we turn to God's Word in the
book of Psalms in Psalm 55 and I'll read the last part of the
Psalm from the middle of verse 19 where we have the Selah in Psalm
55 verse 19 following that Selah Because they have no changes,
therefore they fear not God. He hath put forth His hands against
such as be at peace with Him. He hath broken His covenants.
The words of His mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in His
heart. His words were softer than oil,
yet were they drawn swords. Cast thy burden upon the Lord,
and He shall sustain thee. Thou shalt never suffer the righteous
to be moved. But thou, O God, shalt bring
them down into the pit of destruction. Bloody and deceitful men shall
not live out half their days, but I will trust in thee." So you're aware of the significance
of this little word, Selah, where we find it. in the book of Psalms
seems to indicate something to do with the way in which the
Psalms were to be sung, how the Psalms were to be divided into
their various sections as they were employed in the worship
of God in the temple. And so here this Silah introduces
us to the last part of the Psalm. But also, of course, the Silah
marks a very significant pause. It's not the only one that we
have here. We see one previously there at
the end of verse 7. And as there is the indication
of some pause, in the singing of the psalm in the service of
worship, so that Selah is also, as it were, intended to be a
note of attention. And so, our attention is particularly
drawn to these words at the end of this 19th verse, because they
have no changes, therefore they fear not God. Of course, at this
particular season, a new year, everybody is experiencing change. We've moved over from the year
2016, the year of our Lord, 2016, now becomes the year of our Lord,
2017 and all. will mark that change as they
write the date today and in the coming weeks and months all experience
that change. But here we read of those who
have no changes. The changes being spoken of here
are those spiritual changes that are the experience only of those
who are the children of God. And it's those spiritual changes
in particular that I want to speak of this morning. The ungodly do not know such
changes, that's the wording that we have here at the beginning
at the end rather of this 19th verse because they have no changes
therefore they fear not God and then David goes on to explain
something of these who are the ungodly he has put forth his
hand against such as be at peace with him he has broken his covenant
The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his
heart. His words were softer than oil,
yet were they drawn swords. And then to the godly he says,
Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee. He
shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. And then the judgment
that God visits upon the ungodly, but thou, O God, shalt bring
them down into the pit of destruction. bloody and deceitful men shall
not live out half their days. But, says David, I will trust
in thee." Well I want us, before we really
come to the spiritual significance of these words, I want us to
consider something of the context of the psalm and to consider
the context of course in its historical setting. It seems
to be a psalm that was written by David at the time of Absalom's
rebellion. That's why we read that particular
chapter in 2 Samuel 15. Look at what we read here at
verse 9. Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues, for I have
seen violence and strife in the city day and night. They go about
it upon the walls thereof. Mischief also and sorrow are
in the midst of it. Wickedness is in the midst thereof. Deceit and guile depart not from
her streets." This is Jerusalem. at the time of that rebellion
when David as we saw has to flee from his own capital city there's
no safety there as Absalom is leading this rebellion and about
to enter into the city and so we read of David's sad flight
weeping as he passes over the book Kidron as he ascends the
Mount Olivet and when we read here at verse 12 there may be
a reference also to Absalom for he says it was not an enemy that
reproached me Absalom was his beloved son later when that rebellion
was put down and Absalom was killed how David lamented for
his son oh Absalom Absalom my son would to God I could have
died for them he loved Absalom And so he says, it was not an
enemy that reproached me. Then I could have borne it, neither
was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me.
Then I would have hid myself from him. But it was thou, a
man mine equal, my guide and mine acquaintance. He was David's
equal, he was David's son. Maybe there's a reference there
then in verses 12 and 13 to Absalom, although some say it is more
particularly a reference to Ahithophel. who was David's counsellor and
who, as we saw in our reading, was one of those who was involved
in this conspiracy. In verse 12 of that 15th chapter
in 2 Samuel, Absalom sent for Ahithophel, the Gilanite, David's
counsellor, from his city, even from Galilee, while he offered
sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong.
for the people increased continually with Absalom. And then, verse
31, one told David, saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with
Absalom. And David said, O Lord, I pray
thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness. So maybe it
is this man Ahithophel rather than Absalom who is being spoken
of in verses 12 and 13 he was a friend so-called friend of
David as well as being his counsellor but how awful are the words when
David says concerning this man we took sweet counsel together
and walked under the house of God's encumbrance. And now he's turned against his
friend David. He was no friend. His friendship
was nothing more than hypocrisy. It was all pretense. Look at
verse 21. The words of his mouth were smoother
than butter, but war was in his heart. His words were softer
than oil, yet were they drawn sore. The content of the Psalm
do indicate that the particular context, the time when David
wrote this psalm, has to do with those events that we read of
in that scripture reading earlier in the service. But besides the
historical context, we must also take account of the prophetic
significance of these words. because this psalm is really
a prophetic psalm. This psalm is messianic. It speaks not so much of David
and David's experiences, but it directs us to the greatest
son of David. It directs us to the Lord Jesus
Christ himself. And can we not say that in Ahithophel
we see something of the character of Judas Iscariot? the one that
betrayed the Lord Jesus. He was one of the twelve those
that the Lord made choice of and appointed to be his apostles. He says there at the end of John
chapter 6, Have not I chosen you twelve? And behold, one of
you is a devil. And John says, This is by concerning
Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, He betrayed Him, being one of
the Twelve. And how He betrayed the Lord
Jesus. Remember the sign that He had
given to those who had come with Him into the Garden of Gethsemane,
that place that Judas was familiar with, because of times the Lord
Jesus would retire to the Garden of Gethsemane. He takes a band
and he gives them a sign that he's about to betray the Lord
Jesus. Whomsoever I kiss, he said. That same is I. So he comes up to the Lord Jesus
and kisses him. And the Lord said, Judas, betrayest
thou the Son of Man with a kiss. The words of his mouth were smoother
than butter, but war was in his heart. His words were softer
than oil, yet were they drawn sore. And it's interesting to
consider the end of each of these men. David's friend, David's
counsellor, Ahithophel, he went and he hanged himself when that
conspiracy was overturned and Absalom was killed. We're told how Ahithophel behives
himself in verse 23 of 2 Samuel 17 when Ahithophel saw that his
counsel was not followed he saddled his ass and arose and got him
home to his house to his city put his household in order and
hanged himself and died and was buried in the sepulcher of his
father. He was guilty of self-murder
and he was exactly the same with that one of whom he was a type
because we're told also concerning the end of Judas Iscariot there
in the Gospel in Matthew's account in Matthew chapter 27, verse
3, Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was
condemned, repented himself, brought again the thirty pieces
of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, I have sinned,
in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is
that to us? Say thou to them. He cast down
the pieces of silver in the temple and departed and went and hanged
himself. Each of them, both David's friend
and counselor and that one who was an apostle of the Lord Jesus
Christ, they were guilty of self-murder and so here at the end of the
psalm, but thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit
of destruction. Bloody and deceitful men shall
not live out half their days. God says, David, I will trust
in thee. Or we're told in the book of
Job, are we not? The hypocrite's hope shall perish. And each of them were hypocrites.
They were not what they appeared to be. One associated himself
with David, the other a so-called apostle of the Lord Jesus. But
each of them were but play actors, they were not sincere, they were
hypocrites. And what we have here in these
words at the end of verse 19 of course is the statement concerning
such characters, the unchanging state of the hypocrites. because they have no changes.
Therefore they fear not God. There's no hope at all of their
conversion. There's no possibility of these
men ever being changed. Solemn is the language that we
find throughout this psalm concerning these men. In verse 15, David
says, let death seize upon them, let them go down quick into hell,
for wickedness is in their dwellings and among them. Interestingly,
that expression at the end of the verse that wickedness is
not only in their dwellings but among them. Literally, the Hebrew
says it's in their inward parts. Wickedness is in their inward
parts. or they are such deceitful characters and so concerning
the city David says in verse 11 wickedness is in the midst
thereof deceit and guile depart not from her streets speaking
of those who are so blatant in their hypocrisy and this is the
heart of these men you see the heart that's deceitful Above
all things, and desperately wicked, who can know it?" asked the Prophet
Jeremiah. Well, God searches the heart,
God tries the reins, God saw that the wickedness of man was
great in the earth, and every imagination of the thought of
his heart was only evil continually. Well, this is the condition. that is being described with
regards to these characters who were the enemies of David. They cannot change, they never
know changes, they never know anything of the fear of God.
Remember how the Lord Jesus speaks to the scribes and the Pharisees
of his own day? And these were the principal
opponents of the ministry of the Lord Jesus, were they not?
Constantly they wanted to find fault with what Christ was saying
and the ministry that he was exercising. And we have a very
striking example of that in the 9th chapter of John regarding
that great miracle that Christ performs on the man that was
born blind. And out there was that determination.
by the Jews, and it's all to do with their leaders. The scribes
and the Pharisees are chief in this, that if anyone was to profess
the Lord Jesus to be the Christ of God, he must be put out of
the synagogue. And Christ heals this man, gives
him sight. And we're told how they put him
out, they excommunicated him. And the Lord finds him, and speaks
to him, and he confesses the Lord Jesus. But what is written
at the end of that chapter concerning those Pharisees? The Lord said
to them, if ye were blind, ye should have no sin, but now ye
say, We see. Therefore your sin remaineth. Or they imagined. They imagined
that they were right with God, but they knew nothing of that
real sight of faith. They could not see a thing. They
were blinded. They were those who were hypocrites. They knew nothing of changes,
nothing of that great change that must come into the soul
of any sinner, if he is to know the salvation of God. They have
no changes, these hypocrites. Therefore, they fear not God. How a man has to examine himself,
whether he be in the faith, prove himself and know himself, says
the Apostle, except he be reprobate. What do we know of that self-examination? We come again of course today
to the first Lord's Day of the month and we observe in God's
will this evening the holy ordinance of the Lord's Supper Are we those
who would seek to be careful to examine ourselves? That's
the exhortation that we find there in 1 Corinthians 11, let
a man examine himself, it says. And so let him eat of this bread
and drink of this cup. Or do we examine ourselves? Do
we look to ourselves? Do we desire to come as those
who are worthy? Worthy not in ourselves, no worth
in us, but we come as those whose who are conscious of their sins,
who make their confession unto God, who seek that forgiveness
of our sins. We might be those who are truly
looking again to the Lord Jesus for all our salvation. We want
God to search us through and through. This was David. This
is a man after God's own heart. Search me, O God, he says, and
know my heart. Try me and know my thoughts,
and see if there be any wicked way in me. And lead me in the
way everlasting. Is it not a time really when
we come to the beginning of a year that we would do well to look
to ourselves, to examine ourselves, to prove ourselves? Lest we be
reprobates. Oh God preserve us then from
all this hypocrisy that is so evident in what we're reading
in this particular portion this morning. But let us come now
to what really I want to deal with as the main point. as we
consider the latter part of this psalm. And that is the spiritual
changes that are experienced by the godly. The spiritual changes
that are known in the lives of those who are true believers. There is a contrast here with
the unbeliever. In fact, the end of this psalm
really draws that contrast in a very striking fashion as I
sought to indicate just now in reading through the verses we
have on the one hand these hypocrites because they have no changes
they fear not God how they behaved themselves, he hath put forth
his hand against such as be at peace with him, he hath broken
his covenant, the words of his mouth were smoother than butter,
but war was in his heart, his words were softer than oil, yet
were they drawn so at us, the hypocrite that's being described,
and then the way in which David would exhort and encourage the
godly cast thy burden upon the Lord he says he shall sustain
he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved and then those words
at the end in verse 23 but thou oh God shall bring them down
into the pit of destruction bloody and deceitful men shall not live
out half their day David himself says, I will trust
in the contrast he's drawn in here. Well, we've said something
with regards to those hypocrites who know nothing of change, but
now let's consider those changes that are experienced by the God. Two points I want to make really.
First of all, there is of course the great change There is that
great change that must come into any sinner's life if he's going
to know salvation. It is what we call conversion. Because all by nature are in
that condition where they're dead in trespasses and in sins. And remember how the Apostle
brings it out when he writes to the church at Ephesus. and
he reminds them of what they were there in chapter 2 you as
he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins wherein in
time past he walked according to the course of this world according
to the prince of the power of the air the spirit that now worketh
in the children of disobedience among whom also We all had our
conversation in times past, in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling
the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature
the children of wrath, even as others. How Paul is so plain
with regards to the natural state, the natural condition of these
who were believers now. who had experienced the grace
of God in conversion. What were they by nature? They
were dead in trespasses and sins. They were children of disobedience. They were by nature, he says,
the children of wrath even as others. That is man's natural
condition. The carnal mind, the natural
mind, it is enmity against God, says Paul, It is not subject
to the law of God, neither indeed can be. He is not just an enemy
in his fallen nature, he is enmity itself, enmity personified. The natural man receiveth not
the things of the Spirit of God, they are foolishness unto him.
Neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned,
and so there must be that great change. And how is that great
change affected? It is the truth of regeneration,
a great doctrine of the new birth. The Lord Jesus himself unfolded
to us in that conversation that he has together with Nicodemus,
who was himself, of course, a teacher of the Jews. the man who came
to the Lord Jesus by night but comes inquiring we know that
thou art a teacher come from God he says no man can do these
miracles that thou doest except God be with him but Nicodemus
is afraid to come openly he comes under the cover of darkness but
his inquiry and the Lord discerns that his inquiry is a genuine
inquiry and the Lord speaks to him of the necessity of the new
birth verily verily says Christ except a man be born again. He cannot see the kingdom of
God. emphasizes the importance of
that new birth. He prefixes his teaching there
in John 3 and verse 3 with that double verily. Oftentimes, of
course, in John's Gospel we find the Lord doing that. Sometimes
it might be a single verily, oftentimes it's a double verily.
And you're aware of the importance of those words, verily or truly,
The word is literally the Greek word Amen. We know it of course
as Amen. The word that we use at the end
of prayer. Literally so be it. When we say
Amen at the end of our prayer, I trust that we're expressing
our sincerity. We mean the things that we say.
We're praying in faith when we say our Amen. Now, the Lord Jesus,
you see, when He comes to make such profound statements in the
course of His ministry, in the course of His teaching, He will
on occasions prefix His words with a double Amen, emphasizing
the truth of what He is saying, except a man be born again. Or
as the margin says, except a man be born from above. From whence
does this new birth come? It is not something that the
man contributes anything to. The new birth is a sovereign
work of God. The sinner born again is born
from above. Which were born, says John, not
of blood, nor of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And again, how emphatic the language
of John is there. in the opening chapter of his
Gospel when he speaks of that birth. It's not. It's not of
blood. It's not of the will of the flesh. It's not of man. Three negatives. That man who is born again, born
spiritually, is a man who is born of God. The sovereignty
of God in the new birth Or the wind, says Christ, bloweth where
it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst
not tell whence it cometh, nor whither it goeth. So is every
one that is born of the Spirit. This is the great change that
must come. The sinner must be born again.
All begins there. The gracious visitation of God
coming into the soul of the sinner. And when God works, you see,
none can let it, none can prevent it. Why that sinner is now born
again and he has feelings that he has been a stranger to previously. There is that work of conviction
that is wrought in the soul by the Holy Spirit. This is the
office of the Holy Spirit. When he has come, says Christ,
he will reprove the world of sin. and of righteousness and
of judgment of sin because I believe not on me of righteousness because
I go to the father and you see me no more of judgment because
the prince of this world is judge mark particularly the beginning
of that work of reproof and conviction that the spirit does when he
comes into the soul of that sinner when he quickens it He convinces
of sin, and what is the sin? Ye believe not on my. Oh, here
is the root of all our sinning. It is that accursed unbelief.
It is that sin which doth so easily beset us. How we have
to be convinced of what we are as unbelievers. All whatsoever
is not of faith is sin. Oh, do we feel the awfulness
of unbelief that accursed thing that was there of course in the
garden of Eden when our first parents sinned. The root of that
sin was unbelief. Rejecting the truth of God, embracing
the lie of the devil. Have we ever been convinced of
our sinnership, of our unbelief? This is where the Spirit begins
his great work. when he comes into the soul,
where there's that quickening, that communication of life. And
John Newton knew it. Oh, could I but believe, he cries.
Oh, could I but believe. How easy things would be, I would,
but cannot, Lord, relieve. My help must come from Thee,
or must come from God. This is the great change then.
And these, they have no change. They know nothing of the fear
of God. That change comes we'll know something of that fear of
God. That fear of God which is the beginning of wisdom to be
made wise unto salvation. To blessed change is it not.
When that sinner convinced of his sin is then brought to see
that there is salvation for the gracious of sinners in Christ.
And there's that looking to the Lord Jesus, and that recognition
that only Christ can save, only Christ can give that saving faith.
We have to be looking on to Jesus, the author and finisher of our
faith, it seems. He is the author of faith, faith
as its origin, in Him it's His gift, and He is the finisher
of faith. if any man be in Christ. Why? Says Paul, he's a new creature,
he's a new creation. This is the new birth. This is
the great change. Conversion. But then, I said
with regards to the changes that are experienced by the godly,
there are two. There's the great change, there's
that that we call conversion, but there's also with the believer
a continual spiritual warfare so we know spiritual changes
there's that that we would speak of as the conflict of the life
of faith Joseph Hart says of the believer when his pardon
is signed and his peace is procured from that moment his conflict
begins oh what a conflict it is, he has peace with God He's
a new creature in Christ Jesus. He is saved. And He is saved
for time and for eternity. But what? What now? He has faith. Now is that faith
evidenced in the good fight? Paul says fight the good fight
of faith. Lay hold upon eternal life. or the faith that he has is a
faith that involves him having to endure many changes many changes
we see it of course so conspicuously in the case of a man like Job
and all that poor Job has to endure when the Lord is pleased
to put his faith to the test In Job chapter 10 and verse 17
he cries out, Changes and war are against me. And interestingly,
it is the same word, changes, there in Job 10.17, as we have
here at the end of verse 19. They have no changes. or they don't understand anything
of the experience of a man like Job. They have no changes, therefore
they fear not God. How different it was for that
poor man Job. Changes and war are against me,
he says. And the word war literally means
men of war, an army, a host. There seem to be so much against
Poor Job, when in the mystery of God's dealings with him, the
devil himself is let loose, and he can destroy all that Job has,
but he cannot touch his person. But then subsequently, God even
permits the devil to touch him in his own person, but he cannot
take his life. what a multitude of troubles
came upon that man look again at Job's language Job 19 verse
12 he says his troops come together and raise up their way against
me and encamp round about my tabernacle oh he looks to himself
here he is now he's sitting amongst the ashes scraping himself with
the potshove He looks to his poor body, his tabernacle. Remember how Paul in the New
Testament, in 2 Corinthians 5 says, we that are in this tabernacle,
that is this body, do groan, being burdened. Whilst we're
in the flesh, you see, whilst we're in the midst of this good
fight of faith. Job then says, there in that
19th chapter, his troops come together and raise up their way
against me and encamp. round about my tabernacle, men
of war and army a host, all set against him." This is the language
of Job, it's repeated time and again. It's a remarkable book. It is a remarkable book. And
what depth of experience this man is called to pass through.
In chapter 6, Job says at verse 4, the arrows of the Almighty
are within me. The poison whereof drinketh up my spirit, the terrors
of God do set themselves in array against me. Now why are these
things written? Why is the Old Testament written? It's written for our learning.
That we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might
have hope. not that we're going to have
the same depth of experience as a man like Job but we will find ourselves in
the midst of changes things going against us much that seems so
contrary to us wondering where God is in all of these things
this was Job's experience this was also David's experience as
his own son rebels against him here in verse 18 he cries out
he hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was
against me for there were many with me it's
interesting there how he speaks in the past tense it's what they
call the prophetic perfect he knew that he would yet be delivered
even though the deliverance had not yet come He hath delivered
my soul in peace. He can speak of those things
as present realities that have not yet come to pass. Such was
his faith in God. All other battle was against
him, but his trust is in the Lord. I will trust in thee, he
says. This is part and parcel, is it not, of that great fight
of faith. The believer is involved in a
warfare. wrestling not against flesh and
blood but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers
of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness
in high places. In one of his excellent letters,
James Bourne writes to his correspondents and says, I can truly enter into
your feeling of continual changes. or to enter into that, those
continual changes that are the lot of the people of God. Woe
to them that are at ease in Zion. We read in Amos chapter 6 and
the first verse. Woe to them that are at ease.
The Christian life is no easy life. It's a life of changes.
It's a life of conflict. It's an in and out sort of a
life. It's an up and down sort of a life. and yet in the midst
of it all there is that God who remains constant my soul through
many changes goes his love no variation knows says the hymn
writer he is the unchanging God and we have to we have to look
to him as the unchanging God for I am the Lord I change not
therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed or there is our
only hope it must be in the Lord God Himself those who have no changes they
fear not God those who experience these changes how they increasingly
learn the fear of God or they have to look to Him they have
to trust in Him there's no one else that they can turn to And
how the godly here in Scripture were so conscious of these things.
Job, David, King Hezekiah, how he cries out in his prayer of
thanksgiving after gracious deliverances. In Isaiah 38 he says, O Lord,
by these things men live, and in all these things is the life. of my spirit." The changes have
come into the lives of the godly, that that is the lot of the believer. Coming to the New Testament,
Paul in Romans chapter 5 tells us not only so, but we glory.
We glory in tribulations also, knowing that tribulation worketh
patience, and patience experience and experience hope, and hope
make us not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in
our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. How God works all these things,
tribulation, patience or endurance, experience, hope, or that we might be those then
who know what it is to be engaged in this holy warfare this good
fight of faith to know that we are delivered from all our sins
to know that we have in our souls that life of God that ministry
of the Spirit of God Himself to be so different to these hypocrites
that David was having to deal with at the time of his son's
rebellion. Because they have no changes,
therefore they fear not God. He hath put forth his hands again,
such as be of peace with him. He hath broken his covenant.
The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his
heart. His words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn
swords. cast thy burden upon the Lord,
and He shall sustain thee. He shall never suffer the righteous
to be moved, but thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the
pit of destruction. Bloody and deceitful men shall
not live out half their days, but I will trust in thee. The Lord bless. To us His Word.