David is instructing him to the
chief musician to use this hymn in the worship of the Lord. And then you see it's a psalm
of David, and he calls himself the servant of the Lord. But
there's a sense in which every man, woman, boy or girl, as a
creature in the kingdom of God is a servant of God. All men will in some way serve
God's purpose, God's will. But David, as a regenerated man,
is a bond-servant of the Lord Jesus. He's a regenerated bond-servant
of Christ, as Paul called himself the servant of Christ. And then in another area, David,
as the king of Israel, is a servant of God. God chose him, God anointed
him, God placed him in this office, king, to serve him and serve
his people, serve his nation, his God and his country. And
then as a preacher of the gospel, you know Solomon was king over
Israel, but when he identified his calling, he said I, the preacher,
was king over Israel. So David, he doesn't say anything
here about being king, but he is. But he does say something
about being God's servant. Well, I've divided this short
psalm, this 12 verses, seems to me, and to those men, gifted
men whom I've read, that this psalm is divided into four or
five parts. The first four verses, David
lets us look at the graceless man, the graceless man or woman,
just without grace, without God. And he says about those graceless
unbelievers, the transgression of the wicked saith within my
heart, There's no fear of God before their eyes. The transgressions and evil of
wicked men and women tells me, he says, says to me that the
reason they transgress God's law and God's way and God's will
is they don't know God and not knowing God they don't fear God.
Oh they may profess to be religious They may outwardly perform deeds
and works which impress others and also deceives others. But
David said, I know them. Within my heart, I know. I know within my heart that people
who deliberately walk their way in rebellion against God's way
do so because they do not fear God. I know in my heart that
those who really fear God, love God, respect God, reverence God,
do not walk in rebellion against God's way. By the fear of the
Lord, men depart from evil. That's good motivation. By the
fear of God, men depart from evil. And this says the transgression
of the wicked tells me They walk this way and act this way and
talk this way because they do not fear God. And then he says
about them here in verse 2, he said they flatter themselves.
This graceless man flattered himself in his own eyes. And
he'll continue, listen, and he'll continue in this way until his
iniquity be discovered be found to be very hateful. The unbeliever,
the graceless man, flatters himself in his own eyes and he'll continue
that way until the day when his evil is brought out, exposed
and brought to judgment and then he'll cry for the rocks and mountains
to fall on him. One time Ronnie Lewis gave me
a prayer he read somewhere, I've never forgotten it. The prayer
of the wicked at the judgment. I think I can remember it in
its entirety. But who prayed? Not believers,
unbelievers. To whom did they pray? Not to
God, but to the mountain. Did they pray for life? No, they
prayed for death. Did they pray to see God? They
prayed to be hid from God. Think about that. The wicked
pray, not to God, but to the mountain. Fall on us. Fall on
us. And hide, you remember that?
Hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne. Now the
wicked will flatter himself. And keep on flattering himself.
Keep on flattering himself. Ego trip. conceited until his
sins meet him at the judgment. And then he'll find them to be
most hateful. Jonathan Edwards was a great
preacher up in New England. And when he wrote on this second
verse, how does the unbeliever flatter himself? How does he
flatter himself? He gave five ways. Number one,
he flatters himself talks to himself, encourages himself that
there's no God, that there's no judgment, that there's no
eternal world. He flatters himself, that's not
true. He keeps telling himself that's not true. And he hears
himself and listens. And then secondly, he tells himself,
he flatters himself that if there is a God, If there is a day of
reckoning, it's a long ways off. I've got plenty of time. It's a long ways off. Ask somebody, anybody, are you
going to die? Yeah. When? Oh, man, I got a long time,
especially young people, especially fellas in the prime of life. He flatters himself. He's whistling
by the seminary. That's what he's doing. He's
flattering himself. Death's a long way. I got plenty of time. Thirdly,
he said they flatter themselves by convincing themselves they're
no worse than anybody else. I'm just doing what everybody
else is doing. Everybody's got their hand in the tail. Everybody's
taking something under the table. Everybody's acting dishonestly.
Everybody is, so that makes it, you know, I'm with the crowd. And he keeps flattering himself
that this is not so bad because everybody's doing it. I'm only doing what everybody
else is doing. Fourthly, they flatter themselves, now listen
to this one. They flatter themselves that
they're living among religious people. My brother is a preacher. My father is a deacon. My mother
is a godly woman. They're living among religious
people. They're family members. Some of them know God. And it
will go well with me by association. Surely, surely, not my mother's
boy perish. Not my father's son. You know,
I'm a Baptist. I'm a Methodist. I've raised
in a Christian home. I've heard that 10,000 times.
I've raised in a Christian home. What help is that if you don't
know God? Well, you know, I kind of believe
it will go well with me. They flatter themselves in their
own eyes. Sit there. This is it. And they
flatter themselves that they have done some good deeds. Now
nobody is without some good deeds. Nobody is without some good deeds.
Nobody is without some morality, some respectability, and surely
God will take notice. But when God takes notice of
my puny righteousness, how long will this flattering himself
continue? Well, the people. If God's pleased, he can turn
him around just like that. Open his eyes to see how foolish
he is, how unwise he is. His direction is totally wrong.
Totally wrong. Or, this says, he flatters himself
and becomes hardened in his sins and his iniquity will beat him
at the judgment and he'll find it to be so hateful. Then he
says in verse 3, the words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit. The words of a graceless man,
the words, are not only sinful words, but they're sin itself.
You see, the heart is the fountain, and the mouth only speaks from
the heart. So as the heart is, so the mouth
speaketh. Out of the abundance of the heart,
the mouth speaketh. So if the water's poison at the
fountain, it's poison when it comes out. And so his words,
even religious words, are poison. He can't even talk about God
without sinning. His words are sin, whose mouth
is full of As an egg is of meat, it's full of cursing and bitterness. Even the smooth words are words
of deceit. His words are our iniquity. Words themselves, because the
heart is deceitful. And he hath left off to be wise. Here's what men do. They sin
against the light of conscience. That's the first. That's the
first rebellion. Everybody has a conscience. God's
word says it. Their conscience bearing witness
and accusing or excusing. Men sin against their conscience.
And then secondly, they sin against nature. Nature. The natural way. The natural
way. They stand against nature. Conscience. We know what's right. We know
what's right. We know what's right. What's
good for all men. What's good for those around
us. And good for our city, country, nation. We know what's right
by nature. And then they stand against counsel.
Godly pastors and godly men and women take them aside and counsel
them. But do they heed that counsel?
No, sir. They sin against that counsel.
Sin against counsel. And then next, they sin against
scripture. I never will forget a young woman
standing in my study who came to talk to me about she and her husband getting
a divorce. And I said, would you listen
to God's word? Well yes, I turned to the scripture
and I read the scripture about husbands and wives and building
their homes. And she listened and she said,
I don't care what that says. I don't care what that says.
I'll tell you what I'm going to do. What would you have done? Shut my Bible. Men sin against
conscience, women, nature, counsel, scripture. And he says here, they've left
off to be wise. Now that's dumb, isn't it? Just leave off to be wise. And to do good. And then verse
4, this graceless man, how does he spend his nights? Planning
evil. How does he spend his quiet time?
Planning evil. He devised this mischief upon
his bed. You know, turn to Psalm 4, verse
4. I tell you, David found it to
be so. I found it to be so. A good time
to think upon spiritual matters is in the quietness of the evening
before you close your eyes and sleep. You're lying there and
the lights turned off. He said, Psalm 4, verse 4, Stand
in awe and sin not. Commune with your own heart upon
your bed and be still. Even an afternoon nap is a good
time to come apart from everything and everybody. and commune with
your heart with God. Night is a good time. But this
man, this man, he's void of wisdom
or judgment or goodness and his times of quietness are spent
like that rich young ruler. Let's see now. I've got this
barn full, and that barn full, and that barn full. I'll tell
you what I'm going to do. I'm going to build some more
barns, and then I'm going to say to my soul, you just take
it easy, soul. You have many goods laid up for
many a day. And God interrupted his meditation
and said, thy fool, this night thy soul shall be required of
thee. God said to John Haslam, Wise man, this day your soul
is required of you. What a wonderful, but this man
is not wonderful. Look at Psalm 16. Meditation. This man meditates on himself
and his covetousness. Psalm 16 verse 7. I'll bless the Lord who had given
me counsel. My reins, when you see that reins,
that's the inner man. The inner man, called bowels
of inner man, you know, the real me. My inner man also instructs
me in the night season on my bed. So there's the graceless
man. No fear of God, in spite of warnings,
he keeps on going his way. Then he becomes obstinate. He refuses the pricking of conscience,
the counsel of good men and women, the scriptures. And then finally,
he's like a rock, a nether millstone. And no amount of warnings or
caution or preaching will move him. He's set until he meets
his sins at the judgment. Now, the second part of this
psalm is the gracious God. That's the graceless man. Here's
the gracious God. Oh, this is beautiful. Listen. Thy mercy, O Lord, is in the
heavens. I got a lot of help on this.
The reason the scripture says the mercy of the Lord is in the
heavens is because, first of all, he is the God of all mercy. Like he says in 1 Peter, he's
the God of all grace. He's the God of all grace. He's
the fountain source of all grace. There's no grace except in Him,
and He's the fountain of all mercy in the heavens. Then secondly,
the mercy of God is in Christ, our Redeemer, who as our great
intercessor and high priest is at the right hand of the majesty
in the heavens. Thy mercy is in the heavens. And then the sure mercies of
David are in the covenant of grace which was made in heaven
before this world existed. Thy mercy, mercy, mercy is in
the heavens. God's the fountain of mercy.
Christ is the source of mercy. And the covenant of grace is
the depository of mercy. It's all in Him. All in Him. Made in heaven before
the world began. But here's, I got a little help
here, Psalm 103. I think this is what he's saying
more than that, which is true. Which is true, but listen to
this. Psalm 103, verse 10 through 12. Listen to this. Psalm 103,
10. He hath not dealt with us after our sins. Oh, thank God. He hasn't rewarded us according
to our iniquities. Who would stand? For as the heaven
is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that
fear him. His mercy is higher than the
heavens. That's what he's saying here.
Thy mercy is higher than the heavens. Greater than the heavens. Edwards said, when you're able
to measure the heavens, Then you may have some understanding
of the vastness of the mercy of God in Christ. Oh, plenteous
in mercy. Rich in mercy. Delights to show
mercy. His mercy is in the heavens.
In that man at his right hand. But it's plenteous. Higher than
the heavens. Will God show mercy? He delights
to show mercy. Psalm 108, look at this one.
His mercy. You think the heavens are great,
and they are. The sun, the moon, the stars,
the multitude of all that creation up there, the heavens. But listen
to this. Psalm 108, verse 4. Thy mercy
to guilty sinners is great above the heavens, and thy truth reaches
to the clouds. That's what we see next. Psalm
36 verse 5, listen. This is our gracious God. His
mercy is higher than the heavens. He's in the heavens. And His
faithfulness reaches under the clouds. God is faithful. He's the God of truth and He
cannot lie. He will faithfully fulfill every
promise and every purpose. He knows the end from the beginning
and He never changes. Listen to how the scripture talks
about His faithfulness. Don't turn to these, I've written
them down so we can move quickly. 1 Corinthians 1.9, God is faithful
by whom you are called into the fellowship of His Son. 1 Corinthians
10.13, God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tried above
that which you are able. 1 Thessalonians 5 verse 24, faithful
is he who calls you and he'll do it. Whom he foreknew, he predestinated,
be conformed to the image of his son. Whom he predestinated,
he called. Whom he called, he justified.
Whom he justified, he glorified. He's faithful. 2 Thessalonians
3 verse 3, the Lord is faithful who will establish you and keep
you from evil. 1 John 1 verse 9, He is faithful
and just to forgive us all our sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness. Now Christ enables God to be
just. Christ enables God to be just
toward us and justify us. But God's faithfulness is in
His person. Like God is love, God is light,
God is truth, God is faithful. That's the reason if you're sitting
here tonight and you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, you're
saved beyond a doubt. God's faithful. He said, he that
believeth on the Son hath life. I believe the Son, therefore
I have life. He that believeth on the Son
shall not come into condemnation. I believe on the Son, therefore
God is faithful and I shall not come into condemnation. That's
just so. That's so. His mercy is higher
than the heavens. His faithfulness reaches to the
clouds, vast. Who can fathom it? Alright, look
at this. His righteousness, oh my. His righteousness is like
the great mountain. The righteousness of God is lofty
and sublime. The righteousness of God is firm
and unmoving as the great mountains. The wind can blow a tree down.
The hurricane can destroy your buildings, but neither the wind
nor the hurricane can shake or move that mountain. So righteous
is God that His righteousness is never affected by any circumstances. He will be just. He is holy. He is righteous. And no man can bribe Him, threaten
Him, impress Him, or compel Him. He is righteous and holy. God is righteous. True and righteous
are His judges. Holy and Reverend is His name.
And not even, listen, not even to save His elect will He compromise
His righteousness. It's got to be fulfilled. Not
even to have a new heaven and new earth and a kingdom of holy
people, not even to redeem His elect, He will not compromise
His righteousness. And listen, one step further.
not even on behalf of his son, who was made in our stead a burnt
offering, and roasted under the fire of the law and the justice
of God, he spared not his own son." Now I've seen people in my experience
as a pastor I've seen them change their rules
for their own sons or daughters. Yeah, I have. I've seen them
tough on my kids and easy on theirs. I've seen them change
their theology on behalf of their kids. I've seen them stand true and
faithful to salvation by grace when it comes to everybody else.
But when it comes to one of theirs, it's another ballgame. But that's
not God. Not God. He spared not his own
son. He turned his back on him. Now
that's righteousness. That's righteousness. And that's
the righteousness by which you and I are going to be judged.
Thank God we're in Christ. You don't even want your little
finger stuck outside Christ. You know how sometimes at night
you stick your foot out of the blanket because you're getting
too hot? Don't you stick your foot out of Christ. Stay under the cover. Stay under
the cover. Stay under the blanket of mercy. His righteousness is like a great
mountain. It won't move for anybody because
of any circumstance. But now we ought to be glad of
that. We ought to be glad of that, because if God can change,
we've got an uncertain future. If our God's like the wobbly,
impotent God that's being preached today, we're in trouble, aren't
we? Listen, His judgments are great
deep. What are His judgments? I asked
myself when I was working on this verse, well, what are his
judgments? Well, the word judgment is verdict. The word judgment
is acts. His acts. His providence. His purpose. His purpose, which
is determined by his wisdom. His ways. His ways, which are
determined by his own will. Can I not do with my own what
I will? His judgments, his acts, his
providence are great deep. A great mystery. Great mystery. Spurgeon said God's dealings
with us are deep. They cannot be fathomed by every
boaster who demands a why for every wherefore. Wherefore God
said why. God is never to be questioned
by us as to why this or why that. Never, never. God is never to
be questioned by us as to why this or why that. He has reason
and purpose for all that he does. And he does not give an explanation
or owe an explanation. It is good. It is right. It is best. It is wise. Listen to what Job said in Job
33. His judgments are deep. In Job
33 verse 13. Let's read verse 12. Behold in this thou art not just. I will answer thee that God is
greater than man. Why dost thou strive against
him? He giveth not account of any of his matters. My friends, sometimes God's providence
toward us as a group, as a family, as individuals. Sometimes his providence is like
the deep ocean. His acts, his judgments are deep. But I've seen that ocean, that
deep Pacific Ocean at times so peaceful and smooth, unrippled
sea of glass. As smooth as that flow right
there, out in the deepest part. Sometimes the providence of God
is like that in our lives. Everything is peaceful and smooth,
smooth sailing. But sometimes, at other times,
the providence of God is like that ocean tossed with a tempest. I've seen it to where you couldn't
go topside on the ship, you had to stay below, getting washed
out to sea. That same ocean, that same deep,
so tossed with a tempest. But whatever, Whether the sea
is smooth or whether its tip is tall, it's deep, and it's
mysterious, and it's glorious. And the psalmist said, who has
discovered the springs of the ocean? God moves in a mysterious
way, his wonders to perform. Plants his footsteps on the sea, and rides on the storm. Oh thou, here it is, look, he
said in verse 6, O Lord, thou preservest man and beast. His
judgments, his providences, his acts are so deep, but he preserves
man and beast. He preserves man and beast. Think of the countless creatures.
Think of the innumerable birds. Think of the inconceivable amount
of fish, wildlife, beasts. Insects, men, think of them. And yet every one of them, oh
they're continuous in life and their provisions to him who feeds,
preserves and keeps them all. God. Is that not a great God or what? And then here I love this, how
excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God. David, Psalm 51, I've got to
have you turn over there, Psalm 51. Here David gives us the key
to this lovingkindness. This lovingkindness. In Psalm 51, verse 1, have mercy
upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness. according unto the multitude
of thy tender mercies, blot out my transgressions, and wash me
thoroughly from my sins. Thy iniquities cleanse me from
my sins. What is his lovingkindness? His
lovingkindness appears to fallen men and not to angels. His lovingkindness comes upon
some and passes some by. His loving kindness to the chief
of centers in choosing Him, redeeming Him, calling Him, taking Him
into His family, making Him heirs of eternal glory, joint heir
with Christ. When there's nothing in that
center to merit His love or to move Him to love Him, it is His
loving kindness in Christ. from everlasting and he says
I'll never change and I'll never depart from him. Therefore, when
it's discovered, verse 7, the children of men put their trust
under the shadow of his wings. That could have a two-fold meaning,
shadow of his wings. I know what we always say and
this is what it is, I'm sure. The Lord overshadows and keeps
his people under his wings as a hen protects her brood from
the enemy under her wings. How oft would I have gathered
you under my wings as a hen does gather her brood, Christ said.
Or as an eagle covers her young. Can you imagine trying to take
an eaglet from the wings of a mother eagle? Protects them, cares for them.
but maybe also under his wings. Turn to Exodus 25 and see if the text doesn't have some reference
to this. In Exodus 25 verse 17, Exodus 25, 17, Make a mercy seat
of pure gold, two cubits and a half shall the length thereof
be, and a cubit and a half the breadth. I shall make two cherubims
of gold, beaten work shall thou make them, two ends of the mercy
seat, and make one cherub on one end and the other cherub
on the other end. Even of the mercy seat shall
you make the cherubims on the two ends thereof, and the cherubims
shall stretch forth their wings on high. covering the mercy seat
with their wings. And their faces shall look one
to another. Towards the mercy seat shall
the faces of the cherubims be. And thou shalt put that mercy
seat above upon the earth, in the earth, put the law that I
give thee, and there I'll meet you. I'll commune with you from
above the mercy seat between the two cherubims under Their
wings. There now, that's where we children
of men put their trust. Under the shadow of thy wings.
Mercy seat. Now here, in closing, are the
riches of His grace. Four things. Verse 8. They'll be abundantly, abundantly,
satisfied with the fatness of thy house. That's provisions. What is his house? You're in
it tonight. The church. The church. My house is a house of prayer. You've made it a den of thieves,
he said to those people. I was glad when they said to
me, let's go to the house of the Lord. So we feast on the
fatness of his house. His word We're sitting here tonight
feasting on His Word, the bread of life. His body and His blood,
when we bring the ordinance here, this is my body broken for you,
my blood shed for you. The fellowship of His people
and the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ who said, where
you meet in my name, I'll be in the midst of you. The fatness
of His house. In my Father's house are many
mansions. the fatness of that house. John
Howsam went to an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, faith
is not a way, reserved, been reserved for him for a long time. They'll be abundantly satisfied
with what he gives them. provision, then pleasure, and
thou shalt make them drink of the rivers of thy pleasure."
The fullness of grace, the love of God, the righteousness of
Christ, the precious blood, we drink of the rivers of His joy and
pleasure. There is a river, David said,
The streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy
place of the tabernacle of the Most High. And then verse 9, provisions, pleasure, with thee
is the fountain of life. Natural life, spiritual life,
eternal life. He's the fountain. And then light. We have provisions, pleasure,
life, and light. In thy light shall they see light.
God is light itself, he's the father of light. God the son
is the son of righteousness, the light of men in whom they
see God. God the spirit is the light of
wisdom and revelation, we see ourselves, our sins, his blood
and holiness. In the light of the word we see
the truth of the gospel, the will and way of our Lord, the
duties of sons. In the light of faith, we get
a glimpse of the other world. So we don't walk in darkness,
we walk in light. We have fatness of his house,
the pleasure, his pleasures, happiness, his life and his light. And in closing, here's the prayer
for more grace. Oh, continue thy loving kindness. unto them that know thee. Continue
thy righteousness. We ask for continuance of his
mercy and love and light and loving kindness and righteousness. And don't let the foot of pride
come against me. Pride is such a devious cunning
enemy. We're constantly warned about
it, cautioned against it. Don't let it overtake us. It
uses the foot of pride as an enemy that pursues us, always
pursues us. That's Satan's key tool, pride. Pride. Don't let the foot of
pride catch me, come against me. Let not the hand of the wicked
Either a pat on the back or whatever. The hand of the wicked. Remove
me. Influence of wicked men with
their handouts or their prosperity or promotion or their applause
or their whatever they use. Whatever they use. Acceptance. Glad hand. Whatever the hand
of the wicked use to influence me away from my God, don't let
it happen. Because there are the workers
of iniquity fallen in that same way that cast down shall not
be able to rise. I hope that's a blessing to you,
it was to me.