WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.059 Good morning to those who do not know me. My 00:00:04.059 --> 00:00:07.799 name is Dalton Vedder and I am the ministerial 00:00:07.799 --> 00:00:11.400 intern here at Fairview. My job normally is to 00:00:11.400 --> 00:00:13.759 follow Kenny around and follow his example, but 00:00:13.759 --> 00:00:16.339 today I have the honor and the pleasure of actually 00:00:16.339 --> 00:00:19.140 getting to bring to you the word of God. And 00:00:19.140 --> 00:00:22.379 it's a very special day to get to do that. Today 00:00:22.379 --> 00:00:24.679 is one of those days that my grandma would call 00:00:24.679 --> 00:00:28.660 it a cup of plenty. It's a cup full of blessings. 00:00:28.940 --> 00:00:31.679 We had the teaching of the word this morning 00:00:31.679 --> 00:00:34.560 in Sunday school. We get to come and sing and 00:00:34.560 --> 00:00:37.500 glorify the Lord now after service. We get to 00:00:37.500 --> 00:00:40.320 attend a beautiful wedding. And then we get to 00:00:40.320 --> 00:00:43.219 celebrate later today, 240 years of Fairview 00:00:43.219 --> 00:00:46.799 as we plan for the full celebration. And then 00:00:46.799 --> 00:00:48.920 we get to come back tonight for an evening service 00:00:48.920 --> 00:00:51.759 where we get to praise the Lord again and hear 00:00:51.759 --> 00:00:55.039 from his word. It is a cup of plenty. It's more 00:00:55.039 --> 00:01:00.159 than we deserve. But but sometimes we feel like 00:01:00.159 --> 00:01:03.380 we lack that cup of plenty and we desire it We 00:01:03.380 --> 00:01:05.959 have times in our lives and we even see it amongst 00:01:05.959 --> 00:01:09.579 our couple plenty today of grieving and suffering 00:01:09.579 --> 00:01:13.819 and of struggles But whether it's a day full 00:01:13.819 --> 00:01:16.239 of blessing or season of your life full of blessing 00:01:16.239 --> 00:01:20.299 or a season of your life filled with trials What 00:01:20.299 --> 00:01:22.560 will ultimately learn this morning from Psalm 00:01:22.560 --> 00:01:28.230 103? that we always have a cup of plenty and 00:01:28.230 --> 00:01:30.890 So if you'll turn with your Bibles to me to Psalm 00:01:30.890 --> 00:01:34.629 103 We're going to talk about praising the Lord 00:01:34.629 --> 00:01:37.530 and blessing the Lord for all the good that he 00:01:37.530 --> 00:01:42.150 does for us But before we read through the chapter, 00:01:42.189 --> 00:01:44.329 let me go ahead and pray and ask for the spirits 00:01:44.329 --> 00:01:49.530 help in doing this our Lord and our God We praise 00:01:49.530 --> 00:01:53.329 you for you who you are You are the God who forgives 00:01:53.329 --> 00:01:56.390 iniquities, who heals our diseases, who redeems 00:01:56.390 --> 00:02:00.269 us from the pit. You lift us up so that we soar 00:02:00.269 --> 00:02:02.430 on wings like eagles and you renew our strength 00:02:02.430 --> 00:02:05.510 when we are weak. Lord, we ask your help this 00:02:05.510 --> 00:02:08.189 morning to understand everything that you have 00:02:08.189 --> 00:02:13.169 hidden in your word for us today. Lord, help 00:02:13.169 --> 00:02:15.889 us to praise you through the reading and preaching 00:02:15.889 --> 00:02:18.289 of your word this morning. Pray all of this in 00:02:18.289 --> 00:02:24.620 Jesus' name. Amen. So Psalm 103 of David bless 00:02:24.620 --> 00:02:28.219 the Lord. Oh my soul and all that is within me 00:02:28.219 --> 00:02:31.780 Bless his holy name bless the Lord. Oh my soul 00:02:31.780 --> 00:02:34.960 and forget not his benefits Who forgives all 00:02:34.960 --> 00:02:38.240 your iniquity who heals all your diseases who 00:02:38.240 --> 00:02:41.250 redeems your life from the pit? who crowns you 00:02:41.250 --> 00:02:44.490 with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies 00:02:44.490 --> 00:02:47.250 you with good so that your youth is renewed like 00:02:47.250 --> 00:02:50.590 the eagles. The Lord works righteousness and 00:02:50.590 --> 00:02:53.689 justice for all who are oppressed. He made known 00:02:53.689 --> 00:02:56.229 his ways to Moses, his acts of the people of 00:02:56.229 --> 00:02:59.949 Israel. The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow 00:02:59.949 --> 00:03:03.229 to anger and abounding and steadfast love. He 00:03:03.229 --> 00:03:05.770 will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger 00:03:05.770 --> 00:03:08.759 forever. He does not deal with us according to 00:03:08.759 --> 00:03:12.120 our sins nor repay us according to our iniquities. 00:03:12.580 --> 00:03:15.020 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, 00:03:15.360 --> 00:03:18.039 so great is his steadfast love to those who fear 00:03:18.039 --> 00:03:22.139 him. As far as the east is from the west, so 00:03:22.139 --> 00:03:24.539 far does he remove our transgressions from us. 00:03:25.039 --> 00:03:27.500 As a father shows compassion to his children, 00:03:27.879 --> 00:03:30.539 so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear 00:03:30.539 --> 00:03:34.599 him. For he knows our frame. He remembers that 00:03:34.599 --> 00:03:38.289 we are dust. As for man, his days are like grass. 00:03:38.729 --> 00:03:41.449 He flourishes like a flower of the field, for 00:03:41.449 --> 00:03:44.430 the wind passes over it and it is gone, and in 00:03:44.430 --> 00:03:47.530 its place knows it no more. But the steadfast 00:03:47.530 --> 00:03:50.189 love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting 00:03:50.189 --> 00:03:53.490 on those who fear him and his righteousness to 00:03:53.490 --> 00:03:56.270 children's children, to those who keep his covenant 00:03:56.270 --> 00:03:59.229 and remember to do his commandments. The Lord 00:03:59.229 --> 00:04:01.849 has established his throne in the heavens and 00:04:01.849 --> 00:04:06.560 his kingdom rules over all. Bless the Lord, O 00:04:06.560 --> 00:04:10.259 you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, 00:04:10.740 --> 00:04:13.840 obeying the voice of his word. Bless the Lord, 00:04:13.919 --> 00:04:16.180 all his hosts, his ministers who do his will. 00:04:16.699 --> 00:04:19.639 Bless the Lord, all his works and the places 00:04:19.639 --> 00:04:25.259 of his dominion. Bless the Lord, O my soul. So 00:04:25.259 --> 00:04:28.800 as the beginning of the Psalm states, this is 00:04:28.800 --> 00:04:32.379 a Psalm of David. Now, normally Psalms are tied 00:04:32.379 --> 00:04:36.040 to a specific event or time in Israel's life 00:04:36.040 --> 00:04:39.279 and we know why they're written and why the psalmist 00:04:39.279 --> 00:04:41.139 is talking about what they're talking about. 00:04:41.939 --> 00:04:44.720 But this is one of those Psalms that seems to 00:04:44.720 --> 00:04:48.240 have no event tied to it. It's a Psalm just of 00:04:48.240 --> 00:04:51.899 pure praise, of pure worship, of encouragement 00:04:51.899 --> 00:04:56.810 to our souls. And maybe this is towards the end 00:04:56.810 --> 00:05:00.129 of David's life as he sits and reflects on all 00:05:00.129 --> 00:05:03.310 that the Lord has done for him and for the nation 00:05:03.310 --> 00:05:06.889 of Israel, looking forward to all that the Lord 00:05:06.889 --> 00:05:10.810 will do. I think that's maybe the safest place 00:05:10.810 --> 00:05:14.110 to assume that the psalm has taken place, David 00:05:14.110 --> 00:05:17.189 reflecting on his life, because this is a psalm 00:05:17.189 --> 00:05:19.569 of praise, but it's a psalm of praise that comes 00:05:19.569 --> 00:05:23.170 out of reflection. And that scene in the beginning 00:05:23.170 --> 00:05:25.850 of chapter one, because David begins the psalm 00:05:25.850 --> 00:05:29.209 with a personal reflection and praise in verses 00:05:29.209 --> 00:05:33.829 one to five. David says, bless the Lord, oh my 00:05:33.829 --> 00:05:37.670 soul. The word bless here is actually the word 00:05:37.670 --> 00:05:40.790 for praise, but it's not just the generic act 00:05:40.790 --> 00:05:43.449 of worship of praising, but it's a act of praise 00:05:43.449 --> 00:05:46.529 that comes out of thankfulness for all that the 00:05:46.529 --> 00:05:49.730 Lord has done. It's an honoring the Lord. It's 00:05:49.730 --> 00:05:51.649 very similar to actually the beginning of our 00:05:51.649 --> 00:05:54.189 Lord's prayer telling the Lord that his name 00:05:54.189 --> 00:05:57.569 should be hallowed and David tells his soul to 00:05:57.569 --> 00:05:59.649 praise the Lord, but it's not just his soul. 00:06:00.089 --> 00:06:04.230 It's all that is within him. David is pulling 00:06:04.230 --> 00:06:07.170 on the Shema here the national chant of Israel 00:06:07.170 --> 00:06:09.910 that says the Lord your God is one and you shall 00:06:09.910 --> 00:06:12.310 love him with all your heart with all your mind 00:06:12.310 --> 00:06:14.389 with all your soul and with all your strength. 00:06:15.009 --> 00:06:18.149 David is telling his whole person to worship. 00:06:18.310 --> 00:06:21.350 He's encouraging it to worship. And this is what 00:06:21.350 --> 00:06:23.449 we have to do as believers in times where we're 00:06:23.449 --> 00:06:25.529 struggling. We have to follow David's example 00:06:25.529 --> 00:06:30.449 here and encourage our soul in worshiping. And 00:06:30.449 --> 00:06:33.329 David continues on, telling his soul again to 00:06:33.329 --> 00:06:37.069 bless the Lord and not to forget the Lord's benefits, 00:06:37.129 --> 00:06:41.529 to not forget the good of the Lord. Now, forgetting 00:06:41.529 --> 00:06:45.550 here does not just mean a casual, oh, I forgot 00:06:45.550 --> 00:06:48.240 what the Lord did. But it actually means no, 00:06:48.339 --> 00:06:51.420 I know of the cross. I know what the Lord has 00:06:51.420 --> 00:06:54.860 sacrificed I know how the Lord has has sustained 00:06:54.860 --> 00:06:57.160 us as a church and how he sustained the nation 00:06:57.160 --> 00:07:01.360 of Israel But I will choose to ignore that it's 00:07:01.360 --> 00:07:05.519 a willful forgetting But the psalmist here is 00:07:05.519 --> 00:07:08.600 telling his soul do not do that Remember the 00:07:08.600 --> 00:07:12.259 good of the Lord And then David tells us why. 00:07:12.319 --> 00:07:15.680 He tells us five attributes that the Lord has 00:07:15.680 --> 00:07:20.240 that we must remember. Or five who's that David 00:07:20.240 --> 00:07:24.019 will say here. The Lord is the Lord who forgives 00:07:24.019 --> 00:07:28.139 all of our iniquity. This benefit is the greatest 00:07:28.139 --> 00:07:31.519 benefit. It's the chief benefit. Without this 00:07:31.519 --> 00:07:34.199 benefit from God, none of the others matter. 00:07:36.850 --> 00:07:39.990 Calvin says that reconciliation with Him, with 00:07:39.990 --> 00:07:43.290 God, is the fountain from which all other blessings 00:07:43.290 --> 00:07:49.290 flow. And what we'll see here, too, is that the 00:07:49.290 --> 00:07:50.990 forgiveness that God gives is through His Son. 00:07:50.990 --> 00:07:53.870 This is actually a Messianic Psalm that points 00:07:53.870 --> 00:07:56.850 us to the future and to the Messiah. It's talking 00:07:56.850 --> 00:08:01.189 about the God who plans and the Son who accomplishes 00:08:01.189 --> 00:08:05.379 and the Spirit who applies. And so David begins 00:08:05.379 --> 00:08:07.759 with forgiveness for sins because it's the most 00:08:07.759 --> 00:08:10.779 important thing of all. It allows us to come 00:08:10.779 --> 00:08:13.680 into covenant, to come into relationship with 00:08:13.680 --> 00:08:16.420 God because otherwise we are sinners separate 00:08:16.420 --> 00:08:20.459 from God who cannot enter his presence. While 00:08:20.459 --> 00:08:24.259 close to forgiveness is healing, God is the God 00:08:24.259 --> 00:08:27.939 who heals from our diseases. Jesus actually makes 00:08:27.939 --> 00:08:31.160 this comparison in Mark chapter two, handling 00:08:31.160 --> 00:08:35.379 the paralytic man. Man's friends had taken time 00:08:35.379 --> 00:08:37.960 to lower him through the roof to get him to Jesus, 00:08:38.480 --> 00:08:40.620 and this man is laying in front of Jesus, and 00:08:40.620 --> 00:08:44.519 Jesus does not say, I'm healing you, get up and 00:08:44.519 --> 00:08:47.659 walk. Jesus actually says, your sins are forgiven, 00:08:48.200 --> 00:08:52.820 now go. And Jesus gets questioned about it, and 00:08:52.820 --> 00:08:55.740 Jesus just says, well, what is easier, for me 00:08:55.740 --> 00:08:58.500 to say your sins are forgiven, that he knows 00:08:58.500 --> 00:09:00.840 you will have no guilt, or to tell him to get 00:09:00.840 --> 00:09:04.639 up and walk? There is a close tie to forgiveness 00:09:04.639 --> 00:09:08.200 and healing from all our diseases and We don't 00:09:08.200 --> 00:09:11.480 always have immediate relief in this life but 00:09:11.480 --> 00:09:14.840 we do look forward to a day when Christ will 00:09:14.840 --> 00:09:16.759 come again and there will be no more weeping 00:09:16.759 --> 00:09:19.879 and there will be no more death because we are 00:09:19.879 --> 00:09:23.720 forgiven and Then we're healed and we're healed 00:09:23.720 --> 00:09:26.519 internally as well from the disease of death. 00:09:26.519 --> 00:09:29.899 So our lives are redeemed from the pit We no 00:09:29.899 --> 00:09:32.360 longer look forward to a day of punishment, but 00:09:32.360 --> 00:09:34.700 a day of celebration and joy before the throne 00:09:34.700 --> 00:09:38.200 of God, because we are forgiven and we have been 00:09:38.200 --> 00:09:41.919 healed. And on that day, we will be crowned with 00:09:41.919 --> 00:09:46.039 steadfast love and mercy. As children of God, 00:09:46.080 --> 00:09:48.500 we're told in Galatians that we are sons, and 00:09:48.500 --> 00:09:51.340 if we are sons, we are then heirs, we are royalty 00:09:51.340 --> 00:09:55.879 to the throne of God. And we're given God's steadfast 00:09:55.879 --> 00:10:01.230 love and mercy. Steadfast love is a key aspect 00:10:01.230 --> 00:10:04.789 of the psalm. It's a Hebrew word, hesed. And 00:10:04.789 --> 00:10:07.429 if you listen to Reformed and Presbyterian pastors 00:10:07.429 --> 00:10:09.769 for very long, you'll hear this word come up 00:10:09.769 --> 00:10:12.629 often. Especially as they go through the Old 00:10:12.629 --> 00:10:15.710 Testament, they will always stop and pause. Because 00:10:15.710 --> 00:10:19.230 steadfast love contains so much. Steadfast love 00:10:19.230 --> 00:10:21.909 points to the covenant, the bond and blood, the 00:10:21.909 --> 00:10:26.090 contract that we have between us and God. That 00:10:26.090 --> 00:10:28.450 as long as we follow him and obey his commandments, 00:10:28.870 --> 00:10:31.850 that we will receive his blessing. And it's actually 00:10:31.850 --> 00:10:33.850 a covenant of grace because it's not us who are 00:10:33.850 --> 00:10:36.490 doing the commandments. We do follow Christ, 00:10:36.529 --> 00:10:39.289 but it's Christ who accomplishes the commandments 00:10:39.289 --> 00:10:41.809 of God, the works of God, and allows us to walk 00:10:41.809 --> 00:10:45.269 in them. So the steadfast love is an active and 00:10:45.269 --> 00:10:47.870 an ongoing love. It's one that there's a close 00:10:47.870 --> 00:10:51.289 bond, a contract tied to it. And with it comes 00:10:51.289 --> 00:10:55.200 the mercy of God. And out of that steadfast love 00:10:55.200 --> 00:10:57.919 and mercy being crowned, we are satisfied with 00:10:57.919 --> 00:11:00.879 the good things of the Lord. The Lord satisfies 00:11:00.879 --> 00:11:03.799 us in ways that we will never understand. There 00:11:03.799 --> 00:11:07.179 are times when everything should be hectic, but 00:11:07.179 --> 00:11:13.279 it's not. And there are times where even amongst 00:11:13.279 --> 00:11:17.519 the chaos we can find some good. Because it's 00:11:17.519 --> 00:11:19.419 the Lord who gives us grace and gives us mercy 00:11:19.419 --> 00:11:24.200 beyond anything we can find. And finally, it's 00:11:24.200 --> 00:11:26.759 out of all of these things that the Lord renews 00:11:26.759 --> 00:11:31.240 us like eagles. He strengthens us. We're at the 00:11:31.240 --> 00:11:34.700 250th anniversary of America. And of course, 00:11:34.759 --> 00:11:38.220 closely tied to America is the bald eagle. Because 00:11:38.220 --> 00:11:41.580 it's a symbol of strength. And maybe some of 00:11:41.580 --> 00:11:43.799 you have taken time to go to Dollywood and they 00:11:43.799 --> 00:11:47.059 actually have an eagle sanctuary, an eagle habitat. 00:11:47.659 --> 00:11:49.860 And I remember going and seeing those eagles 00:11:49.860 --> 00:11:52.360 for the first time, and I understood why America 00:11:52.360 --> 00:11:54.799 had picked this bird as a symbol of strength, 00:11:55.100 --> 00:11:57.059 or why the psalmist would pick this bird as a 00:11:57.059 --> 00:12:00.419 symbol of strength. An eagle is bigger than most 00:12:00.419 --> 00:12:03.799 dogs, and they can live for years. They live 00:12:03.799 --> 00:12:07.799 30 or 40 years. And they soar through the sky, 00:12:07.820 --> 00:12:10.000 and there's no other bird that can touch them. 00:12:10.980 --> 00:12:14.740 And that is what the Lord does for us. We have 00:12:14.740 --> 00:12:16.659 a heart of wickedness, of sinfulness, but he 00:12:16.659 --> 00:12:18.879 takes it and he gives us a heart of life and 00:12:18.879 --> 00:12:21.919 he gives us his strength, so that we can praise 00:12:21.919 --> 00:12:27.419 him. But then the psalmist moves on here, talking 00:12:27.419 --> 00:12:30.580 about the attributes of God, to now he's actually 00:12:30.580 --> 00:12:33.639 going to talk about the works of God. He doesn't 00:12:33.639 --> 00:12:36.519 just praise God for who he is, but what God has 00:12:36.519 --> 00:12:40.340 done. And so we'll see that in verses six through 00:12:40.340 --> 00:12:43.840 10. There's a national reflection. and praise 00:12:43.840 --> 00:12:46.759 that David gives. David, after thinking on the 00:12:46.759 --> 00:12:48.620 Lord, begins to think of Israel and what God 00:12:48.620 --> 00:12:52.200 had done to the nation. He begins by saying the 00:12:52.200 --> 00:12:55.059 word, the Lord works righteousness and justice 00:12:55.059 --> 00:12:58.220 for all who are oppressed. If we were to simplify 00:12:58.220 --> 00:13:00.320 this and make the translation a little bit more 00:13:00.320 --> 00:13:03.159 literal, it would actually say God does works 00:13:03.159 --> 00:13:06.419 of righteousness and works of justice for the 00:13:06.419 --> 00:13:10.860 oppressed. This is an action phrase. And David 00:13:10.860 --> 00:13:13.179 is thinking of Israel at this point, of Egypt, 00:13:14.139 --> 00:13:16.460 thinking of this nation in captivity who are 00:13:16.460 --> 00:13:18.740 being oppressed. They were in slavery, but then 00:13:18.740 --> 00:13:21.360 the Lord freed Israel from Egypt and brought 00:13:21.360 --> 00:13:25.220 them out of that place to be with them, to dwell 00:13:25.220 --> 00:13:29.799 with them, to teach them his commandments. And 00:13:29.799 --> 00:13:31.720 so the Lord found justice, but the Lord didn't 00:13:31.720 --> 00:13:34.360 just find justice for Israel. He finds justice 00:13:34.360 --> 00:13:38.600 for all the oppressed, all those who have suffered. 00:13:38.919 --> 00:13:42.279 all those who need help. The Lord is their strength 00:13:42.279 --> 00:13:47.299 and their shield. And David continues the thinking 00:13:47.299 --> 00:13:50.379 of Israel. He says that the Lord made his way 00:13:50.379 --> 00:13:52.860 known to Moses and his acts to the people of 00:13:52.860 --> 00:13:56.379 Israel. This quotation here is actually almost 00:13:56.379 --> 00:14:01.019 verbatim, word for word, from Exodus 34, which 00:14:01.019 --> 00:14:04.419 follows the incident of the golden calf. Israel 00:14:04.419 --> 00:14:07.179 had been brought up. brought up out of Egypt 00:14:07.179 --> 00:14:10.620 through the Red Sea and taken to the mount. And 00:14:10.620 --> 00:14:12.679 Moses goes up to the mountain to receive the 00:14:12.679 --> 00:14:15.220 Ten Commandments and while Moses is away, the 00:14:15.220 --> 00:14:18.879 children of Israel fall in the sin. They craft 00:14:18.879 --> 00:14:21.620 a golden calf and they begin to worship and praise 00:14:21.620 --> 00:14:25.820 it instead of the one true God. Moses comes back 00:14:25.820 --> 00:14:28.240 down and he sees what is happening and he breaks 00:14:28.240 --> 00:14:32.470 the tablets of stone over his legs. But then 00:14:32.470 --> 00:14:34.850 Moses after that there's some rebuking of the 00:14:34.850 --> 00:14:38.029 people but Moses ultimately intercedes for the 00:14:38.029 --> 00:14:40.830 people and asked the Lord to continue to dwell 00:14:40.830 --> 00:14:44.889 with them and for the Lord to show him his ways 00:14:44.889 --> 00:14:48.149 for the Lord to show Moses his ways and Moses 00:14:48.149 --> 00:14:50.190 has taken back up on the mountain to receive 00:14:50.190 --> 00:14:54.690 the new copy of the Ten Commandments and God 00:14:54.690 --> 00:14:59.529 tells Moses in Exodus 34 6 And the Lord passed 00:14:59.529 --> 00:15:02.769 by before him and proclaimed, the Lord, the Lord, 00:15:03.090 --> 00:15:06.529 a God full of compassion and graciousness, slow 00:15:06.529 --> 00:15:09.929 to anger and plentish in mercy and in truth, 00:15:10.350 --> 00:15:13.070 keeping mercy for thousands and forgiving iniquity 00:15:13.070 --> 00:15:17.330 and transgression and sin, but will by no means 00:15:17.330 --> 00:15:20.490 clear the guilty. And David here is going to 00:15:20.490 --> 00:15:24.049 reflect on this phrase of Moses for the rest 00:15:24.049 --> 00:15:27.029 of. the section here until the end of verse 10 00:15:27.029 --> 00:15:33.009 and even a little bit into 11 and 12. Moses heard 00:15:33.009 --> 00:15:36.830 that the Lord is merciful and gracious, that 00:15:36.830 --> 00:15:41.129 the Lord is willing to forgive. The first commandment 00:15:41.129 --> 00:15:43.909 is to have no other gods before you and the Israelites 00:15:43.909 --> 00:15:47.470 did just that. They broke the number one commandment 00:15:47.470 --> 00:15:51.149 and the Lord would have been perfectly just to 00:15:51.149 --> 00:15:54.779 destroy the Israelites then and there. But no, 00:15:54.860 --> 00:15:58.860 the Lord gave them mercy. He did not strike out 00:15:58.860 --> 00:16:01.500 in anger and He gave them His grace, unmerited 00:16:01.500 --> 00:16:06.139 favor. And He was slow to anger and He chose 00:16:06.139 --> 00:16:09.299 to keep His covenant with them. Now we do know 00:16:09.299 --> 00:16:13.019 that later in Israel's life that the first generation 00:16:13.019 --> 00:16:16.000 would be kept from the promised land, part of 00:16:16.000 --> 00:16:19.000 the covenant, but the Lord still was faithful 00:16:19.000 --> 00:16:21.500 to their children and He brought their children 00:16:21.500 --> 00:16:24.750 in. Because the Lord was slow to anger and he 00:16:24.750 --> 00:16:28.110 gave them many many chances and he was always 00:16:28.110 --> 00:16:32.490 faithful to his covenant But thinking of the 00:16:32.490 --> 00:16:36.029 children of Israel the second generation David 00:16:36.029 --> 00:16:38.429 said that the Lord will not always chide. This 00:16:38.429 --> 00:16:42.029 actually means prosecute Say it's a legal term 00:16:42.029 --> 00:16:45.929 to bring charges against The Lord does not always 00:16:45.929 --> 00:16:50.460 bring charges against us even in our sin And 00:16:50.460 --> 00:16:55.279 he does not keep his anger at us forever. And 00:16:55.279 --> 00:16:57.879 that brings David to the conclusion that the 00:16:57.879 --> 00:17:00.000 Lord does not deal with us according to our sins, 00:17:00.120 --> 00:17:04.180 nor does he repay us for our iniquities. The 00:17:04.180 --> 00:17:07.019 Lord knows that we will sin. We have sin in this 00:17:07.019 --> 00:17:10.619 life that causes us to go against his law. But 00:17:10.619 --> 00:17:14.440 he does not repay us accordingly. He will discipline 00:17:14.440 --> 00:17:16.900 us, but so it's that we can love him more and 00:17:16.900 --> 00:17:21.779 love him better. And most of all, he saves us 00:17:21.779 --> 00:17:25.140 from death. We know from Romans 6 .23 that the 00:17:25.140 --> 00:17:29.839 wages of sin is death. But the Lord and his son, 00:17:29.839 --> 00:17:33.180 Jesus, does not give us that punishment, does 00:17:33.180 --> 00:17:36.940 not deal with us accordingly. Now, sometimes 00:17:36.940 --> 00:17:41.319 we act like the Lord does. We remember a sin, 00:17:41.359 --> 00:17:45.640 maybe a lie, or maybe we forget to tithe or something 00:17:45.640 --> 00:17:47.839 like that, and then the next month comes around. 00:17:49.629 --> 00:17:52.930 and our car breaks down or a tree falls on our 00:17:52.930 --> 00:17:55.490 house or something happens and we start acting 00:17:55.490 --> 00:17:58.309 like the Lord is dealing with us according to 00:17:58.309 --> 00:18:00.609 the sin. Even though we might have confessed 00:18:00.609 --> 00:18:03.569 for getting to tithe. We hold onto it and we 00:18:03.569 --> 00:18:05.650 cling to it and we think that there's consequences 00:18:05.650 --> 00:18:08.710 coming out of this one situation of sin that 00:18:08.710 --> 00:18:11.109 the Lord is just continuing to chastise us over. 00:18:12.809 --> 00:18:15.490 But David tells us not to do that, to remember. 00:18:16.059 --> 00:18:18.740 the goodness of the Lord that we are forgiven, 00:18:19.440 --> 00:18:21.539 that when we confess our sins that we are forgiven 00:18:21.539 --> 00:18:23.839 those sins and that the Lord does not hold them 00:18:23.839 --> 00:18:30.619 against us. And then David moves on now to a 00:18:30.619 --> 00:18:33.180 covenant reflection and a covenant remembrance. 00:18:33.220 --> 00:18:35.859 He goes from just the nation of Israel to all 00:18:35.859 --> 00:18:38.579 those who will come into relationship with him. 00:18:39.390 --> 00:18:41.789 This forgiveness of sins and iniquities goes 00:18:41.789 --> 00:18:44.529 out from Israel. For as high as the heavens are 00:18:44.529 --> 00:18:47.349 above the earth, so great is the said fast love 00:18:47.349 --> 00:18:50.250 to those who fear them. As far as the east is 00:18:50.250 --> 00:18:52.849 from the west, so far does he remove our transgression 00:18:52.849 --> 00:18:57.150 from us. It's not just those in Israel who receive 00:18:57.150 --> 00:19:00.309 the forgiveness of the Lord. It's those who will 00:19:00.309 --> 00:19:05.109 come to fear him, or who do fear him. and He 00:19:05.109 --> 00:19:07.190 separates those who love Him, who follow Him 00:19:07.190 --> 00:19:09.529 and believe in Him from their sins as far as 00:19:09.529 --> 00:19:12.630 the east is from the west. And if you follow 00:19:12.630 --> 00:19:15.130 that, if you're going from east to west to west 00:19:15.130 --> 00:19:17.650 to east, it will just be one never -ending circle. 00:19:17.750 --> 00:19:20.430 You will never reach the end of it. We will never 00:19:20.430 --> 00:19:23.029 be able to find our sins again because the Lord 00:19:23.029 --> 00:19:27.990 has separated them from us. And He does so because 00:19:27.990 --> 00:19:31.109 He is a compassionate Father to His children, 00:19:31.210 --> 00:19:35.130 verses 13 and 14. And the word compassionate 00:19:35.130 --> 00:19:40.450 is actually God pities those who fear him. You 00:19:40.450 --> 00:19:42.609 know, a good father or a good mother, parents 00:19:42.609 --> 00:19:46.230 with kids, you'll understand this. That you watch 00:19:46.230 --> 00:19:48.829 your little children, maybe as a baby, as they 00:19:48.829 --> 00:19:51.849 try to pull themselves up on a chair for the 00:19:51.849 --> 00:19:54.250 first time and stand up, but then they fall right 00:19:54.250 --> 00:19:56.789 back down on their bottom. Or maybe they get 00:19:56.789 --> 00:19:59.230 a little older and you see them start to reach 00:19:59.230 --> 00:20:01.509 for food or reach for an object on a shelf, maybe 00:20:01.509 --> 00:20:04.460 a toy. and they're not quite strong enough to 00:20:04.460 --> 00:20:07.779 reach it and pull it down. Or maybe your children 00:20:07.779 --> 00:20:09.660 aren't little anymore and they're adult children 00:20:09.660 --> 00:20:11.799 and you're watching the decisions they make and 00:20:11.799 --> 00:20:14.420 you're going, well, I wouldn't make that decision, 00:20:14.500 --> 00:20:17.799 but I will walk alongside you. You have a level 00:20:17.799 --> 00:20:20.019 of pity for them as they learn about life and 00:20:20.019 --> 00:20:23.460 how things work. And this is how God treats us. 00:20:23.460 --> 00:20:26.200 He understands that we do not know everything, 00:20:26.720 --> 00:20:29.319 that we are always growing and learning and changing, 00:20:29.880 --> 00:20:32.859 learning how to follow Him better. So he has 00:20:32.859 --> 00:20:35.599 pity on us and he shows anyone who fears him 00:20:35.599 --> 00:20:40.460 compassion He knows our frame he knows that we 00:20:40.460 --> 00:20:43.599 are but dust from the very beginning and Adam 00:20:43.599 --> 00:20:48.539 God created us out of the dust out of the dirt 00:20:48.539 --> 00:20:52.660 Nothing special not gold or silver We were not 00:20:52.660 --> 00:20:55.079 some angelic beings. We were made out of dirt 00:20:55.079 --> 00:21:00.250 and given the breath of God God remembers this 00:21:00.250 --> 00:21:05.089 and he shows us compassion. Man is temporal. 00:21:05.269 --> 00:21:08.569 We're temporary. We have a birth date and we 00:21:08.569 --> 00:21:11.150 have an end date. We have a day that we die. 00:21:12.250 --> 00:21:14.150 Our days are like grass. We don't know what will 00:21:14.150 --> 00:21:16.990 happen. We go through seasons and things change 00:21:16.990 --> 00:21:19.230 just like the grass outside. Right now we're 00:21:19.230 --> 00:21:21.890 in summer and the grass is green and it's beautiful. 00:21:22.690 --> 00:21:25.130 But at times weeds come up and then we have to 00:21:25.130 --> 00:21:27.430 put fertilizer on it to make it green again. 00:21:28.529 --> 00:21:31.670 And so there's days of blessing, but then there's 00:21:31.670 --> 00:21:34.230 even days where, you know, as the weather gets 00:21:34.230 --> 00:21:37.950 colder, the grass turns brown and it looks different. 00:21:37.950 --> 00:21:40.029 And that's how our lives are. Some days there's 00:21:40.029 --> 00:21:42.410 days of blessing and days of mercy and it's beautiful 00:21:42.410 --> 00:21:44.690 and things are going well. And then there's days 00:21:44.690 --> 00:21:47.509 where maybe we're stuck in a particular sin. 00:21:49.069 --> 00:21:52.430 We're temporal. We're even called a flower of 00:21:52.430 --> 00:21:55.529 the field. Flowers of the field can be beautiful. 00:21:56.779 --> 00:22:00.400 But they can also be food for animals. Or if 00:22:00.400 --> 00:22:03.920 you think back to Hurricane Helene, those flowers 00:22:03.920 --> 00:22:07.519 can be ripped out of the ground and misplaced. 00:22:09.039 --> 00:22:13.680 They can be tossed to and fro by the wind and 00:22:13.680 --> 00:22:17.400 forget where they belong. But the Lord is in 00:22:17.400 --> 00:22:20.440 contrast to this. When we're temporal and we 00:22:20.440 --> 00:22:23.019 have a birthday and a death day, the Lord is 00:22:23.019 --> 00:22:26.920 eternal. He is from everlasting to everlasting. 00:22:27.619 --> 00:22:31.180 And his covenant is from everlasting to everlasting. 00:22:32.519 --> 00:22:36.299 He tells Abraham this in Genesis 17 seven, I 00:22:36.299 --> 00:22:38.759 will establish my covenant between me and you 00:22:38.759 --> 00:22:41.039 and your descendants after you throughout your 00:22:41.039 --> 00:22:45.200 generations for an everlasting covenant to be 00:22:45.200 --> 00:22:48.119 God to you and to your descendants after you. 00:22:48.920 --> 00:22:51.539 and then thinking of Christ to accomplish the 00:22:51.539 --> 00:22:55.160 forgiveness of sins, in Hebrews 1320, the writer 00:22:55.160 --> 00:22:58.559 says, now may the God of peace, who brought again 00:22:58.559 --> 00:23:00.779 from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd 00:23:00.779 --> 00:23:03.960 of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, 00:23:04.539 --> 00:23:07.000 equip you with everything good, that you may 00:23:07.000 --> 00:23:10.119 do his will, working in us that which is pleasing 00:23:10.119 --> 00:23:13.220 in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be 00:23:13.220 --> 00:23:17.859 the glory forever and ever. Amen. What the writer 00:23:17.859 --> 00:23:19.799 of Hebrews tells us there is actually essential 00:23:19.799 --> 00:23:22.920 to what the psalmist is saying here because the 00:23:22.920 --> 00:23:27.099 psalmist will go on and say that all those who 00:23:27.099 --> 00:23:29.759 keep the covenant the Lord will give his righteousness 00:23:29.759 --> 00:23:33.339 to. But it's Christ who actually helps us keep 00:23:33.339 --> 00:23:36.599 the covenant. It's by his spirit. It is the spirit 00:23:36.599 --> 00:23:39.339 working in us that causes us to be pleasing in 00:23:39.339 --> 00:23:42.500 the sight. And that's true whether it's Old Testament 00:23:42.500 --> 00:23:45.799 or New Testament. The Lord has always given his 00:23:45.799 --> 00:23:49.140 spirit to help believers keep his covenant so 00:23:49.140 --> 00:23:51.980 that the Lord can be faithful to it. And the 00:23:51.980 --> 00:23:54.220 Lord is not just faithful to us, but he's faithful 00:23:54.220 --> 00:23:57.880 to our children. The righteousness of the Lord 00:23:57.880 --> 00:24:01.700 goes to our children's children, all those who 00:24:01.700 --> 00:24:07.480 remember his commandments. And we can have confidence 00:24:07.480 --> 00:24:10.460 in this and we can praise the Lord for this because 00:24:10.460 --> 00:24:13.000 the Lord has established his throne in the heavens. 00:24:13.180 --> 00:24:16.720 It is above all, it sees all, it knows all, and 00:24:16.720 --> 00:24:20.079 his kingdom rules over all. There's nothing that 00:24:20.079 --> 00:24:24.759 God does not have his hand on. And so David returns 00:24:24.759 --> 00:24:28.900 to praising the Lord after this reflection to 00:24:28.900 --> 00:24:32.519 a final praise. And it's almost identical to 00:24:32.519 --> 00:24:34.400 the beginning, but instead of just his soul, 00:24:34.619 --> 00:24:38.259 he begins to include others in it. He begins 00:24:38.259 --> 00:24:40.660 with the angels, the mighty ones who do his word, 00:24:40.980 --> 00:24:43.220 the faithful angels that sit before the throne 00:24:43.220 --> 00:24:46.299 of God. The psalmist is commanding them to bless, 00:24:46.400 --> 00:24:48.940 to praise the Lord, to be thankful for all that 00:24:48.940 --> 00:24:52.740 he has done. They're the highest beings that 00:24:52.740 --> 00:24:57.240 we can think of outside of God. And then David 00:24:57.240 --> 00:25:00.500 moves to blessing the Lord, all his hosts. This 00:25:00.500 --> 00:25:03.920 is all of creation. God created all things just 00:25:03.920 --> 00:25:08.099 like he created man. And now David is commanding 00:25:08.099 --> 00:25:10.940 this creation to praise the Lord, to praise their 00:25:10.940 --> 00:25:13.980 creator because he is good, he forgives and he 00:25:13.980 --> 00:25:18.839 heals and he works righteousness. And David includes, 00:25:18.980 --> 00:25:20.900 the psalmist includes the ministers in this, 00:25:21.299 --> 00:25:23.319 the believers before the throne of God who have 00:25:23.319 --> 00:25:25.720 done his will and been faithful and are standing 00:25:25.720 --> 00:25:28.460 face to face with their creator. But the word 00:25:28.460 --> 00:25:31.299 ministers here also includes us. who are faithful, 00:25:31.539 --> 00:25:34.279 we're commanded by the psalmist to come in and 00:25:34.279 --> 00:25:36.380 praise and to bless the Lord and to remember 00:25:36.380 --> 00:25:41.059 all that he has done. Bless the works, bless 00:25:41.059 --> 00:25:45.119 the Lord all his works in all the places of the 00:25:45.119 --> 00:25:47.700 of dominion. We are to praise the Lord everywhere 00:25:47.700 --> 00:25:50.859 we go. Everything in the Lord's dominion is to 00:25:50.859 --> 00:25:53.759 praise him. And then David concludes with telling 00:25:53.759 --> 00:25:57.460 his soul once again to bless the Lord, oh my 00:25:57.460 --> 00:26:00.440 soul. By doing this David is almost starting 00:26:00.440 --> 00:26:03.559 the cycle again He can go back to verse 1 and 00:26:03.559 --> 00:26:05.700 recount the works that God has done in Israel 00:26:05.700 --> 00:26:08.059 and the forgiveness that he gives by his covenant 00:26:08.059 --> 00:26:13.859 it's a never -ending cycle of praise and We should 00:26:13.859 --> 00:26:16.039 model this in our own lives today, but even as 00:26:16.039 --> 00:26:19.299 we go out from here We should constantly reflect 00:26:19.299 --> 00:26:21.720 on the works of the Lord and be driven to praise 00:26:21.720 --> 00:26:24.250 him I want to say that one more time, because 00:26:24.250 --> 00:26:26.170 if you get nothing else from the sermon, this 00:26:26.170 --> 00:26:29.829 is what I want you to remember. You should constantly 00:26:29.829 --> 00:26:32.970 reflect on the works of the Lord and be driven 00:26:32.970 --> 00:26:39.930 to praise Him. In doing the psalm, I was reminded 00:26:39.930 --> 00:26:44.269 of an old hymn. Count your blessings. And I think 00:26:44.269 --> 00:26:46.289 it's fitting for this psalm, but also for the 00:26:46.289 --> 00:26:49.529 events today. The very last stanza says, are 00:26:49.529 --> 00:26:53.190 you ever burdened with a load of care does the 00:26:53.190 --> 00:26:56.309 cross seem heavy you are called the bear count 00:26:56.309 --> 00:26:58.950 your many blessings every doubt will fly and 00:26:58.950 --> 00:27:03.049 you will be singing by the days go by so some 00:27:03.049 --> 00:27:05.869 days like today it's very easy to see our cup 00:27:05.869 --> 00:27:10.069 of plenty and other days it's much harder but 00:27:10.069 --> 00:27:12.490 what we're told is to reflect on the lord and 00:27:12.490 --> 00:27:16.670 to praise him and the lord will strengthen us 00:27:16.670 --> 00:27:18.950 and the Lord will forgive us and give us his 00:27:18.950 --> 00:27:22.069 grace so that we can praise him and be in fellowship 00:27:22.069 --> 00:27:24.109 with him. Let me pray.