Let us turn back to the psalm
that we've just read, Psalm 146, and turn into the words that
we have here in verse 5. Psalm 146. 5 Happy is he that hath the God
of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God. In the context we see a definite
contrast between God and man in the previous verses put not
your trust in princes nor in the son of man in whom there
is no help his breath goeth forth he returneth to his earth in
that very day his thoughts perish happy is he that hath the God
of Jacob for his help whose hope is in the Lord is God and I want
us simply to notice the words of the text we believe of course
in the verbal inspiration of Holy Scripture every word is
the word of God and there are three particular words that I
want us to concentrate on for a while this evening the words
happy help and hope. Happy is he that hath the God
of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God. Firstly then we read here, happy
is he. Happy is he. And clearly the
happiness that's being spoken of is personal. It seems to be
drawn here into a focus, happy is he, it's a very pointed statement
reminds us in some ways of the words of the prophet Nathan when
he addressed David and challenged him in a pointed fashion because
of the folly of his sin his great sin with Bathsheba and the murder
of her husband Uriah Or David says, the faithful prophet David,
thou art the man. And here we have a very curt
statement again, but how different it is, happy is he. This is that man who knows his
God, whose trust is in the Lord, his God. And we do read, of course,
of the happy man many times in scripture when we come to the
New Testament. We think of the ministry of the
Lord Jesus Christ and those words with which we find him opening
his preaching there in the Sermon on the Mount. Those Beatitudes. Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that
mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they
shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger
and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled. We're
familiar with these words, so they go on. Blessed, blessed,
blessed, says the Lord Jesus. And that particular word is really
plural. More literally, blessednesses.
In fact, it's the word for happy, happiness. The Lord is really
describing that man who is a happy man. And speaking of some of
those graces that will be evident in that happy person. And it's there, of course, in
the New Testament in the ministry of the Lord Jesus. But we also
have many references to the same character Here in the book of
Psalms, doesn't the whole book of Psalms begin with a description
of this particular man, this happy man? Blessed is the man
that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth
in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful,
but is delight. in the law his God, and in his
law that he meditate day and night. That's the description
of the same character, the blessed, the happy man. Oh, he delights
in the word of God, in the words of God. But not only there in
the opening verse of the book, the first Psalm and verse 1,
but throughout the book, Psalm 32, And the second verse, blessed
is he, or blessed is the man, I should say, unto whom the Lord
imputed not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. Another description of the same
man. Psalm 34 and verse 8. Blessed is the man that trusteth
in him. Oh, that man is happy whose faith
is in the Lord his God. Psalm 40 and verse 4, Blessed
is that man who maketh the Lord his trust. It's the same truth
again as we have in Psalm 34. and then of course in Psalm 65
and verse 4, blessed is the man whom thou choosest and causes
to approach unto there is the man who is the elect man and
where is the evidence of his election he is caused to approach
unto his God he calls upon the name of his God he's a man of
prayers again in in Psalm 84 and verse 5 Blessed is the man
whose strength is in the here is that man is all weakness in
himself but all his strength is in the Lord as the Apostle
says there in 2nd Corinthians chapter 12 when I am weak then
I am strong from whence does his strength come not from himself
Paul knew it. All his strength was in the Lord
his God. He is that happy man, that blessed man. And of course,
we see him again in the 94th Psalm in verse 12. Blessed is
the man whom thou choosest. Rather, blessed is the man whom
thou chastenest, O Lord, and teachest him out of thy law. For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth.
and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. He's God's son. He's God's child. And the Lord
takes an interest in him. And when he walks in ways that
are contrary to the word of God, the Lord takes him in hand and
corrects him and restores him. So many times then we read of
this character, the happy man, the man that's being spoken of
here in our text tonight, happy, is he that hath the God of Jacob
for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God. Turning then in the second place
to this word help, here is a reason for his happiness, because the
God of Jacob is his help no he needs the help of his God
because this is a man who has been brought to feel his own
utter helplessness this is a man who is brought
to the end of himself he's learned something about himself he knows
himself and he knows the dreadful reality of his sinnership. He has been made to feel what
he is, as one dead in trespasses and in sins. That's so evident from the context,
isn't it? Put not your trust in princes,
nor in the Son of Man in whom there is no help. Or there's
no help in others, in other men, even the greatest of men, even
in the princes of the earth. There's no help for him there
and there's certainly no help in himself, the son of man. Why?
He's all weakness. He's learned the solemn truth
of the doctrine of total depravity. He knows that what is recorded
in scripture concerning man is the truth, that God made man
upright. and they sought out many inventions.
Though man is a most noble creature, because he's made in God's image
and after God's likeness, yet he's not in that condition. That's
how he came, pristine from the hand of his maker. But then we
have the record in Scripture, and Genesis is true to this man.
He knows that what is recorded there, that solemn third chapter
of Genesis, is the record. of how sin has entered into this
world. This man feels himself to be
a sinner and he cannot help himself. He is brought to the ending of
himself. What does Paul say? We have the
sentence of death in ourselves that we should not trust in ourselves
but in God that raised up the dead. He has the sentence of
death upon him does this man. He is dead then to himself. But his help is in the gods of Jacob. His hope is in the lords, his
gods. Didn't Toplady know this? And he speaks of it, doesn't
he, in the words of the familiar hymn, Rock of Ages. when he speaks
of how he comes to experience the salvation of God, nothing
in my hand I bring, simply to thy cross I cling, naked come
to thee for dress, helpless look to thee for grace, foul I to
the fountain fly, wash me Saviour or I die. Oh, he's so helpless,
he has to look always and only to God and the grace of God for
all his salvation. These words help them. The happy
man is that man who has the God of Jacob for his help. He needs the Lord continually
to be helping him, undertaking for him. is forever casting himself
upon the Lord his God. It's not just an initial coming
to the Saviour, it's a continual coming. It's the life of faith. And we
can think of how that life of faith, of course, is a continual
life of worship to God. We read in the Gospel, don't
we, of that Canaanite woman who comes to the Lord with a sick
daughter and the Lord ignores her you know the account we have
it there in Matthew 15 and the disciples are weary and they
want the Lord to dismiss her to send her away but she the
Lord doesn't do that and she won't give over and then we're
told that remarkable statement in verse 25 of Matthew 15 she
worshipped him or she worshipped the Lord Jesus how did she worship?
she said Lord help me that was her worship Lord's help me. And that is true worship when
we come and we feel our complete and utter inability to do anything,
our complete impotence. How can we worship God? We're
so conscious of what we are, we feel that our faith is so
weak. There's nothing in us or about us. But God tells us, doesn't
he? I have laid help upon one that
is mighty. I have exalted one chosen of
the people. I have found David, my servant. With my spirit I have anointed
him." And the reference isn't just to King David there, of
course, in Psalm 89, it's to Christ, it's to David's great
son. He is the David that's being
spoken of. That is the one upon whom the
Lord has laid help, the Mighty One. Able to save to the uttermost,
it says. all that come unto God by Him. Or think of the language that
we have previously here in the 121st Psalm. My help cometh from
the Lord's, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer
thy foot to be moved. He that keepeth, thee will not slumber. Behold
he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The
Lord is thy keeper, the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee
by day nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve thee
from all evil. He shall preserve thy soul. All my help cometh
from the Lord, says the psalmist. And what a help he is! Again,
in another psalm, he's a very present help in trouble, it says. Oh, he's not just a help, he's
a present help. And not just a present help,
he's a very present help in every time of trouble. No wonder this
man is a happy man. He has the God of Jacob for his
help, whose hope is in the Lord his God. Let us turn then to this third
word concerning the hope of this man. And what is his hope? It's the Lord. It's the Lord his God. Think of the well-known paraphrase of Psalm
19, that hymn of Isaac Watts, God our help in ages past, our
hope for years to come. He was being our help in times
past when we reflect on the previous period of our lives. God has
helped us thus far. Is he not to be our hope then
for the days to come? He's never failed us. And notice
who this one is. He is the Lord. That's who is
spoken of in the psalm. Whose hope is in the Lord. And
Lord, in capital letters, in other words, Jehovah, the God
of the covenants, the great I am that I am, the Lord, his God.
And who is this one? He's also spoken of as the God
of Jacob. Oh, He is very much the God of
the covenant, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the
God of Jacob. Oh, He is this, our God tonight,
this God who we read of so much here in Holy Scripture, the God
of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Remember how we read of Him.
back in the 105th Psalm, verse 8, he hath remembered his covenants
forever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations, which
covenants he made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac, and
confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law, and to Israel for
an everlasting covenant. It's the same God that we're
reading of here in this 146th Psalm. Oh, He truly is the God
of Jacob. And how we see that God's ways
and God's dealings with men is so distinguishing. How He makes
a difference between men. How He demonstrates His sovereignty.
And we see it so remarkably, don't we, what he said concerning
those twins that were born to Isaac and Rebekah. As it is written, Jacob have
I loved and Esau have I hated. God makes a distinction there
in His sovereignty. His grace is a discriminating
grace. He is the Savior and He saves
some and He passes over others. and those that he says how his
dealings with them are personal he deals with us as individuals
it's a personal God that we read of it's the Lord his God this
is the happy man happy is he the Lord is his God his personal
God I am the Lord I change not therefore ye sons of Jacob are
not consumed. Who are we? Those who are the
true sons of Jacob, those who are the real seed of Abraham,
those of faith. These are the ones that the Lord
is speaking of there, that His covenant people. And there He
addresses Isaiah 41 and verse 14, Fear not, thou worm Jacob,
and ye men, of Israel. I will help them,
saith the Lord, and they redeem the Holy One of Israel." It's
World Jacob, it's the men. The margin says the few men.
The few men of Israel. I was struck recently in reading
the familiar words of Romans chapter 9. It just struck me.
what's actually being said there in verses 27, 28 and 29. He refers of course to the words
of Isaiah. Here is Paul writing. We're familiar
with this ninth chapter. We read it only a few days ago
on the Lord's Day. Isaiah also crieth concerning
Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as
the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved. For he will finish
the work and cut it short in righteousness, because a short
work will the Lord make upon the earth. And as Isaiah said
before, except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been
as Sodom and being made like unto Gomorrah. What struck me
was, really, initially, that 27th verse. Here's the number
of the children of Israel as the sand of the sea, a multitude.
But then it says, a remnant shall be saved. So we go back to verse
6. They're not all Israel that are
of Israel. It's a spiritual Israel that
God saves. Ethnic Israel in the Old Testament
is a typical people, but they're not all the people of God. And
of course here he's dealing with the matter of the calling of
the Gentiles. But we see the same truth, you see, this teaching
of the remnant in the words that he quotes again at verse 29.
They're words from Isaiah 1, except the Lord of Sabaoth had
left us It says back in Isaiah, a very small remnant, except
the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a very small remnant. Here it is a seed, had left us
a seed with being as Sodom and made like unto Gomorrah. All Gods, true people. They are a spiritual people. And they are a people who are
brought to hope in the Lord, whose hope is in the Lord his
God." Are we those who, having known
God's help in the past, we look to the future and we can look
forward with hope? With hope because that God who
has appeared for us thus far will not forsake us. 2 Thessalonians 2.16 Paul calls
it a good hope or the Christian hope, it's a good hope in 1 Peter
1.3 the Apostle names it lively, it's a lively hope there's life
there's life in this hope how important is this grace of
hope because it centers in God as all graces must do whose hope
is in the Lord his God. All is saved by hope, says Paul.
But hope that is seen is not hope. For what a man seeth, why
doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that which
we see not, then do we with patience wait for it? We wait for it. We wait upon God. and we wait
upon God, and we look to God, and we call upon God, and we
hope in God. This is what he is saying. But
isn't this a mark of those who are the true spiritual Israel,
those who are indeed the seed of Abraham. Because we know Abraham
is the father of all them that believe, he's the great exemplar
of faith in scripture, but he's also a wonderful example of what
hope is. We see it there in the fourth
chapter of Romans. Romans 4.18 and the following
verses concerning Abram. Paul says who against hope believed
in hope that he might become the father of many nations according
to that which was spoken so shall thy seed burn. And being not
weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead when
he was about a hundred years old, neither yet the deadness
of Sarah's womb, he staggered not at the promise of God through
unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God and being
fully persuaded that what he had promised he was able also
to perform. And really, the hope isn't so
much the son that's going to be born to Sarah, Isaac, it's
that one of whom Isaac is a type, the Lord Jesus. And therefore
it was imputed to him for righteousness. Oh, that is the righteousness
of Abraham, it's Christ, the promised seed who was to come,
who would be made of a woman and made under the law and would
honour and magnify the law and accomplish a righteousness for
his people. As well as die as their substitute,
bearing all the penalty of their sin, the blessed exchange, he
takes their sins, he gives them his righteousness. Therefore,
if that is the promise, the promised seed, Christ, imputed to him
for righteousness. Now it was not written for his
sake alone that it was imputed to him, but for us also, to whom
it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our
Lord from the dead, who was delivered for our offences and was raised
again for our justification. All the hope, you see, the hope
that was Abraham's. What a blessed hope it is. And it's that that we have here
in the text. This happy man, his hope, is
in the Lord's, the Covenant God's. And this Covenant God is his
God. And down here in the psalm, The
psalmist is so much aware of this God and the character of
God, the God that he is hoping in. Why? He's all-powerful. He's the God who is the creator
of the universe. Verse 6, which made heaven and
earth, the sea and all that therein is, which keepeth truth forever. He's all-powerful. and yet is
all compassion also. Verse 7, which executes judgment
for the oppressed, which giveth food to the hungry. The Lord
looseth the prisoners. The Lord openeth the eyes of
the blind. The Lord raiseth them that are bowed down. The Lord
loveth the righteous. The Lord preserveth the strangers.
He relieveth the fatherless and the widow. all with compassion,
his kindness, his mercies and yet again we have to recognize
he's a God who discriminates the end of that ninth verse,
the way of the wicked he'll turn upside down all this is the God
then of this happy man and who is it? who is the God of the
happy man is the Lord Jesus Christ. Because really the language that
we have here in verses 7, 8 and 9 is much the same as we have
in Isaiah 61. And remember when the Lord commences
his ministry there in the synagogue in Nazareth, we find him reading
that very portion on the Sabbath day. And the significance is
that it's the fulfillment of what we have in Isaiah 61, much
the same as we have in Psalm 146. And here is the passage
in Luke, Luke 4.17. We're told, "...there was delivered
unto him, that is, the Lord, the book of the prophet Esaias.
And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was
written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed
me to preach the gospel to the poor." He had sent me to heal
the brokenhearted, preach deliverance to the captives and recovering
of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
to preach acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book
and gave it again to the minister and sat down. And the eyes of
all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he
began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled. in your ears. Oh, this is that
one who is truly the God of the happy man that we read of in
our text. The happiness of the believer
in the Lord Jesus. That's the real theme that's
set before us here, is it not? The happiness of the believer. Happy is the man that hath the
God of Jacob for his help, whose help is in the Lord his God. I remember a few years ago, we
were on holiday up in the Scottish Highlands, at Loch Caron, and
I was pleased to have the opportunity to go to view the grave of Lachlan
Mackenzie. Lachlan Mackenzie was a Scots
minister there in the 18th century, had a remarkable ministry in
that town, and it was good to see where his mortal remains
had been laid to rest. And I want to finish by reading
that minister's description of the happy man. Lachlan Mackenzie's description
of the man that's spoken of in our text there. The happy man
was born in the city of regeneration. In the parish of Repentance Unto
Life, he was educated at the School of Obedience. He has a
large estate in the County of Christian Contentment, and many
times does jobs of self-denial, wears the garment of humility,
and has another suit to put on when he goes to court called
the Robe of Christ's Righteousness. He often walks in the Valley
of Self-Abasement, and sometimes climbs the mountains of heavenly-mindedness. He breakfasts every morning on
spiritual prayer and sups every evening on the same. He has meat
to eat that the world knows not of, and his drink is the sincere
milk of the Word of God. Thus, happy he lives and happy
he dies. Happy is he who has gospel submission
in his will, due order in his affections, sound peace in his
conscience, real divinity in his breast, the Redeemer's yoke
on his neck, a vain world under his feet, and a crown of glory
over his head. Happy is the life of that man
who believes firmly, prays fervently, walks patiently, works abundantly,
lives holy, dies daily, watches his heart, guides his senses,
redeems his time, loves Christ, and longs for glory. He is necessitated
to take the world on his way to heaven, but he walks through
it as fast as he can, and all his business by the way is to
make himself and others happy. Take him all in all, in two words,
He is a man and a Christian. May the Lord bless his word to
us. Let us now sing the hymn 988, CUNY's Buckland
450. Top lady's hymn, 988, Happiness,
thou lovely name, Where's thy seat? O tell me where, Learning,
pleasure, wealth and fame, All cry out, it is not here, Object
of my first desire, Jesus crucified for me, All to happiness aspire,
Only to be found in thee. 988, Tune 450,