PSALM 1 - Understanding Your Standing

Namibian trees such as these are fed by huge underground aquifers 

“The Psalms can and should be part of the constant practice of the presence of God. Regularly read from beginning to end, they lead us again and again to consider aspects of life and of God’s will that we might not otherwise choose to remember or confront—let alone to embody in our living. Memorized in chunks the Psalms can provide ready response to the pressing realities of our days. When I have wakened in a panic in the darkness of the early morning hours—submerged in fear, self-pity, or self-doubt—the Psalms have often provided the assurance that my anxieties are known by God, who enlightens my dark places. So, I encourage you to make the Psalms your constant companion. Keep a copy at hand, and keep their words in your mind and heart and on your lips as you meet the challenges of your days and nights.”   [Gerald Wilson, The NIV Application Commentary, Psalms Vol. 1]

 

Preliminary Observations

This Psalm divides all of humanity into two categories -  the blessed man  and the wicked man.   This is  a  familiar   division in the Scriptures:

·        children of God and children of the devil,

·        saved and lost,

·        light and darkness,

·        sheep and goats

This division is  already seen  in Genesis  3 -   the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman!  

We must hold to these two categories in our preaching.  The  people we  preach to   must be very conscious as to what category they belong to.

The theme of this Psalm  is the present and future blessedness, and the present and future misery of the wicked. 

The structure is very simple: it divides into two parts:  

1: 1-3  are  a description  of  the blessed man 

1:4-6  are  a description of the  wicked man

The word “blessed” carries the meaning of a deep-seated joy, delight, satisfaction, and contentment in God.  It  refers to   a “holy happiness.”

1 . THE BLESSED MAN  

Negatively

1:1 What a godly, happy man does not do,  and  where he  does not go. 

a.  “he does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly” -  the blessed man  is not a follower  of the  teaching of the  wicked . The  basis of our knowledge is very important . What we believe leads to what we do and what we become (epistemology always gives birth to ethics).  When we begin in the wrong  place we will end up in the wrong place.  Your starting point is important.  The  place where the believer begins  is  with the knowledge  of  God’s  Word and not with worldly wisdom.

b.  “he does not stand in the way of sinners” -  the blessed  man  is not one who desires to hang around  with  the wicked, the sinners, the scoffers. This does not mean that he   spends no time  in their company - in that case he would have to leave the world. It  also does not mean  that the blessed or righteous man refuses to reach out  to sinners with the gospel. No !  It is just that the company of the ungodly is  not attractive to him, and it will not be his first choice.

c.  “ he does not sit in the seat of scoffers” -  A scoffer is one who  mocks and despises  God’s Word, God’s cause in the world, and  God’s people. A righteous man  cannot be found there. It is impossible  for Him to  do both, bless God and curse God. James wisdom helps us here:  “Does a spring  pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? “  

Please note that  there  is a downward  progression in verse 1:  walk, stand, sit. You cannot help  walking through an ungodly world. You cannot avoid  the wicked man, the sinner and the scoffer. Once you  stand still and sit and  camp among ungodly people  and when you begin to  take your direction from there  then you very rapidly  begin to loose your spiritual direction and therefore your experience of blessedness.

This however, we are assured,  is  not where the blessed man finds himself.  

Positively (1:2)

a.  “his delight is in the law of the Lord” -  Again, please note that apart from avoiding the company of the ungodly, he also does  not first seek  the company of godly   people; his first companion is the Word of God! That’s what he delights in. To delight in the Word of God is to delight in the God of the Word. Delighting in the Word of God is essential.  What is it essential for?  For our salvation.   If we do not delight in the Word of God at all, we have no reason to believe that we are saved.  It is essential for our happiness, for our fruitfulness, for our perseverance, and for our prosperity (all in verse 3).   The danger of  camping  in the  company of the godly, without being  a healthy feeder  yourself, is that  you live off the spirituality of others, and the danger is that when they crash, you crash. You must develop a robust relationship with God through His Word.

b.  “on his  law he meditates  day and night ” -  His life is clearly directed  by one Word ! All the issues of life are settled for him by this one Word. He makes it his  aim  to  be  a man of one word. When you prick him, His blood is bibline. This was said of John Bunyan!

c.  “This man  is like a tree planted by  streams of  water….” . He is planted  in  an environment that will produce  fruit, and this is true biblical prosperity.

2. THE WICKED MAN

a.  He is spiritually bankrupt:  The wicked  man‘s greatest  deficiency  is not only  in the moral sense.He walks in the counsel of the wicked;  he stands in the way of sinners;  hesits in the seat of scoffers  BUT  his greatest deficiency  is his absence of delight in the law of the Lord,the Word of God.

b. The consequence  is that he has no weight  to hold him down  when  the issues of life  begin to  unsettle him.  “He is like chaff that the wind drives away “ (v.4). The  New Testament analogy  may be found  in Matthew 7:24-27.   His foundations are woefully insufficient to withstand the  real and ultimate  issues of life. He cannot stand  before  God  by his own wisdom and strength. A man or woman may be naturally strong all their life, but the day will come when their bodies will become frail, and they will be reduced to nothing, and when they die, they will find themselves woefully unprepared  for  the ultimate questions  of life.  This leads us to the next thought in verse 5. 

c. The downfall of the wicked man: “the wicked will not stand in the judgement , nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous “ (v.5).  Two things are  importan to considering here. A  wicked man, (better  described as a  godless man)  has no advocate  in the great judgement of the  last days.  He also has no basis  for  entrance into heaven. The congregation of the righteous  on earth  will be the congregation of the righteous  in heaven. The  blood of Christ  - the  sign and seal of the eternal covenant , received by grace through faith  alone  provides for our access into church membership. Unfortunately many   churches have not been good in discerning this.  The blood of Christ applied to us  by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone  will provide our only access  into heaven. 

3. THE BOTTOMLINE

The Lord knows the destinies of both –  that of the righteous, blessed man  and that of the  wicked, miserable man. However experientially, and from our perspective the  basis  of  deciding where  we would sit and stand begins  with what we make of  God  and  the law of God.

If you love  worldly ways and worldly wisdom more, that will lead you  to  into an everlasting perishing.  You will not stand in the judgement; you will not be found in the congregation of the righteous. You will not enter heaven. The law of God will accuse you, and no  attorney will be able to deliver you from its righteous charges. 

But if by grace you love the law of God,  you  will  stand in the judgement. You will not be accused and you will stand in the  congregation of  the righteous.You will have  your great attorney, the Lord Jesus Christ  to justify and defend you. 

But there is more. 

Through the work  of the Holy Spirit  who is the Sanctifier  you will also be able to  gladly love and obey the  law, thus showing yourself to be an obedient  child of God. 

Who and what is shaping your present   thinking?

Your eternal destiny depends upon  an accurate, honest answer  to this question!

Psalm 2: Who is really in charge of this World?

This second  Psalm provides us with a  wonderfully God centered  worldview  for times  such as these, when the world   is  so topsy turvy, and so disparaging and opposed to the  kingdom of  the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Many   Christians are fearful as they consider what the future might hold, and as they ask, “Why do the nations do this?” 

General Observations 

This Psalm was written nearly three thousand years ago, probably by David the king of Israel. It is a Messianic Psalm. We know this because this Psalm is directly applied to the Lord Jesus Christ in Acts 4: 25, 26, Acts 13:33 and Hebrews 1:5.  In the book of Acts 4:25ff the church had only just come into being, and already she was being persecuted. Two of the leaders of the early church, Peter and John, had been arrested. They had been examined and   condemned by the Jewish authorities. They had been warned not to preach and teach in the Name of Jesus of Nazareth. Then they were set free and they went back to their church   and reported what the chief priests and elders had said. We are told that the moment that the church heard this, they prayed, and in that prayer they were   quoting Psalm 2.

Outline  

1.  Vv. 1-3: The opposition against the kingdom of the Messiah

2. Vv 4-6: The divine   response and declaration to the madness of the world

3. Vv. 7 -9:  The LORD proclaims the new era of the reign of the Messiah  

4. Vv. 10 -12: Advice is given to the kings of the earth to fear the Messiah

There is obviously a historical background to this Psalm. It is not easy to figure out what occasion David was alluding to. There is also this mysterious references to a king who was greater than David (see also Psalm 110:1).

The best answer to this intrigue is that even though David was describing something that was happening in his own day, he was speaking prophetically. By faith he was speaking of what was going to happen when the Lord Jesus Christ, the greater Son of David, would come into this world. The rulers of Jesus’ day truly set themselves against   Him, and by implication, against God the Father. And today the nations, peoples, kings and rulers do the same. The true church has always found she raged against in the world. The eternal relevance of the Bible is hereby confirmed. Something that happened 1000 years ago has relevance and application to the church born at Pentecost. And 3000 years later it has relevance and application to our own day. A situation that has occurred in past distant history is used to explain the present.  

I.                        Vv. 1-3 : The opposition against the kingdom of the Messiah

The Psalmist starts with a question, “Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his Anointed, saying, Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.” (Vv.  1-3)

This is really MORE than a question. The Psalmist is expressing his amazement. "Why are the nations doing this“? This is what we ask ourselves when we look at our present world - when we see a world opposed to biblical Christianity! We are not talking here about institutional Christianity. We are here talking about churches and individuals that uphold the gospel and gospel values. We are talking about those who preach that this Messiah King, the Lord Jesus Christ, is the ONLY way by which a person will be admitted into the kingdom of God the Father- the Creator God. We are talking about those who uphold kingdom values NOW. The law of God is written in their hearts, and they will uphold it. 

They will honour God in setting Him apart as holy. 

They will uphold a biblical view of creation. 

They will uphold a biblical view of sin – and they will uphold the only biblical cure for sin. 

They will shun idols- even the idols of the heart. 

They shall not use the Name of the Lord in vain. 

They shall set aside one day in seven to worship God. 

 Parents will be duly honoured. 

They will uphold the biblical view of marriage. 

They will uphold the sanctity of the family. 

They will stand for biblical ethics.  

They will uphold the biblical view of human sexuality and of gender identity. 

Murder will be called what it is- a shedding of blood. 

They will uphold the rights of the unborn to live. 

They will uphold the sanctity of life. 

Adultery will be called what it is – breaking up another marriage. 

Stealing, the giving of false witness and covetous hearts are taken seriously and dealt with accordingly.

The nations rage … the peoples plot against this rule of God and His anointed One, because this world is a fallen world. It lies in the power of the evil one.   This is what   David observes. That is what the early church was observing and mentioning in prayer to God. This is the truth about the history of the human race. Mankind is always restless-always tossing, and never quiet. That is why the Bible sometimes compares the human race to the restlessness of the sea.

Isa 57:20 says, “The wicked are like the tossing sea; for it cannot be quiet, and its waters toss up mire and dirt.” 

While there are periods when life seems relatively calm, there are many periods when it is like the raging of the sea. The 20^th century was tumultuous – First World War; Spanish flu; Second World War. God alone knows what raging the 21^st century may bring!  

Covid 19 may be only the tip of the iceberg.

Our earth is a restless place.  

That is how it was at the time before Noah’s flood! 

That is how it was before sinful and restless Israel was carried away by the Assyrians. 

That is what it was like before sinful and restless Judah was carried into captivity in Babylon. 

That is how it was before Christ was born, and that is how it was before and in AD 70, when Jerusalem was destroyed! 

That is how it was   before the time of the Reformation. 

That is how it is today, in our time. The nations rage. The people plot. They take their stand against God and His Messiah.   

This restless human sea is committed to tear apart the safety cords designed by God for our respective societies. Hardly anything that the Bible holds as sacred is sacred any longer. We have already observed that everything designed by God for our good is being raged at. It is plotted against by substituting the good order and the boundaries that the gospel creates, with cheap and deadly substitutes for the satisfaction that we should find in our relationship with God and God ordained human relationships.

But, …“the peoples plot in vain“  -  the kings  - the rulers  -  the wise men  of this world  - the leaders of society - the politicians, the educationalists, the philosophers, the newspapers, the social media  and other  opinion makers. You are aware of all these - what are they doing? 

They are mostly devising futile and empty schemes to cure this world’s ills.

They don’t like gospel solutions! 

They tell Bible believing Christians that their religion promotes hate-speech, stifles freedom of choice and stands against scientific thinking.   This is absolutely not true. Biblical Christianity commands us to speak the truth in love. Biblical Christianity has freed many peoples from dark oppression. Many Christians have been at the forefront of scientific discoveries.  This idea that we can live a happy and a good and a full life without God, and in defiance of His teaching, it is sheer madness. It is vanity! (Ecclesiastes)

II.                     Vv. 4-6 : The question: What does God think of this?

He who sits in the heavens laughs!  The Lord looks down upon this defiant world with derision, and not only derision, but with a great declaration of His almighty power:  5 Then shall he speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in His fury   6 as for me I have set my king upon Zion my holy hill.”   

He will speak in His wrath and terrify them in his fury. All it takes is a little virus for us to understand that we are not almighty. We are not God. Every war, every pestilence, every famine, every disaster is a reminder that we can easily be shaken.

But that is nothing, when compared with the coming wrath that will take place when the Lord’s Messiah shall appear.

Who is this King set upon God’s holy hill?  

It is a reference to the Messiah. 

He is the One of whom the world in his day said, "He says that He is the Son of God - let's get rid of Him." And they joined together - they took counsel together, and they condemned Him and they nailed Him to a cross. 

They killed Him. 

They took down His body. 

They buried it in a grave. 

They rolled a stone over it and sealed it. 

They put soldiers to guard it. 

They said, "That's the end of Him, we've finished Him off!" 

But on the morning of the third day, God raised Him from the dead, and after 40 days He ascended into His glorious place from where He presently rules and from where He shall come to judge the living and the dead.  God says, “I have set my king on Zion my holy hill.  This is the God that the world is defying!  5 Then shall he speak to them in his wrath… - this arrogant world is under the fearful wrath of God! The Psalmist has shown us God’s reaction to all this   madness.  And God laughs at these little men that come with their ‘peashooters’ Him.

III.                   Vv. 7 -9:  The LORD  proclaims the new era of  the reign of the Messiah  

1. The resurrection of Jesus ushers in a new era (v.7). The  resurrection  of Christ ushers in the new kingdom of
2.  He is the ascended ruling king who has been given the nations as a heritage (V.8). In Revelation   5 & 7 we see the elect from every nation assembled before the throne. 
3. As for the faithless among the nations, a fearful judgement awaits them (v.9) He has planned a new kingdom in which there is no place for power brokers and self-driven men.  The true King of this world is the coming Judge who will deal with corrupt politicians and leaders.

IV.                  Vv. 10 -12: This requires a proper response. Advice is given to the kings of the earth to  fear the Messiah

1. Kings, rulers of the earth:  be wise; serve the Lord with fear; rejoice with trembling. Rulers are the key to how a nation is led. Let the nations learn to fear God by the example of their rulers.
2. Kiss the Son: Rulers and people of the world bow down to Him; own Him now, while He calls you to repent.  If you don’t do this you will   perish!
3.  Blessed are all who take refuge in Him:  Here is the gospel invitation and proper response. This is how we are called to live in this world. Under Christ’s rule and at peace with Him and with one another.

Psalm 95 - THE CHURCH IS MADE TO WORSHIP

Today, we want to look at the subject of worship and the church.  For the Christian, God is the center of worship and therefore our thesis is this:”the church is made to worship God”. Every true  church must reflect that priority. 

The church in our age, and in every age has struggled with this and for many people worship has been reduced to that time in the service when we sing. 

We have a worship band and a worship leader and we sing songs of worship. At a strategic point of the service the worship leader says: “We have now finished worshiping God, and now it is time for the 15 minute sermon.” But is that it? Is that worship? We want to argue that worship is much more than that. 

Worship is a mindset and a way of life that inhabits the life of the individual member of the church. All that we are and all that we do reflects worship. Let us then look at a text in the Bible that teaches us the heart of true worship. 

Psalm 95 is part of a group of Psalms that praise and worship God as King (cf. Psalms 93, 95-100). 

Psalm 95 has long been used in the church as a call to worship. [1] 

This Psalm can be divided into two parts: 

1. Vv. 1-7b reflects a call to worship 

2. Vv. 7c- 11 is a warning against false worship. We are often helped to appreciate the true by considering what is false. 

1. THE CALL TO WORSHIP (95:1-7b) 

The Psalm begins with exuberant rejoicing. God’s people are a happy and joyful and singing people because they see what God has done for them. 

Note the following aspects associated with their worship: 

(i) Worship is God-centered. There is a preoccupation with God. Worship is not music driven, or personality driven, and least of all it is self-energized enthusiasm. Biblical worship has God in mind. 

A faulty view of God or a little view of God diminishes our worship. 

(ii) Worship is congregational. Four times in vv.1,2 we read of the ’us’, “Let us sing, let us make a joyful noise; let us come into his presence …” 

(iii) Worship is vocal. The words employed in verses 1 and 2 all refer to a vocal, public praise of God. Here it is not subdued. It is exuberant. The phrase ‘joyful noise’ (cf v.1b, 2b) comes from a Hebrew word meaning “to raise a shout.”[2] This was done in anticipation of a battle or after a victory [3]. Some Christians think that our singing to God cannot be loud or exuberant. Now while there may be inappropriate noise created by overpowering instruments, perhaps because the musicians that are man centered and focused on themselves, there can be nothing more God glorifying than a congregation singing loud and exuberantly to the praise of her God. We will speak about the silent aspects of worship in a moment, but for now, let us settle the point that there is an aspect of our worship which is loud. 

(iv) Worship must be based on truth. 

a. In vv. 3-4 we are helped to understand what ought to excite our worship. Consider the primary biblical truth in Psalm 95 which helps us to sing exuberantly: V.3 The LORD (YAHWEH) is a great God (EL) and a great king (MELECH) above all gods (ELOHIM). The primary truth which ought to govern our worship is that our God is sovereign. He is our King. 

b. Moreover, from vv. 4 & 5 we learn more about the nature of God’s sovereignty. God is the Creator and Owner of the earth. He is sovereign over every aspect of life on this earth. He is sovereign over the depths, the heights, the sea and the dry land. We find here the totality of His creation and control of the earth. The world is not only the work of His hands, but it is in His hands right now. That is a reason for praise. 

c. In vv. 6,7 the effects of that worship on the lips of the worshipper sink deep down into the worshipper’s heart. The worshippers are no longer making a joyful noise. They are no longer singing loudly. The key word that characterizes the first five verses is praise, while the key phrase that summarizes vv. 6 and 7 is ‘bow down’. 

Worship involves both, making a joyful praise and a speechless bowing down. When the God who is praised is understood, we are silent and we are comforted. We experience Him as our personal God, our Maker, and our Shepherd. 

2. FALSE WORSHIP  (95:7c-11)

Life in a fallen world severely challenges worship. We see it illustrated in the following verses, which are an illustration from Israel’s flawed history of worship. The reference here is to the waters Meribah and Massah. 

The illustration from Israel’s history is taken from 2 incidents which illustrated the conduct of God’s people who had hardened hearts- another way to say that they did not have their God on their minds. (Ex. 17:1-7 and Numbers 20:1-13). 

Meribah is derived from the Hebrew word for strife. 

Massah means test. 

Both incidents refer to times in the life of Israel when, after having been brought out of Egypt and through the desert by God with great signs and wonders and visible miracles, they refused to believe and trust God when they saw that there was no water (see Ex. 17:7). They refused to worship God in their experience. 

This text is cited in Hebrews 3:7-11, and there it refers to Hebrew people who were tempted to give up on Jesus, when times got tough. 

So then, we find a dramatic change of tone in the closing verses 8-11 of this Psalm. And the repeated point concerning this incident is that God’s people refused to worship when it came to a time of testing. They became faithless. They hardened their hearts against God. 

Faithlessness and a hardened heart are the sworn enemies of worship. So we must see that Massah and Meribah are not just historical incidents. They are manifestations of a persistent problem with true worship. These problems are picked up in Psalm 95 and in Hebrews 3:7-11, and they are addressed as worship problems. 

We cannot take the message of this Psalm lightly, because the New Testament makes it clear that the warning of this text applies as much to men and women of our time as it did in ages past. 

The message of this Psalm, both to its original audience and to us teaches us that, 

• We should worship God as a congregation, both in ourloud rejoicing (vv. 1-2) and by our quiet reverence (v. 6).
• Our worship is to be based on both, God’s sovereignty as our Creator (vv. 3-5) and Sustainer and Shepherd (vv. 6-7). 
• Vv. 7c-11 remind us that we must worship God by our obedience. 
• We must learn to worship in good and in challenging times. Worship is not just the repetition of rituals. It is not just the shouting of praises or participating in random acts of reverence. 
• True worship begins in the heart, and it governs our mind and actions. 

Let us take very careful note then of the relationship between the exhortation to worship God in verses 1-7 and the warning of verses 8-11 where we are reminded that failure to worship is induced by a hardened heart. 

SOME DIAGNOSTIC QUESTIONS WITH REGARD TO WORSHIP TO SELF AND THE CHURCH[4]

• How much do I know about what the Bible says about worship?
• Who can help me learn more about biblical worship?
• Do I want above all to draw near to God in worship?
• Do I want to please God rather than myself in worship?
• Do I understand my responsibility to worship God with his people regularly?
• Will I seek God’s will in worship while avoiding a judgmental and legalistic spirit toward others?

You need to ask the following about the worship of any church you attend:

• Does this church love and believe the Bible? Is the worship of this church filled with the Word of God?
• How much of the service is given to the reading of the Bible?
• How much of the service is given to biblical prayer?
• How much of the service is given to singing that is biblical in content?
• What is the content of the preaching? Is preaching a substantial part of the service?
• Is the Law of God clearly present in the service? (Without law you cannot understand gospel)
• Is the Gospel of Jesus Christ clearly expressed and central in the service?
• What is the role of the ordinances in the ministry of the church?
• Are both joyful thanksgiving and reverent awe expressed and balanced in the service?

An Invitation to Worship 

Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. (Ps. 95:6-7) 

We need to heed that call to worship and to identify with a congregation that worships faithfully. We must worship in a way that pleases God, for our God is a consuming fire. 

This service ended with celebrating the Lord's Supper.

---

[1] ‘Before the beginning of their prayers,’ writes Athanasius of the practice of the Church of Constantinople, ‘Christians invite and exhort one another in the words of this Psalm.’ In the Western Church the whole Psalm appears to have been generally used. In the Eastern Church an invitatory founded on it is used at the commencement of service.” A. F. Kirkpatrick, The Book of Psalms (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House , 1982), p. 572.

[2] The primary nuance of the word ranan is to “cry out” or to “give a ringing cry” (BDB). It may refer to jubilant singing, but not necessarily so.

[3] Josh. 6:10,16,20; 1 Sam. 4:5; 17:20,52

[4] From an article  by Dr. Robert Godfrey : “ PLEASING GOD IN OUR WORSHIP “

PSALM 73 - THE DILEMMA OF THE DISCONTENTED MAN

(NOTE: this sermon forms part of a series  of 4 sermons on Contentment and Discontentment, preached at the Swakopmund Baptist Church  on the 11th and 18th December 2016) 

The great value of the Book of Psalms is that  here we have godly  people  sharing  their very  real experiences, both in terms of  their  joys and  their struggles. For this reason the Book of Psalms has helped many Christians.  They see themselves in it as in a mirror. They can say, “This is my experience also.”  

We have an example of that here in  Psalm 73. The Psalmist Asaph  tells  us that  that he had  nearly slipped – not literally of course, but in a spiritual sense. He  confesses that  in that time  he had become  embittered and  that he had behaved  like  a beast toward  God (73:21,22).  

So what had happened?

A situation had arisen in which he had become discontent with his  position as a believer before God. What honesty, and  again I remind you that this  where the  great value of the Psalms is found. There is nothing more discouraging than to meet  people who  give the impression that  they are always on top of things. That is certainly not true in the Bible and  of  the  Psalms. Here we meet people just like ourselves…. struggling with bitterness and discontentment. 

There was a time in the Christian church when  a doctrine of “Christian Perfectionism” was  a popular expression  of faith, particular in the  so-called "Holiness movement".  People were saying that  they were not struggling with sin any longer, and  every testimony they bore  was a testimony of victory. The truth is that such people weren’t allowed to be honest.  Perfectionism  is simply not true to the experience of the people who teach this, for we know that they are fallible creatures like the rest of us. They put their teaching of perfection forward theoretically, but it is not true to their own experience. Thank God  that the Psalmists do not do that. They tell us the plain truth about themselves and  they give glory to  God, and do not draw attention to themselves.   The motive  of the Psalmist  was not to boast in himself. There is a confession of sin  which can draw  an unhealthy attention to ourselves. This  is a very subtle danger.  Asaph  does not  want to  do that. He tells us the truth about himself because he wants to glorify God.

PSALM 73 IN A NUTSHELL 

Asaph starts with a summary  of his experience, being thankful that he has come through this trying and difficult time: "Truly God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart".  That is the  theme, and the outcome  of this Psalm.   

Asaph had drifted from his spiritual moorings, but the important point is  that he came back, home to God  again. We all know something about that kind of experience in our own lives. We start in the right place and then we make a wrong decision  which takes us into a spiritual wasteland. 

Thank God for the turning point!

But  how did he get to this point of despair  and how did he come to the turning point? 

In vv. 2-15  he tells us about an  experience which left him  shaken, and that he very nearly fell. Now, he was clearly a man  who  sought to live a godly life.  He  was keeping his soul from sin. He was meditating upon the things of God.  He  was  in the habit of examining his life.  He  was devoting himself to a life  pleasing to  God. Yet, although he was doing  this, he was having a great deal of trouble, as vv. 13 & 14 reveals.

We  are not told the exact nature of his troubles.  It  may have been  sickness or  trouble in his family or something else. It is clear that he felt severely tested, and nothing seemed to be going right for him. But there was an even  greater issue which he struggled with.  He saw a striking contrast between  the lives of the arrogant, the wicked, the ungodly  man and himself.    The wicked seemed to prosper in the world.  Everything seemed to go smooth with them (v. 4ff). They are  not in trouble, they were not stricken,… they were proud and affluent.  They were self - assertive and confident, and they  were even confidently challenging God  and heaven (vv. 9-11). The same sort of thing happens today. You have people  who are not faithful believers. Things are going well with them, and they make  blasphemous statements about God. They say, "How does God know”, and “is there knowledge in the most High?" They see themselves as prosperous and successful, and by contrast they see you, the true believer struggling  in every way.  This can lead to real discontentment in one’s  soul.  So, let us try to understand this  phenomenon.   

Perplexity Is Not Surprising

The first  thing we want to note  is this. Don’t be surprised  when this happens. Remember  that  God has a fundamental principle written in the Bible. It says,  "My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways" (Isaiah 55:8).  Much of our  trouble  arises from the fact that we do not understand  this basic principle. We forget  that  we  are  dealing with the mind of God, and that God's mind is not like our mind. We see everything  as  cut and dried and simple. We think  that life is one big formula. Do this, do that,  and all will  work out alright. We  tend to think  and feel that there should never be any problems or difficulties. We tend to think that God should always be blessing His own children,  with health, wealth and prosperity. 

But it is not  that simple. 

The Bible  teaches us that the ways of God are unsearchable. The  Bible teaches us  that  His purposes are so great,  that our sinful minds cannot understand them. God  can never be reduced to a formula, and when He is dealing with us, it ought not surprise us if, at times, things take place which are perplexing to us.

Common perplexities are these:  

Why is it that God allows political  tyrants to rule? 

Why does He allow war, and suffering and natural disasters?  

Why does He not deal with the godless as soon as they sin? 

That is our way of thinking. But it is based on a fallacy. God's mind is eternal, and God's ways are so infinitely above us that we must always start by being prepared  by God’s unusual providences.   If we do not do that we shall soon find ourselves in the place where Asaph found himself.

Perplexity Is Not Sinful

Furthermore, it has to be said  that being perplexed is not sinful. Paul himself confessed in  2 Corinthians 4 that  he was "perplexed, but not in despair."  Please note! It  is not wrong to be perplexed, but it is wrong to be in a state of despair and hopelessness. Job was  perplexed, but he continued to hope in God (Job 13:5).   So, when you are perplexed about something that is happening to you, this  does not mean that you are guilty of sin. You are in God's hand, and you say: I do not understand. There is nothing wrong with that. 

But here is the problem…

Perplexity Opens the Door to Temptation

This is what happened to Asaph.  His own suffering as a believer in God,  compared with the seemingly blissful state of the wicked  became a snare and a temptation to Asaph.    He is being tempted so badly that he is becoming discontent with God … and so his spiritual feet were slipping and he was in danger of doubting God.  

This temptation has a blinding effect.  

He says,  “I was envious of the arrogant… the prosperity of the wicked…”  (v.3). This  is the blinding effect of temptation. It comes with such force that we are no longer able to think clearly. The effect  is so powerful,  that  we forget everything else. We forget the primary truths about God  and we begin to believe the lie of the devil who  whispers into our heart, "Don't you think you have kept your heart clean in vain, and washed your hands in innocence?" (v.13)  You pray and you go to church.  There is something wrong with this outlook of yours. You believe the gospel; but look at what is happening to you! Why are you having this hard time? Why is a God of love dealing with you in this  way?  You are making a mistake; you are not fair to yourself." 

Oh, the terrible subtlety of it all. Paul talks of "the fiery darts of the evil one." (Eph. 6:16)

Again, understand that being  tempted in that way is not sin.  

But how  do we deal with  that temptation?   

The Turning point : vv.16, 17 

When did the perspective change  for  Asaph? 

Before all this happened, and when he was trying to figure it all out in his mind. 

It became to him a wearisome task. 

But it all changed when  he went into the sanctuary of God (v.17). 

Getting into the presence of God and under His Word brings  a perspective which we are not capable  to obtain by ourselves. 

This is  a huge insight. 

This is true wisdom.

 Asaph is laying hold of God's wisdom. 

Our generation quickly runs to all sorts of counsellors  and get all sorts of man-centred opinions,  and very often the Word of God becomes  only the last resort.  

See how everything changes for Asaph when he  takes himself into the presence of God.  

See how everything  now falls into place from vv.18-28 .

(i)                 He  clearly understands the outcome of the lives of the wicked (vv.18-20,27)

(ii)              He understands the nature of his own unbelief (vv. 21-21)- that he is embittered  and  like a brute  beast.

(iii)             He understands  what the future holds for  him (vv. 23-26;28)

(iv)              And this brings him back  to the conclusion in v.1

Conclusion 

May God grant us grace to  think biblically about our discontentments.  

PSALM 11 : “When the Foundations are destroyed … continue to trust in God.”

David often had to run for cover during the course of his life. He had to escape from Saul’s fury numerous times and on one occasion he even had to flee from one of his own sons, Absalom, who had led a palace revolt against his father. In the midst of such challenging and dark days, David composed some of his most helpful, wonderful, God- centered Psalms. This is one of them. You might even say that the opening line of Psalm 11, “In the LORD I take refuge” was one of David’s mottos ! 

These verses contain an account of a great temptation to David’s soul. He was tempted here to distrust God. It appears as if someone was beginning to sow doubt into David’s mind, telling him that it was time to escape from a certain situation. Perhaps it was even his own self, talking to himself, causing him to doubt God’s goodness and sufficiency, telling him to flee from a given situation (e.g. like Elijah in 1 Kings 19, when he was tempted to flee from Jezebel into the desert of Sinai). 

It seems that David was responding to such a person (or perhaps even to himself) saying, “how can you say to my soul, “Flee like a bird to your mountain?” Do we not know such times when we have been tempted by the thoughtless counsel of our friends? Good friends can sometimes, in the name of love give us pragmatic rather than godly counsel. At other times we ourselves may be our worst own enemies. We are often inclined to listen to voices in our head (inspired by fear or self- preservation), whereby we are tempted to run away from a given situation, when we actually need to stay and trust God in that situation. David, good theologian that he was knew in his heart what was right. This is seen by his response: ….“how can you say to my soul, “Flee like a bird to your mountain?“ David was responding to this by speaking truth to himself, “A refuge other than the Lord? Never!“ 

Clearly, whoever was talking to him saw no hope for David’s present situation: 

“David, your God cannot protect you in this situation. Flee!” Such times are dangerous, for our fleeing may actually lead us away from the will of God. 

"David, you cannot trust God with this. You have to escape and flee to the mountains to take refuge there!” If it is the voice in our head that is talking to us, then we need to respond by not allowing self to talk to us, but it is essential at such a time for us speak to self! 

 That is what David does here,“Now listen,” he says to himself, and the moment he starts to speak truth to himself he has the victory. 

Psalm 42, of the sons of Korah, takes a similar approach. 

The threat to David’s soul was undoubtedly very real. Perhaps Saul or Saul’s men were waiting to assassinate David while he was on his way from here to there… [2] for behold, the wicked bend the bow; they have fitted their arrow to the string to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart. 

Here is David’s dilemma: 

[3] if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” 

Under Saul’s government the foundations of righteousness and law and justice were being destroyed. For this reason God had already withdrawn from Saul. And Saul knowing that David was to be his successor could not accept that fact and tried to kill him many times. 

What is the man of God to do in such a case? Flee like a bird to the mountains? 

I like the answer that Charles Spurgeon gives [1]: 

“His answer to the question, "What can the righteous do?" would be the counter-question, "What cannot they do?" When prayer engages God on our side, and when faith secures the fulfillment of the promise, what cause can there be for flight, however cruel and mighty our enemies? With a sling and a stone, David had smitten a giant before whom the whole hosts of Israel were trembling, and the Lord, who delivered him from the uncircumcised Philistine, could surely deliver him from King Saul … There is no such word as "impossibility" in the language of faith…” 

David knew better. 

Throughout his life David had known God’s favour and protection. 

It was God that had made him king. 

It was God that was going to keep him in this hour of trial. David’s greater Son, the Lord Jesus Christ knew this when His hour of greatest trial had come. Jesus did not flee from the cup. He stayed, and He prayed, “not my will but your will be done!” (Luke 22:42) 

DAVID’S REPLY TO DOUBT 

 

Where is God at this time of crisis? 

Where is God when I need him most? He is where He always is. 

David says, [4] The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD's throne is in heaven; I may not know how I will get out of this crisis, but I shall rest assured that He knows the way that I should take. 

“…his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man.” (v.4). God is in control. He sees everything. That is David’s comfort. He knows that he has a Sovereign Protector who is in control of his life and his destiny. He is on his throne observing and examining everything that sinners would do against the righteous. 

WORDS OF PERSPECTIVE AND WARNING 

1. Perspective

[5a] The LORD tests the righteous, 

The Bible teaches us time and again that our heavenly Father permits his children to undergo crises, trials of our faith, to test us and to help us to see what is in our hearts, and to learn thus that our dependence is entirely upon the Lord. In this there is no evil intention towards his children. It is based on His fatherly love for His children. As a father He disciplines his children (Hebr.12:3ff) 

2. Warning

[5b- 6] … but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence. [6] Let him rain coals on the wicked; fire and sulfur and a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup. 

The picture here reminds us of Genesis 19 (Sodom and Gomorrah) when God rained fire and brimstone upon these ungodly cities – suddenly and unexpected. This will be the way when Christ returns – suddenly and unexpected. (Matt. 24,25) 

It will be a great shock for the wicked, who have thought that God would never do this. The righteous need to remind themselves of this and take heart that God has not forgotten them. 

Here is the final reminder of that fact: 

[7] For the LORD is righteous; he loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold his face. 

That is how the Psalm ends – with an assurance of God’s love for those who will trust in the Lord ! 

APPLICATION  

The crisis of faith for David occurs in vv. 2&3,  “how can you say to my soul, “Flee (plural) like a bird to your mountain, for behold , the wicked bend the bow; they have fitted the arrow to the string to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart; If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” 

The assault is directed against the heart of David’s trust in God – and in God’s Word to David. 

This is what happens so very often in the lives of believers. 

Their confidence in God gets shaken and when this happens they look for alternative measures. 

 Be careful when this happens. 

 The question that Satan posed to Eve in the garden of Eden, “Has God really said?” (Gen 3:1), remains Satan’s standard question and basis of assault upon us. 

When the authority and the veracity of God’s word is undermined what can the righteous do?  Here are a number of ways in which the Namibian church is currently being tempted and tested with respect to her trust in the Lord: 

1. Much of Namibian church leadership draws attention to their own authority and wisdom and not God’s authority and Word. It is men and women with big titles (Reverend, bishop, apostle) that rule the church by their own authority, and not under the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ and His Word. 
2. Much of church worship is not Christ centered but man centered. Many Namibian churches engage in no serious attempt to make the Word of God known to their congregations. Much of what is called ‘preaching’ is based on the imitation of messages preached by American and African health- wealth and prosperity teachers. Messages resemble ‘motivational speaking’ characterized by modern business gurus, and ‘pop psychology’,which is a rehash of Dr. Phil and Oprah Winfrey and the likes, dressed up in Christian language. Most often it is not Christ and His word proclaimed that attracts people to the church. It is music and innovative stage productions that draw people who want to be entertained. In Namibia, endless choir items, liturgical dances etc. tend to crowd out the place of the preached word. In many Namibian churches you will find little or no systematic and public reading of the Bible in worship, but you will find plenty of testimonies that glorify men and not God. 
3. Many churches (particularly the older ‘main line’ churches) are succumbing to theological liberalism, tampering with the authority of the Bible by saying things like, 

• “…the Bible is not the Word of God – the Bible becomes the Word of God as it encounters me”. 
• Others say that the Bible is not the Word of God but the word of men about God. 
• Other streams of liberal teaching which make a direct assault on the foundations of historic, biblical Christianity are movements like the Jesus seminar which denies the miracles of Christ and who teach among many things that Jesus was not really  resurrected. They teach that belief in the  resurrection is based on the visionary experiences of  Petyer, Mary and Paul - and therefore they say that these are subjective expoperiences that cannot be verified. 
• Postmodernism another of these liberal streams, denying that you can know anything written in the Bible for sure. Clearly such an undermining of Christ and the clear words of Christ in the name of what is commonly called ‘scholarship’ and ‘academic integrity’ and ‘the new hermeneutic‘ is devastating to many a sincere believer. 
• Liberal theology in its many forms is deeply subversive, undermining the foundations of the historical Christian faith, and so  we may rightly  say, “if the foundations are destroyed what can the righteous do?” (Psalm 11:3). We observe the impact that liberalism has on the church. We see how it lowers the spiritual temperature of the churches. We see it in the way in which our churches have very little real impact upon our society. 
• The standard response of churches who no longer believe in the authority of Christ and the sufficiency of His Word is to get churches involved in social projects that have an appearance of relevance in the community. Now, nobody despises soup kitchens and the clothing of the poor and the looking after orphans and widows. These are indeed the out-workings of a biblical faith, but this is not the core activity of the church. It flows from the core activity of the church, which is the preaching of the gospel, with conviction, clarity and utter confidence that Jesus will change the heart of the man or woman who will look to Him and believe in Him. 
• Our churches are not primarily social clubs or social welfare organisations. Churches are life- saving stations where sinners are mended and healed to be offered up for service to this broken world in the Name of Jesus our King! And our service always begins with the Word of God.

So, what can believers do when the foundations are being destroyed? David’s answer is this: 

1. Don’t flee. Stand resolute! Don’t abandon your position on the authority of Scripture! 

2. Know that God is in charge. He is in His temple. He is on the throne. 

3. Know that He makes a distinction between the wicked and the righteous. 

4. Know that He has appointed a day of judgement, and if you will be patient you will see His deliverance and in time to come you will see the wicked judged. You will see His face! 

[1] Treasury of David: C.H. Spurgeon, Psalm 11