Psalm 137 - 2010.03.27

“How shall we sing the LORD'S song in a strange land? If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy.” —Psalm 137:4-6

This psalm commemorates the distress of an awakened Israel when under the burden of the Babylonian captivity. Captives in a “strange land,” they had lost their joy, given up their instruments of music and silenced their song. Pressure by their captors, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion,” only aggravated their melancholy.

Christians,too, are in a “strange land,” but there is a great difference. They were prisoners, we are pilgrims. We sing appropriately, “This world is not my home,” and “I am a stranger here, within a foreign land.” Every true believer knows this, and rejoices in it.

The captive Israelites had lost their song; we have found ours. We sing, “There’s a New Song in My Heart since the Savior set me free!” “I sing because I’m happy, I sing because I’m free!” In the world before receiving Christ we were in bondage to sin and looked forward to destruction; now we have found in Him a future and a hope that no man can take from us.

Israel’s Jerusalem lay in ruins; ours lies before us, “glorious for situation.” And what a prospect it is! The apostle caught a vision of it and in the Divine revelation “saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband,” and “heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow,nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away [Rev. 21:2-4].” What cause for joy and rejoicing have those who find this world a “strange land” and look forward to eternity with God!

They sat down by the rivers of Babylon, forlorn. We look forward to sitting down by the “pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb,” where there will 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 [Rev. 22:1, 3-4].” What glory and joy belong to those who look not back to ruin but forward to resurrection!!

They could not sing. We who have found life in Christ Jesus cannot but sing! Such, beloved, is the contrast between law and grace, religion and redemption.

Nevertheless, there is an important note in this short, mournful song that we will do well to heed: “If I forget thee, O Jerusalem…” As the Lord’s free men and women we must cling to and affirm our anticipation of the new Jerusalem with the same diligence these captives would have for the memory of their earthly holy city. Our real focus, of course, must be not so much the city as the King. Sadly, many professing Christians become captives instead of pilgrims when they allow the world to which we no longer belong to be dominant in their lives. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness,” is a vital exhortation, and only thus can we maintain our song and a joyful heart in this world which is no friend to grace.

All the things of this world are on God’s agenda for destruction. “The earth…and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” We are called to be “in the world, but not of it.” Pilgrims, someone has noted, travel light.

If you have lost your song, if you have lost your joy, or if your joy centers in earth rather than heaven, check and see whether you have lost your proper focus as a believer. That is why Israel went into captivity, and it is why many a Christian is in bondage here below. The Savior said, “As the Father hath loved Me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept My Father’s commandments, and abide in His love. These things have I spoken unto you that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full [John 14:9-11].”

“And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy…for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.” —Rev. 5:9

For a song in a strange land,

"Pastor" Frasier

Psalm 136 - 2010.03.20

“O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever…Who remembered us in our low estate: for his mercy endureth for ever: And hath redeemed us from our enemies: for his mercy endureth for ever.” — Psalm 136:1, 23-24

The chorus of this great hymn—for it is that—is repeated twenty six times, in each of the twenty six verses: “For His mercy endureth forever.” And no wonder; there is not a more important truth that can fall upon the ear of fallen mankind! “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed!” (Lamentations 3:22)

The first three verses of our nugget for today actually contain three distinct names of God in the original. They are distinguished in our version by the words LORD (v.1), God (v.2) and Lord, (v.3). The first suggests His glory, the second His greatness and the third His government. He is Supreme in the universe, Superior to all other “gods” and Sovereign over all. Nothing can withstand His power, no one can elude His authority. And in a world where “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God,” that should be terrifying. His attributes are many and varied, but it His mercy alone that leaves us any hope.

Two words in the latter verses are the keys to that hope: “remembered,” and “redeemed.”

He remembered us in our low estate. Whatever that may have signified for Israel when this Psalm was reiterated, it translates into New Testament truth for the world at large in Paul’s words, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us [Rom. 5:8].”

He “remembered us in our low estate.” Sin had leveled us to the ground. “The soul that sinneth, it shall die,” the Word declares; “for the wages of sin is death.” One can suffer no lower estate than that, and it characterizes both great and small among earths multitudes. “There is none righteous, no not one.” And for this calamity there is no cure to be found in mankind itself. The scriptures ask, “Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots?” and then declare, “Then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil [Jer.13:23].” Good works, sufficient to remedy our lost condition, are simply unattainable by those who are “dead in trespasses and sins.” Indeed, it is “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour [Titus 3:5-6].”

Happily, He who is merciful “remembered our low estate,” and in love “sent His son to to be the propitiation for our sins.” That is to say, to provide redemption for us. The preceding verse says, “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we (who were dead in trespasses and sins) might live through Him (See I John 4:9-10).” That is mercy beyond compare!

Again, the idea of redemption for Israel is expressed by the Psalmist as redemption “from all our enemies.” In the larger context of the New Testament it is redemption from the greatest of all our enemies, our adversary, the devil. “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works [Titus 2:11-14].”

The rhythmic note of praise that makes this psalm unique might well be our chorus every morning, noon and night, for “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not [Lam. 3:22].” All that separates us from God’s everlasting judgment is His everlasting mercy. If you are saved, make this your theme. If you are not saved, lay hold upon His mercy now, for “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation [II Cor 6:2].” Tomorrow could be a day too late!

“The mercies of God! what a theme for my song,

Oh I never could number them o’er.

They’re more than the stars in the heavenly dome,

Or the sands on the wave-beaten shore.

For mercies so great, what return can I make?

For mercies so constant and sure?

I’ll love Him, I’ll serve Him with all that I have

As long as my life shall endure.”

T.O. Chisholm

For His praise and our prosperity,

"Pastor" Frasier

Psalm 135 - 2010.03.13

“For I know that the LORD is great, and that our Lord is above all gods. Whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places." — Psalm 135:6

"For I know that the Lord is…”

How do I know? Essentially this assurance rests upon His word. And that assurance, once established, is reinforced by His Word. The first is the word written. The latter is the the Living Word, the Lord Jesus Christ in Whom “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us,” enabling the apostle to write, “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 honor 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 mount [II Pet. 1:16-18].”

The apostle John gives a similar testimony when he says, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled of the Word of life…That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you… [I John 1:1,3],” echoing his earlier declaration, “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 [John 1:14].”

“Eyewitnesses;” “we heard;” “we have seen with our eyes;” “looked upon;” “handled;” “dwelt among us;” “beheld.” These are expressions of tangible experience by men of integrity. And there is similar evidence for His death and resurrection. This is how we know that “the Lordis.”

“For I know that the Lord is great…”

How do I know? Because the same word, these same scriptures, assure us that “Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that He did in heaven, and in the earth, in the seas, and in all deep places (v.6).” If I go backward I read, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” If I go forward I read,”Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created.” But even without the scriptures, “That which may be known of God is manifest in [men]; for God hath shown it unto them. For the invisible things of Him from (by reason of) the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they [who do not believe] are without excuse…[Rom. 1:19-20].”

If I take the telescope I see His greatness in the measureless expanse of the heavens. If I take the microscope I see His greatness in the near infinite intricacy of the substrata of creation, discovering the truth of the scripture which 2000 years ago declared that “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which do appear [ Heb. 11:1].” Surely, the Lord is GREAT! And, “His greatness is unsearchable (Ps. 145:3).” And that is to discover His greatness only as Creator, without touching on His greatness as Redeemer!

“For I know that…our Lord is above all gods.”

How do I know? The answer lies in the definition of the gods of the heathen in vs.15-17, where those gods are demonstrated to be ignorant and impotent, “silver and gold,” the work of men’s hands, the fabrication of men’s minds. It was a study in contrasts and a commentary on these scriptures to see in China earlier this year the incredible rise to modern civilization evident on every side, then to see many, both old and young, burning incense and publicly praying to idols who neither see nor hear, think nor act. ‘How primitive and pathetic,’ you may say; but then to return to our own country and remember that the Living God has been demoted and replaced by the mindless god of chance—or, Nogod. “They that make them are like unto them: so is every one that trusteth in them (v.18).”

Let us take careful heed to the word of God: “…they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools [Rom. 1:20-22 - my italics].”

The word of the prophet Elijah may be appropriately paraphrased here: “If the Lord be God, follow Him: but if [these hapless idols and vain philosophies] then follow [them] [I Kings 18:21].”

With His glory in view,

"Pastor" Frasier

Psalm 134 - 2010.03.06

“Behold, bless ye the LORD, all ye servants of the LORD, which by night stand in the house of the LORD.” —Psalm 134:1

Ministry, in the will of God, is not a performance designed to draw acclaim from an assembled congregation, but a service before the Lord in which His worship and praise are the chief objectives. The commentators may be right who suggest that this psalm represents the “parting exhortation” of the pilgrims to the temple who are exhorting the night shift in the temple to maintain the ministry of praise throughout the night season just as they had done in leading the congregation during the bustling activity of the day. Personally, I think we can take it to a higher level and see it as an exhortation of the Holy Spirit to the end that the “servants of the Lord,” in this case the priests in the temple, should maintain their ministry throughout the night as they had during the day, being as faithful to Him in solitude as they seemed to be before the watching crowd in the daytime.

First, who are the “servants of the Lord?” In this instance those addressed were undoubtedly the priests, and particularly those whose duty it was to guard the temple through the night watches. We need, then, to take note of the fact that on New Testament ground, every believer is a priest. “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ [I Pet. 1:5]” In the plan and purpose of God, every Christian is intended to be a servant of the Lord. Therefore, the ministry, in whatever it may consist for the individual believer, has the common purpose of contributing to the blessing of the Lord. Indeed, the Holy Spirit says, “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him [Col. 3:17].” And, “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God [I Cor. 10:31].” Again, “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as unto the lord, and not unto men [Col. 3:23].”

We are not Christians only on weekends, or only on the day shift, or only when someone is watching. We are invited, yea exhorted to glorify God every day, all day long; “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s [I Cor. 6:20].” The psalmist cries in another place, “I will bless the Lord at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth [Ps. 34:1].” This is the essence of ministry, and it is glorious, for it means that it is as accessible to the least believer as it is to the most prominent. If your role is only to sit in the congregation and sing, sing to the glory of God, and your ministry will rise to his throne with as much significance as that of the preacher.

The plea is for consistency in that which is central to the service of God: true worship. The apostle Paul labored “night and day” (I Thess. 2:9). He prayed “night and day” (II Tim. 1:3). The widows in the early church were eligible for enrollment in the early church if they trusted in God and continued in supplications and prayers “night and day” (I Tim. 5:5), and in fact the scriptures commend “a widow of about fourscore and four years, who departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day [Luke 2:37],” and she was incorporated in the account of the Savior’s incarnation. Finally let us take note of the four beasts of the Revelation who “rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come [Rev. 4:8].”

Let me take our thoughts in a somewhat different direction, however. There is another kind of “night” coming. The Savior spoke of it saying, “…the night cometh, when no man can work [John 9:4].” He seems to be speaking of a time to come when the public ministry of the word of God will be sharply curtailed. Indeed, it seems as though the twilight is already setting in, with heightened rebellion against spiritual things in the world around us and apostasy progressing in many of the churches. Our duty then, as servants of the Lord, is to maintain our testimony for Him and bless the Lord.

Bless the Lord in private as well as in public, in the night season as well as in the day, and “The Lord that made heaven and earth [will] bless thee out of Zion.”

For His glory and our good,

"Pastor" Frasier