PSALM

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.

HE SENT HIS WORD
PSALM 107:15-22

Key verse: v. 20, “He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.”

Introduction:

God has sent His Word throughout this world to meet the needs of mankind. It has transformed many lives over the centuries. It has mended the broken hearted and encouraged those that were discouraged.

The Word of God has done the ultimate service for man that he could not do for himself. It saved his soul the moment man put his truth in the Savior, Jesus Christ.

I. HE SENT HIS WORD TO ALL THE WORLD

A. His Word runs swiftly upon the earth, Psalm 147:15, “He sendeth forth his commandment upon earth: his word runneth very swiftly.”

1. An army has published His Word, Psalm 68:11, “The Lord gave the word: great was the company (army) of those that published it.”

2. The Word of God has had “free course” (free run) throughout the world, 2 Thessalonians 3:1,“Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you:”

a. Those who have heard it have been blessed, Luke 11:28, “But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.”

b. The Word reached deep into our hearts and souls, Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

B. The Word of the Lord came with healing, 2 Kings 20:4-5, “And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, that the word of the LORD came to him, saying, 5- Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the LORD.”

1. Healing for our souls, Psalms 103:3, “Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;”

2. Healing for our hearts, Psalms 147:3, “He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds [GRIEFS].”

a. Out of the heart proceeds evil, Matthew 15:19, “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:”

b. God gives us a new heart, Ezekiel 36:26, “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.”

3. Healing for our spirits, Romans 7:6, “But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.”

C. The Word of the Lord came with authority, Matthew 8:8, “The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.”

1. The word of the humble sinner, “I am not worthy,” Psalm 10:17, “LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear:”

2. The word of authority, “Speak the Word only,” Psalm 33:9, “For he spake, and it was done ; he commanded, and it stood fast.”

a. The example of the leper, Matthew 8:2-3, “And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. 3- And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.”

b. The example of the man with an unclean spirit, Mark 1:25-27, “And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. 26- And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him. 27- And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him.”

II. HIS WORD HAS BLESSED MANY WHO REFUSE THE LORD PRAISE

A. God showed His Word to Israel, Psalms 147:19, “He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel.

A. God sent His Son to this world, John 1:11, “He came unto his own, and his own received him not.”

1. He was rejected, Mark 8:31, “And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.”

2. He was hated, John 7:7, “The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.”

a. They hated Jesus because He brought to light the truth, John 3:19, “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”

b. Men hate the Father also, John 15:23, “He that hateth me hateth my Father also.”

c. These are the ones who love death, Proverbs 8:36, “But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.”

C. God expressed His love for the world in His Word, John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

1. God loves the sinner, Romans 5:8, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

2. Today he offers salvation, 2 Corinthians 6:2, “(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)”

CONCLUSION:

God has preached His Word throughout the world and the time is coming to a close when He will send His Son Jesus back to claim His own from this world. He has done everything to save man from destruction in Hell, but men continue to reject His Word.

LEANESS IN THE SOUL

PSALM 106:10-15; ROMANS 15:4; 1 CORINTHIANS 10:61

Introduction:

“The history of God’s past is a record of continuous mercies, the history of man’s, one of as continuous sin.” Israel had been redeemed from slavery out of the land of Egypt and had cross the Red Sea on dry land. Soon afterward the people began to rebel against the Lord. They soon forgot what they had witnessed as God brought plague after plague upon Pharaoh and the Egyptians.

They received what they wanted, but soon forgot how they got it. Then they received something they did not want – God’s judgment against a rebellious people.

I. GETTING WHAT THEY WANTED v. 10

A. They wanted redemption from slavery, Psalm 111:9, “He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name.”

1. As servants of the enemy, Psalm 18:17, “He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me.”

2. As servants of sin, Romans 6:17-18, “But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. 18-Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.”

B. They wanted rest, Psalm 16:9, “Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.”

1. To dwell confidently, Exodus 33:14, “And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.”

2. To have peace of mind, Psalm 38:3-4, “There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger; neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin. 4- For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me.”

C. They wanted deliverance, Luke 4:18, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,”

II. FORGETTING WHAT HE DID v. 13

A. He saved them from the hand of him that hated them, Exodus 14:30, “Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore.”

B. He redeemed them from the hand of the enemy, Psalm 107:2, “Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;”

1. God had redeemed them, Psalm 31:5, “Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O LORD God of truth.”

a. God preached the truth to them as He has to us, Psalm 40:9, “I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest.”

b. The Lord preached repentance from sin, Mark 6:12, “And they went out, and preached that men should repent.”

c. Faith in Christ was preached, Galatians 3:26, “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.”

2. God had forgiven Israel of all his iniquities, Psalm 130:8, “And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.”

a. This was Israel’s greatest need, 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.”

b. Through Him all that believed were justified, Acts 13:38-39, “Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: 39- And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.”

III. GETTING WHAT THEY DIDN’T WANT v. 15

A. For rebellion God sent a cruel messenger, Proverbs 17:11, “An evil man seeketh only rebellion: therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against him.”

1. Israel had a history of rebellion, Deuteronomy 9:7, “Remember, and forget not, how thou provokedst the LORD thy God to wrath in the wilderness: from the day that thou didst depart out of the land of Egypt, until ye came unto this place, ye have been rebellious against the LORD.”

2. They provoked the Lord, Deuteronomy 9:8, “Also in Horeb ye provoked the LORD to wrath, so that the LORD was angry with you to have destroyed you.”

B. Israel lost his identity because of rebellion, Deuteronomy 4:27, “And the LORD shall scatter you among the nations, and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen, whither the LORD shall lead you.”

1. For the sin of their mouth, Psalm 59:12, “For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips let them even be taken in their pride: and for cursing and lying which they speak.”

2. For their pride, Proverbs 16:5, “Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.”

3. For their cursing, Psalm 109:17, “As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him: as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him.”

CONCLUSION:

Israel was unfaithful to the Lord and suffered the consequences for that unfaithfulness. God gave him all of the advantages and yet Israel turned from the Saviour as John tells us in John 1:11, “He came unto his own, and his own received him not.”

The Lord has opened the door for the Gentiles and many have trusted Christ as their Saviour. However, many have walked away from the truth. God’s judgment is a terrible thing. Many will feel His wrath, but not His children as Paul tells us in Romans 5:9, “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.”

There is NO LEANNESS for God’s FAITHFUL servants.

THE MERCY OF GOD

PSALM 103

 

“But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children;

Psalm 100:5, “For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.”

Introduction:

Mercy is the result and effect of God’s goodness. The Psalmist said in Psalm 33:5, “He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth id full of the goodness of the Lord.” God is essentially good in himself and relatively good to us. They are both put together in Psalm 119:68, “Thou art good and doest good.” This relative goodness is nothing else than the mercy of God.

I. IT IS THE DESIGN OF THE BIBLE TO REPRESENT GOD AS MERCIFUL

Exodus 34:6-7, “And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, 7- Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.

A. God does not clear the guilty, Psalm 57:10,“For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds.”

B. His mercy is far above the heavens, Psalm 108:4, “For thy mercy is great above the heavens: and thy truth reacheth unto the clouds.”

C. The Rainbow is a symbol of God’s mercy, Genesis 9:16, “And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.”

II. GOD IS MORE INCLINED TO MERCY THAN WRATH

A. God delights in mercy, Micah 7:18, “Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.”

B. He does not delight in wrath, Isaiah 27:4, “Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?”

C. God does not punish until He can bear no longer, Jeremiah 44:22-23, “So that the LORD could no longer bear, because of the evil of your doings, and because of the abominations which ye have committed; therefore is your land a desolation, and an astonishment, and a curse, without an inhabitant, as at this day. 23-Because ye have burned incense, and because ye have sinned against the LORD, and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD, nor walked in his law, nor in his statutes, nor in his testimonies; therefore this evil is happened unto you, as at this day.”

D. God does not afflict us willingly, Lamentations 3:33, “For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men.”

1. Punishment is call God’s “strange work,” Isaiah 28:21, “For the LORD shall rise up as in mount Perazim, he shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his strange work; and bring to pass his act, his strange act.”

2. He is slow to anger, Psalm 103:8, “The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.

3. He is 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.”

III. THERE IS NOT A SITUATION THAT GOD WILL NOT SHOW MERCY

A. When Israel was in captivity He showed mercy, Lamentation 3:22, “It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.”

B. He could have destroyed Israel, Ezra 9:8-9, “And now for a little space grace hath been shewed from the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage. 9-For we were bondmen; yet our God hath not forsaken us in our bondage, but hath extended mercy unto us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us a reviving, to set up the house of our God, and to repair the desolations thereof, and to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem.”

C. His mercy is on them that fear Him, Luke 1:50, “And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.”

CONCLUSION:

The Lord has certainly been good to us. His mercy has been shown to us throughout our lives. While we get tired of those who offend us, He continues to show His mercy when we deserve His wrath. Thank the Lord that He does not delight in wrath and that we have been saved from His wrath by trusting Jesus Christ as our Savior.

FROM THE HEIGHTS OF HIS HEAVENLY SANCTUARY

PSALM 102:12-22

Key verse: v. 19

Introduction:

Looking out like a watcher from his tower, what was the object of this leaning from the battlements of heaven? Why this intent gaze upon the race of men?

The answer is full of astounding mercy; the Lord does not look upon mankind to note their grandees, and observe the doings of their nobles, but “to hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death” v. 20.

Consider the message that the Psalmist is sending to us today through this inspired psalm of the Word of God.

I. FROM HEAVEN THE LORD LOOKS DOWN

A. The Lord is looking down from the MERCYSEAT, Psalms 14:2, “The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.”

1. He is not looking from an earthly viewpoint, John 3:12, “If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? 31- He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all.”

2. The Lord was looking from the spiritual [heavenly] viewpoint, John 3:13-17, “And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. 14-And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15-That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16-For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17- For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”

B. He looks down from the HEIGHT of Glory, Psalms 24:7-8, “Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. 8-Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.”

C. It is the King of Glory that looks upon man, 1 Corinthians 2:8, “Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”

II. WHAT ATTRACTS HIS NOTICE MOST IN THE WORLD?

A. To hear the groaning of the prisoner, v. 20; Psalms 79:11, “Let the sighing of the prisoner come before thee; according to the greatness of thy power preserve thou those that are appointed to die;”

1. The Lord heard the cry of the Hebrews in bondage to Egypt, Exodus 2:23, “And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage.”

2. He saw the Gentiles in bondage to their sin, Ephesians 2:2-3, “Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3-Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.”

B. To loose those appointed to death, v. 20; Psalms 146:7, “Which executeth judgment for the oppressed: which giveth food to the hungry. The LORD looseth the prisoners:”

1. To relieve them from their condemnation, John 5:24, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”

2. To give them redemption and forgiveness of sins, Ephesians 1:7, “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;”

3. All of this for His glory, Ephesians 1:12, “That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.”

III. THE PURPOSE FOR WHICH HE NOTICES MAN

A. To declare His name, v. 21; Romans 3:25, “Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;”

B. To declare His great mercy to those in need of it, Romans 15:9, “And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name.”

1. Zion is now in distress, but there will come a time for her relief, v. 13, “Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come.”

2. All nations shall serve the Lord, Psalms 72:11, “Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him.”

3. His dominion shall be from sea to sea, Psalms 72:8-9, “He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth. 9-They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust.”

CONCLUSION

The Lord looked down from heaven and saw man’s great need of His mercy. From Adam until now the Lord’s mercy has been generously given to us. Yet man continues to be rebellious and unthankful.

God’s patience continues as Peter wrote in 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us–ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”