It does not say who the writer
of this psalm is. Different men have speculated,
but that's just speculation. But it is clear that whoever
God used to pin this psalm was a believer. And this psalm is a prayer. It's
a personal prayer for mercy. It's a prayer to God and it's
God's answer to the prayer. That's what this psalm is. It's
beautiful. It's beautiful. Verse one says, Lord, thou hast been favorable
unto thy land. Thou hast brought back the captivity
of Jacob. Thou hast forgiven the iniquity
of thy people. Thou hast covered all their sin. Thou has taken away all thy wrath. Thou has turned thyself from
the fierceness of thine anger. Six glorious truths about our
God. Thou hast. Thou hast. Thou hast. Thou hast. Thou hast. Thou hast. Verse one
says, thou hast been favorable. That means well pleased unto
that land. Oh man, considering the Bible
study and considering what we know we are, is that not amazing? First of all, this prayer is
to the Lord. Lord, you've been so favorable to us. Can we not
say that? Brother Tony and I are always
saying that. Can you believe this? Favorable to thy land. We ruined
it. We defiled it. We made this land,
which is our own selves, desolate. We sold it to sin. The whole
land was in bondage to sin. But the end of verse 1 says,
Thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob. Lord, you liberated
your people. You came in as a thief in the
night. That's what the scripture says. You come in as a thief
in the night. And you opened all the prison
doors. And you set your people free.
You brought them back to that glorious liberty that's in Christ.
Verse two says, thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, even
though they ruined your land, even though they rebelled against
you. The end of verse two says. Thou hast covered all their sin."
And in that word, selah, means you just pause right there for
one minute and think about that. Turn over to Psalm 32. Psalm 32 verse 1 says, blessed
is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Is that a blessed man or what? Back over in Psalm 85 verse 3
says, Thou hast taken away all thy
wrath." Why? There's no more sin on his people
to offend him with. There's no more sin on us to
rebel against him with, not in Christ. Not after captivity was
led captive by Christ. Verse 3 says, Thou hast turned
thyself from the fierceness of thine anger. Did you know that
the Lord is angry with the wicked every day? But Christ has made the captivity
of Jacob holy and righteous and sinless and blameless and pure. And in Christ, all of God's anger
is turned away. And this prayer has begun by
stating six truths, six undeniable facts, facts that can be understood
and believed through the reading of God's word. So far. This prayer could have
been prayed and this prayer should have been prayed by anybody who
can read God's word. Verse one says, Lord, thou has
been favorable, favorable unto thy land. Thou has brought back
the captivity of Jacob. Verse two says, thou has forgiven
the iniquity of thy people. Thou has covered all their sin.
But now this prayer is about to get personal. It's about to get personal. Verse
4 says, turn us. Turn us. Oh Lord, turn us. Verse 4 says, turn us, oh God
of our salvation. and cause thine anger toward
us to cease. I heard a statement and I checked
it to see if it was true. We had a tape measure the other
day and I pulled it out to check and see and it's right. Salvation
is roughly 18 inches. It really is. That's the distance it takes
to get from our head to our heart. That's salvation. Lord, turn
us. Turn us. Lord, my head knows you're going
to do these things for your land. My head knows that. I know the five points. My head knows that you're going
to do these things for your people. What my heart is dying to know
is, what about us? What about us in this room right
here? Do you think God's going to do this for His people? Absolutely. What about us? What about me? You're going to cover the sin
of your people. Lord, I've sinned. I have. I've sinned. Will you cover mine? Lord, I acknowledge my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me. Lord, I know that the soul that
sinneth shall surely die." That's what she said. So verse 4 says, Turn us, O God
of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us, to cease. Verse 5 says, Will thou be angry
with us forever? Wilt thou draw out thine anger
to all generations? Wilt thou not revive us again,
that thy people may rejoice in thee? Show us thy mercy, O Lord,
and grant us thy salvation. Lord, I know these things, but
I need to know them. I need to know these things.
Lord, I believe, but help thou my unbelief. Lord, revive us again. Revive us again. Lord, don't let me hear this
gospel and turn it into a thing that my head knows. Revive us
again. Cause me, would you squeeze me
and cause me to say, turn me. Lord, what about me? Lord, I want to believe that
my sin is covered. I don't want to believe that
sin is forgiven. I want to believe my sin is forgiven. But my sin is so great. It's so great. I want to read
this to you. A man named John Newton wrote
this. Now listen to this. There's nine stanzas here. Four lines in a stanza. Let me
read this to you. He wrote, "'Tis a point I long
to know. Oft it causes anxious thought.
This is something I need to know and sometimes I'm anxious over
this. Do I love the Lord or no? Am I His or am I not? If I love, why am I thus? Why this dull and lifeless frame? Hardly sure can they be worse
who have never heard His name. I'm no better than anybody. Could
my heart so hard remain prayer a task and burden prove? Oh yeah, we have to pray. Every trifle give me pain. if
I knew a Savior's love? When I turn my eyes within, all
is dark and vain and wild, filled with unbelief and sin. Can I deem myself a child? If I pray or hear or read, sin
is mixed with all I do. You who love the Lord indeed,
tell me, is it thus with you? Yet, thank God there's a yet. I mourn my stubborn will. Find
my sin of grief and thrall. Should I grieve at what I feel
if I did not love at all? Could I joy his saints to meet? Choose the ways I once abhorred? Find at times the promise sweet,
if I did not love the Lord? Lord, decide this doubtful case.
Thou who art the people's son, since upon thy work of grace,
if indeed it be begun, Let me love thee more and more. If I love at all, I pray. If
I have not loved before, help me to begin today. Today. Lord, this is my prayer. Have
mercy on me, a sinner. What is the remedy for conviction
over sin? What is the consolation for fear
of judgment and wrath? Look in Psalm 85 verse 8. I will hear what God the Lord
will speak. For He will speak peace unto
His people and to His saints. It's the only thing that will
ease my doubts. It's the only thing that will
bring relief to my heart, rest to my head. I will hear what
God the Lord will speak, for He will speak peace unto His
people and to His saints, but let them not turn again to folly."
What is this folly he's talking about? It's leaving the rest
and the comfort of God's Word. That's what he's talking about.
How can peace be spoken to my heart if I don't hear what God
the Lord will speak? How can I find any peace? How
can I find any rest if I do not hear the voice of the Lord Jesus
Christ? Lord, open my ears and let me
hear. That's my prayer. Open my ears
and let me hear. Me. Me. Well, here's what God has to
say, alright? Here is his answer to a sinner's
prayer. Verse 9, he says, Surely his salvation
is nigh them that fear him. His salvation is near them that
fear Him. Psalm 27 says, The Lord is my
light and my salvation. The Lord is my salvation. Christ the Lord. Surely Christ
is near them that fear Him. Fear the Lord. The scripture
says, The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Do you
know why? is because those who fear Him are near Him. And that's the truth. Go with
me over to Psalm 34. Psalm 34 verse 18 says, The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken
heart, and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit." Broken
heart. Broken over what? Sin. Sin. He's near them. James said,
draw nigh to God and He will draw nigh to you. I think about
that all the time. When I need Him badly, as I'm
drawing nigh, I'm thinking, He said He will draw nigh to me.
How can I draw nigh to God? In prayer, in heart, in thought, in word,
in song. Go back with me over to Psalm
85. Verse 9 says, Surely His salvation
is nigh them that fear Him, that glory may dwell in our land. Now go with me over to Zechariah
chapter 2. This is the second to the last
book in the Old Testament. Zechariah chapter 2. Zechariah chapter 2 verse 5 says, For I, saith the Lord, will be
unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory
in the midst of her. Christ is that glory. Go with
me over to Revelation 21. Revelation 21 verse 1 says, And I saw a new heaven and a
new earth. For the first heaven and the
first earth were passed away, and there was no more sea. And
I, John, saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God,
out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And
I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, The tabernacle
of God is with men, and He will dwell with them. And they shall
be His people, and God Himself shall be with them and be their
God." Our Lord answers this prayer for mercy by saying, I'm near, and I'm not going anywhere. I'm
going to dwell with you. Go back over to Psalm 85. Verse 9 says, Surely his salvation is nigh
them that fear him, that glory, glory himself, may dwell in our
land. Now look at verse 10. This is
what God has to say to a begging sinner. Mercy and truth are met together. Oh, Lord God, what are you going
to do with me? Lord, I'm a sinner. What are
you going to do with me? Well, mercy and truth met together. Where did they meet? They met
in a place called Golgotha's Hill. What happened there on Golgotha's
Hill? Verse 10 says, Righteousness and peace kissed
each other. How? How can the truth about my sin
have anything to do with mercy? How can righteousness, absolute
holiness, absolute justice have anything to do with peace? Verse
11 says, truth shall spring out of the earth and righteousness shall look
down from heaven. How is any of this possible?
Truth sprang out of the ground. What does that mean? Does anybody
know what that means? Go with me to Isaiah 53. Isaiah 53 verse 1. Who hath believed
our report? And to whom is the arm of the
Lord revealed? For he shall grow up before him
as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground. He hath no
form nor comeliness, and when we shall see him there's no beauty
that we should desire him. Now look at verse 10. Yet it
pleased the Lord to bruise him. He hath put him to grief, when
thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin. He shall see his seed,
he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall
prosper in his hand. This is righteousness looking
down from heaven. Verse 11, he shall see of the
travail of his soul and shall be satisfied. By his knowledge
shall my righteous servant justify many, for he shall bear their
iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a
portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the
strong, because he hath poured out his soul unto death. And
he was numbered with the transgressors, and he bare the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors. How could righteousness
kiss peace? How could truth meet with mercy? Christ came. John said the law
was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. Now go with me back over to Psalm
85. Verse 12 says, Yea, the Lord shall give that
which is good, and our land shall yield her increase." Notice that
the three words, that which is, is in italics. Alright, so it says, Yea, the
Lord shall give good. Our Lord said there's none good
but God. For God so loved this world,
He gave this world God. He gave his only begotten son.
And because the son of God came and because he redeemed sinners
from absolute ruin, verse 12 says, our land shall yield her
increase. Our land is going to live again.
Life has come. And therefore, fruit of His Spirit
will come. Our God answers our prayer by
saying in verse 13, righteousness shall go before Him, that's Christ. And He shall set us, us. What about us? He shall set us
in the way of His steps. Now here's what he's saying,
okay? Let me close by showing you this. Go with me to Jeremiah
23. Jeremiah 23 verse 5 says, Behold, the days come, saith
the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous branch, and
a king shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and
justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved,
and Israel shall dwell safely. And this is his name, whereby
he shall be called the Lord our righteousness. Now go with me
to Jeremiah 33. Jeremiah 33 verse 15 says, In those days and at that time
will I cause the branch of righteousness to grow up unto David. And he
shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land. In those days shall
Judah be saved and Jerusalem shall dwell safely. And this
is the name wherewith she shall be called the Lord, our righteousness. His bride takes the same name
he has. Our God answers us by saying,
as he is, so are we. Lord, what are you going to do
with us? Well, do you see me? As I am, so are you. Back over in our text in Psalm
85, verse 13, righteousness shall go before him and shall set us
in the way of his steps. I'm going to say come. And you're going to start marching.
That's what's going to happen. Right in his footsteps. Right
in the way. Marching to Zion. I thought about
that song. I want to sing that. Let's stand
together.