Christ…He has done it.Salvation is accomplished for God’s people.  The door is still open and people are still being saved.Do you see what confidence we can have because of this Psalm?  Friends, the message of the Gospel does not need to be softened, changed, updated, rephrased . . . whatever . . . the Gospel message will forever be powerful and effective . . . it will not return void.

Psalm 22 (Part 1)

Introduction:

This is an interesting and intense Psalm.Where as most of the Psalms served as functional worship for the Jewish people, there was a distinct disconnect to the intent and meaning behind Psalm 22.The Jews never knew exactly when to sing the 22nd Psalm . . . in fact, we’re told that they rarely did.Perhaps the reason, and most scholars agree, is that there was no corresponding time in David’s life when these verses would apply.While Psalm 22 is a Psalm of David there are no incidents recorded of his life that can begin to account for the words and descriptions of this Psalm, even if they are merely poetic.To add to this, during David’s time know one had even heard of crucifixion.  The Jews would have put criminals to death by stoning. So this is a prophetic Psalm, a Messianic Psalm, a Psalm of the Cross... and we’re going to handle this in 2 parts and in 2 different ways.This week we’re going to spend most of our time in the dark . . . namely, the three hours of darkness during the crucifixion when God’s wrath was being poured out on His beloved Son for the sin of His people.There is a great deal of instruction for us in watching how Jesus handled suffering and hopeless circumstance.We’ll end with purpose and victory.Next week we’ll spend our time in the second half of the Psalm and step into the eternal hope of the Gospel.

Transition:

To begin I’d just like to read straight through to you Psalm 22:1-21 and then we’ll step back and make a few quick observations before we head into a time of worship and prayer.Psalm 22:1-21

The Savior Forsaken (vs.1-2)

Here is probably the most disturbing verses perhaps in all of Scripture.  Jesus cries out for God to help Him, but no one answers . . . there is unexplainable silence . . . how could one Person of the Trinity turn His back on another?  How could God be silent?As we think about this principle, I’d like to ask you if your sin has ever come between you and God?  Have you ever cried out for help only to find God silent?  This is the very reason that Jesus died.  He died because God cannot look on sin, He can’t associate with it, He can’t coddle and care for those who are living in it.Without the sacrifice of Jesus, God the Father would be alienated from the world and without repentance we would be forever forsaken.

The Character of God (vs.3-5)

I find this fascinating and highly informative . . . Notice that in Jesus’ agony and suffering He remembers God’s character. When God was nowhere to be found, Jesus relied on what He new to be true of God to get Him through the cross.In particular, in these verses, Jesus reminds Himself that God can be trusted. I believe that this is a significant life strategy . . . to endure suffering and hopelessness we must rely on what we know to be true of our heavenly Father.One day, if I can find someone crazy enough to do this, I’d love to publish a book about how to survive suffering and bring hope into a hopeless situation.It can sit on the shelf in bookstores right between The Power of the Positive Mind and whatever book Oprah is supporting at the moment.In it the introduction would read, “Know Your God.” and then chapter 1 would be a list and explanation of all of God’s characteristics and attributes.  The rest of the book would be blank for dramatic effect.Eh . . . maybe I’d add a chapter on a selection of God’s divinely revealed Names . . . but then blank.

The Savior Mocked (vs.6-8)

A contrast here that bears mentioning.Charles Haddon Spurgeon expressed it best when he remarked, “This verse is a miracle in language. How could the Lord of glory be brought to such abasement as to be not only lower than the angels, but even lower than men. What a contrast between ‘I AM’ and ‘I am a worm’!”

The Savior Crucified (vs.12-18)

This is the section where we find many disturbingly graphic and highly specific prophetic details concerning the crucifixion of Jesus, which was more than 1,000 years away.C.I. Scofield breaks it down this way,  

• The bones of the hands, arms, shoulders, and pelvis out of joint (vs.14)
• The intense perspiration caused by intense suffering (vs.14)
• The beating of the heart affected (vs.14)
• strength exhausted and extreme thirst (vs.15)
• the hands and feet pierced (vs.16)
• partial nudity (vs.17) - although I would suggest that it was total nudity, regardless, the point remains
• The desolate cry, periods of light and darkness, casting lots for His clothes, all these and more were literally fulfilled in the event of the crucifixion.

Hope is Restored (vs.19-21)

While Jesus is still on the cross, still suffering, and still crying out in pain . . . the darkness lifts and He understands God’s presence is with Him again.  Jesus’ cry now becomes a shout of victory…The sin debt is paid.The Lord takes one last breath and cries “It is finished!”

Conclusion:

The Psalm will now turns from tragedy to triumph.  What seemed to be a great defeat will soon and forever be seen as the greatest victory.Jesus endured the greatest trial anyone has ever suffered at the loving hands of the Father.  When everything was stripped away from Him, Jesus trusted in the plan and purpose of God . . . and in the end God’s will was accomplished, and Christ is now exalted.  God was magnified by the trusting Savior who died for our sin.

Psalm 21

A Response to Victory and to Psalm 20.

Only one thing, tonight that we’re going to pull out of this Psalm... It’s a primary point and where we find encouragement and application.God's king wins because he prays. vs.1-2God's king wins because he prays. He doesn't win because he has the best army, though 1 Chronicles goes on and on about what an impressive army David had. He doesn't win because of his superior wisdom or tactics. He doesn't win because his enemies are weak. God's king wins because he prays, and because God gives him the victory.

Lining up the Psalms:

Psalm 20 is before the battle. Psalm 21 is afterwards.In 20:4 they pray that God would give the king the desire of his heart. In 21:2 God has given it to him. In 20:7 they are saying they will stand firm because they trust in the name of the LORD. In 21:7, the king has stood firm because he trusts in the LORD. God's king wins because he prays.Now I could try to apply this to us, and say that if we pray, we will win. But it's not that simple. We aren't God's king, so we can't just rip this passage out of context and say straight away that it applies to us.But Jesus is God's king, and this passage is about him.Something I find really striking about prayer... did you know that the Resurrection happened because Jesus prayed. 

• Hebrews 5:7-8 - “who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.”

The resurrection happened because Jesus prayed. God's king wins because he prays . . . and you know what . . . that is a great reason for us to be encouraged. Jesus prays and wins, God gives him victory . . . that is how the Father will always respond to His leaders but it is even more true of how the Father responds to the Son. God gives Jesus the desire of His heart. Do you know what Jesus is praying for right now? Us.

Jesus prays for us

Romans 8:31-39 - “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: 

Conclusion:

Let me read the final verse of Psalm 21... vs.13God's king wins because he prays. So we should be confident because God's king Jesus is praying for us and we should pray because prayer matters.

Psalm 20 (Part 2)

Psalm 20:1-3

 1 May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob protect you!  2 May he send you help from the sanctuary and give you support from Zion!  3 May he remember all your offerings and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices! Selah

Introduction:

This week, we continue to look at Psalm 20, very simple two part structure Psalm that contains 1) prayers offered and 2) a statement of confidence in God. So let’s dig in and take a close look, vs.1 The picture this Psalm paints for us here is of a group of people praying for their king who is about to go out into battle against an enemy. This is one of those prayers we pray for ourselves during those times when we know that what we are about to do will be a hotbed for emotional, physical, mental, and/or spiritual warfare.  This is one of those prayers that we pray over others who have an especially difficult task ahead of them.Now, last time we were together we talked about God the deliverer of Jacob.This week we’re going to look at the next two verses.vs.2 has some wonderful insights concerning pre-war preparation and vs.3 has something to say about the importance of consistency.

Psalm 20:2 - Sanctuary

“help from the sanctuary” - The sanctuary is always a picture of the place where we meet with God. With Adam and Eve it was in the midst of the garden of Eden.With Noah and Abraham and those who came before the creation of the tabernacle and the temple it was most often the wilderness.For the children of Israel during their wandering towards the promised land it was the Holy of Holies and the Tabernacle.For the nation of Israel it was the Temple, the place where the Israelites came to get their thoughts straightened out, to get their thinking corrected, to get their hearts right, and to worship God. It was in the Temple where they met with God, and where they would heard the Word of God, the mind and thoughts of God, taught faithfully.Later on in the Psalms, we’ll read the thoughts of King David’s worship director who is deeply troubled by the prosperity of the wicked: Why do the ungodly prosper while the righteous seem to be downtrodden all the time? Asaph struggled with this, as so many of us do, and set about looking for a reason behind suffering and looking for a way to praise God rightly and do his job.He was upset... understandably... so what did he do?  And the Psalms tell us that he wandered and struggled until he found himself in the sanctuary, in the Temple.Now... his solace wasn’t the Temple itself... just as our solace isn’t found in church attendance.No... Asaph found peace and answers in the place where he was able to see, hear, and spend some alone time with God.This is what the sanctuary does.For us the sanctuary is the Scriptures. This is where we find our help. It is by Scripture that our minds are illuminated, that we begin to see the world the way it is, not the way it appears to be. There is not one of us who has not already learned that life is not the way it appears to be, that often what looks like an answer and what we are convinced at first is the right perspective on things often turns out to be exactly the opposite. Life is filled with illusion, with deceit; things are not what they appear to be. Doesn't your heart cry for somebody to tell you the truth, to tell you the way things really are, to open your eyes to what is going on? That is what the Bible does... this is what good Bible teaching does... this is what personal Bible reading does.Hitting the MUTE button on God (ELABORATE)

Psalm 20:2 - Zion

Now... that’s the first part... the second part comes from the second section of vs.2“support from Zion” - Zion is another name for Jerusalem, the capital of the kingdom. In the Scriptures Zion stands as a symbol of the invisible kingdom of God that surrounds us.This is the Kingdom that is made up of ministering angels sent by God to serve those who are the heirs of salvation. In other words, all the help that God can give you in the day of trouble, in the hour of pressure, is made available through God’s invisible Kingdom... and how do we access this invisible Kingdom? - PRAYER.Remember that in the Garden of Gethsemane, as Jesus was praying and sweating drops of blood in the height of His agony, an angel appeared and ministered to Him and strengthened Him. That angel was made visible to Him in order that we might be taught a lesson of what happens when we pray. I have gone into prayer depressed and defeated, but while I have prayed I have felt my spirits caught up, changed, and strengthened. I came out calm, at rest, and at peace. Why? Because I have received help from Zion.Let me ask you: Where do you turn when your heart is troubled and your mind is confused by all that is happening in your world? Where is your place of quiet confidence and rest?John 14:1-7

Psalm 20:3 - Consistency

Psalm 20 (Part 1)

The Story Behind the Psalm 

This Psalm corresponds to Psalm 15.It directly deals with the period of time when the Jewish people were about the work of bringing the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem. At the same time there was a raging war with going on between the Jews and the Syrians. Before going to war, David writes this Psalm. We see this mentioned in verse 1 when he speaks of the Lord hearing him in the day of trouble. Then in verse 2 he seeks help from the sanctuary and from Zion. He reminds God in verse 6 that He saves His anointed, and then in that amazing verse 7, David speaks of the foolishness of trusting in chariots and horses (which were used in battle) and in the wisdom of trusting in the name of our Lord for battle. 

Charles Spurgeon points out that this is not only a Psalm of David, written by him, but a Psalm for David, written for him as King over a nation preparing to go to battle. Spurgeon breaks it down into these 4 helpful sections.

• Verses 1-4 are a prayer for the success of the king.
• Verses 5-7 express unwavering confidence in God and his Anointed.
• Verse 8 declares the defeat of the foe.
• Verse 9 is a concluding appeal to YHWH.

vs.1 - the God of Jacob

In this verse, David draws our attention to the LORD, identifying him as the God of Jacob.David says, “I’m in need of protection so I will turn to and think on the same God who protected Jacob. Now... this is an unique detail.How did God protect Jacob?  

• He certainly did not protect him from the need to flee from his brother Esau.
• He didn't prevent Jacob from being married to the wrong woman. 
• He didn't keep Laban from cheating Jacob by changing his wages ten times. 
• He didn't keep Jacob's wife, Rachel, from dying in childbirth. 
• He didn't keep Jacob’s son Joseph from being sold into slavery, his other sons from lying about it, and his son Simeon from being thrown into prison. 

What kind of protector is this God of Jacob?

Why would David have us look to Jacob as the example of Divine protection here?

• He is a sufficient protector -- this is the very lesson God was teaching Jacob when He wrenched his hip out of its socket at the same time that Esau was coming after him with 400 men. God didn't leave Jacob any power to flee or to fight, because God didn't need Jacob's help. 
• He is a just protector --  When God saw how Jacob was being cheated by Laban, He simply changed the laws of genetics so that Laban couldn't get away with his injustice. 
• He is a big picture protector -- Jacob didn't see any reason for being wed to Leah, or any reason for the loss of Joseph. But God had reasons, and those reasons came back to protect and provide for Jacob in the end. 

Application:

Here’s the point... God has a plan for your protection -- and for mine.Just like Jacob, we have a sufficient protector.Just like Jacob, we have a just protector.Just like Jacob, we have a big picture protector.God is our protector and defender... whom or what do we have to fear.

Psalm 19 (Part 3)

Introduction:

Tonight we conclude Psalm 19As we begin... allow me to summarize what we’ve discussed so far.
Let’s read together... vs.1-6 - Look up, look out, check your perspective and realize that you are surrounded by an awesome, great big world created by an Awesome, Infinitely bigger God and worship in the fact that He made all these things so that you would know Him more deeply and richly. God created all that is to bless you and guide you in your life of service and worship before Him. So... look up, look out, check your perspective... and worship God.vs.7-11 - Here what we’re instructed to do is look at Scripture.  This goes beyond a simple reading of God’s Words.  David says, “Meditate, memorize, study, and become intimately acquainted with the Words of God.”  Why?  Because they are perfect, because God intentionally gave us every letter, every space, every period... every jot and every tittle.  In God’s Word are the promises that are meant to encourage us, the hope that meant to sustain us, and the blessing that is meant to inform our walk. So... look at Scripture with all of the intent and purpose with which it was given to you.

Transition:

Now what’s left? vs.12-14Those of us who love God, delight in His ways, love His Word, cherish His fellowship, stand in awe of His greatness, and rest in His kindness—we still sin... we’re still prone to fall away... to lose our focus and turn from God’s intention and plan for our life towards our own.How do we deal with that? And that's what this text is about.

Two Ways of Sinning 

What David says in verses 12 and 13 is that there are two ways to lose our focus and fall into sin.The first is described in vs.12 - Unknown or Unconscious sin.There are different reasons why this might be the case for different people or different sins.One is that we simply may not yet have been taught clearly from Scripture that what we are doing is wrong.What would rectify that?  Knowing God, being aware of His holiness and our own imperfection... so it’s a perspective thing.Also, knowing God’s Word.Another reason is deception... and this might be self-deception or a type of deception that comes from false teaching.How would we rectify this? Knowing God, being aware of His holiness and our own imperfection... so it’s a perspective thing.Also, knowing God’s Word for ourselves.The other reason might be familiarity with our sin. This happens when we know an act or an attitude or a way of communicating is sinful, but it has become so much a part of us over the years that it comes out before we realize it.And it may be a week before the Holy Spirit pricks your conscience so that we realize what we’ve done and like Paul end up saying, "I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do." Then we go about the process of humbling ourselves, asking for forgiveness and repairing the damage that we may have caused.By the way, how would we rectify this? Knowing God, being aware of His holiness and our own imperfection... so it’s a perspective thing.Also, knowing God’s Word for ourselves.David also gives us a hint, on how to deal with this type of sin, in his prayer... he says, “cleanse me from secret faults.”The word "cleanse" means "acquit me, render me guiltless, forgive me." Or, as the apostle Paul would say, "Justify me, reckon me righteous, do not impute my baffling, hidden sinfulness to me, cancel it out."Ok... that's the first way of sinning: you are baffled by it and the act or attitude or word sneaks up on you because its sinfulness is somehow hidden from the eyes of your heart for a time.

The Second Way of Sinning

The second way of sinning comes out in vs.13 - Intentional or Conscious sin.These are sins that we commit because we presume to know better than God or presume that sin is no big deal. The point is not that there is a special category of extra-bad sins, like murder, rape, treason, and so on... the point is that there is a special category of sinning—namely, sinning in arrogant defiance of a known law. It's not so much what you do that puts sinning in this category as whether you do it with forethought, defiance, and rebellion. This is what David calls presumptuous sins. They are fully intentional, with our eyes open, and with a heart that says, "I know God says this is wrong and harmful, but I just don't care what God thinks; I'm going to do it anyway."Now... with this type of sin we have to assume an awareness of God and we also have to assume an awareness of God’s Word.So, how do we deal with this type of sinful rebellion in our lives?And the key to answering this question, again, lies in the way that David prays here...David prays "Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me." This is not a prayer for forgiveness and acquittal of baffling sins already committed; it's a prayer for power not to commit the presumptuous sin.The first prayer is a prayer for pardon; the second a prayer for power. Pardon for sins committed, and power not to commit sins. 

Careful Conclusion:

Now let's be very careful with the text. I want to avoid a misunderstanding of what I have said. The text does not say that we shouldn't pray for power over baffling sins and hidden faults. And the text does not say that we shouldn't pray for pardon for a presumptuous sin we commit and later feel remorse for. We absolutely should... however, what David is telling us here is this...First, he is saying that as long as we live, the old sinful nature (that has been crucified with Christ and should be reckoned dead) is going to continue to baffle us and at times frustrate us and anger us by sneaking up on us and causing us to do things and say things and feel things that we don't really mean and don't plan and hate as soon as we recognize them. Therefore pardon is utterly indispensable for a life of joy and hope and peace. We must believe that these sins are covered and forgiven when we pray, "cleanse me from secret faults."Guilt is very often what keeps us from continuing to walk in and grow in our lives with God... Paul would call them bad cargo items that are to be thrown overboard, not to weigh us down or detour us.Second, he is saying that we must and we can get victory over presumptuous sins. The focus here is on praying for power: "Keep back your servant from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me." I believe we can experience triumph over presumptuous sin, and that presumptuous sinning must cease to be the characteristic of our lives. God calls us to this and gives us the power to accomplish it through the Holy Spirit.

Psalm 19 (Part 2)

Introduction:

How do you become truly alive and not live as if you were dead? How do you become and stay wise and not live you life as a fool? And how do you become and stay joyful in God instead of becoming inevitably miserable in the brokenness of this world?The answer is: Meditate on the law of the Lord day and night (Psalm 1:1–3).

Transition:

Last time we were together we reflected on the first 6 verses of Psalm 19 where David challenges us to worship in and reflect on God’s creation.Essentially David says, “Push the pause button on life and look up . . . wonder, be amazed, and listen as the heavens sing to you about the glory of our Creator God.”This week David moves on from quiet reflection on Creation to the necessity for deep focus and concentration on the Divine Revelation of Scripture.

Psalm 19:7-11

⁷ The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul;

The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;

⁸ The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;

The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;

⁹ The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever;

The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.

¹⁰ More to be desired are they than gold,

Yea, than much fine gold; 

Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

¹¹ Moreover by them Your servant is warned,

And in keeping them there is great reward.

The point of this text is this: Because the Scriptures are the Word of the Lord and because the Word of the Lord communicates to us the truths of the One true living God, they will have an effect on us that is better than the effects of anything else we can read or study or watch or listen to.

In List Form:

I want to give this to you, first, in list form, and then we’ll deal with what each list offers us in the way of application and transformation.
Analogies of Scripture

• More refined and desirable than pure gold

• Sweeter to the heart and soul than pure honey

• A great reward 

Descriptions of Scripture

• The law

• The testimony

• The statutes

• The commandments

• The fear

• The judgements

• The warnings

The Source of Scripture

• YHWH, YHWH, YHWH . . . 

• Six times in total

A Note on Analogies

In vs.10-11 we see a general statement of the immense value of God's Word for us here.It’s found in the first part of verse 10 and the last part of verse 11. David says first in verse 10 that the words of God are "more to be desired than gold, even much fine gold." And then at the end of verse 11, "In keeping them there is great reward."As I did last week, I’d like to quote John Piper on this section of Psalm 19:
If you have a choice between the Word of God and GOLD, choose the Word of God. If you have a choice between the Word of God and MUCH gold, choose the Word of God. If you have choice between the Word of God and much FINE gold, choose the Word of God. The point is plain. The benefits of knowing and doing the Word of God are greater than all that money can buy.So if you are tempted to read the stock page before you read the Bible in the morning, remind yourself that this is not shrewd behavior. It's like the child who chooses the penny over the dime because it's bigger. Adults look on and shake their heads and try to teach children how to see what is really more valuable. That is no doubt the way the angels in heaven look down at childish businessmen who study the stock page before they study the Bible. There is a difference however: the benefits of the Word of God over the benefits of gold are far greater than ten to one.

A Note on Descriptions

In the opening lines of this section, David describes the Word of God in great detail.What he’s not doing is, he’s not separating the text of the Bible into sections . . . this isn’t, “We’ll Genesis through Deuteronomy is the law and that parts perfect, and Joshua through Job is the testimony of the Lord and that parts pure.”Instead, what David is doing is talking about the blessings of every section, every letter, every word of God’s inspired Word.So what are some these benefits? What is this "great reward" that verse 11 is talking about that makes meditating on the Bible so much better than much fine gold?I’ll offer them to you in three parts: life, wisdom, and happiness. 

The Benefit of Life

The benefit of Scripture on our life in general is the very first thing David mentions, because it's the basis of everything else, vs.7 This is basically, life isn’t life without God.  You can live your entire life dead unless you find yourself in the Living Word.“Revive” here is another word for resurrect . . . and story after story shows that the Word of God has life giving power. 

• Phaitoon Hathamart described to us how it was Matthew 11:28–30 that gave him Christian life when he was a Buddhist. 

• St. Augustine said it was Romans 13:13 that stunned him into life. 

• For Martin Luther it was Romans 1:16. 

• For Jonathan Edwards it was 1 Timothy 1:17. 

• And for the murderer Tokichi Ichii, who was converted just before his execution in Japan in 1918, it was the simple word, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." He said, "I was stabbed to the heart, as if by a five-inch nail."

Our life begins with the Word and we stay alive by the Word. If we abandon the Word of God, we die spiritually . . . the sad thing is that, very often, those who abandon the Word of God are oblivious to their terminal state.Perhaps the chief symptom of neglecting the Word of God is denial that anything is spiritually wrong with you.Only the Word of God gives the life which matters in the end. Can you imagine someone on his deathbed whispering to an attending family member, "Please, read to me the figures in my savings account. O, read to me from my portfolio." But you can all imagine yourself saying in that hour, "Read me Psalm 23. Read to me Romans 8. Read Revelation 21."

The Benefit of Wisdom

Which leads us to the second benefit . . . the benefit of wisdom.  We benefit wisdom when we study Scripture.This in the second half of vs.7 "The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple"; and the second half of vs.8 "The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes."If you were in a pitch black room with no prior knowledge of your surroundings . . . would you get up and move around freely?  No, of course not . . . that would be foolish.And yet, Scripture tells us that this is so often the way that we live.  We stumble around in the darkness of our own hearts and minds, tripping over obstacles, falling down stairs of doubt, knocking our heads on despair, depression, hopeless, worry . . .And God’s standing there with a flashlight, holding it out for us, pleading with us to take it and use it and walk in wisdom.Scripture offers light in the darkness . . . it is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path . . . use it and benefit sight . . . benefit wisdom in your walk.

The Benefit of Joy

Finally, the Word of the LORD is the best source of deepest and lasting joy. This comes out in vs.8: "The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart." The Word of the LORD rejoices the heart and has an effect in our lives that compares to eating the most enjoyable thing David could think of—fresh honey straight from the comb.The Word of the LORD rejoices the heart and has an effect in our lives that compares to having an overabundance of the world’s most valuable resources and riches.We watch as the lost and dying world struggles to gain and retain these things . . . and they find tainted, deteriorating versions of these blessings at great personal cost . . . and God says, “You set your mind to pursue and to work towards foolish, empty things . . . instead, turn your efforts on Me and My Word and the benefit of life, wisdom, and joy will overflow.”

A Note on YHWH

Finally, notice that the Scriptures have these effects on us because they are the Word of the Lord.This is unmistakable from David's six-fold repetition. vs.7 "law of the Lord," "testimony of the Lord." vs.8 "statutes of the Lord," "commandment of the Lord." vs.9 "fear of the Lord,"  “judgements of the Lord.”Six times he uses the phrase "of the Lord," that is, of Yahweh.We’ve been driving this point home a lot recently . . . and I hope it has begun to really resonate with you (and if not don’t worry . . . I probably won’t stop anytime soon).But, the reason we have comfort, security, great joy and peace in any of the promises of the Bible is because of who these promises come from . . . because of the character and nature of our covenant God.The text of Scripture come from the God who says, "I am who I am" and there is no other, the God who created all that is and holds it in being, the God who knows all things that have ever been and that ever will be, and who understands perfectly how everything in the universe works, from galaxies to the subatomic energy. Remembering who the promise has come from is key to having our hope in the Bible.  This is why, so often, the Biblical authors begin their texts by reminding us . . . this is the God of Moses, the God of Abraham, the God of Jacob, the God of David, and so on.What their doing is reminding us that God is good, that God makes and keeps His promises . . . and that God is bent on reaching out to us to love us and to care for us and to be with us.

Psalm 19 (Part 1)

Introduction:

I woke up this morning, looked out the window and groaned . . . another abysmal day.The night before had ended with a quick begrudging bedside prayer with Julie and Audrey . . . “Lord, thank you for the rain that nourishes the ground . . .” and so on. Got into the church office while it was still relatively dark outside, turned the light on in my office, plugged in my computer and peered out the window at the parking lot, "bleck" gray and gross outside.After answering a few emails I quickly turned to my favorite activity . . . studying the Bible. It doesn’t matter how nasty things are in the outside world . . . there’s a whole new world, in fact there’s actually the promise of a better world, in the Scriptures.Now . . . let me ask you a question: when you were a child . . . if you had an attitude problem what would your parents do to you to help teach you that you needed to change it? Anyone else get a little smack on the backside or side of the head.Well . . . Psalm 19 tonight . . . For those of you who, like me, woke up and thought . . . Ugh . . . a little smack on the side of the head from a loving Parent is coming.

Scripture Reading: Psalm 19:1-6

¹ The heavens declare the glory of God;

And the firmament shows His handiwork.

² Day unto day utters speech,

And night unto night reveals knowledge.

³ There is no speech nor language

Where their voice is not heard.

⁴ Their line has gone out through all the earth,

And their words to the end of the world. 

In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun,

⁵ Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,

And rejoices like a strong man to run its race.

⁶ Its rising is from one end of heaven,

And its circuit to the other end; 

And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

Transition:

The focus of these six verses is on what we see when we look up—the heavens, the skies, the firmament . . . and how we are to respond to them.I think, our common response, can best be summed up in a quote by Clyde Kilby, a literature teacher at Wheaton, said:The fall of man can hardly be more forcefully felt than simply in noting what we all do with a fresh snowfall or the first buds of spring. On Monday they fill us with delight and meaning and on Tuesday we ignore them. No amount of shouting to us that this is all wrong changes the fact for very long . . . Only some aesthetic power which is akin to God's own creativity has the capability for renewal, for giving us the power to see.He thinks the reason we pay so little attention to God's Creation is that we are fallen, sinful creatures. Based just on this morning I would be prone to agree . . . not only because I failed to see anything beautiful in God’s creation this morning . . . but also, after reflection, I cannot imagine that the angels in heaven get tired of God's beauty or that God himself grows weary of the beauty of his Son. And perhaps the reason we naturally respond this way to nature (which is an unnatural response when you really think about it) fallen man is plagued with the proverb: "Familiarity breeds contempt."

vs.1-3

vs.1 - what is it about children that reveals so much of our broken, tainted human perspective?  Audrey’s really starting to notice the moon and the stars.  A few nights back we were walking over to the church because I had forgotten something and she wanted to come and help me retrieve it . . . and as we stepped out into the open parking lot I heard a delighted gasp followed by, “Banana moon!” I stopped and indulged her curiosity for a few moments . . . and then it was off to church so that I could get my book about the wonder and majesty of God.Did you know that in creation, even fallen creation, we glimpse heaven.  All of creation is consistently praising God, singing His glory, singing His majesty . . . all of it.  And, perhaps, what’s even more profound is that creation does this, not with fancy speeches or well written books . . . but simply through it’s existence and obedience.vs.2-3 - Notice the paradox between verses 2 and 3. Verse 2: "Day to day pours forth speech . . . " Verse 3: "There is no speech . . . " It's the same Hebrew word for "speech" in both places.In other words, God means for there to be communication from his mind and heart to our mind and heart, but the medium of communication—the thing that carries the reality from his heart to my heart—is not written words; it's not spoken words.Instead it's light and color and contrast and shape and proportion and design and motion and magnitude, etc. God is singing to us, communicating to us everyday through wordless billboards . . . trees, plants, weather, animals . . . their simplicity, their complexity, their beauty . . . their very existence.John Piper, pastor and Reformed theologian, suggests that it might be helpful to compare this wordless communication to what happens when we see a painting. Two things come home to our minds immediately when someone shows us a painting.

• The first is that we sense immediately that this is a painting. It is not alive. It is not a real flower or a real person or a real landscape. It's a portrait. It's a painting. It is the work of a human hand. We don't have to think about it, or reason it out. There is a kind of speech, as the psalm says, but there are no words. We just see it and know it: someone made this.

• The second thing we sense immediately is some assessment of the painting: it is beautiful or ugly or lewd or frightening or just blah. We might think about this later and change our mind. But there is an immediate communication to our hearts without words or extended reasonings: this is glorious or not.

So far, through this Psalm, we’ve seen: 

• 1^st that the focus here is on the skies 

• 2^nd that the skies pour forth speech every day, every night, everywhere in the world. 

• 3^rd that this communication is without words. It is more immediate; it comes home to the mind and heart with direct force and certainty, and . . . 

• 4^th we have seen that the message of the skies is the glory of God. God is beautiful in his perfections, God is awesome in his power, God is beyond comprehension in his wisdom and knowledge.

vs.5-6

We’ll close with vs.5-6Verses 5 and 6 are simply poetic expressions of the joy that comes from witnessing and reflecting on God's creation. They are not teaching; they are exulting. They don't so much inform as they delight . . . and the best thing to do with such poetry is to enjoy it, to worship in it, to reflect on it, and to attempt to copy it’s pattern as well as our weak powers will allow us.

Psalm 18 - Fortress and Deliverer

Introduction:

We’re back in Psalm 18 this week continuing to look at 7 of the primary metaphors both David and many of the Biblical authors used to describe God.We’ve discussed 3 so far: God as our Rock, God as our Strength, and God as the Horn of our Salvation, and God as our ShieldTonight we’re going to look at God as our Fortress and Deliverer.Two of the seven metaphors that David uses... but these two must be studied together.

Biblical Metaphor:

In David’s life he had been without strength and sorely afflicted by his enemies.  He had been snared and without means of escape, but God had delivered him.  This Psalm is a confession of human weakness and of God’s powerful desire to save.  This then is where our own salvation and refuge begins; there must be a recognition and confession of human weakness, a plea to God that He will work for us that which is humanly impossible.Look at the opening couple of verses of Psalm 18:1-3 In this Psalm David gathers together a list of titles in the second verse that are used of God throughout Scripture.  The list is divided into two parts, by David’s use of two of the primary names of God... the first being headed with “Yahweh” and the second with “El”.  David does this to help the reader understand what he’s saying about God and also, to help the reader in their own personal application.The first list begins with YHWH - God’s memorial, Covenant name, which occurs some sixteen times in this Psalm.

YHWH:

What meaning does the name YHWH typically hold with it?God as promise keeper, God as covenant maker, God as deliverer, God as the good and holy Father.So when David talks about God as His Fortress and Deliverer... he’s talking about more than just physical deliverance from trouble, he’s talking about covenant deliverance from the evils of the human heart with the promise of becoming partakers of God’s own nature (2 Pet. 1:4).Now, we’ve hit these first two previously... but looking at them as a unit we’ll discuss them briefly again.

YHWH as Strength:

David begins by saying that YHWH is his strength.  This is not simply physical strength... this is strength of hope and strength of joy because the God who keeps His promises has promised to be good, to watch over him, to love him and lead him and protect him.

YHWH as Rock:

Building on this David says, “YHWH is my rock.”  An elevated place of refuge…a safe hiding place.Now, this has a few important implications.  

1. As the “rock” God is immovable, which means that, often, to get to the place where you can take refuge in the rock of His salvation... you have to move. This is what it means to enter into covenant with the covenant God.
2. As the “rock” God is unshakable, which means that, even when the world seems to be crumbling down around you... if you go to God and hide yourself in Him, you will be on solid ground.
3. As the “rock” God is unbreakable, which means that, no matter what the attack, if you go to God and hide yourself in Him, you can actually know peace and safety.

YHWH as Fortress:

Next comes “my fortress.”  Unlike Europe and Asia, America has little history of refuges and fortresses, except perhaps the western stockade where settlers might gather during times of unrest. In Old Testament days, however, especially before the Romans brought peace to Palestine, a refuge or fortress was a very real need. Unwalled villages were clustered around walled stronghold cities, where residents in the region would flee in times of war. High towers and ramparts could be defended against a force many times their size.So, in addition to providing a hiding place – God is also a defense, a bulwark, or a stronghold. A hiding place is only a temporary escape from our enemies, but when we add to “hiding place” the term “fortress,” the position is made secure and eternal.

YHWH as Deliverer:

When we add the last title of  “my deliverer,” we see a progression of thought…  God hides, He defends, He delivers!  And, the purpose of His hiding place is deliverance!Listen... whatever thing you are going through... God wants to deliver you.That’s salvation, deliverance from judgment through covenant.That’s circumstantial, deliverance from the brokenness of sin through covenant.That’s personal, deliverance from the slavery of sin through covenant.That’s eternal, deliverance from everything that’s wrong with you and the world for all eternity with God in His kingdom... arrived at through covenant.

Psalm 18 - Shield

Introduction:

We’re back in Psalm 18 this week continuing to look at 7 of the primary metaphors both David and many of the Biblical authors used to describe God.We’ve discussed 3 so far: God as our Rock, God as our Strength, and God as the Horn of our Salvation.Tonight we’re going to look at God as our Shield.However, before we jump into our study, I’d like to take a minute to briefly discuss how to handle Biblical metaphors when we come across them in Scripture.

Biblical Metaphor:

You can’t get far in Bible study without meeting metaphors. Metaphors are powerful word pictures which are very frequently employed in both the Old and New Testament.When the authors of Scripture use metaphor to describe something they are not simply decorating a plain idea.  Instead, they’re using a word picture to intentionally pack profound meaning into just a few words. Those few words may seem to contain only a tiny seed of meaning at first glance, but because they appeal to our senses and feelings, they can sink into our own experience and imagination to take root and grow.The challenge, when you come to almost any Biblical metaphor, is not to ask, “What does this passage say, what does it mean, and how do I apply it?”But instead to sit back and visualize the word picture.We do not understand poetic language by “extracting” the meaning from it, but by letting it develop meaning as it works its way into us.Once an application is reached, then comes the work of going back to Scripture to confirm it’s truth.

Applying the Process:

Tonight, looking at God as our Shield, let’s apply this process.We’ll begin by reading it in scripture and then we’ll discuss the word picture as poetry instead of prose.Psalm 18:1-3Visualize yourself with a shield... what does it look like, how does it feel, what kind of things might be going through your head as you equipped yourself with a shield for the day?A shields primary purpose is protection... it’s for your defense against an attack.Their are, traditionally, two types of shields: 1) a large shield, covering the entire body, for entrenched protection; 2) a small shield, moveable, covering the head and heart, used to advance on an enemy or for hand to hand combat.The type of shield that you carry would depend on your circumstance... the battle that you are facing.Here in this Psalm, both shields are in view here.In fact, one of the encouraging and amazing things about this metaphor is that it describes God’s work in and care for our lives almost like an armory.David here is saying, “No matter my circumstances I can suit up with God.”We see this in even greater application when we get to the New Testament in the book of Ephesians chapter 6 where Paul talks about how we need to visit armory of God daily and suit up with the helmet of salvation, the Sword of the Spirit, the Breastplate of Righteousness, the Shield of Faith, and the Girdle of Truth.So, when we visualize God as our Shield... one of the things that we need to see is that we have options... we have the whole armory of God at our disposal.Whatever defensive strategy we need to employ in the battle that we are facing... whether it’s a stationary position where we just need to survive or a mobile position where we are pressing forward... we have options, God has provided us with the right options.

Transition:

So... we’re talking about war and preparing for battle here.With that in mind, standing in the armory, I want us to deal briefly with the application and blessing of taking up God as our shield.And to do this, we need to go from poetry to story... I want to look at the words of God Himself in scripture... the first occurrence of this metaphor and the reasons that we should be encouraged and emboldened and strengthened as we suit up.

Genesis 15 - Context:

Genesis 15:1 “After these things” – meaning Chapter 14 Abram has just returned from war.The people’s surrounding Abrams’ land were constantly fighting for control... these were smaller tribes of people who were attempting to expand their control and make a name for themselves in the ancient world.Abram, up to this point, has really only been an impartial observer... He lived on the outskirts of the cities and didn’t have an alliance or allegiance to any particular one of them.It’s also important to know that Abram was a farmer and herdsman, not a warrior.The issue comes when one of the tribes, the armies of Sodom and Gomorrah, sweep through Abrams’ nephews land (Lot) and take him and his family hostage.Word gets back to Abram, so he suits up, arms 318 of his trained servants (meaning that they had basic defensive military training against wild animals and the occasional drifter) and they set out to save Lot by ambushing his captors during the night.Catching Lot’s captors off guard Abram defeats them and snags Lot, Lot’s family and all of Lot’s stuff, and brings it back to his home.The king of Sodom is kind of ticked about the whole thing, so he sets up a meeting with Abram at the “King’s Valley” to discuss a peaceful resolution.Their mediator was a man named Melchizedek, who was priest and king of Jerusalem... this was a man who spoke for God.Melchizedek basically starts the meeting off by saying, “God’s with you Abram, He has delivered you and He will deliver you... don’t back down.”And so the King of Sodom, clearly not ecstatic over this little proclamation says, “Keep all of Lot’s possessions just give us Lot and his family.”Abram responds, “No... counteroffer... go away and we won’t take any of your stuff, we’ll leave you alone if you leave us alone.”And then the meeting is over.

Genesis 15:

Abram goes home... he’s just given an ultimatum with no idea what the response is going to be, he's just fought a war, he's waiting for a promised son, he's got a barren wife, and he's got a lot to be afraid of. And so, what God says to him is this: “Abram, pay attention to me. Don't be afraid of all your life and circumstances. I have a plan for you. If you trust me, everything's gonna be just fine. There's really nothing to worry about.”Look at it, Genesis 15:1God says, “Abram, you know why you won that war? Because I'm your shield. I protected you. I defended you. I gave you a victory... and if you stay behind Me as your shield... I will be good to you.”That’s the application, that’s what it means to have God, to claim God, and to utilize God as your shield.God says, “Abram, I'm your shield. I know you've got physical and spiritual enemies. I know you've got all kinds of things that you could worry about, fret about, be distressed about, but here's the deal: Pay attention to me. Don't worry about all your problems and all your enemies and all your opposition.” It's like Hebrews says. Fix your eyes on Jesus. Keep your eyes on God and you don’t have to worry about all the attacks, all the enemy, all the darkness, and all the evil. Just keep your eyes on the shield. Just stay behind the shield. You'll be fine. God says, “You just stick next to me. You'll be just fine because I'll protect you.”

War:

You have a literal enemy. There's a literal war. There's literal problems. And as long as you're under the shield of God, it doesn't matter what comes raining down out of the sky. You're going to be okay... in fact, you’re going to be blessed. However, should you get out from under the shield, should you try and act without God’s direction and help... you're in serious trouble. If you run off into sin or folly or disobedience or defiance or prideful arrogance, you're in danger. See, God is a good God and he loves and he protects his people. But when his people rebel and sin and disobey, they come out from underneath the shield, and then hard times come upon them because of their own folly.We're in a war as God's people, but it's not just against flesh and blood. It's not just people. It's against powers, principalities, and spirits.What that means is we, as a church, believe in a literal Satan. Literal demons. Literal spiritual attack... that we are in a literal war, and we have a literal enemy who really wants to do us harm. Our enemy doesn't want us to love each other. He wants us to be bitter, angry, unforgiving, mean-spirited, and divided.... he doesn't want us to be devoted to the Lord Jesus... he wants us to distrust and mistrust the Word of God and the goodness of God. To oversimplify it, God is good, Satan is bad. We believe that. You have to start there; otherwise, you get really confused and hurt and lost. Once you understand that God is good and does good things, and Satan is bad and he does bad things, and that there is a battle between Satan and God and Satan and God’s servants you need to know how to protect and defend yourself.And God responds, “Hang out under the shield, let me be your protector, let me be you defender.”

Psalm 18 - Horn of Salvation

Introduction:

We’re back in Psalm 18 this week continuing through this amazing and intense Psalm of David.As we had mentioned last week, one of the things that makes this Psalm so amazing is that it’s words happen to be King David’s final words before his death.What we have, in Psalm 18, is a life in retrospect.It’s a summary of David’s life with God.

Transition:

David employs metaphor to describe his life with God here in Psalm 18... and so far we’ve discussed two of them... God is our Rock and God is our Strength.Tonight I’d like to focus on the third metaphor, “God is the Horn of our Salvation.”vs.1-2

God is the Horn of our Salvation:

This metaphor appears only this once in David’s Psalm and only three times in the Bible. (One in the Old Testament in 2 Samuel 22, the other in Luke 1:69)The kind of horn meant here is not a musical instrument but a deadly weapon (wild ox or rhino).It was a sign of strength and a means of victory.David is saying here that God is his defense (his shield) and his offense (his deadly and powerful horn).He is a horn of salvation because he uses his power to secure and protect his people.

Luke 1:

Which brings us to Luke 1 and our application.Begin reading with me in vs.5-7But God, desiring to show that he regards the broken-hearted and that nothing human can stop his resolves on their behalf, sends the mighty angel Gabriel with a word for old Zechariah: vs.13-17Zechariah couldn't believe the news. And said as much. So Gabriel responded with indignation: vs.19-20Nine months later the time came. Elizabeth gave birth to John the Baptist. At the child's circumcision the neighbors started to call the child Zechariah after his father, but, in obedience to God, Zechariah wrote on a tablet: "His name is John." And immediately his tongue was loosed and he was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied: vs.68-69

Jesus is our horn of salvation... Zechariah prophecies this here in Luke telling us that the Messiah will one day literally destroy his enemies and gather his people into his land and rule them in peace. And indeed, he will when he comes a second time. But Zechariah's words imply more than that, vs.74-75

Application:

The goal of God's redemption in raising up a horn of salvation is to "grant that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life." God's aim in raising a horn of salvation is not merely to liberate an oppressed people, but to create a holy and righteous people who live in no fear because they trust him.This means that the redemption spoken of in verse 68 must include redemption from fear of enemies and from all unrighteousness. To view Jesus as a horn of salvation is to see him not only as a national liberator but, much more importantly for us now, as a spiritual conqueror.This means that we are not to cower and hide ourselves away in the Horn of our Salvation... but that we are to stand confidently unrighteousness in our own lives... we are to attack it.This is what it means to have Jesus as our Savior.  This is what Paul was talking about when he told us to put to death our old nature.We not only have security in our salvation but we have strength and we have victory.Whatever unrighteousness might be attacking your heart and/or holding you hostage... you have the resources to destroy it.We are not helpless if we are in Jesus.  He is the horn of our salvation.  Claim Him, invoke His name and His power as you struggle against eradicating unrighteousness in your own heart and life.

Psalm 18: Strength

Introduction:

We’re back in Psalm 18 this week continuing through this amazing and intense Psalm of David.

As we had mentioned last week, one of the things that makes this Psalm so amazing is that it’s words happen to be King David’s final words before his death.

What we have, in Psalm 18, is a life in retrospect.

It’s a summary of David’s life with God.

This is one of God’s children... looking back through time, praising God for His activity throughout David’s life.

Transition:

The primary theme of this 50 verse Psalm is summed up in the first three verses.

Here, David names describes God’s activity through 7 metaphors.

vs.1-3

We’ve unpackaged the primary metaphor, God is our Rock, and we broke the remaining 6 down into two categories:

One kind relates to David’s military victories, picturing God as his “Strength,” “Shield,” and “Horn of Salvation.”

The other type relates to the times David was forced to flee from his enemies.

These images picture God as David’s “Rock,” “Fortress,” “Deliverer,” and “Stronghold.”

7 metaphors for God in all.

Tonight I’d like to focus on the first of the 3 metaphors that David uses concerning his military victories, “God is my Strength.”

God is my Strength:

This metaphor appears 4 times in this Psalm... I’ll read you the 4 occurrences and then we’ll focus in on one that appears over and over again in the Scriptures... it’s the most descriptive... and, of course, it employs another metaphor.

vs.1,2,32,39

Now, jump back with me to vs.32... we’re going to look at vs.32-34 and I think that you’ll recognize the analogy.

vs.32-34

Deer’s Feet:

“You make my feet like deers feet... Let’s talk about this image here... it’s a beautiful picture of the sustaining strength of God.

If you’re a Disney classics fan, your mind immediately goes to Bambi.

But Habakkuk wasn’t talking about this friendly, frail little image of a deer.

In the Israeli desert deer were rough, rugged, and sure footed wild animals.

You would find them, not drinking peacefully from a pond or skipping and jumping merrily in the woods with a skunk named Flower and a rabbit named Thumper... but roaming the mountains & rocky terrain where there was amply water, food and protection from predators.

When the image of a deer is used in this context it is of this rugged mountain terrain dwelling, wild animal. These deer are sure footed creatures.

Habakkuk:

I think, perhaps, my favorite passage where this metaphor is used is at the end of the book of Habakkuk.

I’ve been working through this book... thinking about doing a little mini series on it someday in the not to distant future.

What draws me to this book in terms of this particular metaphor, is that it’s a concluding thought from the prophet Habakkuk.

Just like David... this is a conclusion to life, as it is, in retrospect.

However, Habakkuk’s circumstances were abysmal in comparison to David’s who was ruling King and had defeated all of his known enemies, living in peace, aging in his palace, surrounded by luxury.

Habakkuk was prophet during a dark time in Israel’s history right before the dreaded Babylonians conquer Israel and the second major Old Testament Jewish captivity and exile takes place.

Habakkuk has just received word from the Lord that, because of Israel’s defiance and blasphemous living, God was sending the Babylonians to destroy the capital and conquer the Jewish nation.

Habakkuk’s closing response to this news and to God is found in Habakkuk 3:17-19

• vs.17 list of everything Israel needs to survive pastoral society. If Babylon comes in and takes & destroys everything... here’s what I’m going to do:
• Vs. 18   Habakkuk says, “In spite of the loss of all hope and means of survival...I’m going to rejoice...”
• HOW? WHY?
• Vs. 19... because the LORD God is my strength and ultimate salvation... I find stability, I find joy, I find strength... in the Lord.

It is in the context of impending doom and defeat using this imagery of a deer, that Habakkuk says, “I will stand unshaken.”

When all the rocks are falling down around me... when everyone and everything seems to be slipping away... God will give the ability and the strength to pierce through the falling world and stand firm on the rock of His strength and salvation. 

The message of David and Habakkuk is not, God will give me a formula to figure out what He’s doing and then I can know everything and be comfortable with what’s going on around me.

It’s not so that we can say, “Well, we believe Romans 8 where it says that “all things work together for good” & now we can finally put the pieces together, we can pull back the curtain & finally see the whole picture.”

The message of Habakkuk and David here... is hope, It is a reason to stand, the ability to stand firm in any circumstance.

God is your strength... He is sufficient... He will make it so that you can stand even when the ground beneath your feet is falling away.

Psalm 18: Rock

Introduction:

An amazing and intense Psalm filled with worship and promise.

One of the things that makes this Psalm so amazing is it’s direct connection to 2 Samuel 22, giving us circumstance and story behind the Psalm.

In 2 Samuel 22, this exact Psalm appears almost as if it is David’s final words before his death.

What we are led to conclude is that this Psalm is a summary of worship and thanksgiving for God’s multiple deliverances of David throughout his long life of service.

This is a life in retrospect... a life of one of God’s children... who is looking back through time praising God for His visible work... David here sees and acknowledges God’s activity in His life.

This is a 50 verses to this Psalm broken into 6 sections which mirror one another.

And there are a number of suggested ways to read and divide this material up... 

One of which, we’re not going to do but bears mentioning, is that this is a Messianic Psalm in that it prophecies about Jesus Christ covering His death (vs.1-6); His resurrection (vs.7-18); His exaltation (vs.19-27); His victory (vs.28-42); and His Kingdom (vs.43-50).

Transition:

For this Psalm, however, I believe that the primary application and theme that the Psalmist intends is the richest one... and we need to look no further than the first three verses of this Psalm to find David’s originally intended application.

vs.1-3

Can you hear David professing his love for God, who has shown Himself to be his deliverer and to be worthy of his praise... and David does this, the way only a Psalmist can do, using metaphor... beautiful, rich, deep metaphor.

Now... there are two kinds of metaphors which are used to portray God in these verses.

One kind relates to David’s military victories, picturing God as his “Strength,” “Shield,” and “Horn of Salvation.”

The other type relates to the times David was forced to flee from his enemies.

These images picture God as David’s “Rock,” “Fortress,” “Deliverer,” and “Stronghold.”

7 metaphors for God in all.

What I’d like to do over the next few Wednesday nights is discuss what each metaphor means in application to David and in application to us.

ROCK:

The most important of these, the theme of the psalm, is that the Lord was David’s “Rock.”

This metaphor occurs twice in vs.2, but it also appears later, in vs.31 and vs.46.  The four form a meaningful sequence.

The LORD is my rock.

My God is my rock.

Who is the Rock except our God?

Praise be to my Rock!

Now... the Biblical metaphor “rock” has several applications and uses.

Metaphor #1:

First, it is an image for protection and share.  In the hot, sandy lands of the Bible the struggle of life against the merciless elements is intense in a way we can hardly appreciate.

When the spring rains come a light carpet of green, doomed to be scorched by the sun and then covered with sand in just a few short weeks, will emerge on the desert’s edge.  But set a rock in the sand, and soon a small oasis develops on the boulder’s leeward side.

The desert’s feeble life prospers under the rock’s protection.  Similarly, a man traveling through the desert during the hottest hours of the day can find shade in the rock’s shadow and can survive and continue his journey.

These ideas are present in verses like Isaiah 32:2, which describes the king as “the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land.”

It was because the Lord was David’s rock that he thrived.

Metaphor #2:

The second use of this image is to portray God as a refuge for His people.

This is the prominent idea in the 18^th Psalm as David reminisces about God’s protection during the years when he was forced to hide from Saul and later Absalom.

When it comes to finding refuge in the rock... really there was no one better than David.

This guy would have been the hide and seek champion of all of Israel...

David knew every cranny, crack, and secret hiding place in the vast, rocky wilderness... so, when David fled to the rocks, he knew that he would be safe in their protection.

From the height of some great rock David could look down into the canyon below and watch his enemies pursue him hopelessly.

His safety was in the rocks, his comfort was in the rocks... his rest, his peace, his very life was in the rock.

Metaphor #3:

The third biblical image for rock has to do with foundations.

Most often the “rock” that is our God is contrasted with mire and sand... Psalm 40:2.

Jesus uses this same imagery in the closing lines of the Sermon on the Mount in which he contrasted the person who builds his life on sand with the person who builds on rock.

The person who builds on sand suffers the loss of everything when the rains come.  

The house that is built on rock stands firm against the rains, flood, wind, and storm “because it has it’s foundation on the rock” (Matthew 7:25).

The word “rock” is used about twenty-four times in the book of Psalms with reference to God. 

The Rest of Scripture:

We can appreciate the use of “rock” better when we understand its Old Testament background... but what about the rest of Scripture... really quickly...

During the wilderness wandering, God caused water to flow from a rock. 

Later, Moses was literally between a rock and a hard place in the wilderness — and for his own good. God hid him in the “cleft of the rock” and covered him with His hand for protection (Ex. 33:22).

With these background experiences, Moses was the first in Scripture to use the word “rock” in a figurative sense in connection with God. “The Rock, his work is perfect; For all his ways are justice” (Deut. 32:4; cf. vv. 13,15,18,30,31,37).

Others in Israel would speak of God in the same figurative way. Hannah prayed, “There is none holy as Jehovah; For there is none besides thee, Neither is there any rock like our God” (1 Sam. 2:2).

The word “rock” is equated with the idea of strength.  

• God is our source of strength in times of distress and danger.
• God is also our refuge. 

Like Moses, we can hide in the cleft of “the Rock.” God will care for us.

“Rock” also typifies something about the nature of God. 

• He is solid as a rock. 
• He is unchangeable in nature — immutable. 
• Moses had this in mind when he spoke of God’s ways and justice (Deut. 32:4).

The “rock” symbolism continues and perhaps is best completed in the New Testament with reference to Christ. 

• He is the foundation, the chief-corner stone. 
• He is the rock of offense to those who reject Him, but the spiritual rock for those who obey Him (Eph. 2:20; Rom. 9:33; 1 Pet. 2:8; 1 Cor. 10:4).