In his book “Death of a Nation,” Ray Stedman wrote, “The reason a nation dies is that it forsakes its God, as evidenced by two things: First, the nation burns incense before other gods; that is, it exalts ideas and philosophies which represent the various controlling passions and imaginations of men. Second, its people worship the works of their own hands; they exalt man, pointing to man as the solution to his own problems--in other words, the rise of humanism. These are the signs of decay in a nation. This is what was happening in Israel.” And, it may be noted, that is what is happening in our nation today.
Psalm 85 was written with reference to a nation in crisis, and our text for today holds the key to deliverance from that crisis. Granted, by interpretation the psalm relates to Israel, but by application its principles may apply to any nation in crisis, and that makes it appropriate for our nation at this moment in history.
The first essential to restoration (revival) is to give attention to the word of the Lord. The Psalmist’s hope is there: “I will hear what God the Lord will speak.” The words of men are arbitrary and arguable. The word of God is authoritative and reliable. The problem is that though He has spoken, we as a society are not listening. This was the charge of the Savior in the day of His appearing:
“ Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them [Mt. 13:13-15].”
Long before, through the prophet Jeremiah, God charged certain, “I spake unto thee in thy prosperity; but thou saidst, I will not hear. This hath been thy manner from thy youth, that thou obeyedst not my voice [Jer. 22:21].” And later in the same chapter He cries, “O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the Lord.” (v.29) As a nation and as individuals our prosperity has deafened us to the directives and the warnings of God’s word, and now we begin to pay the price. If there is to be any hope for deliverance, there must be renewed attentiveness to the Word of God.
And if the present crisis should give rise to a renewed interest in what God has to say, it it will, in the end, do us good. From his attention to the Word of God the psalmist recognizes that God’s design is not destruction, but deliverance: “For He will speak peace to His people.” It is no accident that the Lord Jesus Christ is denominated “The Prince of Peace.” There will be no inner peace, nor international peace apart from Him. False prophets today cry, as they did in wayward Israel long ago, “peace, peace, when there is no peace.” In contrast, the Savior says, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid [John 14:27].”
Essential to note, however, is the next clause. “He will speak peace to His people, and to His saints.” If men would enjoy God’s peace and deliverance, they must align themselves with Him, and that by way of the cross of Christ, where the Prince of Peace died “for the sins of the whole world.” Sin is the issue, and in Christ is the only solution. The next verse in the psalm says, “Surely His salvation is nigh them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land.” “Hearing” the word of God will avail us little if we are not aligned by faith with the Living Word. The apostle James appropriately declares, “Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” God’s people are those who “trust and obey.”
Finally, there is the admonition, “let them not turn again to folly.” Spurgeon comments, “Those who would enjoy communion with God must be jealous of themselves, and avoid all that would grieve the Holy Spirit; not only the grosser sins, but even the follies of life must be guarded against by those who are favoured with the delights of conscious fellowship.”
Observe in conclusion: the privilege of salvation and the resulting peace is offered to the nation, but it is appropriated one soul at a time. As another has said, “nations do not repent; only individuals do.” The nation may not experience revival, but you can. The question is, will you?
Counsel for life’s crises,
"Pastor" Frasier
Psalm 85 was written with reference to a nation in crisis, and our text for today holds the key to deliverance from that crisis. Granted, by interpretation the psalm relates to Israel, but by application its principles may apply to any nation in crisis, and that makes it appropriate for our nation at this moment in history.
The first essential to restoration (revival) is to give attention to the word of the Lord. The Psalmist’s hope is there: “I will hear what God the Lord will speak.” The words of men are arbitrary and arguable. The word of God is authoritative and reliable. The problem is that though He has spoken, we as a society are not listening. This was the charge of the Savior in the day of His appearing:
“ Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them [Mt. 13:13-15].”
Long before, through the prophet Jeremiah, God charged certain, “I spake unto thee in thy prosperity; but thou saidst, I will not hear. This hath been thy manner from thy youth, that thou obeyedst not my voice [Jer. 22:21].” And later in the same chapter He cries, “O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the Lord.” (v.29) As a nation and as individuals our prosperity has deafened us to the directives and the warnings of God’s word, and now we begin to pay the price. If there is to be any hope for deliverance, there must be renewed attentiveness to the Word of God.
And if the present crisis should give rise to a renewed interest in what God has to say, it it will, in the end, do us good. From his attention to the Word of God the psalmist recognizes that God’s design is not destruction, but deliverance: “For He will speak peace to His people.” It is no accident that the Lord Jesus Christ is denominated “The Prince of Peace.” There will be no inner peace, nor international peace apart from Him. False prophets today cry, as they did in wayward Israel long ago, “peace, peace, when there is no peace.” In contrast, the Savior says, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid [John 14:27].”
Essential to note, however, is the next clause. “He will speak peace to His people, and to His saints.” If men would enjoy God’s peace and deliverance, they must align themselves with Him, and that by way of the cross of Christ, where the Prince of Peace died “for the sins of the whole world.” Sin is the issue, and in Christ is the only solution. The next verse in the psalm says, “Surely His salvation is nigh them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land.” “Hearing” the word of God will avail us little if we are not aligned by faith with the Living Word. The apostle James appropriately declares, “Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” God’s people are those who “trust and obey.”
Finally, there is the admonition, “let them not turn again to folly.” Spurgeon comments, “Those who would enjoy communion with God must be jealous of themselves, and avoid all that would grieve the Holy Spirit; not only the grosser sins, but even the follies of life must be guarded against by those who are favoured with the delights of conscious fellowship.”
Observe in conclusion: the privilege of salvation and the resulting peace is offered to the nation, but it is appropriated one soul at a time. As another has said, “nations do not repent; only individuals do.” The nation may not experience revival, but you can. The question is, will you?
Counsel for life’s crises,
"Pastor" Frasier
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