Maybe we can get all the way
through it. When you go verse by verse through
the Word of God, you find many unexpected treasures. If the Lord is pleased to reveal
them, we're not going to find anything unless the Lord is pleased.
But there are verses and passages of scripture that are well known
and very familiar for whatever reason. And there aren't any
of them in this psalm. But it's a beautiful, instructive
psalm. And I pray the Lord will bless
it to us this evening. Oh God, why hast thou cast us
off forever? Why doth thine anger smoke against
the sheep of thy pasture. This verse seems to be in the
language of a little child. I don't know if you thought about
that when we read it. But God doesn't cast his people
off at all, much less forever. But a child might talk that way.
You just don't love me. You hate me, or you would let
me do what I want to do, or you wouldn't keep me from You would
buy that for me if you didn't hate me. You hear that? Because the parent refuses to
give the child something that it wants or refuses to let the
child do something that's dangerous or maybe bad for them in some
way, we react like that. Lord, you've just cast me off
forever. Why have you cast me off forever? Well, the very question
answers itself, doesn't it? We're the sheep of his pasture.
That answers the question, has God cast us off? It may seem
at times to us that he has because we can't feel his presence or
maybe we just don't see any evidence of his favor for whatever reason
in our lives. There's certainly nothing in
this world that's gonna make us feel anything good from the
Lord, but we don't go to this world for comfort. We have his word. We may feel
this way, but we have his word. Feelings come and feelings go
and feelings are deceiving. Our warrant is the word of God.
Nought else is worth believing. And that's just a good little
poem to remember. Feelings come and go, but God's
word is forever. Read John 10 again sometime.
We're the sheep of his pasture. He's the good shepherd. Now he's
not a hireling that leaves the sheep at the first sign of danger,
or just because he's got better things to do. He gives his life
for the sheep. So David, in the very act of
complaint here, Acknowledges that we're his sheep if we're
his sheep We shall not want he knows that and I say David that
this may be a psalm of Asaph it says that sometimes that's
unclear Some think that it was written for Asaph and things
like that. I don't know for sure who the author of the psalm is
but This complaint it reminds me of the disciples and on that
ship when the storm arose and they were afraid for their lives.
The Lord was asleep in the back of the ship and they woke him
up saying, carest thou not that we perish? That's like a little
child isn't it? Like a little child. I never
really thought of this before but who do they think brought
the storm? I've looked into this that very
passage quite a bit, and I never really thought about it. While
he's asleep, who's running the universe? The Lord Jesus Christ,
he was asleep as a man, but there's a sense in which he never sleeps.
Without him was not anything made that was made, and he upholds
all things by the word of his power. Where do they think that
storm came from? Satan? That's what religion might
suggest. Nothing happens in Christ's world
that Christ didn't do it. Is there evil in a city and the
Lord hadn't done it? Scripture asks. It doesn't matter
what it is. The Lord is the first cause of
all things. And so can he sleep and run the
universe at the same time? I reckon he can do that. He's
the God-man. And there he was, I always think
about this when I think of that passage. There he was of all
the places that God's son could have been. There he is on that
little ship with that handful of childish men. And yet they questioned his love
for them. And that's just us, isn't it?
We're children. Can we admit that? They were in the safest
place in the world and just didn't know it. And so are we, and neither do
we know it. That's just the truth, isn't
it? We're in his hand. There's not any place safer than
that. Oh, God. Open our eyes that we may see. David said in Psalm 37, I've
been young and I'm old now. I've never seen God's people
forsaken or begging bread. Not one time. I've worried about
it a lot, and I'm sure David did too, but I've never seen
it. Have you? Verse two, remember
thy congregation which thou has purchased of old. You see David
here, he's, or Asaph or whoever wrote this, He's saying, Lord, you've cast
us off, and yet we're your sheep. You purchased us. He's contradicting
himself, isn't he? In a sense, the rod of that inheritance,
which thou hast redeemed. This Mount Zion, wherein thou
hast dwelt, you purchased us, you redeemed us. What did he
purchase us with? And will he now let us go? Will
he now cast us off if he purchased us? With his own precious blood,
he that spared not his own son, how shall he not with him also
freely give us all things? He redeemed us not with corruptible
things, but with his own precious blood as of a lamb without blemish
and without spot. So how can we entertain any idea
that he would cast us off? In Acts chapter 20, Paul charged
the elders at Ephesus this way. He said, feed the church of God,
which he has purchased with his own blood. That's a dear price. He said, I'll never leave you,
nor forsake you. Verse three, lift up thy feet
unto the perpetual desolations. even all that the enemy hath
done wickedly in the sanctuary. This is a prayer for God to come
and see. Lift up thy feet, come our way,
come, get up and come and see and look and do something about
this, the perpetual desolations that the enemy has brought upon
the people of God. Now you know this enemy was very
real and tangible. God's people are still hated
just the same. We still have enemies just the
same, but they're not as obvious now, are they? Our Lord said our enemies will
be they of our own household. And that evil men and seducers
will creep in unawares. It was pretty obvious what was
going on here. But do we recognize our enemy? That's the question.
Our sin, our own evil nature, our own hearts. And those who hate our Lord Jesus
Christ, evil in the sanctuary. Do you notice that there? They've
done wickedly in the sanctuary. And it is a perpetual thing,
he said. The desolations are perpetual. It's constant. And
this is a great picture, or a great picture of this is when our Lord,
when he went into the temple that day and they were buying
and selling and conducting man's business and profit. That's what
they're doing now. They may think they're being
more subtle about it, but there's all things you can buy now in
so-called churches. And just the very basis upon
which they operate is one of profitability. But he drove them
out that day. You remember that? We studied
that at one time. And when he did that, when our
Lord drove the money changers out of the temple, he didn't
show us that, hey, I'm gonna finally do something about this.
This has been going on long enough. I'm finally gonna do something
about it. No, he's showing us what he's always doing. You understand
that? There is never a moment in which
our Lord's zeal for his house ever wanes. It never fall, it
never is let down. His attention to his church is
never less than it is at any other time. He just showed us
a physical picture of what he's always doing. He always directs
the business of his house. And he conducts it as he pleases.
He cares as much about what goes on in his place of worship right
now as he did that day. That he drove them out with a
whip, he planted a whip. There's nothing wrong with us
praying that the Lord will do something that we believe will
glorify him if we have specific problems in the church, but never
think that he is neglectful of his house. It's not true. I've seen him remove trouble
a few times in my day, just like he did that day, and just as
effectively, haven't you? He'll get rid of you if he needs
to, if he wants to, and me too. He conducts the business in his
house, that's the point. But we do cry, we see trouble,
we see problems, we see evil, we see ourselves not what we
ought to be. And we say, Lord, help. And that's perfectly, perfectly
good. Verse four, thine enemies roar
in the midst of thy congregations, they set up their incense for
signs. Now, Satan is the one running
that business, but We know we're all susceptible to that. Don't
ever forget that our Lord called the Apostle Peter Satan at one
time. But Satan runs that campaign, and he knows where the battle's
fought, doesn't he? It's in the congregation. It's
in the church. That's what the word church means,
a congregation of people. And if he can, if Satan, he knows
now, if he can disrupt the worship, if he can take away the true
gospel, if he can get our minds off of the one thing needful,
he knows that's his only chance. He's no fool in that sense. If
he can set us to arguing over words instead of rejoicing in
Christ Jesus and uniting to further his ministry, then we're out
of business and he knows it. It's in the congregation. That's
where it'll happen. Satan was doing this before we
were born. That's why our Lord said, be
wise as serpents now. Be able to recognize. Try the
spirit. Be harmless as doves. We're not
wise in the same way Satan is wise to destroy. Let's be wise
to heal and to beware and to avoid and to flat do something
about it when it needs to be done. Harmless as does, but wise
as serpents. And then I want to look at verses
five through eight together. Let's read them. A man was famous according as
he had lifted up axes upon the thick trees. That's to build
the temple. We're talking about the congregation,
the temple, the worship, the sanctuary. That's what he's been
talking about. And at one time, you know, boy, you remember how
everyone rallied to build that thing and gave, you know, generously. The Lord gave a spirit of giving
an industry in order to build the temple and craftsmen. He's skilled craftsmen. He told
him he designed that thing and told him exactly what to do and
gave him the skill to do it. But now, verse six, they break
down the carved work there of it once with axes and hammers,
the axes and hammers that used to build Now are destructive. It's the spirit of the thing
you see it's it's a change in attitude. It's a change in heart.
They have cast fire into that sanctuary verse 7. They have
to file by casting down the dwelling place of the name to the ground.
And you know what the difference is, you know, it's the difference
between you and I building and you and I tearing down the grace
of God. That's what it is. The spirit
of his grace. We'll take the same hammer that
we built this place with and we'll tear it down if he lets
us. If he lets us go, if he leaves us alone. These verses say how that it
was once true that building up the place of worship and doing
skilled work for the Lord was seen to be good and desirable.
But now there's been a change. It's destruction. It's tearing
down. And the lesson here is simple.
There are those who build up and there are those who tear
down. And those who build up may, if we take for granted God's
grace, we may end up being the ones that tear down. But there
are those that build up and there are those that tear down. I think
in spiritual terms now, it says in verse seven, they've cast
fire into the sanctuary. And I'm sure that was literal
then and there. But the word of God says the
tongue is a fire. I've seen that fire in the sanctuary,
haven't you? The destructive tongue. James
said, the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. So is the tongue
among our members that it defile up the whole body and seteth
on fire the course of nature and is set on fire of hell. I've seen fire cast into the
sanctuary in this sense. A lot of work goes in to the
ministry of the Lord. on the part of a lot of people.
And you who have been here for years know that. It would just
take a little while to burn it down, wouldn't it? Just a little
while. Maybe we should cry out to God
before that happens instead of after. That's what I think. I think we always, and I believe
we do, I pray that we all do, never take it for granted and
cry out that the Lord would preserve us and keep us. Or we'll be the
very one, the ones that built will be the ones that tear down.
And it's not buildings we're talking about. It's not buildings. It's the work of God, the gospel,
the ministry of God's saving grace. Look ahead at verse 12.
What's God doing? What are we building? What's
this all about? What are we doing? Just building buildings. No,
he said in verse 12, my God, God is my king of old, and here's
what he's doing, what are we doing? I hope we're doing the
same thing, working salvation in the midst of the earth. God's
saving his people in this world, that's what he's doing. We don't need a bunch of buildings
to do that, we need just a place to meet, where a voice can go
forth, because that's how God does it, that's how he saves
his people. It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching
to save them. Through faith, by his grace through faith. And
so we just need an auditorium, auditory, a place where we can
hear. And that's the work. And here's
the question, are we in on that? Are we in on that? This is what God's in the business
of doing. We're not just building, building.
God is the king. And he's in the business of saving
his people, and by his grace, I believe we're in on it. And
how we want to see that work built up, and let's pray. This is what the psalmist is
doing, praying about it. Lord, he's crying out here after
the fact. Let's pray now, Lord, don't let
it ever be torn down. Build us up, increase us, make
us successful. This world doesn't know what
a successful gospel ministry is, but we do by His grace, don't
we? And it's not about money. It's
about the power of God unto salvation. The gospel. Verse nine, we see
not our signs, there's no more any profit. That's the main thing
I want to see in this verse. Neither is there among us any
that knoweth how long. Just a word here. Lord don't
take away your profit. And there are no true prophets
now. I don't know anybody that pretends to be a prophet that
say anything for God. But this represents God spokesman.
Whoever God has speaking for him. Then it was the prophets. And I know a place or two where
there once were prophets and they're not any anymore. And
I'll tell you this. You can hear in the language
of this psalm that that's a very undesirable thing, that that's
a disaster. Let me tell you firsthand, that's
a disaster. That's what that is. Just like
this verse expresses. And there are many places in
this world where there are sheep, but no bishop, no under shepherd,
no prophet, no preacher. And so we pray, we pray for God's
grace in that too, don't we? Verse 10, O God, how long shall
the adversary reproach? Shall the enemy blaspheme thy
name forever? Why withdrawest thou thy hand,
even thy right hand? Pluck it out of thy bosom. You
see the picture here, it's as though God has withdrawn his
hand, he's hiding it in his bosom in the psalmist is saying, Lord.
Bring your hand. That's all that has to happen.
I like that aspect of this verse. Don't you? He knows that all
God's got to do. If he exerts his right hand,
which is his power. Everything changes. Everything
changes. I like that we understand the
desire to see things set right, don't we? This this psalmist
he sees in the worship of God in the ministry of God in the
work of God in the temple in in the furtherance of what God
is doing in saving his people in this world. There are setbacks,
there are troubles, there's destruction. There are those who are the problem
instead of part of the solution. But God, he's on the throne and he's the
king. And so we cry unto him. Now,
may he use us to do what we know to do. to stay the course and
to correct what needs to be corrected in a scriptural way if that's
what happens and needs to be done. But we got to cry out to
God like this psalmist here. This has got to mean something
to us enough to cry to him. Because what we need is just
God to do what God does. That's what we need. And whether
he uses us or don't use us, we need his right hand, we need
his power. We're surrounded by those who
blaspheme. We enjoy his blessing here to
a great degree. And as I say, let's cry out before
we see destruction instead of after. But we are surrounded, we see
in this world the same issues that are being dealt with here. They surround us and we're not
unaffected by that. We see even many that we love
being destroyed by the enemy. You see that? Those who blaspheme want us to
join them. I get things all the time, emails or things in the
mail. Join up with us, you know. We're gonna do something for
God. They want us to join them. You know what we want? We want
God to put them out of business. That's what we want. Let me just
make no bones about it. That's what the psalmist is praying.
God, just put them out of business. If they're lying on you, if they're
blaspheming your name, if they're saying your precious blood was
shed to try to do something that's not gonna happen, put them out of business. I like how he, let me just say
again before we leave this verse, I like how he acknowledges that
all God has to do is move his hand in our direction, he'll
make it all go away. May it be important unto us enough
to cry to God about it. The withdrawing of God's hand
is trouble and desolation. That's why we talk that way.
We don't make up things. We get that from the scripture
when we say God's taken his hand off this nation. He has. Just look at it. And we pray,
Lord, pluck your hand out of your bosom. and make things right. And if he stretches his hand
forth, this world doesn't know anything
about a God like that. All he's got to do is just stretch
forth his power. He turns the hearts of kings
with that hand. He upholds the universe with
that hand. He calms the storm with it. He saved the Apostle
Peter with it when he was sinking in the wave, and he still saves
sinners with that hand. Oh God, don't withdraw your hand
from us. His power, Paul said that the
gospel is the power of God unto salvation. That's God moving
his hand when the gospel's preached. His right hand. Verse 12, for God is my king
of old, and his work in salvation. What's God doing? Would you characterize
the world that way? If you look at this world and
say, what in the world is God doing today? Would the first
thing that popped in your head be saving sinners? Probably not,
unless you know God's word. But that's exactly what God's
doing. He's gonna save his remnant. That's what he's doing right
now, saving his people. And he's the king, he's on his
throne. This ought to be a comfort to
our hearts now. Because we see the same things
the psalmist sees, and we're troubled by them just like he
is. But God is the king, and he's my king, and he always has
been. He was my king before I knew
it, before I owned him as king. He's my king of old. And now
I know it. Now I pledge my allegiance to
it. But he's always been my king, and he's always worked salvation
in the midst of this earth, and that's what he's doing now. Why
does this world go on as it does? How long, Lord? I'll tell you
how long. You know how long? Turn to 2 Peter chapter three. You know, you're familiar with
this, I know, but it's sure good to read sometime and remember. 2 Peter chapter three, verse three. knowing this first that there
shall come in the last day scoffers walking after their own loss
and saying where is the promise of his coming the Lord's not
coming you're you're a bunch of fanatics you don't know what
you're talking about for since the father's fell asleep all
these things continue as they were from the beginning of the
creation look at the mess the world then he not doing anything
about it he's not coming back he doesn't care that they're
willingly ignorant they are judging things by this world and not
by the truth of God. What they are ignorant of is
that by the Word of God the heavens were of old and the earth standing
out of the water and in the water. Whereby the world that then was
being overflowed with water perished. They thought God wasn't going
to do anything about it then either. The imagination of man's heart
was only evil continually. And it looked like God wasn't
going to do anything about it then until He did. But the heavens
and the earth which are now by the same word are kept in store,
just like the end. He's upholding this universe
by the word of his power. It looks like he's absent, but
don't be fooled. Don't be deceived. And it's reserved
under fire against the day of judgment and the perdition of
ungodly men. How long? Just as long as he
pleases, that's how long. But beloved, be not ignorant
of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand
years and a thousand years as a day. Seem like a long time
to us. It's not that long. God said it's not. Just a day
or two, just a few days is all it's been. And the Lord's not
slack concerning his promise. Look to his promise. Don't look
at this world. Don't look in your own heart.
Look to his promise. He's not slack, as some men count
slackness, but I'll tell you what he is. He's long-suffering. If he wasn't, he'd have burned
this thing up a long time ago. And if he'd have burned it up,
not even that long ago, I'd have gone to hell. But my Lord is
long-suffering to usward. And he is not willing that any
of us, not one of his sheep will ever perish, but that all should come to repentance.
That's what God's doing in this world right now. He's bringing
his sheep home. And you know what? Until he gets
done, I'm just fine, aren't you? We'll be all right. I can wait,
can you? I can wait on him to do that.
by his grace. But the day of the Lord will
come. It will come. And it will come unexpected as
a thief in the night in which the heavens shall pass away with
a great noise and the elements shall melt with fervent heat
and the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned
up. And seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved,
what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conduct
in Godliness? Let's think and speak and act
according to the promises of God. Because he's not slack. And thank God for his gracious,
long-suffering mercy. Let's just be comforted. in the
fact that God is king and he's in the saving business. That's
what the psalmist said. He's working salvation in this
earth and when he's done he will dispose of this earth and make
a new one. And no enemy is going to tear
anything down in that earth because there won't be any enemy in that
earth. Nothing can enter in that defileth. There's no darkness there because
the Lamb is the light thereof. He's the light of the world now
in the darkness of this world, but there won't be any darkness
then where we're going to be in that new world. But even now,
God is saving His people and none can stay His hand. He's
the King. That's what it means to be King.
Nobody can stop Him. Nobody can question Him. He makes
everything beautiful. He does it in His time now, in
His time. And by God's grace, let me say,
let me be, I know this is his grace, but that's fine with me.
That's fine with me. Verses 13 through 15, verse 74,
chapter 74. You did divide the sea by your
strength. You breakest the heads of the
dragons in the waters. Now this might not jump out at
you right away, but can you, you know what he's talking about
there? It took me a, got a little help on there. That's talking
about, God delivering his people from Egypt. It's kind of obvious
once you see it, isn't it? He divided the sea. He broke
the heads of the dragons in the water. That's Pharaoh and his
armies. Broke their heads in the waters.
Thou breakest the heads of Leviathan in pieces and gavest him to be
meat to the people inhabiting the wilderness. Thou didst cleave
the fountain and the flood. Thou driest up mighty rivers. Deliverance of people out of
Egypt, and whenever you think about that, don't forget the
blood. You know what part of the Red
Sea? The power of the blood, that's what. That's what broke
Pharaoh. The blood of the lamb. God said,
when I see it, I'll pass over you. But it's not gonna go well
with everybody else. And that's what broke the head.
of the dragon right there, the blood. Christ and him crucified. Verse 16, the day is thine, the
night also is thine. Thou hast prepared the light
and the sun. Thou hast set all the borders of the earth. Thou
hast made summer and winter. The psalmist is complaining and
yet in the same psalm he's comforting himself. Acknowledging that God
is on the throne. There is nothing more comfortable,
comforting to the people of God than knowing that God directs
all things from his throne. The day is his, the night is
his, the night is light to him. There's no hiding. There's nothing
that escapes him. There's no injustice that he
misses somehow. He's the king of creation and
all this has spiritual teaching for us. He causes the light to
shine where he will. He caused light to shine on Saul
of Tarsus, one of the darkest hearts walking his earth, if
not the darkest in that day. But he shined his light and it
was daytime. Summer and winter are in his
hand. We've enjoyed some summer and
we've endured some winter. But it's the Lord, let him do
what seemeth him good. Verse 18, remember this, that the enemy
hath reproached, oh Lord. The Lord's not gonna forget that. But we pray, and that's fine,
that's fine. Lord, remember. And that the
foolish people have blasphemed thy name. Don't let that go by,
don't, don't. The Lord knows, he knows the
heart, we don't even know the half of the blasphemies and evil
And we don't know the half of how much he loves us. We state
the situation as we see it, but let's rely on God to do what's
right. Deliver not the soul of that
turtle dove unto the multitude of the wicked. That's why I say
we don't know the half of how much he loves us. He's not gonna
let you go. He's saying don't deliver the
soul of your precious one to the wicked. Forget not the congregation
of that poor forever. He never has for a moment, much
less forever. Have respect unto the covenant. There's the key right there.
In this passage, verses 18 through 23, all the way through there
now, let's read the rest of it, but I want you to see that the
very central Everything revolves in this last
passage around that right there. Have respect unto the covenant.
For the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of
cruelty. Oh, let not the oppressed return
ashamed. Let the poor and needy praise
thy name. In other words, have respect
unto thy covenant. Remember that you've promised
mercy for the poor. Blessed are the poor in spirit.
Arise, O God, plead thine own cause. Remember how the foolish
man reproacheth thee daily. Forget not the voice of thine
enemies, the tumult of those that rise up against thee increaseth
continually. In all of these pleadings there
is that one key phrase, Lord have respect unto the covenant. All my salvation And all my desire,
David said. You think about the magnitude
of that. All of my salvation, all of my hope, all my desire,
everything that means anything to me, everything that's important,
everything pertaining to me, that's good and right and that
I can rejoice in, is based on this. God has made
an everlasting covenant with me. With me. And let me just remind us a couple
of things about that covenant. It's a covenant ordered in all
things. In other words, God set up that
covenant, he authored it, he structured it, he ordained it,
he completed it. It's purposed by him and it's
fulfilled by him. It's ordered in all things. It's
not a covenant that depends upon me, on my participation at all,
much less my fulfilling it, much less any conditions being met
by me. The only way the covenant pertains
to me at all is, and this is big, I benefit from it. I'm the beneficiary of it. That's
my part in it. It's ordered in all things, and
I'll tell you the second thing about it, it's sure. What God
does is sure. It's not a, if you will, it's
not, boy, I sure hope somebody, it's not, I'm trying but I can't.
It's a sure covenant. All who have an interest in that
covenant can say with confidence, this is all my salvation. Not
that God hath made with me a covenant and I've availed myself of it.
God hath made with me an everlasting covenant. He made it before I
was born. And after I'm dead, this body is dead, He'll still
be honoring it. It's a sure covenant. If we have
an interest in that covenant, then all of these pleadings now,
we can be confident that God will hear them. He's heard them
before we cried them. He's already put in place the
remedy before there was ever a problem. And that remedy is
the precious blood of his son. Christ is the messenger of that
covenant. His blood is the blood of the
everlasting covenant. He gave his disciples the symbol
of that blood in a cup and said, this cup is the new covenant
in my blood. Drink all of it. And by grace
we do. And when we drink, we show forth
his death. There's the fulfillment of the
covenant right there. His obedience unto death is the
fulfilling of that covenant in which all of the blessings of
God are ours in Christ. And when we're troubled, afraid,
sad, the problem is not that God has
forgotten his covenant with us. The problem is we've forgotten
it. And you know what he does about
that? He says, this do and remember. Remember. And we do. And we worship by his grace. Let's pray.