J.Calvin on Psalm 114: “The sea… sanctified his name.”

As we meditate on Psalm 114 today, it is fitting that we also hear these words of John Calvin as he comments on vss.3-5 of the psalm. May his references to God’s power in the use of creation at the Exodus also serve to lead us to great worship of our great Lord and Savior.

It is in a poetical strain that the Psalmist describes the receding of the sea and of the Jordan. The description, however, does not exceed the facts of the case. The sea, in rendering such obedience to its Creator, sanctified his name; and Jordan, by its submission, put honor upon his power; and the mountains, by their quaking, proclaimed how they were overawed at the presence of his dreadful majesty. By these examples it is not meant to celebrate God’s power more than the fatherly care and desire which he manifests for the preservation of the Church; and, accordingly, Israel is very properly distinguished from the sea, the Jordan, and the mountains — there being a very marked difference between the chosen people and the insensate elements.

5 What ailed thee, O sea! The prophet interrogates the sea, Jordan, and the mountains, in a familiar and poetical strain, as lately he ascribed to them a sense and reverence for God’s power. And, by these similitudes, he very sharply reproves the insensibility of those persons, who do not employ the intelligence which God has given them in the contemplation of his works. The appearance which he tells us the sea assumed, is more than sufficient to condemn their blindness. It could not be dried up, the river Jordan could not roll back its waters, had not God, by his invisible agency, constrained them to render obedience to his command. The words are indeed directed to the sea, the Jordan, and the mountains, but they are more immediately addressed to us, that every one of us, on self-reflection, may carefully and attentively weigh this matter. And, therefore, as often as we meet with these words, let each of us reiterate the sentiment, — “Such a change cannot be attributed to nature, and to subordinate causes, but the hand of God is manifest here.”

Sunday Worship Preparation – Psalm 114

For our preparation for worship on this new Lord’s Day, we consider the Word of God in Psalm 114, the human instrument of which is unknown. But this is what the Holy Spirit inspired the human writer to pen:

 Psalm 114

When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language;

²Judah was his sanctuary, and Israel his dominion.

³The sea saw it, and fled: Jordan was driven back.

⁴The mountains skipped like rams, and the little hills like lambs.

⁵What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou fleddest? thou Jordan, that thou wast driven back?

⁶Ye mountains, that ye skipped like rams; and ye little hills, like lambs?

⁷Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob;

⁸Which turned the rock into a standing water, the flint into a fountain of waters.

It is evident from these powerful lines that the psalmist is recalling God’s great saving work in the Exodus, when He delivered His people Israel from the hand of pharoah and the Egyptians and set them on the way to Canaan, the promised land. The New Geneva Study Bible (Foundation for Reformation/T.Nelson, 1995) adds these notes:

Jewish tradition assigned this psalm to the eighth day of Passover. In eight short verses of unrivaled poetic subtlety, the psalmist describes the tremendous power of God’s visual self-revelation (theophany) at the time of Israel’s salvation from Egypt and entry into Canaan (Ex.13:21).

The Exodus was the most tremendous display of God’s redemptive power during the Old Testament period. It was constantly remembered and became a source of encouragement for later generations, including Christians who perceive themselves as ‘strangers and pilgrims’ in search of their true ‘homeland’ (Heb.11:13,14).

There are several things worthy of special note in this psalm. First, notice that v.2 refers to Judah/Israel as God’s sanctuary and dominion. That means that Jehovah, as Israel’s all-glorious, sovereign King, made Judah His dwellingplace, His home or abode. And that, of course, is the heart of the covenant: the Triune God living with His people in saving friendship and fellowship. That could only be in Christ and for His sake, which is why it is significant that the tribe of Judah is named for the whole nation of Israel here – the tribe from which our Lord came (see Heb.7:14). Our own exodus from sin and death and our own entrance into fellowship with God is through Jesus Christ alone, accomplished at the cross of Calvary and sealed at the empty tomb.

Second, note how the creation was involved in the redemption of Israel from Egypt and in her entrance into Canaan. Creation is even  personified here, i.e., described in terms of personal characteristics, as if the sea watched the exodus and willingly fled and as if  the hills rejoiced at what was happening and skipped like rams (vss.3-4). The psalmist even goes so far as to ask these creatures why they reacted this way (vss.5-6). This too shows the absolute sovereignty of our God, for the whole of creation is His army, called to carry out His sovereign will for the sake of the salvation of His church (He is the “Lord of hosts”!). You will recall that the creation also participated in the great wonders at Calvary and at Christ’s grave (Matt.28:45; 50-53). And the same will be true at the end of the world, when the church is fully redeemed (see Matt.24 and 2 Peter 3). What a God we have! If the creation is called to tremble at His presence (v.7), how much more we, who know the saving presence of this Lord! Shall we reveal our godly fear (awe) of this God today in our worship?

And finally, note that vss.7-8 take us directly to Christ, the Water of life and the fountain of our salvation. The historical reference is to God’s provision of water for His thirsty people at Kadesh in the wilderness (Numbers 20). But 1 Cor.10:4 tells us that this water was spiritual water (to the believing, that is) because the Rock was a spiritual Rock. And this Rock was Christ! Now tie that to John 4:1-14 (Jesus and the Samaritan woman) and Rev.22, and you have the whole picture.

Today, having experienced the Lord’s redeeming hand in our lives this past week, taking us out of Egypt once again, and having walked through the dry and thirsty land of this world, we come to the refreshing Rock of our salvation. From this Rock flow the life-giving waters of grace – free forgiveness, perfect righteousness, the Spirit of renewal and holiness, and fellowship with God. Let us drink deeply and thankfully, with the mouth of faith. Then we too shall be God’s “sanctuary”. We shall be His home; and we shall be at home, in blessed rest.

“When God is Not Enough” – Scotty Smith

When God is Not Enough by Scotty Smith | Reformed Theology Articles at Ligonier.org.

As I continue to use and profit from Tabletalk magazine, one of the rubrics I have grown to look forward to is “Heart Aflame”, which contains articles directed to the Reformed Christian’s heart. The new April issue contains an article by pastor Scotty Smith (PCA) under the title “When God is Not Enough”. In this fine article he addresses the matter of idolatry, which, as he shows, begins in the heart. He bases his thoughts on Ezek.14 and speaks to our hearts, which is what God does in this passage.

Here is a portion of his article; you will find the rest at the link above.

The new hearts we have in Christ are yet-to-be-perfected hearts, and when God is functionally “not enough,” our anxieties and fears take over; then we go on the hunt for designer gods and pseudosaviors. What does this look like?

At the beginning of Ezekiel 14, we get to eavesdrop on a fascinating conversation that took place between the prophet and God. Here’s the back story: Instead of showing and telling God’s story of redemption to the nations, Israel had progressively been drawn into the worship of the gods of the surrounding nations.

Israel’s drift into idolatry didn’t happen because the people became bored with the liturgy of their temple, enamored with the music of the worship bands in pagan temples, or impressed with the oratory of the new Canaanite prophet who had just moved into the neighborhood. No one in Israel went looking for a new worship service, but for new gods to service them. The center of their worship shifted from God to themselves. They began to worship worship more than they worshiped God—that is, their relationship with God became utilitarian rather than doxological.

When the glory of the one true living God is no longer our principal passion in life, worship becomes a pragmatic vehicle for fulfilling two basic quests in life: provision and protection. Instead of living for God’s glory and looking to Him to meet our needs, we exist for our glory and look for gods who will meet our demands.

Rev. Scotty Smith is founding pastor of Christ Community Church in Franklin, Tennessee, and he is author of Everyday Prayers: 365 Days to a Gospel-Centered Faith.

The Conversion of Ruth: True Commmitment to Christ and His Church

For our final Bible study on the period of the Judges tomorrow night we will be studying the book of Ruth. I have been reading Gordon Keddie’s brief but beneficial commentary Even in Darkness: Judges and Ruth Simply Explained (Welwyn Series, Evangelical Press, 1985/1993). In the section treating Ruth’s conversion Keddie outlines five points on it that reveal that it was indeed a true conversion. Today I give you a couple of these points as they pertain especially to membership in the church, something loosely held and practiced by the contemporary church. Not only are his comments good, but at the end he closes with some searching questions for us to ponder.

A second facet of Ruth’s commitment is commitment to the Lord’s people. ‘Your people will be my people.’ This necessarily flows from a real commitment to the Lord. Immediately after his conversion on the Damascus road, the apostle Paul spent several days with the very people he had been intending to persecute. The effect of Pentecost was to create a church – a united band of called-out ones (‘ecclesia’) – all members one of another. The ‘unchurched’ Christian is denying in practice what is in principle at the centre of the Christian life. To be an ‘independent’ Christian is to say you have no need of brethren in the Lord. To join yourself to others in Christ, in contrast, is the admission of need – it is the humility to recognize that you cannot ‘go it alone’. You cannot help loving the people that God loves; these are your brothers and your sisters and your mother in the risen Christ (Mark 3:31-34).

…Finally, notice the vow with which Ruth solemnly sealed her commitment. ‘May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.’ How easily men and women take vows of membership in the church of Jesus Christ and lightly cast them aside when it suits them! Such a vow is a solemn act of commitment which carries with it the recognition that to break it later will deservedly incur the divine wrath. So it was with Ruth. So it is, in reality, for everyone who professes faith in Christ. To be converted to Christ is to receive him by faith and to realize that to turn away from him again is unthinkable. Hence the nature of the vow: ‘May the Lord deal with me….’

Let it be asked of you, dear reader: have you ‘paid your vows” to the Lord? Do you know what it is to be converted to Christ? Is the God of the Bible your God? Is Christ your Saviour? Do you love the Lord’s people? Would you regard, with Moses, ‘disgrace for the sake of Christ’ as of more value than the treasures of modern materialism? Ruth confronts us with the vital question: ‘To whom do you belong?’ To the Lord Jesus Christ? Or to yourself or somebody else…?

Sunday Worship Preparation – Psalm 110

To guide us in the thoughts, desires, and actions of our worship today we consider the 110th Psalm, a highly significant song of David given through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. When we read this psalm, we will come to see that the truth revealed in it is the very basis and reason for our worship, for the key to our worship is Christ. Let’s put it before our mind’s eye right away, reading it slowly and meditating on it:

Psalm 110

The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.

²The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.

³Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.

⁴The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.

⁵The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath.

⁶He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries.

⁷He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head.

Having read this psalm, we see that this Word of God is clearly Messianic, pointing us to and showing us the glory of Israel’s king to come, the Lord Jesus Christ. While the immediate occasion of this song may have been the coronation of David as king (after he had conquered Jebus and established Jerusalem as the royal city), we understand (in the light of the NT) that David was not merely writing about himself but about someone greater. He speaks of the Son in his covenant line Who is the fulfillment of all God’s promises and Israel’s hopes – THE Christ (Messiah), Who in the fullness of time was revealed to be Jesus, the very Son of God in our flesh.

And in fact, Jesus Himself used Psalm 110 to prove that he is the promised Son of David as well as the Son of God. You will recall this exchange between Jesus and the Pharisees:

⁴¹While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, ⁴²Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David. ⁴³He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, ⁴⁴The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? ⁴⁵If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?⁴⁶And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.

And the greatness and glory of this Messiah is not only that He is the sovereign King of God’s Israel (the church in both the OT and NT) but also that He is Priest. And not just any Priest, but a Priest forever after the order of Melchizedek (Gen.14:18). The writer to the Hebrews especially explains the significance of this priesthood (5:6,10; 6:20), telling us these truths about Jesus in chap.7:

For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; ²To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace; ³Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually….

¹¹If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron? ¹²For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law. ¹³For he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the altar. ¹⁴For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood. ¹⁵And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest, ¹⁶Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life. ¹⁷For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. ¹⁸For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof. ¹⁹For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God. ²⁰And inasmuch as not without an oath he was made priest: ²¹(For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec:) ²²By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament. ²³And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death: ²⁴But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. ²⁵Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. ²⁶For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; ²⁷Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself. ²⁸For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.

It is not my purpose to add much more commentary on this psalm, for this is the Spirit’s own commentary on Psalm 110. I trust we see now why I said that this psalm reveals the very basis and reason for our worship: Christ Jesus, our great Priest-King! Why are we allowed to draw near God today? Why are we able to draw near to Him in worship and in fellowship? Why do we want to draw near in praise and thanks? Because the LORD (Jehovah) said unto His Lord, “Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thy enemies thy footstool.” With firm trust in this Messiah, may we come near to our God this day and magnify Him in every part of our worship.

If you wish to meditate through music on this psalm, I point you to the PRC Psalter page and to this versification of Psalm 110 found in our Psalter (Click on the title to hear piano accompaniment):

302.  Our Lord Jesus.   Psalm 110.  8s and 7s. (3 stanzas)

1. The Lord unto His Christ hath said,
In glory I enthrone Thee
Till all Thy foes, in triumph led,
Their sovereign King shall own Thee;
From Zion shall Jehovah send
Thy scepter, till before Thee bend
The knees of proud rebellion.

2. Thy people will be gladly Thine
When Thou shalt come victorious,
In holy beauty Thou shalt shine
Like morning fair and glorious;
The word of God shall not depart:
The King of Righteousness Thou art,
A Royal Priest forever.

3. The Lord at Thy right hand shall smite
Earth’s kings in indignation,
And He shall judge with sovereign right
Throughout His wide creation;
While living streams His strength sustain,
The Christ the victory shall gain,
Head over all exalted.

Israel during the Judges: Ripe for Revival

Tomorrow night, Lord willing, will be our final study on the book of Judges (Though our final study of the year will be on Ruth.). We will be treating the final chapters of the book (17-21), which make up an appendix to the book belonging to the early period of the judges and which is designed to show the real spiritual character and condition of these times. These are some of the ugliest chapters in all of Scripture, for they record not the moral decay of the world around Israel but that of Israel herself, the church of God. These chapters record brazen, shocking sin – idolatry, sexual perversity, murder, etc. Reading these things at the end of this book of the Bible can cause one to end in despair. But in his commentary on Judges Gordon Keddie helps us see the truth of the matter in his close to this section. From it I quote today. May we remember these things also in our own day of great moral declension – not merely in the world, but in the church.

The wretched state of Israel, and, for that matter, the clear parallels of spiritual and moral declension in our own time, would crush us and cast us down in irreversible despair, were it not for the wonderful paradox of the gospel that Christ came not to save the righteous, but sinners (Matthew 9:13). The apostle Paul says that ‘Where sin increased, grace increased all the more’ (Romans 5:20). The redemptive-historical significance of the period of the judges becomes apparent. It is that light shall arise in the darkness through the work of a redeemer whom the Lord shall raise up. Israel needs a righteous king. The period of the judges paves the way for David and David himself is a foreshadowing of the Lord Jesus Christ.

It was when Israel was broken and cried out to the Lord that he ‘raised up judges who saved them’ from their enemies. With righteous zeal we might say that they were ‘ripe for judgement’, but in the eyes of the Lord they were ‘ripe for revival’. We live in a dark day, to be sure. We feel the imminence of divine judgement. We fear the future and we entertain very small hopes indeed for the progress of the gospel. The message for us, if this be our state, is ‘Take heart! Be strong and of a good courage! The Lord is working his purpose out! The ‘righteous King’ is revealed in Christ, who now reigns over all in virtue of his death and resurrection! Look to him! Live in him!’ The psalmist stills our hearts when he writes, ‘Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes…. For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land’ (Psalm 37:7,9).

‘He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen, Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen’ (Revelation 22:20,22.

Even in Darkness: Judges and Ruth Simply Explained; Gordon Keddie (EP, 1985), pp.31-32.

Sunday Worship Preparation – Psalm 107

For our meditation and worship preparation on this last Lord’s Day of February we turn to Psalm 107, which begins Book V of the Psalms (107-150). This is another psalm in a series which extols the works of God in creation, providence, and redemption (Psalms 104-107). While we do not know the precise historical context of this psalm, it seems to point to the Babylonian captivity and the return to Jerusalem (vss.2-7). In any case, the psalm is a call to the redeemed of the Lord and to the children of men to thank and praise the Lord for His goodness and mercy, especially in the face of their sin and rebellion.

You will notice that the same phrase structure and is repeated is repeated four (4) times in this psalm (4-8; 9-15; 16-21; 22-31). First there is a description of some special need on the part of the people (vss.4-5). Then the note that they cry unto the Lord for help in the midst of their trouble (v.6). Next is the word that the Lord heard this cry and sent His saving help (v.7). And finally, there is the call to praise the Lord for this manifestation of His goodness  in His wonderful works (v.8).

As we consider the examples set before us in this Word of God, we can certainly recall our own list of examples (our need and God’s goodness to us) and make our own poem of praise structured after these four here. This is fitting not just at Thanksgiving time, but throughout the year, and even daily. This helps to make our thanks and praise pointed and personal.

And let us not forget to view this psalm in the light of the NT and the full revelation of Christ and His cross and resurrection! What goodness and mercy the Lord has shown to us in His Son – in our deepest need! Shall we not make a stanza along the lines of this psalm for these wonderful works of God?!

Yet we should also give thanks and praise to the Lord for His goodness corporately. There are specific references to public worship in Psalm 107. Look at verses 22 and 32 especially. And as we look at the entire psalm, we will see that it is speaking to God’s people as a body of redeemed and renewed children. Together we are addressed; together we recall our need and our cry to the Lord; together we speak of what God has done in saving us. And so together also we thank and praise Him. In the congregation we exalt Him (v.32) and offer the sacrifices of thanksgiving (v.22).

Thus we are called to do on this Lord’s Day. May we gladly and gratefully gather with our fellow saints, the Lord’s redeemed, from every land and from every background, and with united hearts lift up the sacrifices of thanksgiving to the God of our salvation. For this is wisdom – to observe these things and understand our covenant God’s lovingkindness (v.43),

 Psalm 107

O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. ²Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy; ³And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south. ⁴They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in. ⁵Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. ⁶Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses. ⁷And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation. ⁸Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! ⁹For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness. ¹⁰Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron; ¹¹Because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned the counsel of the most High: ¹²Therefore he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and there was none to help. ¹³Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses. ¹⁴He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder. ¹⁵Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! ¹⁶For he hath broken the gates of brass, and cut the bars of iron in sunder. ¹⁷Fools because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, are afflicted. ¹⁸Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat; and they draw near unto the gates of death. ¹⁹Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saveth them out of their distresses. ²⁰He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.²¹Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! ²²And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing. ²³They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters;²⁴These see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep. ²⁵For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof. ²⁶They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble. ²⁷They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wit’s end. ²⁸Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses. ²⁹He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. ³⁰Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven. ³¹Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! ³²Let them exalt him also in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders. ³³He turneth rivers into a wilderness, and the watersprings into dry ground; ³⁴A fruitful land into barrenness, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein. ³⁵He turneth the wilderness into a standing water, and dry ground into watersprings. ³⁶And there he maketh the hungry to dwell, that they may prepare a city for habitation; ³⁷And sow the fields, and plant vineyards, which may yield fruits of increase. ³⁸He blesseth them also, so that they are multiplied greatly; and suffereth not their cattle to decrease. ³⁹Again, they are minished and brought low through oppression, affliction, and sorrow. ⁴⁰He poureth contempt upon princes, and causeth them to wander in the wilderness,where there is no way. ⁴¹Yet setteth he the poor on high from affliction, and maketh him families like a flock. ⁴²The righteous shall see it, and rejoice: and all iniquity shall stop her mouth. ⁴³Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the lovingkindness of the Lord.

If you wish to mediate on this psalm through music, you are encouraged to sing along with this piano accompaniment of a versification of Psalm 107 taken from the Psalter. Click on the title below to hear the music. For more selections, visit this page (scroll down to Psalm 107).

292.  Redeeming Love.   Psalm 107.  7s. (4 stanzas)

1. Praise the Lord, for He is good,
For His mercies ever sure
From eternity have stood,
To eternity endure;
Let His ransomed people raise
Songs to their Redeemer’s praise.

2. From captivity released,
From the south and from the north,
From the west and from the east,
In His love He brought them forth,
Ransomed out of every land
From the adversary’s hand.

3, Wandering in the wilderness,
Far they roamed the desert way,
Found no settled dwellingplace
Where in peace secure to stay,
Till with thirst and hunger pressed
Courage sank within their breast.

4. To Jehovah then they cried
In their trouble, and He saved,
He Himself became their guide,
Let them to the rest they craved
By a pathway straight and sure,
To a city strong, secure.

5. Sons of men, awake to praise
God the Lord Who reigns above,
Gracious in His works and ways,
Wondrous in redeeming love;
Longing souls He satisfies,
Hungry hearts with good supplies.

Sunday Worship Preparation – Psalm 106

As we begin a new week with this Lord’s Day (Rev.1:10), we turn to Psalm 106 for our meditation and for our preparation to enter the Lord’s house of worship and prayer. While Psalm 105 focused on God’s redemptive acts, this psalm emphasizes the sins of God’s OT church from the time of the Exodus (v.7) through the period of the judges (vss.34-42). And yet here too the Lord’s covenant faithfulness to and His unfailing love and abiding mercy for His people are spelled out plainly. So that the focus of the psalmist is not really on sin but on grace, not on the wickedness of the people but on the goodness of God. Against the darkness of Israel’s extended night of sin stands the brilliant light of the daylight of God’s favor.

And for this reason too, the psalmist begins and ends his song with “Hallelujah” – “Praise ye the LORD”! He glories not in the sins of himself and the fathers of Israel but in the Lord his God. Indeed, “Who can utter the mighty acts of the LORD? who can shew forth all his praise?” (v.2). And though he is going to remember and record the sins of the nation (with corporate consciousness – “we have sinned with our fathers”, v.6), yet he will also remember and record the salvation of Jehovah, and cast himself and the church on the Lord’s mercy through prayer (“Remember me, O LORD…, v.4; “Save us, O LORD our God…, v.47).

Do you see then how fitting this psalm is for aiding us in being ready for worship today? We have the Lord’s Supper administered in our home congregation this morning. The past week has been a time of self-examination under the probing light of God’s Word. What do we discover when we are searched out by God, when we are turned inside out? Exactly what we find here: “…We have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly” (v.6). But at the same time we discover anew the amazing grace of God, His free salvation in Jesus Christ, received and experienced through repentance and faith. And so we flee to the cross of our Savior and throw ourselves upon the mercy of God: “Remember me!” “Save us!”

And finding fresh mercy from our covenant-keeping, steadfast-loving God, we fall down in humble adoration, saying “O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth forever” (v.1). “Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting” (v.48). Receiving such great grace, may we respond with great worship.

Psalm 106

Praise ye the Lord. O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

²Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord? who can shew forth all his praise?

³Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that doeth righteousness at all times.

⁴Remember me, O Lord, with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people: O visit me with thy salvation;

⁵That I may see the good of thy chosen, that I may rejoice in the gladness of thy nation, that I may glory with thine inheritance.

⁶We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.

⁷Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt; they remembered not the multitude of thy mercies; but provoked him at the sea, even at the Red sea.

⁸Nevertheless he saved them for his name’s sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known.

⁹He rebuked the Red sea also, and it was dried up: so he led them through the depths, as through the wilderness.

¹⁰And he saved them from the hand of him that hated them, and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy….

⁴³Many times did he deliver them; but they provoked him with their counsel, and were brought low for their iniquity.

⁴⁴Nevertheless he regarded their affliction, when he heard their cry:

⁴⁵And he remembered for them his covenant, and repented according to the multitude of his mercies.

⁴⁶He made them also to be pitied of all those that carried them captives.

⁴⁷Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the heathen, to give thanks unto thy holy name, and to triumph in thy praise.

⁴⁸Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting: and let all the people say, Amen. Praise ye the Lord.

If you wish to meditate on Psalm 106 through the music of the Psalter, you may do so here (You will find additional stanzas at the page linked there):

290.  Praise and Confession.  Psalm 106.  C.M. (6 stanzas)

1. Praise ye the Lord, for He is good;
Give thanks and bless His Name;
His lovingkindness changes not,
From age to age the same. 

2. What tongue can tell His mighty deeds,
His wondrous works and ways?
O who can show His glory forth,
Or utter all His praise? 

3. The Lord will bless and prosper those,
Yea, blest indeed are they,
Whose ways are just, who constantly
His righteous law obey. 

4. O Lord, remember me in grace,
Let me salvation see;
The grace Thou showest to Thy saints,
That grace reveal to me.

5. Let me behold Thy people’s good
And in their joy rejoice;
With Thy triumphant heritage
Let me lift up my voice.

Sunday Worship Preparation – Psalm 105

As we prepare ourselves for worshiping our Triune God and Father in Jesus Christ and by His Spirit this Lord’s Day, we use Psalm 105 as our guide and help. The heading to this psalm reads: “God providence and care of his people described”, and that is certainly true as the main lines of Israel’s history are traced from the call of Abraham to the entrance into Canaan.

But you will also immediately see that this psalm is a celebration of God’s covenant faithfulness and a call to the church to worship the Lord for this. In fact, the opening lines of this psalm are repeated in 1 Chron.16, where David leads the people in worship after the tabernacle was erected in Jerusalem and the ark of the covenant was brought into it (the very symbol of God’s dwelling with His people through the blood of the covenant). Listen to the opening of this Word of God:

Psalm 105

O give thanks unto the Lord; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people.

²Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works.

³Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord.

⁴Seek the Lord, and his strength: seek his face evermore.

⁵Remember his marvellous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;

⁶O ye seed of Abraham his servant, ye children of Jacob his chosen.

⁷He is the Lord our God: his judgments are in all the earth.

⁸He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations.

⁹Which covenant he made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac;

¹⁰And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant:

¹¹Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance:

¹²When they were but a few men in number; yea, very few, and strangers in it.

And after rehearsing the history of God bringing Israel into Egypt through Joseph, caring for them there, leading them out through His judgments on pharoah and Egypt (the ten plagues), and then providing for them in the wilderness, the psalmist ends with God’s faithfulness in bringing them into the promised land:

⁴²For he remembered his holy promise, and Abraham his servant.

⁴³And he brought forth his people with joy, and his chosen with gladness:

⁴⁴And gave them the lands of the heathen: and they inherited the labour of the people;

⁴⁵That they might observe his statutes, and keep his laws. Praise ye the Lord.

We can see, then, how fitting this psalm is for our worship today. And we have much more church history to rehearse, much more of God’s covenant faithfulness to recall and relate. All of it centered in Christ, in whom all God’s covenant promises are “yea, and in him Amen” ( 2 Cor.1:20). As we gather with our families this morning for devotions, and as we gather with our congregations today, let us remember “the marvellous works that he hath done” and “give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name”, “sing unto him”, and “talk… of all his wondrous works”. Let us praise our God for His covenant faithfulness!  And do so in hope that He will yet fulfill all His Word to us and to all His elect people when Jesus returns. “Praise ye the LORD”!

If you wish to meditate further on Psalm 105, through music, you may make use of this versification of the psalm found in our Psalter (Though there is only a single versification, there is a second tune. I will quote only stanzas 1-5 here. The rest may be found at this link – scroll all the way to the end. Click on the title to hear the piano accompaniment.):

289.  The Unfailing Faithfulness of God.  Psalm 105.  C.M.

O praise the Lord, His deeds make known,

And call upon His Name;

Sing ye to Him, His praises sing,

His wondrous works proclaim.

 

Let hearts rejoice that seek the Lord,

His holy Name adore;

Seek ye Jehovah and His strength,

Seek Him for evermore.

 

Ye children of God’s covenant,

Who of His grace have heard,

Forget not all His wondrous deeds

And judgments of His word.

 

The Lord our God is God alone,

All lands His judgments know;

His promise He remembers still,

While generations go.

 

While yet our fathers were but few,

Sojourners in the land,

He sware that Canaan should be theirs,

And made His covenant stand.

I also want to add this video which I came across late this week and have been playing over and over. It is a Dutch versification of the Genevan tune of Psalm 42, which you most of you will recognize (As the hart, about to falter”, L.Bourgeois, 1551 – #416 in our Psalter). Absolutely beautiful arrangement! May it be the blessing to you it has been to me.

Kirkus Reviews: 2012 Best-of Nonfiction

Kirkus | 2012 Best-of.

I realize this list comes a bit late, but it is still worthy of being referenced. Linked above is another list of best books for 2012, but from a site I had not paid attention to before. “Kirkus Reviews” is a great place to learn about newly published books and to find brief reviews of titles from all categories, including religion and children’s lit. When you have some time, pick a section and browse around – very informative and helpful! In the meantime, at least check out their best non-fiction selections for last year. Here’s one example:

An absorbing study of a disappearing masterpiece.

King (Defiant Spirits: The Modernist Revolution of the Group of Seven, 2010, etc.) tells the story of the most famous painting no one has really seen, at least since the 16th century: The Last Supper, the masterpiece by Leonardo da Vinci that began deteriorating almost as soon as the paint dried. King places the painting in its political, social and artistic context, describing both the meaning of da Vinci’s work and the violent 15th-century Italian world that spawned it.

…For the next two years, da Vinci painted the scene of Jesus and his disciples on the wall of a monastery. In its masterful use of perspective, complementary color and achievement of lifelike detail, it marked a turning point for Western art. King plumbs the painting’s religious, secular, psychological and political meanings, registered in the facial expressions and hand positions, the significance of the food on the table and, most fascinatingly, the salt spilled by the betraying Judas. (And no, Dan Brown, Mary Magdalene is not in it.) Alas, da Vinci’s ignorance of the fresco technique meant the pigments did not bond to the plaster, and the paint would begin flaking within years. As early as 1582, it was described as being “in a state of total ruin.”

Thankfully, King’s book is an impressive work of restoration—the author helps readers see this painting for the first time.