Turn back with me to Psalm 106.
Let's look at verses 7 and 8 again here before we begin the message.
Our fathers understood not Thy wonders in Egypt. They remembered
not the multitude of Thy mercies, but provoked Him at the sea,
even at the Red Sea. Nevertheless, he saved him. He
saved him for his namesake. He might make his mighty power
known. Now we start this passage of
scripture with these two words, our fathers. Now, I can tell
you this. I don't know that I enjoy anything
more than to hear somebody, not that this happens a lot, but
sometimes at school you'll have a teacher or someone say, well,
he just scares me at first, but they'll say, he's just like you.
Or one of your boys, they look just like you. There's something
about them that reminds me of you. I know in my family, my dad, guessing
his dad had blue eyes, and I've got blue eyes, and both the boys
have blue eyes, and that's passed down from generation to generation. Facial expressions, the way we
stand, the way we just do different things, and like I said, those
are things we enjoy. We enjoy hearing said. But the
other side of that coin, is not so pretty. It's not so flattering,
is it? Because that's that old sin nature
that's passed from father to son, from father to son. It's been passed down from generation
to generation. Over in the book of Acts, And
those men in the synagogue, those religious folks, they found some
men to say some false things about Stephen. And Stephen was
brought before the high priest. He held nothing back, did he? Back there in Acts chapter 7.
But one of those things that he said to those religious men,
he said this. He said, you're stiff-necked
and you're uncircumcised in heart and ears. On the outside, you
look religious. You give to the poor and you
pay taxes on this and you say all the right things. But he
said, in heart and ears, you're uncircumcised. You resist the
Holy Ghost. And he says this, he says, as
your fathers did, so did you. You're just like your father."
Well, there's nothing complimentary about that, is there? There's
nothing to glory in in that statement. And those religious men, they
don't like hearing that. They took him out. Listen to
their reaction. And this is the natural man's
reaction to the truth. Man doesn't like being told that
he's a sinner. These men, these men, they were
so upset, and the self-righteous man hates it even more. He says they gnashed on him with
their teeth, like a dog going up and just grabbing ahold of
him with their teeth. They stopped their ears. We were
talking about this in our Sunday school classes. Sometimes our
little ones, when they don't want to hear something, they
put their hands over their ears. Don't tell me that. I don't want
to hear that. And they took him out of the
city and they stunned him. That's how a self-righteous man
reacts to being told that he's a sinner and that God's holy. And that goes all the way back
all the way back to the garden, all the way back to our father
Adam there in the garden. Look at verse 6 of Psalm 106.
Just turn back a verse there. David says this here, the psalmist
says this, he says, we've sinned with our fathers. We've committed
iniquity. We've done wickedly. You know,
in one sentence there, he pretty much sums it up. That's us by
nature. That's a quick summary of us. And like I said, it goes all,
our fathers, it goes all the way back, it goes all the way
back to Adam there in the garden. God said, here it is. Dress and
keep it. Don't eat of that tree. And Adam rebelled against God.
took it and he ate of it, and that's been passed from generation
to generation. Well, let's read on in our text.
It says, our fathers understood not. You know, the natural man
receiveth not the things of the spirit. They're spiritually discerned. We understood not. They understood
not his wonders in Egypt. Now that word wonders, That refers
to God's marvelous acts, His wonderful acts, His extraordinary
acts, His distinguishing acts, those things that He did to set
apart Israel from every other nation on the earth. When we
read here, those marvelous, wonderful, extraordinary, distinguishing
acts, beginning with the birth. Consider the birth of Moses.
You talk about something amazing. Consider the birth of Moses.
Pharaoh had said every male, every male child, you take him
and you cast him into the river. Yet by God's providence, think
about this, not only was Moses delivered, but he was raised
in Pharaoh's house. The man who made that Gave that
charge, Moses is going to be raised in
his house. For a long time, his mother is the one who cared for
him. Consider that. And in time, Moses saw that Egyptian. He saw that Egyptian slay one
of his brothers. or out there, and Moses slew
him. Moses buried him in the sand.
His brother was out there being beaten. Moses took that Egyptian,
he slew him, buried him in the sand. And later he would flee
to Midian. God would take him to Midian.
And one day when he was taking care of his father-in-law's sheep
out there on the backside of the desert, God appeared to him
in that burning bush. He said, Moses, take your shoes
off. He said, the place you're standing on is holy ground. Think about the marvelous, wonderful
works. And he told Moses, he said, I'm
the God of thy father. I'm the God of Abraham, the God
of Isaac, the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face. Moses
hid his face, afraid to look upon God. And God told him this. He gave him this. He said, he
said, Moses, he said, I've seen the affliction of my people. He said, I've seen it. He said,
I've heard their cry. I said to that, how marvelous
that God, God would hear the cry of his people. He said, I
know their sorrow. He said, I'm come down to deliver. You think about that. I'm just,
Can you imagine when Moses left that place when he got home?
I would have to imagine that story was told over and over
and over and over again. Yet, we read here in the scriptures,
they understood not thy wonders. They remembered not the multitude
of thy mercies. Do you think, how's that possible?
How could they not do that? How could they not remember that?
If we give ourselves just a little bit to think about it, how often, how much of, how often
do we forget God's mercies? I'd have to, speaking for myself,
have to think every day. How quick are we? How quick are
we when one little thing doesn't forget His mercies? Said they understood not. Didn't
understand. Didn't understand. I can tell
you, I'm in that same boat too. There's so much, oh, there's
so much I don't understand. So much that goes on in this
world that I don't understand. There's so much that goes on
in the name of religion in our time that you just shake your
head at. But listen, listen to this. Listen
to this. There's so much I don't understand.
There's so much I don't know. But I do know this. Know none
to God. Know none to God are all His
works from the beginning of the world. He knows what's going
on. He orders and directs all things. Well, consider this. Consider
what Israel saw. Just for a minute. God brought
those ten plagues upon the Egyptians. He brought the frogs. He brought the lice. He brought
that grievous moraine, that disease on the animals. Yet listen, not one of the cattle of the
children of Israel died. His distinguishing acts. You
know that hail, The boils come upon them and
then the hail. And yet we read in Goshen. In that land that Pharaoh had
gave Joseph all those years back, he said, you bring your family
and you let them settle here in Goshen. In the land of Goshen
where the children of Israel were. Not one little piece of
hail fell. how God's protected and kept
his people. The locust came, the darkness,
that darkness that covered the land, the darkness that was so
thick that you couldn't even see your hand in front of your
face. It's a darkness that, I don't
know how dark that is, a darkness that could be felt. That's dark,
isn't it? Well, but the children of Israel,
they had light. God gave them light. They had
light in their houses. And then finally, the death of
the firstborn. God said this. He said, against
the children of Israel shall not a dog wag its tongue, that
ye may know. You might know this. The Lord
hath made a difference. He hath put a difference between
the children of Egypt and the children of Israel. God's made
a difference. God set apart a people. And the
children of Israel, they woke up that morning. Can you imagine
the cries they heard coming out of the land of Egypt? Death throughout all the land. Yet in their houses, children
of Israel, safe, safe under the blood. Well, time and time again, God displayed
His mercy. Time and time again, God displayed
His mighty power. And yet we read, they remembered
none, the multitude, multitude of His mercies. And then there
at the Red Sea, we read the children of Israel provoked Him, provoked
Him. After all these things, after
all that they had seen, after all that God had done over and
over again, They provoked Him at the Red Sea. The old writers
actually say that that means in the sea, as they were passing
through the sea. In the midst of deliverance,
they provoked Him. And this is the God that told
me, He said, I've seen your affliction. They'd heard that. I'm just confident.
God's seen our affliction. He's heard our cry. He knows
our sorrow. The God that said, I've come
down to deliver them. I've come down. The God that
said this, he said, when I see the blood, when I see the blood,
I'll pass over you. And they provoked him, the children
of Israel, they provoked him at the Red Sea, in the sea. They
said to Moses, They said to Moses, they said, isn't this what we
told you when you first came to us in Egypt? Isn't this what
we've told you all along? Leave us alone. Leave us to ourselves. Leave us in bondage. Leave us
in Egypt. Isn't that what we told you? Well, that Christ is still present
today. Isn't that? Leave us alone. Leave me to myself. Leave me
to my self-righteousness. Leave me to my own works. Leave
me in my own bondage. By nature, by nature, we don't
realize what a mess we're in. We don't realize our inability,
our total inability to do anything about our sin. content to die
in Egypt, content to die in our sin. They said, Moses, leave
us, leave us alone. Verse seven, they understood
not thy wonders. They remembered not the multitude
of thy mercies. They provoked him at the Red
Sea, said leave us alone. Well, that's a picture of our
sinful nature. That's a leave us, leave us alone. But look at this next word here,
look at verse eight. This is what we want to say here,
nevertheless, nevertheless. You know, when I see that word
nevertheless, I'm reminded of a few scriptures. Over in Ephesians
and Romans five, we read this, where sin abounded, where sin
was great grace. Grace did much more now. Over
in Ephesians 2, but God, but God who is rich in mercy for
His great love wherein He loved us. He loved, can you begin to
enter? He loved us. The people that
have cried, leave us alone. The people that were dead in
sin, yet He loved us even when we were Dead in sins. Not after we got ourselves all
fixed up. He loved us when we were dead in sins. And he hath quickened us together
with Christ by grace, are you saying? Through faith. Nevertheless, nevertheless, So
quickly, let's look at this verse 8 together, okay? First, we see
the Savior, okay? Here in verse 8, nevertheless,
it says, He saved. Okay? All right? Moses didn't
save them. It wasn't Moses that saved them. It wasn't Aaron that saved them.
It wasn't the children of Israel that saved themselves. He saved
them. Okay? Let that be established. He said there in Exodus, he said,
I've come down. I've come down to deliver them.
Not to help deliver them. I've come down to deliver them.
Turn over to Isaiah chapter 45. Isaiah 45. Look at verse 21 of Isaiah 45. Tell ye, bring them near, let
them take counsel together. Who hath declared this from ancient
time? Who hath told it from that time? Have not I the Lord? And there is no God else beside
me, but just God and a Savior. There's none else. There's none
else beside me. Look at verse 22. Look unto me. Don't look to yourself. Don't
look to your works. Don't look to your history. Don't
look to this or that. He said, look unto me. Look unto
me and be ye saved. All the ends of the earth, I'm
God. And there's none else. There's
none else. God is holy, just, merciful. Listen to this. Listen to this. Job said this in his hands. in his hand. I remember when I was a kid,
they used to have a picture of Johnny Bench. He could hold seven baseballs
in his hand. I can remember as a kid thinking,
that's amazing. How could anybody hold that much
stuff in their hand? I was pretty taken back by that. Listen to what Job said. Listen
to what Job said about God. He said, in His hand is the soul
of every living thing and the breath of all mankind. In His hand. In His hand. He's the sovereign, almighty,
omnipotent. He's God. He's God. He's a just God. He's a Savior. He is the Savior. The Lord Jesus
Christ came down to this earth and He obeyed the law and died
on the cross for the sins of His people. He was made sin. All that that we can say about
ourselves, He was made sin for His people. We couldn't bear
that punishment, we couldn't. He was absolutely made sin, my
sin. He took my sin, put it away. Took the sins of his people and
he put it away, enabling God to be just and to justify, to
be the justifier of his people. He saved, he's the savior. And
listen, He saved them. He saved them. He saved a particular
people. Well, listen to these things
about His people, okay? Here's what we've read so far.
It's a people that didn't understand His wonders. It was an ungrateful people that
remembered not His mercies. It was a rebellious people, people
that constantly provoked him, sinful people. Okay, that's what
we can say about them, okay? But listen, they're his people. They're his people, we're his
people. Paul said this in 1 Timothy, he said, this is a faithful saint,
worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world
to save Paul said, I know something about
that. You know, we talked about Stephen
earlier. Paul's the fellow that was holding
those men's coats when they stoned him. Paul said he came into World
Safe Center, whom I'm the chief. And that list, we can just go
on and on. The woman at the well, the thief
on the cross, the eunuch, He said, that Philippian jailer,
that Gadarene man out there, out there running around naked
in the cemetery, cutting on himself, couldn't be bound with chains.
Lord saved him. When he did, it said they found
him, found him sitting, clothed, and in his right mind. Man can't do that. Only God,
only God can save. And we take our seats as a sinner,
as a sinner. Not looking to anything in ourselves,
not looking to anything other than our sin. Knowing our sin
and knowing He's the Savior. He's the Savior. It said, He
saved men. Lord Jesus Christ, He saves sinners. And then third, back in our text,
we read, He saved him for his name's sake. Mike, that song
you all sang, he did it all for his glory. He saved him for his
name's sake. Now this runs counter with false
religion. This runs in the complete opposite
direction. False religion says this. It
says God saves a man, but he does it He does it when man adds
something to it or does something himself. Whether it's coming
to the front of the church, whether it's making a decision, I've
decided to follow Jesus. Or when he gets his life straightened
out and starts living for Christ. That's what false religion says.
It says when he joins the church, Here's the one common theme.
It always has to do when man does something. Whatever it is. Whatever it is. This says here, what I'm reading,
the Lord doesn't save any merit found in the man. Man's not even
mentioned. It says this. He saved him for
his namesake. Something completely separate
for man. Listen, He has to because man
is dead in trespasses and sin. Man can't do anything for himself.
But listen, He saves for His namesake. He saves for Christ's
sake. It's the blood and the righteousness
of our Lord Jesus Christ He saves. Turn to Isaiah 43. We read in Isaiah chapter 43
verse 25, I, even I, am he that blotteth
out thy transgressions. I blot out thy transgressions
for my own sake, and I will not remember thy sins. They've been
put away. Christ bore them on the cross.
Consider this, consider the greatness of His grace and mercy in delivering
a people that were ignorant of His mighty works, unthankful
for His mercies, people that provoked Him, that murmured and
complained even in the midst of being delivered. Is there hope for me? Is there
hope? Is there hope for a sinner? Scripture says, nevertheless,
nevertheless, he saved them for his namesake. Let me read something
to you here. Found this one of the old, one
of the old Puritan writers on this subject of, for his, saved
for his namesake. He said this, he said, do you
have, do you need wonders? Do you need wonders wrought for
you? Well, his name is wonderful. Trust in Him. Look to Him that
saves for His namesake. Do you need counsel and direction? Well, His name's Counselor. Do
you have mighty enemies? Look to Him whose name is a mighty
God. Do you need His fatherly pity?
His name is the Everlasting Father, and as the Father pitieth His
children, So the Lord pitied them and feared him. Complete
pity. Do you need peace? He's the Prince of Peace. Listen to these names. Jehovah-Rothi. We've heard these over and over
again, but we never grow tired of them. Jehovah-Rothi, the Lord
that heals. Jehovah said, kidnap. The Lord,
our righteousness. Jehovah Nissi, the Lord our banner. Jehovah Jireh, the Lord will
provide. Jehovah Shema, Lord's presence. His name is Emmanuel, God with
us. Are you weak? Do you need strength? He's the strength of Israel.
Do you need comfort? He's the consolation of Israel.
Do you need a place of safety? He's every one of those cities
of refuge. Do you have? Nothing. What do you bring? Nothing. Look to Him who is all
in all. What's your need? What's your
need? He has wisdom to guide you, power
to keep you, mercy to pity you, truth to shield you, holiness
to sanctify you. He has righteousness to justify
you, grace to adorn you, and glory to crown. Trust in Him. Trust in Him who saves for His
namesake. Turn back to our text there,
Psalm 106. Our fathers, our fathers understood
not thy wonders in Egypt, They remembered not the multitude
of thy mercies, provoked him at the sea, even at the Red Sea.
Nevertheless, he saved him for his name's sake, that he might
make his mighty power to be known." You know, God raised up Pharaoh
for that reason. He raised up Pharaoh to make
his mighty power to be known. He said that his name might be
declared throughout all the earth. Listen, he's going to accomplish
his purpose in that end. He's going to accomplish his
purpose. Nevertheless, nevertheless, despite my failure, he shall
not fail. His covenant will not fail. Turn
with me to one more, one more scripture. Second Timothy chapter
one. Begin with verse 8, Paul speaking
to Timothy here, he says, He says, Be not thou therefore
ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor for me his prisoner. Be thou partaker of the afflictions
of the gospel according to the power of God, who hath saved
us. who hath saved us. It's done. He hath saved us and called us
with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to
His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ before
the world began. Again, despite my doubts, despite
my fears, despite this unthankful heart, Despite my continual murmuring
and complaining, He saved me. He saved us. He called us with a holy calling,
not according to our works, according to His own purpose and grace,
which was given us in Christ Jesus for the world to know. There's comfort to be found there,
isn't there? Isn't there comfort to be found?
There's hope to be found there. Because He saves, He saves for
His name's sake. He saves for Christ's sake. That
He might make His mighty power to be known. Who gets the glory? Not man. God gets all the glory. That's His Word.