Psalm 69, where we've been looking
a couple of weeks here, what a blessing it is to be reminded
of the mercy of our God to us. We're certainly unworthy of the
least of His mercies, and yet He daily loatheth us with benefits. Let's begin reading there in
verse 16. Of course, as we have mentioned,
this is indeed most plainly the prayer of Christ as He prayed
for His own heartache and trouble which came upon Him for no other
reason than that He would stand in our room instead as our substitute,
as our Savior. as that One who would redeem
His people from sin. And in order to do so, as Joseph Hart said in that hymn
there that we sang a moment ago, that sin had afflicted us, but
sin also afflicted God. And we see it demonstrated in
the garden and on the cross. as the afflictions of sin came
upon Him, and He bore our sin. Hear me, O Lord, for Thy lovingkindness
is good. Turn unto me according to the
multitude of Thy tender mercies, and hide not Thy face from Thy
servant, for I am in trouble. Hear me speedily, Draw nigh unto
my soul and redeem it. Deliver me because of thine enemies,
of mine enemies. And thou hast known my reproach
and my shame and my dishonor. Mine adversaries are all before
thee. Reproach hath broken my heart
and I am full of heaviness. And I looked for some to take
pity and there was none. And for count comforters but
I found none. They gave me also gall for my
meat, and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. Let their
table become a snare before them, and that which should have been
for their welfare, let it become a trap. Let their eyes be darkened
that they see not, and make their loins continually to shake. Pour
out thine indignation upon them, and let thy wrathful anger take
hold of them. Let their habitation be desolate,
and let none dwell in their tents. For they persecute him whom thou
hast smitten, and they talk to the grief of those whom thou
hast wounded. Add iniquity unto their iniquity,
and let them not come into thy righteousness. Let them be blotted
out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.
But I am poor and sorrowful. Let thy salvation, O God, set
me up on high. I will praise the name of God
with a song and will magnify him with thanksgiving. This also
shall please the Lord better than an ox or bullock that hath
horns and hoofs. The humble shall see this and
be glad, and your heart shall live that seek God. For the Lord
heareth the poor and despiseth not his prisoners. Let the heaven
and earth praise him, the seas and everything that moveth therein. For God will save Zion, and will
build the cities of Judah, that they may dwell there and have
it in possession. The seed also of his servant
shall inherit it, and they that love his name shall dwell therein."
Now, as we made mention of when we first began this psalm, this
is The Lord makes very plain throughout
this psalm that He makes a differentiation between those who are His people
and those who are not. Now, a lot of people, especially
in the present day, they take great issue with the concept
that God would love a people and that he would hate
a people. That's a pretty stark way to
say that, isn't it? It's not any different than what
the Lord said from his own lips. He said, Jacob have I loved,
and Esau have I hated. Now, the natural man doesn't
like that, does he? Because he thinks, well, God
ought to love everybody. Well, we're all worth being loved.
But see, when the Spirit of God teaches a man what he is by nature,
he wonders why God would love anybody. And so he's far more
amazed that the Lord said, Jacob have I loved, than he is Esau
have I hated. I mean, we don't have any reason
to have any wonder why he should have hated Esau. What my really
amazement is, is every time I look at Jacob, And the kind of fellow
he was, and yet the Lord loved him. And he said to the nation
of Israel as he would have said to Jacob, I didn't love you because
you were more than any other people. You were the fewest people
on earth, but he said I loved you because I loved you. And
so we see that demonstrated in this passage of Scripture. Because
who makes the people of God to differ from another? Now he speaks
about here, he says, as he's crying out to the Lord in the
heartache and trouble that he has. And he said, reproach has
broken my heart. I'm full of heaviness. And I
looked for some to take pity, but there was none. Not there
was some, there was none that took pity upon him. He would
have desired comfort as any man would in his dying hour, in his
time of suffering. I mean, nobody wants to suffer
alone, do they? I mean, they'd like for somebody
to say something. They'd like for somebody to sit
there and hold their hand. They'd like for somebody to at
least show up. But I looked for some to take
pity, and there was none, and for comforters, but I found none. And then he says something here
that makes it even worse. He said, They gave me also gall
for my meat, and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
Now we know that this actually literally took place on Golgotha's
hill when he said, I thirst. And they took a sponge, dipped
in vinegar and gall, and they put it to his lips. Now I don't
know about you, but I've been thirsty before and the last thing
on earth that I wanted in my thirst was some vinegar or some
gall. Now gall is a bitter substance.
And that would be the last thing you would want. But that's the
very thing that man in his natural state has offered unto the Lord.
Now men think that their worship, if they decide to do it, you
know, they're going to, well, I think I'm going to really do
God a favor and I'm going to worship Him. And they think that
God's sitting around waiting and hoping that somebody will
worship Him. What they don't understand is that the worship
of men is an affront unto God, because this is the nature of
the worship of men, is that they in his thirst give him gall to
drink, and give him vinegar upon a sponge. Cain, as we find in the scripture,
he would worship God, and he brought of the fruits of his
hands, And he brought it to the Lord. But the Lord didn't receive
it. Because the Lord didn't receive
Cain. He wasn't pleased. The only way that a man's worship
is acceptable before God is because God is pleased to receive the
worshiper. Not because the worshiper has
brought something to God. This woman with the issue of
blood, She didn't bring something to
the Lord, did she? The Lord who could be touched
with the feeling of our infirmities said, who touched me? He was touched. Now many, no
doubt in the crowd, many were thronging around him and jostling
and pushing and carrying on, but he was touched with the feeling
of this woman's infirmity because he had regard unto this woman. And he said, great is thy faith. Now some have said, well, she
really believed. Well, she did, but that's not
what, you see, the faith of God's people is not that activity,
but it is the object. See, the woman wasn't healed
because she had the activity of faith. She was pleased because
of the One in whom her faith was put. See, it was the object
of her faith. I mean, she could have touched
a bunch of people, and who could have helped her? None. But she
said, if I can touch Him, He's the One that can heal me. and no other, like that publican
in the temple. God have mercy on me a sinner. I'm not worthy of the least of
thy mercies. Know the kindness of the Lord
to those whom he loves. But just as surely, dear brethren,
as the Lord is tender in his mercy towards those whom he loves,
and who by His grace are brought to the place where they demonstrate
love unto Him. Yet, He says He brings out condemnation
to those who despise Him. Now the Scripture says that He
didn't come into the world to condemn the world, which He did
not. Why didn't He? Because the world was condemned
already. See, the Lord didn't come, the world wasn't in a neutral
state when Jesus Christ came into the world. It wasn't just
sitting here and He was going to make it go one way or the
other. No, the world was condemned already. Men were dead in trespasses
and sins without any hope or help of their own self. Now ever since, men have been
in their own power seeking to do something to bring themselves
and make themselves better inside of God. Even as those Jews that
went about, the Scripture says, to establish their own righteousness,
they thought they could bring something of value to the Lord. Well, surely the Lord would have
regard. You know, really isn't it just a terrible thing to think? that the Lord doesn't have any
regard whatsoever to the righteousnesses of men. I mean, you look around
you and you see good people that go about their daily life, living
life like it should be lived. And we think in our mind, it's
just natural because we have the work of the law written in
our heart. And we just believe, well, these people, you know,
these are really the salt of the earth. This is the kind of
people that God is going to bless. And some of them may be. They
may be. I don't know. See, I don't know
who the Lord's people are. But I know this, the Lord knows
who they are. The Lord knoweth them that are
His. But He doesn't have regard unto the goodness of men. Because
in the first place, they don't have any. They think they do,
but their righteousnesses according to the Lord are as filthy rags
in His sight. There's none good, no not one. And so it should not amaze us
whenever he speaks these words, let their table become a snare
before them and that which should have been for their welfare,
let it become a trap. He said, let them be caught in
their own snare and let their hatefulness come upon them. Now
when we read over in Isaiah chapter 63, and this is, I'm always touched
and amazed and humbled in the dust when I read this. Who is
this that cometh from Edom with dyed garments from Basra? And
this that is glorious in his apparel, traveling in the greatness
of his strength, I that speak in righteousness mighty to save. You see, the prophet sees this
one coming, with dyed garments, that is with red garments. And He is coming, traveling in
the greatness of His strength. He is coming with power and glory
and might and dominion. So who is this? I that speak
in righteousness. Mighty to save. See, Christ is
mighty to save. He is the Savior of sinners.
There's none other name under heaven given among men whereby
we must be saved. The Lord's people must be saved.
It's not a matter of we wonder if they'll be saved. See, some
folks are running around out here wondering if anybody will
be saved. Well, we're declaring that Jesus Christ has saved His
people. And there's not one of them that
shall be lost. He said, All that the Father
giveth me shall come to me, and him that cometh to me I'll in
no wise cast out. There is no ifs, ands, and buts
about it. He said, I that speak in righteousness
mighty to save. Now this is the Savior of whom
we speak, that one who is the Savior of His people. He's not
trying to be the Savior of people. He's not hoping to be the Savior
of people, but He is the Savior of those whom He loves. Wherefore,
the prophet asked, wherefore art thou red in thine apparel,
and thy garments like him that treadeth in the wine fat or the
wine press? And here he answers, I have trodden
the wine press alone, and of the people there was none with
me. No, I did pity me. I saw comfort, but there was
none. They gave me vinegar to drink.
They did not only not comfort me, but they despised me. For I will tread them in mine
anger, and trample them in my fury." You don't hear much talk
about that today, do you? I mean, everything is about This
little weak-kneed God who's hoping that somebody will just do something
for him. And if you'll just go forth and have a little bit of
faith and show him that you've got faith, well he'll just, he's
standing there just hoping to pour out blessings on you and
then you can just open it up tomorrow and let it happen. That's not what he says. He said, I have trodden the winepress
alone and of the people there was none with me. for I will
tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury, and
their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will
stain all my raiment. So you see, the Lord Jesus Christ,
He has shed His own blood in the behalf of His people, but
He will trample in the dust those who despise Him. those who will. And who are they that despise
Him? See, a man does not have to openly go forth in speaking
words against Christ in order to despise Him. The man who remains
in unbelief despises Christ because he is plainly set forth in the
Word of God who he is. I mean, there's not a man alive
that could ever come face to face with the things that are
set forth in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and say, well, I never
knew that. No, He said it. He put it forth. He said, ho, everyone that thirsteth,
come and buy wine. without money and without price. He said, Come unto Me, all you
that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. He said, I'm the Savior. I have
bled for sinners. But oh, those that turn a deaf
ear, those that will not bow their knee to Him, they despise
Him. You know, they may have in the back of their mind, well,
you know, I'm not really an enemy of God. I just don't, you know,
I just don't get it. I've got too many other things
that's more important to me. I want to go on and live my life
the way I want to live it. Well, see, the man who says that
I do not need Christ despises Him because He is that One who
is worthy of worship. And if you do not worship Him,
then you despise Him. You cannot be neutral. It's impossible. He said, He that is not with
me is against me. He said, I am the way, the truth,
and the life. No man comes to the Father but
by me. Oh, this is a glorious Savior. For the day of vengeance is in
my heart. The year of my redeeming has
come. So we see both things set forth here in this psalm. He is the mighty Savior of those
whom he loves. How do we know who he loves?
By the grace of God, they're brought to love him. They're
brought to fall on their faces and worship him. They're brought
down to say, oh Lord, your way is right. and you are right when
to condemn me, to cast me off. I don't have anything that I
can bring to you. And if you should, as Job said,
though he slay me, yet will I trust in him. What was he saying? He's
saying the Lord's right. And I don't have a leg to stand
on. And if in the day of judgment God should condemn us, what could
we say? Lord, you're right. But we're brought to trust in
him. We can't do anything else, but he said, Let their habitation
be desolate, and let none dwell in their tents, for they persecute
him whom thou hast smitten. Now how did the Lord Jesus Christ
come to be upon the cross? It was by design. It was on purpose. It wasn't something that just
happened. It wasn't that this good man Jesus came into the
world and lo and behold, these Jews in some political exercise
decided to string Him up. No, that wasn't how it happened. When the Lord announced the birth
of the Lord Jesus to Joseph, He said, She shall bring forth
a son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus. for He shall save
His people from their sins. You see, dear brethren, He came
into the world for the purpose of being smitten and afflicted
in the behalf of His people before the world was ever created. The
Scripture says He was a Lamb slain from the foundation of
the world. The whole purpose of the creation is to redound
Him to the glory of His name and the redemption of sinners.
And how would He redeem sinners except to lay down His life for
them? What a glorious thing. It's beyond
the capability of men to scratch the surface of it. I mean, how
can we even begin to talk about it? It's not some just little
Sunday school lesson that we learned and then we went on about
our business and went out in the yard and played. No, dear
brethren, it's the most glorious thing that's ever men have ever
been enabled to speak forth the wonders of the glories of Jesus
Christ as the Savior of sinners. You know, that's such an easy
thing to say, but I mean it's fraught and filled with such
glory and power that exceeds the ability of men to grasp it.
I mean, a man can say, oh, I believe Jesus died on the cross, but
I'm telling you this, unless you're brought down to the place
to worship Him who hung on that cross, it doesn't matter if you
believe that He died on the cross. It's not enough that you believe
there is a God. You know, sometimes people say,
oh, well, I believe in God. Well, who doesn't believe in
God? A man's a fool that doesn't believe in God. The fool is saying
in his heart there is no God. I mean, that's not even, that
shouldn't even be in the realm of a man's consciousness that
there is no God. How dumb is that? I mean, you
can look around yourself and scientific facts bear it out. I mean, just the stuff you were
talking about this morning. I mean, all of those things are
so intricately woven together. How is it possible? But that's not the point. See, the Lord's going to bring
His people down to worship Him because He's showing them His
glory. The glory is of the only begotten
Son of God. The glory of that One who's full
of grace and truth. The glory of that One who died
for sinners that He might redeem them unto God. Not that He might
give them a chance to be saved. If I never hear anybody ever
say that again in my life, I will be happy. But I know that tomorrow
I will hear somebody talking about salvation as something
God gives every man a chance. If you'll just give, you know,
God's going to give you a chance to be saved. Well, there's no
chance in salvation. It's on purpose. It was on purpose
when the Lord Jesus Christ came into the world to die for sinners. And He poured out His life's
blood for sinners. And He has saved those whom He
came to redeem. What a glorious thing. There's
no doubting. There's no wonder. There's no
ifs and ands to it. Christ is the Savior, but just
as surely as He is the Savior of those whom He loves. He is
indeed the judge of those whom He does not. Now, you know, I can't determine
who is and who isn't, and neither can you. But by the glory, the
grace, the mercy of Almighty God, He brings men to the place
where they fall down and worship Him. He causes them to believe His
truth and to see the glories of Christ. And oh, if it was
within my power to cause you to believe this morning, I'd
pass my hand over you like old Benny Hinn does and lays everybody
out, and I'd cause it to happen, but I can't any more than he
can cause anything to happen. The Lord is in His holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence
before Him. What a glorious Savior He is.
What a wondrous Redeemer that He would be afflicted for us
to pour out His life's blood that we might be saved.