Psalm 96 - 2009.05.30

“Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad…for He cometh, for He cometh to judge the earth: He shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with His truth.” —Psalm 96:11a, 13

From a New Testament perspective this Psalm might be called a song of the second coming. Surely it looks down the corridor of time in anticipation of what we now know will take place when the Savior returns. In today’s turbulent and decadent world many believers are anticipating His coming and thinking it soon. I hope they are right.

While the prospect of the Lord’s return is certainly an event believers should long for—and pray for (see Rev. 22:20)—, it is also a concept that bears solemn consideration. Our text indicates that for the believer it will be an occasion of joy in heaven and gladness on earth, but that is not the whole story. It also indicates that He is coming to judge the earth. At His return this reckless world is to be put on trial.

Sinners will be judged for their wickedness, and made vividly conscious of their alienation and rebellion against a Holy God. Nowhere is the awful implication of this more vividly described than at the opening of the sixth seal in the book of Revelation:

“And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? [Rev. 6:12-17].”

In that awesome day there will be ‘no place to hide’ for those who have spurned the love and holiness of God made evident when the Son of God “became sin for us” on the cross.

The “heirs of promise” can, of course, take immense comfort in having “fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us” in Christ and His salvation from sin (Cf. Heb. 6:17-20). But as Christians comfortable in our faith, we too often forget that His return anticipates a judgment for us as well:

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences [II Cor. 5:10-11].”
and,

“For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living. But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God [Rom. 14:9-12].”

Were we more mindful of this solemn promise, we might be less eager for His coming. Though our sins and their eternal due was fully addressed at Calvary, we are still going to be held accountable for “the things done in [the] body,” whether “good or bad (worthless).” And it behooves us to consider the standard by which that judgment will be made: “He shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with His Truth.” (Cf. Acts 17:31) His word is Truth. The standard by which our conduct as “in the faith” will be judged is simply the word of God. Thoughts, words and deeds will be measured according to this inflexible rule. How wisely did the apostle John warn, “And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him [I John 2:28-29].”

Just as the unconverted will have no place to hide from His wrath, so will the Christian have no place to hide from the embarrassment and shame of ‘worthless’ living as believers. As the “day of His appearing” approaches, we need to confess our sins in earnest and cultivate a new zeal for holy living in obedience to His revealed will. “Behold He cometh;” tomorrow may be too late!

For His glory and our good,

"Pastor" Frasier

Psalm 95 - 2009.05.23

“O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods. “ —Psalm 92:1-3

Among the figures used in scripture as emblematic of God, one of the most prolific is that of the Rock. We have noted it before (cf. notes on Psalms 18 and 61), but today I should like to focus on it more specifically, while suggesting that the reader might profitably study the many references in still greater measure. 

What gives special significance to this figure, of course, is the Holy Spirit’s specific use of the emblem in the New Testament, where the Rock is identified as Christ. “Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ [I Cor. 10:1-4].” The reference is to the incident recorded in Exodus 17:1-7, where in response to Israel’s thirsting in the wilderness, Jehovah directed Moses to a certain rock in Horeb with instruction to “smite the rock” with the rod of God and when he did so there flowed water from the rock to slake their thirst. 

The smitten Rock, the New Testament says, “was Christ,” and followed them throughout their wilderness wanderings. It is this incident that gives rise to the phrase, “the Rock of our salvation.” The water is emblematic of “the water of life,” a figure used in the New Testament as a representation of eternal life. (See Rev. 21:6; 22:17) The Rock Christ Jesus, smitten by the hand of God Himself on the cross, has become the source of life eternal for all those who put their trust in Him.

The Rock is subsequently presented to us as a place of safety and security in the face of God’s holiness. When Moses pleaded with God to show him His glory, the Lord responded, “Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live. And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a cleft of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen [Exodus 33:20-23].” In the cleft of the smitten Rock, in Christ and in Him alone, can man behold the glory of God and live!

Not only is the Rock presented to us as a savior for eternity and security in the face of God’s holiness, but also as a the source of satisfaction for our present journey. “He made him ride on the high places of the earth, that he might eat the increase of the fields; and he made him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock… [Deut. 32:13].” Honey speaks of the sweetness of fellowship with God and oil is everywhere in scripture emblematic of the Holy Spirit, Who is the key to enjoying that sweetness from day to day. Both become ours when we are established by faith upon the “Rock of our salvation.”

Again, the prophet Isaiah picks up this emblem to represent the Lord, pointing directly to Christ when he declares, “Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment. And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land [Isa. 32:1-2].” While the prophet is looking forward to the millennium, the truth is spiritually applicable to the present for believers. Christ, our Rock, is our refuge from the cares and conflicts of this life, “the shadow of a Great Rock in [this] weary land.”

Salvation, security, satisfaction, shelter from the storm: all this and much more is the Lord our Rock to those who trust in Him. How appropriate, then is the Psalmist’s exhortation, “let us sing unto the Lord!” Isaiah seconds it when he cries, “…let the inhabitants of the rock sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains. Let them give glory unto the LORD, and declare his praise in the islands [Isa. 42:11-12].”

“My hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;

I dare not trust the sweetest frame, But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

When He shall come with trumpet sound, O may I then in Him be found,

Dressed in His righteousness alone, Faultless to stand before the throne.

On Christ the solid Rock, I stand—All other ground is sinking sand!”

For a shelter from the storm here and hereafter, 

"Pastor" Frasier

Psalm 94 - 2009.05.16

“When I said, My foot slippeth; Thy mercy, O Lord, held me up. In the multitude of my thoughts within me Thy comforts delight my soul.” — Psalm 94:18-19

The Psalmist, as you may have noticed, is often distracted by the “workers of iniquity” in the world around him. It is not much different with many a sincere believer in the world today. In fact we may be not only distracted but, as with the writer here, greatly distressed by the state of our environment, culture, community.  

We live in a tumultuous world from which there is little or no escape. In fact, no generation in history has had greater access to that which tempts to agitating thoughts than ours. At the touch of a button we may be confronted with natural and moral disasters the world over in a moment of time, and not only hear of them, but witness them visually in “real time.” 

It was the contemplation of these external circumstances that generated in the psalmist’s heart a state of unrest so overwhelming that he declares in v. 17 that were it not for God’s help he might have died. In any case, he had reached a point where he thought he could stand no more, and said,”My foot is slipping.” He seemed about to go over the edge. Perhaps you have been there, about to slip beneath the waves of circumstance whether from the state of the world or the accumulated stresses and distresses of your own personal affairs. If you thought yourself alone in such a condition, this psalm will bring assurance that you are in good company! 

Most of us can identify some time in our history when the soul was awash with “the multitude of…thoughts within,” tossing to and fro, colliding with one another, defying every attempt to bring order into the chaos of the soul. The lesson in our text is the life preserver for the believer in such troublous times. None of this is new, but it is truth of which we need often to be reminded in a world where “man is born unto trouble as the sparks fly upward [Job 5:7].”

Survival comes by way of God’s mercy. “Thy mercy, O Lord, held me up.” “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not,” and “They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness,” writes the prophet Jeremiah (Lam. 3:22,23). It is a great thing to know that God in His mercy is committed to keeping us when we are so desperately aware that we have no power to keep ourselves.

However, God has more for us than that. The psalmist moves from survival to serenity, from tumult to tranquillity. “My thoughts” are replaced by “Thy comforts.” And let it be noted that the two cannot occupy the mind at the same time. Either my thoughts will obscure His comforts, or His comforts will still my storm. The commentators tend here to focus upon what His comforts are. I think rather the New Testament believer should consider from whence they come. When the Savior said to his disciples, distressed by the announcement that He was about to leave them, “Let not your heart be troubled,” He reassured them, “If ye love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever; even the Spirit of truth…[Who]…shall be in you.” And later, “The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, Whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, My peace give I unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (Read John 14)

Ultimately God’s comforts are conveyed to us through the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, Whom the proverbial ‘little girl’ is said to have referred to as “Jesus’ other self.” Indeed, the Savior Himself said, “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you [John 14:18].” Having the Holy Spirit is the equivalent to having the Son of God Himself within. And note what the Holy Spirit does; He does not merely still the storm, but replaces it with ecstasy: “Thy comforts delight my soul!” A paper faith will not accomplish this miracle; it requires a personal awareness of the Spirit of God as present and active in whatever our situation may be.

Notice, finally, that the delights do not necessarily come from altered circumstances. The storm without may continue to rage; it is within that wind and waves are stilled when the focus has shifted from the circumstances to the Living God. Note the emphasis of the scriptures: “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee[Isa. 26:3].” “My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise [Ps. 57:7].” “He shall not be afraid of evil tidings [whose] heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord [Ps. 112:7].”

God can fix a troubled soul if the heart is fixed on Him.

For tranquillity in troublous times, 

"Pastor" Frasier

Psalm 93 - 2009.05.09

“The LORD reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the LORD is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself: the world also is stablished, that it cannot be moved. Thy throne is established of old: thou art from everlasting.”  — Psalm 93:1-2

If I were to give this study a title, I think I should call it “The Lord in Control.” What is affirmed here is His government, but the perspective is, I believe, essentially future when what is now invisibly true and perceived only by the saints will be manifest to every living soul on earth. For the present men are permitted to deny Him and to defy Him, but in that day there will be no contest.

There is a great day coming toward which the Psalmist is looking, and with reference to which Psalm 2 is a great commentary. For now, “the heathen rage…and the kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against His anointed,” defying His reign. But in that day He will “break them with a rod of iron; and…dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.” And in that day “The kingdoms of this world [will] become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever [Rev. 11:15].” That is the culmination of the psalmist’s prophetic vision here.

As we reflect on that glorious prospect, our text (and context) offers some particulars of His coming reign. First, it will be a reign of majesty. When the King of Kings and Lord of Lords is manifested, the glory of His Person will make the most lavish inauguration in the history of earthly kings and kingdoms look like cartoons in a child’s coloring book by comparison. It falls into the “eye hath not seen nor ear heard” category.

Second, it will be characterized by incredible might: “The Lord is clothed with strength, wherewith He hath girded Himself.” As noted above, from Psalm 2, the power and might of His presence will scatter His enemies like fragments of a clay pot shattered with a bar of iron. No rebel forces will cross the borders of His Kingdom, except to be utterly destroyed. (See Rev. 20:7-10)

Thirdly, His will be a reign of moral excellence: “Thy testimonies are very sure: holiness becometh thine house, O Lord, for ever [Ps. 93:5].” His reign will redefine the character of the whole world, and His word will be the standard by which every action will be judged. Gone forever will be the trivia and trash, the degeneration and violence that are both the plague and pleasure of “this present evil world.” There will, indeed, be ‘order in the court.’

Oh, glorious day!  For now “the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt [Isa. 1:20],” and “the floods [lift up]…their voice; [and] their waves,” but “The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea [vs.. 3-4].” It is no wonder then, that ultimately there will be “no more sea.” (Cf. Rev. 21:1)

The apostle Peter records a glimpse of that glory. “For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount" [II Pet. 1:16-18].

Adding to the excitement that should be ours as believers, when contemplating this glorious revelation, is the stunning fact that the redeemed will share in the splendor of His eternal reign, not merely as subjects of His kingdom, but as co-regents with Him! “And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever [Rev. 22:3-5].”

How gracious is the exhortation of the Holy Spirit through the Psalmist, then, in the second Psalm addressed to the “kings and judges” of the earth, but appropriate for every citizen of the planet;“Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.“

Have YOU complied?!

For our eternal good, 

"Pastor" Frasier

Psalm 92 - 2009.05.02

“It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High: To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night, Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery; upon the harp with a solemn sound.” —Psalm 92:1-3

If we were to classify this text, it would come under the heading of “worship.” Here it is enjoined upon us and two elements are distinguished which, in fact, are interwoven throughout scripture: thanksgiving and praise. Effective thanksgiving demands reflection upon God’s goodness, and praise requires reflection upon His character. If we are not thinking about God, we are not worshipping.

Both elements noted here are reiterated in the New Testament. Thanksgiving is rooted in the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. and in the New Testament context is rendered through His Name. “Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come. By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name [Heb. 13:12-15].” Those who do not approach God through Christ, whatever their exercise, are not worshipping Him. Remember that Jesus said, “No man cometh unto the Father but by me.” A functional relationship with the Savior is the foundation for all true worship, and the ultimate ground of thanksgiving.

Beyond thanksgiving are those exercises in worship that result from a contemplation of the glory of His Person. The nineteenth Psalm begins, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth His handywork.” The redeemed ought to do the same, and are encouraged here to do it in song. This too is reiterated in the New Testament. “Let he word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord [Col. 3:16].”

The purpose of worship is to “show forth” the goodness, grace and glory of God. Clearly, thanksgiving and praise are not intended to be confined to private devotion, but to be a public demonstration of faith’s appreciation of “the God Who IS.” The next clause indicates not only something of that for which we may render praise—His lovingkindness and faithfulness—but the frequency with which we are to be so engaged: “in the morning” and “every night.” Rightly understood, this removes worship from a weekly event in a “church” and makes it a daily exercise in the world. Once again Psalm 19 reinforces the point: “Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words unto the the end of the world.” (v. 2-4) May we never be ashamed to affirm our faith in public. The Savior said, “For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when He shall come in His own glory, and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels [Luke 9:26].”

Nevertheless, that the Spirit of God had in mind here primarily formal worship seems evident from the reference in the last verse of today’s “nugget,” where He makes reference to the use of musical instruments. It is interesting to see the varied opinions regarding musical instruments in the church throughout church history, a controversy that extends to this present day and helps the adversary divide the body of Christ. It is, perhaps, worthy of note that singing is employed in scripture as a means of praise from Exodus through Revelation. On the other hand, reference to the use of musical instruments is confined to the Old Testament. In the New Testament we have neither authorization nor prohibition of the use of instruments and it is evidently a case where each must prayerfully decide the matter for himself.

What is to be learned from our text, however, is that even in the Old Testament context the instruments were to be used “with a solemn sound.” One is inclined to wonder when listening to music, both vocal and instrumental, even in our evangelical churches, whether God is being glorified or the congregation merely entertained. Jonathan Edwards’ observation, though related to singing, is apropos to the whole subject of music in the church and worthy of note: “One thing more of which I would take notice, before I conclude this part, is the mismanagement of singing praises to God. …the mismanagement I have respect to is a way of performing it, without almost any appearance of that reverence and solemnity with which all visible, open acts of divine worship ought to be attended… Let Christians abound as much as they will in this holy, heavenly exercise, in God’s house and in their own houses; but, let it be performed as a holy act, wherein they have immediately and visibly to do with God. When any social open act of devotion or solemn worship of God is performed, God should be reverenced as present.” Selah!

For the glory of HIS Name,

"Pastor" Frasier