Well, I want to look with you
this morning at the first few verses of Psalm 27. Psalm 27. So, if you've got a Bible, turn
there with me now, please. These are the words of David.
It is a Psalm of David. And we love the Psalms. Many people love the Psalms.
Many people derive great comfort from the Psalms. There's a lot
of identification with David's experiences and thinking that
that's like me that's what I'm going through at the moment and
there's lots of help that people derive from reading the Psalms
and identifying with the experiences of David as he goes through great
trials and the comfort that he derives from the things of God
all around him and that's very good that's valid that's that's
that's a good beneficial thing to do but The key to all of the
Old Testament Scriptures is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the
key to all of them. He said, these are they which
speak of me. These Old Testament Scriptures,
they speak of the Lord Jesus Christ. So all of those stories,
all of those accounts, all of that history of that people is
speaking of Jesus Christ. Because with those disciples
on the road to Emmaus, beginning at Moses and the prophets, Jesus
expounded to them in all the scriptures, and all they had
then was the Old Testament scriptures, the things concerning himself. That's what it's for. That's
the key to these passages. These passages are the words
of David, but they're the words of Christ. They speak of him.
And that key is the key for far more soul satisfying food than
you can get just by identifying with David in his situation.
it's soul satisfying food you know as as it helps when you're
in a trial if somebody tells you I've been through that and
this is what happened to me and you can be comforted but oh to
read the things of the Lord Jesus Christ which concern your eternal
peace which concern the peace of your soul which concern that
peace which like a river flows from the throne of God to the
child of God That's where there's soul satisfying food. These words
are the words of Christ, but not just the words of Christ
in isolation. They're the words of Christ standing
for his people. They're the words of Christ,
many of the Psalms are the words of Christ loaded with the sins
of his people. When he says, my sins have brought
me down, it's not just David speaking, It's Christ loaded
with his people's sins speaking. These are the words of Christ
standing for his people loaded with his people's sin to purchase
redemption because that's why he was loaded with his people's
sin. To purchase their redemption. To purchase their salvation.
To purchase peace with God. Peace with God. You see being
in Christ believers all his believing people lived in him and died
in Him and rose in Him. And so these words are the words
of David. These words in Psalm 27, they're
the words of David, but more, they're the words of Christ.
And if they're His, they are in a very real sense the words
of His people. They're the experience of His
people. They're the experience of that elect people, of that
particular number that He came to save. They're their experience,
and therefore If you're in Christ, you can identify with these words,
because He stood in your place. I want to look at these few verses
under three headings. David's condition, David's confidence,
and David's contemplation. David's condition, first of all.
We believe that in these verses, when he wrote this psalm, he
was fleeing from Saul. It was before he was king, and
he was fleeing from Saul, and he fled to a Himalaya. and he
was in great danger. He was conscious of his enemies
and of his foes and that they were intent on his destruction.
Look at this in verse 2. When the wicked, even mine enemies
and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh. You see, they
weren't friendly enemies. Most enemies are not friendly
enemies. These came upon him to eat up his flesh. They stumbled
and they fell. Verse 3. Though an host should
encamp against me. A host of enemies encamp against
me. My heart shall not fear. The war should rise against me.
In this will I be confident." He was conscious of his enemies. Conscious of his enemies. Our
Lord Jesus Christ was conscious of his enemies on the cross of
Calvary. If you turn back to Psalm 22,
he talks about bulls of Bashan. Many bulls. Psalm 22, verse 12. This is eminently the psalm of
the cross. And here our Lord Jesus Christ
prophetically through David is saying, Many bulls have compassed
me, strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round. They gaped upon
me with their mouths. He's on the cross. And they're
all around Him, conscious of His enemies. He's there conscious
of His enemies who intend His destruction. But believer, believer,
you and me this morning, if we're in Christ, if we're trusting
Him, we too are surrounded by enemies. And our enemies are
those that seek to destroy our souls. You see, we often think
of our enemies in this life as being what I would call the jam-side-down
experiences of life. You know about jam-side-down. You know you make a piece of
toast, and you butter it, and you spread it liberally with
your favorite jam, and just as you're about to eat it, you stumble
and you drop it. And the old fable goes that which
side down is it going to land? Is it going to land on the nice
dry toasty side on the carpet and you can pick it up and brush
it? No, no, it's going to flip over and it's going to land jam-side
down on the dirty floor. And however clean you think the
floor is, you drop a piece of jammy toast on it jam-side down
and you'll see all the fluff and the bits that it will pick
up. You see? Now people think that their enemies
are just the jam-side down experiences of life. Things just don't go
right. Whether it's in home, or marriage,
or children, or work, or all sorts of situations, financially,
the jam-side down experiences of life. These are our enemies,
let's get comfort. No, our real enemies are our
sins. Our real enemies are those who
would condemn us for our sins, bring our just condemnation upon
us. You see, what are our enemies?
Our enemies are the fact that we love the world, we love this
world. Our enemies are the fact that
we're naturally, in this flesh, unbelieving. That we're naturally,
in this flesh, a people who hate the rule and the will of God.
These are our enemies. Our sins are our enemies that
would bring us down. These are the ones that surround
us. These. If you were to turn to Mark's
Gospel, in my flesh dwells no good thing. We're friends with the world
by nature in our flesh. James 4 and verse 4 says friendship
with the world is enmity with God. Think of it. Friendship
with the world? Oh, it's one thing to live in
the world and enjoy it, but it's another thing. Friendship with
the world. Affection. Heart's desire. Friendship with the world is
enmity with God. Chapter 2, the first epistle
of John and chapter 2 and verse 15 says this, Love not the world. Love not the world. He's speaking
to disciples. Love not the world, neither the
things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the
love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world,
the lust of the flesh, you see these are our sins, the lust
of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the covetousness of the
eyes, the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the
world. And the world passeth away, and
the lust thereof. But he that doeth the will of
God abideth forever." These are our enemies. These are the enemies
that surround us as believers. Your enemies, my enemies, are
Satan and the powers of darkness because they justly accuse us
before the throne of God. They bring accusations against
us. They accuse us for our sins.
Psalm 143 Verse 3 says this, the enemy has persecuted my soul. The enemy has persecuted my soul.
And Revelation chapter 12 and verse 10 talks about Satan, the
devil, as the accuser of the brethren. The one who accuses
the people of God and brings us into just condemnation. For
as the writer to the Hebrews says, it's appointed to man to
die once and then the judgment. And what is the judgment for
all of this sin? The judgment is this, Ezekiel
18 and verse 4, the soul that sins, it shall die. The picture
of scripture is this, that Satan is waiting eagerly to drag to
hell all of these people for their sins, you and me for our
sins, and separate us from all that is good. Now that's a terrible
picture. A terrible picture of sin as
our enemy. Of condemnation, the just condemnation
of God, waiting for us. These enemies surround us all
of the time. But, but, there is hope. There is hope in the Gospel of
Grace. You know 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 21. I'll
get you to look up some scriptures in a minute. But for now, you
know 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 21. For God made Him our
Lord Jesus Christ, who knew no sin to be made sin. for us that
we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. He was made all
of my sin, not just my past sins, all of my sin, He was made. My sin, not in part, but the
whole, was nailed to His cross and I bear it no more. He was
loaded with His people's sins. He, our Lord Jesus Christ, faced
these enemies. He was surrounded by enemies
and foes that came up to eat His flesh. He was surrounded
by these for us, His people. He did that for His people and
we did that in Him by association with Him, by identification with
Him, by being in Him, by Him being our substitute. We did
all of those things in Him. He assumed David's place, our
Lord Jesus Christ, and He assumed our place there on the cross
of Calvary. He made my my condition, my sinful
condition, His own. And He stood there and bore it
for me." This was David's condition and this is your condition and
mine as sinners with enemies surrounding us to condemn us
to hell justly under the justice of God for all of these things.
But in the gospel there is hope. And so the second point is this,
David's confidence. Because David was confident.
He said, The Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall
I fear? The Lord is the strength of my
life. Of whom shall I be afraid? Though a host should encamp against
me, my heart shall not fear. The war should rise against me.
In this will I be confident." He had confidence. David had
confidence. You see, in verse 2 we talk about
his enemies stumbling and falling. Just as they stepped up to destroy
him, his enemies stumbled. and fell. This speaks not of
fearing these enemies, but of confidence over them. Of being
hidden in the tabernacle of God. In verse 5, He shall hide me
in His pavilion. In the secret of His tabernacle
shall He hide me. He shall set me upon a rock.
He'll put me in a safe, solid-footed place. He'll lift up my head
above my enemies, all around about me. I'll offer in His tabernacle
sacrifices of joy." You see, it's very, very confident. Not
fearing, but confident. This is Christ speaking. This
is Christ speaking triumphantly for His people in the place of
His people. Now, turn over with me to John
chapter 18. John chapter 18 and verse 6. In John chapter 18 we have Jesus
in the Garden of Gethsemane. And Judas has betrayed Him to
the Romans and to the high priest. And they come to arrest Him.
And verse 5, He said, Who are you seeking? And they answered
Him, Jesus of Nazareth. They came. They came to eat up
His flesh, as it were. They came to arrest Him and destroy
Him. They were seeking his destruction.
We read again and again how the Pharisees sought his destruction. Whom seek ye? They answered,
Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus said unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed
him, stood with them. As soon then as he had said unto
them, I am he, they went backward. Well, it says actually, I am.
The he is in italics put in there by the translators. As soon as
he said to them, I am, They went backward and fell to the ground. Verse 2 of Psalm 27, When the
wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat
up my flesh, they stumbled and they fell. Do you see that? That's
the words of Christ. That's these words, although
they were written hundreds of years before that account in
John 18, these are the words of Christ. The enemies came and
stepped up to destroy His flesh, to destroy him and they fell
back and they stumbled and fell at the sound of his word this
is Christ speaking in Isaiah chapter eleven and verse four
it says this turn to that one Isaiah chapter eleven and verse
four just a few pages on Isaiah chapter 11 and verse 4,
but with the righteous shall he judge the poor and reprove
with equity for the meek of the earth and he shall smite the
earth, listen, with the rod of his mouth and with the breath
of his lips shall he slay the wicked. He speaks with the breath
of his lips shall he slay the wicked. In Revelation chapter
12, turn over to Revelation chapter 12, you've heard me refer you
to Revelation chapter 12 frequently I think it's got a lot to say
to us in these days picture of church history potted history
just in a few verses and uh... there's a vision of a woman clothed
with the sun this woman is the church in in both old and new
testaments and uh... head of crown of twelve stars
and she being with child cried, verse 2, travailing in birth
and pain to be delivered and there appeared another wonder
in heaven and behold a great red dragon having seven heads
and ten horns and seven crowns a very very powerful red dragon
and his tail drew a third part of the stars of heaven and it
cast them down to the earth he inflicts great damage and the
dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered
for to devour her child as soon as it was born. The woman is
the church, and the child that she's going to give birth to
is Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, coming into the
world to save His people. And the devil stands there ready
to devour. You know in the Christmas stories,
the accounts there, you see Herod, you see the persecution, you
see the flight into Egypt. All of these things are the fulfillment
of that vision, of the devil standing there seeking to destroy. But in the moment that Satan
thought he'd destroyed Christ, we go on to read that Christ
was caught up to God and to his throne in verse 5. You see, this
is the intention of Satan, is to destroy the possibility of
redemption by taking away the Christ of God. And in the very
moment that Satan thinks he has the upper hand, thinks that he
has the victory, thinks that this child is in his moment of
greatest weakness and vulnerability, That child delivers a fatal blow
in the other direction. We read earlier Matthew's Gospel,
chapter 12. Matthew chapter 12, where the Pharisees are accusing
Jesus of casting out devils by the power of Satan, by the power
of Beelzebub. And in verse 28, Jesus says to
them if I cast out devils by the spirit of God then the kingdom
of God is come upon you or else how can one enter into a strong
man's house and spoil his goods except he first bind the strong
man and then he will spoil his house do you know what he's speaking
of there? who's the strong man there? this
is satan the prince of this world this is the god of this world
this is the one who has blinded the minds of those who believe
not this is the one who holds sinners in his power in his control
but Christ enters into the strongman's house and Christ binds the strongman
Christ takes away the power of the strongman to do anything
in the moment of his most apparent weakness Christ takes away his
power to do anything look at Colossians chapter 2 Colossians
chapter 2 and verse 15 speaking of Christ before that
on the cross, blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that
was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the
way, nailing it to his cross. And then in verse 15, having
spoiled principalities and powers, and made a show of them openly,
triumphing over them. In it, the picture is of the
triumphant Roman emperor, and he's leading the defeated enemy,
the defeated rulers, bound in chains, And He's spoiled them
and He's made a show of them openly. Look at the one I've
defeated, triumphing over them in it. And so it is, Christ at
that cross. In the moment of His apparent
greatest weakness, the greatest tragedy, this most blessed man,
this man of such purity of speech and of action and all of these
things that religious folks say, what a tragedy. that he was unjustly,
cruelly taken and killed and so it was in human terms. By
wicked hands they took him and slew him. But in that moment
this was God redeeming his people. This was God disarming the powers
of darkness. This was God disarming the enemies
of the people of God. And so we have it written in
Romans chapter 8 and verses 33 and 34. Who shall bring any charge
to God's elect? because Christ has already dealt
with every charge against them. In the very moment that Satan
thought he had triumphed over the Son of God and destroyed
the way of salvation, in that very moment, he himself was totally... he, the accuser of the brethren,
was totally disarmed in his ability to bring accusations. Who shall
bring any charge against God's elect? Christ has already died
for everything that they ever did. There is not one charge
outstanding that is left to be paid for. And because He did
that, because Christ did that, all His people did that in Him. Do you believe the Gospel of
Christ? Do you trust Him? Are you in Him? Will you too
triumph over your spiritual enemies? You can read verse 2 like this,
when the wicked, when Satan, even my enemies and my foes,
come up to accuse me for all of my sins, They come up to eat
my flesh and cast me down to hell. Ah, they stumble and fall
at this. Who shall bring any charge to
God's elect? Oh, they're camped around me
to destroy me. A host should encamp against me. I'm not afraid. My heart shall not fear. Why
not? Because they've been disarmed. They're going to go with their
sword as if to slay and they're going to find they're totally
disarmed because Christ has taken all the accusation away and He
has dealt with it. the war should rise against me
in this will I be confident so as Christ was confident in the
father to preserve him through the deep trial as he paid redemption's
price with his shed blood as he was confident in that so all
of his people share the confidence and we can say if you're in Christ
we can say with David the Lord verse 1 is my light and my salvation
whom shall I fear The Lord is the strength of my life. Which
Lord? Which Lord is my light and my
salvation? Which Lord? Which God is my strength
and salvation? Aren't there many people who
say, Lord, Lord, haven't we done this in your name? Which Lord
is my strength and salvation? When Saul of Tarsus met the risen
Lord Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus and he saw that shining
light, the first question Saul had was this, Who art thou, Lord? Who is this Lord? This is not
just any God. This is not the one that others
who use the name of God worship. This is not just any God. This
is God revealed in Christ alone. Who art thou, Lord? This is who
it is. This is Jehovah-Jireh, the names of God. This is the
Lord who is my light and my salvation. Jehovah-Jireh, the one who provides. He is Jehovah Rapha, the One
who heals me. He heals me from my sin sickness,
my disease of sin, my healer. He is Jehovah Nisai. He is my
God, my banner over me, my banner of love, my banner of salvation,
the banner of the Kingdom of God over me. He is Jehovah Nisai. He is Jehovah Shalom, who is
my peace, my peace. He is the God who speaks peace
unto the heathen. He who is at enmity with the
heathen because of His holiness. In Christ He speaks peace unto
the heathen, to the nations. He is Jehovah-Raha, the shepherd. The Lord is my shepherd. I shall
not want. He leads me in the green pastures,
by the still waters. He is Jehovah-Tzidkenu, the Lord
my righteousness. All the righteousness that I
need. He is Jehovah-Shamad, the one who is present with us. and
He is so many more. Though I walk through the valley
of the shadow of death, Thou art with me. Thou art with me. The God who is with me. He is
all these. This is who it is. This is the
Lord who is my light and my salvation. He's the Lord who is my perfect
substitute. He's the Lord who is my ransom
for my sins. The price for my sins. He is
the Lord who is my Savior. He is the Lord who is my light
and my salvation. Naturally we walk in such darkness. Naturally we walk in such darkness
of spirit and darkness of mind and darkness of understanding
of the truths of this universe and of this life and of eternity. We walk in such darkness but
the Lord, this God of all those names is my light and my salvation. He's my light because He when
He walked this earth in John 8 and verse 12, said, I am the
light of this world. He who walks in me shall not
walk in darkness. Because He is the light of this
world. The words He speaks, the truth
He brings, the salvation that He's accomplished. He's light
in a dark place. It shines as light in a dark
place. He shined that light of the knowledge
of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ into the hearts
of all whom the Spirit brings to believe Him. He is my light.
The Lord is my light. Is the Lord your light? Do you
see the light of salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ? He is
the Word and His Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our
path, says Psalm 119, verse 105. He's my salvation. The Lord is
my light and my salvation. Salvation. You know, if you know
anything of salvation, it's because you know something of just condemnation. If you know anything of salvation,
it's because you know something of the danger in which your soul
sits as a result of sin. You know something of the danger
because of the judgment of God against sin. He is my salvation. Christ is my salvation from just
condemnation. Turn to Titus. Titus, the little
epistle to Titus, chapter 3, just before Hebrews well just
before Philemon actually but chapter 3 Titus chapter 3 verses
4 and 5 he's talking about what they were how they were in sin
foolish disobedient deceived serving diverse lusts and pleasures
living in malice all the enemies of our soul but verse four after
that the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared
it's appeared to his people it does appear to his people not
by works of righteousness which we have done but according to
his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing
of the Holy Ghost he is my Savior the Lord is my light and my salvation
If the Lord is your light and your salvation, if He's done
everything to save you from the judgment of God, from the accusations
of Satan, of the powers of darkness, what shall you fear? The Lord
is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? As Romans
8.31 says, if God before us, who can be against us? What is
there to fear? There's nothing that can be effectually
against us if God before us. Deuteronomy chapter 33 says this,
Deuteronomy 33, 27. The eternal God is thy refuge
and underneath are the everlasting arms. He shall thrust out the
enemy before thee. You see that identification here
that we can have in the Lord Jesus Christ? The Lord is my
light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is
the strength of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid? confidence,
David's confidence not in himself not in anything he might do but
in what the Son of God has done in his place has accomplished
in his place in defeating those enemies that would drag him down
to hell and so his contemplation verse four says this one thing
have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after that I may
dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold
the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple if you
know these things of the gospel of grace if the Lord is your
light and your salvation and your confidence over all of the
enemies that would destroy your soul if you know these things
they will be your chief desire your chief desire one thing have
I desired of the Lord that will I seek after this is your main
objective this one thing What did Jesus say in the Sermon on
the Mount? Seek first. Matthew 6.33. Seek first the
Kingdom of God and His righteousness and His salvation and His truth. And all these other things that
are needful for this life will be added to you. Seek first the
Kingdom of God and His righteousness. This is the one main thing. The
one thing that I have desired of the Lord. That will I seek
after. To know the salvation of the Lord. That's it. Isn't
it? Isn't it? What do we desire for
one another? What do we desire for our children?
Oh, you know, the song goes, I asked my mother, what would
I be? Would I be pretty? Would I be rich? Here's what
she said to me. Que sera, sera. Whatever will be. Well, in a
respect, whatever happens in this life will be. But oh, oh,
how a believer desires the salvation of his children. The salvation
of your children. To know this one thing this one
thing, to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my
life and into eternity, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to
inquire in His temple. This is the one main thing. This
is Christ's great objective. His great objective is to dwell
in the house of the Lord with the children whom the Father
gave to Him before the beginning of time, that He would redeem
His people, that He would not lose one of them, that He would
pay the price for every one of them, that He would lead them
to glory, So that as it quotes in Hebrews chapter 2 verse 13,
Behold I and the children whom thou hast given me. The son saying
to the father, Behold I and this multitude that no man can number
of children that the father gave to him and that he redeemed and
that he is taking to dwell in the house of the Lord all the
days of his life, all eternity. This is Christ in you, the hope
of glory. This is eternity being the possession
of the people of God, the children of God now. And it's beholding
the beauty of the Lord. Look in verse 4, that I may dwell
in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold
the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. How is
it that you do this? How do you behold the beauty
of the Lord? You say I can't see God with
my physical eyes? I can't see a physical form?
What do I do? Do I go into great glorious cathedrals
and behold it there in all the magnificent stained glass and
architecture? No, this is where I behold the
beauty of the Lord. This is where I inquire in His
temple. It's in the gospel of His grace.
There and there alone. That's where I behold the beauty
of the Lord. I behold the beauty of the Lord in Him coming. as
my substitute, bearing my sins, earning my righteousness, paying
the penalty for sin, shedding His precious blood in the place
of His people, inquiring in His temple. What does the temple
stand for? The temple answers this question,
how shall a man be just with God? How shall a man be right
with God? And the temple and all of that worship and all of
those mosaic Rites and ceremonies all say this. This is how a man
shall be right with God through the mediating work of a substitute
dying in his place. That's what it says. It's the
gospel of God's grace. It's the gospel of particular
redemption enacted there. And to inquire in his temple
is our chief desire. This is our contemplation. This
is it. This is what we meditate upon.
This is the one thing to seek first. Ah, if you're truly a
child of God, you go away from these things. You go into a place
where you've no comfort from the Word of God and your soul
will thirst for these things. You'll long for these things.
You won't be able to live without these things. You'll want these
things. These things are what angels desire to look into. That's
what Peter tells us. 1 Peter chapter 1 and verse 12. These things of the beauty of
the Lord and inquiring in His temple These are things that
angels desire to look into. The sovereign purposes of God
in salvation. What a blessing to share that
desire. What a blessing to be able to
say the Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? What a blessing to be able to
say it is well with my soul. Well we'll sing that hymn 809
when peace like a river attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea
billows roll. 809.