1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:09,280
There is one of those contemporary numbers that seems to have found its way into our

2
00:00:09,280 --> 00:00:12,080
hymnagy.

3
00:00:12,080 --> 00:00:15,240
We enjoy singing it.

4
00:00:15,240 --> 00:00:25,620
Let's take our Bibles tonight and turn to Psalm 138.

5
00:00:25,620 --> 00:00:32,400
Psalm has said, a sentence of praise is worth a page of pleading.

6
00:00:32,400 --> 00:00:38,280
I think it's better to spend an hour in giving thanks, at least some of the time, than to

7
00:00:38,280 --> 00:00:42,440
spend a day in mourning and fasting.

8
00:00:42,440 --> 00:00:46,360
Because you see, God inhabits the praises of His people.

9
00:00:46,360 --> 00:00:53,560
The psalmist said, it is good to sing praises to our God, for it is pleasant.

10
00:00:53,560 --> 00:00:56,160
And praise is becoming.

11
00:00:56,160 --> 00:00:59,040
It is fitting.

12
00:00:59,040 --> 00:01:04,600
Psalm 138 is a psalm of praise written by David, the man whose life we have been studying

13
00:01:04,600 --> 00:01:05,600
together.

14
00:01:05,600 --> 00:01:11,600
We will read down through the psalm and then talk a little bit about its historical significance.

15
00:01:11,600 --> 00:01:15,720
I will give thee thanks with all my heart.

16
00:01:15,720 --> 00:01:19,340
I will sing praises to thee before the gods.

17
00:01:19,340 --> 00:01:26,320
I will bow down toward thy holy temple and give thanks to thy name for thy loving kindness

18
00:01:26,320 --> 00:01:28,360
and thy truth.

19
00:01:28,360 --> 00:01:33,880
For thou hast magnified thy word according to all thy name.

20
00:01:33,880 --> 00:01:38,440
On the day I called, thou didst answer me.

21
00:01:38,440 --> 00:01:44,160
Thou didst make me bold with strength in my soul.

22
00:01:44,160 --> 00:01:48,140
All the kings of the earth will give thanks to thee, O Lord, when they have heard the

23
00:01:48,140 --> 00:01:50,400
words of thy mouth.

24
00:01:50,400 --> 00:01:52,880
They will sing of the ways of the Lord.

25
00:01:52,880 --> 00:01:56,080
For great is the glory of the Lord.

26
00:01:56,080 --> 00:02:04,880
For though the Lord is exalted, yet He regards the lowly, but the haughty He knows from afar.

27
00:02:04,880 --> 00:02:08,760
Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me.

28
00:02:08,760 --> 00:02:13,960
Thou wilt stretch forth thy hand against the wrath of my enemies, and thy right hand will

29
00:02:13,960 --> 00:02:15,640
save me.

30
00:02:15,640 --> 00:02:18,880
The Lord will accomplish what concerns me.

31
00:02:18,880 --> 00:02:22,320
Thy loving kindness, O Lord, is everlasting.

32
00:02:22,320 --> 00:02:26,320
Do not forsake the works of thy hands.

33
00:02:26,320 --> 00:02:34,560
The historical background for Psalm 138 seems to be the promise which God gave to David

34
00:02:34,560 --> 00:02:42,920
of an eternal dynasty, a throne that would continue and be perpetual throughout the ages

35
00:02:42,920 --> 00:02:44,720
to come.

36
00:02:44,720 --> 00:02:49,560
That promise is found in the book of 2 Samuel 7.

37
00:02:49,560 --> 00:02:55,120
Would you turn back there with me, please, and let's look at the words of God to David

38
00:02:55,120 --> 00:02:59,120
on that occasion.

39
00:02:59,120 --> 00:03:03,800
David had desired to build a temple for the Lord.

40
00:03:03,800 --> 00:03:06,920
The Lord said that would not come to pass.

41
00:03:06,920 --> 00:03:10,160
David's son would accomplish that.

42
00:03:10,160 --> 00:03:18,000
But God was so pleased with David's heart and the expression of His love that He responded

43
00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:21,360
by giving David a marvelous promise.

44
00:03:21,360 --> 00:03:27,720
We'll begin reading in 2 Samuel 7, verse 12.

45
00:03:27,720 --> 00:03:34,800
When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant

46
00:03:34,800 --> 00:03:41,600
after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom.

47
00:03:41,600 --> 00:03:49,520
He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

48
00:03:49,520 --> 00:03:53,480
I will be a father to him, and he will be a son to me.

49
00:03:53,480 --> 00:03:59,000
When he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the

50
00:03:59,000 --> 00:04:01,800
sons of men.

51
00:04:01,800 --> 00:04:08,600
But my lovingkindness shall not depart from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed

52
00:04:08,600 --> 00:04:10,520
from before you.

53
00:04:10,520 --> 00:04:16,440
And your house and your kingdom shall endure before me forever.

54
00:04:16,440 --> 00:04:21,640
Your throne shall be established forever.

55
00:04:21,640 --> 00:04:28,360
How marvelous was this promise that God delivered to David through the prophet Nathan.

56
00:04:28,360 --> 00:04:32,400
David responded with words of genuine thanks.

57
00:04:32,400 --> 00:04:35,160
Who am I, O Lord God?

58
00:04:35,160 --> 00:04:40,680
And what is my house that thou hast brought me thus far?

59
00:04:40,680 --> 00:04:45,540
And yet this was insignificant in thine eyes, O Lord, for thou hast spoken also of the house

60
00:04:45,540 --> 00:04:49,400
of thy servant concerning the distant future.

61
00:04:49,400 --> 00:04:53,160
And this is the custom of man, O Lord God.

62
00:04:53,160 --> 00:04:59,600
And again, what more can David say to thee, for thou knowest thy servant, O Lord God.

63
00:04:59,600 --> 00:05:04,900
For the sake of thy word and according to thine heart thou hast done all this greatness

64
00:05:04,900 --> 00:05:07,880
to let thy servant know.

65
00:05:07,880 --> 00:05:12,760
For this reason thou art great, O Lord God, for there is none like thee, and there is

66
00:05:12,760 --> 00:05:18,920
no God besides thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

67
00:05:18,920 --> 00:05:24,600
And what one nation on earth is like thy people Israel, whom God went to redeem for himself

68
00:05:24,600 --> 00:05:30,240
as a people, and to make a name for himself, and to do a great thing for thee, and awesome

69
00:05:30,240 --> 00:05:36,480
things for thy land, before thy people whom thou hast redeemed for thyself from Egypt,

70
00:05:36,480 --> 00:05:39,320
from nations and their gods?

71
00:05:39,320 --> 00:05:45,760
For thou hast established for thyself thy people Israel as thine own people forever,

72
00:05:45,760 --> 00:05:49,240
and thou, O Lord, hast become their God.

73
00:05:49,240 --> 00:05:54,280
Now therefore, O Lord God, the word that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant and his

74
00:05:54,280 --> 00:06:01,240
house, confirm it forever, and do as thou hast spoken, that thy name may be magnified

75
00:06:01,240 --> 00:06:08,060
forever by saying, The Lord of hosts is God over Israel.

76
00:06:08,060 --> 00:06:12,200
And may the house of thy servant David be established before thee, for thou, O Lord

77
00:06:12,200 --> 00:06:18,600
of hosts, the God of Israel, hast made a revelation to thy servant, saying, I will build you a

78
00:06:18,600 --> 00:06:19,600
house.

79
00:06:19,600 --> 00:06:24,960
Therefore, thy servant hast found courage to pray this prayer to thee.

80
00:06:24,960 --> 00:06:31,160
And now, O Lord God, thou art God, and thy words are truth, and thou hast promised this

81
00:06:31,160 --> 00:06:33,800
good thing to thy servant.

82
00:06:33,800 --> 00:06:38,520
Now therefore, may it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue

83
00:06:38,520 --> 00:06:39,920
forever before thee.

84
00:06:39,920 --> 00:06:44,680
For thou, O Lord God, hast spoken, and with thy blessing may the house of thy servant

85
00:06:44,680 --> 00:06:48,160
be blessed forever.

86
00:06:48,160 --> 00:06:55,800
So David receives with great praise the promise, the word which God gave to him.

87
00:06:55,800 --> 00:07:01,680
The descendant in its immediate fulfillment was Solomon, who followed David to the throne.

88
00:07:01,680 --> 00:07:06,880
But in its final application, it of course returns to David's greater son, the Lord

89
00:07:06,880 --> 00:07:13,760
Jesus Christ, who will one day return to the earth and establish a kingdom which will not

90
00:07:13,760 --> 00:07:19,200
ever depart, a kingdom which will be forever and forever.

91
00:07:19,200 --> 00:07:25,560
If you turn to Psalm 138 and look at those verses again, you will notice that there are

92
00:07:25,560 --> 00:07:30,880
a number of places where the millennium is apparent.

93
00:07:30,880 --> 00:07:39,240
When he talks, for example, about the kings of the earth giving thanks to the Lord.

94
00:07:39,240 --> 00:07:47,280
The application, however, of this song in Psalm 138 is to all of God's children and

95
00:07:47,280 --> 00:07:51,200
not just to David or to Israel.

96
00:07:51,200 --> 00:07:59,320
But all of us who have been saved by grace through faith, as was David, have been appointed

97
00:07:59,320 --> 00:08:04,040
to reign with Jesus Christ in his kingdom.

98
00:08:04,040 --> 00:08:10,280
Therefore we can enter into David's psalm of thanksgiving without any reservation, for

99
00:08:10,280 --> 00:08:17,480
we will reign with Jesus Christ and share in that kingdom of which David speaks here

100
00:08:17,480 --> 00:08:20,480
from an Old Testament perspective.

101
00:08:20,480 --> 00:08:27,280
We join with our friend and our brother David in a song of thanksgiving.

102
00:08:27,280 --> 00:08:35,880
Now as we look at this psalm, David outlines for us several reasons for our giving thanks.

103
00:08:35,880 --> 00:08:37,680
Let's look at them together.

104
00:08:37,680 --> 00:08:42,240
In verses 1-3 we have reason number one for thanksgiving.

105
00:08:42,240 --> 00:08:46,120
It is answered prayer.

106
00:08:46,120 --> 00:08:52,000
David says, On the day I called, thou didst answer me.

107
00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:59,800
Only David had prayed regarding this matter of his throne and his kingdom.

108
00:08:59,800 --> 00:09:05,560
Had he prayed for its extension and its continuance, we do not know.

109
00:09:05,560 --> 00:09:13,080
The narrative in 2 Samuel does not indicate that he did before the promise came.

110
00:09:13,080 --> 00:09:19,360
And yet there is the suggestion that David had in fact been praying about this very matter

111
00:09:19,360 --> 00:09:24,360
of his kingdom and his throne, his dynasty.

112
00:09:24,360 --> 00:09:30,040
And in response to that prayer, God gave him a word.

113
00:09:30,040 --> 00:09:35,080
And that word caused David to give praise.

114
00:09:35,080 --> 00:09:44,400
David says to the Lord in verse 2, Thou hast magnified thy word according to all thy name.

115
00:09:44,400 --> 00:09:55,280
Thou hast enlarged or exalted your saying, your revelation, your word to me according

116
00:09:55,280 --> 00:09:57,000
to all thy name.

117
00:09:57,000 --> 00:09:58,960
Now what does that mean?

118
00:09:58,960 --> 00:10:01,920
What is David trying to communicate to us here?

119
00:10:01,920 --> 00:10:09,480
Well let's think for a moment what is meant by this phrase, thy name.

120
00:10:09,480 --> 00:10:18,760
God's name in this context refers to his nature, what he is.

121
00:10:18,760 --> 00:10:24,860
And we see that summarized in two essential words that David uses in verse 2.

122
00:10:24,860 --> 00:10:33,720
He speaks about giving thanks to God's name for his loving kindness and his truth.

123
00:10:33,720 --> 00:10:41,800
If you were going to summarize what God is like, what attributes of God would you select?

124
00:10:41,800 --> 00:10:48,320
David seems to say that God's name can be summed in these two attributes of the Lord.

125
00:10:48,320 --> 00:10:58,540
His loving kindness, which refers to his faithful love, and his truth.

126
00:10:58,540 --> 00:11:04,640
Is this not similar to what John says regarding the word which became flesh and was full of

127
00:11:04,640 --> 00:11:07,800
what?

128
00:11:07,800 --> 00:11:09,660
Grace and truth.

129
00:11:09,660 --> 00:11:12,920
Grace being similar to loving kindness.

130
00:11:12,920 --> 00:11:19,540
And so as John summarizes the deity or the fullness of God which was in Jesus Christ,

131
00:11:19,540 --> 00:11:24,020
he says he was full of grace and truth.

132
00:11:24,020 --> 00:11:31,320
And here David says that God's name is loving kindness and truth.

133
00:11:31,320 --> 00:11:37,560
Now when he says that God has magnified his promise or his word according to his name,

134
00:11:37,560 --> 00:11:45,140
he's really saying that God's answer to his prayer fully evidenced his grace, his loving

135
00:11:45,140 --> 00:11:48,920
kindness, and his truth.

136
00:11:48,920 --> 00:11:57,600
Gable says, thou hast fulfilled it in such a manner as to bring out all that thy name

137
00:11:57,600 --> 00:11:58,600
implies.

138
00:11:58,600 --> 00:12:04,160
And I think that Dr. Gable line captures the essence of that sentence.

139
00:12:04,160 --> 00:12:10,520
David is saying, Lord, you have fulfilled your promise in such a manner as to bring

140
00:12:10,520 --> 00:12:16,440
out all that your name says about you.

141
00:12:16,440 --> 00:12:24,000
David is overwhelmed and testifies with thanks of what God has done for him in his answer

142
00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:26,080
to his prayer.

143
00:12:26,080 --> 00:12:28,080
Notice that his praise is wholehearted.

144
00:12:28,080 --> 00:12:34,000
He says, I will give thee thanks with all my heart.

145
00:12:34,000 --> 00:12:35,800
Thanksgiving is the memory of the heart.

146
00:12:35,800 --> 00:12:41,920
And as David recounts within his heart what God had promised him, with his whole heart

147
00:12:41,920 --> 00:12:44,600
he gives thanks to the Lord.

148
00:12:44,600 --> 00:12:48,120
Certainly our praise should be no less to the Lord.

149
00:12:48,120 --> 00:12:49,920
Wholehearted thanks.

150
00:12:49,920 --> 00:12:53,240
And then his praise as well as tongue employed.

151
00:12:53,240 --> 00:12:56,620
He says, I will sing praises to thee.

152
00:12:56,620 --> 00:13:02,240
So it was not only a heartfelt thanks, but it employed as well his tongue.

153
00:13:02,240 --> 00:13:05,800
And he says, I will sing to the Lord.

154
00:13:05,800 --> 00:13:06,800
Praise.

155
00:13:06,800 --> 00:13:12,560
And he says, even among the gods or before the gods, I will sing.

156
00:13:12,560 --> 00:13:13,960
What does he mean by the gods?

157
00:13:13,960 --> 00:13:19,280
That has caused Bible students to wonder.

158
00:13:19,280 --> 00:13:25,400
Is David saying that he would sing to the Lord before the pagan gods around him?

159
00:13:25,400 --> 00:13:27,640
It's possible.

160
00:13:27,640 --> 00:13:33,600
Is he saying that he would sing praise to the Lord before the angels?

161
00:13:33,600 --> 00:13:39,200
For this word gods here could refer to angelic creatures.

162
00:13:39,200 --> 00:13:41,340
That's possible.

163
00:13:41,340 --> 00:13:48,020
It literally the word says, I will sing praise before the mighty ones.

164
00:13:48,020 --> 00:13:49,800
The Elohim.

165
00:13:49,800 --> 00:13:52,640
The mighty ones.

166
00:13:52,640 --> 00:14:02,220
And it could be that David is saying here, I will sing praise to you before mighty men.

167
00:14:02,220 --> 00:14:06,080
Because later he talks about the kings of the earth.

168
00:14:06,080 --> 00:14:11,720
And to give some parallelism to his thinking, it would seem that David is saying here, even

169
00:14:11,720 --> 00:14:19,000
before those who are mighty on the earth, before my peers who are the kings, I will

170
00:14:19,000 --> 00:14:22,400
sing praise to thee.

171
00:14:22,400 --> 00:14:26,120
Kings want to have their own praises sung.

172
00:14:26,120 --> 00:14:29,960
And to have the trumpets announce their arrival.

173
00:14:29,960 --> 00:14:33,160
To have the heralds proclaim their greatness.

174
00:14:33,160 --> 00:14:40,200
But David wants none of that, he says before the kings he will praise the Lord.

175
00:14:40,200 --> 00:14:45,040
And his tongue is employed in that and so should ours be in giving thanks to God.

176
00:14:45,040 --> 00:14:50,560
And then his praise is life impacting and life changing.

177
00:14:50,560 --> 00:14:54,720
He says, I will bow down toward thy holy temple.

178
00:14:54,720 --> 00:15:03,880
In other words, David is saying here, I will orient my life, Lord, to worship.

179
00:15:03,880 --> 00:15:08,520
I will bow down toward thy holy temple.

180
00:15:08,520 --> 00:15:13,120
To the place where you have revealed yourself in a special way.

181
00:15:13,120 --> 00:15:17,900
Toward that place I will worship you.

182
00:15:17,900 --> 00:15:22,400
And so our thanks, our worship as well, should be life impacting.

183
00:15:22,400 --> 00:15:27,160
It should affect the way that we live.

184
00:15:27,160 --> 00:15:34,520
We should bow down as it were to the Lord and orient our lives to worshiping him.

185
00:15:34,520 --> 00:15:41,480
So David with wholehearted, tongue employed, life impacting praise thanks God first of

186
00:15:41,480 --> 00:15:44,960
all for answered prayer.

187
00:15:44,960 --> 00:15:51,640
Charles Spurgeon said, it is the distinguishing mark of the true and living God that he hears

188
00:15:51,640 --> 00:15:56,120
the pleadings of his people and answers them.

189
00:15:56,120 --> 00:15:59,600
The gods hear not and answer not.

190
00:15:59,600 --> 00:16:08,860
But Jehovah's memorial is, quote, the God that heareth prayer, close quote.

191
00:16:08,860 --> 00:16:14,120
Can you think back through this year or perhaps even this week in ways in which God has answered

192
00:16:14,120 --> 00:16:19,660
prayer for you, for your family, for your church?

193
00:16:19,660 --> 00:16:26,800
Probably all of us could bring a list with several items, specific items in which we

194
00:16:26,800 --> 00:16:30,580
would give thanks to God tonight for answered prayer.

195
00:16:30,580 --> 00:16:33,080
Never take that for granted.

196
00:16:33,080 --> 00:16:40,800
That God is a God who hears and who answers and delights to answer our petitions.

197
00:16:40,800 --> 00:16:45,600
Just this morning I saw a young couple that we've been praying for and God has restored

198
00:16:45,600 --> 00:16:47,160
their marriage.

199
00:16:47,160 --> 00:16:51,800
God answers prayer.

200
00:16:51,800 --> 00:16:55,080
Then David says there's a second reason we should give praise to God.

201
00:16:55,080 --> 00:16:59,580
It is because of his sovereign purpose, verses four and five.

202
00:16:59,580 --> 00:17:06,000
As I've already suggested, David speaks about his peers, the kings, and he seems to anticipate

203
00:17:06,000 --> 00:17:11,660
the millennium when he would join with the kings of the earth as they will be at that

204
00:17:11,660 --> 00:17:19,240
time joining in a hymn of praise and thanks to the Lord.

205
00:17:19,240 --> 00:17:23,200
And what is the subject of their happy, thankful chorus?

206
00:17:23,200 --> 00:17:31,000
Well it seems to be in verse four the words of his mouth and in verse five the ways of

207
00:17:31,000 --> 00:17:33,760
the Lord.

208
00:17:33,760 --> 00:17:35,520
What does this refer to?

209
00:17:35,520 --> 00:17:37,840
Well it refers to what God will do.

210
00:17:37,840 --> 00:17:40,400
That's the words of the Lord.

211
00:17:40,400 --> 00:17:42,760
That's his revelation.

212
00:17:42,760 --> 00:17:44,720
And the ways of the Lord, what does that mean?

213
00:17:44,720 --> 00:17:49,080
That means how God will accomplish what he says he will do.

214
00:17:49,080 --> 00:17:56,800
Certainly those who will live in that period of time will have no excuse for overlooking

215
00:17:56,800 --> 00:18:02,100
both the words of the Lord and the ways of the Lord, for the Lord himself will be reigning

216
00:18:02,100 --> 00:18:05,180
visibly upon the earth.

217
00:18:05,180 --> 00:18:09,200
And their happy chorus seems to be one of praise to the Lord for what he says he will

218
00:18:09,200 --> 00:18:15,040
do and how he goes about accomplishing his promises.

219
00:18:15,040 --> 00:18:20,880
God's revelation, God's providence reveal his glory on the earth.

220
00:18:20,880 --> 00:18:27,160
God will achieve his sovereign purposes in the nations and not only in the millennium

221
00:18:27,160 --> 00:18:32,120
but even now he accomplishes those sovereign purposes.

222
00:18:32,120 --> 00:18:39,440
We can praise the Lord because his sovereign purposes cannot be denied, thwarted, hindered

223
00:18:39,440 --> 00:18:42,760
or stopped in any respect.

224
00:18:42,760 --> 00:18:47,560
For what God purposes to do, he will do.

225
00:18:47,560 --> 00:18:51,400
Great is the glory of the Lord.

226
00:18:51,400 --> 00:18:57,880
He chooses to reveal to us what he will do and how he will accomplish it.

227
00:18:57,880 --> 00:19:04,200
And so as we give thanks to the Lord, let's give thanks to him for his sovereign purposes,

228
00:19:04,200 --> 00:19:10,000
his sovereign purposes in our lives, his sovereign purposes in history.

229
00:19:10,000 --> 00:19:19,560
We can give thanks as we come to the end of 1984 that history as it is flowing today is

230
00:19:19,560 --> 00:19:26,480
not flowing on an uncharted course but that it is traveling in the direction which God

231
00:19:26,480 --> 00:19:30,520
has long ago ordained.

232
00:19:30,520 --> 00:19:38,040
We are not left to the chance of events nor are we left to the evil whim of national leaders

233
00:19:38,040 --> 00:19:46,920
but rather we rest secure in the sovereign purposes of God.

234
00:19:46,920 --> 00:19:52,860
God will achieve his sovereign purposes for the United States of America, for the Western

235
00:19:52,860 --> 00:19:59,640
culture and for every civilization upon the earth.

236
00:19:59,640 --> 00:20:04,760
For there is not one that is here but that he has designed it to appear and there is

237
00:20:04,760 --> 00:20:11,200
not one that can disappear but that he ordains it.

238
00:20:11,200 --> 00:20:19,480
There are of course those prophets of doom and gloom today who say that we are left to

239
00:20:19,480 --> 00:20:27,480
the whims of men and that it is possible that this or that catastrophic event will take

240
00:20:27,480 --> 00:20:30,520
place because of mankind.

241
00:20:30,520 --> 00:20:42,200
Listen, we are not, history is not the victim of mankind but rather history is the record

242
00:20:42,200 --> 00:20:45,240
of God's sovereign purposes.

243
00:20:45,240 --> 00:20:51,000
So we can rest secure knowing that whatever takes place day by day and year by year it

244
00:20:51,000 --> 00:20:55,440
is according to what God has planned.

245
00:20:55,440 --> 00:21:00,040
We praise him for his sovereign purpose.

246
00:21:00,040 --> 00:21:05,160
Then verse 6, David praises God for his personal care.

247
00:21:05,160 --> 00:21:13,240
He says, though the Lord is exalted and plans sovereignly yet he regards the lowly.

248
00:21:13,240 --> 00:21:17,560
He is exalted and the word means to be high, to be lofty.

249
00:21:17,560 --> 00:21:24,000
It is the same word that Isaiah used in his prophecy, 6th chapter verse 1, that in the

250
00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:34,200
year the king Uzziah died I saw the Lord high and lifted up, lofty, exalted.

251
00:21:34,200 --> 00:21:39,640
David says the Lord is exalted and folks if only we could get a vision of how exalted

252
00:21:39,640 --> 00:21:43,680
he is it would change our lives.

253
00:21:43,680 --> 00:21:51,200
But not only is he exalted and glorious but rather as well he regards the lowly.

254
00:21:51,200 --> 00:21:55,400
He is not removed and distant from your concerns.

255
00:21:55,400 --> 00:21:59,040
He is not uninvolved in your problems and cares.

256
00:21:59,040 --> 00:22:07,640
In fact, he is the God of such compassion and such lavish mercy that he cannot help

257
00:22:07,640 --> 00:22:15,400
but express himself in your life and in mine in terms of our personal care.

258
00:22:15,400 --> 00:22:24,800
God regards the lowly, that is those who are humble, those who abase themselves.

259
00:22:24,800 --> 00:22:31,200
Then says this verse, he regards, he regards.

260
00:22:31,200 --> 00:22:32,200
That is an interesting word.

261
00:22:32,200 --> 00:22:36,120
It is just a basic word which means to see.

262
00:22:36,120 --> 00:22:44,480
It has a lot of shades of meaning including to have respect for.

263
00:22:44,480 --> 00:22:51,680
This morning in one of the scriptures from the Psalms we read a verse which said that

264
00:22:51,680 --> 00:22:56,560
if I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me.

265
00:22:56,560 --> 00:23:00,320
This is that same word, if I see iniquity.

266
00:23:00,320 --> 00:23:07,200
The idea is if I have respect for or if I cherish iniquity in my heart the Lord will

267
00:23:07,200 --> 00:23:09,760
not hear my prayer.

268
00:23:09,760 --> 00:23:13,900
That is the word that is used here of the Lord's care for you and me.

269
00:23:13,900 --> 00:23:17,320
He cherishes us.

270
00:23:17,320 --> 00:23:23,360
He has respect for us or as Peter puts it, it matters to him concerning you.

271
00:23:23,360 --> 00:23:26,440
He cares for you.

272
00:23:26,440 --> 00:23:30,360
It's a word that also means to provide for.

273
00:23:30,360 --> 00:23:39,360
It is the word used in Genesis 22 when God provided the ram in place of Isaac.

274
00:23:39,360 --> 00:23:44,960
The ram to be sacrificed instead of Isaac, the son of Abraham.

275
00:23:44,960 --> 00:23:49,400
So it means to provide for and again we bring that meaning back to this verse.

276
00:23:49,400 --> 00:23:52,140
He provides for the lowly.

277
00:23:52,140 --> 00:23:54,000
He sees our needs.

278
00:23:54,000 --> 00:23:59,080
He provides for those who are lowly.

279
00:23:59,080 --> 00:24:04,280
It may be that you are in a place of particular need tonight.

280
00:24:04,280 --> 00:24:06,200
God knows that need.

281
00:24:06,200 --> 00:24:08,720
He has regard for it.

282
00:24:08,720 --> 00:24:16,040
I have a pastor friend who was at a very low point in his ministry.

283
00:24:16,040 --> 00:24:22,720
He was experiencing difficulties in his church and was tired.

284
00:24:22,720 --> 00:24:32,680
In that low point as he drove to the church, to his office, he determined he would resign.

285
00:24:32,680 --> 00:24:35,400
It was a Sunday evening about five o'clock.

286
00:24:35,400 --> 00:24:43,320
As he drove to the church, he pounded the steering wheel and said, I'll show them I'll

287
00:24:43,320 --> 00:24:45,680
resign.

288
00:24:45,680 --> 00:24:51,120
And he prayed within his heart in his low state.

289
00:24:51,120 --> 00:24:58,680
He said, oh that I had wings like a dove, I would fly away and be at rest.

290
00:24:58,680 --> 00:25:05,680
As he looked out of his car window, driving into the church yard, there was a dove that

291
00:25:05,680 --> 00:25:12,760
flew right over his car and then flew up and around the church and its steeple.

292
00:25:12,760 --> 00:25:21,560
And he pulled up to a stop and watched the dove and suddenly it fluttered and fell dead

293
00:25:21,560 --> 00:25:24,600
right in front of his car.

294
00:25:24,600 --> 00:25:35,520
He got out with tears streaming down his cheeks and picked up that dove warm but lifeless.

295
00:25:35,520 --> 00:25:43,080
And the verse came to him, they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.

296
00:25:43,080 --> 00:25:46,440
They shall mount up with wings as eagles.

297
00:25:46,440 --> 00:25:55,320
In a very special way, God in that moment put his arm around him as it were and said,

298
00:25:55,320 --> 00:25:59,840
I care about you.

299
00:25:59,840 --> 00:26:06,600
And you're not to be a dove flying away from your trouble, but you're to wait upon me and

300
00:26:06,600 --> 00:26:11,920
mount up with wings as an eagle.

301
00:26:11,920 --> 00:26:15,280
God has regard for the lowly.

302
00:26:15,280 --> 00:26:19,760
He has regard for you and is personally concerned with your life.

303
00:26:19,760 --> 00:26:28,640
In contrast to that, however, he is far away from those who are proud and self-sufficient.

304
00:26:28,640 --> 00:26:34,680
God remains aloof to them, leaving them to their own folly.

305
00:26:34,680 --> 00:26:42,320
But those who humble themselves know his personal care, and David thanks God for that.

306
00:26:42,320 --> 00:26:45,880
And so should you and I.

307
00:26:45,880 --> 00:26:52,560
In verse 7, he expresses thanks to God for certain deliverance.

308
00:26:52,560 --> 00:26:58,720
The previous point regarding his personal care does not mean that we will not have trouble.

309
00:26:58,720 --> 00:27:03,860
He says, though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me.

310
00:27:03,860 --> 00:27:09,480
This word trouble literally is straits or distress.

311
00:27:09,480 --> 00:27:15,280
It seems to mean pressure, which is produced by confinement.

312
00:27:15,280 --> 00:27:24,440
God says, though I walk in the midst of pressure and stress, thou wilt revive me.

313
00:27:24,440 --> 00:27:26,920
Thou wilt stretch forth thy hand.

314
00:27:26,920 --> 00:27:31,200
Thy right hand will save me.

315
00:27:31,200 --> 00:27:35,000
There are four verbs in verse 7.

316
00:27:35,000 --> 00:27:45,600
If you look at those four verbs, they give us four assurances when we are in trouble.

317
00:27:45,600 --> 00:27:51,680
The first verb is the verb walk, and the assurance that I have is progress.

318
00:27:51,680 --> 00:27:58,560
In other words, the pressures, the problems, the trouble that we face does not stop us,

319
00:27:58,560 --> 00:28:02,460
but rather it acts to channel our lives.

320
00:28:02,460 --> 00:28:05,280
We walk through them.

321
00:28:05,280 --> 00:28:09,040
We are not to sit down in our troubles and mope.

322
00:28:09,040 --> 00:28:10,200
We're to keep moving.

323
00:28:10,200 --> 00:28:11,200
We're to walk.

324
00:28:11,200 --> 00:28:13,840
It's progress.

325
00:28:13,840 --> 00:28:21,360
When I think of this, I think of a river which actually makes its best progress when it is

326
00:28:21,360 --> 00:28:25,360
most confined.

327
00:28:25,360 --> 00:28:35,000
It is most swift and powerful as the banks bring its sides together, and it is forced

328
00:28:35,000 --> 00:28:38,040
through the straits.

329
00:28:38,040 --> 00:28:40,260
And so it is with you and me.

330
00:28:40,260 --> 00:28:47,720
Our best progress is often made when we are walking in the midst of trouble, because there

331
00:28:47,720 --> 00:28:53,880
is something about that confinement that thrusts us ahead, and so I have the assurance and

332
00:28:53,880 --> 00:28:56,280
trouble of progress.

333
00:28:56,280 --> 00:29:01,320
Or I can say it this way, my good comes out of my trouble.

334
00:29:01,320 --> 00:29:07,000
Romans 8 28 underlines that statement.

335
00:29:07,000 --> 00:29:10,780
My good comes out of my trouble.

336
00:29:10,780 --> 00:29:12,760
The second verb is the verb revive.

337
00:29:12,760 --> 00:29:16,420
He says, thou wilt revive me.

338
00:29:16,420 --> 00:29:23,800
Here I have the assurance of provision, for the word revive means to give life.

339
00:29:23,800 --> 00:29:31,160
And essentially what he's saying here is, my trouble cannot overwhelm me, because God

340
00:29:31,160 --> 00:29:34,880
provides me with life.

341
00:29:34,880 --> 00:29:42,520
Whatever my trouble may be, God in that situation revives me, continually gives me life, and

342
00:29:42,520 --> 00:29:46,800
so I have the assurance of that provision in my trouble.

343
00:29:46,800 --> 00:29:50,440
The third verb is stretch forth.

344
00:29:50,440 --> 00:29:55,520
Thou wilt stretch forth thy hand against the wrath of my enemies.

345
00:29:55,520 --> 00:29:59,720
Here I have the assurance of protection.

346
00:29:59,720 --> 00:30:06,000
It is that God will deal with my enemies, whether they be people or circumstances or

347
00:30:06,000 --> 00:30:13,720
obstacles or the devil himself, God will protect me, stretch forth his hand against the wrath

348
00:30:13,720 --> 00:30:16,560
of my enemies.

349
00:30:16,560 --> 00:30:22,840
I might say it this way, my troubles will be dealt with by God.

350
00:30:22,840 --> 00:30:26,200
And then there is a fourth assurance in my troubles.

351
00:30:26,200 --> 00:30:28,520
It's found in that verb save.

352
00:30:28,520 --> 00:30:31,280
Thy right hand will save me.

353
00:30:31,280 --> 00:30:36,200
Here is the assurance of preservation.

354
00:30:36,200 --> 00:30:40,480
How can I know that I will be preserved in my troubles?

355
00:30:40,480 --> 00:30:43,880
Because of God's right hand.

356
00:30:43,880 --> 00:30:50,360
And may I ask who is at God's right hand?

357
00:30:50,360 --> 00:30:52,800
It is the Lord Jesus Christ.

358
00:30:52,800 --> 00:30:58,240
He is at the right hand of the Father interceding for you and for me.

359
00:30:58,240 --> 00:31:04,920
How can I know that I will be kept through my troubles and preserved because of the Father's

360
00:31:04,920 --> 00:31:07,240
right hand?

361
00:31:07,240 --> 00:31:13,880
He intercedes on my behalf perfectly and will bring me through and end my troubles.

362
00:31:13,880 --> 00:31:18,960
And so I have this assurance that my troubles will end.

363
00:31:18,960 --> 00:31:26,200
I have great cause tonight to give thanks to God because of certain deliverance in my

364
00:31:26,200 --> 00:31:27,200
troubles.

365
00:31:27,200 --> 00:31:33,000
I have the assurance of progress because my good comes out of my trouble.

366
00:31:33,000 --> 00:31:36,640
I have the assurance of provision.

367
00:31:36,640 --> 00:31:40,840
My trouble cannot overwhelm me because God gives me life.

368
00:31:40,840 --> 00:31:43,880
I have the assurance of protection.

369
00:31:43,880 --> 00:31:48,160
My troubles will be dealt with personally by God.

370
00:31:48,160 --> 00:31:50,660
And I have the assurance of preservation.

371
00:31:50,660 --> 00:31:56,600
My troubles will end because of the one who is at the right hand of the Father interceding

372
00:31:56,600 --> 00:31:58,720
for me perfectly.

373
00:31:58,720 --> 00:32:02,520
There is great cause for giving thanks to God in verse 7.

374
00:32:02,520 --> 00:32:08,080
And then it concludes in verse 8 by saying that we can give thanks to God because of

375
00:32:08,080 --> 00:32:10,900
ultimate glory.

376
00:32:10,900 --> 00:32:16,640
He says, the Lord will accomplish what concerns me.

377
00:32:16,640 --> 00:32:25,280
All of my interests, all of them, all of your interests, all of them are safe in His hands.

378
00:32:25,280 --> 00:32:30,080
God will not forsake the work of His hands.

379
00:32:30,080 --> 00:32:32,840
Just you and me.

380
00:32:32,840 --> 00:32:37,440
We are held secure in sovereign hands.

381
00:32:37,440 --> 00:32:44,240
And we move without fail through God's will in this life toward that great consummation

382
00:32:44,240 --> 00:32:53,240
of His will when we will be glorified and like the Son, like Jesus Christ Himself.

383
00:32:53,240 --> 00:32:59,880
Is this not the assurance that Paul writes about when he writes to the Philippians and

384
00:32:59,880 --> 00:33:06,200
he says, I am confident of this very thing that He who began a good work in you will

385
00:33:06,200 --> 00:33:11,240
perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

386
00:33:11,240 --> 00:33:15,640
What God begins, He always finishes.

387
00:33:15,640 --> 00:33:20,120
You and I can praise God that we will be changed.

388
00:33:20,120 --> 00:33:27,920
We will experience the ultimate glory when we are like Jesus Christ.

389
00:33:27,920 --> 00:33:34,560
And once again the apostle testifies himself, the Lord will deliver me from every evil deed

390
00:33:34,560 --> 00:33:38,640
and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom.

391
00:33:38,640 --> 00:33:41,360
To Him be the glory forever and ever.

392
00:33:41,360 --> 00:33:43,400
That's ultimate glory.

393
00:33:43,400 --> 00:33:45,800
Second Timothy 4, 8.

394
00:33:45,800 --> 00:33:51,640
And so tonight we join with our friend David in giving thanks to God.

395
00:33:51,640 --> 00:33:57,720
Let us allow his thoughts to guide our thoughts at this Thanksgiving season.

396
00:33:57,720 --> 00:34:05,160
He has showed us why we can give thanks to the Lord for answered prayer, for His sovereign

397
00:34:05,160 --> 00:34:13,000
purposes in history, for His personal care, for His certain deliverance because of ultimate

398
00:34:13,000 --> 00:34:15,760
glory.

399
00:34:15,760 --> 00:34:21,520
Gratitude is always the right attitude for the people of God.

400
00:34:21,520 --> 00:34:26,440
And as His people, let's give thanks to Him in this season.

401
00:34:26,440 --> 00:34:33,880
Would you join me please in bowing your head?

402
00:34:33,880 --> 00:34:39,000
Let's sing this chorus that all of us I think know.

403
00:34:39,000 --> 00:34:43,200
God is so good.

404
00:34:43,200 --> 00:34:48,680
God is so good.

405
00:34:48,680 --> 00:34:53,400
God is so good.

406
00:34:53,400 --> 00:35:00,280
He's so good to me.

407
00:35:00,280 --> 00:35:05,720
He answers prayer.

408
00:35:05,720 --> 00:35:11,400
He answers prayer.

409
00:35:11,400 --> 00:35:16,160
He answers prayer.

410
00:35:16,160 --> 00:35:22,920
He's so good to me.

411
00:35:22,920 --> 00:35:28,280
He cares for me.

412
00:35:28,280 --> 00:35:34,240
He cares for me.

413
00:35:34,240 --> 00:35:39,400
He cares for me.

414
00:35:39,400 --> 00:35:44,840
He's so good to me.

415
00:35:44,840 --> 00:35:55,440
Father, we do express our praise and thanks tonight because you are so good to us.

416
00:35:55,440 --> 00:36:05,960
Though David's voice physically was still 3,000 years ago and he rested with his fathers,

417
00:36:05,960 --> 00:36:11,160
yet he dwells today in the house of the Lord.

418
00:36:11,160 --> 00:36:21,920
And we share through your inspired word this song of thanksgiving which he wrote.

419
00:36:21,920 --> 00:36:28,760
Thank you for the way you work in our lives and in the history of the world.

420
00:36:28,760 --> 00:36:35,480
Help us to see that though you are greatly exalted in your sovereignty, you care for

421
00:36:35,480 --> 00:36:36,480
each of us.

422
00:36:36,480 --> 00:36:42,040
And Lord, there are some of my brothers and sisters here tonight who are carrying heavy

423
00:36:42,040 --> 00:36:43,040
loads.

424
00:36:43,040 --> 00:36:51,880
And some are ready to quit and throw in the towel and wish they had wings like a dove.

425
00:36:51,880 --> 00:36:59,520
May they tonight know what the wings of the eagle are like as they wait upon you.

426
00:36:59,520 --> 00:37:04,280
Lord, may we live for you because we're thankful people.

427
00:37:04,280 --> 00:37:10,360
I'll live for him.

428
00:37:10,360 --> 00:37:16,120
I'll live for him.

429
00:37:16,120 --> 00:37:21,200
I'll live for him.

430
00:37:21,200 --> 00:37:28,440
He's so good to me.

431
00:37:28,440 --> 00:37:33,720
I love him so.

432
00:37:33,720 --> 00:37:39,440
I love him so.

433
00:37:39,440 --> 00:37:44,440
I love him so.

434
00:37:44,440 --> 00:37:52,200
He's so good to me.

435
00:37:52,200 --> 00:38:05,340
I love him so.

436
00:38:05,340 --> 00:38:20,200
He's so good to me.