Most commentators agree, and
I tend to agree with them, that David penned this song during that time that his son
Absalom had gathered an army against David, some of David's
very own men, chased David from the throne, and sat upon it himself. That's pretty tough. That's pretty
tough. But whatever the occasion was,
it's obvious that when David penned this psalm, he was in
great distress. I mean, that's just evident.
That's just evident as you read the psalm. It has a mixture of
mournful prayer, of distress, But that's not all. David looks
beyond his circumstances to the God of all grace. And therefore,
there's a strain, a course, if you will, of hope, of help, and
expectation. And it seems, especially through
verses 12 and 14, we'll not read them again. But David is referring
there, I believe, not to his son Absalom, but to his own familiar
counselor that went over to the side of his enemy with Absalom. Let me find that place, if you
will, in 2 Samuel chapter 15. 2 Samuel 15 speaks of that, and
I think that's what David refers to in those verses in the psalm.
2 Samuel 15. Verse 12, and Absalom sent for
Ahithophel, the Gemanite, David's counselor, from his city, even
from Gilo, while he offered sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong,
for the people increased continually with Absalom. And there came
a messenger to David, saying, the hearts of the men of Israel
are after Absalom. They're following him. they've
left you, they've deserted you. And David said unto all his servants
that were with him at Jerusalem, arise and let us flee. For we
shall not else escape from Absalom, make speed to depart, lest he
overtake us suddenly, and bring evil upon us, and smite the city
with the edge of the sword. His own familiar friend, his
counselor, went over to the side of Absalom. Now is that not typical
of the son of David, the Lord Jesus Christ. Is that not a picture
of what Judas did to him when he brought that band of soldiers,
bloodthirsty religionists to the garden to betray him, and
he betrayed him with a kiss? And just like Ahithophel, David's
counselor, faithful friend at one time, he later hung himself. So did Judas. So did Judas. In verses 1 through 8 here in
this psalm, David prays that God would manifest his favor
to him. He pleas his sorrow and his fear,
his utter helplessness as a reason why God should help him. That's
a good way to pray. That's a good way to pray. I'm
poor and needy, and yet the Lord thinketh upon me. And then in
verses 9 through 15, he prays that God would manifest his displeasure
and appear for him against his enemies. Undertake for me. Undertake for me. And that's
a matter of justice. That's a matter of justice. That's
not being unjust when God gives people exactly what they've earned.
And then in verses 16 through 19 and the last two verses, 22
and 23, David assures himself that God will. Oh, now he seems
to just arise above the ashes, doesn't he? Oh, now his faith
has increased. And he says there that he's assured
that God will in due time, in God's own time, which is the
best time. It might not be the time we want,
the time we would like, but in God's own time, which is best
for us and best for His glory, He will arise. He will arise. He'll smite His enemies, and
He'll comfort those that mourn with this blessed hope that David
expresses. Notice that David speaks of the
wicked in his time, and it is the same in our time. Don't,
don't, uh, isn't it, oh, I don't know what the word is, but, uh,
it shouldn't be amazing, but have, I'm sure that you notice
in reading the scriptures that especially much of this psalm
could apply to our day. The wickedness that David speaks
of, the rebellion, the utter city of Jerusalem just being
overwhelmed with wickedness, mischief, sorrow in verse 10
and 11. He speaks of sorrow and mischief and wickedness in the
midst. Doesn't that sound like the United
States? Doesn't that sound like this
world? Doesn't that sound familiar? Verse 10, this city, Jerusalem,
had become a den of wickedness. Conspirators met in the dark.
They huddled together and whispered, we're going to overtake David.
Absalom's going to be king. Let's join up with him. Absalom
had fanned this flame of insurrection. He kindled it and fanned it.
And when David perceived the alarm, as we read there in 2
Samuel 15, he fled the city. He quitted the city. What a sad,
sad sight when it broke out into open rebellion. Mischief also
and sorrow are in the midst of it. Verse 10. Verse 11, wickedness
is in the midst thereof. Surrounded by it. Again, I have
to point out, children of God, Is it not obvious? It is to a
true child of God. It's not to the world, of course
not. But to a true child of God? How
often? Every day. I think I mentioned
to you maybe last week or the week before, I've just about
quit watching the news. It's just depressing. Just one bad story after another. And then they'll tag on a little
feel-good message at the end, but it doesn't make up for all
the distress, the mischief, the sorrow, just as David said, was
at Jerusalem. Wickedness is in the midst thereof.
The very heart of the city was base and defiled. They call right
wrong and wrong right. Again, does that not? Did you
ever, and I could pitch 10 here, but I deliberately don't want
to. I don't want to do that. But
I never thought, Terry, that I would live to see the day at
the utter insanity, the stupidity that people try to push upon
us time after time and again after again. Women thinking they're
men, and men thinking they're women. And if you've got a problem
with that, there's something wrong with you. Is this disgusting? Is this disgusting? Mr. Spurgeon made this comment concerning
the psalm. I think it's good. Alas, poor
Jerusalem, to be thus the victim of sin and shame, virtue reviled,
and vice parading. How familiar. Her solemn assemblies
broken up, her priests fled, her king banished, and troops
of reckless villains parading through the streets and vomiting
their blasphemies upon her sacred shrines. Here was cause enough
for the sorrow which so plaintively utters itself in these verses."
Regardless, regardless of when believers are living in this
world, not too much changes Not too much changes. Regardless
of when we may live, regardless of when we're making our pilgrimage
to that city whose builder and maker is God, this world will
never be the friend of a believer. Never. Never. Just as it was
with David in our country, in this world, there's wrath, Upon the persecutors, as David
prayed, and there will be salvation and joy to those who are being
persecuted." God will take care of that. God will take care of
that. Did you notice what a contrast
there was throughout this psalm between the righteous and the
wicked? Well, you say, Larry, there's no need to point that
at all, but I think there is. I think there is. Because again,
this world, this religious world especially, tries to portray
the fact that a man can know God and not have a change of
heart. That serving Christ is no more than making a decision
for Jesus. Oh, no, no, no. What puts us
at odds with the world because now, by the grace of God, we've
been given a new nature. Christ in us, the hope of glory.
I like what Brother Don said. I read it again the other day.
He said, Christ in you lives just the same as Christ outside
of you. And every man that hath this
hope in himself purifieth himself. Oh yes, a believer and the world
are at direct opposites of one another. Is that not what the
Lord Jesus Christ himself said to his disciples that night before
he went to the garden? If the world hates you, you know
that it hated me before it hated you. So don't be surprised. If
they've killed the master, they'll do likewise to the servants.
If ye were of the world, here it is. If he were of the world,
the world would love his own. They would embrace you. You would
not be at odds with them. But because you're not of the
world, I've chosen you out of the world, therefore the world
hates you. Remember the word that I said
unto you, the servant is not greater than his Lord. If they
have persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they have
kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things
will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know
not him that sent me." Children of God, we need to remember that.
In John 17, in that high priestly prayer our Lord prayed, he said
this, verse 14 through 16, praying to his heavenly father on behalf
of his sheep, those 11 and those and every one that he should
call by his grace, all of his sheep. He said, I've given them
thy word, and the world hates them. because they are not of
the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that you
should take them out of the world, but that you should keep them
from the evil. They are not of the world, even
as I am not of the world." When I read those last few words there
in John 17 and 16, Christ said, they are not of the world, even
as I am not of the world. I thought, now there is a good
definition of true sanctification. It's not touch, not taste, not
go, not we're not. No, we're not of the world. We've
been set apart by God's grace in election, then in calling.
We're not of the world even as Christ was not of the world. It's strange, isn't it? And it's the religious world
I speak of. Their definition of sanctification is, well, I'm
going to dress a certain way, I'm going to refrain from certain
things, I'm going to not eat certain foods, and they think
that makes them holy. No, no, no. That's not it at
all. That's not what Christ did. We're not of the world in the
same sense that Christ wasn't of the world. They said, lookie
here, he's a glutton, he's a winebibber. This man receives sinners. Who
is he? No, that's not what true separation
is. That is what the world describes
it as being. Let me give you a good illustration
that at least I thought about. I was watching the Waltons the
other day. I mean, Robin and I watched that
on afternoons, weekday afternoons, quite often, because it's one
of the few things you can sit down and enjoy and you won't
have to worry about hearing God's name taken in vain. But on this
episode, Jason, you know, he was the musical son. He had joined
some country band, and they were playing on the radio. They were at a station. It was
being broadcast live, and Jason was going to sing one of his
songs. And the family back home were
all gathered around the radio. And Jason is a-picking and a-grinning,
and they're just all listening. And Grandma, you remember Granny
Walt, she was sort of a sourpuss anyway. She was religious. And
she said, well, I really like it best when he plays the hymns.
And Grandpa was standing right over and looked down and he said,
well, is that why you're tapping your feet? People think that
that's what sanctification is. Oh, no, no. Sanctification is
being set apart by God's grace, being not of the world. being
not of the world, even as Christ was not of the world. And this
is how Peter himself described it. 1 Peter 2, verses 9 and 10.
Here's a description of a child of God. This is why they're separate
from this world. Peter said, you're a chosen generation. Second Peter 2, verses 9 and
10. But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. A peculiar people, not peculiar
in how you dress, no, but a peculiar people, that is, a distinguished
people, made to differ by God's grace. That ye should show forth
the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his
marvelous light. Oh, God give me grace to do that
more. Which in times past were not
a people, but are now the people of God. Which had not obtained
mercy, but have now obtained mercy. King David, was banished
from his throne at this time, but David's king was still sitting
in the heavens ruling over everything. Psalm 29 verses 10 and 11, the
Lord saideth upon the flood, yea, the Lord saideth king most
of the time. Aren't you glad that's not so?
I think it was David Edmondson who said that if there was a
square foot anywhere on this globe where Jesus Christ didn't
reign supremely, he said, I would be constantly worried that I
was standing on that spot. No, the Lord saideth king. The
Lord saideth above the flood. He says king forever. Forever. Now let that sink in. The Lord saideth king forever. David was chased from his throne,
all but the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Mighty God,
the Everlasting Father. Now who's going to take his throne
from him? The Lord will give strength unto
his people. The Lord will bless his people with peace. Again,
verses 10 and 11 of the Psalm here, it speaks of wickedness
in Jerusalem being in the very midst, but God was still with
his church, still with his people. In Psalm 46 verse 5, listen to
this. God is in the midst of her. Oh,
wickedness was in the midst of the city Jerusalem. Wickedness
is in the midst of the United States of America. Wickedness
is in the midst of the world. But God is in the midst of her,
his church. She shall not be moved. God will
help her. And that right early. Zechariah
chapter 2 verse 5. 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, his church. Zechariah again, verse 10, chapter
2. Sing and rejoice, O daughter
of Zion, the church, for lo, I come, and I will dwell in the
midst of thee, saith the Lord. Are you thinking of that verse,
that precious promise in Matthew 18? For where two or three are
gathered together in my name, there am I. That's Jesus Christ
said that. Where two or three gather in
my name, Christ made this blessed promise, there am I in the midst
of thee. Oh my soul, there am I in the
midst of them. I tell you what, there's no place,
Bobby, that I would rather be right now at this moment then
hear what this little flock of Jesus Christ promises, where
my people gather in my name, there am I in the midst of thee. I don't want to miss that. I
don't want to miss that. But to the angel of the church
of Ephesus write, this is the Lord, the ascended, reigning,
sovereign Lord Jesus Christ telling John, these things saith he that
holdeth the seven stars in his right hand and walketh in the
midst of the seven golden candlesticks, his church. In the midst of David's
trials, in the midst of every believer's life, in the very
midst of the storm, David directs us to do what he did. He says,
now this is what I want you to do. Verse 16, as for me, as for
me, David, a man after God's own heart, but he was still a
man. Much tried, much favored, yes,
but much persecuted. He had his mountaintop experience,
but David knew something about the darkness of the valley, didn't
he? But from his personal experience, he says, let me tell you what
I did. Let me tell you what I did in my perplexity. David gives
us direction in dilemma. That's the title of the message.
Direction in dilemma. You ever been there? Well, I
know you have. Direction in dilemma. I don't
know what I'm going to do. I don't know which way to take.
I don't know how this is going to turn out. Oh, and that's always
true. I know exactly how you feel.
We all know that. Every true believer knows that.
What am I? I don't see a way out of this.
Jesus Christ does. Jesus knows what he would do.
And David tells us here what he did and what we should do.
As for me, verse 16, as for me, I will call upon God and the
Lord shall save me. What's he mean, the Lord shall
save him? David was a saved man then. Oh yes, God saved him,
was saving him, and would yet save him. He'll save him spiritually,
he'll save him in his trials, he'll save him until he's brought
all the way to glory and he's presented with every true child
of God before the throne of God without a spot or a blemish or
any such thing. Saved to the very uttermost. How about that? The Lord will
save me. Direction in dilemma. That's
the best thing we can do. Look to Christ. Oh, let me lift
up my eyes into the hills from whence cometh my help. My help
cometh from the Lord. Who else is going to help me?
Who else is going to keep me? Who else is going to keep me
from falling? Who else is going to take me to glory? Who else
should I look to except the Lord Jesus Christ, my King and my
God? And He sets kings forever. Oh,
forgive me that I don't look to Him more often. that I don't
look to Him always. Oh, forgive me that I so foolishly
at times take my eyes off Him, and down I go. Down I go, discouraged,
depressed. Anything but hopeful. Oh, but
when God, by His grace, enables us to look back to Him, and what
do we see there? What do we see there? Oh, I see
King Jesus, high and lifted up. His train fills the temple. The
whole earth is full of His glory, and He's having His way in the
whirlwind. He sets King forever, and our God is in the heavens,
doing whatsoever He hath pleased. Oh, Larry, keep your eyes on
Him. You remember what God told Moses concerning the children
of Israel? They came to the Red Sea. Here
comes Pharaoh right behind them. He's had a change of heart. No,
he didn't. That was the problem. His heart was still wicked. What
have I done? He said, let me go get them and
bring them back. That's free slave labor. What would I let
them go for? I don't know Moses' God, and
I'm not going to do what he said. So they look behind them, and
here comes Pharaoh and that mighty army and those chariots and horses. And what a sight. What a sight. They look in front of them. There's
the Red Sea. Over to the right, there's mountains. Over to the
left, there are mountains. There's just no way out. No way out.
And it at first seems strange. God tells Moses to tell them,
fear ye not, stand still. Now, wait a minute. Stand still? Stand still and see the salvation
of the Lord, which he will show to you today. For the Egyptians
whom ye see today, ye shall see them again no more forever. The Lord shall fight for you,
and ye shall hold your peace. Stand still. Now fast forward. Just fast forward. How did that
turn out? How did that turn out? Thus the
Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians.
And Israel saw the Egyptians dead up on the seashore, just
like God said. You're never going to see them
again. They're never going to trouble you again. And that's
a picture of every child of God. The captain of our salvation
is going to lead us through, Jordan, every Red Sea. He's going to just keep leading
us until we just follow him right up to glory. If he doesn't do
that, it won't be my fault. Now think about that. If Jesus
Christ, the great shepherd of the sheep, doesn't bring all
the sheep that God his father put into his hand before the
world began and he agreed to be responsible for, If He doesn't
bring them all back to glory and present them back to His
Father, it will be His failure, it will be His fault, and that's
never going to happen. That's never going to happen.
And Israel saw that great work which the Lord did upon the Egyptians,
and the people feared the Lord. They stood in holy awe, holy
wonder of Him. Oh my soul! How long has it been
since you've done that? God has been pleased to give
you a fresh glimpse of his glorious son. And you think, oh, I know
him. I know him, the only true God
in Jesus Christ, whom he has sent. He has saved me. He's loved
me. He's kept me. He wants me with
him where he is. My, so what a wonder that is. And all you can do is just melt.
Just melt, bow down before him in the dust as a worm, that's
what we are. And just look up and say, oh
my soul, what a savior. David says, as for me, notice
how personal this is with David. He doesn't say, as for you, and
you, and you. No, he says, as for me, as for
me. It's not something that anyone
else can do for David. He's got to call upon the Lord
himself and for himself. He resolves to do this thing.
As for me, let them take what course they want, his enemies.
Let them do what they please. Let the violence and the strife
be theirs. But I will pray to God to save
me. That's what I'm going to do.
That's what David says he would do. wouldn't try their techniques
with him. He wouldn't stoop to that level.
He wouldn't plot and counter-plot. He wouldn't scheme. He wouldn't
lean on the arm of flesh like they did. He wouldn't sneak behind
their back like they did him. No, no, no. What he did was the
very thing he should do. He looked to his God and said,
as for me, I will call upon God. That's what I'm going to do.
That despite the treachery, Despite the fact that my own son is the
leader of this rebellion, I am going to look to my God. What a blessing that is. And
notice what David says. Not only was it a personal resolve,
it was a determined resolve. As for me, I will call upon God. David had experienced the faithfulness
of his God all through his life. Remember when he was just a little
shepherd lad? The youngest of Jesse's household
and his brothers were out fighting the Philistines under Saul. In 1 Samuel 17, David, he's gone
there to take him some lunch. And while he's there, this giant
of a man comes out, Goliath. And he's daring anybody. You
pick any man you want. Send him out here and we'll fight.
If I defeat him, you surrender. If he defeats me, we'll surrender. And David's there with some vittles,
some lunch for his brothers, and he sees this man come out
blaspheming the God of Israel. And David goes to Saul. Why are
you allowed? Why do you allow this uncircumcised
heathen, this Philistine, to speak so? Why are y'all hiding
out here in the rocks? And David said, Thy servant kept
his father's sheep, and there came a lion and a bear and took
a lamb out of the flock. And I went after him and smote
him and delivered him out of the mouth of the lion. I caught
him by his beard and smote him and slew him. Thy servant slew
the lion and the bear, and this Philistine, this uncircumcised
Philistine, shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defiled
the armies of the living God." And Saul said, OK, David, you
go do this. Saul said unto David, go, and
the Lord be with thee. Like those two deacons I was
visiting with in a neighborhood where I pastored a little church
years ago for a couple of years in West Virginia. And I think
I've told you that story. It was near dark, and we came
to this house, and it was a pretty rough-looking place. And the
two fellas, they were brothers. And they said, Larry, this is
the meanest man in town. He threatens to kill anybody
that even steps on his porch, but he needs to hear the gospel. He needs to be invited. And I
said, yes, he surely does. They said, you go on up there,
and we're going to stay back here and pray for you. You go, and we'll stay back here
on the sidewalk. That's what Saul said to David. You go, and the Lord be with
you. Oh, but the Lord was with David,
wasn't he? As for me, David says, I will
call. You see, this was a desperate
call, wasn't it? It was a personal call. It was
a personal call, but it was a desperate call. David needed help. He needed help. He needed the
help only God Almighty could give. He had no other resource. He couldn't save himself. And
you see where I'm going. Here's the promise. For whosoever
shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Is anything
more important than that? Our Lord didn't think so, did
he? He said, what shall it profit a man if he gained the whole
world and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange
for his soul? Oh, David says, I'll call upon
the Lord and he'll save me. I want to be saved. I would sure
like to meet a desperate sinner, wouldn't you? My, so I can't
find one. Can't find one. I can't tell
you the last time I talked Everybody I talk to is saved. Everybody's
ready to go to heaven. They've got no interest in God,
got no interest in his people, his gospel, got no interest whatsoever,
but ask them if they're ready to meet God. No problem, no problem. Oh, I'd like to meet a desperate
sinner. Milton Howard, I think I got
this out of Donnie Bell's bulletin. He said, I wish your soul was
bankrupt. You might not think this is a
nice thing to wish on anyone, but I know that is the only time
you'll see Christ. Spiritual need is what gives
courage to our soul to cast itself upon the sovereign grace of Christ.
If we stay here, we will die. Lord, help me. Lord, save me. Save me. I need saving. What must I do to be saved? I know there's a popular story
at one time, an illustration about this young man that came
to a preacher. And he said, what must I do to
be saved? And the story goes that the preacher
turned around rather sharply and rebuked him and said, do?
Do? What do you mean, do, young man? It's all been done many
years ago. Well, let me tell you what. That's
not how Paul answered the question, was it? When at Philippi in Jella,
that desperate sinner fell before Paul with that very question,
what must I do to be saved? You know what Paul said? Believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved. You can't
be saved without believing on Christ. You can't be saved without
looking to Christ. You can't be saved otherwise.
I know that faith is a gift of God, but I also know the answer
to the question, what must I do to be saved? Believe. Believe. on the Lord Jesus Christ. My
faith has found a resting place. Real faith always does. It's
not in device nor creed. I trust the ever-living one.
His wounds for me shall plead." And oh, what a sweet, sweet comfort
it is to every believing sinner to be able to say this. I don't
need any other argument. I don't need any other plea.
It's enough that Jesus died and that he died for me." That's
enough. That's enough. Most of my loved
ones, a decision is enough. Accepting Jesus is enough. That's
enough. Oh, I pray that God will bring
them down and show them that's not enough. That'll never be
enough. Oh, when a real sinner, a real
sinner, a dead, dog-doomed, damn sinner comes to Jesus Christ
like that leper, casting himself down and say, Lord, if you will,
you can make me clean. Oh, when they come together,
there's mercy at hand. When a real sinner seeks a real
savior, there's going to be real salvation bestowed. Call his
name Jesus, he shall save his people from their sin. Look unto
me and be ye saved. I'm God, there's no other. And that's who David directed
his prayer, his hope, and his heart to. Like Peter. Like Peter. If this is your testimony, if
this is truly your testimony, if you're speaking from the heart
of heart, you're a blessed man. When that religious multitude
walked away, When our Lord said some hard things, and they said,
well, we just don't like that. We don't agree with that. We're
going to go on down the street and find somebody else. And the
Lord looked at the disciples and said, you want to join that
crowd. You want to join that crowd.
They're the majority. They must be right. You want
to go with them. And Peter said, Lord, to whom
shall we go? To whom shall we go? I've got
nowhere else to go. Is that your testimony? I've
got nowhere else to go. You've got the words of eternal
life. Who else am I going to go to? Ho, everyone that thirsteth,
come ye to the waters. And he that hath no money, come
by and eat. Yea, come by wine and milk without
money and without price. Last of all, look what David
says. The Lord shall save me. The Lord
shall save me. Salvation is of the Lord, and
He does it well. Salvation is His work, and He
gets the job done. He gets the job done. He doesn't
attempt to save, He saves. He doesn't half-save, He saves.
He saves every sinner that comes to Him. Ask Barnabas. Ask Barnabas. You're so familiar with that,
but you know what happened. Jesus Christ is on His way to
Jerusalem. He's going to save His people. He's going to redeem
His people. He's going to do that for which
God sent Him into this world to do. He's on His way to be
made sin. And He heard the cry of one poor
blind beggar, and we read, He stood still. My soul. He stood still. Jesus stood still. That's amazing. That's amazing.
Ask that poor leper we referred to a moment ago in Mark chapter
1. He was an outcast. He was an
outcast. The law pronounced him unclean and cast him out. You know the
story. He came to Jesus Christ and said,
if you will, you can make me clean. And Jesus said, I will. And he touched him. He touched
him. That's amazing. That's amazing. Do you hear me? That's amazing. God Almighty
saved a sinner like me and a sinner like you. That's amazing. Shackled by a heavy burden. Is
that what that leper went home singing? I was shackled by a
heavy burden, beneath a load of guilt and shame. Then the
hand of Jesus touched me. And now I am no longer the same.
He touched me. Oh, he touched me. And all the
joy that floods my soul, something happened. And now I know he touched
me and he made me whole. That thief said, Lord, remember
me when you come into your kingdom. And the Lord said, I'll not only
remember you when I come into your kingdom, but I'll take you
with me arm in arm. We shall be saved. We shall be
saved. When life is most over and death
is in view, we shall be saved. Books are being opened, and death
and hell are being delivered up. And all whose names are not
written in the Lamb's book of life are being cast into outer
darkness. We shall still be saved. As for me, I will call upon God,
and the Lord shall save me. Yes, he will." Bobby used to
sing this. Judy Estes, I think, was who
I first heard sing it. Let me close with it. When with
holy choirs we're standing in the presence of the King, and
our souls are lost in wonder while the white-robed choirs
sing, then we'll praise the name of Jesus with the millions round
the throne, praising for the power that reaches deeper than
the stain is gone. Praise the Lord for full salvation. God still reigns upon his throne,
and I know the blood still reaches deeper than the stain has gone. Amen. God bless you.