Psalm 23 - 2007.11.24

"The LORD is my shepherd… " — Psalm 23:1a

As was last week's text, so is this week's familiar to every New Testament believer. The figures of the Shepherd and the sheep are picked up by the Lord Jesus in John 10. These two things will occupy our attention today.

The Shepherd-Lord of the psalm is none other than the Savior Himself. His function in that role may be distinguished in no less than three categories in the New Testament. The first is with respect to His atoning work. He said, "I am the good Shepherd: the good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep [John 10:11]." Every sheep in the divine fold owes his life to the Redeeming Shepherd, "In Whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins , according to the riches of His grace [Eph. 1:7]." In His redemptive work, He did not merely risk His life, He rendered it a sacrifice.

Secondly, the Savior is the Great Shepherd by reason of His resurrection from the dead: "Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep… [Heb. 13:20]." His resurrection did not, of course, make Him the great Shepherd, but it marked Him as such. A shepherd dying in an attempt to rescue troubled sheep might be considered noble, but having made his sacrifice he would be powerless to help them further. This Shepherd lives, and is now in a position to gather in all of His flock and secure them in His fold for all eternity. "This man, because He continueth ever… is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for the [Heb. 7:24-25]."

And thirdly, the Lord Jesus is identified as the Chief Shepherd of the flock of God in conjunction with His promised return. Peter declares, "And when the Chief Shepherd shall appear… [I Pet. 5:4]," promising the faithful elders of the New Testament church a coronation day. In that great day, when God's great plan of redemption is consummated, the whole flock, from every tribe and nation and every generation, will be gathered in His presence, "… and there shall be one fold, and one Shepherd [John 10:16b]."

And what of the sheep—who are they? In a beautiful figure, David says in another place, "… we are His people, the sheep of His pasture [Ps: 100:3]" The Savior refines it saying, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand [John 10:27-28]." Observe two qualifying statements; first, the sheep "hear [His] voice," and are responsive to it. His "voice," of course, is expressed to us via the word of God. The scriptures are to the unconverted "just another book." To the sheep, they are the sound of the Savior's voice.

Then, "they follow me." The Voice gives direction to their walk. Others may hear the voice, but it is to them as a pleasant song: "And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not [Ezek. 33:32]." To these the word of God is no more significant than a tune downloaded from the internet. Not so the sheep; for them the voice of the Shepherd defines direction, deportment and destiny.

And, indeed, it is their response to the voice of the Shepherd that does determine their destiny, for He continues, "And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish." This the Psalmist understood, when he declared, "And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever {Ps. 23:6b]."

The Redeemer is the Lord, the Shepherd; the Good Shepherd, the Great Shepherd, the Chief Shepherd. The sheep are the redeemed, bought into His flock with the price of the precious blood of Christ. Under His care, come sunshine or tempest, He will sustain them from here to eternity. "[We] shall not want."

"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 [Isa. 53:6]." Have you returned to the Bishop and Shepherd of the soul? To hear His voice is one thing; to heed it is another. And that is what it takes to be ready when the Shepherd returns to gather His flock into the eternal sheepfold!


For God's glory,

"Pastor" Frasier

Prayer Needs Update

Mrs. Frasier was transferred yesterday from the hospital to a rehab facility. We trust this will prove profitable when they are able to start working with her. She still has little, if any, use of her legs. THANKS for your prayers and notes of encouragement.

A BLESSED THANKSGIVING TO ONE AND ALL!! Psalm 118:29

WMF

Psalm 22 - 2007.11.17

"My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Why art thou so far from helping me and from the words of my roaring?" — Psalm 22:1

Perhaps no verse in the Old Testament is more clearly connected to the gospel than this one, the first clause literally on the lips of the Savior from the cross (cf. Matt. 27:46). When the psalm and the gospel are brought together, we are confronted with one of the most amazing events in history.

It is amazing first of all because of the prophetic precision involved. Long before the event, David was moved by the spirit of the Lord to utter words that would be precisely on the lips of the suffering savior nearly a thousand years later. That is extraordinary insight, and a great confirmation of the uniqueness and inspiration of the holy scriptures.

Even more astonishing, in my judgment, is the identification of the Person to whom this cry ultimately belongs: the Son of God. It is no ordinary mortal Who utters this anguished cry. It is God's "only begotten Son," "Made of no reputation… obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." It is the Lord of glory, the engineer of all creation and the Author of life, hanging on the precipice of death. It is the most incongruous situation imaginable, the eternal Son of God in a position of incomparable humiliation and suffering.

The second thing that impresses me is the essence of the plaint itself. It is the forlorn cry of the Son forsaken by the Father. It is a cry of anguish brought about by by the rupture of the loftiest, most enduring relationship conceivable. It is the most incredible "why?" imaginable: "Why hast THOU forsaken Me?" When the disciples "all forsook Him and fled," there is no record of despair on the part of the Lord Jesus, but when the Father forsook Him, there was heartbreak and perplexity that has no equal in history, because it has no parallel in history.

That leads to a third thing deserving of consideration as one reflects on this remarkable text, and that is the purpose which justified, in the mind of God, this terrible event. That purpose was to provide a remedy for the ruin wrought by Adam's sin and its ratification by every son of Adam since. "… Christ died for our sins, the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God… [cf. I Pet. 3:18]." And scripture elsewhere declares, "… If there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law [Gal. 3:21]." The larger significance of this latter statement is that there was no other way a just and holy God could have provided life and righteousness for lost sinners, "dead in trespasses and sins."

Our salvation was His purpose, and the agony of the cross, both in earth on the part of the Son and in heaven on the part of the Father, was the only way to implement it. From this two things emerge; the enormity of sin, and the magnitude of the love of God for sinners. The human mind and heart, in our present condition, cannot appreciate the dimensions of either, but our text illustrates it, and gives us a little insight. And given the implications of this verse, any attempt to suggest that salvation can be obtained by human effort— "good works"— is an insult to Deity!

There is nothing new in these thoughts, but it is truth worth remembering and frequently reviewing, "lest we forget!" One's only regret is that mere words cannot make a greater impact.

"Well might the sun in darkness hide, and shut his glories in
When Christ the mighty Maker, died for man, the creature's sin!"

For God's glory,

"Pastor" Frasier

Prayer Needs

Please be in prayer for Pastor Frasier, his wife, and family.

Late last week Mrs. Frasier was unable to walk and contribute to moving from place to place, and Pastor Frasier could no longer care for her alone, so she was hospitalized via the ER. It is their hope to find her a place to stay that would be a more congenial and diligent facility than the hospital.

So please pray for them as they desire to she get better and find a better place to stay.

Psalm 21 - 2007.11.10.

"The king shall joy in thy strength, O LORD; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!" — Psalm 21:1

Our text for today refers to "the King." There are, in my judgment, three ways to understand this. First, by interpretation it applies to David, king of Israel and author of the Psalm. Second, and most profoundly, by type it applies to the King of kings, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the psalm could be studied from this perspective with great profit. Thirdly, it may be applied to every believer, because twice in the book of Revelation it is declared that Christ has made us "kings and priests" before God. His redemption has catapulted the least among the redeemed into a position of spiritual royalty.

It is in the nature of earthly kings (and their counterparts in other political venues) to glory in their own might and majesty. Here, in contrast, the position of honor is assigned to God. The reason is not hard to determine. The wellspring of our joy is not our majesty, but His.

The strength of salvation and the glory of it are derived from God, and from God alone. Paul writes to the Romans, "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly [Rom. 5:6]." The unconverted sinner is utterly impotent, totally helpless to save himself, let alone to establish himself in a position of power and honor before God. His condition is described as "dead in trespasses and sins [Eph. 2:1b]." Whatever it takes to revive the spiritual corpse must come from another Source, and that source is God.

Not only is it God's strength that initiates our salvation, but it is in His strength that it must be maintained. When the apostle sought deliverance from his "thorn in the flesh" that tried his faith, he said, "For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me… for when I am weak, then am I strong [II Cor. 12:8-10]." That is the principle of spiritual kingship: "When I am weak, then am I strong." It is diametrically opposite the perspective of this world.

Then the king continues, "and in Thy salvation how greatly [I] rejoice!" It is quite common to hear testimonies declaring, "I thank God for my salvation." It interests me that David does not say that; he looks away from himself as the beneficiary, and glorifies God as the fountainhead of this blessing which is not "mine" anymore than it is anyone else's. I do not "own" it; by grace I have been drawn into it to enjoy its wealth, which is never mine, but ever His. The difference may be subtle, but it is, in my judgment, significant. Individually we are participants, not possessors.

In any event, the king's joy overflows by reason of that salvation of which God is both the source and the sustainer, and the king is one among many invited to share its wealth. Spurgeon comments, "Everything is ascribed to God; the source is [His] strength and the stream is [His] salvation."

This salvation is rooted in God's incredible grace, His unmerited love toward sinners. It is realized by way of the cross where the Son of His love "…once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened [made alive] by the Spirit [I Pet. 3:18]." And, it is rendered effective by faith alone, for "The just shall live by faith ." (See Hab. 2:4; Rom. 1:17; Gal. 3:11; Heb. 10:38!!)

The strength is His, the salvation is His; we enter into it simply by faith. How appropriate, then, is the king's rejoicing and his praise! "Praise is comely for the upright."

When our children were little, we used to read them the story, "The Little Engine that Could." It is a cute story for children, and it is, perhaps, a good thing to encourage perseverance in a young heart. But when it comes to salvation, it is all wrong. You and I could not attain it, try as we might. God could, and did make it available as a free gift, and "all our springs are in [Him.]." Believe it, joy and rejoice!

To the praise of the glory of His grace,

"Pastor" Frasier

Psalm 20 - 2007.11.03

"Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God. They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright." —Psalm 20:7-8

When David wrote, "Some trust in chariots, and some in horses," he was, of course, speaking as a man of war and recognizing the human tendency to believe that human resources can provide victory over human problems; in this case, problems posed by a military opponent. Beneath the psalmist's figure, however, lies the misguided principle of trust in human resources as the answer to man's problems, whatever their nature. It is in the nature of man, especially in our agnostic/atheistic era, to assume that "man is the measure of all things," and has, or will have, the solution to every problem. Unfortunately, the Christian mind is not immune to this kind of thinking. When the enemy is illness, we rely on the "chariots and horses" of modern medicine. If the enemy is economic, we expect deliverance via the horses and chariots of human government. If the crisis is military, our confidence rests, collectively at least, in the superiority in number, power and sophistication of modern weaponry.

Opposed to this vain confidence, David declares, "But we will remember the Name of our God." It behooves the Christian to focus his trust on the Lord. The Holy Spirit counsels through Solomon, "The Name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe [Prov. 18:10]." He is our refuge and our strength, our "place" of security when trouble comes. In applying this truth, David cried, "Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings [Ps. 61:1-4]."

Not only is the Lord our defense, but He is the Authority and Power for overcoming our foes and our problems. "Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man. Through God we shall do valiantly: for He it is that shall tread down our enemies [Ps. 60:11-12]." This David understood and could testify to out of his own experience. When the Philistines had paralyzed the army of Israel under Saul and terrified them with the raging of their champion Goliath, David, undersized and under armed, challenged the giant: "Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied… And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD's, and he will give you into our hands [I Sam 17:45-47]." He came away victor over his formidable foe.

The New Testament confirms the validity of David's confidence. Here the Name of the Lord is disclosed in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ, upon whom God the Father has bestowed a name of absolute authority: "… a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father [Phil. 2:9-11]." And in Eph. 3:20 we read that He is "able to do abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us." his power is infinite, His resources are limitless, His wisdom is perfect.

This is not to suggest that we should not make use of the temporal resources available to us. When David challenged Goliath, he employed his sling. When as king he went out to battle, he went with his weapons and his militia. However, he focused not on human resources, but divine. And so it should be with us. God should not be an afterthought to be relied upon when all else fails.

There is, after all, one enemy we have to encounter who is altogether beyond the reach of "chariots and horses." That is the one who holds the power of death by reason of sin. And it is the Lord alone who could vanquish him. "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage [Heb. 2:14-15]. "This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved [Acts 4:11-12]."

Should you win every other battle in life by human strategy and resources, and lose this one, you will have lost everything. And no resource on earth will do, but the blood of Jesus Christ. Remember the Name of the Lord!

For eternal victory,

"Pastor" Frasier