particularly to look at Psalm 147 the last two verses but before I do I think it's important for us to see the theme of the psalmist in these verses is the praise of God not just the praise of God but it's intelligent praise of God I've been thinking about this on the way down how over the years I've been in many places and some of them I certainly would not go back again to but leaving that aside but the type of praise that I've heard in congregations mainly with young people But not always.

When I first thought I'd became a Christian, which is back in about 1972, 1971, when I just joined, not long after I joined the army, Choruses began to take off in the congregation we went to, and to be quite honest, there was not a lot of understanding in those choruses.

Now there was various things going on in those days, conferences, young people's groups, and there were certain things, there was a record which I was just looking at the other day called Prepare Ye the Way and it was scripture in song and I really don't have an issue with that because it's God's Word there's a little bit of juggling but we get that with the Psalms as well so I don't worry too much about it but I've been in other places where I'll just give you an illustration who can, what can, we can, you can and it's repeated three times and then it's we can serve the Lord and that was taught to little ones do I understand what was being said yes but it's a lie It's a lie. Why is it? Because a person in a sinful state cannot serve the Lord. It's an utter impossibility. The people who teach our young people these things, I understand where they're coming from. But it's not right.

Especially when we've got the Psalms. to read i mean you know i just look at some of the things from this song that the intelligent praise i've made some notes verses one and two well first of all as long as i live verse two while i live i will praise the lord he's directing his praise unto god i will sing praises unto my god not just speech not just in prayer but in songs as well and how we must be careful in our singing to sing that which brings honour and glory unto God. Some of us, some people, some of us sing, we'll sing carols at Christmas, some are good and some are not. We should be discerning in what we sing. Some hymns, we used to use Christian hymns, well some of those are thoroughly Armenian and some of them are Sovereign Grace. must be discerning in what we see.

In verse 3 and 4 the psalmist speaks of the not putting your trust in princes nor in the son of man in whom there is no help no spiritual help in man in his natural state indeed as it says he's here today and he's gone tomorrow but he will still praise the Lord Praise the Lord that he has created us. He goes on to speak of the Gospel, I believe, in these next verses. Verse 5.

Happy is the man. Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God. And I believe here this is a man who knows his saviour you might say well how can he in the Psalms but he's looking forward to Christ well it's always interesting sometimes to go back and if we can remember and sometimes it takes me a long time to remember things if i remember them at all But it came to me, as I was trying to think, that verse from Job. Job 19 verse 25.

For I know that my Redeemer liveth. I know that my Redeemer liveth. How? From God's Word. But also the ministry of the Holy Spirit. And that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. He's looking forward to Christ. Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God. Jacob. Jacob. Israel. The Israel of God. Not the national Israel. But the Israel who's created after righteousness in Christ.

He goes on to speak of Creator. He has a good knowledge of God, the Lord, who is God, which made, verse 6, who made earth, the sea, and all that therein is, which keepeth truth forever, which executes judgment for the oppressed. Again, we're looking here at the Gospel, but we think of the Creator, John chapter 1. and one john one beginning but he's also a savior seven and nine which executes judgment for the oppressed which giveth food to the hungry the lord looseth the prisoners of course the social justice warriors will look at this and say yeah we shouldn't have people in prison oh dear yeah he's talking about those who are prisoners locked up under the condemnation of the law The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind. The Lord raiseth them that are bowed down. The Lord loveth the righteous.

These verses here are spoken of in Luke chapter 4 verse 17 and 19 and Luke chapter 7 there's reference to but also in Isaiah 35 verses 4 and 6 say to them that are of a fearful heart be strong fear not behold your God will come with vengeance even God with a recompense he will come and save you then the eyes of the blind shall be opened and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped then shall the lame man leapers and heart and the tongues of the dumb sing for in the wilderness shall waters break out and streams in the desert believe that is speaking of the Holy Ghost Isaiah chapter 61 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek. He hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted. It's the same language. To proclaim liberty to the captives.

Captives to sin. and the opening of the prison to them that are bound to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God to comfort all that mourn and it carries on and that is spoken of by the Lord himself in Luke chapter 4 verse 18 the spirit this is the words of christ the spirit of the lord is upon me because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor it's the same words it's the same gospel that we are talking of because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor he has sent me to heal the broken-hearted he's not the poor poor in the pocket he's poor in the soul to preach deliverance to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind to set at liberty them that are bruised to preach the acceptable year of the Lord and that's an interesting verse in itself to preach the acceptable year of the Lord we have then a good view of the Gospel and we have a good view of Christ and the Psalmist knows it he has knowledge of the Redeemer it's a supernatural knowledge it's not something that can come to any man but by the Word of God and the Holy Spirit Psalm 147 I'll just look at one or two of these verses sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving well yeah when we read those verses of christ singing to the lord with thanksgiving for salvation but not just for that but revealing it that's so important the revelation of christ again we see him in the providence he giveth a verse nine he giveth to the beast his food and to the young ravens which cry he delighteth not in the strength of the horse he taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man the lord take his pleasure in them that fear him in those that hope in his mercy last time i was here if i remember rightly fear of the lord is the beginning of wisdom and the fear of the lord is the beginning of knowledge i think wisdom is psalm 115 that's where understanding come from the fear of the Lord why is there fear in the Lord because we know he's a real God not just a God he'll go back

through history look at civilizations they've all got a God of some kind or other but it's not the real God The Indians, and I'll call them the Red Indians, they're not worried about it, of North America, they had their totem poles. But I believe in the Easter Isles, Easter Islands, they had something similar. I'm not sure, I'm a bit sketchy about that. But then we have the Roman gods, which were the Greek gods brought us up to date, as it were. And then we have Roman Catholicism, which takes over from the Romans, the same sort of thing.

But it's not God. and we might say well look there's a God there's a desire for God in these people's lives no there's not that a desire to worship something may be but there's no desire to worship the one true God because when the one true God is revealed what happened? He crucified Him when Christ came to earth well you know this they crucified him they didn't want the truth men preferred darkness rather than light but praise to God that he revealed himself in Christ in that appointed day we see in verse 6 of Psalm 147 his compassion.

The Lord lifteth up the meek, but we also see his anger towards sinners. He casteth the wicked down to the ground. Sin is an abhorrence to God and it must be dealt with. Psalm 148 verse 11.

Kings of the earth and all people, princes and all judges of the earth, praise God now I know it's very difficult Timothy is told to pray for kings and those who rule over us and how difficult but what a good thing government is if it is used a right there supposed to be a terror to the lawbreaker you know you go back to the beginning Genesis go back before Genesis 5 how Adam and Eve sinned in the garden not long after creation but Genesis 5 every man did what was right in his own eyes and you know it's no different today every man does what is right in his own eyes you can't say anybody's wrong you can't chastise your child or you might cause a problem with his psychological makeup the psychology of a child is often corrected through his backside that may not go down very well but as a parent, I won't call it myself an experienced parent I know that if our two boys had not been corrected and I mean corrected in love not in anger but if they'd been corrected in love not been corrected there'd be horrors maybe in latter days they would come round i don't know i wasn't going to take that chance i use the word chance but you know what i mean the child must be directed like learning a car you learn to drive the car and a child is incapable of directing himself that's why he's got parents for and it's the same with young christians we need to direct them lord willing we shall look at a bit of that this evening but look coming down to verse 19 and 20 the psalmist at the end of verse 20 says praise ye the Lord now in a way it's a strange thing to say why? because he showeth his word unto Jacob his statutes and his judgments unto Israel but he hath not dealt so with any nation and as for his judgments they have not known them now there's two ways I suspect that we could look at this and say well the psalmist is saying oh I'm glad you've kept yourself ignorant Lord to these people but I don't see it that way what I see really is the Lord in his mercy has revealed himself to

Israel and to Israel alone but there is a point behind it there is a point behind it let us just think for a moment who did he reveal the moral law to? Israel the ceremonial law to? Israel the prophets to Israel we do have an instance with Jonah going to Nineveh which was in Babylon but as we look at the the testimony of the scriptures it was only Israel the Lord left every other nation as it were to get on with it they're still sinners they're all going to hell but he chose Israel and them alone why so? well my first point is to consider that we should praise the God our God sorry that he chose any nation at all that's the first thing to consider why? why didn't he leave us all to go to hell? that would be justice but he's a God of mercy and it was in his pleasure to reveal himself to Israel and there's a point I'd like to make I suppose it's interrupting the flow I was just talking with Cliff out there I'm thoroughly confused by those who say God loves everybody that Christ's blood was shed for everybody when in the Old Testament there is no testimony of God apart from creation which does testify of God but there is no testimony of God his righteousness and of his laws to the nations round about how can we say that God loves everybody since Christ came to earth he died so he lived He died, he ascended to heaven, sat at the right hand of God the Father. But since then, for many hundreds, thousands of years, many had no testimony to God whatsoever.

This is the same as the Old Testament times repeated until the gospel went further and further afield.

Something I've been pondering on and it gives me almost gives me a headache trying to reconcile what some preach I pray for them that they might start to look I've said before these are people who have been to colleges they've done courses far better grounding in the scriptures than myself I'm not worried to admit it and yet they still come out with these things it brings no glory to God no glory whatsoever so why then did he reveal himself to Israel because it was a good pleasure of his will to bless Israel so Isaiah chapter 43 verse 13 I will work and who shall let it? who shall stop it?

Psalm 115 verse 3 but our God is in the heavens he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased Psalm 135 verse 6 whatsoever the Lord pleased that he did in heaven and in earth in the seas and all deep places we have to remember the testimony of the scripture Isaiah 55 verse 8 the Lord's thoughts are not our thoughts nor his ways our ways that's something we need to remember and as far as his will let us remember and it will help us to think forward to the New Testament how the Old Testament and the New Testament link when we consider Ephesians chapter 1 verse 5 11 and 12 and if you've never really sat down and i'm not saying you haven't if you never really sat down and read Ephesians the first few or the first chapter of Ephesians it's a real really comforting and educating letter It's become a favourite passage, probably wrong to say that, but I trust you understand what I mean. I find so much in Ephesians, especially those first 13 verses. Ephesians chapter 1 verse 5.

Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will. verse 11 in whom also we have obtained an inheritance being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will not the will of man his own will he's not subject to our whims and fancies he listens to our prayers there's no denying that he doesn't wait for us as it were to call upon him are we taught to call upon him? but it's a supernatural work the Holy Spirit 1 Corinthians chapter 2 the things of God they cannot be discerned by the natural man they're spiritually discerned so it's according to the good pleasure of his will Another point we should consider.

Israel in the Old Testament is a picture of the New Testament Church. A pastor was... I just got down to Egen this morning. I called in there at our pastor's house and he was reading from Hebrews chapter 9 and his comment which I 100% agree with that the Old Testament is the types and the figures of the New Testament everything we see in the Old Testament especially in the ceremonial law is pointing forward to Christ Christ the Redeemer and in the Old Testament even we see the doctrine of election I wonder what a wonderful doctrine it is always remembering that if it weren't for election not one person will be saved I believe these things I'm not just saying them because I know some of you will agree with them if you don't you've got the problem not me and I don't believe you've got a problem with these doctrines it's a wonderful doctrine shouldn't say doctrines it's doctrine it's a separation Israel separated from the nations round about and they were supposed to stay separate from the nations round about and it's a picture of what would come that the Israel of God would be separate from the world round about them separate from false religion spiritually the Old Testament is a national covenant in the New Testament it's a spiritual covenant we see that from Jeremiah 31 verse 31 on I won't turn to it but it's a new covenant I will make with the house of Israel in those days a new covenant not a renewed covenant a new covenant we need to understand these things otherwise we're going to go we're going to go all over the place the straight way that I believe becomes a wiggly path like going up Snowdon rocks bends you can't see the top because of the cloud that's just what it's like it's a straight path that leads to Christ through the cross to Christ in heaven above that's the route we should follow So I'd like to just consider three aspects of doctrine.

Election, unconditional, solely due to the love and mercy of God. I believe I've read it not long ago, but we'll turn to it again. Deuteronomy, chapter 7, verse 7 and 8.

The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because you were more in number than any people, for you were the fewest of all people, but because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out. with a mighty hand and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt that goes back to Exodus chapter 3 verses 7 to 10 and also as a relation to Genesis chapter 15 and Ephesians chapter 1 again what does it say predestined called out set aside for the Lord's purposes bless the Lord that he's had mercy upon us this sanctified us just as Israel was sanctified and made a holy people so the Lord's people are also sanctified separate and that spiritual sense from the world today but it's also to show that the Lord can only be worshipped in one way and it's very interesting looking at the Old Testament you know I've heard people in the past and Lord bless them I pray he will but how they say it was the same Lord yesterday today forever always looking at those nice verses you get on these calendars well you know there's some lovely verses but you don't often see verses about chastisement and the blessing of chastisement too but to show the lord is only worshipped according to his will exodus 30 chapter 1 to 10 it's important to understand I don't think I'm going to get to the end this morning but Exodus chapter 31 to 10 i'll just take parts thou shall make the staves this is for the ark of chitin wood and overlay them with gold and thou shalt put it between the veil that is by the ark of the testimony before the mercy seat that is over the testimony where i will meet with thee and erin shall burn there on sweet incense sorry it's the altar of incense every morning When he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it.

And when Aaron lighteth the lamps even, he shall burn incense upon it. A perpetual incense before the Lord throughout your congregations. He shall offer no strange incense thereon, nor burnt sacrifice, nor meat offering, neither shall he pour drink offering thereon. Notice the word, no strange incense. Or strange, and this word strange refers to burnt offerings. and Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of the altar once of the year but then do you remember Nadab and Abihu?

Numbers chapter 4 oh sorry Leviticus chapter 10 verses 1 and 2 and Nadab and Abiu the sons of Aaron who was the high priest took either of them his censer and put fire therein and put incense thereon and offered strange fire before the lord which he commanded them not and there went out fire from the lord and devoured them and they died before the lord what does it mean our god is a consuming fire let's be under no illusion yes this is the Old Testament but it points forward to the New Testament I've got a note for numbers chapter 4 if I can find it well I can't find my reference but there is a reference to when the sacrifices have been made and the incense has been burnt then the the altar is to be covered with a cloth a blue cloth not a red one not a yellow one a blue cloth. Numbers 4 verse 11. And upon the golden altar they shall spread a cloth of blue and cover it with a covering of badger skins and shall put it to the staves thereof. A blue cloth. Blue cloths were used to cover the parts of the most holy place. interesting also the Kohathites they were the ones they were the Levites who moved the furniture of the most holy place when Israel was to move but they could not they were not allowed to look upon the furniture of the most holy place it all I take it had to be all packed away covered up by Moses and Aaron and his sons so that they wouldn't be consumed remember the high priest only went into the most holy place once a year and that not without blood so those who were given the task an onerous task to carry those things were not allowed to look upon it because they were not authorised by God and that is a picture of worship it's sobering to read these things and some of these things have only just become aware of it's quite interesting what you get into sometimes quite interesting how long it takes sometimes to prepare a sermon you may not be aware of it but you know you've got you've got to go backward and forward you look up why because i'm handling the word of god the pastor is handling the word of god the ministers handling the word of god and it must be to his glory and his glory alone i'll try to move on the moral law speaks of sin it speaks of transgressions of the law by the law is the knowledge of sin on john 3 verse 4 but also we have the ceremonial which speaks of christ the pictures and the shadows and as i say we we get that in hebrews 10 verses 1 to 4 as well as other places there is an appointed way for the worship to be conducted and only in that way now just these three examples i trust help point out the purpose of the old testament to be a pointer to what was coming sinfulness of men impossible to be right with god under the law the coming messiah and acceptable worship but again only shown to Israel and these things can only be understood by the Israel of God you can also move on to the ups and downs of Christian living and that's interesting in itself Hebrews chapter 12 where he

speaks Paul I take it it's Paul other people say that it is I don't have any problem with it Hebrews 12 verse 5 and you have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children my son despise not the chastening of the Lord nor faint when thou art rebuked of him. For whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as sons. For what son is he whom the Father chasteneth not?

Where do we see that in the Old Testament? Well, we see that in the life of Israel. that verse is also spoke is from a quote from Proverbs 3 verses 11 and 12. Now we can see the working out of that passage when we look at go back to Deuteronomy again Deuteronomy 7 verses 1 and 2 when the Lord thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it and hath cast out many nations before thee the Hittites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Perizzites and the Hittites and the Jebusites seven nations greater and mightier than thou and when the Lord thy God shall deliver them before thee thou shalt smite them and utterly destroy them thou shalt make no covenant with them nor show mercy unto them and then we just go a little bit further into the scriptures into Judges chapter 3 and we see that admonition ignored Judges chapter 3 verses 5 to 10 And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites.

And they took daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons, and served their gods. And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and forgot the Lord their God, and served Balaam and the groves. therefore the anger of the lord was hot against israel and he sold them into the hand of shushan rishathane king of mesopotamia and that was a constant theme really of judges constant theme of israel how sad there's much more i can say we can say that was solomon but notice israel carried on it wasn't wiped out when the purpose of israel was finished national israel was finished then that was it but until that time they were chastened of the lord that's how i take it that's the chastening he sent them prophets he sent them judges that they were when the people cried out he sent them a judge and the lord heard their cry there's the mercy of god you see the chastening and the mercy he didn't wipe them out like he was perfectly justified in doing so and that should teach us a lesson two things be not deceived this is 1 Corinthians 15 be not deceived evil communications corrupt good manners good way of life righteous living upright living Christian living it's obvious then from the Old Testament that Christ is portrayed but also the sins of man but it's also heartening to read as we do in Luke chapter 2 who are those who were waiting for the consolation of Israel they were they were Old Testament saints who saw the Lord Luke 2 verse 34 and 30 I've lost myself now 34 and 38 sorry and simeon this is simeon who was in the temple blessed them and said unto mary his mother behold this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in israel and for a sign which shall be spoken against yea a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel of the tribe of Assa, or Asia. She was of a great age and had lived with her husband seven years from her virginity, and she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.

That was before the advent of Christ. and she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord and spake of him to all them that look for redemption in Israel Saints in the Old Testament and there are examples of quite a few Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, King David so we are looking at something which can be established grace in the old testament but it's all pointing to the new pointing to christ law schoolmaster to lead us to christ the law the moral law does speaks of god's righteousness and it speaks of our sinfulness but it's only when we see our sinfulness and then we hear the gospel of Christ which should always be preached the good news glad tidings as it said in the Old Testament it's only when the sinner hears of Christ under the gospel will they cry out that famous phrase God have mercy on me a sinner there's no mercy under the law there's no mercy under the law, it's do or die sobering thought but under the gospel, the gospel of grace which is camouflaged, I use the term camouflaged, military term but it's camouflaged in the Old Testament but it's still there as we've seen we've seen it briefly, there's much more to see but the gospel is revealed in the New Testament Christ says come unto me all you that labor and are heavy laden not brick carriers not baggage handlers those were laden with sin wilting under the condemnation of the law and that is a good term to use wilting wilting under the condemnation under the heat one might say of the law i'm always reminded when when christ says i thirst what was he going through on the cross you can't imagine it i can't the sins of every man that he died for hell and torment speaks of it did i mention it last time here where their worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched personal come unto me all ye that labour in a heavy laden as i say with sin and i will give you rest rest for your soul that's in christ and in christ alone and I do pray that for each one of us who know Christ that we will bear this

testimony faithfully I don't know how long I've got to live upon this earth but I think in last night in the early hours sometimes I'll be quite happy to depart from this existence not because of what's going on although that's part of it it's because to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord but I've got a work to do I was talking to somebody who lost his beloved not long ago and was speaking to them and i could sense a tiredness in that person and i understood because they were quite happy to meet the lord themselves but said you've got a job to do don't forget that said you've got nieces nephews grandchildren people you love still gotta pray for them and it's a privilege to be able to pray for those who are still in darkness and there's other people to pray for as well but those especially Gwen and myself we've got our grandchildren but we don't forget the children of believers who would appear to be still in their sins we don't know but what a blessed privilege we've got to come to the throne of grace where we know the Lord heareth sinners I'm still a sinner and that we can have our prayers offered up to him through Christ by the Holy Spirit and he will hear God the Father will hear sinners for Christ's sake the temple goes through the way in is all laid down by God the Father and then the New Testament as in we've got in Hebrews the way into the most holy place not made with hands the holy place in heaven where there's no crying no sin nothing like that no death we have access and to the God of heaven through Jesus Christ and him alone. May the Lord make us mindful then of this privilege that we have, election by according to sovereign grace but also the access that we have into his holy court through his Son, our Lord and Saviour, of which the Scriptures speak from cover to cover.

Amen.