PSALM

JOY IN THE LORD’S STRENGTH–PSALM 21:1-13

Art Davison PSALM 0 Comment
JOY IN THE LORD’S STRENGTH
PSALM 21:1-13
Introduction:
This psalm is the companion of Psalm 20. It anticipates what Psalm 21 regards as realized. Charles Spurgeon says, “If we pray today for a benefit and receive it, we must, ere the sun goes down, praise God for that mercy, or we deserve to be denied the next time.”
This psalm has been called “David’s triumphant song.” “The king’ is most prominent throughout, and we shall read it to true profit if our meditation of him shall be sweet while perusing it. We must crown him with the glory of our salvation singing of his love, and praising his power. The next psalm will take us to the foot of the cross; this introduces us to the steps of the throne.” —Charles Spurgeon.
I. THANKSGIVING FOR VICTORY vv. 1-6
A. Jesus is a ROYAL PERSONAGE, John 18:37, “Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.”
1. Jesus was born KING of the Jews, Matthew 2:2, “Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.”
a. His birth was the PROMISED BLESSING of God, Isaiah 9:6, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”
b. He is the SALVATION of Israel, Psalm 62:7, “In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.”
c. He is the JOY of God’s people, Psalm 28:7, “The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.”
2. He shall JUDGE His PEOPLE in RIGHTEOUSNESS, Psalm 72:1-2, “Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king’s son. 2- He shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judgment.”
a. Clothed with DIVINE AUTHORITY, he shall use it on the behalf of His people, Psalm 72:12-14, “For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper. 13- He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy. 14- He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: and precious shall their blood be in his sight.”
b. God has ANOINTED Jesus above all with the OIL of GLADNESS, Psalm 45:6-7, “Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre. 7-Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.”
B. He is NOT merely a King, BUT THE KING, John 19:19, “And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS.”
1. He is the King who is OUR PEACE, Ephesians 2:14, 17, “For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 17- And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.”
2. He is the KING of GLORY, Psalm 24:9-10, “Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. 10- Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory.”
II. CONFIDENCE OF FURTHER SUCCESS vv. 7-13
A. In His day the RIGHTEOUS shall FLOURISH, Psalm 132:15-18, “I will abundantly bless her provision: I will satisfy her poor with bread. 16- I will also clothe her priests with salvation: and her saints shall shout aloud for joy. 17- There will I make the horn of David to bud: I have ordained a lamp for mine anointed. 18- His enemies will I clothe with shame: but upon himself shall his crown flourish.”
1. There will be NO FAMINE, Exodus 23:25, “And ye shall serve the LORD your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee.”
2. God will do exceeding abundantly MORE than we can ever ask for, Ephesians 3:20, “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,”
B. In His day there shall be an ABUNDANCE of PEACE, Isaiah 2:4, “And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.”
1. The meek shall inherit the earth, Psalm 37:11, “But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.”
2. The righteous shall flourish, Psalm 72:7, “In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth.”
C. In His day His Kingdom shall be forever, Luke 1:33, “And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.”
1. There will be no end of His kingdom, 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.”
2. It shall never be destroyed, Daniel 2:44, “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.”
3. God shall give Him everlasting dominion, Daniel 7:14, “And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.”
CONCLUSION OF CHOICE

BLESSED IS THE MAN–PSALM 32:1-11; ROMANS 4:6-8

Art Davison PSALM 0 Comment
BLESSED IS THE MAN
PSALM 32:1-11; ROMANS 4:6-8
Introduction:

“A Psalm of David giving INSTRUCTION.”


The Psalmist describes the blessings of His forgiveness, succeeding the pains of conviction, and deduces (to draw from) from his own experience instruction and exhortation to others.   –Jamison, Fausset, Brown

This psalm “is calculated to give the HIGHEST INSTRUCTION relative to the GUILT of sin, and the BLESSEDNESS of pardon and holiness. It is supposed to have been composed AFTER David’s transgression with Bath-sheba, and subsequently to his obtaining pardon.”  —Adam Clarke, Commentary by Gary Gallant.

I. GOD TURNS AWAY FROM HIS WRATH

A. Blessed is the man whose transgression is FORGIVEN, vs..1-2; Numbers 14:18, “The LORD is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.”

1. The Lord in His mercy TURNS AWAY from His ANGER, Psalms 85:3, “Thou hast taken away all thy wrath: thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger.”
2. We have done NOTHING to merit His favor, Romans 4:6, “Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,”

B. Blessed is he whose SIN is COVERED, Psalm 85:2, “Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. Selah.”

1. In His forgiveness we become WHITE as snow, Isaiah 1:18, “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”
2. Our sins have been “BLOTTED OUT,” Isaiah 44:22, “I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.”
3. He does not remember our sins, Isaiah 43:25, “I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.”

C. “Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin,” Romans 4:8.

1. In Christ, man has been reconciled to God, 2 Corinthians 5:19-20, “To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.  20- Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.”
2. Jesus became sin FOR US, 2 Corinthians 5:21, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

D. Blessed is the man in whose spirit there is NO GUILE (deceit), Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”

1. We see the deceitful workers of Satan on every hand today, 2 Corinthians 11:13, “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.”
2. The believer is to put off the old man of deceit, Ephesians 4:22, “That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;”

II. CONFESSION GIVES EASE TO THE CONSCIENCE
A. Sin is heavy on us, vv. 3-4; Isaiah 58:6, “Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?”

1. Unconfessed sin is troublesome, v. 3; Psalms 31:9, “Have mercy upon me, O LORD, for I am in trouble: mine eye is consumed with grief, yea, my soul and my belly.”
2. The heart is smitten, Psalms 102:4, “My heart is smitten, and withered like grass; so that I forget to eat my bread.”

B. Confession of sin gives ease to the conscience, vv. 5-7; Psalms 51:12, “Restore unto me the JOY of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.”

1. The godly will pray to the Father, Psalms 4:3, “But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto him.”
2. The godly will repent of their sins, 2 Corinthians 7:9-10, “Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. 10- For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.”

C. God will “cause thee to understand,” vv. 8-11; Psalms 34:11, “Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD.”

1. “I will guide you,” v. 8; Psalms 25:9, “The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.”
2. Be not without understanding as a horse, v. 9; James 3:3, “Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.”
3. Israel has been foolish, Jeremiah 4:22, “For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.”
4. They will have many sorrows, Proverbs 13:21, “Evil pursueth sinners: but to the righteous good shall be repayed.”
5. Be glad in the Lord, v. 11; Psalms 33:1, “Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright.”

a. Rejoice before the Lord, Psalms 68:3, “But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice.”
 b. The upright in heart have something to rejoice about, Psalms 97:12, “Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.”

CONCLUSION

A NEW SONG–PSALM 40:1-17

Art Davison PSALM 0 Comment
A NEW SONG
Psalm 40:1-17

Introduction:

The songs of the world today speak of unfaithfulness or tragedy. They speak of lost love and misery. However, in the life of one who has trusted Christ as his Savior there is a new song. A song that is full of happiness and joy and expectation of more joy. Consider how that happened.
I. THE LORD BROUGHT ME OUT OF A HORRIBLE PIT
A. The Lord has showed His mercy to me, Psalm 86:13, “For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell.”
B. I found trouble and sorrow, Psalm 116:3, “The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow.”
1. I was in danger of going to hell, Matthew 13:50, “And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”
2. For the Scriptures teach that all those that forget God shall be turned into hell, Psalm 9:17, “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.”
C. The Lord heard the cry of my heart, v. 1; Psalm 130:2-4, “Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications. 3 If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? 4 But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.”
1. The Lord opened my ear, Isaiah 50:5, “The Lord GOD hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back.”
2. The Lord forgave my sins, v. 4, “But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.”
a. The Lord is always ready to forgive, Psalm 86:5, “For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.”
b. Even terrible sins the Lord forgives, Isaiah 1:18, “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”
II. THE LORD SET MY FEET UPON A ROCK
A. God is our Rock, Deuteronomy 32:4, “He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.”
B. He is the Rock that was struck out of which came the water of life, Exodus 17:6, “Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.”
C. That Rock was Jesus Christ, 1 Corinthians 10:4, “And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.”
1. Jesus is the Rock of Stability in our life, Luke 6:48, “He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.”
a. He is the foundation upon which the believer builds his life, 1 Corinthians 3:10-11, “According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. 11-For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
a. Paul advises us to take heed saying, “But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon, 1 Peter 4:11, “If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”
2. To other Jesus is the Rock of stumbling in their unbelief, 1 Peter 2:8, “And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.”
a. They stumble because of unbelief, 1 Peter 2:7, “Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,”
b. They think this is foolishness, 1 Corinthians 1:23, “But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;”
III. THE LORD HAS PUT A NEW SONG IN THE BELIEVER’S MOUTH
A. God has put a new song in our mouth, even praise, Psalm 40:3, “And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.”
B. The Lord has had the victory over sin in our lives, Psalm 98:1, “O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory.”
1. God the Father has made Him to be our Savior, Acts 5:31, “Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.”
2. Therefore we sing a new song:
a. A song of faith, 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.”
b. A song of happiness, Psalm 144:9, “I will sing a new song unto thee, O God: upon a psaltery and an instrument of ten strings will I sing praises unto thee.”
CONCLUSION:
The Lord has given us a new song. It is a song of praise and happiness because He has forgiven our sins and given us a home in Heaven. Unfortunately, many have rejected the Lord and their song has only a short time to last and then…eternity!

A SONG OF ADMIRATION–PSALM 8:1-9

Art Davison PSALM 0 Comment
A SONG OF ADMIRATION
PSALM 8:1-9

INTRODUCTION:

CHRIST is the principal subject of this Psalm, and it is interpreted of him, both by our LORD himself in MATTHEW 21:16, And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?” And by the Apostle Paul in 1 CORINTHIANS 15:27, “For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.” And in HEBREWS 2:6, 7, “But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him?  7- Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands:”

I. GOD’S GLORY IS MAGNIFIED BY HIS WORKS, AND BY HIS LOVE FOR MAN
(REFERENCE CONT. PSALM 8:1-9)

A. UNABLE TO express the glory of God, the Psalmist utters a note of exclamation, vs. 1, 9.
1. ‘O Lord, OUR Lord,’ Psalm 63:1, “O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;”

a. David addresses God by His PERSONAL NAME Yahweh or Jehovah (“LORD”), EXODUS 6:3, “And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.”

b. David then identified Him as “OUR LORD” (Adonay), the SOVEREIGN or Master, JOHN 13:13, “Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.”

2. “ How Excellent is thy name in all the earth!” v.1.

a. Our God does WONDROUS things, PSALM 72:18, “Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things.”

b. His name ALONE is EXCELLENT, PSALM 148:13, “Let them praise the name of the LORD: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven.”

B. God’s name is exalted ABOVE ALL creation, PHILLIPPIANS 2:9, “Let them praise the name of the LORD: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven.

1. God has HIGHLY EXALTED the LORD JESUS, V. 5, HEBREWS 2:9,10, “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.  10- For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.”

2. He has given Him a NAME that is ABOVE EVERY NAME, HEBREWS 1:4, Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.”

a. It is the ONLY NAME whereby we must be saved, ACTS 4:12, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

b. His name is HIGHER than the kings of the earth, PSALM 89:27, “Also I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth.”

c. His name is far ABOVE EVERY NAME that is named, EPHESIANS 1:20-23, “Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,  21- Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:  22- And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 23- Which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all.”

II. WHAT IS MAN THAT THOU ART MINDFUL OF HIM?
(REFERENCE CONT. PSALM 8:1-9)

A. When I consider your creation, vs. 3-4; PSALM 33:6, “By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.”

1. God SPOKE and it was done, PSALM 33:9, “For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.”

2. Through FAITH we UNDERSTAND creation, HEBREWS 11:3,” Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.”

B. What is man to God? V. 4; JOB 7:17,18, “What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him? 18- And that thou shouldest visit him every morning, and try him every moment?”

1. The questions in verse 4 emphasize that man is an INSIGNIFICANT creature in the universe, PSALM 144:3, “LORD, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him! or the son of man, that thou makest account of him!”

2. Man is like a VAPOR that vanishes away, PSALM 39:5, “Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity.”

CONCLUSION

DAVID MAGNIFIED HIS SAVIOR 900 YEARS BEFORE CHRIST WAS BORN!

WHAT IS MAN THAT THOU ART MINDFUL OF HIM?
(REFERENCE CONT. PSALM 8:1-9) FINISHED HERE!

THE CREATOR, NOT THE CREATION–PSALM 104:27-30

Art Davison PSALM 0 Comment
THE CREATOR, NOT THE CREATION

Genesis 1 isn’t the only source of our conviction that God is Creator. Both Old and New Testaments teach the essential integrity of all we read in Genesis. Both help us explore the meaning of Genesis’ towering affirmations about God and the world, which we meet first in this initial chapter of our Bible.

One of the most striking additions is in Isaiah: “For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.” Isaiah 45:18.
See Psalm 104

Psalm 104:27-30, “These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat in due season. 28-That thou givest them they gather: thou openest thine hand, they are filled with good. 29-Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust. 30-Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth.”

See Psalm 148

Vs. 5-6, “Let them praise the name of the LORD: for he commanded, and they were created. 6He hath also stablished them for ever and ever: he hath made a decree which shall not pass.”

The Personal Touch

When we teach the familiar Creation story, it’s important for us to adopt the attitude of the psalmist.

The psalmist acknowledges God as Creator.

? He knows the story of the seven days.

? But as the psalmist meditates, his thoughts are not drawn off to speculations about, “How?” Instead, the psalmist moves quickly beyond the “scientific” questions that so attract us to focus on the central message:

? All that exists is the work of a Person. Everything around us has been carefully and thoughtfully designed.

? Creation is a mirror, placed to reflect our thoughts and our worship back to the Person whose image Creation enables us to see.

? This is the central message of Genesis 1. Our attention is directed not to the world, but to its Maker.

? Psalm 19 points out that the universe itself is a wordless message about God which anyone, whatever his language, can hear.

1. “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. 2. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.

2. 3-There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. 4-Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, 5-Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. 6-His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.

3. 7-The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.

4. 8-The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.

5. 9-The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: 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 is thy servant warned:

? and in keeping of them there is great reward. 12-Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults. 13-Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.

? 14-Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.”

Paul made this same point in Romans 1.

? But there Paul saw Creation as evidence to be used against those who do not believe.

? Paul argued that man’s wickedness is revealed in the human struggle to suppress the knowledge of God available to all in creation. Vs. 19-20, “Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20-For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:”