Psalm 149 will be our study this
evening I'm entitling the message from the words found in verse
4 and I'm calling the message simply what it says there the
Lord takes pleasure in his people the Lord takes pleasure in his
people he will he will Now salvation by His will, not ours. Not of him that willeth, nor
of him that runneth, but God that shows mercy. Of His own
will begat he us with the word of truth. The Lord taketh pleasure
in His people. The Lord delights in His people. He will, He will beautify the
meek with Salvation with Salvation now who is Salvation Salvation
is a person the Lord Jesus Christ we are beautiful and delightful
unto our great and glorious God as we are one with the Lord Jesus
Christ so the title of the message from those words the Lord takes
pleasure The Lord is pleased, now think about this, God is
pleased with His covenant people. He delights in them so much so
that He does not leave them alone, does not leave them fallen and
sinful and guilty, but rather He beautifies them. He beautifies
them. He clothes them. Makes them objects
of His love, trophies of His grace, robes them in His blessed
righteousness. Blessed is the man to whom the
Lord imputeth righteousness without works." That's a blessed, blessed
thought, isn't it? The Lord takes pleasure in His
people. What a blessed thing to think
about. Now, Let's consider verse 1. Praise ye the Lord. Praise ye
the Lord. Hallelujah. Praise the Lord. Praise Jehovah. Sing unto the
Lord a new song. It's ever new. It's always new. It'll always be new. The new
song of grace and His praise. Sing His praise in the congregation,
among believers. in the gathering where saints
are gathered together. Let's not sing about praise to
Joe, or praise to John, or praise to Jane, but let's sing praise
unto the Lord. He is worthy of all honor and
glory. Isn't that the song of the redeemed?
Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive all honor, glory,
and blessing, both now and forever. So, Praise ye the Lord." Now,
that's a pretty common phrase through the book of Psalms, isn't
it? That phrase, praise ye the Lord, or hallelujah, or the phrase
we've seen many times as in Psalm 103, bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me, bless His holy name. We might say,
well, it's a common phrase, but Certainly nothing ordinary about
it is there. Not to the believer. Not to the
believer. This is just not a religious slang word. This is something
that's very meaningful and very special to the believer. This
hallelujah or praise the Lord. I thought about this when I Notice,
if you have the Cambridge on the marginal reference on praise
ye the Lord, the marginal reference in the center reference is Hallelujah.
You see that? Hallelujah. Hallelujah. And it
reminded me of Revelation 19 verse 6, where these words are
found, Hallelujah for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth. The Lord God Omnipotent reigneth. We give thanks unto our great
God that He rules and reigns over all things. Now let's turn
back a few pages. That's the message in the closing
chapters of the Revelation, but it's the message of all the book
of God. Hallelujah! The Lord God Almighty,
He reigns over all things. Psalm 135. For I know that the
Lord is great, that our Lord is above all gods, whatsoever
the Lord pleased that did he in heaven and earth seas and
all deep places hallelujah the Lord God Almighty reigns forever
he reigns supreme as the absolute sovereign in heaven and earth
turn back to Psalm 115 look at verse 3 Psalm 115 Verse 1 says, Not unto us, O
Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory for thy mercy
and for thy truth's sake. The heathen might say unto David,
Where is now your God, David? And he replies, Our God is in
the heavens. He hath done whatsoever he hath
pleased. Hallelujah! The Lord God omnipotent
reigneth. over all things. He reigns supreme
and sovereign in creation. He made all things by the word
of His power. Ducks fly because that's the
way the Lord made them. Worms crawl because that's the
way the Lord made them. Fish swim because that's the
way the Lord made them. He made all things after His
own wise counsel. He reigns in creation. He reigns
in providence. All things that come to pass
in time, God has decreed from all eternity, known unto God
are all His works from the beginning. Hallelujah! The Lord God Omnipotent
reigneth. in creation, in providence, and
in salvation. For of him, and through him,
and to him are all things, to whom be glory for ever and ever."
And all the saints said, Amen. Amen. Now, in and among the congregation
of the saints, of believers, they say, Hallelujah to the Lord
God, omnipotent reigneth. Sing unto the Lord a new song
and his praise in the congregation of the saints in and among the
gathering of believers, saints of God, the believers resting
in Christ Jesus, sanctified, set apart, made holy in Christ.
He reigns supreme in all things, in all places, but especially
especially among his people. They know it. They know it and
we worship Him as Lord, as God, as our King, as our Creator for
He has made us, not we ourselves. Believers love to sing and to
rejoice in His sovereign salvation. His sovereign salvation. And that's what this new song
is all about. This new song is about the new
covenant of grace. Now we've seen this mentioned
several times in the book of Psalm. Turn back to Psalm 98.
Psalm 98. We love to sing about the song
of redemption. The new song. The new song. In Revelation 5 verse 9, you
find Psalm 98 verse 1. Revelation 5 9 they sung a new
song saying thou art worthy to take the book to open the seals
thereof both I was slain and has redeemed us to God by the
Blood there they sang this same new song Hallelujah the Lord
God omnipotent reigneth and he has given us the victory psalm
98 look at verse 10 sing and to the Lord new song for he has
done marvelous things his right hand his holy arm his holy power
his right hand has gotten him the victory the victory over
sin death hell and the grave and the believer can say unto
God thanks being to God who has given us the victory through
our Lord Jesus Christ we sing of this new song about the new
covenant in Christ Jesus. It's called in the book of Hebrews
a new and living way through the blood and righteousness of
the Lord Jesus Christ. So we sing. All the saints of
God they love to sing about the Lord how he reigns in mercy,
how he reigns in grace, how he reigns in all things. Look at
verse 2. Let Israel rejoice Rejoice now
watch this. Let Israel rejoice in him We
rejoice in him in him you see salvation in him Believers are
chosen in him. We are sanctified and blessed
in him We are blessed with all spiritual blessing in the Lord. Jesus Christ were accepted in
the beloved Let Israel rejoice in him that made him. Now who made us? Who made us
new creatures in Christ? The Lord did. Let the children
of Zion, the gospel of Zion, let them be joyful in their King. Our King is King. He's King in
all the earth. Matter of fact, He's King of
kings and He's Lord of lords. He's my Father. He's my Savior. He's God, our
Savior. Let the Israel of God, and here
he's talking about the elect of God, the elect of God, the
children of God, let us rejoice in Him. He made us. Now we've
seen and looked at this Psalm several times, but it's worth
looking at again. Psalm 100, turn over there. He
made us. Paul in Ephesians 2 said we are
His workmanship created in Christ Jesus. He made us accepted in
the Beloved. Psalm 100 verse 3, Know ye that
the Lord, He is God, it is He that made us, not we ourselves. Can't we all say with the Apostle
Paul, I am what I am by the grace of God. All we know, all we have,
All we are, all we ever will be is by His grace alone. You know ye that the Lord, He
is God. It is He that made us, not we
ourselves. We are His people and the sheep
of His pasture. He chose us. He made us His people. He chose us by His own sovereign
purpose, His own sovereign grace. The Israel of God, known as the
children of that gospel Zion, we do rejoice in Him. He is our
King. The Lord Jesus Christ is God,
our Savior. And we do. We do. Turn back to Psalm 34. The true
Israel of God, they do worship the Lord Jesus Christ they do
worship God and rejoice in the Lord Jesus Christ and they have
no confidence in the flesh look at Psalm 34 I will bless the
Lord praise the Lord verse 1 Psalm 34 at all times his praise shall
continually be in my mouth My soul my soul shall make her boast
in the Lord the humble shall hear thereof and be glad Oh magnify
the Lord with me let us exalt his name together rejoice in
the Lord and make your boast in the Lord the humble shall
hear thereof and they're glad they're glad we're glad in him
now back to the text look at verse 3 Let them praise His name. Now His name is worthy of all
praise, worthy of all worship. Let us praise His name. No other
name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved,
the Lord Jesus Christ. God has highly exalted Him and
given Him a name which is above every name. Let them praise His
name. And notice it says here, let
us do it in the dance. Let them praise His name in the
dance. Let them sing praises unto Him
with the timbrel and the harp." Now the marginal reference has
on the word there in the dance or with a harp or with a piped
instrument. Again across the page in the
next Psalm it says Psalm 150 verse 4, praise Him with the
timbrel And the dance prays him with string instruments and organs. Now, what is this dance thing
all about? Some of the old writers, it's
kind of interesting what they say about this dance. They were against dancing. So
they tried to put a spin on this in such a way as to discourage
people from from dancing, I think that's maybe one reason that
word is rendered with the pipe, with the harp. But I can think
of at least two occasions in Scripture, I'm sure there are
others, but these two occasions came to my mind when we read
about God's people dancing with joy. Dancing with joy before
the Lord. Now, that's key, before the Lord. When Israel was delivered from
400 years of Egyptian bondage and when they crossed through
the Red Sea and the sea closed in upon Pharaoh and his army
and they were all destroyed, they sang praises unto the Lord
and it says that Miriam and others, that's Moses' sister, they danced
before the Lord. I mean they were just overwhelmed
with joy for God's mercy and deliverance. I don't think there
was any hypocrisy in it. I don't think there was any outward
show in it. I believe it was sincere before
the Lord. They were just overwhelmed with
joy. I can think of another example
when King David He danced before the Lord. Do
you know that? When he went one time to try
to retrieve the Ark of the Lord, and they brought it back upon
an ox cart, and God killed one man who reached out to try to
steady the Ark. And they took that Ark and put
it in the house of Obed-Edom. And the house of Obed-Edom was
blessed for the ark's sake. Now that's the ark of God that
was in the Holy of Holies where the tables of stone and other
things were inside that ark, had the mercy seat upon it. David,
in his desire to have that ark of the covenant down in Jerusalem
in a proper place where it could be set up for the day of atonement
and for worship, He went the second time, and he retrieved
the ark of the Lord, and this time he carried the ark upon
the shoulders of the priest as they were properly instructed. And they didn't walk but six
paces, and they stopped. And David danced before the Lord
because God hadn't killed anybody yet. And they did sacrifice,
right? They walked six steps. And they
said, okay, let's not take that seventh. Let's do sacrifice right
now. And David danced before the Lord
with all his might. I don't think there was any hypocrisy
in that. David wasn't dancing to be seen
of men. His heart was overwhelmed with
joy and rejoicing. before the Lord. Now, I'm not
considering that we dance when we meet together, but don't we
in our heart dance before God in our heart? and rejoice in
the Lord we do." Now both of those occasions were occasions
of great celebration for the Lord's mercy, His deliverance,
the deliverance of God to those who were in great need. While
we have no need to dance physically in the house of the Lord, we
do spiritually in our heart rejoice before Him. Making melody in
our heart before the Lord. I hope you get what I'm saying
here We're to be still and know that he is God in Ephesians chapter
5 verse 19 We read this speaking to yourselves in Psalms hymns
and spiritual song seeking spiritual song singing and making melody
in your heart to the Lord and to the Lord, making melody in
your heart, dancing. You know, dancing is a... I guess it's a reflection of
inward joy. It's an outward expression that's
going on within your heart. And that's what David was doing.
That's what Miriam was doing. And it wasn't in hypocrisy. It
wasn't in a mere religious show. They were just overwhelmed with
joy and couldn't hold still. And that's true of believers
today. They do rejoice in their heart
before the Lord, and they do, they do in that sense, dance
before the Lord. Not to be seen of men, because
God looks on the heart. Now look at verse 4. The Lord
taketh pleasure in his people. He will beautify the meek with
salvation. The Lord takes pleasure in His
people. The Lord takes pleasure. Now
that word there, pleasure, is also a word that's rendered back
over here. Look at Psalm 85. It's rendered
favored. It's rendered in many places
in Scripture. The Lord delights in His people.
The Lord is pleased with His people. But here in Psalm 85
verse 1, The same exact word in the original, in the Hebrew. Psalm 85 verse 1, Lord thou hast
been favorable. You see the marginal reference?
Well pleased. Thou hast been favorable unto
thy land. Thou hast brought back the captivity
of Jacob. Thou hast forgiven the iniquity
of thy people. Thou hast covered all their sin. Thou hast taken away all thy
wrath. Thou hast turned thyself from
the fierceness of thine anger. Turn us, O God, of our salvation.
Cause thine anger toward us to cease. God's been favorable unto
us. Well, please. The Lord takes
pleasure in His people. This word pleasure can also be
rendered the Lord delights in His people, the Lord is satisfied
with His people, the Lord approves of His covenant people. Think
of it. Now, let's consider several things. Who are these people? Who are
these people? Let me read this to you. Don't
turn, let me read it to you, you know it well. This word, pleasure. The Lord takes pleasure in his
people. Look right across the page in
Psalm 147 verse 10 and verse 11, Psalm 147, He delighteth
not in the strength of a horse, he taketh not pleasure in the
legs of a man, the Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him
and those that hope in his mercy. The Lord takes pleasure in his
people. Now I thought of this verse Isaiah 53 10, Yet it pleased
the Lord to bruise him He put him to grief, when thou shalt
make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he
shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper
in his hand. He shall see the travail of his
soul, and shall be satisfied. By his knowledge shall my righteous
servant justify many, for he shall bear their iniquity. The pleasure of the Lord shall
prosper in his hand." Now who are these people? the Lord take
his pleasure in his people. Who are these people? Who are
these people? Sinners out of Adam's race chosen
by his sovereign grace. Blessed is a man to whom thou
choosest and causest to approach unto him. Psalm 65. Our Lord
said to those disciples in John 15, you didn't choose me, I chose
you. That's a blessed thing. Had God Not chosen us unto salvation. We never would have believed
the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. These are special people. They're a peculiar people. They're
a purchased people whom he has predestinated. and foreknown
to be conformed to the image of Christ, chosen unto salvation,
taken into covenant love, a covenant of grace from all eternity, made
one with the Lord Jesus Christ." That's who these people are.
Covenant children. The children of Zion. His people. Now, secondly, why does the Lord
take pleasure in them? Why does the Lord delight in
them? Turn over here to Isaiah 42. Isaiah 42.1, I thought of this.
Why does the Lord take pleasure in them? Well, down in, you turn
to Isaiah 42.1, from last week in Psalm 148 verse 14, it says
there that His people, the children of Israel, God's elect, there
are people near unto him." Remember that from last week? There are
the Saints of God, the Saints of God, children of Israel, there
are people near unto Him. Why does the Lord take pleasure
and delight in them? Well, they're one with Him. They're
one with the Lord Jesus Christ. Now look at, you got Isaiah 42
verse 1, Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my elect, and who my
soul delighteth delighteth now who's he talking about here the
Lord Jesus Christ he is the elect we are chosen in him I put my
spirit upon him he shall bring forth judgment salvation to the
Gentile God delights with the elect as they're in the Lord
Jesus Christ and who my soul delighteth Saints of God are
near unto Him, made one with Him. Our Lord said in John 17,
I in them, thou in me, that we may be made perfect in one. Wow! That's something, isn't
it? One with Him. The Lord takes pleasure in His
covenant people. He is pleased with them. He is
delighted with them as they are one with Him. Saints who were
near unto the Lord. Remember from last week in Isaiah
40, we read that He carries them in His bosom. They're in His heart. And we're one with Him. in Christ
Jesus. He has redeemed us by His blood.
He's made us new creatures in Christ. He's blessed us with
all spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in the Lord Jesus
Christ. The Lord takes pleasure in His
people. Who are these people? Chosen.
Why does the Lord take delight in them because they're made
one with Christ Jesus. How is it that the Lord takes
pleasure in them? Well, I've already answered that
question. They're accepted in the Beloved.
They're made accepted in the Beloved in Christ Jesus. Our
Lord speaks from heaven and said, this is my beloved Son in whom
I am well pleased. Well pleased. He is so pleased
with us to choose us and to make us His covenant people. You know
what He does for us? It says in the last part of verse
4, the second part of verse 4, He will. He will. He will beautify the meek with
salvation. He will. He will. Not He will
if we will. No, He will. Thy people shall
be willing in the day of His power. He will beautify the meek
with salvation. He makes them meek. He humbles them in the dust. He makes them beautiful through
His comeliness. He makes them beautiful through
His righteousness. We read a moment ago, don't turn,
let me just remind you of it. Isaiah 61, to appoint unto them. This is appointed beauty. to
appoint unto them that morn in Zion to the meek to give them
beauty for ashes beauty instead of ashes the oil of joy for mourning
the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness that they
might be called trees of righteousness the planting of the Lord that
he might be glorified In that verse 10 we read, "...he clothed
us with the garments of salvation, he had covered us with a robe
of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments,
as a bride adorneth herself with jewels." You see what he's saying
here? The Lord takes pleasure in His
people so much so that He beautifies them with saving mercy, saving
grace, with salvation. Now, the Lord, in saving mercy,
He strips us, He humbles us. He humbles us. He strips us and
humbles us. That's Holy Spirit conviction.
He shows us what we are in ourselves, sinners. But He doesn't leave
us in that condition. He strips us, but He doesn't
leave us naked. He clothes us. with that blessed righteousness
of God revealed in the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. He
will do it. God who hath begun a good work
in you, He will do it. He will finish it. He will beautify
His covenant people with saving mercies in Christ Jesus. Isn't that a glorious verse?
You see why I had to spend some time here on this verse? The
Lord takes pleasure in His people. He delighteth not in the strength
of a horse. He taketh not pleasure in the
legs of a man, but the Lord takes pleasure in them that fear Him
and those that hope in His mercy. He will beautify them with salvation
in Christ Jesus. Now look at verse 5. Saints,
let the saints, there's these saints again, These saints who
were near unto Him, these saints who were set apart in that covenant
of grace, let the saints be joyful in glory. And some of the old
manuscripts have it this way, let the saints be joyful in His
glory. In His glory. Saints, who are
these people? Includes all believers. All believers. are joyful in His glory, in the
glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Apostle put it this way when
he writes to the Galatians, God forbid that we should glory save
in the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. In the glory of the Lord's
salvation put upon them by the grace of God. We glory in His
saving mercy." Let the saints be joyful in His salvation. Let them sing aloud. You see
the second part of that? We glory in the Lord's salvation
that He has put upon us and the grace of God He has put within
us. Let them sing. Let them be joyful. The saints of God, believers,
let them sing aloud upon their beds. And I looked at that a
good while. I let them sing aloud upon their
beds. Here's what I see. When we lay down upon
our beds at night, and when we wake up in the morning, let us
rejoice in the Lord. When we pillow our head this
evening, let us rejoice in the Lord. When we wake up in the
morning, let us rejoice in the Lord Philippians 4 says this
rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice so that's
first thing upon our bed at night and when we wake in the morning
secondly when we lay down upon a bed of sickness or the deathbed
let us rejoice in the Lord The believer can say with David,
Lord in your faithfulness you have afflicted me that I might
learn thy statutes. When we lay down upon our bed
of sickness and at last upon our deathbed, let us rejoice
in the Lord again. And then thirdly, when we lay
down this body in the bed of the grave, back to the dust this
body must go, Let us sing aloud in that day. To be absent from
the body is to be present with the Lord. I thought of this verse. Turn over to Isaiah 59. I think of this verse when the
Lord is pleased to take a believer from us. I think of this verse
when I think about Brother Frank. as the Lord be pleased to remove
him from this land of the dying to the land of the living Isaiah
59 look verse 1 that's not the verse I want Isaiah
57 verse 1 that's the verse I want Isaiah 57 Isaiah 57 1 the righteous
perish the righteous perish it that is they die and no man lays
it to heart And merciful men are taken away, none considering
that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come. He shall
enter into peace. They shall rest in their beds,
each one walking in uprightness." Now, how do you rest in the bed
and walking in uprightness? Well, the body is resting in
the grave, but we're not there. We're walking in uprightness,
being one with the Lord. for me to live to depart and be with the Lord to
live is Christ and to die is gain to be absent from the body
to be present with the Lord for me to live in this life that's
a gracious thing to be one with Christ to be a believer I'm reading
from Philippians 1 don't turn I'll just read it to you. For
me to live is Christ, to die is gain. I'm in a straight between
two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is
far better. Far better. There's an old dear
saint one day dying upon his deathbed, getting ready to go
out into eternity, and one of his dear friends came by and
said, are you still among the land of the living? He said,
no, I'm among the land of the dying. I'm going to the land
of the living. And we can all say that as believers. Let the saints be joyful in glory. Back to the text. Let them sing
aloud upon their beds. What do they sing about? Verse
6. Let the high praises of God be
in their mouth. The high praises of God be in
their mouth. and a two-edged sword in their
hand." Now what does the two-edged sword represent? The Word of
God, the truth of God. What do they sing about? They
sing about the high things of God. You see, out of their heart,
out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh. We sing about
the glorious gospel of His grace. We sing about the high things
of God, redemption through His blood, forgiveness by His grace,
righteousness by His obedience, righteousness by His faithfulness,
not ours. We praise Him in the preaching
of the gospel and we do so with this two-edged sword that's in
our hand. God has been privileged, we've
been privileged by the good providence of God to have this Word, the
written Word of God in our hand. The Word of God in Hebrews chapter
4 is called quick and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword. The Word of God is all edge to
wound, to heal, to slay, and to make a lie. The Lord operates
upon us with His Word as a wise and powerful skilled physician
He is the doctor that we need who performs the operation upon
our heart that we need. And that's what happens in salvation.
Open heart surgery. He penetrates our cold, stony
heart and he gives us a new heart that loves him. The Lord operates
upon us by the sword of his spirit, the word of God. It's the Word
of God written, preached, and the Word of God incarnate, the
power of God into salvation. In Ephesians 6, it talks about,
take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit,
which is the very Word of God. Now, notice if you will, verse
7, 8, and 9, and I'll bring this to a quick close. Let the high
praises of God be in their mouth, and the two-edged sword, the
gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ in our hand, the word of God
in our hand, to execute vengeance upon the heathen, to bring punishment
upon the people, to bind their kings with chains, their nobles
with fetters of iron, to execute upon them The judgment written. Now I wondered about those things. How is it that we bring execution
of vengeance and punishment and bind the kings and nobles and
fetters? It's the gospel itself that does
that. We simply declare the message
of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. The effect of the ministry
of the gospel. You see, the weapons of our warfare
are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. You see, the gospel alone takes
vengeance upon the heathen. He that believeth on the Son
hath life. He that believeth not, the wrath
of God abides upon him. The gospel alone binds kings
nobles and fetters and the nobles with fetters of iron verse 9
to execute upon them judgment written the gospel ministry one
old writer said compared to a two-edged sword on the hearts of men whereby
Satan, the strong man armed, who keeps the palace as a king
or prince, is put down, and sin, which reigns like a king unto
death, is dethroned, and grace is set up as a reigning and governing
principle in the heart." That's how the king and nobles are pushed
off their throne with the gospel. and talking about Satan and sin
in us. That's how it's put down through
the gospel. Now, look what it says lastly
in verse 9. This honor, this honor have all
the saints. This honor have all the saints. All the elect of God are blessed
with the privilege of hearing the gospel Believing the gospel
our Lord said blessed are your ears for they hear your eyes
for they see To be accepted in the beloved One with him well-pleasing
in his sight to be adorned with his grace beautified with his
salvation To have the high praises of God in their mouth and a two-edged
sword in their hand this honor this privilege have all the saints
of God it's not reserved for just a an exclusion of a few
believers. This honor of hearing and believing
the gospel, being made a trophy of His grace, an object of His
love, being made a new creature in Christ Jesus, this honor have
all the saints of God. He's honored us with the gospel
of the Lord Jesus Christ. It says over in 1 Samuel chapter
2, for them that honor me, God said, I will honor. Those that
honor me, I will honor. They that despise me shall be
lightly esteemed. Now, this honor have all his
saints. What do his saints delight to
do? Praise ye the Lord. It is right. It is good. The Lord honors all of his saints
here and now. He will glorify them there and
then in glory. This rule is without exception. This honor have all his saints. Now, praise ye the Lord. The Lord taketh pleasure in his
covenant people. He will beautify the meek with
salvation.