Today, we'll be doing a two-part
message. We'll do part one this morning
and part two tonight. And we'll be looking at Psalm
16. So, if you'd open your Bibles to Psalm 16, we'll consider verses
1 to 3 tonight. And then we'll consider the rest
of the Psalm. Psalm 16. Mitchum of David, preserve me,
O God, for in thee do I put my trust. O my soul, thou hast said
unto the Lord, Thou art my Lord, my goodness extendeth not to
thee, but to the saints that are in the earth, and to the
excellent in whom is all my delight. Their sorrows shall be multiplied
that hasten after another God, Their drink offerings of blood
will I not offer, nor take up their names unto my lips. The
Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup. Thou maintainest
my lot. The lines are fallen unto me
in pleasant places. Yea, I have a goodly heritage. I will bless the Lord who hath
given me counsel. My reins also instruct me in
the night seasons. I have set the Lord always before
me because he is at my right hand. I shall not move. Therefore, my heart is glad and
my glory rejoices, my flesh also shall rest in hope. For thou
will not leave my soul in hell. Neither will thou suffer thine
holy one to see corruption. That will show me the path of
life in thy presence is fullness of joy at the right hand. There are pleasures forevermore. Now the psalm is here identified
as a Mitcham of David as our Psalms 56 to 60. A psalm with this title is generally
recognized as a golden psalm. A golden psalm. It would be considered
golden probably because of the subject matter. It was very precious
to the penman. Very dear to the writer. And
we see the writer of this psalm as David. David is the penman,
but this psalm speaks of Christ, beloved. This psalm speaks of
Christ. All throughout it, one person.
And that's the Lord Jesus Christ. We know this because of verses
8 and 11 are ascribed to him. Look at verses 8 and 11. I have
set the Lord always before me because he is at my right hand.
I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad and
my glory rejoices. My flesh also rests in hope.
For thou will not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer
thine holy one to see corruption. There's only one Holy One, and
that's Christ. That will show me the path of
life in thy presence, its fullness of joy, and at thy right hand,
there are pleasures forevermore. Now turn, if you would, to Acts
chapter 2. Acts chapter 2. We know this because this portion
there is ascribed to Christ. Christ. And we see the apostles
quoting this passage and declare that the subject is Christ, not
the psalmist. Look at Acts chapter 2, verses
25 to 28. For David speaketh concerning
him, that's Christ. I foresaw the Lord always before
my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved.
Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad. Moreover
also, my flesh shall rest in hope, because thou wilt not leave
my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to
see corruption. Thou hast made known to me the ways of life,
Thou shall make me full of thy countenance. Now turn over to
Acts chapter 13. Now, David saw corruption, didn't
he? Because he's just like you and
I. But the one whom God raised up
here saw no corruption in the psalm. He saw no corruption. And what much of what is taught
in the psalm may be applicable to the saints. There's a lot
in there that is applicable to us. But we're in Christ, aren't
we? We're in Christ. Now look what
Paul declares over here in Acts chapter 13, verses 35 to 37. Wherefore he saith also in another
psalm, thou shall not suffer thine holy one to see corruption.
For David, after he had served his own generation by the will
of God, fell on sleep and was laid unto his fathers and saw
corruption. See, he died just like we all are gonna die. But
he, being Christ, whom God raised again, saw no corruption. So
we know just right there from these scriptures that this is
speaking of Christ. This is speaking of Christ. This
blessed psalm is so directly applied under the influence of
God, the Holy Ghost, by the apostles Paul and Peter, which we just
saw, to the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. David is the writer, but the
subject is Christ. He is the object of this wonderful
psalm. Let's go back to Psalm. Sixteen. Here in the psalm, Christ and
covenant in his covenant engagements are are beautifully set forth
before us, beloved. Look at verse one again, a Mitcham
of Paul, or Mitcham, Mitcham, I'm thinking Paul because we
just read, Mitcham of David. Preserve me, O God, for in thee
do I put my trust. Now notice this too, preserve
me, O God. That's even a cry of the believer,
isn't it? That's a cry of us too. But Christ is God, is the
one spoken of, is the Lord who preserveth all them that love
him. God preserves all his people, all of them. But the wicked he
will destroy. He'll destroy them. In all God's saints, who are
we preserved in? Who are we preserved in? We're
only preserved in Christ, aren't we? Jude says this. Jude says this. Jude, the servant
of Jesus Christ, and the brother of James. to them that are sanctified
by God the Father, so set apart, made holy, we know that's in
Christ, and listen to this, and preserved in Jesus Christ. That's Jude 1.1, preserved in
Christ, and called. So it says here, preserve me,
oh God. And God's people are preserved because God views us
positionally in Christ. He views us positionally in Christ.
But in Christ's incarnation with regard to his humanity, Christ
had need of being preserved by God from the enemies that sought
to destroy him. He was preserved by God. Turn,
if you would, to Psalm 2. Do you know that the kings of
the earth and the rulers set themselves against him? And we
saw that. We saw that. We see that as we
read the Gospels. We see how the rulers, the religious
rulers, the rulers of the day were all set against Christ.
They were set against him. Look at this in Psalm 2, verses
1 to 3. Why do the heathen rage and the
people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves
and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against
His anointed, saying, let us break their bands asunder and
cast away their cords from us. That's natural man. Want nothing
to do with God. Want nothing to do with Christ. I was in that state once. Were
you? We believers, we praise our God
that He didn't leave us in that state. He didn't leave us in
that state. Turn, if you would, to Matthew
2. Our Lord was preserved by God
in his humanity. Look at this in
Matthew 2, verse 13. And when they were departed,
behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream,
saying, Arise and take the young child and his mother and flee
into Egypt. And be thou there until I bring
thee word, for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.
Now think of this too, that God in his providence had had the
wise men bring things and offerings to the Lord. Now, we know that
Joseph and Mary were poor. They couldn't afford just to
get up and run. But by God's providence, he had had the wise
men come and give gifts and they had the means to go. All by God's providence, him
preserving the Lord Jesus Christ as a baby. He was preserved from
God by hunger and thirst and fatigue when Turn, if you would,
to Hebrews chapter 5. We know that our Lord, when he
prayed. When he prayed, he was heard. Look at this in Hebrews
chapter 5. Hebrews chapter 5. Versus 7 to
10. who in the days of his flesh,
when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong
crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death,
and was heard in that he feared. Though he were a son, yet learned
he obedience by the things which he suffered. And being made perfect,
he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that
obey him, called of God and high priest after the order of Melchizedek. When our Lord cried out, our
God provided. In the days of his flesh here
must be understood the different state to that of his glory. He
was the word of God incarnate. God manifest in the flesh. The
God-man mediator and the expression here is strong to this purpose.
The days of his flesh spoken of in Hebrews chapter five, verse
seven speaks of a time of his abode in our world, accomplishing
the redemption of his people. And during this period, the son
of God's humiliation on earth which we call his incarnation.
I love that the old timers call it his humiliation, because think
of what he left, the glories and splendor of heaven to come
to this sin-cursed world, to redeem his people. By the shedding of his own precious
blood, last Sunday night we looked at through his poverty, we're
made rich. And he did this. to redeem again,
to redeem His people from their sins. He was subject to all the
filth and infirmities of our nature, yet without sin, yet
without sin. He was in all points tempted
like we are, yet without sin. And we rejoice in the mercy of
our great God, don't we? And it's a certainty of His having
been made like to his brethren that he might be a merciful and
faithful high priest in things pertaining to God. I can and do go to Jesus because
he knows that we are all but flesh. He knows. He knows this is God,
but he feels it as man. And the Lord Jesus Christ, who
in the days of his flesh offered up prayers and supplications
with strong crying and tears, he will surely now in the day
of his power take part in his high priestly office with his
people. When we are in the depths of soul and we cry out to our
great God, he hears us. And he preserves us. And he keeps
us. We have a high priest, though,
who knows What we suffer. And what sweet thoughts are here
before us. And that He Himself has suffered, again, being tempted,
yet without sin. And He knows how to help and
how to comfort those that are tempted. He knows. So what a merciful God we have.
What a merciful Redeemer we have. What a merciful Savior the Lord
Jesus Christ is. Turn, if you would, to Isaiah
chapter 49. Our God, Jehovah, declares that He preserved
Christ for the benefit of His elect. Isaiah chapter 49, verses
8 to 13. Jehovah declares that he preserved
Christ for the benefit of his elect. Isaiah 49, verses 8 to
13. Thus saith the Lord, in an acceptable
time have I heard thee, and in the day of salvation have I helped
thee. And I will preserve thee and give thee for a covenant
of the people to establish the earth to cause to inherit the
desolate heritages. That thou mayest say to the prisoners,
go forth. And that's what he says to us,
isn't it? That's what He says to us, we who are His people,
go forth. To them that are in darkness, show yourselves. They
shall feed in the ways, and their pasture shall be all high places. They shall not hunger nor thirst,
neither shall the heat nor sun smite them. For He that hath
mercy on them shall lead them, and He leads us, doesn't He?
Or His sheep, and He is our shepherd, and He leads us all through this
world. For he that hath mercy on them
shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide
them. We hunger and thirst after righteousness, don't we? And I will make all my mountains
away, and my highways shall be exalted. Behold, these shall
come from far and low, those from the north and from the west,
and those from the land of Sinim. Sing, O heavens, and be joyful,
O earth, and break forth into the long singing. O mountains,
for the Lord hath comforted his people and will have mercy upon
his afflicted. And how has he comforted us?
How has he had mercy upon the afflicted? We have salvation
in and through Christ alone. We have the forgiveness of all
our sins in Christ. We have the payment of all our
sins paid for in full. And there's no conditions, as
I mentioned in Sunday school, there's no conditions that we
have to do for that salvation. Isn't that wonderful? What mercy
God has upon his people. In religion, they tell you what
you gotta do all the time. I was there, I know. Can't do
this, you can't wear that. My family knows what it was like
when we were in religion, it was horrible. But praise God. I have a salvation now, and you
who are His blood-bought people, we have a salvation that's not
conditioned upon what we do. It's all conditioned upon Christ.
Now, we obediently obey our Lord, don't we? We desire to walk a
holy life. We're not antinomians. We desire
to live a life that honors our God, but we have to admit we're
sinners, aren't we? But our salvation is not conditioned
upon us. It's outside of ourselves and
it's in Christ and Christ alone. And the believer says, hallelujah,
what a savior. This is wonderful. This is absolutely
wonderful. And that's why the love of Christ
constrains us from sin. You see, that's why we're we're
constrained by our love for Christ. We're constrained by that. It's
wonderful. Now think of before you were
saved, we weren't constrained by that love. So we did whatever
we wanted to do, didn't we? That's why we don't desire to
do the things that we did, or we struggle against our sin.
We never struggled before. Now there's a battle. Now there's a battle with the
spirit and the flesh. Oh my. So what salvation we have in
Christ? Let's go back to verse one. Preserve me, O God, for
in thee do I put my trust. Now, the Hebrew word God here
is L meaning strength or the strong one, the mighty one, the
almighty one. We saw on Sunday school that
none but our omnipotent God is worthy of being the one in whom
we trust. And all our trust is to be placed
in him and in him alone. Angels were Christ ministers
and therefore could not be trusted to be his preserver of his people.
We are only to trust in Christ. Turn, if you would, to the book
of Job, Job, chapter four, Job, chapter four. We are only to
trust in Christ. We are instructed this to only
trust in Christ. Don't trust in man, don't trust
in angels, don't we only trust in Christ and Christ alone? Job chapter 4, verses 17 to 21. Shall mortal man be more just
than God? No, we're all dead in trespasses
and sins, aren't we? Hopeless and helpless. Shall
a man be more pure than his maker? No, in God's eyes, we can't even
stand in his presence because he's absolute holiness and we're
absolute sinners, aren't we? Oh my, but But praise God, we
can stand in His presence, clothed in that perfect, spotless righteousness
of Christ. Look at this. Behold, He put
no trust in His servants and His angels. He charged with folly. How much less in them that dwell
in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which are crest
before the moth. They are destroyed from morning
to evening. They perish forever without regarding it. Doth not
their excellency which is in them go away? They die. They
perish. They die even without wisdom.
See, we're not to put any trust in man or angels or any other.
Our trust is in God and God alone. And that's in Christ and Christ
alone. It's folly to put trust in anything else. And it'll lead
to your destruction. Whether you trust in yourself
or whether you trust in someone else, there's only one who we
trust in. Christ and Christ alone. Christ
and Christ alone. Turn, if you would, to Matthew
chapter 26. At the arrest of Jesus, the Scriptures proclaim
that His own disciples forsook Him and fled. And when His enemies came and
arrested Him, just as the Scriptures proclaim. And this is why we don't put
our trust in men, because we see what natural man does here.
Or see what the apostles did. And these were men who were close
to Christ. And look what they did. And we'd do the same thing. We
would have done the same thing. Matthew 26, 56. But all this
was done that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.
Then all the disciples forsook him and fled. They just took
off. They just took off. This is why we put no trust in
man or the commandments of man. Our trust and our hope, our salvation
is all in Christ. It's all in Christ. It's in Christ
alone. There's nothing added to that
and there's nothing taken away from that. If your hope is not
in Christ alone, then you have a hope which will lead to your
destruction. Salvation, the scriptures proclaim,
is in Christ, in Christ alone. Christ plus nothing. Christ plus
nothing. It is He, the believer proclaims,
who has saved me. And it is He, who the believer
proclaims, will keep me. Because I know if I was left
to myself, I would be gone. Because we're sinners. We're
safe sinners, but we're still sinners, aren't we? Oh my, what
a Savior. It's in God, it's in the Almighty
One, the Mighty One that we put our trust in. This is why we
must trust Him and Him alone. Look at verse 2. Oh my soul,
thou hast said unto the Lord, thou art my goodness, my goodness
extended not to thee. Notice it says, oh my soul, you
have said to the Lord, you are my Lord. This is the first occurrence
of Lord in this verse, and it's the Hebrew Jehovah. The second
is the Hebrew Adonai. And Christ therefore confesses
the covenant, God of Israel as his master. He's in full submission.
Remember, he's in his humanity, and he's in full submission to
the Father. He's in full submission to the Father. Completely submissive
to Jehovah to do his will. to do His will. Turn if you would
to Psalm 40 and then put your finger in Hebrews chapter 10.
Psalm 40 in Hebrews chapter 10. We see this in the Old Testament
and in the New Testament. In the Old Testament and in the
New Testament Christ was completely submissive to the will of Jehovah. Psalm 40 verses 7 and 8 in Hebrews
chapter 10. Psalm 40 verses 7 and 8. Then
said I, lo, I come, in the volume of the book it is written of
me. This book is a hymn book. I've often said that. You've
often heard other preachers say that. This is a hymn book. This
is all about Christ. In the volume of the book it
is written of me. The scriptures proclaim Christ.
And then look at this, I will delight to do thy will, O my
God, yea, thy law is within my heart. So Christ delighted to
do the will of the Father. Now turn over to Hebrews chapter
10, if you would. Hebrews chapter 10. Hebrews chapter 10, verses one
to seven. 1 to 7. For the law, having a shadow
of good things to come, and not the very image of the things,
can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year
continually make the comers thereunto perfect. So all those sacrifices,
again, could never take away sin that they offered. For then
would they not have ceased to be offered, because that the
worshipers once purged should have no more conscience of sins. But in those sacrifices, there
is a remembrance again made of sins every year. For it is not
possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away
sins. They were but, they were but
a picture pointing to Christ, pointing to Christ. Wherefore,
look at this, when he cometh in the world, he says, sacrifice
an offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared
for me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast
had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, meaning about
Christ, in the volume of the book it is written of me to do
thy will, O God. So we saw that in the Old Testament
declared, and we see it in the New Testament. Christ came to
do the will of the Father. He came to this earth to do the
will of the Father. So we see the writer of the Hebrews
ascribing again this text to Christ. And as I said earlier,
Christ was as man was completely submissive to Jehovah, he delighted
to do the will of God. Look at verse one there in Hebrews
10 for the law, having a shadow of good things to come and not
the very image of the things can never with these sacrifices,
which they offered year by year, continually make the comers there
unto perfect. Beloved, what is a shadow? As
I'm standing here, I have a shadow right here on my own nose. What
is a shadow? A shadow cannot be formed but
from some substance. Right? You won't have a shadow unless
you have a substance. And the substance must be before
the shadow. The substance must be before
the shadow. You put your hand or or your body between light
and the earth, and what does it do? It forms a shadow, doesn't
it? It forms a shadow. Suppose that either the hand
or the body was removed in that scenario that we just thought
of, and there'd be no shadow, would there? There'd be no shadow,
because there's no substance. And if you remove the light or
the earth, again, there'd be no shadow either, either way. Now apply this to the subject
of this verse. The law is said to have been
a shadow of good things to come. But the very existence of the
shadow, what? Implies the pre-existence of
the substance. And you know what the scriptures
proclaim? Yeah, I know you know this, but I'm gonna say it again.
The scriptures proclaim that Christ is what? The lamb slain
from when? The foundation of the world. Now the law was before
Christ's incarnation, wasn't it? Oh my. Oh, my scriptures declare, and
all that dwell on the earth shall worship him whose names are not
written in the book of life of the lamb slain, what from the
foundation of the world. So the law was just a shadow.
Just the shadow. For the law, having a shadow
of good things to come, who's the good things to come? Christ.
Christ. He's a good thing to come. So it's very evident then that
Christ was set up from everlasting. In all things, he at the preeminence,
look at verses 11 to 14 of chapter 10 there in Hebrews and every
priest standard daily ministering and often in offering, oftentimes
the same sacrifice, which could never take away sins. But this
man being Christ. But this man. After he offered
one sacrifice, just one, one sacrifice for sins forever. Do you know that? He offered
himself as a sacrifice once for our sins and they're forever
paid for. That's wonderful. That's good
news for sinners, isn't it? That's good news for sinners
who can't pay for one of their sin. That's good news. That's why we proclaim Christ
is the only hope for sinners. The only hope. After He offered
one sacrifice for sin forever, what did He do? Sat down on the
right hand of God. It's done. It's finished. See,
the priests in the Old Testament, they never sat down. They were
ever busy in the Holy of Holies doing work. Our Lord just sat
down. It's done. The work's finished. It's finished. From henceforth, expect until
his enemies be made his footstools for by one offering he hath perfected
forever them that are sanctified." Now we're still sinners, aren't
we? We're still sinners. But we're clothed in that perfect
spotless righteousness of Christ, we who are his blood-bought people.
So that when God looks upon us, he sees Christ. Isn't that wonderful? He doesn't see no spot or blemish
in us. Oh my! So think how great the person
of the Lord Jesus Christ is. He is infinitely great in wisdom,
righteousness, holiness, mercy and grace. Infinitely. Infinitely. Great in wisdom, righteousness,
holiness, mercy and grace. So how far reaching is his redemption? He can take the blackest, most
vile sinner, can't he? He can. And he can make him white
as snow. And the believer says, that's
me. Oh, my. Don't ever think your sins are
too great to not flee to Christ. He can make the blackest sinner
white as snow. White as snow. And he says this,
look what he says in Hebrews chapter 10, verses 17 and 18.
We have proof of that because look what he says. Of his blood
bought people and their sins and iniquities. Well, I remember
what? No more. Now where remission is, there's
no more offering for sin. There's nothing left to be offered
because Christ offered Himself up for the sins of His people.
The perfect sacrifice. Nothing left to be offered. Nothing left. You know, they're always talking
about rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem and all that. You hear
that? You hear people say that and all this. And I used to be
caught up in it way back when they talk about rebuilding the
temple and offering sacrifices. You know what that would be in
God's eyes, beloved? An abomination. That would be an abomination
in God's eyes. You know why? You know why? Because
Christ is the final sacrifice. Christ is the one sacrifice.
There is no need for any more sacrifices. Oh, praise God, beloved
you who are beloved of God. Praise him. Praise him, because
you're saved by the one who offered himself a perfect sacrifice. For the sins of his people. Wonder
of wonders. The Lord saved me. That's what
we say, isn't it? We are in wonder that the Lord
saved us. Oh, what a great God we have.
Let's go back to Psalm 16. Look at verse two again. Oh,
my soul, thou has said unto the Lord, thou art my Lord. My goodness
extended not to thee. Now Christ did indeed possess
goodness. He's the sinless God-man. He's God incarnated in the flesh.
And this declaration, though, can only be made regarding Him,
because there's none other that can be said to be good. Right? Because the Scriptures declare
there's none that understand it. There's none that seek it
after God. They are all gone out of the way. They are all
together become unprofitable. There is none that do it good.
No, not one. So we know this is only talking about Christ. And notice that He declared that
he had no goodness apart from Jehovah. Our Lord says this or
in James, it says this every good gift and every perfect gift
is from above and coming down from the father of lights, with
whom is no variable and is neither shadow of turning. So we declare
that no goodness, any goodness that comes from us, it comes
from the Lord. It's not in us inherently at all. And notice
he declared here that his goodness did not extend to Jehovah. He
confessed that God is not increased by anything done for him by man. He's not decreased by anything
done against him by man. He's absolutely independent. We don't add anything to God.
Nothing. He's absolutely independent.
We saw that in our first study in the Attributes of God in Sunday
School. On the solitariness of God. Why did He create this world
and why did He create all things? Because it pleased Him to do
so. Why did He choose to save we who are His blood-bought people? Why did He choose to save us
in eternity? Because it pleased Him to do so. It manifests His glory. It's
amazing. God does whatever He pleases
to do, because He's God. Therefore, He can do whatever
He pleases to do. It's wonderful. Turn, if you would, to Job, chapter
35. Job, chapter 35. All the goodness of the world
is unprofitable to the Lord. Whether men bless God or revile
God, no one can add to His glory or lessen His glory. And think upon this, the glory
of the sun is never less, it's never less, the glory of
the sun is never less for dark clouds below. Because the sun is so far above
the clouds, it's still bright in its glory, isn't it? Even
though the clouds may sometimes darken the earth here, we don't
always see the sun, it's cloudy, the sun's still up there in all
its glory. That's how God is, beloved. He's still up there
in all His glory, and nothing's added to Him, and nothing's taken
away from Him. Look at this in Job, chapter
35, verses 5 to 8. Look unto the heavens and see,
and behold the clouds which are higher than thou. If thou sinnest,
what dost thou against Him? Or if thou transgressions be
multiplied, what dost thou unto Him? If thou be righteous, what
givest thou Him? Or what receiveth he of thine
hand? Thy wickedness may hurt a man, as thou art, and thy righteousness
may profit the Son of man. My, oh, my. We don't add anything
or take anything away from our great God. He's absolutely independent
from us. The Lord hath no need of our
services, and we who are His blood-bought people, we declare
that all the good that any man is enabled to do, the ability
that we have, comes from our great God. It comes from our
great God, doesn't it? And what is Christ to the believer?
He's the fairest among 10,000. He's the fairest among 10,000,
to His redeemed. And why do we feel that way?
Because we're fully pardoned in Him. Fully forgiven in Him. There's no forgiveness or pardon
in ourselves, is there? Only condemnation. So this is
why Christ is the fairest of 10,000 to His people. He's absolutely
wonderful. He's redeemed my soul. In Him, by the shedding of His
blood, my eternal soul is purchased, redeemed. I'm totally forgiven
in Him. Marvel, beloved. If you are His
people, you are too. No wonder we praise His name.
No wonder we rejoice in this great salvation. Let us marvel Do you know the
Lord delights in His people? Do you know He delights in us? He delights in His bride. We
saw that in our study in Song of Solomon. He delights in His
people. He delights in His bride. You
know, sometimes it's hard for us to ponder that, to let it
sink in, but we ought to. He delights in us. The God of
the universe delights in His blood-bought people. in his bride,
despite all our unworthiness, despite all our unworthiness,
despite our basefulness and our sinfulness, yet the Lord still
delights in us, because he purchased us. We're born again by the Holy
Spirit of God. We're his blood-washed people,
and his people are clothed in His perfect spotless righteousness,
which He wrought out for us in His life and in His death, and
He delights in us. Beloved, He loves you with an
everlasting love. I know it's hard for us to fathom
this, but it's a truth. It's a truth we marvel at. Look
at verse 3 here. But to the saints that are in
the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight. Oh
my goodness! Christ, having loved his own
which were in the world, he loves them until the end. And we know
Christ is the excellent one. Yet God delights in his people.
Called here saints in this verse. I ask you who are married, you
men, do you delight in your bride? We do, don't we? Well, Christ
delights in his bride. Think of how the love sometimes
when we look upon our brides and we feel, and you wives, too,
for your husbands, and how we feel. It's absolutely amazing. But this is how the Lord feels
about every single one of his children, every one, every one,
every single one. We who are His people, again,
are sinful creatures, but we're seen as spotless, and God delights
in us. And this is brought forth right
here in this wonderful verse. I can't get over this, to be
honest with you. It's absolutely amazing. Because I know what
I am. You know what you are, too. We
know we're sinners. But look at this. But to the
saints, that's God's born-again, blood-washed people, that are
in the earth, that's us. into the excellent, that's Christ,
in whom is all my delights. See, God delights in Christ,
therefore He delights in those who are in Christ. It's wonderful. It's wonderful. You know, Paul
writes this, For I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth
no good thing. For the will is present with
me, but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good
that I would do, I do not. You see, Paul had the same struggle.
This is Apostle Paul writing in Romans chapter seven. You
see, Paul has the same struggle we all do with sin. The Apostle
Paul. We often forget that these men
were just like us. You know, they were highly gifted and given
the, by inspiration of God, the pen letters, but they were sinners
saved by grace just like you and I. And Paul writes this again,
for the good that I would do, I do not. Paul's struggling with
sin. But the evil which I would not,
that I do. He's just being honest, isn't
he? Paul's just being honest with us, beloved. Now, if I do
that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwells
in me. Romans chapter 7, verses 18 to
20. Despite all that, the Lord delights
in his people, because he sees us in Christ. It's wonderful. Oh my. It says, but to the saints
that are in the earth and to the excellent in whom is all
my delights. Christ speaks of their excellence
before him. And God speaks of his delight
in excellence. He sees in Christ his son. Turn, if you would, to Isaiah,
chapter 62. The saints are Christ's delight.
This is the last portion we'll look at. The saints are Christ's
delight because of the promise that He has made to them as their
husband. See, we who are His blood-bought
people are what? We're the bride of Christ, aren't
we? We saw that so clearly and plainly in our study in the book
of Song of Solomon. And Christ delights in His bride.
He delights in His bride. Look at this in Isaiah chapter
62. This is a wonderful portion.
Starting in verse 1, we'll read verses 1 to 4. For Zion's sake will I not hold
my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the
righteous thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation
thereof is a lamp that burneth. And the Gentiles shall see thy
righteousness, and all kings thy glory, and thou shalt be
called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name.
Thou shalt also be a crown of glory, hand of the Lord, and
a royal diadem in the hand of thy God. Look at this. Thou shalt be no more termed
forsaken. Oh, my. Neither shall thy land anymore
be termed desolate. Oh, what desolation. There was in our lives before
the Lord saved us, but thou shall be called Hephzibah. Literally,
my delight is in her, in thy land, Beulah, literally married. For the Lord delighteth in thee,
and thy land shall be married. Beloved of God, the Lord Jesus
Christ, in his incarnation of our nature, hath married us,
beloved. We are in him. He is the bridegroom. We are his bride. We are his
bride. The Lord's people are his blood-bought
bride. He purchased us. He purchased
us with his own precious blood. And we know the life of the flesh
is in the blood, isn't it? And he gave his life for us.
He's made us one with Himself, and how this is balm to the believer's
soul, how it may bring comfort to God's people to know that
God delights in us, in Christ, and we are kept and preserved
in Him. What a Savior. What a Savior. Heavenly Father, we thank Thee
for Thy Word. for allowing us to gather together
in the privilege and the honor. We are so thankful. We who are
your people so grateful that you allow us to do this. We have
freedom to be able to do this. We have liberty to be able to
do this. And we thank Thee, O Lord, by
Thy providence and by Thy hand that we have the ability to do
this. We pray that You would be glorified tonight through
the preaching of Your Word as we continue to look at this psalm.
We pray that our hearts again would be drawn to Thee and away
from this world. And that for a time, O Lord,
we could just rejoice in Thee. We thank Thee that that you have opened up your
word to your people, that you give us understanding. We pray
that the truths that we looked at today, that we would take
these truths and that they would be a balm to our soul this week,
that we would think upon them and meditate upon them all through
the week. Oh, Lord. Oh, Lord, may we never get over
the fact that you marvel and that you delight in us, that
you delight in us. We, who are your people, who
are purchased by thy precious blood. We love you and praise
you in Jesus name. Amen.