all powerful king

The Lord is at your right hand;

he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath.

Psalm 110:5

This is THE ROYAL PSALM! Psalm 110 is the most quoted psalm in all the New Testament in reference to Messianic fulfillment in Jesus. Even Jesus Himself confidently asserted that the Messiah was God Himself in quoting Psalm 110:1 to His accusers. It is powerful. It is majestic. It is world-circling in its scope. And the Jews who sang it after David wrote it sing it in the future tense, anticipating the day when God’s powerfully appointed True King would rule the earth unopposed.

This psalm also pictures this future king as the deliverer of true justice, bringing God’s judgment on the Day of the Lord. Look at how vividly this is shown:

• Enemies are His footstool (Psalm 110:1)
• He rules amidst enemies (Psalm 110:2)
• Kings are shattered by Him (Psalm 110:5)
• He judges the nations (Psalm 110:6)
• Chiefs of nations worldwide are shattered (Psalm 110:6)

And this judgment will be authoritative and final.

• God Himself makes enemies the King’s footstool (Psalm 110:1)
• God has made Jesus (the True King) a Priest forever (Psalm 110:4)
• Corpses of defiant enemies fill the nations who defy Him (Psalm 110:6)

Just as the Israelites looked forward to a day when a Royal One would judge the earth, so do Christians also in the words of this psalm believe in the absolute power of our King of Kings. He will lead us. He will judge all the earth. He rules now and will rule in the future. And nobody can oppose our Lord.

promised success

And David knew that the LORD had established him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.

2 Samuel 5:12

The huge difference between King David’s reign and King Saul’s disgraceful rule was that David from the very start knew his kingship and Israel’s thriving success under him were ALL God’s doing. David gave God the credit. He worshiped the God Who blessed Israel. In that climate of worship, David led the nation to focus on God as the True King.

Three things mark David’s mindset. First, he knew God had established him a king. David did not rise to the throne by cunning or might. In fact, when the elders of Israel approached David to unite the nation that had been fractured in Saul’s bitter final days, They too acknowledged that God called David to “be shepherd of my people Israel” (2 Samuel 5:2). The rise to ruling was all God’s work. God kept David safe from Saul’s rage. He blessed David as lead general in Israel’s army. He gave David the hearts of the people and the throne of the nation.

Secondly, David knew that God’s blessing was the only reason any success came to his career as king. And continued success after his inauguration was also God’s blessing. It was the Lord who exalted David’s kingdom and granted success, peace, and prosperity to the nation as a result.

And finally, David knew that God was honoring a deeper covenant. More was happening than just a single promise to David. This was all taking place to bless God’s people, Israel. In a way, all of David’s success was linked to God’s original promise to Abraham in Genesis 12 to make of him a great nation. God’s promise for the sake of His people Israel flowed from an ancient stream of covenant blessing. God would always carefully tend human history to accomplish this great covenant.

And centuries later, the Son of David would come to earth, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and Jesus fulfills all of these promises to the penultimate. His kingdom is now established. Jesus is King reigning now forever and ever. And all God’s promises are “YES!” in Jesus!

worship & confession

For your steadfast love is great above the heavens;

your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!

Let your glory be over all the earth!

Psalm 108:4-5

As I read David’s words here, I realize that I still have a lot to learn about worship. David praises God even in the midst of a painful experience with God. It appears from this psalm that some historic enemy was oppressing Israel and God was not giving His people help against the foes. David’s observation is that the nation’s sin had led to this situation. God would not go out with the armies when the nation was unrepentant.

And so this appeal to God comes urgently. It is praise and faith in the midst of sincere repentance. It clings to the promises of God even as it appeals to the mercies of God. It exalts God even as it humbles self in admission of guilt. David pleads for salvation as he confesses and acknowledges the consequences of sin.

I tend to overly simplify praise, removing confession of sin from it and seeing them as two separate acts. I tend to only confess when I feel bad, and then later praise God when I feel better. But this psalm unites both confession and praise and never loses its power. God is Israel’s only hope. God will deliver. God will save. God will defeat the foe. God is faithful. God is exalted higher than the highest heavens. God’s glory fills the earth.

And this God, in grace, forgives sinners. To those who confess, who believe, who trust, and who worship Him, God will bring His salvation. This was true for David. It is true for me. And so, aware of God’s steadfast love that reaches above the heavens where Jesus now sits at the right hand of the Father, I come acknowledging my own impotence and powerless against sin. I confess my need, my wrong, and trust my Savior’s power to save as my only hope! I praise Him that He hears, forgives, and provides victory over sin’s oppressive control! Be exalted, O God!

four stories of grace

He turns a desert into pools of water,

a parched land into springs of water.

And there he lets the hungry dwell,

and they establish a city to live in;

Psalm 107:35-36

God brings refreshment, provision, and life to His people. This 107th psalm is all about celebrating the grace of God (steadfast love) that He faithfully brings to His people. They don’t deserve it, but God is gracious. The psalm is structured with an emphasis on God’s faithful, caring love. Here is an overview:

INTRO: Give thanks to God for His steadfast love! (Psalm 107:1-3) He has redeemed His people. There are 4 examples of how He did this.

I.  Desert Wanderers (Psalm 107:4-9)

• They are hungry & thirsty.
• They cried out.
• God led them out satisfying their longing and hunger.

II. Afflicted Prisoners (Psalm 107:10-16)

• They are afflicted rebels in irons. They are bound by their sinful choices. God has afflicted them.
• They repented and cried out.
• God burst their bonds & led them out of darkness.

III. Foolish Sinners (Psalm 107:17-22)

• They suffered in sin & drew near to death.
• They cried out.
• God sent His Word, healed, & delivered them.

IV. Adventurous Sailors (Psalm 107:23-32)

• They were entrepreneurial traders who foolishly risked too far.
• They cried out in the storm.
• God stilled the storm & led ships back to safe haven.

CONCLUSION: Reflection on the God Who does as He pleases (Psalm 107:33-43)

FINAL STATEMENT - The Psalm in a Sentence: Whoever is wise, attend to these stories & consider the grace of God.

My life, at various junctures, identifies with all four stories of grace in this psalm. And in it all, I must always be grateful in worship for the strong undercurrent of grace that gets me safely through!

Forever Words

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

Mark 13:31

There is a truth I cling to

when everything’s unclear;

Truth that keeps life stable

despite the circumstances I fear.

There are words of comfort

that my soul will hold dear;

The truth, spoken by Jesus

will forever be near.

Some day the universe dissolves

— a fiery conflagration;

But Jesus speaks words that live on

into the New Creation.

Heaven and earth will pass away

at the closing of the curtain;

What Jesus says will live and stay

eternally for certain.

I have set my hope on Him

knowing I too one day will pass;

Trusting in the gospel hope

in eternity to always last.

These are not mere words I read

on which my hope I base;

These are everlasting foundations

that time will not erase.

So I trust. So I believe.

I trust His everlasting Word;

And in this confidence lean back

into secure arms of my Lord.

not good enough

Yet he saved them for his name's sake,

that he might make known his mighty power.

Psalm 106:8

Thank God that we don’t have to be good enough for Him to save us. We don’t “make the grade”. We can’t. God does all the efforts when He saves sinners.

The 106th psalm retells the history of Israel in an epic song. And the rise and fall of the melody line follows Israel’s failures to trust God contrasted with God’s unfailing faithfulness to save them. From this repeated ballad of God’s faithfulness we see God’s mercy shown to sinners.

Why does God save? It is for His name’s sake. He brings glory to Himself in saving sinners. He brought Israel out of Egypt, only to have them immediately rebel against Him at the shore of the Red Sea as Pharaoh’s army rumbled toward them. What did God do? Did He give up on them like they gave up on Him? No. He responded in mercy and with great power and parted a sea so Israel could escape, and then He threw that same sea down on the Egyptian army to drown them. God saves in mercy. God redeems in love. None of it is conditioned on human goodness or effort.

Lord,

For Your Name’s sake You save us. You make known Your mighty power in each life that You redeem through the gospel. You do what we cannot. We are helplessly trapped rebels. And You in mercy do the saving. We needed a Savior. Jesus, You came, gave Yourself completely for us, and now the enemies of death and hell have been defeated, just as surely as Egyptians were swept into the drowning depths of the Red Sea. Continue to make known Your mighty power in saving sinners!

Amen

damaging self-commendation

For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.

2 Corinthians 10:18

These five words have probably ruined solid ministry more than any others: “You should write a book”. I’m serious. I’ve been on a ministry-driven lifestyle for thirty-four years. I’ve seen more Christian books, DVDs, purchasable programs, and media than I care to count… “church growth” books, “deeper life” books, “how to succeed in” books, and my least favorite — “secret of” books, ad infinitum… ad nauseum. And unfortunately, I have spent a LOT of time reading these kinds of books. True confession: I have forced myself to read some really noxious Christian best sellers because I knew people in my church were getting excited about them and I, as their pastor, needed to know how it was affecting things. 

I am always surprised how some “mantle of success” anoints some new church ministry model or best selling Christian market writer. Of course it helps that big publishing contracts come with a marketing budget. A self-commending circle of publishing can easily be found in nearly every segment of Christian thought. It is like 2 Corinthians 10:12 isn’t even found in the biblical text! (Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding.) This would be outrageously funny if it weren’t so grossly unscriptural.

I firmly believe there is an army of quiet, conviction-driven, Jesus-following ministers of the gospel who just silently fight this pride-filled mania. They teach in their ministries. They spend their lives in one on one and small group disciple-making. They labor in unknown places with people who need Jesus. They pour themselves into hours of scriptural study in order to preach and teach without ever a thought of creating a money-making platform from that labor. They freely distribute what is given to them by God. Count me a member of The Resistance! The one outstanding example of this kind of thing, a fly in the ointment of hyped Christian publishing machinery, is John Piper’s ministry at Desiring God. Yes, books are published, but all proceeds go to non-profit ministry… and this is the coolest part… EVERY book is also available as a FREE digital resource on their website. It isn’t about the money, self-commendation, and marketing! How refreshing! Truth… not for sale or self-promotion.

Lest you think I totally despise Christian publishing, I don’t. It needs to happen. I’m glad that it does. But like Paul, my prayer is that self-promotion and personality-driven ministry would be seen as totally incompatible with the gospel. May we be humble, obedient disciples making humble, obedient disciples. May Jesus be promoted. May we be commended and driven by His “well done” alone.