From ccrlist at tulip.org Wed Feb 1 12:48:37 2006
From: ccrlist at tulip.org (ccrlist@tulip.org)
Date: Wed Feb 1 12:49:18 2006
Subject: [Ccrlist] CCR Weekly 29 Jan 06
Message-ID: <6.1.0.6.2.20060201124328.02d5bc90@mail.loganrec.com>
Good Afternoon,
After three and a half weeks, my mother-in-law is home from the hospital,
praise the Lord.
God bless,
Max A Forsythe
Selah: Sacred Songs of the Psalter
Max A Forsythe ? Anno Domini 2005
======================================================
Psalm 34
08 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
09 Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints,
for those who fear Him have no lack!
10 Young lions [may] suffer want and hunger;
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
====================================================================================
A Taste of Grace
For the Lord?s Day: the 29th of January 2005
Introduction: In these verses we finish the hymn portion of the Psalm
according to Spurgeon. And a delightfully deep hymn this has been thus
far. In plumbing the heights of heaven we have better understood the
depths of God?s gracious care and interest. This portion begins with the
words: ?Oh taste and see that the Lord is good!? Dahood tells us that
?the verb ordinarily translated ?see? is derived
from another root,
meaning ?drink deeply?. However, this understanding is not accepted
widely. My Translator?s Handbook tells us that ?the psalmist now exhorts
his people to find out by personal trial and experience the goodness of the
Lord, literally ?taste and see?, which may be translated ?Try for yourself
and find out?.?
Another take on the opening line here is that of Calvin?s where the
psalmist admonishes everyone to exercise their taste buds and to cease
devouring the love, mercy and gifts of God without giving thanks. From
this perspective, we may appreciate the fact that all of mankind benefits
from what we might call the common graces. These common graces include,
life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness ? as the worldly hopes are
summarized in our own Declaration of Independence. These of course are
good things to know and understand, however ? the greater majority of
people do not realize the source of these elemental gifts to mankind. Of
course, it is little realized by most, who benefit from those three
blessings, that with the exception of a handful of countries ? they have
been little known by the vast majority of mankind except for the last few
hundred years.
And especially in our day, there is very little fundamental understanding
that these very gifts we celebrate have come from the wellsprings of the
Reformation. It is a fact of history that when the Western Europeans began
to reform the churches of their lands, the very biblical foundations of the
faith renewed - produced also the related concepts of capitalism and
republican democracy. While there are several countries that have
attempted to reorganize their societies to accept capitalism and even
democracy, the acceptance of these economic and political distinctions is a
thin veneer at best. Only in the English speaking world has the
foundational experience of the Reformation transformed societies through
and through. And even there, the ideas and faith of the founding fathers
is being held suspect and even in some heated irreverence. As we all too
well know, once the faith is discarded, so is every manifestation of that
faith held in contempt. Indeed, any judges today who hold a high view of
the law, are attacked in the media and senate without mercy.
Development: One of the great blessings of having known Western
Civilization is the realization that society has indeed tasted and seen the
goodness of the Creator God. This fact has indeed fulfilled the second
line of verse eight: ?Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!? But of
course, in all humility we must admit that any human administration of
God?s word, mercies and justice remain third rate at best. Well do we
realize the two realms in which we co-exist: that of the world and that of
the kingdom of the Spirit (the Church). And even the Church has declined
from its better expression in the work of the Reformers.
For too many years, mankind took too much comfort in the realm of Christian
civilization and forgot the needful direct management and tender mercies of
God in Christ. And once again, the wisdom of David is little appreciated
even as we read his admonition ?to take refuge in Him!? As we remember the
dedication of this precious psalm, we must readily admit that David found
his way through life darkly, much in the manner of Paul?s description that
in this life ?we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know
in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.? (1
Corinthians 13: 12).
And yet, even in passing through this old world nearly blind spiritually ?
the Lord in His sovereign grace and providence blesses and guides those who
trust in Him. Some of my driving students have a little problem making the
transition from daylight to night driving. Yes, their know how to use
their ordinary headlights and even bright lights ? but it is still a
transition to trusting the in the safety of the highway. So too is the
living of life interesting and far too many people remain unwilling to use
prayer to brighten their ordinary way. Sometimes it can make all the
difference in the world.
And so, in these brief verses, David the king: is commending the fear and
respect of the Creator God:
?Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints,
for those who fear Him have no lack!?
In these short words of admonishment, David would have us know that if we
are willing to place our fear and trust in Him, there will be no lack of
the common graces and indeed the ongoing blessings of grace and mercy will
be ours as well. And David will note in the second division of this psalm,
we regularly need to demonstrate to the children of the kingdom what God
has indeed done for us. The essential thing to communicate is the fear of
the Lord. This fear includes two things. First there is devout reverence
which is essential to a right relation of man to God. Second there is the
conduct which that relationship demands. Just as James asserts in the New
Testament, there is a relationship between the faith which we say we have
and the ongoing conduct of our lives which indicate whether or not that
faith is really present!
We always ought to maintain an edge of fear to our faith and hope in the
goodness and grace of God. Otherwise, we might fall into the depths of any
sin for which we still retain some smoldering attachment! David?s sin
being noted in the context of this psalm was to seek refuge with the
enemies of Israel instead of counting upon the providential grace and mercy
of the Lord to protect him in all circumstances. Too often in times of
spiritual and military warfare ? it is the convenient solution that appeals
all too often. Individuals as well as organizations fall for Satan?s
gambit here all too often. And yet, sometimes in order for God?s purpose
to be achieved ? round about solutions must be discovered. So in David?s
case here, even though he sinned in what he chose to do, the Lord still
hedged him in and kept him safe for final appointment to the throne of
Israel. Let us therefore take comfort, that even in our darkest days and
moments, the Lord has not forgotten us ? leaving us to our own devices only
for a time: just to remind us where we would be and go, if it were up to us
alone to arrange the events of our sometimes sordid and sinful lives.
Application: David ends this section with a powerful observation. Even
within the animal kingdom, the Lord?s providence must and will hold sway.
?Young lions [may] suffer want and hunger;
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.?
The lesson here is related to the whole ordering of nature by nature?s only
God and Creator. After the fall, provision was made for the predator
animals by the fullness of natural multiplication in various species. We
know in Ohio, that if a certain number of White Tailed Deer are not hunted
and consumed, then that species would multiply until nature?s balance was
restored, resulting in much misery and starvation on the part of many
animals. And so, nature?s surplus in many ways is managed, unfortunately
by tooth and claw in a fallen estate, but still it is allowed within the
divine arrangement and all of the natural balances have been provided for
across the planet. In this verse we see that even the predators, the lions
in this case ? may suffer want and hunger, until their numbers are managed
by humans of the laws of the jungle.
But (and this is a very important but), the natural rules are suspended
when it comes to the elect of every nation who truly belong to the Lord of
all the earth. ?Those who see the Lord lack no good thing!? And this is
accomplished all for the glory of our Father in heaven. David was safe,
even in sin because the Lord God intended to use him for his providential
purposes. However, that does not mean that we should sin willingly in
order to reap additional grace and mercy! No indeed, we are to live life
before the face of God, always doing the very best we are capable of. And
whenever our very best falls far short of the perfection and holiness of
God Himself, still just as He does with the actions and deeds of the
wicked, He can turn our efforts towards the goodness being realized in a
fallen world, whenever and wherever His precious name is invoked in
repentance and prayer.
Therefore, let us live boldly before the face of our Lord and Savior,
giving Him all due respect, fear and love: knowing that even when we make
mistakes He loves us, hedges us in and provides a way of escape according
to His will and purpose. Amen.
======================================================
PREACHING RESOURCES
Calvin, John: Commentary on Book of Psalms.
Delitzsch, F: Commentary on the Old Testament ? Psalms.
Spurgeon, C.H: Treasury of David.
============================================================================
Permission granted to redistribute unedited versions with this notice.
http://www.tulip.org/selah/sel034c.htm
To Subscribe or Unsubscribe go
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From ccrlist at tulip.org Thu Feb 9 14:09:21 2006
From: ccrlist at tulip.org (ccrlist@tulip.org)
Date: Thu Feb 9 14:09:52 2006
Subject: [Ccrlist] CCR Weekly 05 February 06
Message-ID: <6.1.0.6.2.20060209140345.02d3c1c0@mail.loganrec.com>
Good Afternoon,
I think we are finally over five weeks of travel to Cincinnati three or
four times a week. My relative has been transported to a rehabilitation
center much nearer to our home.
God bless,
Max A Forsythe
A Ministry of Christ Covenant Reformed (PCA)
=====================================================================
Selah: Sacred Songs of the Psalter
Max A Forsythe ? Anno Domini 2006
======================================================
Psalm 34
11 Come, [my students], listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
12 What man is there who desires life and loves many days,
that he may see good?
15 Keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from speaking deceit.
14 Turn away from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.
====================================================================================
Godly Students
For the Lord?s Day: the 5th of February 2006
Introduction: I recently had an encounter with a philosophical idiot. He
was rude, crude, lewd and disrespectful of any authority. There is not
much of the conversation that even my Drill Sergeant of forty years ago
could repeat. But, after the young blasphemer had trashed every personal
characteristic of one living before the face of God, he quoted his ?dear
mother? to say that the only sensible thing in this life was to live
largely and enjoy life in every way possible. ?Eat, drink and be merry,
for tomorrow we shall die!? as Paul described the ungodly refrain, two
millennia ago!
Having endured the verbal persecution of such a swine for longer than I
wanted, I declined tossing even one pearl of wisdom his way! It would have
been an obvious waste of time. Such encounters are becoming more and more
possible in our society, since the former values of Western Civilization
are considered not only quaint, but threatening to any fulfillment of every
deviant thought, word and deed that so enchants the perverted edge of our
society.
But enough of such tripe ? this is not the calling of the godly, to wallow
in the ways of the world. Sadly, our media and educational institutions
promote these things to the detriment of even those who claim the Name of
Christ. We would hope that society and even minimalist Christians could
learn better? Perhaps, there is even a gleam of improvement? SIRUS radio
reportedly advised dirty mouth Stern to relax a little because their
advertising customers are more than a little nervous! Obviously, not the
makings of a religious revival, but a small sign of hope that the ragged
edge of society is becoming too raw.
Development: There is, even as King David knew in his time, a better
way. This we sense in every psalm, song and prayer collected in the
Psalter, composed by and dedicated to David. And that way is living daily
before the face of the Lord God of heaven and earth. And since the Creator
God has been so gracious to him, he would commend the faith to any who will
listen and hear his instruction. And so we come to the second general
portion of this psalm, the teaching section, even as David labels it in the
words of verse eleven:
?Come, [my students], listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.?
Many translations use the word children here, however, Delitzsch considers
those to be instructed are, ?not children in years or in understanding, but
it is a tender form of address of a master experienced in the ways of God
to teach one and to all.? And what he will teach is not any evolutionary
supremacy, but a way of life to be lived quietly and meekly before the face
of God. And to be certain of that attitude, he assures us that the proper
beginning of wisdom is fearing the Lord God of heaven and earth. Him,
David would teach all us humanity to fear and respect.
Time was, when this was an accomplished fact, even the ungodly were framed
by society to certain minimalist expectations to contain themselves and
leave the balance of the population to live apart from any knowledge and
understanding of their perversions. Most of the media and educational
agenda was once aimed at assisting in the repression of excessive worldly
and carnal knowledge. I never realized this until the early seventies,
when I ordered a dozen books on Greek mythology for possible use in
instruction. The introduction of the book announced that the edition was
an unabridged, uncensored text that finally could see the light of
day. The stories were certainly different from what I had read throughout
my education. And so, I had to place them in cold storage.
Some years later, as I sought to reclaim the lost emphasis of civilized
studies, I found anew the wisdom of Paul the Apostle: ?Whatever is true,
whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is
lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is
anything worthy of praise, think about these things.? (Philippians 4:
8) David the king, is hinting at nothing more or less, when he seeks to
teach the wholesome fear of the Lord God of heaven and earth. And while
schools once informed by Western Civilization did edit the classics to a
minimal degree, it was only to honor the commandments and to report the
best enterprise of the ancients, rather than to wallow in mankind?s base
instincts.
In verse twelve, David raises the essential question which draws out the
best behavior from any society ruled by laws derived from scriptural
authority.
?What man is there who desires life and loves many days,
that he may see good??
Here we should understand that David is talking about the common graces
which bless all men when biblical principles inform our body politic! It
is sort of like this, real farmers look out for the good of their land and
livestock. A passage in the Old Covenant even dreamed of a day when even
the grain fed to the domestic animals was shifted to cleanse the dust, dirt
and unwholesome weeds from their daily feed and fodder.
So, in a similar, but higher way, blessed indeed are the pagans and
unbelievers when the worse instincts of sinful men are curtailed by a
society that insists upon basic human rights for every man, woman and
child. Would we have a culture informed by the word and fear of God
again? Then we must assist all of those who desire a long and prosperous
life to achieve that simply because those who have but one life to live,
deserve the very best opportunity to live quietly and safely even if they
never know the Lord of heaven.
Application: How is this possible individually or even
collectively? David here outlines three principles in verses thirteen and
fourteen:
1. ?Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit.
2. Turn away from evil and do good;
3. seek peace and pursue it.?
First, we are called to keep our tongues from evil and to refrain from
using deceit to accomplish our Christian goals. This is in the best
tradition of Paul?s passage to speak only of the good, the true and the
godly things to accomplish.
This is why it was wrong for the once Confederate Congress to submit their
constitution as being organized in the Name of Christ, simply because
governments are necessarily apart from the church. And since governments
have to wage war and participate in many nefarious diplomatic dealings ?
there are things that should not be done in the Name of Christ. In a once
popular movie entitled The Patriot, the lead character contemplated the
necessity for repentance of dirty deeds done in the context of
warfare. Deeds which at the time had seemed necessary, but in terms of
later spiritual reflection, he realized were wicked to the extreme.
Second, we are admonished to turn away from evil and every wicked thought,
word and deed. In a popular movie on the Salem witch trials, one man was
reminded that he had once been disciplined for lascivious thoughts. When I
explained the term to students who wanted to know what he had had in mind,
they were amazed that anyone?s private lustful yearnings could be so
accounted out of the realm of acceptable behavior. And yet, even as Psalm
One outlines, it is a very small step from desire and lust to sin and iniquity.
?Blessed!- is the man, who:
does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly
or stand in the company of sinners
or sit in the session of mockers.?
The ordinary teaching of that first verse in the entire Psalter is that
every man, woman and child should be shown the all to easy progression in
sin from thought to word and deed!
Finally, David admonishes us to ?seek peace and pursue it.? This idea here
reminds me of the Apostle Paul?s admonition: ?if possible, so far as it
depends on you, live peaceably with all.? This does not mean that we must
lay down, roll over and let the worldly walk all over us. After all, we
like David are allowed to participate in spiritual warfare.
These three things are what we must do as we live daily before the face of
God. And in addition we must seek to make it possible for the majority of
society to live within the blessings of common grace. Even the ungodly and
pagans deserve a life free from slavery, both spiritual and material ? to
those who would manage others for their mere pleasure and prosperity. This
is why the British Empire in one of its most noble endeavors, used its
authority and power to remove the reality of slavery around the globe,
wherever its navy and army could reach. This is why the British
authorities in India besieged a valley of Sodomites - to prevent their
stealing of young lads across the plains and valleys of Central
India. This is why Cortez defeated Montezuma ? to prevent the continued
slaughter of seven thousand young girls annually in the despicable temples
in the mountains of Mexico.
May we be informed of the spiritual warfare waged by David, the church and
any governments whose principles allow an affinity, love and acceptance of
the principles of Western Civilization. And may we pray that once again
these ancient principles may inform our politicians, jurists and
leaders. Amen.
======================================================
PREACHING RESOURCES
Calvin, John: Commentary on Book of Psalms.
Delitzsch, F: Commentary on the Old Testament ? Psalms.
Spurgeon, C.H: Treasury of David.
============================================================================
Permission granted to redistribute unedited versions with this notice.
http://www.tulip.org/selah/sel034dhtm
To Subscribe or Unsubscribe go
to:
http://www.four.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/ccrlist/
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From ccrlist at tulip.org Fri Feb 24 10:45:47 2006
From: ccrlist at tulip.org (ccrlist@tulip.org)
Date: Fri Feb 24 10:45:52 2006
Subject: [Ccrlist] CCR Weekly for 12 February 06
Message-ID: <6.1.0.6.2.20060224104029.0302b7e0@mail.loganrec.com>
Good Morning,
Too many sixty hour weeks here recently, so once again I am playing catch
up. Thank you all for putting up with my busy work schedule and late
emailings.
God bless,
Max A Forsythe
Selah: Sacred Songs of the Psalter
Max A Forsythe ? Anno Domini 2006
======================================================
Psalm 34
15 The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous
and His ears toward their cry.
16 The face of the Lord is against those who do evil,
to cut off the memory of them from the earth.
17 When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears
and delivers them out of all their troubles.
18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
and saves the crushed in spirit.
====================================================================================
Towards Us
For the Lord?s Day: the 12th of February 2006
Introduction: Having outlined the proper responses of the elect in our
last section, David here would encourage those whom the Lord counts
righteous that in spite of all the problems we might face in life, the very
fact of His election bodes well for their souls. Calvin encourages the
same understanding: ?The best support of our patience is a firm persuasion
that God regards us, and that according as every man perseveres in the
course of uprightness and equity, so shall he be preserved in peace and
safety under his protection.?
David begins this section of the psalm by reminding us that we are within
the sight of God, and that we are lovingly being watched, both for our
protection and encouragement. By contrast, the Lord?s face is always
against the wicked ? reminding them that they are operating against His
sovereign will! Sometimes, as a substitute teacher, I keep my eyes on the
known trouble-makers and whenever they look up ? they know it.
Think of this passage this positive way as it may apply to you: In any
competitive sport, the coach will keep his eye on his home team as they
play the game in question. Parents, however ? will concentrate their
attention on their own children specifically and miss the intricacies of
the whole rest of the game. Be assured that even with the Father?s love
for each of us, He is able to see and understand the larger picture of what
is being worked out on the world?s playing field.
Development: Now, let us look carefully at our opening line ? even though
we wouldn?t speak this way, it is important that we retain the biblical
focus that ?the eyes of the Lord are towards the righteous.? We have to
remember that we are not always the only focus of the Lord?s attention,
however we are always remain important details in the greater panorama of
time and space. How many people growing up never thought their mother
didn?t know what they were up too? The old understanding was that mother?s
had ?eyes in the back of her head,? even when she was busy with many other
things.
Yes, that part of parenting was necessary, but the central focus of
parental love, as well as God?s undeserved ?Agape? love, is for the person
whose cry is always heard. In any congregation small enough to hear
children?s sounds from the nursery, the right mother is always on the way
to comfort her own child, even though the rest of us remain tone deaf to
whose child was whimpering. At a much higher level, the Lord of all the
earth hears His elect, because just like His eyes, His ears too are toward
the righteous.
Of course, we realize that we are speaking in anthropomorphic terms
here. God is indeed a Spirit, holy and awesome beyond our
comprehension! And yet, the very symbolism of the language should assure
us that the most all powerful being in the universe is for us and if God be
for us, heaven help those who oppose Him in a way, fashion or form. These,
the pagan and wicked are kept in sight like the back eyes of parental
heads, but always ? the watching and knowing is dead set against them.
Our next verse explains a little of David?s revelation from the heart of
God: ?The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the
memory of them from the earth.? For anyone who has ever been exposed to
popular thinking on body language, the image here is understandable. Years
ago, a psychobabelist described the ancient authority figure who once
presided over the public classrooms for decades on end. A couple of us
were actually pleased, according to his analysis, we did indeed have our
act together and that was why we were able to dominate our
classrooms! Sadly ? our so called expert was advocating the exact opposite
of what we knew worked and were doing on a regular basis. Instead he was
carefully laying the groundwork for the ongoing chaos in all to many
institutions in our day!
On another line of thought ? given the current debate about science
standards in Ohio, the myth of evolution is never so much about the
appearance of the universe. It is always more about making the Creator God
disappear from public discourse! If you have ever watched a magician make
something disappear, you knew deep down that it was all an illusion. In
the same way, all of those who think, speak and do evil are only thinking
they have made the Lord God Almighty disappear from His own universe.
One of my liberal friends shared a joke with me recently. It went
something like this, if we led the sodomites and their kin do their work,
if we allow the abortionists murder the innocent, very soon ? in a few
decades they will have all disappeared. Actually, I shared with my friend,
that exactly eighteen years after Roe v Wade, the voting percentages began
to climb in a more favorable direction. And at long last, we finally have
a Supreme Court that should be more friendly to constitutional law rather
than liberal activism. While, we are not yet in a position to realize that
the liberal mantras of the last forty years have declined, still there are
many hints that their political and spiritual disease is going into
remission. The earth and society will not be finally cured this side of
heaven. But at the very least, the cause of Christ may indeed be
strengthened until that great day, when all heaven breaks loose at the end
of the age, and then all memory of the wicked will be gone forever and ever.
Application: Until that great and final day appears, we like David the
king must face every crisis moral and material with the spiritual strength
of the Lord. And this is ours through prayer even as small victories in
this world come by providence.
Two further points need to be made before we conclude our meditation
today. The first is found in verse seventeen: ?When the righteous cry for
help, the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles.? The
certain sensibility of this declaration has already been hinted at in the
earlier verses. All that is going on here is the admonition that we call
upon the Lord in any and every emergency to acknowledge the great love and
mercy He already has towards us. ?Whatever we may ask,? Jesus tells us is
vitally important to our great Father in heaven. ?He could have called ten
thousand angels,? an old song goes, ?but He died alone for you and
me!? The Lord Jesus Christ knew the part that He had to play on the grand
stage of history. And even the hostile priests of His day were marked out
before time for the necessary service that they wickedly agreed to: to
crucify the Lamb of God for the sins of God?s elect.
The final point that we need to take to heart is that even though the Lord
is indeed coming, there are many battles to be fought before the great and
awesome day at the end of the age. For the last forty years or more, it
seems that every important spiritual battle in this country has been lost,
and it is sometimes hard for Christians to count their losses and still
hope for any victory at the end of the age. George Washington once waged a
long war for independence ? loosing the majority of the battles. But,
finally at York town, he was able to win the last battle! So as the
psalmist promises, the Lord hears and delivers the righteous from all their
troubles, all we have to remember is this fact: ?The Lord is near to the
brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.?
So, even though the worldly struggle winds on towards the end of the age,
the Lord is finally in control and at long last His will be accomplished
even if we sometimes wonder where it is all headed. David, who we know
from countless psalms, had his own doubts ? still the Holy Spirit spoke to
and through him, to remind one and all that God is sovereign and that we
can indeed hope for the best, knowing that Christ is coming and at long
last, the divine will shall be accomplished. May we participate gladly in
the working out of that will, and may we pray all the more earnestly for it
to be accomplished. Amen.
======================================================
PREACHING RESOURCES
Calvin, John: Commentary on Book of Psalms.
Delitzsch, F: Commentary on the Old Testament ? Psalms.
Spurgeon, C.H: Treasury of David.
============================================================================
Permission granted to redistribute unedited versions with this notice.
http://www.tulip.org/selah/sel034e.htm
To Subscribe or Unsubscribe go
to:
http://www.four.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/ccrlist/
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From ccrlist at tulip.org Fri Feb 24 13:07:51 2006
From: ccrlist at tulip.org (ccrlist@tulip.org)
Date: Fri Feb 24 13:08:02 2006
Subject: [Ccrlist] CCR Weekly for 19 February 06
Message-ID: <6.1.0.6.2.20060224130119.03024070@mail.loganrec.com>
Good Afternoon,
It has been a while since I have had the time to complete two meditations
in one day. It is my aim to work towards completing the whole Psalter in
this fashion (3 to 5 verses at a time) if I am allowed the time and
resources. Please pray that the necessary financial resources may be found
to allow me to speed up the work that I hope to complete.
God bless,
Max A Forsythe
Selah: Sacred Songs of the Psalter
Max A Forsythe ? Anno Domini 2006
======================================================
Psalm 34
19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
but the Lord delivers him out of them
all.
20 He keeps all his bones;
not one of them is broken.
21 Affliction will slay the wicked,
and those who hate the righteous will
be condemned.
22 The Lord redeems the life of His servants;
none of those who take refuge in Him will be
condemned.
====================================================================================
Redeem My Life!
For the Lord?s Day: the 19th of February 2006
Introduction: Delitzsch comments that the whole purpose of verses fifteen
through twenty two is to ?recommend the fear of God, to which [David] has
given a brief direction, by setting forth its reward in contrast with the
punishment of the ungodly.? We have, of course, taken that evangelical
proposition a little more firmly into the reformed understanding ? in our
consideration of our apriori understanding that the Lord God?s attitude
?towards the righteous? is indication enough that we are already under the
divine mandate to love and serve Him who first loved us!
Excuse please, a lengthy quote from Calvin who sheds light upon the
direction we must take with the passage before us: ?David here exemplifies
and extends still more the preceding doctrine, that God is the deliverer of
his people, even when they are brought very low, and when they are, as it
were, half-dead. It is a very severe trial, when the grace of God is
delayed, and all experience of it so far withdrawn, as that our spirits
begin to fail; nay more, to say that God is nigh to the faithful, even when
their hearts faint and fail them, and they are ready to die, is altogether
incredible to human sense and reason. But by this means his power shines
forth more clearly, when he raises us up again from the grave.?
The last sentence there is the most important; least we badly assume that
we had any important part in our salvation process. David understands all
of this, of course, but he is never shy to beg a fresh understanding and
application of the incredible salvation given to us all through the grace
and mercy of God the Father through Jesus Christ.
As humans, we are all dying from the day we were born and into our lives
did shine the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit, guiding, directing,
convicting, assuring and leading us on the path to glory. The old man
remains ever with us and it is always more important how God regards us
than it is how we choose so poorly to serve the eternal Kingdom of the Spirit.
Development: In spite of any dungeon, fire and sword wielded by the
worldly against the saints of heaven, the enduring providential leading of
the Father, Son and Holy Spirit will lead us into all things necessary to
accomplish the grand design envisioned before the world was ever
created. Of one thing only does David caution us ? that we be certain of
our calling and purpose. And to this end he turns the final verses of this
lovely alphabetical psalm. Now there are many statements of how these
special psalms should be understood. Using none that I can remember, my
analysis of the alphabetic step by step leading of the reasoning in these
verses is this. It can be something like algebra, which I never fully
fathomed. If strophe ?a? be true (in our alphabetic structure), then
strophe ?b?, must also be true, building upon the lines preceding. We
could continue onward in that same analysis that by this construction David
is aiming to build a theological outline that is somewhat systematic in its
formation and intent? Please understand that is my working theory and I am
not a good enough scholar to probe the deeper complexities of the original
Hebrew.
But, still ? with that thought in mind, simply consider where the
alphabetical analysis of this comprehensive psalm have taken us. First, we
were encouraged to magnify the Lord, even while we were seeking Him in the
hope of tasting His grace and mercy. Then David instructed us what it
means to be such godly students even while reminding us that God?s face is
ever towards us. So finally, therefore, these verses today must teach us
to realize the end of those mental exercises. God intends to redeem us all
for His own glory and honor, as our salvation is being worked out in the
context of history.
Do you get what I am saying? All of history is constructed so that the
Lord God of heaven and earth may have a people to praise and honor Him for
the many mercies and graces received through His love and the sacrifice of
His only Son: our Lord Jesus Christ. If the content of that message and
context isn?t humbling ? we should doubt indeed if we understand the
process of salvation.
But, let us follow David?s final arguments in the last four verses. We
begin with verse nineteen, which states David?s summary observation of the
lives of the saints: ?Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the
Lord delivers him out of them all.? Now, we understand that delivery from
such afflictions can take many and varied forms, all according to the
purpose for which every Christian believer is called. Thankfully, not many
of us are called to be martyrs in our day and age. But, still ? we may all
experience the frustrations of a minimal worldly persecution as we notice
the ongoing political and spiritual struggles in our day and time. Thus
far, the true church is still alive and even growing, however slowly. And
we know that according to God?s plan and purpose there may soon be a day
and place where a spiritual revival breaks out and changes all things for
the better. We know that this has happened time and again in the life and
history of the church. Other times, the spiritual growth is hidden within
the hearts of believers and the world little knows or cares that anything
eternally important is happening. Which ever mode our current culture is
in, still God is working in, through and for us, so let us be eternally
grateful!
Second, in verse twenty, David becomes prophetic in describing the grace
and mercy of the Lord towards him: ?He keeps all his bones; not one of
them is broken.? David here is speaking of his own limited experience in
this regard, but ? as we know from the New Covenant, the phrase here is
also descriptive of the cause of Jesus Christ on the cross. And it is to
that higher reference and use of the text that we must look. Remember,
what God is working out on earth ? the source and ordering of all things is
to be found in heaven above. And David receives a blessing to be later
attributed to his own greater Son. And so, all of the redeemed are finally
safe and sound in the arms of Him who protected His own Son as well as
David and all the saints.
However, this is not so for those upon whom the Lord sets His divine,
righteous and holy wrath. The same afflictions that prove helpful to all
of those who belong to the Lord, these have an adverse affect upon the
objects of His wrath. ?Affliction will slay the wicked, and those who hate
the righteous will be condemned.? Here we see the final end of all those
who hate not only the Lord God, but also all of those who serve Him here on
earth. The word here translated as ?affliction? is translated by Calvin as
?malice,? may also be rendered ?misery.? The implication as Calvin notes
is that: ?the ungodly shall perish miserably, because in the end they shall
be overwhelmed with calamities. The other translation, however, is more
expressive, namely, that their wickedness, with which they think themselves
fortified, shall fall upon their own heads.?
Application: Given these revelations throughout the whole psalm, it is not
surprising that the final verse summarizes David?s faithful witness to the
ways of the Lord. ?The Lord redeems the life of His servants; none of
those who take refuge in Him will be condemned.?
Now, all too many commentators and translators worry that the alphabetic
notation of this psalm is incomplete and that therefore, the ordering must
be out of line and the last verse must somehow be included in the
outline. May, I offer the opinion that the incomplete structure could very
well testify that our understanding of the ways of the Lord is finally
incomplete, but nevertheless ? He is in charge and He will accomplish
everything towards which He has purposed all of creation. In that possible
light, therefore ? the summary statement here at the end is entirely
appropriate. And let this be the doctrine that we must conclude from the
ordered testimony laid out for our consideration. ?The Lord redeems the
life of His servants; none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned.?
Great and wondrous are the ways of the Lord, may we commend them to our
children, our neighbors and the world at large. And let us count it all
grace and mercy that we, like David are counted as part of the elect. Amen.
======================================================
PREACHING RESOURCES
Calvin, John: Commentary on Book of Psalms.
Delitzsch, F: Commentary on the Old Testament ? Psalms.
Spurgeon, C.H: Treasury of David.
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From ccrlist at tulip.org Tue Feb 28 21:05:38 2006
From: ccrlist at tulip.org (ccrlist@tulip.org)
Date: Tue Feb 28 21:05:58 2006
Subject: [Ccrlist] CCR Weekly 26 Feb 06
Message-ID: <6.1.0.6.2.20060228204931.030331a0@mail.loganrec.com>
Good Evening,
Just a note, since our list has grown by ten per cent in the last six
weeks, I would especially like to welcome the thirty-some new comers. If
you are in the Columbus Metropolitan area and new to the Reformed
distinctives, let me assure you that we are biblical in the application of
the sacred text. We also apply those same principles to our worshp and
government. As our church web page explains http://www.tulip.org/ccr we
are Reformed, Evangelical and Presbyterian. This is pretty much a
Presbyterian Church in America distinction. However, various congregations
may order things slightly differently: Evangelical, Presbyterian and
Reformed. So, if you decide to visit one of our five congregations in the
greater Columbus area - you will note some cosmetic differences.
It does take some time to get used to the application of the Reformed
distinctives to all of life, especially worship. What we consider to be
traditional in that area is all to commonly considered out of step with
the times, but we do sing Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs. You are
always welcome and we would hope that our peculiarities do not get in the
way of your understanding the Word and its application to all of life.
If any of you have loved ones serving with the military overseas, please
feel free to print out this sermon, which is timely in their situation or
email it to them.
May the Lord bless you all within His will in all ways, always.
Max A Forsythe
Selah: Sacred Songs of the Psalter
Max A Forsythe ? Anno Domini 2006
======================================================
Psalm 35
Of David
01 Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me;
fight against those who fight against me!
02 Take up shield and buckler
[stand to and be] my help!
03 Draw the spear and battle-axe
against my pursuers!
Reassure my soul,
?I am your victory!?
04 Let them be put to shame and dishonor,
who seek after my life!
Let them be driven back and confused,
who devise evil against me.
05 Let them be like chaff before the wind,
with the angel of the Lord blowing them away!
06 Let their way be dark and slippery,
with the angel of the Lord pursuing them!
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
Prayer for Vindication
For the Lord?s Day: the 26th of February 2006
Introduction: This is a long psalm, which entwines the language of the
courts with that of warfare. The ?contention? described in verse one
appeals for justification on the battlefield. We might even call this a
Battlefield prayer much in the style of that attributed by Shakespeare to
King Henry V, just before Agincourt:
?Now, soldiers, march away:
And how thou pleasest, God, dispose the day!?
But before we continue this military styled analysis, let us be certain to
outline the various divisions and preaching portions for the next few
weeks. My Translator?s Handbook arranges ?three main parts (verses 1-10,
11-18, 19-28), each one of which contains a description of the psalmist?s
troubles, a denunciation of his enemies, a plea to Yahweh for help, and a
promise to praise him.? Today, we will consider the first six verses of
part one, which may be divided in this manner:
? First six verses: ?a prayer to Yahweh for
vindication?
? verse seven ?an accusation against the
psalmist?s enemies?
? verse eight: ?a renewed plea for
vindication?
? verses nine and ten: ?ending with a promise to praise
the Lord for his help?
Development: The primary purpose of the first six verses is to firm up
David?s alliance with that of the cause of God. Unlike all too many in the
history of warfare, King David ordinarily chooses not his own aggressive
battles, but pursues mostly those in defense of God?s people Israel. Now,
that is not to say he does not take his armies into enemy territory. As we
all know in our day, it is much preferred to go after our enemies in
Baghdad than on any Main Street in our own fair land. And just like our
own response to 911, I believe ? that given the ongoing prayer life of
David that he attended to the concept of waging just wars. Given that
probability, we may understand that David is committed to fight some foul
foe, and just before the battle, he seeks the blessing of our Triune
Creator God.
All of this we may carefully draw out of verse one. And as he pleads
hopefully for the Lord?s fighting contention on his part, he describes the
mental image of his God also preparing for battle. In the first line of
verse two, defensive matters are arranged. Our modern dictionaries are
very confusing as to any differences between shield and buckler. However,
James Anderson?s notes are reported in Spurgeon?s Treasury of David: ?the
word rendered ?shield? was a short buckler intended merely for
defence. The word rendered ?buckler? was double the weight of the [former]
and was carried by the infantry; [the lighter] was used by the
cavalry.? Further, we may understand that the larger ?buckler? would have
has a large raised ?boss? in the middle, which being sharpened ? could be
used as a more aggressive weapon in ancient warfare.
In the second line of verse two, David clarifies his defensive
dispositions. I have used an old military phrase here to indicate David?s
request for the Lord?s participation: ?[stand to and be] my help!? All
this means is that while David anticipates carrying most of the burden of
the battle, he does request that the Lord assemble His forces in battle
line and await any opportune moment to strike the enemy from a reserve
position.
Verse three continues the military context that any reserves David is
counting on should have their weapons already drawn and ready for
action. Should the enemy gain an advantage then the Lord and His forces
should fall upon the enemies with ?spear and battle-axe.? The spear of
course was a simple enough weapon to threaten an approaching battle line,
but the swinging of a heavy double edged ?battle-axe? should be awesome
enough to frighten even the strongest heart in the ranks of the enemies of
God! Now, since the second strophe of verse three is the theme of this
section, we shall pass over it for the moment and move on to David?s four
specific requests as part of his strategic battle plan.
His first request is that the necessary battle be put in the proper light
as heaven must regard his assailants. ?Shame and dishonor? must finally be
the mark and makeup of any and all who would contend with the righteous
servants of the Lord God Almighty: meaning all of those who would seek the
lives of His saints, if only because they cannot gain access to the person
of God Himself in David?s time. Of course, we well know how they would
treat the very Son of God when He appeared centuries after David?s
day. And as a result, the one honorable profession of priests within
Israel perished in the fire?s of Roman destruction because they were not
able to distinguish the true Lamb of God.
David?s second request is that the enemy?s battle lines be driven back and
confused. The very ones, who have mobilized their might against David,
mean him evil harm ? if they would be allowed a victory. But, if the God
of heaven and earth disposes the day in David?s favor, then the lines of
the enemy may be driven in, and once any retrograde motion is established,
there is David?s fond hope that the whole host bay be broken and
confused. The confusion hoped and prayed for here includes several kinds:
1. a loss of control by the enemy leaders
2. a disheartened rank and file
3. a potential rout and disintegration of the whole enemy force
All David?s Lord and God has to do is summarized in David?s third
petition. Blow winds of God, blow and spirit every enemy far away! And
last of all, David pleads ? harry them without mercy, chase them through
the stormy night where they may be destroyed in the mountainous
terrain. And may the slip and slide into hellish ravines and there
disappear forever and ever.
This is what David had in mind: at the end of the Battle of Waterloo,
Prince Blulcher of the Prussian Army agreed to pursue Napoleon?s broken
forces. An infantry drummer boy was mounted on one of Napoleon?s own
carriage horses to ride with the light cavalry forces charged with harrying
the French as far as they could be chased in the darkness. When ever, the
horsemen spied a camp where Napoleon?s men were trying to rest, the little
drummer boy would sound an infantry charge, and the French would scatter
into the night, all too often leaving the weapons to save their
lives. Hounds and hares, some would describe the wild adventures of that
night that broke forever Napoleon?s dream of conquering all of Europe.
Application: David of course, is here rehearsing a victory in his prayers
and in so doing he prays that God may reassure his soul with victory. And
so we return to the verse portion we skipped over earlier, to find the
theme for this entire passage: ?Reassure my soul,? David pleads, in order
that God would give him the confidence of the Lord?s own words: ?I am your
victory!? Shakespeare echoes the same theme at the end of Henry V with a
quotation from (Psalm 115: 1) ?Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Your
Name give glory, for the sake of Your steadfast love and Your faithfulness!?
Now some would find it offensive that any believer would call upon the Lord
God of heaven and earth to grant them battle mercies. They would view the
content and context of all too many psalm passages to be barbaric in such a
fashion. I could not agree, after all God is interested in every affair to
which we give our attention. And whenever we bring our daily lives before
Him, He will watch over us even as He uses us to accomplish His divine
will. I would hope that our fighting men in Afghanistan, Iraq and other
places would take a lesson from David here and plead their hearts out
before any battle, in order that they may count on His grace and mercy even
when the work to be done, is not ordinary or peaceful. There are times
that try men?s souls, and battle is one of them where those engaged need
every ounce of moral and spiritual strength to sustain themselves and
accomplish the historic objectives laid out before time began by our Father
in heaven. And finally, may we too take this page from the Psalter and
learn to lay all of our endeavors before the Lord day by day. Amen.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - -
PREACHING RESOURCES
Calvin, John: Commentary on Book of Psalms.
Delitzsch, F: Commentary on the Old Testament ? Psalms.
Spurgeon, C.H: Treasury of David.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - -
Permission granted to redistribute unedited versions with this notice.
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To Subscribe or Unsubscribe go
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