Psalm 83 - 2009.02.28

"Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God. For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head…That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth." —Psalm 83:1-2,18

There are times and circumstances in the Christian life when God seems to be silent, unresponsive, inert; perhaps even far away. At such times the believer may feel , if not abandoned, at least neglected and helpless, like a forgotten child desperately in need of his parent’s attention. David frequently reflects this feeling of isolation, when his, or Israel’s enemies seem to have the upper hand, and God’s intervention is not immediately forthcoming.

Job, under quite different circumstances, expressed the same tone of despair. “Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him: On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him [Job. 23:8,9].” Under such circumstances faith, however perplexed, perseveres and continues to prevail upon the Lord. The apostle Paul remarks in a certain place, “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;… [II Cor 4:8-9].” David continues to lift his concerns to the heart of God. Spurgeon observes, "How entirely the psalmist looks to God; he asks not for "a leader bold and brave," or for any form of human force, but casts his burden upon the Lord, being well assured that his eternal power and Godhead could meet every difficulty of the case.” So David cries, “Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God.” He will continue to pray until the answer comes.

No less important to observe here than the Psalmist’s perseverance, is the cause that prompts it. It is not his, nor even Israel’s plight that constitutes the ground of his plea, but the glory of God. If you read the whole Psalm, you will note that it is another imprecatory Psalm. That is, David calls for the judgment of God upon Israel’s enemies. Note, in fact, the severity of his language: “So persecute them with thy tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm. Fill their faces with shame…Let them be confounded and troubled for ever; yea, let them be put to shame, and perish: (vss. 15-17).”

Such a prayer, uttered in our own self interest, would be completely out of character for the New Testament believer, who is instructed, “Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust [Matt. 5:43-45].” Even in the face of hostility and persecution, such a prayer is justified only when we recognize and are truly concerned not with our own welfare, but with God’s honor. And, it is not always easy for us to make that distinction. Sometimes the Christian is despised because of his own foolishness. But when he is despised because of his connection with the God of the bible, everything shifts to a different foundation. When believers are hated “for His name’s sake,” then it is not really the believer who is being attacked, but God himself, and the conflict shifts to a whole new ground. We have a preview of such a situation in the last days:

“And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child [Rev. 12:9-13].”

When Satan cannot reach God, His strategy is to employ his minions to attack His children in an effort to discredit His name. Then, it may be, the imprecatory prayer is legitimate, but it is not justified simply in our own defense. The writer concludes, in the last verse of this Psalm, “That men may know that Thou, whose name alone is Jehovah, are the most high over all the earth.” This should be the driving motive in all our prayers. Essentially, they should be not about us, but about Him, and not for our comfort or convenience, but for His glory. May God give us wisdom to “[Pray] always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints [Eph. 6:18].”

For the honor of HIS name,

"Pastor" Frasier

Psalm 82 - 2009.02.21

"They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course." —Psalm 82:5

This psalm is an indictment of injustices perpetrated by those in Israel invested with the authority and responsibility to maintain justice and order in the nation. It serves, however, as an illustration of God's outrage and His judgment when responsible and privileged people profane their role. In yet a broader sense it serves as a disclosure of the fundamental condition of the human race in rebellion against God's law and order. It is from that perspective that we consider our "nugget' for today.

Consider first the real character of ungodliness: "They know not, neither will they understand." Men find all kinds of excuses for their unbelief, but the real key is discovered here. "They know not," that is, they are ignorant of the truth. The reason is, "they will not understand." The failure to believe in the God of the bible is not intellectual, but volitional.

Consider the rational consequences of unbelief. Ask "Where did I come from?" and you cannot answer. Ask "Why am I here?" and and you can verify no meaning. Ask "Where am I going?" and the grave is the only sure answer. In other words, rule God out, and life loses meaning and purpose. "Death is the damp which puts out all the dim lights of vanity," wrote one Thomas Adams. Yet men, in increasing numbers, deny the existence of God, some formally, the majority by the way they live, "They profess that they know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate [Titus 1:16]."

Why? The key is not lack of evidence, but lies in the will. "Neither will they understand." The authority for that charge is found in the words of the Savior to the unbelieving Jews who surrounded Him: "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life [John 5:39-40]." (My italics.) And again, in a prophecy which has proved all too true, in His account of the rich man in hell pleading for Abraham to send Lazarus to warn his five brothers, "lest they come to this place of torment," the Savior cites Abraham, "If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead (See Luke 16:19-31)." Today's rejection of the risen Christ proves Him right, and even brilliant men, "ever learning…never…come to the knowledge of the Truth [II Tim. 3:7]."

The result of this willful ignorance is, "They walk on in darkness." That is intellectual, moral and spiritual darkness, and accounts for every evil in the world today. Consider: "Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; [they] became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools…[Rom. 1:21-22]." And again, "[The] Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness [Eph. 4:17-19]."

The tragic scope of this self imposed ignorance is evident in the last clause of our text, and it is this which lifts the imort of the psalm above the level of the injustices of Israel's administrators. "All the foundations of the earth are out of course." In other words, this rebellious attitude on the part of mankind has totally disoriented the natural order of things. Nothing works the way it should. Scripture declares, "For the creature (creation) was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because the creature (creation) itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now [Rom. 8:20-22]." As a result of man's stubborn unbelief, God plunged the whole natural order into a state of disarray until order is restored at the return of the "Judge of all the earth," the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now, "If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do [Psalm 11:3]?" The answer is, "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord [ I Cor. 15:58]." True to the Truth, we will triumph at last.

And if you are not a Christian, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved [Acts16:31]." Get your life back in order and under God's control and be ready for the coming of the King of kings!

For our edification,

"Pastor" Frasier

Psalm 81 - 2009.02.14

"Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob. Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery. Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day. For this was a statute for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob." —Psalm 81:1-4

"Sing!" It might come as a surprise to some that God has commanded that there be music in His congregation and on the part of all His people. If you think about it, though, God invented music in the beginning and has incorporated in every human being a most remarkable musical instrument, the human voice. As with all things, of course, what God created good, and for His glory, can and is, since Adam's rebellion, too often corrupted in its use. That does not diminish the force of the commanding word that begins this psalm and our text for today—sing! What sin has corrupted can be redeemed and used again for God's glory.

"Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs" permeate scripture. The first reference to song is in Exodus 15, following Israel's triumphant deliverance from their bondage in Egypt, an event alluded to in v.5 of this Psalm. The Psalms themselves, of course, were written to be sung, and constitute the great hymnbook of the bible. In the last book of the bible there are several references to songs in heaven itself. Music, evidently, will be a part of the environment of eternity. Surely it behooves us to begin rehearsing now!

"Sing aloud." The idea seems to be to sing with a loud voice, publicly. Hymns and gospel songs imbued with sound doctrine provide a good way to proclaim our faith to a world that may not listen to our sermons.

"Sing aloud unto God our strength." Here is the key that differentiates between music authorized of God and that which is merely entertainment. The music of the saints is to have God as its object and worship as its purpose. The same song, yes even songs sung in the church, can be sung either way. And the real difference may be discerned by God alone. The scriptural truth applies here; "Man looks (or listens) on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart."

"Make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob." The song of the saints should spring from hearts filled with the joy of the Lord. There was a time when Israel could not sing. It is recorded in Psalm 137, as follows in part: "By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion. How shall we sing the LORD'S song in a strange land?" (Ps. 137:1-4). They were out of the will of God, and so "in a strange land." But if one is in the will of God, it behooves him to sing aloud with joy the praises of our God and of His Christ.

The next verse gives legitimacy to the use of musical instruments in worship in the congregation of the saints, referring to the timbrel, the harp and the psaltery. Those who have such talent are authorized to employ it for God's glory, and it is well that they should, so long as His glory is their true objective.

Finally, the reason for it all is given in v.6; "I removed his shoulder from the burden: his hands were delivered from the pots." The reference is to Israel's liberation from their enslavement in Egypt, which gave rise to the Song of Moses in Exodus 15, and is a type or figure of the deliverance of the sinner from spiritual bondage by putting his trust in the redemption which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. If we have any real idea of where we were and where we were headed before we came to Christ, and any conception of the dimensions of His salvation, then should we be singing souls, rejoicing in the Lord even when the circumstances of life may be a challenge to us. Redeemed, we have every reason to sing unto the Lord!

In one of our churches we had a young man who was intellectually challenged and a monotone. But, he was a believer, and he always sang with enthusiasm, his one note resonating above the whole congregation. May those of us who have more talent "go and do likewise!"

For joy; His and ours,

"Pastor" Frasier

Psalm 80 - 2009.02.07

"Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, upon the son of man whom thou madest strong for thyself. So will not we go back from thee: quicken us, and we will call upon thy name." —Psalm 80:17

Israel was in disarray. The Psalmist lamented, "Thou hast "…broken down her hedges, so that all they which pass by the way do pluck her,: and "The boar out of the wood doth waste it, and the wild beast of the field doth devour it." (v. 12, 13) Thus the writer issues a plea for repentance which is the fundamental theme of this psalm. (cf. vs.. 3, 7, 19) The mournful tone, in quest of hope, finds its focus in the segment which we have selected as our "nugget" for today.

It cannot be doubted, whatever the immediate context may signify, that the "man of [God's] right hand" is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. He is identified throughout the New Testament as "the Son of Man," a title employed by the synoptic writers and so He refers to Himself in John's gospel, and conferred upon Him by that writer in the Revelation (cf. Rev. 1:13; 4:14).

The Savior's assignment to that role, notwithstanding His inherent deity, was under the authority of God the Father, reflecting again the administrative order in the Godhead. What is most significant is the obvious link the inspired writer makes between the desperate need for repentance and revival on the part of wayward Israel, and the relationship of the Father and the Son, conveyed in the tiny, but dynamic word, "so." Whatever hope he has for Israel's recovery rests not upon the human resources of the nation, but upon that relationship. "So" shall we experience—stability, spiritual vitality and true piety.

Man becomes the beneficiary of God's redemptive power and grace by faith, apart from which man is nothing and will come to nothing. But, given the indestructible bond between the God the Father and the Son of Man, Christ Jesus, where repentance and faith are present, God is able to bestow these spiritual virtues upon men.

It is on the strength of that relationship that the psalmist is confident, "So will we not go back from Thee." It is the same grace which saves the sinner that secures him. The penitent, trusting soul is "…kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time [I Peter 1:5]." We can no more keep ourselves than we could hope to save ourselves.

Life, as opposed to mere mortality, is also imparted to us by reason of the same faith link with the covenant agreement between the Father and the Son. It is the nature and strength of that bond which makes life available to us. Jesus said, "He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever [Jn. 6:56-58]." So it is through Him that the writer makes his plea, "quicken us."

Likewise, it is only from the Father through the Son that we are introduced to true piety, or worship. "So…will we call upon Thy name." When drawn into a discussion about worship the Savior said to the woman at the well, "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth [John 4:24]." Such worship demands the internal ministry of the Holy Spirit, and He enters the hearts of men only who have put their trust in the Son of Man on the basis of that bond between the Father and the Son which resulted in the redemption which is in Christ Jesus.

We do not have life apart from Christ, we cannot sustain faith without Him and we have not engaged in true worship until we have called upon the name of the Lord through the Son of His right hand.

"The Son of man [came] to seek and to save that which was lost [Luke 19:10]." Through Him there is hope for the most wayward of sinners. Apart from Him there is no hope at all.

For Him,

"Pastor" Frasier