The Majesty of God: A Life Worthy Pursuing
Psalms for Rest • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 6 viewsThe attitude of gratitude is the first response of worship.
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Pastoral Prayer for the teaching of the Word.
Of David. When he feigned madness before Abimelech, so that he drove him away and he departed.
I will bless Yahweh at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul will make its boast in Yahweh; The humble will hear it and rejoice.
O magnify Yahweh with me, And let us exalt His name together.
I inquired of Yahweh, and He answered me, And delivered me from all that I dread.
They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces will never be humiliated.
This poor man called out, and Yahweh heard him And saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of Yahweh encamps around those who fear Him, And rescues them.
O taste and see that Yahweh is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
Oh, fear Yahweh, you His saints; For there is no want to those who fear Him.
The young lions do lack and suffer hunger; But they who inquire of Yahweh shall not be in want of any good thing.
Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of Yahweh.
Who is the man who delights in life And loves many days that he may see good?
Guard your tongue from evil And your lips from speaking deceit.
Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it.
The eyes of Yahweh are toward the righteous And His ears are open to their cry for help.
The face of Yahweh is against evildoers, To cut off the memory of them from the earth.
The righteous cry, and Yahweh hears And delivers them out of all their troubles.
Yahweh is near to the brokenhearted And saves those who are crushed in spirit.
Many are the evils against the righteous, But Yahweh delivers him out of them all.
He keeps all his bones, Not one of them is broken.
Evil shall slay the wicked, And those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
Yahweh redeems the soul of His slaves, And all those who take refuge in Him will not be condemned.
Key Question: Do I pursue to learn about God and to teach others about God?
The LORD Alone is Our Boast. (v. 1-3)
The LORD Alone is Our Boast. (v. 1-3)
Praise is boasting about what you enjoy.
C. S. Lewis
The psalm makes more sense when we read the context of its origin: 1 Samuel 21:10-15.
David opens the hymn of praise with the ultimate goal of the hymn and the life of the disciple.
The opening moves from individual worship to collective worship (invitation).
Am I content to know God to myself, or do I seek to invite others to know Him alongside me?
The LORD Alone is Our Refuge. (v. 4-7)
The LORD Alone is Our Refuge. (v. 4-7)
The Temple will not protect the wicked who seek to make it their refuge. The church is no refuge for sinners who come there to be safe with their sin.
Richard Charles Henry Lenski (American Lutheran Pastor)
David lays out the beauty of God’s availability to those who call on Him.
Even in faking madness, David is blessed in the splendor of God.
Those who fear God are rescued by Him.
The name of Yahweh is a strong tower; The righteous runs into it and is set securely on high.
The Fear of the LORD is Our Guide. (v. 8-14)
The Fear of the LORD is Our Guide. (v. 8-14)
The remarkable thing about fearing God is that when you fear God, you fear nothing else, whereas if you do not fear God, you fear everything else.
Oswald Chambers (Lecturer and Missionary)
The psalm calls us to experience and perceive the goodness of God.
The epicenter of the psalm is i verse 11, as part of the acrostic poem implementing the Hebrew alphabet.
From the focal point of listening and teaching, David points to the new life of the one who fears God.
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
So then, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we have been made manifest to God; and I hope that we have been made manifest also in your consciences.
We are not again commending ourselves to you but are giving you an opportunity to boast of us, so that you will have an answer for those who boast in appearance and not in heart.
The LORD Alone Fulfills Our Redemption. (v. 15-18)
The LORD Alone Fulfills Our Redemption. (v. 15-18)
The primary work of Christ in redemption is to justify, sanctify and ultimately to glorify a company of persons salvaged from the ruin of the human race.
A. W. Tozer
David acknowledges God’s omnipresence, omnipotence, and sovereignty over all creation. This is a comfort to David and to us.
By the opposite face of the same coin, God’s omnipresence, omnipotence, and sovereignty cause the evil to tremble and know the terror of Divine justice and Holy Wrath.
David writes the summary of the matter, as we read verse 18. The broken hearted are near to God, the crushed in Spirit are saved by Him.
“But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
The LORD Alone Saves. (v. 19-22)
The LORD Alone Saves. (v. 19-22)
Our salvation is a pure gratuity from God.
Benjamin Breckinridge Warfield
David, inspired of the Holy Spirit, prophecies an element of Jesus’ death and resurrection.
The salvation of the LORD is also protection from the works of Satan, the weakness of the flesh, and the renewal of our minds.
The final chord of the hymn focuses on the ultimate blessing of experiencing and proclaiming God. No condemnation; Eternal Life.
And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation,
Does My Life Magnify God?
Does My Life Magnify God?
Where fear, strive, pain, and self-centeredness dwell God is not King.
Where our experience of life leads our conscience and outlook for life, God is not King.
God rules over the hearts of those who drop the baggage of their past, confess Him as LORD, repent of their sins, and follow His Word.
Sow with a view to righteousness, Reap in accordance with lovingkindness; Break up your fallow ground, Indeed, it is time to seek Yahweh Until He comes and rains righteousness on you.
How Can I Magnify God?
How Can I Magnify God?
Is the LORD calling you to New Life? Repent of your sins, Confess Jesus Christ as LORD and Savior of your life, and be baptized.
Are you living under sin, holding Jesus in contempt? Repent of your sins, seek the LORD seeking to return as a prodigal to the Father.
Are you seeking a family of faith to encourage, edify, and share life with you, then come down and join this church where the only standard is the Word of the Living God.
