Author: Art Davison

THE GATES OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
PSALM 118:19-20

“Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the LORD: 20- This gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter.”

Introduction:

Gates are important in the Bible. In Bible lands the gate of the city was an important place where business was transacted, Genesis 23:10, 16, “And Ephron dwelt among the children of Heth: and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the audience of the children of Heth, even of all that went in at the gate of his city, saying, 16- And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron; and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver, which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant.”

Courts of justice were held there, Deuteronomy 16:18, “Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, throughout thy tribes: and they shall judge the people with just judgment.”

Public discussion was made there, Proverbs 1:20-21, “Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets: 21- She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying,”

I. OPEN THE GATES OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

A. The gates of righteousness are strait gates, Matthew 7:14, “Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”

1. Those who enter may lose their life as they know it, Matthew 16:24-25, “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 25- For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.”

2. Many do not want to give up their life of sin, Proverbs 4:26-27, “Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. 27- Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.”

B. These gates are entered only by qualification, Matthew 5:20, “For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.”

1. To enter the Gates of Righteousness one must be obedient to the Gospel of God, 1 Peter 4:17-18, “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? 18- And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?”

2. You must become a son of God by faith in Jesus Christ, John 1:12-13, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13- Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

C. These gates lead to the palace of the great King of kings, Psalm 95:3, “For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.”

1. In the palace of the great King there will be the sound of rejoicing, Psalm 98:6, “With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the LORD, the King.”

2. There we will sing praises to the great King, Psalm 47:6-7, “Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises. 7- For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding.”

D. These gates are the gates to the New Jerusalem, Revelation 21:12-13, 21, 25, “And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: 13- On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates. 21- And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass. 25- And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.”

E. Many find the gates of righteousness difficult to enter.

1. The gate to destruction is much broader, Matthew 7:13, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:”

2. Many go in at that gate because it seems right, Proverbs 16:25, “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”

II. THE GATES OF THE GRAVE ARE NEAR

A. Death comes sooner than expected by most of us, Isaiah 38:10, “I said in the cutting off of my days, I shall go to the gates of the grave: I am deprived of the residue of my years.”

B. Everything passes at death without the Lord, Ecclesiastes 9:5-6, “For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. 6- Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.”

1. Everything that kept you from Christ is passed, Ecclesiastes 8:10, “And so I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of the holy, and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done: this is also vanity.”

2. The Lord Jesus holds the keys of death and hell, Revelation 1:18, “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.”

3. The Gates of Hell are always near to the Unbeliever, Matthew 16:18, “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

CONCLUSION:

The gates of righteousness are always open to those who will trust the Lord Jesus Christ. They are never closed for the mercies of the Lord are great. Jesus invites us to come, John 7:37-38, “In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. 38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”

THE COMING CHAMPION

PSALM 118:19-29

 

Key verse: v. 26, “Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD.”

In the Psalmist’s days he was “The Coming One,” and He is still The Coming One, although he has already come.

He is the coming Champion of our faith. He will be coming in the Name of the Lord and He will be coming with a great blessing.

We are ready with our hosannas for his Second Coming; our innermost being adores and blesses Him with great thanksgiving and unspeakable rejoicing because He comes to take us home.

I. BLESSED IS HE THAT COMETH IN THE NAME OF THE LORD

A. The champion had done everything “in the name of the Lord.”

1. He has routed all His enemies, Psalm 132:18, “His enemies will I clothe with shame: but upon himself shall his crown flourish.”

2. He has now entered the Holy of Holies in heaven to sprinkle His blood on the mercy seat, Hebrews 9:24, “For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:”

a. His sacrifice was greater than could be allowed in a man-made sanctuary, Hebrews 7:27, “Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.”

b. His sacrifice was a “once for all” sacrifice to redeem fallen man, Hebrews 10:10-12, “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all . 11- And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: 12- But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;”

3. He is seated on the right hand of the Father, Hebrews 12:2, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

B. The Lord’s first entry into Jerusalem was with some doubt in the minds of the people, Matthew 21:7-10, “And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. 8- And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. 9- And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. 10- And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?”

1. Some were not sure and questioned, “Who is this?” Matthew 16:13-14, “When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? 14- And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.”

2. While other were sure He was the Messiah, Matthew 16:15-16,“He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? 16- And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

II. WE HAVE BLESSED YOU OUT OF THE HOUSE OF THE LORD

A. The Priest of the Old Testament were to bless the people with a sevenfold blessing, Numbers 6:23-27, “Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them, 24- The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: 25- The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: 26- The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. 27- And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them.”

B. Now the Believers are the Priests of the New Testament, Revelation 1:5-6, “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, 6- And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”

1. We can proclaim our Savior blessed, Psalm 18:46, “The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted.”

2. We can bless Him at all times, Psalm 34:1, “I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.”

CONCLUSION:

Psalm 65:4, “Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple”

HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER
PSALM 118:1-14, 26

Introduction:

David most likely composed this Psalm, when the civil wars between the houses of Saul and David were ended. David was newly settled in the kingdom of all Israel, and had newly brought up the Ark of God to his royal city of Jerusalem. David speaks of God mercy as being everlasting as a result of accomplishing this task.

The latter part of this psalm GOES BEYOND THE TYPE OF CHRIST TO THE ANTITYPE, the Messiah himself and His kingdom, v. 26; Matthew 21:9, “And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.”

I. FOR HE IS GOOD

A. Give thanks unto the LORD, for He is good, vv. 1-3; Psalms 106:1, “Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.”

B. Let them now that fear the LORD say, that his mercy endureth for ever, v. 4; Revelation 19:5, “And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.”

C. I called upon the LORD in distress: the LORD answered me, v. 5; Psalms 18:6, “In my distress [straits] I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.”

1. God has set us in a large place, Psalms 4:1, “Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.”

2. In God’s mercy He has not shut us up in the hand of the enemy, but freed us, Psalms 31:8, “And hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy: thou hast set my feet in a large room.”

II. IT IS BETTER TO TRUST IN THE LORD

A. Than to put confidence in man, v. 8; Proverbs 3:26, “For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.”

1. For the Lord is our refuge, Psalms 62:8, “Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us.”

2. For the Lord is our hope, Jeremiah 17:7, “Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.”

B. Than to put confidence in princes, v. 9; Psalms 146:3, “Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.”

1. As a rule princes are NOT ONE WHIT MORE RELIABLE than the rest of mankind, Psalms 146:4, “His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.”

2. What can a prince DO FOR YOU IN SICKNESS OR DEATH? Jeremiah 16:7, “Neither shall men tear themselves for them in mourning, to comfort them for the dead; neither shall men give them the cup of consolation to drink for their father or for their mother.”

3. PRINCIPLE has been FORGOTTEN and CHARACTER has been SACRIFICED TO MAINTAIN POSITION at court, Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”

C. The Hero of the Psalms HAD NO EARTHLY FRIEND upon whom he could thoroughly rely, vv. 10-13; Revelation 20:8, “And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. 9- And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.”

1. They compassed me about like bees, v. 12; Deuteronomy 1:44, “And the Amorites, which dwelt in that mountain, came out against you, and chased you, as bees do, and destroyed you in Seir, even unto Hormah.”

2. But the Lord helped me, v. 13; Psalms 18:17-18, “He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me. 18- They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay.”

III. HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER

A. The Lord is my strength and my salvation, v. 14.

1. Moses knew his strength was in the Lord, Exodus 15:2, “The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him. 3- The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name.”

2. David knew the Lord as his Rock and Fortress, Psalms 18:2, “The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.”

B. David exclaims, “Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord,” v. 26; Malachi 3:1, “Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.”

1. God will bless His person, Luke 13:35, “Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.”

2. God will bless His government, Isaiah 9:7, “Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.”

CONCLUSION

PRAISE THE LORD!–PSALM 117:1-2

 

“O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people. 2For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. Praise ye the LORD.”

This New Year is a good time to begin praising our Lord. If you have not trusted Him as your Savior, listen to what God has done in the life of His people and trust Him as your Savior.

I. PRAISE THE LORD FOR HIS MERCIFUL KINDNESS.

A. In His merciful kindness He has called sinner to repentance, Matthew 9:13, But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

1. John the Baptist preached it, Matthew 3:1-2, In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, 2-And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

2. Jesus preached it, Mark 1:14,15-“Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 15-And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”

B. In His merciful kindness He has called sinners to Faith in His dear Son, Galatians 3:8, “And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.”

1. The religions of this world have always CONTRADICTED God’s way of salvation PREACHING WORKS instead of faith, Galatians 3:10-11, “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. 11- But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.”

2. God has always PREACHED FAITH as the means of salvation, Galatians 3:25, “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.”

II. PRAISE THE LORD FOR HIS WONDERFUL WORD.

A. Israel did not believe God’s word, Psalm 106:24, “Yea, they despised the pleasant land, they believed not his word:”

1. They did not trust the Lord’s promise of salvation, Psalms 78:22, “Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation:”

2. They saw but believed not His works, Psalms 78:32, “For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works.”

B. Yet God continues to be faithful to His Word and sends healing and deliverance to mankind, Psalm 107:20-21, “He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions. 21-Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!”

C. It is God’s Word that give us hope, Psalm 130:5, “I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.”

1. The psalmist expected relief and comfort, believing it will come, Psalm 27:14, “Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.”

2. The Apostle Paul placed his hope in the unchanging Word of God, Hebrews 6:18, “That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:”

III. PRAISE THE LORD FOR HIS GREAT LOVE FOR US.

A. God loved Israel, Isaiah 63:8-10a, For he said, Surely they are my people, children that will not lie: so he was their Saviour. 9- In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old. 10- But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit:

1. He was their SAVIOR, Isaiah 43:3a, For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour:

2. He REDEEMED them out of trouble, Psalm 106:10, And he saved them from the hand of him that hated them, and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.

3. But they REBELLED against Him, Psalm 107:10-11, Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron; 11-Because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned the counsel of the most High:

B. He has loved us with an everlasting love, Jeremiah 31:3, The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

1. God’s love continues with us until this hour, but DO NOT TRY HIS PATIENCE by continuing in unbelief, Hebrews 3:18-19, And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? 19- So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

2. His love continues to call men unto salvation by faith in Jesus Christ, Acts 2:39, For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

CONCLUSION:

We can praise Him for the salvation we have in Jesus Christ for His many blessing in our lives; but what about you? If you have never trusted Him you really can’t praise Him. Why don’t you trust Christ as your Savior right now?

FOUND GUILTY OF EXCESS OF LOVE
PSALM 109:1-8

Key verse: v. 4, “For my love they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer.”

Introduction:

In this psalm David is supposed to refer to Doeg the Edomite, or to Ahithophel. It is the most imprecatory of the psalms, and may well be termed the Iscariot Psalm.

What David here refers to his mortal enemy, finds its accomplishment in the betrayer of the Son of David. It is from the 8th verse that Peter infers the necessity of filling up the vacancy occasioned by the death of Judas: it was, says he, predicted that another should take his office. —Paton J. Gloag, in “A Commentary on the Acts,” 1870.

I. THEY HATE ME BECAUSE I LOVE THEM

A. Jesus was rewarded evil for His good, vv. 1-3; Psalms 35:12, “They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul.”

1. Jesus followed that which was good, Psalms 38:20, “They also that render evil for good are mine adversaries; because I follow the thing that good is.”

2. He spoke the truth about God, John 1:14, 17,“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. 17-For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.”

3. Yet they hated Him for the truth, v. 3; John 15:24-25, “If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. 25- But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.”

B. On various occasions Jesus was almost stoned, John 10:32, “Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?”

1. The Jews envied Jesus, Ecclesiastes 4:4, “Again, I considered all travail, and every right work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbour. This is also vanity and vexation of spirit.”

2. The works of Jesus were righteous and those of the Jews were evil, 1 John 3:12, “Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.”

C. The more the Lord loved the less He was loved as the Apostle Paul expressed it, 2 Corinthians 12:15, “And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.”

II. JESUS WAS REWARDED HADRED FOR LOVE

A. Evil for good is Satan’s line of action, and his children upon earth follow it greedily, Psalms 35:11-12, “False witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not. 12- They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul.”

B. These folks are under a curse of sin, Proverbs 17:13, “Whoso rewardeth evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house.”

C. It was not an enemy that reproached the Lord, v. 6; Psalm 55:12-14, “For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him: 13- But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance. 14-We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.’

1. In this we see the prophesy of Judas Iscariot, Mark 14:10, “And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went unto the chief priests, to betray him unto them.”

2. Let his days be few, v. 8; Matthew 27:5, “And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.”

III. I GAVE MYSELF UNTO PRAYER

A. David was a man of prayer, Psalms 55:17, “Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.”

1. David had been betrayed by his close counselor, Ahithophel, 2 Samuel 15:31, “And one told David, saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, O LORD, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.”

2. Godly men have always been men of prayer in time of decision, Daniel 6:10, “Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.”

B. Jesus prayed from the cross, “Father, forgive them,” Luke 23:34, “Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.”

1. Men whose hearts were evil crucified the Lord, Luke 6:11, “And they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus.”

2. The hearts of men are full of rage and madness, Ecclesiastes 9:3, “This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.”

3. Yet the Lord prayed for and forgave them, inviting them to come to Him for life, Isaiah 55:3, “Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.”

CONCLUSION:

David had suffered at the hands of the wicked and yet he had learned to pray and put his burdens in God’s hands. While he was a great warrior with great courage he was also a man of compassion and love as revealed in his psalms.

Our Lord Jesus was such a man and much more as He brought the truth to man and paid the price that God demanded for our sins. He continues to invite men to trust Him as their Savior today.