"What Is Our Destiny?"

Psalm 23:6: Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

We have discovered some metaphors and pictures in this Psalm, but verse 6 is so much more than a picture.  God indeed has a "house" in which believers will live eternally. and the Psalmist who has brought us comfort in each verse now brings the same comfort that our Lord promised in John 14:2.

  I have marveled in our discussions on this familiar Psalm at the parallels with some of the themes of the book of John.  In both, the Lord is the Good Shepherd, the bread of life, the water of life, and here the implication of the resurrection and the life.

God's goodness and covenant faithfulness will accompany us not only in this life but in the life to come.

David was a man after God's own heart.  It is not surprizing that he and the Apostle John would be given some of the greatest promises of the Word of God.  David desired to be in God's temple (he even wanted to build it), but from this verse we see that David longed most to be wherever God would be, and thus ultimately in heaven.  david anticipated being forever where God is.  Today, many in Judaism say there is no hope of eternal life.  They have to spiritualize so many passages in the Old Testament, with Psalm 23 shining like a diamond among the others.

If you have not committed this Psalm to memory, that is my sincere prayer.  What is Our Destiny?  As believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, our destiny is to dwell in the House of the Lord forever.

Now, for a review of the initial discussion of the

Introduction

          The phrase “The Lord is my Shepherd” is certainly one of the most recognizable Scripture verses in the Bible, perhaps second only to John 3:16.  But who is the Lord?  What is His character?  Does He have adequate credentials to be my Shepherd—my manager—my owner?  And if He does, how do I come under His control?  In what way do I become the object of His concern and diligent care?  As we look at Psalm 23:1, these are the questions that deserve honest examination. 

          David, the author of the Psalm, himself a shepherd, and the son of a shepherd, later to be known as the “Shepherd King” of Israel, stated explicitly, “The Lord is my Shepherd.”  We will examine the implications of this statement this morning.

 

I.                  Who Is the Lord?  What is His character?  Does He have adequate credentials to be my Shepherd—my manager—my owner?  And if He does—how do I come under His control?  In what way do I become the object of His concern and diligent care?   If the Lord is my Shepherd, I should know something of His character and understand something of His ability.

A.  God the Father—the Author of our Salvation

1.    God is the originator of all that exists

2.    There is nothing in the world that is outside of God

B.   God the Son—the Savior of our Souls

1.    The Son is the artisan—creator of all the universe        (Colossians 1:15-20)

2. All that was formulated in the mind of God the Father was brought forth by the Son

3.    Christ the Creator of an enormous universe of an overwhelming magnitude calls Himself my Shepherd and invites me to consider myself His sheep—His special object of affection and attention. David confidently states, “The Lord—He is my Shepherd!” 

4. In Christ He demonstrated at Calvary the deep desire of His heart to have men come under His benevolent care.  He Himself absorbed the penalty for their perverseness, think of it every sin we committed nailed to the Cross.

C.   God the Holy Spirit—the Comforter who leads us to the Savior

1.    The relationship of the Lord as my Shepherd is made real to me through the agency of the Holy Spirit—His witness speaks to my heart

2.    The Holy Spirit makes it real and relative to us.  Truly, the Holy Spirit marks us out as belonging to Christ.  When a shepherd gets his own flock, he has to right away know which are his own sheep if they get lost.  Since you can’t brand them, as sheep grow lots of wool, you have to mark them in another way.  So, they make a distinctive cut with a sharp knife on the ear of each sheep.  Perhaps that is where we get the term earmarked.  It was an unpleasant experience both for the sheep and for the shepherd who sees the sheep bleeding and in pain.  In the Old Testament, when a slave in any Hebrew household chose of his own freewill to become a lifetime member of that home, he was subjected to a certain ritual.  His master and owner would take him to his door, put his ear lobe against that door post and with an awl puncture a hole through the ear.  From then on he was a man marked for life as belonging to that house.  For the man or woman who recognizes the claims of Christ and gives allegiance to His absolute ownership, there comes the question of bearing His mark.  The mark of the cross is that which should identify us with Himself for all time.  The question is—does it?  Jesus said:  If any man would be my disciple, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

To think that God in Christ is deeply concerned about you as a person gives great purpose and enormous meaning to your life.

 

II.               Why Will We Lack Nothing if God in Christ is our Shepherd?

A.  Christ created us as the object of His own affection

1.    It is He who brought us into being and no one is better able to understand and care for us.

2.    It is He who sustains and maintains the universe, which includes us.

B.   Christ demonstrated at Calvary the deep desire of God’s heart to have men come under His benevolent care.

1.    Christ took the penalty for us: “all we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way, and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all”

1.    Because Christ has bought us with a price, we are not our own and He is within His rights to lay claim to our lives.  He could say: “I am the Good Shepherd, the Good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep” (John 10:11).

A.  With Christ, “I shall not want” becomes a statement that not only will we lack nothing in care, but that we also will not crave or desire anything more than what is provided by Christ.

1.    We will not lack because Christ says: “In this world you shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer--I have overcome the world” (John 16:33)

2.      We will not lack because Christ says: “I am come that you might have life and that you might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).

3.      We want to remember though that it does not always mean that we will always have financial prosperity.  Elijah, John the Baptist, and Jesus Himself did not have much of this world’s goods and yet were in a right relation with God.  In fact, some who have everything may need to examine if they lack something.  In Revelation 3:17, it says:  “Because thou sayest I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.  The rich young ruler thought he was pretty good, and Jesus said that there was one thing that he lacked. He had to sell everything and give to the poor. 

  4. For this very reason the Christian has to take a hard look at life.  He has to recognize that as with many of God’s choice people before him, he may be called on to experience lack of wealth or material benefits.  He has to see his sojourn upon the planet as a brief interlude during which there may well be some privation in a physical sense.  Yet, amid such hardship he can still boast, I shall not want.  I shall not lack the expert care and management of my Master.  Always men are searching for safety beyond themselves.  They are restless, unsettled, covetous, greedy for more, wanting this and that, yet never really satisfied in spirit.  By contrast, the simple Christian, the humble person, the Shepherd’s sheep can stand up and say: The Lord is my Shepherd, I sahll not want.   Why?  Because No trouble is too great as He cares for His flock.  He will provide for us. Blessed be the Lord who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation.  He that keepeth thee will not slumber or sleep.

"The Lord's Protection in the Shadows"

"The Lord's Protection in the Shadows"

 

Psam 23:4: Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, i will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod, and Your staff, they comfort me.

Verse 4 again takes up the figure of the Lord as our Shepherd.  The famous opening phrase can be translated either "shadow of death" or "deep darkness." Both speak of overwhelming distress that only the Lord can relieve.   The other day I was asked for a Psalm that gave comfort.  I said "Psalm 23."  My statemtnt was followed by a  chorus of "Oh no, that is the death Psalm."  Well, that is true, and Psalm 23 is almost always quoted at a funeral.  Yet, David did not mean for this to be a Psalm of sorrow, death, or defeat.  Rather, it is to be a Psalm of confidence that the Shepherd will not allow death to be anything more than a shadow.

Shadows may scare us, but they can't harm us.  Evil uses shadows to frighten us, but safe in the arms of the Shepherd, we will fear no evil.  David was chased by King Saul for more than a decade.  During those many near brushes with death, David, the young shepherd of Bethlehem, learned more and more to depend on the Lord, whom he saw as his shepherd.

Two reasons are given in this verse to give us confidence in the Lord as the One who can provide security from the power of death.  Again, they are in the metaphor of the shepherd.  One is a rod or club for beating off the enemies of the sheep.  The other is the staff that nudges the sheep along.  The Lord protects us from that which would bring spiritual death by giving His life for us as the Good Shepherd (John 10).  The Lord both defends and directs the believer.  He protects him and points out the way.  The mere knowledge that the shepherd has these two instruments comforts the flock. 

Place your reliance for daily direction and daily protection upon the Lord.

 

"Why We Should Let the Lord Lead"

Psalm 23:2-3: He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.  He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.

 

If the Psalms are the hymnbook of the Bible, then Psalm 23 ranks first on the "most requested."  If there had been a "billboard of hits" going back three thousand years, Psalm 23 would consistently be at the top.  Perhaps the reason lies in the fact that this Psalm so logically presents the benefits of living in the sheepfold of the Great Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Verses 2-3 give us four basic reasons why we should let the Lord lead in our lives. These verses are a response to the end of verse 1:  shall not want."

  The Great Shepherd is our sovereign, to whom we owe full allegiance, and from whom all blessings flow.

In verse 2, we have the provision of food (lie down in green pastures) and water (leads me beside the still waters).  The Psalmist relates how abundantly the Shepherd has provided.  It is not the typical Middle Eastern desert that is indicated here, but a beatiful verdant valley where a sheep can peacefully graze.  Because of the nature of a sheep, it is nearly impossible for them to get a sufficient amount of water if the water is running swiftly.  Thus, the shepherd knows the limitations of the sheep so places them by still waters.  The implication is that our heavenly Shepherd has omitted nothing which might contribute to make us live happily under His care.

In verse 3, David declares that when he is weak the Lord is there to restore his soul.  The word "restore" may literally be rendered "conversion" of the soul. It has the implication of recovering or making anew.

David also credits the Lord with leading him in paths of righteousness.  All of this is for "His name's sake."  If you are pursuing righteousness, then you can be sure that you are doing what would be in the sake of the Lord.  Romans 12:1-2 reminds us that our bodies are to be presented as a living sacrifice.  That is reasonable service in light of all that has been done for us by the Lord our Shepherd.

"The Lord is My Shepherd"

 

Introduction

          The phrase “The Lord is my Shepherd” is certainly one of the most recognizable Scripture verses in the Bible, perhaps second only to John 3:16.  But who is the Lord?  What is His character?  Does He have adequate credentials to be my Shepherd—my manager—my owner?  And if He does, how do I come under His control?  In what way do I become the object of His concern and diligent care?  As we look at Psalm 23:1, these are the questions that deserve honest examination. 

          David, the author of the Psalm, himself a shepherd, and the son of a shepherd, later to be known as the “Shepherd King” of Israel, stated explicitly, “The Lord is my Shepherd.”  Our treatment of this verse is rather exhaustive, but then again this is one of the most pivotal statements of the Bible.

 

I.                  Who Is the Lord?  What is His character?  Does He have adequate credentials to be my Shepherd—my manager—my owner?  And if He does—how do I come under His control?  In what way do I become the object of His concern and diligent care?   If the Lord is my Shepherd, I should know something of His character and understand something of His ability.

A.  God the Father—the Author of our Salvation

1.    God is the originator of all that exists

2.    There is nothing in the world that is outside of God

B.   God the Son—the Savior of our Souls

1.    The Son is the artisan—creator of all the universe        (Colossians 1:15-20)

2. All that was formulated in the mind of God the Father was brought forth by the Son

3.    Christ the Creator of an enormous universe of an overwhelming magnitude calls Himself my Shepherd and invites me to consider myself His sheep—His special object of affection and attention. David confidently states, “The Lord—He is my Shepherd!” 

4. In Christ He demonstrated at Calvary the deep desire of His heart to have men come under His benevolent care.  He Himself absorbed the penalty for their perverseness, think of it every sin we committed nailed to the Cross.

C.   God the Holy Spirit—the Comforter who leads us to the Savior

1.    The relationship of the Lord as my Shepherd is made real to me through the agency of the Holy Spirit—His witness speaks to my heart

2.    The Holy Spirit makes it real and relative to us.  Truly, the Holy Spirit marks us out as belonging to Christ.  When a shepherd gets his own flock, he has to right away know which are his own sheep if they get lost.  Since you can’t brand them, as sheep grow lots of wool, you have to mark them in another way.  So, they make a distinctive cut with a sharp knife on the ear of each sheep.  Perhaps that is where we get the term earmarked.  It was an unpleasant experience both for the sheep and for the shepherd who sees the sheep bleeding and in pain.  In the Old Testament, when a slave in any Hebrew household chose of his own freewill to become a lifetime member of that home, he was subjected to a certain ritual.  His master and owner would take him to his door, put his ear lobe against that door post and with an awl puncture a hole through the ear.  From then on he was a man marked for life as belonging to that house.  For the man or woman who recognizes the claims of Christ and gives allegiance to His absolute ownership, there comes the question of bearing His mark.  The mark of the cross is that which should identify us with Himself for all time.  The question is—does it?  Jesus said:  If any man would be my disciple, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

To think that God in Christ is deeply concerned about you as a person gives great purpose and enormous meaning to your life!

 

II.               Why Will We Lack Nothing if God in Christ is our Shepherd?

A.  Christ created us as the object of His own affection

1.    It is He who brought us into being and no one is better able to understand and care for us.

2.    It is He who sustains and maintains the universe, which includes us.

B.   Christ demonstrated at Calvary the deep desire of God’s heart to have men come under His benevolent care.

1.    Christ took the penalty for us: “all we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way, and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all”

2.    Because Christ has bought us with a price, we are not our own and He is within His rights to lay claim to our lives.  He could say: “I am the Good Shepherd, the Good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep” (John 10:11).

C.   With Christ, “I shall not want” becomes a statement that not only will we lack nothing in care, but that we also will not crave or desire anything more than what is provided by Christ.

1.    We will not lack because Christ says: “In this world you shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer--I have overcome the world” (John 16:33)

2.      We will not lack because Christ says: “I am come that you might have life and that you might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).

3.      We want to remember though that it does not always mean that we will always have financial prosperity.  Elijah, John the Baptist, and Jesus Himself did not have much of this world’s goods and yet were in a right relation with God.  In fact, some who have everything may need to examine if they lack something.  In Revelation 3:17, it says:  “Because thou sayest I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.  The rich young ruler thought he was pretty good, and Jesus said that there was one thing that he lacked. He had to sell everything and give to the poor. 

  4. For this very reason the Christian has to take a hard look at life.  He has to recognize that as with many of God’s choice people before him, he may be called on to experience lack of wealth or material benefits.  He has to see his sojourn upon the planet as a brief interlude during which there may well be some privation in a physical sense.  Yet, amid such hardship he can still boast, I shall not want.  I shall not lack the expert care and management of my Master.  Always men are searching for safety beyond themselves.  They are restless, unsettled, covetous, greedy for more, wanting this and that, yet never really satisfied in spirit.  By contrast, the simple Christian, the humble person, the Shepherd’s sheep can stand up and say: The Lord is my Shepherd, I sahll not want.   Why?  Because No trouble is too great as He cares for His flock.  He will provide for us. Blessed be the Lord who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. 

"Resurrection in the Crucifixion Psalm"

MyBethanyBible

Psalm 22:19-31: But You, O Lord, do not be far from Me; O My Strength, hasten to help Me!  Deliver Me from the sword, My precious life from the power of the dog.  Save Me from the lion's mouth and from the horns of the wild oxen!  You have answered Me.  I will declare Your name to My brethren; in the midst of the assembly I will praise You.  You who fear the Lord, praise Him!  All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him, and fear Him, all you offspring of Israel!  For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; nor has He hidden His face from him; but when he cried to Him, He heard.  My praise shall be of You in the great assembly; I will pay My vows before those who fear Him.  The poor shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek Him will praise the Lord.  Let your heart live forever!  All the ends of the world shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations  shall worship before You.  for the kingdom is the Lord's, and he rules over the nations.  All the prosperous of the earth shall eat and worship; all those who go down to the dust shall bow before Him, even he who cannot keep himself alive.  A posterity shall serve Him.  It will be recounted of the Lord to the next generation, they will come and declare His righteousness to a people who will be born, that He has done this.

 

Prayer for resurrection from the dead (vv. 19-21; Hebrews 5:7).  Jesus did not pray to be delivered from death, because He came to earth to die.  He prayed to be delivered out of death; that is, He prayed for the resurrection.  The Father answered that prayer and raised Him from the dead on the third day.  The phrase “my darling” in verse 20 means “my only one,” that is,  “my precious life.”  The word “unicorns” in the King James in verse 21 should read “wild oxen”  I have seen them on the way to the Dead Sea.  The are now called “ibex”  and sideways it looks like they have one horn.  The funny thing was that I was talking about this as we were descending at about 1000 feet below sea level.  My blood pressure had collapsed, because of the loss of altitude, and I was literally gasping for air.  I did recover. 

 

    

A.  The Savior and His Church (22:22, 25)  The last part of this Psalm emphasizes praise, while the first section emphasized prayer.  The purpose of prayer is accomplishing God’s will for God’s glory.  and in praise we give God glory.  So they are both accomplishing the same thing. 

1.    Joy as Christ comes forth in power from the grave to the church—the congregation (v. 22).  There is no more talk about bulls, lions, dogs, and wild oxen, now he is in fellowship with His brethren. 

2.    The vow that is paid is the peace offering (v. 25-there is a sharing with others of the meat)

 

                 B.   The Savior and the Children of Israel (22:23-25)

Jesus death was also for the nation of Israel, which will one day recognize their Messiah.  Jesus died, not only for the church and to save individuals, but He also died for the people of Israel.  Today the children of Israel sit in darkness, but one day they shall see their Messiah, believe, and be saved.  Then the nation will join in praising the Lord for what He has done for them. The people of Israel have suffered greatly in this world—more than any other nation, but their suffering has not gone unnoticed by God.  He will accomplish His divine purposes on the basis of what Jesus did on Calvary.   In verse 25, the paying of vows refers to the OT peace offering described in Leviticus 16. As a part of the ceremony, the worshiper invited family and friends to share in a meal at which they ate some of the meat of the sacrifice. Since the Jews did not often get to eat roasted meat, this was a time of joyful feasting. 

 

C.   The Savior and the World (22:26-31)

People from all nations will seek Him, turn to Him, worship and bow down before Him.  “A seed shall serve Him” refers to His spiritual family.  During Jackson’s administration a man named George Wilson was convicted of robbing the US mail and was sentenced to be hanged.  Jackson granted him a pardon, but Wilson refused to accept it.  This went to Chief Justice Marshall, who concluded:  A pardon is a slip of paer, the value of which is determined by the acceptance of the person to be pardoned.  If it is refused, it is no pardon.  George Wilson must be hanged. 

The Wonder of it All

 George Beverly Shea

THE WONDER OF IT ALL

Last Sunday, we honored Ethel Engstrom on her 107^th birthday.  A Canadian, it was appropriate for the trio to sing George Beverly Shea’s The Wonder of It All in her honor.  Bev Shea had turned 104 in February, and also was a Canadian.  Shea wrote that song after someone asked him what it is like to lead a soul to Christ—O, the wonder of it all, he said.

The son of a pastor, Bev Shea at the time he was called home to be with the Lord on Wednesday, April 17, had faithfully served the Lord for 86 years of public ministry. Perhaps we would almost have to go back to the times of the Patriarchs to find a rival for that amount of godly service!  Yet, it almost did not happen.  Shea, a gifted singer, was offered a lucrative radio contract singing in the secular realm.  The hymn “I’d rather have Jesus than worldwide fame” that he sang so often was a tribute to that decision to serve Christ with his life.

Despite that decision, God did give him worldwide fame and yet a humility that I have rarely observed in a person of his stature.  My wife knew Mr. Shea, and after a concert introduced me to him.  His giant hand encircled mine, and his friendliness and interest in our lives was astounding. At that concert, Bev (nearly 80 at the time) mentioned that his wife had recently died, and he sang despite a sore throat.  Little did I know that he would continue singing another 23 years. He reminded me of my own father, also a baritone, a fact I remembered when dad died in 1999.  Bev Shea’s rendition of “Friends are friends forever” filled Forest Lawn’s Church of the Recessional at the end of that funeral.

Best known for rendition of  “The Old Rugged Cross,” Shea also introduced to America How Great Thou Art.  Elvis took the changes that Shea made to that old Swedish song and gave How Great Thou Art a vast exposure, a fact which brought great delight to Mr. Shea.  He appeared for more than 60 years as the soloist for the Billy Graham Crusades, always happily standing in the shadows of that famous evangelist.  Loyalty to his associates, fidelity to the faith, a friendliness that was quintessential, and a humility before Almighty God make Bev Shea a hero of mine.  I only wish you all could have known him. 

The Singular Agony of the Cross

"The Singular Agony of the Cross"

Psalm 22:11-18: Be not far from Me, for trouble is near; for there is none to help.  Many bulls have surrounded Me; strong bulls of Bashan have encircled Me.  They gape at Me with their mouths, like a raging and roaring lion.  I am poured out like water, and all My bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it has melted within Me.  My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue clings to My jaws; you have brought Me to dust of death. For dogs have surrounded Me; the congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet; I can count all My bones.  They look and stare at Me.  They divide My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots.

    The people of Israel did not know about crucifixion in David’s day.  It was a later method of torture used by the Iranians and Iraqis and Lebanese, and perfected by the Romans.  The Jews did have a humiliation for a bad person by hanging their dead body on a tree.  But not crucifixion.  This was prophecy on David’s part, and there was no event in David’s life that could possibly come near this horrible event.  Here are some of the outstanding notations in these verses regarding the crucifixion:

1.    The ebbing strength of the Savior (v. 14; John 19:31-37)—Note that His bones were not broken, even though they felt like they were out of joint.  To be the perfect Lamb in the Old Testament, not a bone of him could be broken.

2.    The terrible thirst v. 15; John 19:28-30 records Jesus saying I thirst.  This is amazing because the One ho freely gives us the water of life, Himself thirsted on the Cross. 

3.    Piercing of hands and feet (v. 16; Luke 24:36-40; Zechariah 12:10; John 19:37).  Jesus used the wounds in His hands and feet to prove that it was really He who appeared to the disciples.  The word “print” simply means the mark made by a blow.  Those holes never healed, and will be the means that Israel will recognize him when He comes a second time on the Mount of Olives as it says in Zecharaiah 12:10: They will look upon me whom they have piereced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mounrneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.

4.    Shameful exposure of Christ outside Jerusalem (v. 17)—fits with the scene of the crucifixion.  There were so many different people that could pass by the scene of the crucifixion that Pilate had the inscription in three languages—Hebrew, Greek, and Latin.

5.    No earthly goods to leave to anyone, since He was a poor man except for his seamless robe (v. 18; Matthew 27:35; John 19:24).  It was customary for the four Roman soldiers in charge at an execution to share whatever goods they could get from their victims.  They could not share the robe so they gambled for it. 

That Big Dodger In The Sky

 

THAT BIG DODGER IN THE SKY

            When I was a child, General Manager Tom Lasorda often referred to that big Dodger in the sky.  I really believed that God did favor the Dodgers, and after watching “42” this week, perhaps there is something to that. 

            Wesley Branch Rickey (1881-1965) was in baseball all his life.  When a 22 year old player-coach at a Christian college in Ohio (1904), he saw how horribly his one black player was treated when the team was on the road.  Like Abraham Lincoln a century earlier when he saw at age 21 black people being sold along the Mississippi, Rickey prayed that God would give him a chance to change all of that.  He got that opportunity in 1945-1947 as he courageously signed equally courageous Jackie Robinson to the Dodger organization that he headed.

            Rickey lived by the principles of the book that he knew so well—the Bible.  He could quote the Scriptures, and sought the will of God in his decisions.  His genius was in the application of the Scriptures to moral and personal decisions.  The film says he chose Jackie Robinson as the first player to be elevated from the Negro Leagues because he was of the same faith—Methodist—that Rickey was.  When Robinson entered on his first day into the Ebbets Field stadium, he paused to pray.  The challenge that lay before the young ball player required faith and the guidance of one who actually had lived his faith—Branch Rickey.  Oh, how I wish every young adult at this church had a Branch Rickey come along side of  him at every crisis and temptation with the right advice—advice forged by a lifetime of walking with the Lord.

            In February, a California book repairer reportedly knew something was unusual when she opened up an old Bible in need of repair among donated items to a Sacramento library.  The opening page was signed by 30 major league players (including Joe Garagiola)  and their manager in 1953. The Bible had sat for months in that shop, and no one wanted it.  Yet now, it is of great value—even unrepaired. Whose Bible was it?  You already know. In gratitude for his example of living out the Word, those professional players presented Branch Rickey the only memento that would express their gratitude—the Word of God.

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"Despised and Rejected of Men"

Psalm 22:6-10: But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised by the people.  All those who see Me ridicule Me; they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, He strusted in the Lord, let Him rescue Him; let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!  But You are He who took Me out of the womb; You made Me trust while on My mother's breasts.  I was cast upon You from birth.  From My mother's womb You have been My God. 

How was Christ despised and rejected?

1.    Christ was treated brutally, subjected to all kinds of suffering (Matthew 27:39-43; Mark 15:29-32; Luke 23:35-37).  Christ said that he was treated like a worm.  Isaac Watts wrote the Hymn “Would he devote that sacred Head, for such a worm as I?  This has been sanitized in our hymnal to read: For sinners such as I.  Jesus was denied a fair trial—brutally beaten during the trial.  If that was not enough, he was brutally treated during while on the Cross.  Christ was not delivered from suffering, but was delivered through suffering, and He transformed that suffering into glory.  The message of the book of Job, which we are studying right now on Sunday evenings is, that there is no contradiction or conflict between God’s love and human suffering in the will of God.  Jesus was doing the Father’s will, and the Father loved Him, yet Jesus was suffering. 

2.    Christ, in the midst of suffering, reminds the Father  of His care for the Son (1:8-10).  Jesus reminds the Father that His birth into the world had been a part of the Father’s plan.  Satan had tried to prevent Jesus was coming into the world, but Satan had failed.  This past treatment is a basis for the Son knowing that He could trust the Father at this hour.

"Why Was Jesus Forsaken on the Cross?"

Psalm 22:3-5: But you are holy, enthroned in the praises of israel, our fathers trusted in You; They trusted, and You delivered them.  They cried to You, and were delivered; they trusted in You, and were not ashamed.

 

This paragraph of Psalm 22 explains . . .

 

   Why Jesus was forsaken:

a.     The Holiness of God—Jesus became a curse for us (Gal. 3:13) and was “made sin”  (2 Corinthians 5:21) in order for us to be reconciled!  What a paradox—that our holy God had to forsake His Son in order to reconcile lost sinners to Himself!

b.    The Glory of God—Jesus blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat, which was the spot in the OT where the glory of God dwelt (Exodus 40:34).  Our salvation brings glory to God (Ephesians 1:6-14).  The mercy seat on the ark in the Holy of Holies in the Temple was the very throne of God, and it was there that God’s glory dwelt (Exodus 40:34).  Our salvation, purchased by the blood of Christ, has for its ultimate aim the eternal glory of God.  Out of the darkness of Calvary came glory to the Father!  A young person asked me if we bring more glory to God when we are alive or when we are dead.  The answer is both, and to be in God’s will.  My college president’s son had a fatal illness, and died slowly in the hospital—he was witnessing and leading everybody who came near his bed to Christ.  When he died, that ended.  A man prayed for an enormous amount of people to be saved, and when he died all but one had come to Christ.  That one came to Christ, during the funeral.  So both!

c.     The Character of God—God could briefly turn away from His Son (vs. 2), but then reconciliation comes in verse 21.  Read verses 4-5.  God has always been faithful to His people, maintained His covenant, and kept His promises.  When you read OT history, you see clearly that God cared for His people and answered their cries.  From a human point of view, it appeared that God had abandoned His Son, but this proved to be a false conclusion.  God’s character was at stake.  If the Father had permanently turned away from His Son, the Father’s own character would have been open to attack.  Christ’s suffering begins in verse 2 with “but Thou hearest not” and ends in verse 21 with “Thou hast heard me.”

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"The Suffering Messiah: Forsaken by the Father"

Psalm 22:1-2: My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?  Why are You so far from helping Me, and from the words of My groaning?  O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear; and in the night season, and am not silent.

This entire week will be spent on Psalm 22, and thus we provide a brief introduction:

        David speaks prophetically of Christ’s ministry as our shepherd in Psalm 22—the Good Shepherd who dies for the sheep (John 10:1-18); Psalm 23—The Great Shepherd who cares for the sheep (Hebrews 13:20-21); and Psalm 24—The Chief Shepherd who comes for the sheep to take them to glory (I Peter 5:4).  This psalm describes two aspects of Christ’s ministry---Christ’s sufferings and the glory that should follow (I Peter 1:11).  Besides marveling about the exact prophecy of Christ on the Cross that we observe here, the element that we must keep ever before us as our lesson from this Psalm is:  No matter how difficult the situation might be, we must keep God before us and seek to relate our own needs to God’s abundant provision.  That is skillfully and continuously done in this Psalm, and we must apply it to our own times of suffering and trial.   If we look only at ourselves, we will be tempted to drown in an ever deepening self pity.  But if we look to God, we may lose touch with reality.  When we see a need in our own lives, we must look by faith to Christ and match His adequacy with that need.  Then that need can become a strength for serving God and glorifying Him.

Thoughts on verses 1-2:

         Cry from the Cross (1-2)—Jesus quoted verse 1 on the Cross (Matt. 27:46; Mark 15:34).  Jesus had affirmed the Father’s presence with Him (John 16:32), and now He was alone!  Jesus asks why –Dios mio, Dios mio, por que—I have heard that very poignant word for why—por que—from a mother whose daughter had just died at age 13.  There is no easy answer to por que. Jesus asks Why?  What is the great cause of such a strange fact as for God to leave his own Son at such a time and in such a plight?  Why was He deserted?  Verse 2 is a lesson for us.  Jesus prayed and prayed, and  yet there was no response.  Yet, he still held fast to believing on God, and still cried, My God.  No answer came during his prayers at Gethsemane at night, during the trials of the early hours of the morning, nor now in the middle of the afternoon—exactly 3 PM, at the close of 3 hours of darkness, we have this cry: Dios mio, por que.  Let us answer now the question Jesus asked on the Cross:  Why? Jesus had been forsaken by his disciples, and now also by God—He was really alone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

"The Power of God Revealed in the Word of God"

 

 

Psalm 19:7-14; The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yes, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.  Moreover by them your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward.  Who can understand his errors?  Cleanse me from secret faults.  Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me.  Then shall I be blameless, and I shall be innocent of great transgression.  Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.

 

We continue the outline on Psalm 19 that was begun Thursday.

 

II. The Power of God in the Law (Psalm 19:7-14)

A.  The Soul-Restoring Power of the Law (v. 7a)

1.    The same Almighty Hand that gives the sun his light-giving, life-sustaining power in the physical world, also provides life and light for the spiritual world.

2.    God’s Law is perfect—free from all defect

a.     It is the perfect transcript of the glory of God—it is the picture of God drawn by His own hand and it is light, and in it is no darkness at all. (I John 1)

b.    It is perfect in its effect—the converting of the soul.  [Here the law includes also the promises and the hope of forgiveness.  The Law calls us back from wandering in the world, and delivers us to the true Shepherd and Guardian of our Souls, Jesus Christ {Galatians 3:24}]  The Law condemns and calls us to follow the truth.  There was a man, Bob Sheffey, born on Independence Day in 1820 who received Christ while in college in 1839.  He quit school and started preaching.  One day he was called to a cabin in Wolfe Creek Virginia  where he had been before.  He had tried to win the family to Christ but without success.  This time things were different.  A rattlesnake had bit one of the family, and there was little hope.  Entering the house, Sheffey sank to his knees and prayed, O Lord, we do thank thee for rattlesnakes.  If it had not been for  a rattlesnake they would have not called on you.  Now send a rattlesnake to bite Bill, one to bite John, and send a great big one to bite the old man.  This Psalm says that the Law is like that rattlesnake—it wakes us up to our need for God’s grace.

B.   The Light-Giving Power of the Law (v. 7b)

1.    The infallibility of the law—the testimony (revealed will) of the Lord is sure

2.    The subjects of its illumination—making wise the simple (literally--open-minded)

a.     We must feel our need of guidance.

b.    We must be sincere and open in our search for instruction.

c.     We must be fully prepared to obey the light as it is given.

C.   The Joy-Giving Power of the Law (v. 8)

1.    If the statutes of the law are to bring rejoicing to our hearts, we must know them better.

2.    As we obey God’s Law we will be joyful , because we know we are pleasing God.

Joy is the surest sign of the presence of God.  There are no sad saints.  If God is really the center of one’s life and being, joy is inevitable.  If we have no joy, we have missed the heart of the Good News and our bodies as much as our souls will suffer the consequences.

D.  The Absolute Perfection of the Law (vv. 9-11)

1.    Studying and keeping God’s Word allows you to understand your relationship to God

2.    The value of the Law will then be seen as supreme over all things.  You will see the 10 commandments and realize that all those “Thou shalt nots” are really liberating—freedom giving. 

E.   The Illuminating Power of the Law in Regard to Our Personal Lives (vv. 12-14)

1.    Self-examination in light of God’s Law will reveal our secret faults (v. 12)By the law is the knowledge of sin, and in the presence of divine truth, the psalmist marvels at the number and heinousness of his sins.

2.    Knowing God’s Law will guard us from presumptuous (willful) sins (v. 13) This earnest and humble prayer teaches us that saints may fall into the worst of sins unless restrained by grace, and that therefore they must watch and pray lest they enter into temptation.

3.     Remembering God is our Strength and our Redeemer will shield our testimony (v. 14).  David asks till more expressly to be fortified by the grace of God, and thus enabled to live an upright and holy life.  What were the services that we can offer to God—the words of our mouth and the meditations of our heart.  Are the words of your mouth this day acceptable to God.  Is what you are meditating on right now acceptable to God?  If not, there is time right now to change.  Time right now to see the power of the Law and how that Law is to drive you to Christ. 

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"Does God Reveal Himself in Creation?"

 

Psalm 19:1-6: The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork.  Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge.  There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard.  Their line is 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, which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoices like a strong man to run its race.  Its rising is from one end of heaven, and its circuit to the other end; and there is nothing hidden from its heat.

 

Does God leave a witness for Himself in nature that people can see without the written Word?  Psalm 19 answers that, and we trust that our outline regarding this will be of benefit in answering this question.  Tomorrow we will conclude with the Revelation of the Lord that is written in His Word.

 

I. The Power of God in Nature  (Psalm 19:1-6)

A.  The Subject of the Revelation—The Heavens declare the Glory of God

1.    The contemplation of nature must not lead to the deification of nature—the heavens have received their limits from God who is alone Infinite and Almighty (vv. 1-3).  I have told you that the latest book on Albert Einstein has a chapter on faith in which I found that he said to a group of his atheist scientist friends that they are limited by books, but his books are the planets and the stars that reveal God’s creation.  The glory of God is revealed in nature.

a.     Nature declares the wisdom, power, love and faithfulness of God

b.    The language of the heavens is not like any dialect of earth, but it is one that speaks to the devout and understanding heart.

2.    Even the sun, worshipped by so many nations as the king of heaven, receives the measure of its motion from the hand of God (vv. 4b-6)

B.   The Importance of this Revelation

1.    To the discerning eye, the glorious sun declares the glory of God all over the earth.

2.    It is by faith that we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, and so we are led up from the glory of nature to the Creator of that glory (Hebrews 11:3)

3.    The sum of this section is that the same God who created the natural world is the giver of a law, and this law is in all respects worthy of its author.  Our only satisfaction after viewing God’s power in nature is to find the moral law that empowers our salvation.

 

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