Well, good evening. Before I forget, I need to pass
on greetings to you from a number of people that we've been blessed
to see in the last few weeks. I'm sure I'll, well, I can't
even begin to remember all the people that we've seen that have
asked me to do that. So I'm just going to mention
a few. But Rupert and Betty Rivenbark wanted me to pass on their greetings
to you and David Pledger, and for Pat, of course, too, and
Jim and Nancy Bird. And then also, I can't forget
my parents. They wanted me to be sure that
I passed on their love and also just their gratefulness to the
Lord for you. And they're doing well. A number
of people have already asked me how my dad and mom are doing. For 87, I think they're doing
great. I really do. And the Lord has been so gracious. I can't say it's been easy for
them in this time that they've transitioned back to the US. But the Lord has been good, as
he always is. And we're thankful. So I should
say Robin and I are thankful for you also. Thankful to the
Lord for you. Thankful for the ministry here,
the ministry of the gospel. Well, if you would, turn with
me to Hebrews chapter 2. Hebrews chapter 2. Well, I pray that the Lord will
be gracious to us tonight and that he'll meet with us and that
he'll have a word for us. This passage here is a wonderful
passage. It's a passage that is just so
full of truth, great truth, glorious truth. But let me just begin
in verse 10 and read down a couple verses here. We read there in
Hebrews 2 verse 10, for it was fitting for him, for whom are
all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons
to glory to make the captain of their salvation perfect through
sufferings. For both he who sanctifies and
those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason
he is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, I will declare
your name to my brethren. In the midst of the assembly,
I will sing praise to you." Well, what wonderful truth, as I said,
is revealed to us in these few verses. And what a picture, too,
of our Savior. Here he is, the suffering Savior,
who sees of the travail of his soul and is satisfied. He stands
in the midst of his brethren, among the sheep of his pasture,
among all those whom God has given to him, among the many
he has brought to glory, and he sings. He sings. Now, we don't often think of
our Savior as singing, do we? I know I don't. I know it's true
of me. Well, how do we think of our
Savior? How should we think of our Savior?
Well, we should think of Him as He's revealed in the Scriptures,
shouldn't we? That's exactly how we should
think of our Savior. And we think of Him, I know,
what would come to your mind are many things, many wonderful
things, many glorious things that are revealed of Him in the
Scriptures. Just turn over to Exodus chapter 15 for a moment. Keep your place here, and I'd
like as to just look through this song, this song of Moses
and the children of Israel, at the time that the Lord gloriously
and powerfully delivered them out of bondage, out of their
bondage in Egypt, and brought them to the Red Sea, took them
down, as it were, into death, into that sea, and brought them
up again. Here in Exodus 15, we have this song of Moses and
the children of Israel after this wondrous deliverance. And
just consider all of the things that are said about the Savior
in this song. Look there in verse 1. Here they
sing, I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously. He has triumphed gloriously. He's a triumphant Savior, isn't
he? Well, He's not only a triumphant
Savior, He's a strong Savior, and He's a saving Savior. The
Lord is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation. Well, look, too, down in verse
3. He is a warring Savior. Do we think of Him in that way
often? He's a warring Savior. The Lord is a man of war. In Isaiah, we read, Isaiah 42,
the Lord shall go forth like a mighty man, he shall stir up
his zeal like a man of war. And he shall cry out, yes, shout
aloud, he shall prevail against his enemies. Larry Brown just
prayed for that, didn't he? Well, this is the Savior who
is a man of war, and he goes forth with might and power, and
he prevails against his enemies. Well, verse 6, he's a mighty
Savior. He's a mighty Savior. Your right
hand, O Lord, has become glorious in power. Your right hand, O
Lord, has dashed the enemy in pieces. Well, 2, verse 7, he's
an excellent Savior. In the greatness, in the greatness
of your excellence, you have overthrown those who rose against
you. We'll skip down now to verse
11. And we see there, too, what is He? He's a holy Savior. He's
a holy Savior. Who is like You, O Lord, among
the gods? Who is like You, glorious in
holiness? Look in verse 13. Well, He's
a merciful Savior, isn't He? He's a merciful Savior, and He's
a redeeming Savior. You and Your mercy have led forth
the people whom You have redeemed. That's just in these few verses
here. Of all of these things, our Savior
is. What a Savior! The Scriptures reveal Him in
so many ways, don't they? He's a wise Savior. He's a loving
Savior. He's a forgiving Savior. He's
a pardoning Savior. We'll turn back there to Hebrews
chapter 2. And I'd like to bring before you another aspect that
is held up before us in the scriptures about our blessed Savior. Here,
again, we read that he stands in the midst of the assembly
and he sings. He sings praise to God the Father. What I would like to do tonight,
it's just a simple thing, but I would like to bring before
you that we have a Savior who sings. He sings in suffering. He is a Savior who sings in victory. He is a Savior who sings for
us. He is a Savior who sings with us. And He is a Savior who
sings over us. Christ is a Savior who sings
the music of redemption. The writer of Hebrews under the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit reveals to us that these words
right here, these words in verse 12, I will declare your name
to my brethren in the midst of the congregation. I will sing
praise to you are taken from Psalm 22, Psalm 22. So turn there
with me. Psalm 22. Now, if there ever was a song
of suffering, this is it, isn't it? This song begins with this cry,
my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? This cry bursts
forth from the lips of our suffering savior upon the cross of Calvary. These words are his words. The
New Testament scriptures show us that it's not only these words
that are quoted there in Hebrews, but the entire psalm are the
words of our Lord Jesus Christ. Not just this heart-rending cry
of abandonment, but all the words of this psalm. Now think, as
a child growing up in Nazareth, in Galilee, Jesus would have
sung this psalm many times. He knew all the psalms, as did
every Israelite in their worship. And he sang them in the congregation
of the people. Jesus had sung this psalm many
times before he went to the cross. Think of the meaning these psalms
would have had as Jesus sang them as a boy growing up in Nazareth. But think too. Think too, he'd
sung these songs from eternity. From eternity. Not just after
his incarnation. These songs were authored in
eternity. We might say they were penned
in eternity, weren't they? Before the world began, before
time began. This song is his song, put into
the mind and into the heart and upon the lips of David. by the
Holy Spirit, but they're Christ songs, aren't they? David's cry,
uttered in the Spirit, prefigures and anticipates the voice of
Christ ringing out of the darkness of pain and anguish and suffering
upon the cross on that mount outside the city. From the pit
of anguish, he cried, my God, my God, why have you forsaken
me? Why are you so far from helping
me and from the words of my groaning? This song speaks of his agony. Not just this song, but other
songs. They speak of the ultimate horror,
the hell of being utterly forsaken by the Father. The Psalms of
Christ give us a glimpse like nowhere else in the scriptures
of this weight, this infinite weight pressing upon him as he
treads out the winepress of the wrath of God. Alone. Alone. The Psalms speak of the
Savior despised by the people. They speak of his complete and
final rejection by men. Look there in verse 6. But I
am a worm, and no man a reproach of men and despised by the people. All those who see me ridicule
me. They shoot out the lip. They shake their head saying,
he trusted in the Lord. Let him rescue him. Let him deliver
him since he delights in him. Here in this psalm, we're given
a shocking view of the aloneness of Christ. Forsaken by the Father,
abandoned by his friends, whom he loved to the end, and ringed
about by enemies, pictured here in this psalm as wild bulls,
roaring lions, baying hounds, he by himself purged our sins. Jesus knew the ultimate forsakenness. He did. Look in verse 12. Many
bulls have surrounded me. Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled
me. They gaped in me with their mouths
like a raging and a roaring lion. What songs of agony, Christ sings. Songs of suffering. The suffering
that secured our salvation. The suffering that sealed the
promises of God to His seed and to His elect. Verse 14, I am
poured out like water and all my bones are out of joint. My
heart is like wax, it is melted within me. My strength is dried
up like a potsherd and my tongue clings to my jaws. You have brought
me to the dust of death. What bitter hatred and vile animosity
was vented upon this most perfect of persons. Beautiful. and His holiness. Here He is,
verse 16, surrounded by dogs, for dogs have surrounded me.
The congregation of the wicked has enclosed me. They pierced
my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones. They
look and stare at me. They divide my garments among
them, and for my clothing they cast lots. You know, in the 69th Psalm,
the Lord Jesus, He sings of this bitter hatred which was turned
against him. We read there, this is the crying
of our suffering Savior. This is the song of suffering. Save me, O God, for the waters
have come up to my neck. I sink in deep mire where there
is no standing. I've come into deep waters where
the floods overflow me. I am weary with my crying. My
throat is dry. My eyes fail. while I wait for
my God. Those who hate me without a cause
are more than the hairs of my head. They are mighty who would
destroy me. Being my enemies wrongfully,
though I have stolen nothing, I still must restore it. Oh God,
you know my foolishness and my sins are not hidden from you."
Hear these psalms, these psalms that echo through the valley
of the shadow of death. And yet it doesn't end there,
does it? No. No. His songs rise in firm, fixed
faith upon His God. Look there in verse 19. But you,
O Lord, do not be far from me. O my strength, hasten to help
me. Here He is. Here is our Savior
for us, crying out of the depths, out of the depths. But you, oh
Lord, do not be far from me. Oh, my strength, hasten to help
me. Deliver me from the sword, my
precious life from the power of the dog. Save me from the
lion's mouth and from the horns of wild oxen." And is he answered? Yes, he is. And you have answered
me. from the pit of abandonment,
he cries, my God, why? Why? In the first lines of this
song. But his anguish is turned to
praise, and his faith is fulfilled in hope, isn't it? Look there,
continue there in verse 22. He says, and this is what's quoted
there in Hebrews chapter 2, hear those verses, I will declare
your name to my brethren in the midst of the assembly, I will
praise you. You who fear the Lord, praise
him, all that you descendants of Jacob. Glorify him and fear
him, all you offspring of Israel. For he has not despised nor bored
the affliction of the afflicted, nor has he hidden his face from
him. When he cried to him, he heard." Now Christ sings these Psalms
with us. He sings these psalms with us,
for he's fulfilled these psalms for us. He sings these psalms
with us, for he's one of us. What did we read there in Hebrews
chapter 2? We read, I will declare your name to my brethren, to
my brethren. In the midst of the congregation,
I will sing praise to you. Well, why are they his brethren? Why are we his brethren? Well,
he says, for both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified
are all of one. All of one. For which reason
He is not ashamed to call them brethren. Turn over a few pages to Psalm
32. When He cries, My God, my God, why have you
forsaken me? This is the cry of the church
in him. He sings these Psalms as our
substitute, bearing all that we could never bear. He sings
these Psalms as our sacrifice, offering all that we could never
offer. He sings these Psalms with us
as our great high priest entering into that place. that we could
never enter. He sings these Psalms with us
as our Redeemer, paying the ransom price that we could never pay.
Christ sings songs of redemption, songs of deliverance. Look down
there in verse 6. For this cause, everyone who
is godly shall pray to you in a time when you may be found.
Surely, in a flood of great waters, they shall not come near me.
You are my hiding place. You shall preserve me from trouble.
And listen to this, you shall surround me with songs of deliverance."
Isn't that beautiful? This is where we are, in this
flood of great waters. Are we? In this place where we're
seeking to find refuge, where none is to be found. And who
shall preserve us from trouble? Well, he'll preserve us from
trouble, won't he? And what a picture, he'll surround
us with songs of deliverance. Songs of deliverance. Well, we
know his songs They go down into the valley of the shadow of death,
don't they? And we go with him. But his songs
carry him through the valley, and they carry us with him too.
And his songs rise up, rise up to the magnificent heights of
joyful praise and adoration to our God. In Psalm 16, we read,
In verse nine, therefore, and this is Christ again, this is
another of his songs, and this is what he sings. Therefore,
my heart is glad and my glory rejoices. My flesh also will
rest in hope for you will not leave my soul in Hades, nor will
you allow your holy one to see corruption. You will show me
the path of life in your presence is fullness of joy forevermore. at your right hand are pleasures
forevermore. What a hope, what a hope. And
that's where he is, and that's where you and I are. That's where
all his brethren are, right there with him. You see, the suffering
Savior is seated at the right hand of the majesty on high. He sings songs of joy. He sings
songs of joyful confidence in victory, in victory, in triumph,
and his heart is glad and his glory rejoices. He suffers and
he goes down into the grave, but his flesh will rest in hope. Why? For you will not, for you
will not leave my soul in Hades nor will you allow your Holy
One to see corruption. Well, who is this Holy One? Who
is this Holy One? Who is the One who may come into
the presence of the Excellent Glory and sit at His right hand? Who is the One who may ascend
the Holy Hill? over to Psalm 24. Just turn back
a few pages to Psalm 24, and look there in verse 3. This is
the question. This is what this psalmist asks. Who may ascend into the hill
of the Lord? That's a question we should be
concerned with, isn't it? Who shall ascend into the holy
hill of the Lord? And here's the answer. He who
has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul
to an idol, nor sworn deceitfully, he shall receive blessing from
the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This
is Jacob, the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face. Well, who is it that may ascend
the holy hill of the Lord? He's this righteous man. He's
the one who has clean hands and a pure heart. He's the man whose
soul is undefiled by idols, whose lips are not polluted with lies. Who is this man? Who is this
man? He is the King of Glory. The King of Glory. The everlasting
gates of heaven are open wide for this King of Glory to enter
in. Look in verse 7. Lift up your
heads, O you gates, and be lifted up, you everlasting doors, and
the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the
Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates,
lift up you everlasting doors, and the King of glory shall come
in. Who is this King of glory? The
Lord of hosts. He is the King of Glory. You see, the King of Glory sits
in Zion, in the heavenly Jerusalem, in the city of the Great King,
and all the nations of the world stream in to worship before Him. He is the King of Glory. All
those who have been redeemed by the precious blood out of
every kindred, tribe, and tongue, and nation. Look back to Psalm
22. Psalm 22. in verse 27, and we read, All
the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord. Well, who
shall remember? All those who've been chosen
by God in eternity. All those that the Father has
given to His Son in this glorious and gracious covenant of grace.
They're the ones that'll remember, won't they? They're the ones
that'll remember. All those who have been redeemed
by the precious blood of the spotless Lamb of God. All those
who have pardon and forgiveness in His blood, these are the ones
that will remember, won't they? These are the ones that remember
and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nation shall
worship before you. For the kingdom is the Lord's,
and He rules over all nations. He rules over all nations. I'll
turn over to Zephaniah. Turn over to Zephaniah. That's at the end of the Old
Testament. Zephaniah chapter 3. And let's begin reading there in
verse 8, and we'll We'll finish up here. Let's begin reading
in verse 8. And I'd like to read through
the remainder of this passage so we can more fully appreciate
the wonder of this marvelous prophetic utterance of this prophet
Zephaniah. Look there in verse 8. He says,
therefore, therefore, wait for me, says the Lord, until the
day I rise up for plunder. My determination is to gather
the nations to my assembly of kingdoms, to pour on them my
indignation, all my fierce anger, all the earth shall be devoured
with the fire of my jealousy. Wait for me, says the Lord, until
the day I rise up to vindicate my name and vindicate my righteousness
until the day I rise up to plunder my enemies, until the day when
my justice is satisfied. Wait for me, says the Lord, for
then I will restore to the peoples a pure language." Well, when he says, wait for
me until the day I rise up to vindicate My justice and my righteousness,
what day is that? What day is that? That's that day when he went
up that mountain and hung upon the tree of Calvary and satisfied
that perfect justice of a holy and righteous God. That's when
his justice was vindicated, wasn't it? That's when righteousness
was satisfied. Wait for me. You remember in
John 12 when he's speaking to the disciples of his coming death. And this is what he says, now
is the judgment of this world. Now the ruler of this world will
be cast out. And I, if I am lifted up, will
draw all men to myself. This is the day that his righteousness
will be satisfied. Verse 9, for then, for then,
and here's the results. For then I will restore to the
peoples a pure language that they all may call upon the name
of the Lord, to serve Him with one accord. Not only here in
Israel, but to the outermost parts of the earth, from beyond
the rivers of Ethiopia, my worshipers, the daughters of my dispersed
ones, shall bring my offering." The pure language. He'll restore
the pure language. The pure language of what? the
pure language of grace, the pure language of the gospel, the language
of repentance and faith, the language of truth and grace,
the language of love and hope, the language which is self-abasing
and Christ-exalting, the language of pure grace. All nations, when
God does this, When he restores this, all nations will call upon
the name of the Lord from beyond the rivers of Ethiopia to the
ends of the earth, and they will come and worship before him with
one heart, and one mind, and one spirit, with one accord. Look there in verse 11. In that
day, you shall not be ashamed of any of your deeds. For then
I will take away from your midst those who rejoice in your pride,
and you shall no longer be haughty in my holy mountain." Why? Because in his holy mountain
is forgiveness. In his holy mountain is pardon
for sin, sin covered, and sin removed and remembered no more. None are haughty. Did you hear
that? None are haughty. None who are
prideful. None who are ashamed. Wonder
of wonders. Verse 12, I will leave in your
midst a meek and humble people, and they shall trust in the name
of the Lord. And isn't that always true? The
gospel leaves a meek and humble people. A people who trust in
the name of the Lord and not in themselves. Not in man. Not in man. Not in the law, not
in their own righteousness, not in their own hearts, not in anything. They trust in the Lord. That's
what the gospel leaves, doesn't it? The gospel leaves a people
who trust in the name of the Lord. These people trust in Christ,
in his righteousness, in his atonement for pardon and forgiveness,
in his justification. in His cleansing. They trust in His fullness for all of salvation. Verse 13, The remnant of Israel
shall do no unrighteousness, and speak no lies, nor shall
a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth. For they shall feed
their flocks, and lie down, and no one shall make them afraid.
This is, what a remnant is this, isn't it? The remnant of Israel
is a remnant according to the election of grace. What are we told of them? They
shall do no unrighteousness. Speak no lies. A deceitful tongue
shall not be found. Their unclean lips have been
taken away. Their iniquity has been purged. Who shall bring a charge against
the Lord's elect? It is God who justifies. No one
shall make them afraid. Verse 14, sing, O daughter of
Zion. Shout, O Israel, be glad and
rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. Sing,
shout, be glad and rejoice. Why? Verse 15, for the Lord has
taken away your judgment. Now that's something to sing
about, isn't it? That's something to shout about. For the Lord
has taken away your judgments. He has cast away your enemy.
The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst. That's why. That's why. The King of Israel
is in your midst. That's why you sing. That's why
you shout. That's why you rejoice with all
your heart. The King of Israel, the Lord,
is in our midst. And look at this. I love this. And you shall see disaster no
more. Before the king of Israel was
in our midst, it was just disaster, wasn't it? Every day. Every day. But when he comes, and when he's
in our midst, you shall see disaster no more. Verse 16, in that day
it shall be said to Jerusalem, do not fear Zion. Let not your
hands be weak. Why? Why would our hands be weak?
The Lord has taken away our judgments. Who is he who condemns? It is
Christ who died. And furthermore, is also risen
who is even at the right hand of God, making intercession for
us. He's cast away your enemy. Fear
not. The King of Israel, the Lord
of Glory, is in your midst. When Christ comes, He brings
joy. He brings gladness. He brings
repentance. He brings faith. He brings hope.
He brings love. He brings grace. He brings pardon
for sin. He brings a peace which endures. And when Christ comes, He brings
singing. When Christ comes, he brings
singing. Verse 17. The Lord, your God, is in your
midst. The Mighty One will save. He will rejoice over you with
gladness. He will quiet you in His love. He will rejoice over you with
singing. You see, the King of Israel is
mighty to save. The Lord Jesus Christ, the Mighty
One, will save. He will save and He will rejoice
over you with joy. He will quiet you in His love. What grace! He will sing over
you with joy and with rejoicing and with gladness. What a picture! What a picture, isn't it? In
that great and glorious day, the Lord, the Savior, will stand
before the throne in the midst of this great host, this great
congregation He has brought to glory. In the midst of all this
multitude which no man can number, who the Father has given to Him,
and He stands in the midst of this chosen generation, a royal
priesthood, His own special people, And he's not ashamed to call
them brethren. No. But he sings, I will declare
your name to my brethren. In the midst of the congregation,
I will sing praise to you. Our Savior sings. He sings in
glory now, doesn't he? He sings in glory now. He sings
songs of suffering. He sings songs of redemption.
Songs of mercy. Songs of love. He sings songs
of salvation. And we hear Him in our hearts
even now, don't we? Don't you? We hear Him in our
hearts. Why? Because He's put His song
in our hearts. And we sing a new song. Did you
see that in Exodus when we read through that song of Moses and
Israel? This is what it said. The Lord is my strain and my
song. and He has become my salvation. To hear the Savior sing will
be joy inexpressible and full of glory. Amen.