Psalm 75, I think rather than
read this whole psalm, we'll just take it a verse at a time this evening and speak to you
on this main subject. God is the judge. God is the judge. I believe,
I pray, and I believe that if the Lord will bless this to our
hearts, His people tonight before we leave here, will be praising
His name, that He is the Judge, that He is on the throne, that
He decides every matter, every case. Verse 1, Unto Thee, O God, do
we give thanks. Unto Thee do we give thanks. You know, I was thinking about
this just sitting here. I didn't write this down today. But I enjoy looking into what
we might call the deep things of God. The truths of scripture
we haven't even begun to get into. In all these years we haven't
even gotten started. And yet, Paul said we know all
things. You know what he meant by that?
As little as we know, that we know all things. I know what
this whole book is about, don't you? And I know this, I do enjoy
and I want us to, as we study together over the years, I pray
a lot more years, I want to find treasures together, the treasures
of our Lord, they're unfathomable. But I find more and more, the more I look into this book,
that the worship of God is simple. People consider themselves great
theologians and are always talking about what they consider the
deep things. Here's what worship looks like. Thank you, God. Thank you. Thank you. You don't have to have a great
mind. I'm glad. You don't have to be able to
debate issues. Just thank you, God. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for this family. Thank
you. Thank you for our loved ones.
Thank you for your blessing upon everything we do. Thank you. I think we've missed it to a
great degree. We've missed it. And he keeps reminding us, doesn't
he, how simple it is. Take this bread and eat it, and
take this cup and drink it, and remember me. And we do, and by
His grace we say, thank you. Thank you. How important it is Gratitude is mentioned among
the most base and terrible evils in God's book. You know Romans
chapter 1 We've looked at that many times. You can read that
if you want to look into that But you remember I thought about
Hosea and Gomer again Gomer his wife Gomer Hosea's
wife had left him and before he found her, you know, she was
a harlot and He married her and loved her. God told him to love
her. And he did. And she, of course,
after a while went back to what she did before. And she left
Hosea. And she began to do badly on
her own. She began to be used up and nobody
cared anything about her anymore. And she would have lacked the
necessities of life. Hosea still loved her and he
would come and leave things for her that she he knew that she
would need at her door and you remember maybe if you know the
story that Gomer would say look what my lovers left for me you
know having no idea that Hosea had done that and what she's
really saying there is I'm still beautiful I'm still I'm still valuable. I'm doing
fine on my own. My lovers value me because I'm
something, you know. When she was absolutely nothing.
If it hadn't been for Hosea, she'd have starved to death.
And this is the story that God told Hosea now, made him experience,
made him live it, to show Hosea something of his love for us. In fact, the way that she said
that, specifically in Hosea 2.12, she said, these are my rewards,
which my lovers have given me. In other words, I've earned this. You see where I'm going here?
Be thankful to God. We are destitute without Him,
and ought to be. We deserve it. If He didn't give
us everything we need, and even much of what we want, just to
make us happy, We would perish. And one of these
days, if he hadn't already, God is going to show us whether he
has to take everything away from us or not. I don't know whether
he'll have to do that or not. But he's going to show us one
way or the other that everything we have is from him. Everything. Everything we have. And we, you know, we fight over
stuff. We brag about our stuff. We get
upset if it gets a scratch on it, you know, because that's
mine, you know, that's mine, you know. No, it's God's. If
He wants to drop a pinecone on it, He'll do that. We get all
bowed up about stuff. We take all kinds of the wrong
pride in the things that we have. We take things for granted. By
God's grace, let's be thankful to Him for what we have. And
I'm preaching to myself. First, And then we need to realize he
gives a whole lot more than just things. Be grateful for the gifts of
God that many most in this world will never have. Never have. Blessings that he provides only
for his own. David said you prepare a table
before me in the presence of my enemies. And that table has
things on it that this world knows not of. We have meat to
eat that this world doesn't know anything about. And David said, I'm thankful
specifically here, and I say David, some say Asaph again.
This says a psalm of Asaph. Some say David wrote it for Asaph
to perform or something. I'm not sure who wrote it, but
it doesn't really matter, does it? God wrote it. God wrote it. His name is near. I'm thankful
that his name is near. What does that mean? Well, it
just means that he is near. His name is who he is, but it
reminds us who he is. His name. You think about his
name. Wonderful is near. Do you feel that? Do you know
that he's near? Wonderful is near. Counselor
is near. I'm glad, aren't you? Because
I need that. I need his advice, his counsel,
his wisdom every hour. He's near. The counselor is near. The mighty God is near. We just
read how what he does prospers. What he sends will perform what
he sent it to perform. I'm glad that God is near, aren't
you? The everlasting father is near,
the one who holds our hand, the one who watches out for us. When
our children were young, there's not a minute that you can take
your eyes off of them, is there? For ten years, you've got your
eyes on those children, and it never gets off of them. And really,
even after that, The Everlasting Father. The Prince
of Peace is near. I'm glad for that, too. In all of his character, in all
of his offices, in all of his attributes, he's near. Jehovah-Jireh,
it's really pronounced Jehovah-Yireh, is near. You know what that means?
Jehovah sees. And in the context that that
name was given, you know what he saw? He saw Abraham about
to plunge a knife into the breast of his own son. He said, hold
on a second, Abraham. I see what's going on here, and
I've provided a lamb for myself. Commentator said that what that
Jehovah sees, it has this inference. He sees to it. He sees the situation
and he provides. He's near. Jehovah Raya, the Lord my shepherd. So you see what this, the thoughts
that this invokes. His name is near in all of his
character. Think about his name and think
about him being his eyes upon us. The very hairs of our head
are numbered by him. He's loved us before we were
ever born. Well, how do you know, David? Well, one way is his wondrous
works. That's the last part of the verse.
His wondrous works declare that. I can see in what he's doing
that he's near and that he is true to his name. He is all these
things. Can you testify to that? He is
the mighty God. I can see that in his works.
He is the Lord who provides, who sees to it. He is the Lord,
our everlasting Father, and He's near. That's just a beautiful
verse. The heavens declare His glory.
I see His wondrous works there, don't you? But also in my very
life, in the very intimate details of my life, working all things
for my good and revealing Christ to me and in me, He continues
to do that. Does that mean anything to you?
Does it mean anything to you? What goes on here in the worship
of God? I can see that it does. Do you
know why it does? Because His name is near. His
wondrous works declare that. Manoah said, the Lord is going
to kill us. And his wife said, no, I don't
believe He will. If He was going to kill us, He
wouldn't have shown us these things. He wouldn't have dealt with us
as he has. You see that in his wondrous works, that he's near
unto us in every sense, not just in physical proximity, but near
a present help in time of trouble. Verse two, when I shall receive
the congregation, I will judge uprightly. Now this may well
be the psalm writer speaking of officiating in some capacity
or other in the worship of God, when I receive the congregation,
then I'm going to judge uprightly. Things are going to be done according
to God. If we're going to judge righteous
judgment, it's going to have to be according to His judgment, because
our ways are not His ways, and our thoughts are not His thoughts.
And so this may be the psalm writer talking about that, but
this is the Lord Jesus Christ. There's no question about that.
And there are three things that we need to see here in this verse.
The congregation is his people. The congregation in the scriptures
when dealt with this way is not just the nation of Israel gathering
together to worship. This is the congregation The
children of Israel is a type of his spiritual church, his
spiritual Israel. And the word church just means
a gathering of people, a congregation. So it's the same thing, he's
talking about his church. And his church is all of his people.
And he receives us in that we all come to him. And there are
various ways he receives us. We come to him for salvation. His word will prosper. My sheep
will hear my voice and they'll do what? Follow me. And what
he'll do? He'll receive us. Receive us
unto himself in salvation. We saw in our Isaiah
study how that God exalts his church in the mountain and all
the nations of the earth will flow unto it. And so he receives
his church. We have a beautiful picture of
this in Luke 15. Let me read it to you. Then drew
near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him.
All of the refuse of this world, the
base and despised, they tended to flock unto him. And the Pharisees
and the scribes murmured, saying, this man receiveth sinners and
eateth with them. They got that one right, didn't
they? Even though they were wrong in their hearts about it. That
what they said was right. He does receive sinners. That's
what that's what our text is talking about. He receives us.
We are received by Christ as a gift from his father. John
17, he said it so many times there, didn't he? And he said
not one of them will be lost. And then the third thing here
in this verse is he will judge uprightly. It is comforting to
God sheep. that God will always do what's
right. We go through this world, there
are many injustices, aren't there? Many things that just make you
flat mad just to see it happen. Injustices and evil things and
oppressions and just wrong. Just everything, everything's
upside down it seems like. But God is on the throne and
he judges uprightly. In his congregation he judges
uprightly. He's calling all the shots, and
He always does what's right, and that's comforting to me.
And I know that is to you too. He doeth all things well. He
judges righteous judgment. You're familiar with John 5.
I'll just read it to you quickly. John 5, 29. As the Father raiseth
up the dead and quickeneth them, even so the Son quickens whom
He will. For the Father judges no man,
but has committed all judgment unto the Son. that all men should
honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He that honors not
the Son honors not the Father which hath sent him. All judgment
is committed unto the Son. So this is the Son of God receiving
His congregation and judging in their midst uprightly. Perfect justice will be done
in the receiving of the congregation and in the rejecting of the wicked. He receives his congregation,
and what does he say to everybody else? Depart from me. There's
another side to it, and both will be done in righteousness
and justice, perfect uprightness. He'll say to some, come and enter
into the joys of thy Lord. Inherit the kingdom. And others he'll say, get out
of my sight. I never knew you. And all will
be done in strict justice. And you might be thinking, well,
no, no, God doesn't give us justice, he gives us mercy. Yes, true,
but he gives us mercy in that we
deserve by nature his wrath. But justice in that in Christ
Jesus we're holy and perfect. And the only way I can go be
with him is if it's right. So we just understand that the
difference there is the Lord Jesus Christ. All are worthy by nature of condemnation
and wrath, but those in Christ Jesus are justified and received
because of his righteousness, because of his sin offering on
their behalf. The difference between sinners
is not a decision that they make, as we see here and everywhere
we've looked in God's Word. The difference between sinners
is the same as it always has been. What was the difference
way back in ancient times? When I see the blood. The difference is the blood.
When I see the blood, I'll pass over you. And wherever I don't
see the blood, it's going to be death. It's the same now. The blood
of Christ is the difference. Verse three, the earth and all
the inhabitants thereof are dissolved. Now this is speaking in past
tense, but he's speaking concerning the last time. And we'll see
that as we, as we look through this, he's talking about Receiving
his congregation. This is pretty much the same
thing. We saw in Isaiah, isn't it? God is in the saving business
He's on the throne and he's in the saving business and he's
exalted his church in these last time to accomplish that purpose
of saving his sheep That's what he said. All authority is given
to me now you go preach because that's how I'm gonna save him
And that's what we see in here he's gonna judge up rightly in
his congregation and the The earth and all the inhabitants
thereof are dissolved. I bear up the pillars of it.
Sela or Paul that's a pause in the song for meditation. Now this as I said it seems to
be speaking of the last time when the congregation now is
received ultimately there's another sense in which we are received
at the last time all of his congregation he's going to say to the north
give up and to the south hold not back. And the East and the
West and His people from all kindreds and nations and tribes
and tongues under heaven are going to all finally, once and
for all, be in the fold, brought home, saved, redeemed, and regenerated,
and soon to be glorified, soon to be changed. And you see the
language here. When that happens, when the congregation
is ultimately, consummately received, then what happens next? Everything
else gets burned up. We see that in 2 Peter chapter
3. You remember that? They're going
to scoff in the last day. Where's the promise of his coming?
He's not coming back. And Peter said, you know why he's not coming
back? Because he's not going to let one of his sheep perish.
That's why. And when the last one comes in, then what? The
earth's going to melt with a fervent heat. He's going to wrap this
thing up and burn it all up. That's what we see in here. He's
going to receive his congregation. And then he's gonna dissolve
this thing. This earth will have served its
purpose. He promised to burn it up and make a new one, a new
heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness. And that's
what he's gonna do. The last part of this verse where
he says, I hold up the pillars thereof, that may indicate that
the earth will not be done away with entirely, that this earth
won't be completely demolished. And he'd create a new one out
of nothing like he did this one. But it may be destroyed or dissolved
in the sense that it was in the beginning when it became without
form and void. And that he may from the old
one, from the form of the old one, after he's dissolved everything
on it, he may make a new one from that form. That may be what
he's talking about. He's going to hold the pillars
of it while he dissolves it. He's not going to let it completely
be. Or it can just be a declaration of the fact that this world is
in the hands of Christ. And he's gonna do what he wants
to do with it. He's gonna dissolve it when he's good and ready.
I tend to think that. I don't know for sure how he'll
do it. When I was a child, we had Play-Doh. I'm sure all y'all
had Play-Doh. Come in different colors and
you could make things out of it. And I would make a dog or
something. And I would play around with that. And I'd get tired
of that and I'd just destroy it. and make something different
out of it. Well, God's got a little more
purpose behind what he does, but I'll tell you this, he's
gonna do what he's gonna do with this world just as easily, and
for the same basic reason. You know what that is? You know
why I did that? Because I wanted to. I was tired of that one. I'd had enough of that, and I
was wanting to do something different. That's what God's gonna do with
the world. That's who we're dealing with now. God reminds us in this
book often now. He's God. We have, our problem
by nature is we have too small of thoughts of God and way too
big thoughts of man. But this book corrects that,
doesn't it? And of course the latter is certainly
true. Whether he maintains the same basic structure of the earth
or not, He made it to begin with and He can dispose of it as it
pleases Him. Revelation 4.11, Thou art worthy,
O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power, for Thou hast
created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created. And when He's pleased, He'll
destroy it however He wants to do that. And He'll either completely
dissolve this earth and make a whole new one out of nothing,
like He did before, or He'll save the main form of it Created
all new. And listen to verse four now.
I said unto the fools, deal not foolishly. And to the wicked,
lift not up the horn. Lift not up your horn on high.
Speak not with a stiff neck. God is gracious to give warnings,
isn't he? He warns sinners. He tells us
what's gonna happen. He's gonna receive his people.
And everybody else, there's the elect and the rest. And then
when he's received his people, he's going to burn everything
else up. And he's saying, now, seeing that's true, don't you
be a fool. Don't you be a fool. He's the judge. He judges up
rightly. Don't be a fool. Read his word
and obey his word and acknowledge his word and trust his word and
trust him and bow to him and come to him for life. God is
gracious to warn us. Speak not on high with a stiff
neck. I want to look at that last part
first. Speak not with a stiff neck. Speak not. You know why
God gave his law? Paul said in Romans chapter three,
so that you'd shut up. So that I'd shut up. So that
every mouth might be stopped and all the world become guilty
before God. God's Word says we're guilty.
Now he said, now you shut up and acknowledge it. Confess it. Yes, Lord. You're a dog and it
wouldn't be right for me to have mercy on you. Truth, Lord. That's
called stopping your mouth with regard to your excuses and you're
talking about your wonderful work. Just shut it. And acknowledge your guilt before
God. That's what he's saying here now. When you deny what
you are before God, you speak about your works and your goodness,
and I've kept all these from my youth up, and all this nonsense. You're speaking with a stiff
neck because you're speaking in rebellion against the truth
of God, which is contrary to your words. You're speaking foolishly. And he warns us against that
now. He's kind to do that. The horn, of course, is power.
The horn of an animal signifies its power. They fight with their
horns. He's saying, don't flaunt your
so-called power. And you may very well have actual
power or authority in this world, but you have it from God. Don't
be proud in it. Don't be defiant in it and with
it. Why not? Verse six, for promotion
cometh neither from the east nor from the west nor from the
south. It doesn't come from this world. You're not where you are because
of who you are. You're where and what you are because of God. God is the judge, verse 7. He putteth down one and setteth
up another like they're little army men, like they're chess
pieces. Now that's not all we are to
God, you understand that? That's just a picture though,
you see that? He can knock one down and set one up. That's His
power that's being expressed there. Didn't God warn Pharaoh this
way? Don't rebel, don't flaunt your imagined power. He said,
you let my people go, you hear what I say and do it. And don't
miss the fact that the whole issue there was what? Why did
God say that to Pharaoh? Why did he challenge the authority
of Pharaoh and show him that in reality he had no power? All
in the salvation of his people. That's the context of the whole
thing. It still is. It's the context of this whole
thing. The whole business with God here.
Why does he have an earth? Why are there people on it? Because God's in the saving business
of saving his people. He's going to honor his son by
making a marriage for him. And he told Pharaoh, Pharaoh
said, who's God? I'm God around here. And God
said, even for this purpose, I raised you up that I might
show my power in you. That's the issue, and it always
has been. In the context of God saving
his people, the issue is who's God and who's not. I raised you up, and I'll put
you down. And that's what he did, and raised
up somebody else in his place. God raised up Nebuchadnezzar,
you remember Nebuchadnezzar? That said, look at this great
kingdom that I've built, and God turned him into an animal.
didn't change him he just let him go so he could see what he was already
but God put Nebuchadnezzar he raised him up and then he put
him down and then he lifted him up again how gracious is that
and Nebuchadnezzar knew that God had been gracious to him
he said now I extol the king of heaven he knows how to abase
those that are in pride And he's restored my kingdom to me by
his grace. But he wasn't the same Nebuchadnezzar
anymore after God put him down for a while, was he? Now this
is what God does in the whole matter of saving his people. He settles the issue of who is
on the throne. who's calling the shots. That's
the title of the message. He is the judge. He's the one that calls the shots.
He's the one that decides every matter. Thumbs up or thumbs down. Is he gonna raise you up or is
he gonna put you down? Pilate thought he had some power.
He said, don't you know I have power to crucify you or let you
go? And the Lord set him right, didn't he? Set him straight.
You have, how much power did he say Pilate had? No power at
all. That's how much you have too,
and me. He said, whatever authority you
have in this world is given to you by my Father. John 17 to The Lord Jesus prayed
unto the Father, you've given me power over all flesh. And
what's it all about? Christ is exalted and we're put
in the dust. He's seen to be the judge and
we're seen to be worms. And what's it all about? That
he should give eternal life. It's about him saving the people.
That's what it's always been about. That he should give eternal
life to as many as thou hast given him. God is the judge. Promotion doesn't come from the
East or the West or from the South, but God is the judge. He put us down one and set us
up another. God decides the case. When man
says, well, it's up to you, that's foolish talk. Don't be a fool,
God said, don't be a fool. Don't you talk, don't you speak
with a stiff neck now. That's all that is. You're rebelling
against the truth. It's not up to you. Nothing's
up to you. Nothing's ever been up to you
and it's not ever going to be up to you. Don't be a fool. In salvation, God will lift up
one and put down another as he's pleased. What he does
in this world in authority and setting up kings and princes
and putting them down and nations and putting them down is just
a picture of salvation. Everything has to do with the
salvation of his people. He's going to lift one up off
the dunghill. You know who he said he'd raise up and put down?
He said, I'll exalt the humble and the proud. I'm going to put
them down. Everything he says ought to cause
us To do one thing, bow, bow, submit. Bow and inquire his throne. Come to him for mercy. Believe
him and come to him and sue for mercy. He'll lift up one and
put down the other. He raises the beggar off the
dunghill, David said, and sets him among princes. But he resisted
the proud. He finds Pharaoh on his throne
shaking his fist and spitting up at God. It don't take him long. He'll lift up one to glory and
he'll put one down to hell and he does so at his sovereign discretion. Verse 8, for in the hand of the
Lord there's a cup and the wine is red, it's full of mixture.
He pours out of the same but the dregs thereof all the wicked
of the earth shall wring them out and drink them God's wrath
is referred to in the scripture as a cup and look in the book
of Revelation. There's a couple of references
there where that's Seen and that's what we have here the cup of
his wrath the cup of his judgment is he talking about judgment
in the context here but this is this is a The wrath side of
it, I believe, the cup, the wine is red, it's full of mixture.
He pours it out, and the wicked, you notice the righteous aren't
mentioned here at all, his people aren't mentioned here at all
in this verse. The wicked are gonna drink it, and it's not
saying just the dregs, it's saying all the way down to the dregs.
They're gonna drink all of it, and every bit of it, down to
the last dreg, they're gonna drink it. They must drink it. But rather
than talk too much about his wrath and condemnation and judgment
in that sense here, let's see the mercy of God here. Because
we know something about somebody drinking a cup, don't we? Our
Lord, when he was bearing my sin and my shame, I want us to
look at it, John 18. John 18 verse 3. And I want to read quite a bit
of the context of the particular verse that's referenced in our
text because I want us to see more
of our text in this about who he is, who this is that we have
to do with. Verse 3, Judas then, having received
a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees,
cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons. He was
in the garden praying for us, interceding for us, and had already
begun, I believe, to bear our reproach. And Jesus therefore,
knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth and
said unto them, Whom seek ye? And they answered him, Jesus
of Nazareth. And Jesus saith unto them, I
am. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them. As soon
as he had said unto them, I am, they went backward and fell to
the ground. Then asked he them again, whom seek ye? He let them
get up off the ground and dust themselves off. And then he said,
who are you looking for now? After he had established who's
the judge, who's doing this, who's in control of this, no
man takes my life from me. I give it. I give it for my sheep. I lay down my life for my sheep
and they shall never perish. This is why we're not ever going
to perish right here because of who this is and what he did
here. I've told you that I am verse
8. They said Jesus of Nazareth verse
7. He said I told you that I am if therefore you seek me let
these go their way. You're not taking both. What
a beautiful picture that is of substitution. Let these go, if
you're going to take me, they're going free. And that's what happened
in every sense. That the saying might be fulfilled,
which he spake, of them which thou gavest me, I've lost none.
Oh boy, that's not talking about them dying in prison or dying
by the swords of these soldiers, is it? I've lost none. He's not
going to lose a woman. Then Simon Peter, having a sword,
drew it and smote the high priest's servant and cut off his right
ear. The servant's name was Malchus.
Then said Jesus unto Peter, put up your sword into the sheath,
and listen to this beautiful phrase here, this beautiful word,
the cup which my father hath given me, shall I not drink it? Our text says the wicked are
gonna drink the cup of God's wrath, but wait a minute, I'm
wicked. Yeah, but there's somebody that drank the
cup of God's wrath in the place of people like you. If you're
a wicked, vile, wretched sinner, and you know that that cup is
for you, it's got your name on it. And you're going to have
to drink every bit of it, and then when you get to the bottom,
you're going to have to wring out the dregs and drink what comes out
of that. Because you richly deserve it. You're so vile and wretched,
you deserve every drop of it. But there's somebody that drank
it for sinners like you. Shall I not? Shall I not? And then, of course, they took
him and bound him and led him away to do what his will and
counsel determined before to be done. And what's it all about? Saving his people. And in that
context, in that whole matter, what's he showing? Who's in charge? Who's calling the shots? Some
are going to live, some are going to die. Some are going to drink
that cup, and some are not. Who decides? The judge does.
The judge. Verse 9, but I'm going to declare
this forever, David said, or Asaph 1. I'll sing praises to
the God of Jacob. He's going to receive his congregation.
And the rest is going to all be burned up. For he has a cup. that must be drunk. Now somebody's
going to drink it. Either you're going to drink
that cup or your representative drank it in that garden that
we just read about right there. He began to drink it there. And
the psalmist here is saying, I'm just going to keep saying
it. I'm just going to declare it forever. I'm going to keep
saying that he's the judge. I'm going to keep saying, don't
be a fool. I'm going to keep saying, don't you dare rebel
against him. You submit, you bow, and you
obey. You believe Him. You come to Him. I'm gonna sing
praises to the God of Jacob. I'm gonna keep saying that God
is God and you're not. I'm gonna keep saying that salvation
is His work and not yours. I'm gonna keep saying that everything's
up to Him and it's not up to you. I'm gonna keep saying that
over and over. I'm gonna keep saying it's His power, not your
power. I'm gonna keep saying it's not
of Him that willeth, nor of Him that striveth, but of God that
showeth mercy. He's the judge. And he said,
I'm just going to keep saying it. And literally forever. Forever. Because what are we going to
be saying there? We're going to be attributing all power and
salvation unto Him forever and ever. Literally. People say literally
all the time. I don't think that word means
what they think it means. But this is literal. Forever. We're going to be attributing
salvation unto the God of heaven. Men won't do that now. Unless
they're part of his congregation. I'm just going to keep saying
it forever and ever. Salvation and honor. Power unto
the Lamb. Throughout all eternity. The
God of Jacob. Did you see that in the text
there? I'll sing the praises. I'll sing
praises to the God of Jacob. You know why he's referred to
that way? That's to comfort you bunch of worms, because Jacob
was a worm. And God said, I'm your God. Don't
be afraid. I'm going to save you. I'm glad he's the God of Jacob,
aren't you? The God of worms like us, the
God of the wretched. I'll sing praises to him. In
verse 10, all the horns of the wicked also will I cut off, but
the horns of the righteous shall be exalted. I understand that
first part, don't you? Of course, God, he's not going
to have any rivals. All who presume to have power
will be seen to be the grasshoppers that they are. He's going to
make every enemy his footstool. Everyone that rebels is going
to be crushed under his feet. But then, the righteous shall
be exalted? Well, why would he exalt us? Is that sinners? Well, yeah. But primarily, that's his son.
There's just one righteous, but there are those by his grace
who are put in him. Of him are you in Christ Jesus,
who is made into us all we need. And why would he exalt us? I
don't know why, but I know how. And it's in our text from recently
on Sunday morning. Listen to Ephesians 2, 4, and
I'm through. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great
love wherewith he loved us. And right before that, you know
what it said, don't you? You were one whose name was on that
cup before. The cup of God's wrath was for
you. You're by nature a child of wrath, even as others, but
God, but God did something about it. And because he's rich in
mercy and because his love is great, For his great love, wherewith
he loved us even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened
us together with Christ. By grace are you saved, and hath
raised us up together. That's what our text says. The
righteous will be exalted. He raised us up together and
made us sit in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. I love that
word together. Paul said it in Romans 8, I believe,
if we suffer with him, We're going to reign with him. He's
going to exalt us together. And he made us sit together and
talking past tense here like it's done. Made us sit together
in heavenly places in Christ Jesus that in the ages to come,
he might show the exceeding riches of his grace and his kindness
toward us. He didn't raise it up, raise us up to show everybody
and everything how great we are, but to show everybody and everything
how merciful he is. And that's what we're going to
sing. And we're going to sing his praises. The psalmist said, I'll sing
the praise of the God of Jacob. And that's what we're going to
do from the very right hand of God where we sit together in
Christ Jesus. The exceeding riches of his grace
and his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. Amen. Let's pray.