The Upward Pathway to Glory — Zac Poonen

Psalm 120 and the Purpose of Old Testament Instruction

This morning I want to turn to the Old Testament to Psalm 120. The things written in the Old Testament are for our instruction, warning. There are many types of New Testament truths in the Old Testament that we can study with great profit.

We don't go too much into it like some people do because if we go too much into studying typology, you know like so many every little detail of the parts of the tabernacle, what I have found with people who do that is they get taken up with information and cleverness and clever thoughts.

The Bible was not given to stimulate our cleverness. In fact, Jesus said in Matthew 11 25, I thank you father you've hidden these things from the clever and the intelligent but revealed them to babes.

I found a lot of people who studied Old Testament typology defeated by sin. What's the use of studying typology if it's defeated by sin? The other thing I want to clarify is, but we can study a little bit because if you read in the New Testament occasionally you see a reference to comparing Ishmael and Isaac as a picture of law and grace.

Few, but it's not much and we must limit ourselves in studying Old Testament typology to the limit that the New Testament writers do. The Holy Spirit never inspired New Testament writers to study every detail of the tabernacle.

That is all for clever people who get led astray. In the same way, the other thing I need to clarify is, some people ask this question, Brother Zag, you speak so much about the Old Covenant being abolished and the New Covenant now being established.

Does it mean we don't read, don't need to read the Old Testament? There's a difference between the 39 books of the Bible which man has called the Old Testament. Please remember that. When you read in the first page of your Bible, Old Testament, that is not what God called it.

It's what man has called it. Do I believe in the first 39 books of the Bible? Yes, inspired by God. But the Old Covenant is an agreement that God made with Israel through Moses where you have to pay your tithe and you have to make your sacrifices and you've got to go to Jerusalem three times a year and so many things like that.

I don't want to go into all the details but since I'm not a Israelite and I'm not a descendant of Abraham and I'm not a follower of Moses, the Old Covenant is not for me. My leader is Jesus Christ who made a new covenant between God and me and so I'm not in the Old Covenant anymore.

But this tremendous profit from the 39 books of the Bible which man has called the Old Testament and for convenience sake we call it Old Testament but that's not what God has called it and that's why there's so much confusion.

Please remember that. So there's a lot in the Old Testament books, 39 books, which we can learn from. For example, Psalm 120. This is the first of 15 Psalms. Psalm 120 to Psalm 134 which as far as we know the Israelites would sing when they traveled from their hometown to Jerusalem.

There was a law mentioned in Deuteronomy that the Israelites had to go to Jerusalem at least three times every year. They had to meet together three times every year because God's presence was in Jerusalem when they were not backslidden.

When they were backslidden they went through an empty ritual which is most of the time. Now how many times do we meet with God every year? Every day. And Jerusalem, Galatians, it speaks about a heavenly Jerusalem which is the church and the church by the way is not this building.

It's people and it's good to meet with the people of God. The Bible says don't forsake the assembling of yourselves together but so much the more as you see the day of the Lord approaching. But here was a song they used to sing and it's called a song of ascents because in the original Hebrews got something to do the words got something to do with stairs so it was like ascending up to Jerusalem and there's something we can learn there about our spiritual ascent ascending up to glory let's say and it starts at the bottom and goes all the way up to the top so I thought I would just we would look through this briefly and then you can look at it in greater detail when you are studying on your own.

I want you to notice that in the Old Testament they didn't have the light that we have in the New Covenant because they didn't have the Holy Spirit dwelling within. That's why they would hear God speaking from the outside but now the Holy Spirit's within God speaks to us from the inside.

It's far better. So you'll notice some things here as we go along how the New Covenant is superior. Let's start with Psalm 120. In my trouble I cried to the Lord and he answered me. This is where we start.

Psalm 120: Sin as the Root of Human Trouble

Every human being starts. We are all in deep trouble because of sin. The trouble is not because of a recession. The trouble is not because you have financial difficulties or you got a difficult wife or rebellious children.

That trouble brother sister is because of sin. That's the root cause of all the problems in the world. Once we understand that you'll stop blaming your husband and wife and children and neighbors and XYZ every one of them.

Say Lord the trouble is with sin. They didn't have that light in the Old Testament. I'm in deep trouble and the Lord answered me. But what is the trouble the old psalmist is talking about? Deliver my soul O Lord from lying lips from a deceitful tongue.

And I want to tell you this. When you read scripture it gives you a indication of your own way of thinking. Now when you are being oppressed by people who are telling lies about you and deceiving you, your prayer is Lord deliver me from these lying lips and that's what the psalmist is saying.

He said Lord all types of people around me telling lies about me, spreading scandals about me, deceiving me. Please deliver me from all these people. What shall I give to you you deceivers? With your tongue you need sharp arrows of the warrior and burning coals of the broom tree.

That's what you guys need for trying to deceive me. You remember in the book of Isaiah we read chapter 5. I don't have time to show it to you. Isaiah would say woe unto this group, woe unto that group, woe unto the drunkards and woe unto those who are covetous and occupied by more and more real estate so there's no place for poor people and all that.

Everything he said was 100 accurate. Then in the next chapter, chapter 6, he sees the Lord and he says woe is me. That's the mark of a man who has seen God. He doesn't say oh what a wretched wife I have.

He says oh what a wretched man I am. Oh what a wretched woman I am. If you're not saying that I would say in Jesus name you have not met the Lord yet. The more frequently you meet with the Lord more frequently you say that.

Oh wretched man that I am. Not in a gloomy depressed type of way. I've seen people who say oh wretched man that I am, oh wretched woman that I am. They're always gloomy and depressed. Jesus wasn't gloomy and depressed.

Paul who said that originally was not gloomy and depressed. He was a man who says rejoice in the Lord always when he was lying in a stinking dungeon of a prison. That's because he stopped looking at other people and seeing how wretched they were.

He saw himself but he saw himself cleansed in the blood of Christ and so he was rejoicing. So when you read Psalm 120 you can either think of the lying lips of other people and other deceivers who are causing you trouble then you are an old covenant person.

But if you become a new covenant person you read that Psalm and say Lord the big problem is my lying lips. My deceitful tongue. The way I live as a hypocrite giving people an impression about myself which is not true.

I'm a deceiver. Lord deliver me from this wretched deception in my spirit and the careless way in which I use my tongue. The way I hurt people with my tongue. Not worried about others. Brother you're on you're in the new covenant.

It's a very simple way to find out whether you're living in the old covenant or new covenant. Do you see your own sin or do you see the sin of others? Very simple test. Keep asking yourself every day.

The world is full of people who see sin in others. In their wives, in their neighbors, in their boss, in other people in the church, in the elders, in every Tom, Dick and Harry except in themselves. Old covenant was like that.

The wonderful things when Christ comes into our life is we get light on ourselves like Isaiah and say oh is me. Oh wretched man that I am. But it doesn't take us to gloom. No. Because we read in Isaiah when he said that as soon as he said that the fire of God came from heaven and cleansed away his sin and anointed his tongue and the Lord said to him go now and speak for me.

Can you speak for God? Yes. When you acknowledge that your lips have been unclean. When you've learned to control your tongue you can be the mouthpiece of God. I'm absolutely convinced that the reason why many people are not the mouthpiece of God is because they are not careful with their tongue the rest of the time.

They're always blaming others, criticizing others and well then you waste your earthly life. I mean you could have been a servant of God for many years. I don't mean stand in a pulpit. A servant of God may never stand in a pulpit sometimes.

You can be a servant of God as a mother. Speak God's Word to your children every day as a sister to all the sisters who come to your house. Instead of gossiping to them you can speak God's Word to them.

If only God could see that you control your tongue a little bit. If only you could say like this. Oh lying lips inside my mouth. Oh deceitful tongue inside my mouth. What shall I give you? You deceitful tongue.

I want to burn you up with burning coals from the broom trees. Not talking about other people's tongue. He's talking about his own. Oh God woe is me. The words of Isaiah. But he's not thinking of himself unfortunately because I'm living with these wretched people around me.

I'm dwelling in the midst of terrible neighbors and Hedar. I'm thinking he's thinking of his wife and neighbors and oh Lord all these people around me. Too long my soul has had its dwelling with those who hate for peace.

Hate peace but I'm for peace when I speak for war. When you make that new covenant you see your greatest need is in yourself. And begin with the tongue because the Bible says if a man knows how to control his tongue he's a perfect man.

You read that in James 1? When I read that verse. Let me show you that verse. James chapter 1. I don't know how you react to it. I'm sure you read it many times but how did you react to it when you read this?

It says first of all in James 1 in verse 26. If a man thinks he's religious or spiritual as we'd call it and cannot control his tongue he deceives his own heart and his religion is worthless. And then when you come to chapter 3 it says there we all stumble.

Verse 2 sorry. We all stumble in many ways but if a man does not stumble in what he says he's a perfect man able to bridle the whole body. Put these two verses together. If a man cannot control his tongue his whole Christianity is worth zero.

If you don't know how to speak your husband and wife in a gracious way your Christianity spirit speaking in tongues call it what you like is worth zero and you won't hear it in many pulpits. You'll hear it here and secondly there's all scripture.

If a man can control his tongue he's a perfect man able to control his whole body. You want to control the lusts in your flesh? Brother! Control your tongue. It says you'll be able to bridle every desire in your body.

I want to bridle the desires in my body. Don't you? Don't you? Oh God how can I control my eyes? I'll tell you start controlling your tongue. It's easier to control the tongue than the eyes. Very difficult to control the eyes.

Control your tongue. But if God sees you're not bothered about controlling your tongue and when you slip up with your tongue you don't even confess it. You don't confess it to God. You don't confess it to man.

God says you can cry for 50 years to control your eyes. You'll never do it. But I see you're not serious. Sometimes our problem is not solved by tackling what we see is the problem but somewhere else the problem the root of the problem lies somewhere else.

I want to encourage all of you to read these verses in James and see it seriously. When I say Lord I want to be a perfect man we have in front of this pulpit. Let's press on to perfection. Where shall we start?

Psalm 121: Depending on God Rather Than Human Strength

With our tongue. Psalm 121. We go to the next one. I will lift up my eyes to the mountains from whence shall my help come. And the you know the Israelites had when they backslid they used to have their worship of their idols and all on top of the mountains.

They had their altars to their gods on their highest mountains. And the Psalmist is saying are those gods gonna help me? Those idols up there gonna help me? No. I lift up my eyes to the mountains from whence shall my help come.

My help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth. Not from those idols on top of the mountains. Dear brothers and sisters we must have a testimony to people who do not worship the true God that our God is not like the false gods.

Our God is not like the idols. Our God is a God who can actually help us. Do you remember how the heathen came up to Abraham and said we've seen God is with you. Yeah. They must be able to see that our God our help comes from the Lord verse 2 who made heaven and earth.

Not from some mountain. Not from some idol. Not from we can also look at mountains as big shots on the earth. Influential people and some chief minister help you if you have a problem. Or a big police official help you perhaps when you get into trouble.

Where do you look for help? Tell me honestly. When you get into trouble what's your first reaction? Call up one of the elders of the church. You'll always be dependent on them all your life. No wonder you don't grow.

There's nothing wrong in asking the elders for prayer. There's nothing wrong in asking influential people you know to help you but woe unto you if you depend on them. Even when you're sick by all means go to a doctor get the best treatment get the best hospital you can afford but let your dependence be on God.

My help comes from the Lord. When I'm sick I'll go to a doctor I'll go to a hospital but I trust the Lord to heal me. I can ask human beings to help me but I trust the Lord ultimately. Human beings will let me down and there's certain problems no human being can help me.

My help comes from the Lord. It's an attitude. The Bible says Jeremiah 17 5. Cursed is the man who trusts in man and who makes flesh his arm. That's why I'm scared to trust in men. That's why I'm scared to trust in doctors.

That's why I'm scared to trust in medicines. That's why I'm scared to trust in influential people whom I know who can help me because there's a curse. A curse. He doesn't say it's bad. Not bad it's cursed.

Jeremiah 17 5. To lean upon man. To ask a man for help is okay. Sure. Jesus asked a man to provide a room for them to have their last supper. There's nothing wrong in asking but to depend to lean upon someone.

There's a curse on it and I do not want the curse of God on my life. So if I depend on something earthly and not on the Lord. The Lord says okay try. Those who lean upon Egypt will fail. It'll be like a broken reed.

You lean upon it and you'll collapse. Ask people who trusted men. Dear brothers and sisters early in life learn to trust in the Lord. This is the song of our sins. We're climbing up. My help is in the Lord and he will not allow my foot to slip.

Verse 3. He who keeps me will never slumber nor sleep. He will not allow my foot to slip. You heard me say this. When I was a child I used to say I got victory over sin. When I grew up and became a man I put away childish things and I say Jesus kept me from falling.

Is there a difference between saying I got victory over sin and Jesus kept me from falling? World of difference. It's true. He got victory but when you say I got victory the emphasis is on the I. When you say Jesus kept me from falling the emphasis is on Jesus.

What he did for me he can do for you. It's not because I grit my teeth. He will not allow my foot to slip. Oh boy I can tell you when I see people slipping around me I say Lord it's you who keep my feet from slipping.

I cannot take any credit or glory to myself. I keep my face in the dust. You keep my feet from slipping because when I sleep you don't sleep. When I'm dozing off you don't doze off. You're watching when some Haman is plotting to hang me like in the book of Esther.

God deals with that Haman. When some Herod is plotting to execute Peter in Acts 12 God delivers Peter. He never slumbers or sleeps. Put your trust in this God. The God who lived in Mordecai's time is the same today and the God who lived in Peter's time is just the same today and we are to be a living testimony to that truth that our help comes from him.

The Lord is our keeper and he will protect us verse 7 from all evil. I don't believe evil is people physically hurting me or even killing me. That's not evil. If somebody kills me is that evil? Now I have to go straight to heaven.

Is sending somebody to heaven evil? No. That's not evil. Evil is sin. Evil is yielding to the devil. Evil is watching internet pornography. Evil is looking at dirty pictures. That's evil. Being persecuted that's not evil.

That's an honor. To be killed for Christ's sake that's an honor. That's not evil. I don't say Lord protect me from evil. I've never prayed oh Lord don't let anybody kill me for Christ's sake. No. Keep me from evil.

You've got to identify what evil is otherwise if you think those other people are evil and you need to be protected from them you're a follower of Moses. It's good. Old covenant is better than no covenant but I say new covenant is better than old covenant.

So and the new covenant person when he says Lord protect me from evil he's not thinking of this person that person and the other person. He's thinking of sin. The Lord will guard you're going out and coming in.

Psalm 122: The Church as the House of God

Right let's go to Psalm 122 now. I was glad when they said to me let us go to the house of the Lord and as I said earlier this is not the house of the Lord. This is a meeting place. The house of the Lord is people.

If we were to meet in a in a garden the house of the Lord would be there. If we were to meet in some cave like the early Christians had to meet the house of the Lord would be there. It's people. I was glad when this when I got an opportunity to fellowship with one of God's people.

That's the meaning here. Are you glad? Are you glad when you can meet with a brother and talk about spiritual things? I was glad when they said to me let's go to the house of the Lord. Let's have some fellowship.

Now our feet are standing within your gates of Jerusalem. Jerusalem is a picture of the church. People again. People. Church that is built compact together to which the tribes go up to give thanks to the name of the Lord for their thrones are set for judgment.

Thrones of the house of David. When David sat on his throne or Solomon sat on his throne he would judge that woman who came and that woman who came which is your whose child is it I'll tell you. But in the New Testament when we set up thrones for judgment we set up thrones to judge ourselves first.

That's the house of God. 1 Peter 4 verse 17. I want you to be familiar with this verse. If you want to be a part of God's house, if you want to be a part of this church, an effective part of this church, here is the way.

It's not by getting your name in the telephone list. It's by doing what's written in 1 Peter 4 17. And even if your name is not in the telephone list if you do 1 Peter 4 17 you'll be in the house of God.

What is that? Judgment must begin in the house of God. It must begin with us first. That's it. You need to read that much. That's enough. What is the mark of the house of God is a place where judgment begins with us first.

God is my witness that I have judged myself for nearly 35 years. I never did it much in the olden days. I judged a lot of other people. Unfortunately in my early days I did judge myself plus other people but gradually I'm coming to the place where I say I just want to judge myself.

I don't want to judge other people because none of my business. God can do that very well without my help. Did you know that God can judge other people without your helping him? That when he sits on the throne as a judge he doesn't want your advice.

Thank you very much. He can do it. Say thank you. Thank you for what you're saying but I don't need your advice. I can handle that without your help. Thank you. I don't need your opinion about that person which you're airing to it every time we can air it.

I know exactly and I know certain things which you don't know. And I don't judge so harshly as you do because I see certain things which you don't see. You know it's a terrible thing for a judge to give a false judgment.

Think of judges who condemn somebody to be hanged and after he's hanged discovers some evidence that the guy was not guilty. Boy, if I were a judge there I'd never forgive myself for the rest of my life.

I got a fellow hanged because to the best of the evidence I got I thought he was guilty and later on some evidence crops up that he's not guilty. Scary. Okay we're not sitting in thrones like that. Thank God being judges.

But most human beings without being appointed judges by anybody do become judges of most people around them. Especially their close friends and relatives. True. Have you judged anybody in Argentina? Tell me.

Have you judged anybody in China or Russia? Have you judged anybody in Delhi or Bombay or let's come closer home in Bidar perhaps or Chikbalapur? Have you judged anybody in Chikbalapur? No, it's in Bangalore and not even in Bangalore city.

It's closer home that we judge people. Thrones are set for judgment. The household of God judgment begins with us first. I told you the other day how for many years I had this verse in front of my table.

I don't need it anymore because it's written in my heart now. The happiest people in the world are those who judge themselves always and never judge others. I sat and looked at that verse for about 25 years.

The happiest people in the world are those who judge themselves always and never judge others. It was a mountain to climb. I didn't get there overnight but I decided I'm gonna reach the top of that. I do not want to judge others because I don't know all the details.

I see 10 of their life even if I live with them and if you don't live with them you probably see 1 of their life. What type of judge would it be who judges others based on 1 of the evidence? He'd be thrown out of this judge seat by any government.

We need to be thrown out. Say Lord I'm sorry. I've judged people knowing 1 of their life and let me tell you this if you live with me 24 hours you know 10 of my life. Got it? If you live with me 24 that's people who live in my home know 10 of my life.

If you see me only occasionally like this in the meeting you know 1 of my life and you got to be a real idiot to judge anybody after knowing 1 of their life. Wouldn't you agree there? What would you think of a teacher marking a question paper that a student has answered examination paper and looking at 1 of it and deciding what marks to give?

Such a teacher should be thrown out. What about you? I'll tell you one person about whom you know 100 at least not 100 but quite a lot and that's yourself. Even ourselves we know very little. That's why Paul says I don't even judge myself fully because the Lord knows things about me but as far as I can see I cleanse myself so that I can be free from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit perfecting holiness.

So that's where the thrones of judgment are to be set. Right let's move to Psalm 123. To you I lift up my eyes so you were enthroned in the heavens. Now it is not for looking up to the Lord for help like in Psalm 121.

Here it's looking to the Lord now as a the eyes of a servant look to the hand of the master verse 2 saying master what do you have to tell me? There's a beautiful paraphrase of 1 Corinthians 4 verse 2.

I don't have time to look up all these references right now but I'll tell you them you can look it up later. It says in the James version is moreover it's required of stewards that a man be found faithful.

The Living Bible paraphrases it as the most important thing about a servant is that he does just what his master tells him to. The most important thing about a servant is that he does just what his master tells him to and you know people who say come on do something for God and you try to do something for God.

Do you think one angel in heaven is telling the other angel hey Gabriel go and do something for God man? No. Thy will be done on earth as it is done in heaven. What does Gabriel do? He doesn't run around heaven doing something for God he waits before God and say God what do you want me to do?

That was the thing that changed Paul's life on the road to Damascus. He said who are you? First question. I am Jesus. First thing we need to know is to know the Lord. Second question. What will thou have me to do?

Only two questions. All your life is solved. Who are you? Jesus. I want to know you more and more all through my life. Second question. What will you have me to do Lord? It was the only two questions Paul asked on the Damascus Road and he kept asking them till the end of his life.

What will you have me to do? Now I'm in prison Lord. I didn't want to come here but I got thrown into prison for preaching the gospel. What do you want me to do? Write a few letters. Okay. Thank God he listened.

It's wonderful. I remember many years ago I learned from one or two godly men. One whom I knew, one whom I'd only heard about. How they would listen and wherever they went there would be a church planted.

They would move, move, move, move. And I said Lord this is the best way to serve you. Not running around doing something for God but waiting on you as the eyes of a servant look up to the master and say what do you want me to do?

The Lord is looking for those who will wait on him and they will do the work that he gives them and and a lot of work that he doesn't give them leaves it alone. How could Jesus say at the end of his life in John 17 for I finished the work you gave me to do.

He hadn't been to China. He hadn't been to Africa. Wasn't there needs, weren't there needs in China and Africa and India? Plenty of need. Jesus says my father never told me to meet that need that's all.

He'll take care of that. The father told me to do certain things here. He told me to stay at home for 30 years. I stayed at home for 30 years. He told me to preach for three and a half years and heal the sick and cast out demons.

I did that. Such a short time three and a half years. You mean your ministry's over? That's all my father told me to do. Father I finished the work you gave me to do. Now glorify me and he went. Have you learned the lesson?

You can't do things for God with your cleverness and intelligence. There are enough people in Christendom who tried to do that and make a mess of their lives and the work of God and everything else. Now we look to the Lord our God.

Be gracious to us. Verse 3. Okay go to Psalm 124. See we are climbing. Remember this is a song of a sense. Had it not been the Lord who was on our side when men rose up against us. Verse 2. When they would have swallowed us alive.

We would think that if a man serving a God we don't have any opposition. I'll tell you this opposition is our salvation. The thing that kept us close to God in the early days was persecution. The early days of this church we were opposed and hounded and criticized and called heretics false prophets and every imaginable name.

Men rose up against us. It's a good verse. Protected us. Made us cling to the Lord. When David was running from cave to cave to cave just running away from Saul who was persecuting him. He never committed adultery.

You know when he committed adultery? When he was a king and he was living in a palace and he'd stopped going to battles. Now he says now I can send my juniors to fight the battle. That's when he fell.

When men rise up against us and they still do. A lot of people still opposing us here and there and on the internet and etc. God bless them. I feel sorry for them. I don't feel sorry for us. They would have swallowed us up alive.

The people who tried to oppose us when their anger was skinned against us. It would have been like waters that would have engulfed us. Verse 4. But bless the Lord. Verse 6. Who has not given us to be torn by their teeth.

They would have liked to tear us apart. But do you think the Lord will let his servants be torn apart by their enemies? Oh no. Our soul is escaped as a bird from the snare of the hunter. The snare is broken.

We have escaped. Our help is in the name of the Lord. So the Christians who follows Jesus in his ascending way will find persecution but he trusts the Lord to deliver him. Psalm 125. Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion which cannot be moved.

As the mountains surround Jerusalem so the Lord surrounds his people. In the midst of all this attack from enemies we are unmoved because we trust in God. Those who trust in the Lord are those who look for human ways of escaping.

Those who trust in the Lord as the mountains around Jerusalem cannot be shaken. Even the earthquake doesn't shake it. So the Lord surrounds his people and like Mount Zion which cannot be moved we stand strong.

It says here in verse 3 the scepter the rod of the wicked will not rest on the land of the righteous. It may hit the righteous man but it will not rest there. God will take it away. He allows the wicked to persecute the righteous and one reason like I told you just now is so that the righteous don't put for their hands to do wrong.

I told you how David did wrong when he stopped facing persecution. Dear brother, sister, thank God when your life is a struggle and when you have difficulties, when your trials, when your problems, when you have health problems, financial problems, thank God for it.