WWUTT 1059 For God Alone My Soul Waits?

There are certain ways that you could act that would be going with the rest of the culture the culture to even give you a pass. Sure, it's fine to act that way. But are we acting as Christ and is our trust in him alone when we understand the text?

This is when we understand the text a daily Bible commentary to help encourage your time in the word Monday Tuesday and Wednesday. We feature New Testament study an Old Testament book on Thursday and our Q &A on Friday.

Now, here's your teacher pastor gate. Thank you Becky. Well being Thursday. We're back in our study of the Psalms today, and we're hitting the 60s. That goes well with the fall weather right. Psalm 60 is what we're gonna start with.

Psalm 60 and the Lord’s Help in War

We'll probably get through a few Psalms today here to the choir master according to Shushan Edith a mictum of David for instruction when he strove with Aram Naharim and with Aram Zobah and when Joab on his return struck down 12 ,000 of Edom in the Valley of Salt.

Oh God you have rejected us broken our defenses. You have been angry. Oh Restore us. You have made the land to quake. You have torn it open. Repair its breaches for it totters. You have made your people see hard things.

You have given us wine to drink that made a stagger. You have set up a banner for those who fear you that they may flee to it from the bow say la. That your beloved ones may be delivered give salvation by your right hand and answer us.

God has spoken in his holiness with exaltation. I will divide up Shechem and portion out the veil of sucketh. Gilead is mine. Manasseh is mine. Ephraim is my helmet. Judah is my scepter. Moab is my washbasin upon Edom.

I cast my shoe over Philistia. I shout in triumph. Who will bring me to the fortified city who will lead me to Edom? Have you not rejected us? Oh God, you do not go forth. Oh God with our enemies. Oh Grant us help against the foe for vain is the salvation of man with God.

We shall do valiantly. It is he who will tread down our foes. Now this psalm comes in the wake of the events that are talked about in 2nd Samuel chapter 8 and that's kind of talked about Right at the right in the title and it says it's for instruction so these are Instructions to the nation of Israel when they must go to war against another nation even in the act of war.

May we be faithful to God? May we not wander from his precepts lest he take the blessing from us and would be on the side of another nation. So that's one of the things that that they must be cautious of so for instruction that we remain Faithful unto the Lord or he's gonna break down our Defenses in the case that we lose against an enemy.

Is it the judgment of God that has come upon us? So we must come to him and repent of our evil now in that header in the header of Psalm 60 here. It says that Joab struck down 12 ,000 in Edom. When you go to 2nd Samuel chapter 8, it says that 18 ,000 was the casualty.

So what's with the discrepancy here? Why does Psalm 60 say 12 ,000? But 2nd Samuel chapter 8 says 18 ,000 the likelihood is that the psalm was written most closely related to the war probably like right at the exact same time that this war was going on this psalm was being penned and The casualty list turned out to be much larger than just the 12 ,000 that had been struck down and so in a later time When 2nd Samuel had been penned which would have been after the writing of Psalm 60.

Then the adjustment was made for how many had truly fallen in battle not just those who were slain on the battlefield. But even those who went home with injuries that eventually claimed their lives and took them overall the tally would have been 18 ,000 so it's really not so Different a number that we have to look at this as being some kind of contradiction in the Word of God.

It's just simply reflective of different times in which those things were being written. Psalm 60 may not have been exact to the casualties that had yet fallen in that battle and 2nd Samuel 8 was more of an adjustment to the accurate Afflictions that had come by the sword in that fight.

So now verse 1 Oh God, you have rejected us and you have broken our defenses. You have been angry. Oh Restore us. This is one of those places. We have once again it being stated that God is Angry, he can be angry with those who have offended him.

In Psalm chapter 7 it says that God is a righteous judge who feels indignation every day. I remember RC Sproul saying God is angry with those who say God is not angry. He does feel anger and he hates sin and we must likewise hate our sin and pursue his Righteousness, we only really come into true righteousness when we've hated the sin that we have done against God.

You have made the land to quake. The psalm says you have torn it open repair its breaches for it totters. You have made your people see hard things. You have given us wine to drink that made us stagger.

You've made us see hard things like no one goes into battle and comes back the same person. You see some really really tough stuff when you go to war and take this from a pastor. Who has a church that's 60 military.

We have a lot of guys in our church who have seen active combat and they've seen some really really difficult things. I've heard lots of stories and some of them come with very broken consciences. They wonder if some of the things that they've done in battle means that God doesn't love them anymore.

And they're gonna be judged to hell. They they have a very torn conscience because of some of the things that they've had to do a war can really Hurt a person and so we have it said here. You've made your people see hard things.

There are people that serve as police officers that see hard stuff. They see the seedier side of your community that you probably don't see and It's really difficult to look at the world through the eyes of a person that sees the harder aspects of life.

And it can make us stagger it can it can make us look at the world and go. Where is their goodness in this place? You have set up a banner for those who fear you and they may flee to it from the bow. So we can we can still come into the presence of God getting away from war and Finding peace in our Savior and that's a good place for a pause.

So we have that word say la that your beloved ones may be delivered give salvation by your right hand and Answer us. God has spoken in his holiness with exaltation. I will divide up Shechem and portion out the veil of sucketh.

Now I won't go into each one of these in great detail. But but this is the Lord speaking here and he's speaking about each one of these places. Gilead is mine. Manasseh is mine. Ephraim is my helmet. Judah is my scepter.

Judah is referred to as a scepter in the book of Numbers as well and in other places. Why would Judah be called a scepter? Because That's where the Messiah is gonna come from. The King of Kings is gonna rise out of Judah.

That's why he's referred to as a scepter or that that tribe is called a scepter. Moab my washbasin upon Edom. I cast my shoe because Edom is eventually going to be destroyed. Over Philistia I shout in triumph.

The Philistines who have fallen by the mighty hand of God who will bring me to the fortified city now. This is not God speaking anymore, but the psalmist this is supposed to be a congregational psalm though.

All of Israel's singing this together asking for God's deliverance and forgiveness. Who will bring me to the fortified city. Who will lead me to Edom? Have you not rejected us? Oh God, you do not go forth.

Oh God with our armies. They're looking at the slain those who have fallen in the midst of battle and saying God must not be with us because of our Dead. Oh grant us help against the foe for vain is the salvation of man.

With God we shall do valiantly. It is he who will tread down our foes humbling humbling themselves before God knowing they don't have the victory in their hands unless God goes with them and. So as Christians in this world, how would this psalm apply?

Well, we know that God is conquering the pagans. Through the gospel that's being proclaimed. It may not be a Physical striking down of somebody though there may be some cases in which that is done, but we have the hearts that are being pierced by the sword of the word through bone and through marrow that is the way the word is described in the book of Hebrews and it is through the the sword of the spirit that God is slaying demonic powers and winning dead souls bringing them to life in Jesus Christ and so.

In this way through the preaching of the gospel We know that God is striking down our enemies and those who come against us. Well, there's a day of judgment that is coming for them as well. And that will be the great day of the Lord on the return of Christ.

Psalm 61 and Finding Refuge in God

Psalm 61 now this one's short for eight verses. To the choir master with stringed instruments of David hear my cry. Oh God listen to my prayer. From the end of the earth. I call to you when my heart is faint.

Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For you have been my refuge. A strong tower against the enemy. Let me dwell in your tent forever. Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings. For you Oh God have heard my vows.

You have given me the heritage of those who fear your name. Prolong the life of the King. May his years endure to all generations. May he be enthroned forever before God. Appoint steadfast love and faithfulness to watch over him.

So will I ever sing praises to your name as I perform my vows? Day after day. This is most certainly a a psalm of endurance that day by day We would seek after God that he would lead us to the rock that he would be a strong tower for us against our enemies and that in a day of of Trial that we don't despair.

We don't wonder where God is for he has been our refuge all the while. We have always been in the citadel of God and even when we face these trials We do not despair for we know the Lord Upholds us with his mighty right hand and we have such a joy in the Lord that we are compelled to Sing his praises.

We have this split up into about four different parts here. Psalm 61 verses 1 through 1 through 3 is here my prayer for you have been my refuge. Then in verses 4 and 5 let me dwell in your tent forever.

Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings. We are welcome guests in God's presence and he is also our benevolent provider and Gentle with us in the sense that we find a shelter in his wings. Verses 6 7 then would be part 3 Prolong the life of the king may his years endure to all generations.

May he be enthroned forever before God appoint steadfast love and faithfulness to watch over him. When the king was blessed the rest of the people were blessed. This is that concept of federal headship.

We don't really have that so much in a Western world government. But in the monarchy when the king was the federal head over a kingdom and whatever the king said or did that applied to all Of the people so we have that being the the case here.

Wishing for blessing to be upon the king that way all of the people would benefit. Steadfast love and faithfulness to everyone who is under the king. So will I ever sing praises to your name as I perform my vows day after day and that last verse is part 4 we find fulfillment fullness in the presence of God and that is Demonstrated through the outpouring of our heart in song and praise to our great King.

Psalm 62 and Waiting Silently for God Alone

We go on now to Psalm 62 to the choir master according to Jeduth an a psalm of David. I'll go through this a little more slowly for God alone. My soul waits in silence. From him comes my salvation. He alone is my rock and my salvation my fortress.

I shall not be quickly shaken greatly shaken. You can see some Similarities already between this psalm and the previous one that we just read right now. Let me ask you something. So coming back to verse 1 here for God alone.

My soul waits in silence. How countercultural is that? So right now we've got the these movements that are going on. It is like a plethora of movements. But they basically come down to something very similar all of these people think they've been oppressed by someone or some system and so they must raise their voice and they raise it loudly and they cry out and they point fingers and they Speculate and they assume and they slander and they they're very prejudiced putting groups of people into constituencies and pointing the finger at those groups and saying all of you people are like this and all of you people are like This this group is a monolith.

They all experience the same things so on and so forth and everybody's very loud about it. Everybody's trying to put their Oppression and quote-unquote oppression over somebody else's oppression. Well, I'm more oppressed than you are.

You have that intersectionality thing going on where people claim a victim status and the more Victim statuses they have the more points of intersection and they're able to claim a higher grievance. Standing in the culture than anybody else has and so everybody's trying to shout their victimhood over somebody else's victimhood.

It's just a lot of noise. It's a lot of complaining a lot of whining a lot of entitlement. You owe me. Etc. So how unlike that response is this here in Psalm 62 1 for God alone? My soul waits in silence.

I'm not looking for approval from anyone else. I'm not looking for what the culture says is justice that I deserve. My soul waits for God in silence for from him comes my salvation. He alone is my rock and my salvation.

He's my worth. He's the one that gives me meaning and purpose. God is the one who gives us forgiveness of sins and An eternal place in his kingdom forever through faith in his Son Jesus the rock of our salvation my fortress.

I shall not be greatly shaken. Verse 3 how long will all of you attack a man? To batter him like a leaning wall a tottering fence. They only plan to thrust him down from his high position. They take pleasure in falsehood.

They bless with their mouths, but inwardly they curse. Say la I've had this set of me sometimes or somebody will compliment me. Well, you're a great this but you're really terrible at this and Then we'll slander me and tear me down and their only Desire is to attack a man.

Not to show charity and certainly not to show grace. God forgive me when I'm the attitude of my heart has been the same toward somebody else. There are going to be people who hate us and there are going to be people that are going to be Prejudice against us and accuse us of things that we're not actually guilty of.

But we must understand Romans 8 1 there is therefore now no condemnation. For those who are in Christ Jesus and knowing this we can have peace. Say la Verse 5 for God alone. Oh my soul. Wait in silence.

For my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation my fortress. I shall not be shaken on. God rests my salvation and my glory my mighty rock. My refuge is God. We cannot truly receive closure or justice from this world.

Any meaning or purpose or significance or anything lasting and genuine and pure and true is Only going to come from God. He only is my rock my stability my foundation my salvation. Trust in him at all times.

Oh people pour out your heart before him. God is a refuge for us. Say la so before you get caught up in the voices of the culture and start blending your voice in with them. Have you poured out your heart before God?

Have you taken your cares and concerns to him. Before you've let somebody else have it or you've aired your grievances before others. Maybe to gain approval from other people or a pat on the back or an oh poor you.

Have you opened your heart up to God and cast your cares upon him because he cares for you as it says in first Peter 5 you know sometimes when we Go toward complaining. With our friends, you know, we find our friends we get them together.

We complain about our circumstances with them. They might show us some sort of kindness and affection, but it could be that they just like gossip. And so you're pouring out yourselves to them, but you're not really getting anything genuine from them either.

They're just using you because they like to hear gossip and you're using them because you want somebody to air your dirty Dirty laundry out to or what this person did to you or whatnot but we must Trust first in God.

We must take our cares before him. Don't say things like hey I've really got a prayer request about a person I want to share with you and use that as an excuse to gossip or say hey I really need some advice about somebody and really what you want to do.

There is gossip now take your cares before God. Trust in him at all times. Verse 9 those of low estate are but a breath. Those of high estate are a delusion in the balances. They go up. They are together lighter than a breath.

Put no trust in extortion. Set no vain. Hopes on robbery if riches increase set not your heart on them. Those who are of lowest state are but a breath like your trials and your tribulations. They're only gonna last for a moment.

Those of highest state are a delusion. There's no security there either with those who have much and in this psalm We see those who have the power are oppressing those who do not have. Your oppression will last but for a moment and those who oppress are deluded into thinking they have more power than they actually have.

Set your trust on God. Set not your trust on the things of this world. Believing hey, if I could just have the power that they have well. That would be the solution to my problems. That would not get you out of this mess.

It would just cause a different mess. Once God has spoken. This is verse 11 once God has spoken. Twice have I heard this that power belongs to God and That to you Oh Lord belongs steadfast love for you will render to a man according to his work.

I preached to my church on Sunday that whenever I go through a trial or a Circumstance or some sort of conflict when I come out of that conflict what I want to be asking myself is not did I win? Like did I come up with the best arguments?

Did I did I crush that person and come out the victor? That's not what I want when I go through a conflict. What I want to examine is did I behave myself like Christ? When I was reviled as it says in first Peter 2 when I was reviled.

Did I revile back or did I do as Christ did and continue to entrust myself to him who judges justly I? Want to be Christlike in all circumstances whether I am abounding in much or I am languishing With little and I am in trial and persecution.

May I still behave as Christ in the midst of these things and rely upon God for true power? Belongs to him and he searches mind and heart and even we who are being oppressed by another are Still gonna have to answer for our words and our behavior and our actions in the midst of those difficult Circumstances.

The person who is oppressed is not automatically the innocent one. We must still continue to entrust ourselves to him who judges justly. Do you understand? Does it make sense to you? Let us pray our Heavenly Father.

You are so good to us and you have given us forgiveness in Christ, and I pray that We not only seek forgiveness for our sins, but we also behave in a forgiving way toward other people. We hold no grudges.

But we forgive we even have an attitude of forgiveness before. Someone has done us wrong so that we may show grace to one another. We may show kindness to those who may not be kind to us. For God was kind to us when we did not have kindness to him.

Romans 5 8. God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. So let us continue to live according to that sacrifice and faithfulness to our God and King Who purchased us by the giving of his blood in Jesus name we pray amen.

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