"Be Still and Know That I Am God" -- Psalm 46

Here's the audio for this Lord's Day Sermon (Our First Sunday in Exile):  "Be Still and Know That I Am God" -- Psalm 46

"The Church Under the Cross" -- Psalm 123

Here's the audio from this morning's sermon from Rev. Brad Lenzner on Psalm 123.

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"Who Is the King of Glory?" -- Psalm 24

Here's the audio from this morning's sermon from Rev. Chris Coleman:  Click Here

"Rejoice in the Strength of the Lord" -- Psalm 21

Here's the audio from this morning's sermon from Rev. Chris Coleman:  Click Here

"Gracious Is the Lord" -- Psalm 116

Here's the audio from Sunday's sermon on Psalm 116:  Click Here

"Sit at My Right Hand" -- A Sermon on Psalm 110

A Sermon on the 110th Psalm

When the authors of the New Testament sought Old Testament passages to prove to Jews that Jesus is the Christ (the Messiah), one of the passages to which they frequently turned was Psalm 110.  This particular Psalm is among the most commonly quoted Psalms in the New Testament.  What makes this particular Psalm so important to New Testament writers is that it unites two distinct offices which God gave to ancient Israel–that of king and priest–in a single person.  But David–to whom Jesus attributes authorship of this Psalm–was of the tribe of Judah, and not a Levite (and therefore not a priest).  As it turns out, the one to whom these offices both apply is David’s Lord, a mysterious messianic figure associated with yet another mysterious and shadowy figure from Israel’s ancient past, Melchizadek, who was the king of Salem, and a priest to whom Abram paid tithes.

As we continue our series on select Psalms, we now take up one of the so-called “royal Psalms” connected to Israel’s most famous king, David.  We will proceed by:  first, discussing the background and structure of the Psalm; second, we will then go through the Psalm; and finally, we will observe how this Psalm is utilized throughout the New Testament, where it is quoted from or alluded to by Jesus, Peter, Paul, Luke, and the author of the Book of Hebrews.  Since the authors of the New Testament saw in this Psalm clear Old Testament evidence that Jesus is the Son of God and Israel’s Messiah (and the figure about whom David is actually speaking), this is a Psalm with which we ought be well familiar.

We know virtually nothing about when this Psalm was written or why–although it is ascribed to David in the title of the Psalm, a point which Jesus acknowledges when he quotes the 110th Psalm and applies it to himself.  This Psalm might have been written for any number circumstances in Israel, such as a celebration of David’s authority over the twelve tribes of Israel, or even a celebration of David’s enthronement as Israel’s king.  Given the fact that chief authors of the New Testament saw this Psalm as predicting a great messiah yet to come–we too should understand this Psalm as messianic.  This simply means that although David composed the Psalm, and it was used for a particular occasion in Israel, the contents of the Psalm point to a kingly/priestly figure yet to come–a descendant of David who holds both the kingly and priestly offices mentioned in this Psalm.

The 110th Psalm is found in Book Five of the Psalter (which includes Psalms 107-150).  This particular Psalm has a very simple structure, taking the form of two oracles (vv.1-3; and vv. 4-7), each of which speak of God’s promise (v. 1, 4) followed by an explanation of the way in which God will give his people the promised victory.  Both this Psalm and the preceding (Psalm 109) are associated with David, and follow after the lament in Psalm 108:11, in which the Psalmist cries out, “have you not rejected us, O God? You do not go out, O God, with our armies.”  Psalms 109 and 110 answer the question as to whether or not God has rejected his people by reminding the Israelites that God has indeed given his people a divinely-appointed king who will lead and protect them (Israel).

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"Blessed Is the One" -- A Sermon on Psalm 32

 

A Sermon on the 32nd Psalm

There is nothing worse than to feel the conviction of sin–that miserable sense that you’ve done wrong and that your actions displease God because they violate his commandments.  The Psalmist describes this feeling as akin to the oppressive heat of a hot and sweltering day.  On the other hand, there is nothing better than to know the forgiveness of sin–the sense that the guilt of our wrong-doing has been forgiven, and that we are now considered righteous, as though we had never broken a single one of God’s commandments.  The Psalmist describes this sense as a safe hiding place in times of trouble.  This then, is the theme of the 32nd Psalm–where and how to find true happiness and peace stemming from the knowledge that our sins have been forgiven, and that we are counted as righteous before God.  When someone once asked Martin Luther which of the Psalms he liked best–he said the Psalms of Paul (the 32nd, the 51st, the 130th, the 146th) because they teach that the full forgiveness of sins comes without works to all who believe.  John Calvin says that in this Psalm we are reminded, “what a miserable thing it is to feel God’s hand heavy on account of sin,” but that “the highest and best part of a happy life consists in this, that God forgives a man’s guilt, and receives him graciously into his favor.”  Indeed, “blessed is the one.”

As we continue our series on select Psalms, we now consider the 32nd Psalm, which is quoted by the Apostle Paul in Romans 4, and used by the apostle as an important proof-text for the doctrine of justification by grace alone, through faith alone, on account of Christ alone.  This Psalm is often considered a “penitential Psalm”–the prayer of someone deeply affected by the guilt of their sins.  This is the second of seven so-called penitential Psalms in the Psalter, and the second such Psalm to appear in Book One of the Psalter.  But this Psalm is much more than a penitential Psalm.  It includes thanksgiving on the part of David–the Psalm’s author–as well as an appeal to divine wisdom, wisdom which is revealed by YHWH.  The Psalmist gives thanks for this wisdom, which he has received through the “instruction,” “teaching” and “counsel” mentioned in verse 8.  Having gained this wisdom from God, the Psalmist is moved to confess his sins and gives thank to YHWH for this wonderful blessing.  Made wise by God’s wisdom, the Psalmist describes the contrast between the misery of the conviction of sin and the joy (indeed, the happiness) of knowing that he is forgiven.  The Psalmist can describe this sense so well because he has lived it.

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"O LORD, My Rock and My Redeemer" -- A Sermon on Psalm 19

A Sermon on the 19th Psalm

Psalm 19 is well-known for the sheer beauty of its Hebrew poetry.  C. S. Lewis once said of Psalm 19:  “I take this to be the greatest poem in the Psalter and one of the greatest lyrics in the world.”  One commentator argues that the beauty of this particular Psalm puts the Psalmist’s artistic skills on a par with such great creative geniuses as Goethe, Haydn, and Beethoven.  While this particular Psalm is indeed beautiful poetry, the 19th Psalm’s literary beauty does not (or at least should) not obscure the fact that this particular Psalm is packed with important biblical-theological themes.  The 19th Psalm speaks directly to the two ways in which God reveals himself–through the created order in which he shows forth his glory, and in his law, through which he demonstrates his divine perfections.

The self-revelation of God–the two ways in which God reveals himself to all his creatures–is such an important topic that article two of the Belgic Confession (the confession of faith of the Reformed churches) deals with these two ways  (or two books) immediately following a discussion of the nature of God in article one.  The Confession speaks of these two books of revelation–the natural order and Holy Scripture–as follows:
                
    We know God by two means:  First, by the creation, preservation, and government of the universe, since that universe is before our eyes like a beautiful book in which all creatures, great and small, are as letters to make us ponder the invisible things of God: his eternal power and his divinity, as the apostle Paul says in Romans 1:20.  All these things are enough to convict men and to leave them without excuse.  Second, he makes himself known to us more openly by his holy and divine Word, as much as we need in this life, for his glory and for the salvation of his own.

In addition to quoting from Paul (Romans 1:20), the chief biblical proof-text underlying article two of the Belgic Confession is Psalm 19:1-4.  In fact, in our New Testament lesson (Romans 1:18-25), Paul repeatedly alludes to the 19th Psalm as Paul makes his case that there is no such thing as a true atheist–although there are many who call themselves atheists, from a biblical point of view these are people who sinfully suppress the truth in unrighteousness.  Despite the fact that God’s self-revelation gets through to them–Paul is clear that it does, and the Psalmist also makes this point–people do not want to accept those things which God reveals.  If they acknowledge God, then they owe him faith and repentance, which is the last thing such people wish to do.  The reason why people inevitably reject the two books of revelation is because, as Jesus says, “people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil” (John 3:19).

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"Be Still, and Know That I Am God" -- A Sermon on Psalm 46

A Sermon on Psalm 46

Most people cannot recite Psalm 46 from memory.  But many are so familiar with the words to Martin Luther’s famous hymn “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” that they can sing it without looking at the bulletin.  “Ein Feste Burg ist unser Gott” is actually Luther’s paraphrase of Psalm 46.  This Psalm has several very familiar lines, has been cited by American presidents (most recently by Barak Obama), and portions of it appear in well-known Jewish prayers.  Found in Book Two of the Psalter and attributed to the Sons of Korah, it is classified as a “Psalm of Zion” and contains loud echoes from Psalm 2, where that divine protection promised to the king, is extended to include his capital city (Jerusalem).  Charles Spurgeon aptly speaks of the 46th Psalm as “the song of faith in troubled times.”  Martin Luther thought this Psalm of such comfort, he put it to verse.  

As we continue with our series on select Psalms, I thought it appropriate to turn our attention to Psalm 46, because we sing this particular Psalm as often as any other–often in the form of Luther’s famous paraphrase.  Before we turn to the text of the Psalm itself–where we will find much deep and rich biblical theology–I think it appropriate to consider Luther’s use of this Psalm, then debunk one of the persistent myths surrounding the version of the Psalm which appears in the KJV, and then look at the context in which the Psalm was originally composed.  Then, we will look at the text of the Psalm while making various points of application as we go.

As for Luther and “A Mighty Fortress,” although there are many theories about when it was written and for what occasion, Luther’s hymn first appears in a 1531 hymnal which would indicate that Luther wrote it several years earlier, likely in 1527-29.  This was ten years or so after his 95 theses were circulated throughout Europe, igniting the theological fire which became the Protestant Reformation.  The black plague was especially virulent throughout much of Europe in the winter of 1527, nearly killing Luther’s son.  Luther was also a physical wreck during this time (from exhaustion).  He began spending much time reading and reflecting upon Psalm 46, especially its promise that God is the bulwark (fortress) who never fails.  From Luther’s reflection on that word of comfort, the famous hymn was born.

According to one church historian, “many times during this dark and tumultuous period, when terribly discouraged, [Luther] would turn to his co-worker, Philipp Melanchthon, and say, ‘Come, Philipp, let us sing the forty-sixth Psalm.’”  Luther said of this particular Psalm, “we sing this psalm to the praise of God, because He is with us and powerfully and miraculously preserves and defends His church and His word against all fanatical spirits, against the gates of hell, against the implacable hatred of the devil, and against all the assaults of the world, the flesh, and sin.”  Because our fathers in the faith were sustained throughout their trials by their knowledge and love of the psalter, we would be foolish to ignore their wise counsel, and the faithful example they have set before us.

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"I Delight to Do Your Will, O My God" -- A Sermon on Psalm 40

A Sermon on Psalm 40

One of the best-known Psalms among our contemporaries is Psalm 40.  No doubt, this is because the Irish band U2 closed out their concerts for many years with a very moving rendition of it, in which huge audiences sang along with the band.  As written, Psalm 40 reflects the author’s (David) thanksgiving for deliverance from urgent danger.  In light of this sense of immediate need for deliverance of which David is speaking, John Calvin–who was very reticent to speak about himself–describes his conversion as being pulled from the mire of his addiction to the papacy, a direct reference to verse 2 of this particular Psalm.  Calvin goes on to say, “God by a sudden conversion subdued and brought my mind to a teachable frame, which was more hardened in such matters than might have been expected from one at my early period of life.”  In light of this Psalm’s historic importance, and current familiarity, I thought Psalm 40 would be a good place to begin as we spend the next few weeks surveying select Psalms.

The Book of Psalms was the hymnal of ancient Israel.  The Psalter is also one of the most beloved portions of God’s word, provides Christ’s church with much of its song, and also serves as the foundation for the devotional life of God’s people.  My goal in preaching on the Psalms is to direct our attention to them so as to stir in our hearts a desire to read, study, reflect upon, and sing this wonderful portion of God’s word.  The more we know about the Book of Psalms, the greater our desire to read and sing them as God’s people have done throughout the ages.  

The Psalter is composed of 150 songs which reflect the entire range of human emotion–from despair to jubilation.  Although the Psalter was written by different authors over the course of much of Israel’s history, most Psalms are closely tied to the life and times of David (Israel’s most prominent king).  Many of the Psalms reflect Israel’s worship of YHWH during this turbulent period in the nation’s history.  There are a number of different types and genres of Psalms.  There are Psalms of praise, Psalms of lament (sixty-seven of them), there are imprecatory Psalms (which invoke God’s judgment on his enemies), there are messianic Psalms (which prefigure the coming of Christ), there are “enthronement” Psalms (which speak of God as king and ruler of all), there are wisdom Psalms (which reveal to us wisdom from God), and there are Psalms of trust, (which express confidence in God’s power, and in God’s faithfulness in keeping his covenant promises).  And then, there is the famous “shepherd Psalm,” the twenty-third Psalm.

There are also a number of names attached to the 150 Psalms (i.e., David, Solomon, Moses, Asaph, the Sons of Korah).  73 of the Psalms are ascribed to David (king of Israel).  Twelve Psalms are ascribed to Asaph (who was one of David’s three temple musicians, along with Heman and Jeduthun).  Eleven Psalms are ascribed to the Sons of Korah (who were a guild of temple singers), three are ascribed to Jeduthun (a Levite), two are connected to Solomon, as well as one each to Moses, Heman (a grandson of Samuel), and Ethan (a symbol player in David’s court and thought by some to be another name for Jeduthun).  The remainder of the Psalms are unattributed.  With the exception Moses, the others to whom various Psalms are ascribed are mentioned throughout the two books of Chronicles, so we know certain details about them and their service of YHWH.  Even through not all of the Psalms were written by David, it is reasonable to speak, as many do, of the “Psalms of David” since the vast majority of them are ascribed to David or his known associates.

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