(Through the Bible) Psalms 91-100 — Chuck Smith

Psalm 91: The Secret Place of the Most High

So, let's turn to Psalm 91 that we might begin our Bible study this evening. Psalm 91 brings up the question of just where are you living? There is a place that you might live that is surely the most glorious place to live in all the world.

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. There is a place that you and I can live in Christ Jesus. A place of glorious safety, a place of glorious peace and of joy.

Where I experience God's power and God's protection, God's goodness. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge, my fortress, my God. In Him will I trust. For surely He shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler and from the noisome pestilence.

Now, in days gone by, bird trapping was quite an art. Without guns to shoot your quail or your dove or your ducks, you'd have to trap them. And so the traps that were set for the birds were called the snares of the fowler.

You'd trap your various game fowl in different types of traps. When you're bringing this over to a spiritual connotation, Satan has set a lot of traps for us. And in a spiritual connotation here, the fowler is actually Satan and you're the one that he's seeking to trap.

But surely He will deliver you from every snare that Satan may set for you. Surely He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the noisome pestilence. For He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust.

His truth shall be thy shield and buckler. In the New Testament, in the book of Ephesians, we are told concerning putting on the full armor of God. Here in the Old Testament, we find the armor of the Lord.

His truth is a shield to us, a buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night, nor for the arrow that flyeth by day, nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness, nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.

A thousand shall fall at thy side, ten thousand at thy right hand, but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Now, because, going back, he that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High, because you have made the Lord, which is My refuge, even the Most High, your habitation or your place of dwelling, if you will but just dwell in Him, there shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.

For He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. Now, when Jesus was being tempted by Satan, Satan quoted this particular passage of Scripture to Him.

As He took Him up to the pinnacle of the temple and He suggested that He jump off, for Satan said, It is written, He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in thy ways, to bear thee up, lest at any time you dash your foot against a stone.

So why don't you jump? See if the angels will hold you up. And Jesus said, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt or test the Lord thy God. You are not to put yourself deliberately in a place of jeopardy just to test the Scriptures.

Testing Scripture and Misusing Spiritual Gifts

It is tragic that every once in a while we read how down in the mountains of Kentucky, the cult that is down there that handles rattlesnakes, because it says, If they take up serpents, they shall not harm them.

Or they test their faith every once in a while by drinking strychnine. But that is not what God means in Mark's gospel when He said, If they drink any deadly thing, it shall not harm them. God never intended for us to just go around and test our faith by deliberately putting ourselves in jeopardy.

The cultish people down there would only read the full body of Scripture rather than taking isolated verses. They would never fall into those kind of unscriptural practices. God has promised that His angels will have charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways.

In the book of Hebrews, talking of angels, it said, Are they not all ministering spirits who have been sent forth to minister unto you who are heirs of salvation? Now there is a vast number of heavenly hosts that are known as angels.

These angels have different rankings, categories. There are cherubim, a special class of angels. There is a mention in the Scripture of archangels, which seem to be the highest form of angelic being. Michael being an archangel.

It is also thought that Gabriel is an archangel, though I do not know that the Scripture gives to him that title. But angels of great authority and power. Then there are angels, it would seem, that rank under them in authority.

The New Testament does rank the heavenly beings as principalities, powers, mights, dominions, thrones, and authorities. Various rankings of the angelic beings. It is more or less like saying lieutenants and sergeants and corporals and privates.

As far as their having rankings in the angelic realm. Just when the angels were created is not specified in the Scriptures. But the angels were created as servants of God. And their duty is that of serving the Lord.

And of serving those who are following after the Lord. He shall give his angels charge over thee. Keep thee in all thy way, to bear thee up, lest at any time you would dash your foot against a stone. Angels seem to be spirits that are capable of taking on a bodily form.

In the Old Testament many times we find angels taking on a human form. In the New Testament we also found angels taking on human form. When Peter was in prison, the angel came to him and said, Put your shoes on and follow me.

And Peter tied on his sandals and followed the angels as the prison doors opened of their own accord. Until the angel led him out into the street and then the angel left him. And suddenly Peter woke up to the fact that he was free.

He thought he was having a vision. But all of a sudden he feels the chill night air and he says, Wow, not a vision, I'm actually out of that place, you know. And so he headed for the place where the church was meeting and praying for him.

Paul the Apostle spoke about, Last night an angel of the Lord stood by me. And he assured me that though the ship is going to be destroyed, there will be no loss of life. And he spoke about how the angel had visited him and ministered to him.

Of course we read of the angels ministering to Jesus Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane. And we are told in Hebrews that we ought to be careful to entertain strangers. For it's very possible that you might be entertaining angels without knowing it.

Discernment About Angelic Experiences

Now there has been a book written recently concerning angels on assignment. And though I do not doubt that angels do visit, can visit, Yet there are certain aspects to that book that I find very troubling.

I don't want to be guilty of limiting God or judging another man's experiences. Except as they measure up to the Scriptures. And let the Scripture judge. And there are certain things that the angel Gabriel supposedly told Pastor Buck that I do not feel are scriptural.

And thus I have to question in my own mind the validity of the story. I think that Pastor Buck was a very dear man of God. A true servant of the Lord. I do not know but what may be in his latter years because of his heart problems that he wasn't getting enough oxygen to the brain.

I do not know but as I say I have to question a part of the story of the visitation of the angels. Now the angels were created by God. They are a created being of God. And it would seem, well not seem, it is true that they were created with a free will.

Just as you have been created with a free will. And one of the angels exercised his will against God. And in the fourteenth chapter of Isaiah we read how that Satan in exercising his will against God, exalting himself over against God, declaring that he would be like God was cast forth.

The fallen angel. There is a hint in the twelfth chapter of the book of Revelation that one third of the angels went with Satan when he rebelled against the Lord. The dragon cast forth out of heaven and with his tail he drew a third part of the stars.

And the word stars is a word that is often used for angels. We do know that there are evil spirits in the world. Under Satan's guidance and control. As well as the good spirits. The angels of God that are obedient to their first estate.

Yet there are angels which kept not their first estate. Which are reserved in chains awaiting the day of judgment. Just what are the full characteristics and all of angels we do not know. It would appear that before the flood the angels were coming down and involving themselves in physical relationships with women.

So that giants were born. And these could be the angels to which the scripture refers those which kept not their first estate. And are now being reserved in the chains awaiting the day of judgment. I am convinced that there are angels that God has assigned to watch over us.

I've never seen to my knowledge an angel. Outside of my wife. Be less than honest if I would say I wouldn't like to see an angel. I think it would be a very exciting experience. I think it would be quite exciting to meet an angel.

And to know that they were an angel you know. And to, well I'd like to meet the angel that's supposed to be guarding me. I'd like to know where he was a few times. Now let me tell you something. There have been some times when I knew he was there.

There were times when there was no way I could have gotten out of it. Unless the angel of the Lord just had his hand upon my life. Or upon my car and all. And there are times when I know that the only thing that kept me was the angel of the Lord.

I've had some very interesting experiences where I'm sure the angel of the Lord was involved. In keeping me from things. Where I was innocently being drawn into some very dangerous areas. Where the angel of the Lord intervened in a marvelous way.

To keep me from getting into some real trouble. When I was in high school here in Santa Ana. I saw my dream car on South Main Street. Smitty mufflers. Fog lights. Dual spots. Buick skirts. Little three window 36 Ford Coupe.

Oh man. Black. Was that thing beautiful. I lusted after that car. And I had a buddy that I was running around with at the time. And I had half the money. And we were going to go into a partnership on a car.

It never would have worked. But we were going to. You know. You want something bad enough. You dream all ways. Get it. And he had a 36 Ford. But it was you know one of those longer kind of things. It just wasn't a pretty one.

So he said well. My dad lives up in Glendale. And I have at my dad's house some adding machines and typewriters. And I can sell them for enough to get my half for the car. Let's go up to my dad's house.

So. We went by and saw my mom and I said you know we're going to go up and spend the night in Glendale. And at his dad's house. I'll be home tomorrow. And so we took off in his car. For. Glendale. That time Firestone Boulevard was the way into Los Angeles the three lane highway.

And. During the war. Gas rationing and just very few cars. On the road at night. You can't. Living here now you can't believe. How it was then. We were way out in the country. Near Buena Park. When the motor died on his car.

And so. We pushed. Pop the clutch anything else try to get thing going. Push it for. Oh I guess four or five blocks. And there was a little. Gas station that was there and so he said I think it's the coil.

I mean I think it's a condenser or something and. He didn't know anything about mechanics but anyhow. We went into this. Service station an old man in there and. He had a big mean police dog and. He was a very friendly and.

Didn't have any. You know parts or anything. So. We were tired of pushing and so we decided we'd turn the car around at it back towards Santa Ana. And then we wait for a car to come along and we flag it and ask him we tell him we're having a hard time getting started with.

We figure we just leave it in neutral let him shove till he got tired. And then we wait for the next car to come. And then we were way out in the country and there's no way to get home. So. We were sitting there talking and all talking about how you know we get this car and you know and all this kind of stuff and all excited about you know the prospects of buying this hot little Ford.

And. So after a while five minutes or so a car was coming down the road. And so he jumped out so he could flag the car. And. Just out of you know I. Just slipped over to the driver's side and I. Hit the starter once more.

And the thing fired up. So. He ran around and got in on the passenger side is all you got to go on let's go so we took off for Santa Ana. Got back to Lee's drive in out there on. Manchester. And stop and got a coke and hamburgers so much kids from high school.

So. We started on then down to my house. And as we. Turned off on Flower Street. We're getting near Santa Clara and he said hey. Your parents aren't expecting you home I said no. He said my dad doesn't know we're coming.

He said so why don't we just turn around and go back up to Glendale because doesn't matter what time we get to my dad's house you know. Your mom's not expecting home anyhow. I said why not. So he started to pull a U-turn there on Santa Clara.

And the car died again. And simultaneously. Three tires blew out. Just pop pop pop. I mean we were dead. I lived up on North Broadway at the time so we just walked down to my house and got on my bike and I rode him.

On my bike over to his house and got home. And. Before we could go up to Glendale again we had sort of parted company and given up on the little Ford idea and. Just let it pass. About a year later. There was a knock on our door and.

I answered it and the guy introduced himself and showed me a. I .D. And he said I'm with the FBI. I'd like to talk to you. I said sure. So what do you know about some typewriters up in Glendale adding machines.

I said well. All I know is that I was headed up there one night to get some. With this fellow. And I said but we had car trouble and. We never made it. He said you can thank your lucky stars you had car trouble.

And he stole him from some government place and. Felony and so forth and. When he told me the story I said well I'm not going to thank my lucky stars I'm going to thank my angel. And suddenly I got a picture of that angel holding the coils and getting the shock stopping that stupid car you know.

Then popping the tires as he left just to make sure we wouldn't go anywhere. I'm convinced you can't you can't convince me others. I'm convinced the angel of the Lord was watching over me. Interesting thing when I got back in the house at home my mom was out in the living room praying.

I said oh son I'm so glad to see you came home that she said I was really worried about the trip. I just didn't feel right about it. I've just been praying for you. Of course I didn't know at that time I said well thanks mom you know but I didn't know at that time.

The full story. But oh I'm certain that there when we get to heaven we're going to learn a lot of things. That we were spared from. And maybe at the time we looked at it as as bad luck or misfortune or oh man you know.

And yet God was watching over. God was keeping us. He shall give his angels charge over thee. To bear thee up in their hands lest you dash your foot against a stone. For thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.

Now. We have a change of voice in verse 14. In the change of voice we have God's response now. The psalmist has been declaring. The advantages and the blessings of living in a certain place. In the secret place of the Most High.

Making God your dwelling place. Now God responds. To that whole idea. And God says because. He has set his love upon me. Therefore will I deliver him. I will set him on high. Because he has known my name.

He shall call upon me and I will answer him. I will be with him in trouble. I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him. And show him my salvation. God's glorious response. To that person.

Who is dwelling in the secret place of the Most High. Because. You've set your love upon God. God said this is what I'm going to do for you. Deliver you. Set you on high. I will answer you. I will be with you in trouble.

Psalm 92: Thanksgiving, Contentment, and the Flourishing Righteous

I will deliver and honor you. Praise the Lord. Psalm 92 is a psalm for the Sabbath day. It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord. And to sing praises unto thy name. O Most High. To show forth thy loving kindness in the morning.

And thy faithfulness every night. It's just a good thing. To praise the Lord in song. To just show forth the loving kindness of God. Every morning. Start the day with a song. Every evening end the day with a song.

Of the faithfulness of God. Lord you've watched over me. You've kept me. All through the day. Upon an instrument of ten strings. Upon the psaltery. Upon the harp. For the solemn sound. For thou Lord. Has made me glad.

Through thy work. I will triumph in the works of thy hands. O Lord how great are thy works. And thy thoughts are very deep. A brutish man does not know. Neither doth a fool understand this. But when the wicked spring as the grass.

And when all the workers of iniquity do flourish. It is that they shall be destroyed forever. My father. For years was a sales engineer. For the southern county's gas company. When we were growing up in Ventura.

And life. In the home of a salesman. During the depression years. Was feast or famine. Dad had a lot of sales. Good commissions. We had you know. We feasted. When the sales weren't so good. Then it was tight.

Around the house. But fortunately my dad was a super salesman. And the Lord really blessed him in his sales. And he was a super salesman for the gas company. But also for the Lord. He was a super witness for Jesus Christ.

Always witnessing. Wherever you go to sell a refrigerator. Stove or whatever. You'd always leave a witness for the Lord. He was coming towards the end of the month. And he hadn't. Had any sales that month.

And he'd been up in Ojai. Trying to close a deal. And it. Didn't close. And he was. Riding home in the car. And. Not knowing really what. To do. Because where are we going to get the money. For the month's bills and so forth.

Because. There will be no commission. Just the salary this month. And. He couldn't live on the salary. And my father was a. Very. Emotional type person. He was capable of great highs and great lows. And he was very low at this point.

Very depressed. And he was looking out in the field. And he saw the cows out there. Just eating the grass. And he said they look so contented. Like they didn't have a worry in the world. It must have been carnation cows.

But he said. That he said to the Lord. Lord. It isn't fair. Here I am your child. I'm your servant. And I'm so worried. And so upset. Because. I don't know how I'm going to be paying my bills. And. Look at those dumb cows out there.

So peaceful. So contented. Eating the grass. And the whole field is. Full of green grass. They've got all that they could ever want. And. Yet here I am. I don't know how I'm going to pay my bills. Lord it isn't fair.

That I should have to worry. When I'm your child. And those cows can have it so good. They don't have a worry in the world. And the Lord spoke to him and said. Yes. But they don't have any future. And you have a future with me.

The psalmist here declares. The brutish man doesn't know. Nor does the fool consider or understand this. That when the wicked spring forth as the grass. When those workers of iniquity flourish. They're going to be destroyed forever.

Don't be envious of them. Foolish to be envious of them. Because they're going to get wiped out. And so it is great folly to envy the wicked. So many times we I think are guilty of that. We look at the wicked.

We think Lord you know. They seem to have everything they want. And here I am trying to serve you. And you know I've got all these problems and all. We don't take into consideration. The end results. What the future holds.

That they shall be destroyed forever. But thou Lord art most high forevermore. For lo your enemies. Oh Lord for lo. Thine enemies shall perish. All the workers of iniquity shall be scattered. But my horn shalt thou exalt.

Like the horn of the unicorn. And be anointed with fresh oil. The enemies of the Lord. They're going to perish. The workers of iniquity. They'll be scattered. But Lord you'll exalt. Me. My eyes shall see my desire upon my enemies.

And my ears shall hear my. Desire of the wicked that rise up against me. The righteous shall flourish. Like a palm tree. He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. When my dad got back to the office. In Ventura.

There were some people there looking at his stove. He went up to him and. He said. You know began to point out the feature. They said we want it. He signed him up for the stove. And pretty soon some people came in.

Bought a refrigerator. And before the. The day was over. He had. Enough sales to provide great commissions. You know for that month. And God just really took care of us. In a very beautiful way. My father.

Won the award. Several years running of. The most outstanding. Salesman. In the United States. For the survey. Corporation. Won many awards for them. In fact. We. He had a very interesting experience.

He was out in the. Miners Oaks area. Had just signed up a customer. For a new stove. Refrigerator. Furnace. And. Then started witnessing to the guy. And the guy was real antagonistic. To the Christian witness.

And. Got so mad. He began to curse my dad. He said let me have the contract back. And he ripped up the contract. And he said I don't know. How the gas company can afford. To hire fools. Men that. Talk to people about Jesus Christ.

And all and just. Really berated him. And. So my dad came home. And was discouraged. You know. Coming home. Because. You don't like to. You know. It's hard to suffer reproach. For Christ. When my dad got home.

There was a letter there. He opened it up. And it was. Congratulations. You've won. You know. First place. In the United States. Again. For surveil. For the. Fifth year in a row. And. This year. You know.

We're going to send you. The San Diego. The World's Fair. In San Diego. And all expenses. And there's a. Check in there. And everything else. So. In fact. There was a picture. And it. Was a. Hundred dollar bill.

Let me be the first. To congratulate you. You know. For what you've done. All these prizes. Well. There was a football game. Going that night. And my dad said. Come on son. Let's go to the football game.

So. We headed for the football game. And we were playing. That. Night. Against. Against. A. Team. And the. Stadium was just. Packed. We got there. A little late. And. Way up. Towards the top. There were.

A couple of seats. So dad and I. Made our way up there. And we sat down. But as we were getting in. Dad looked. And right behind us. Was the guy that. That afternoon. Had just cursed him. And said. I don't know.

How the gas company. Can afford to hire fools. And all. Dad had the letter. Still in his pocket. And so he just. Handed the letter. Back to the guy. You know. And. The guy let out. A few oaths. And says.

Come on. Back tomorrow. Mr. Smith. I really do need that. Refrigerator. And stove. You know. Oh. My eyes. Shall see. My desire. Upon my enemies. My ears. Shall hear. My desire. The wicked. That rise up against me.

The righteous. Shall flourish. Those. That be planted. In the house. Of the Lord. Shall flourish. In the courts. Of God. They shall still. Bring forth. Fruit. In old age. So. It's. Encouragement. Here.

The next part. I don't know. Though. They shall be. Fat. Just fulfilling. The word. How can. You help. But. You know. Fat. And. Flourishing. To. Show. That. The Lord. Is upright. He is. My rock. There is. No. Unclean. Unrighteousness. In him.

Psalm 93: The Lord Reigns

The Lord. Reign. As. He is. Clothed. With. Majesty. The Lord. Is clothed. With. Strength. Wherewith. He hath. Girded. Himself. The world. Also. Is. Established. That. Cannot. Be. Moved. Thy. Throne. Is. Established. Of. All. Thou. Art. From. Everlasting. From. Everlasting. To. Everlasting. Thou. Art. God. Here. Thou. Art. From. Everlasting. The. Prophecy. Of. Micah. Concerning. The. Birth. Of. Jesus. Bethlehem. The. Birthplace. And. Thou. Bethlehem. Of. Judea. Though. Thou. Be. Or. And. Thou. Bethlehem. Though. Thou. Be. Little. Among. The. Provinces. Of. Judea. Yet. Out. Of. Thee. Shall. Come. He. Who. Is. To. Rule. My. People. Israel. Who. Is. Going. Forth. Is. From. Everlasting. Lord. Thou. From. The. Vanishing. Point. The. Floods. Lifted. Up. Their. Voice. The. Floods. Lift. Up. Their. Waves. The. Lord. On. High. Is. Mightier. Than. The. Noise. Of. Many. Waters. Yea. Than. The. Mighty. Ways. Of. The. Sea. Thy. Testimonies. Are. Very. Sure. Holiness. Become. Thine. House. Oh. Lord. For. Ever. Psalm. Ninety. Four. Oh. Lord. God. To. Whom. Vengeance. Belongeth. Now. Against. The. Evil. That. Is. Done. To. Us. So. Often. We. Say. Or. Hear. Said. I'll. Get. Even. With. Him. As. Though. It. Is. Our. Place. To. Take. Vengeance. But. Lord. God. Vengeance. Belongeth. To. The. But. He. Says. Now. Show. Yourself. And. Take. Vengeance. Lord. Lift. Up. Thyself. Thy. Judge. Of. The. Earth. Render. A. Reward. To. The. Proud. Lord. How. Long. Shall. The. Wicked. How. Long. Shall. The. Wicked. Triumph. How. Long. Shall. They. Utter. And. Speak. Hard. Things. And. All. Of. The. Workers. Of. Iniquity. Boasts. Themselves. They. Break. In. Pieces. Thy. People. O. Lord. They. Afflict. Your. Heritage. They. Slay. The. Widow. And. The. Stranger. And. Murder. The. Fatherless. Yet. They. Say. The. Lord. Not. See. Neither. Shall. The. God. Of. Jacob. Regarded. Somehow. There. Is. That. Kind. Of. Feeling. With. Those. Who. Are. Guilty. Of. Unrighteousness. Is. That. God. Doesn't. See. No. Fear. Of. The. Lord. In. Them. They. Do. Not. Realize. That. Though. They. May. Get. By. With. It. Here. Some. Day. They. Are. Going. To. Answer. For. Things. That. They. Have. Done. Vengeance. Belongs. To. God. And. God. Is. Going. To. Come. In. Judgment. To. Bring. Vengeance. Upon. The. Workers. Of. Iniquity. But. What. Fools. They. Are. Thinking. God. Doesn't. See. Nor. That. Or. That. God. Doesn't. Regard. What. They. Are. Doing. Understand. You. Brutish. Among. The. People. You. Fools. When. Will. You. Be. Wise. When. You're. Going. To. Wise. Up. He. That. Has. Created. The. Ear. You. Think. He. Can't. Hear. The. One. That. Created. Your. Eye. You. Think. He. Can't. See. He. That. Chasins. The. Heathen. Shall. He. Not. Correct. He. That. Teaches. Man. Knowledge. You. Think. He. Doesn't. Know. The. Lord. Knows. The. Thoughts. Of. Man. That. They. Emptiness. Blessed. Is. The. Man. Whom. You. Chase. And. Oh. Lord. And. Teach. Him. Out. Of. Your. Law. That. You. May. Give. Him. Rest. From. The. Days. Of. Adversity. Until. The. Pit. Be. Dig. For. The. Wicked. For. The. Lord. Will. Not. Cast. Off. His. People. Neither. Will. He. Forsake. His. Inheritance. But. Judgment. Shall. Return. Unto. Righteous. And. The. Upright. In. Heart. Shall. Follow. It. Who. Will. Rise. Up. For. Me. Against. The. Evil. Doers. Or. Who. Will. Stand. Up. For. Me. Against. The. Workers. Of. Iniquity. Unless. The. Lord. Have. Been. My. Help. My. Soul. Had. Almost. Dwelt. In. Silence. That. Have. Been. Wiped. Out. When. I. Said. My. Foot. Slip. Of. Thy. Mercy. O. Lord. Held. Me. Up. In. The. Multitude. Of. My. Thoughts. Within. Me. Thy. Comforts. Delight. My. Soul. Shall. The. Throne. Of. Iniquity. Have. My. Fellowship. With. The. Which. Frames. Mischief. By. The. Law. They. Gather. Themselves. Together. Against. The. Soul. Of. The. Righteous. And. Condemn. The. Innocent. Blood. But. The. Lord. Is. My. Defense. And. My. God. Is. The. Rock. Of. My. Refuge. And. He. Shall. Bring. Upon. Them. Their. Own. Iniquity. And. Shall. Cut. Them. Off. In. Their. Own. Wickedness. The. Lord. God. Shall. Cut. Them. Off. So. The. Psalm. Is. Out. Of. A. Troubled. Heart. Because. Of. The. Oppression. Of. The. Wicked. But. The. Acknowledgement. That. God. Is. God. Of. Vengeance. And. God. Will. Avenge. And. God. Will. Uphold. The. Righteous. But. Those. That. Have. Been. Guilty. Of. Wickedness. Shall. Be. Brought. In. Judgment. One. Day. O. Come. And. Us. Sing. Unto. The. Lord. Let. Us. Make. A. Joyful. Noise. To. The. Rock. Of. Our. Salvation. Let. Us. Come. Before. His. Presence. With. Thanksgiving. And. Joyful. Noise. Unto. Him. With. Songs. For. The. Lord. Is. A. Great. God. A. Great. King. Above. All. Gods. In. His. Hand. Are. The. Deep. Places. Earth. The. Strength. Of. The. Hills. Is. His. Also. The. Sea. Is. His. He. Made. It. His. Hands. Formed. The. Dry. Land. O. Come. Let. Us. Worship. And. Bow. Down. Let. Us. Kneel. Before. The. Lord. Our. Maker. For. He. Is. Our. God. And. We. Are. The. People. Of. His. Pasture. And. The. Sheep. Of. His. Hand. So. Beautiful. Song. Encouraging. Us. Of. Singing. Under. The. Lord. Making. A. Joyful. Noise. Of. Praise. Unto. Him. Coming. Into. His. Presence. With. Thanksgiving. It's. A. For. He. Is. Our. God. We. Are. The. People. Of. His. Pasture. And. The. Sheep. Of. His. Hand. Now. Today. If. You. Will. Hear. His. Voice. Hard. And. Your. Heart. As. In. The. Provocation. As. In. The. Day. Of. Temptation. In. The. Wilderness. When. Your. Fathers. Tempted. Me. Proved. Me. And. Saw. My. Work. Forty. Years. Long. Was. I. Grieved. With. This. Generation. And. Said. It. Is. A. People. That. Do. Error. In. Their. Heart. And. They. Have. Not. Known. My. Ways. Unto. Whom. I. Swear. In. My. Wrath. That. They. Should. Not. Enter. Into. My. Rest. Here. We. Are. Warned. Not. To. Harden. Our. Heart. Against. God. Or. The. Work. Of. God. The. Example. That. Is. Given. To. Us. Is. The. Children. Of. Israel. In. The. Wilderness. They. Had. Come. To. The. Border. Of. The. Land. That. God. Had. Promised. To. They. Come. To. Kadesh. Barnea. There. On. The. Border. Of. Entering. Into. The. Land. That. God. Had. Promised. To. Give. To. Them. Now. God. Had. Made. Some. Marvelous. Promises. He. Said. I'll. Drive. Out. The. Enemy. From. Before. You. I. Will. Go. Before. The. And. Drive. Out. Your. Enemies. And. Every. Place. You. Put. Your. Foot. I've. Given. It. To. You. For. Your. Inheritance. All. These. Glorious. Promises. Moses. Said. Well. Let's. Send. Spies. In. That. They. Might. Spy. Out. The. Land. That. We. Know. What. Kind. Of. A. Land. We're. Coming. Into. And. So. They. Picked. From. Each. Tribe. A. Man. To. Go. In. And. To. Spy. Out. The. Territory. And. They. Return. Ten. Of. The. Spies. Brought. A. Discouraging. Report. The. Cities. Are. Big. The. Walls. Are. High. The. People. That. Dwell. In. Them. Are. Like. Giants. We. Were. Like. Grasshoppers. Before. Them. They'll. Lead. Us. Up. Joshua. And. Caleb. Brought. Back. A. Encouraging. Report. They. Said. Sure. They're. Giants. But. They're. Bread. For. Us.

Let's. Go. Eat. Them. Up. Their. Defenses. Have. Departed. From. Them. Let's. Go. In. Right. Now. And. Take. It. But. The. People. Were. Discouraged. By. The. Ten. By. Fellows. Who. Brought. The. Evil. Report.

And. They. Began. To. Murmur. Against. The. Lord. And. Against. Moses. And. They. Said. Let's. Choose. A. Leader. That. Will. take us back to Egypt. You know, we were fools to follow Moses out here.".

And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them because of their unbelief, failing to believe God that He would bring them into this land of rest and promise that He had promised to give them. And because of their unbelief, they did not enter into the rest, but they wandered for 40 years there in the wilderness and perished in the wilderness experience.

Now, these things all happened, Paul tells us, to them as an example for us. The whole history of Israel's deliverance out of Egypt and coming into the land of promise is known as typical history. That is, there are spiritual analogies to be drawn from it.

And in the spiritual analogy, the land of Egypt represents the old life of bondage that we experienced in our life of sin. The promised land, coming into this promised land spiritually, represents that glorious life in the Spirit that God wants you to know.

That life of rest, resting in God. Now, between my conversion and entering into the fullness of the life in the Spirit, there is a wilderness that I must pass through. And there is a legitimate wilderness experience.

As I am growing, as I am learning about God, as God is revealing His power to me, as I come to the bitter waters of Marah, and yet I see how God can turn the bitter waters sweet, and I realize how God can take the bitter experiences of my life and bring sweetness out of them.

As I'm learning to follow God with a pillar of fire and with a cloud, and I'm learning to just commit my life and trust God to lead me and guide me, coming into this new relationship with God, into this new life and experience.

But there is an illegitimate wilderness experience, too. God doesn't expect you to spend your whole life in a spiritual yo-yo. God wants to bring you into a full, rich, abundant life of the Spirit. God wants to bring you into His rest, that glorious rest that God has for His people, where you're not always worried, not always upset, not always fretting, not filled with anxieties.