Christ Church

Sing to the Lord, All the Earth (King’s Cross)

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INTRODUCTION

In our text this morning, we read the account of King David returning the ark of the covenant to its rightful place at the center of Israel’s worship in Jerusalem.

What is fascinating about this passage is both David’s concern for the right worship of God – that is worshipping God in the ways in which He has commanded us to worship Him – and also the joy and high affections found throughout this worship.

Many in the church today pick and choose which churches they attend largely based on the “worship style” they prefer. Whether it is a charismatic worship service, with the lights dimmed low, and band on stage – or if it’s a high liturgy Roman Catholic Mass – men and women are prone to seek out that which makes them feel good, rather than first what conforms to God’s Word.

Another common false dichotomy in the church is a tension or divide between worship and mission, or worship and outreach. Those highly concerned with the church serving out in the world can sometimes downplay the importance and priority of Lord’s Day worship. And then there can be those who are so focused on Sunday mornings that the mission of bringing others in is truly neglected.

And from our text this morning, I want to contend that all these things go hand in hand. Faithful, biblical worship goes hand in hand with joyful worship that engages and touches our emotions. Additionally, worship itself is part of the mission of the church. What we do here every Lord’s Day is part of God’s salvific plan for the our city and for the nations.

So this morning I will be hitting three main points regarding our worship of God. First, worship is to be according to Scripture, not according to our desires or feelings.

Second, in the right worship of God, feelings and affections do follow. What I mean by this is that worshiping God according to His commands does not result in stiff and stuffy worship. But rather, it leads to joy and high praise.

And third, as we we worship God, one of the results in us is the desire to see others do the same. Our zeal for the Lord and our desire to see him honored will necessarily mean that we want to see people join in.

WORSHIP ACCORDING TO SCRIPTURE

So first, the need for worship to be according to Scripture.

Our passage today begins with King David, on the heels of great victory against Israel’s enemies, returning the ark to its rightful place at the center of Israel’s worship. He is reestablishing biblical worship in His kingdom.

Remember the importance of the ark – it symbolized God’s presence in the midst of His people and it was the most precious liturgical object the Israelites had. Along with the return of the ark, in our passage David organizes and establishes this liturgical worship of God by appointing the Levites to minister before the ark of the Lord.

So David desires for His people to worship God rightly, according to His commandments and in an orderly fashion. He also desires for God to be worshiped in the fullness of joy, as we will see in his psalm of thanksgiving.

EXAMPLE OF SAUL

In order to really see what is going on in this moment, its helpful to go over the narrative so far here in 1 Chronicles regarding worship and obedience.

We can begin back in 1 Chronicles 10 with the downfall of Saul, Israel’s first king and David’s predecessor. Why did the Lord allow the king of His people to be defeated and bring his reign to an end? We are told exactly why in 1 Chron. 10:13, “So Saul died for his unfaithfulness which he had committed against the Lord, because he did not keep the word of the Lord, and also because he consulted a medium for guidance. But he did not inquire of the Lord; therefore He killed him, and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.”

Saul failed to obey the Lord, He did not keep the Lord’s commandments. And he did not give the Lord His due, He did not inquire of the Lord but turned elsewhere in His need. And do you recall the awful incident which led to the kingdom being removed from Saul by the Lord?

The details are recorded in 1 Samuel 13. In his third year as king, Saul is preparing to battle the Philistines and the people of Israel are scared and scattered. And so before the battle, Saul waited for Samuel to come to give offerings before the Lord. But when Samuel did not arrive after a week, Saul grew impatient and took matters into his own hands. He unlawfully began to minister before the Lord and gave the burnt offering himself. As he did this, Samuel finally arrived and was distraught over Saul’s disobedience.

While it was right of Saul to want to give a sacrifice to God before battle, his impatience and emotions led him to do so in a way that did not honor the Lord’s clear commands. He did it himself rather than waiting for Samuel.  Saul’s sin is so great here that Samuel declares to him that his kingdom will end because he has not kept what the Lord commanded him.

So that is the first example in 1 Chronicles of what happens when God is not worshiped according to His commandments. When we do this, our attempt to honor Him fundamentally dishonors Him.

DAVID’S FIRST ATTEMPT

The second example is from King David himself. In our passage today we actually see David’s second attempt at returning the ark to Jerusalem. The first attempt was back in 1 Chronicles 13, and it did not go well for David. The reason it did not go well is because while David had the right desire and zeal to see the ark moved to Jerusalem, he irreverently neglected the commands of God regarding how it was to be treated and moved.

1 Chron. 13 David has just recently been anointed king and one of the first things he does is turn his attention to the ark of the Lord. He says to the Israelites, “Let us bring the ark of our God to us, for we did not seek it in the days of Saul” (1 Chron. 13:3). Saul did not lead Israel in seeking the presence of God by way of the ark. It sat 20 years in the house of a Levite as if it were a common thing before David came to it. And so the Lord has established David, crowning him and giving him victory in battle, and David now in return desires to give the Lord the honor he is due in the land. But while David’s intentions in seeking the ark are good, he does not yet fully move beyond the flaws of his predecessor. He sins against the Lord in his zeal and his mistakes halt this first attempt at bringing the ark into Jerusalem.

The first error of David was the mode of transportation he provided for the ark of the covenant.

The Law explicitly says that the ark is only to be carried by its poles on the shoulders of the Levites. And here David is placing it on a cart pulled by oxen – which just so happens to be the dishonorable way the Philistines moved the ark around. This neglect of God’s Law regarding the care of the ark demonstrated an irreverence for God and His awesome presence.

The second error was that of Uzzah. The ark had resided in his father’s house for 20 years, and perhaps he become too accustomed to its presence. For as Uzzah traveled with the ark at one point the oxen momentarily stumbled, and he reached his hand out to it in order to steady it. His action may have been well intended, but as a layman he was not to touch God’s holy ark. And so the Lord struck him down in anger, causing David to become angry and afraid of God, saying, “How can I bring the ark of God to me?”

DAVID’S SECOND ATTEMPT

Now David’s second attempt at returning the ark, which is completed in our chapter this morning, begins in 1 Chron. 15.

We can see this time that David had considered his previous errors. For now he tells the people that “No one may carry the ark of God but the Levites, for the Lord has chosen them to carry the ark of God and to minister before Him forever” (v. 2). And then in verse 12 he also tells the heads of the houses of Levites to “sanctify yourselves, you and your brethren, that you may bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel to the place I have prepared for it. For because you did not do it the first time, the Lord God broke out against us, because we did not consult Him about the proper order.” At the end of 1 Chron. 16, David also organizes the worship at the Mosaic tabernacle elsewhere, and he does so “according to all that is written in the Law of the Lord which He commanded Israel.”

So David has learned from his sin and mistakes during the first attempt, as he reforms His worship according to God’s law. And here at King’s Cross we have this same desire of David to worship God rightly.

Throughout Scripture, God tells His people how He is to be worshiped. And He not only tells us what He desires, but He gives many examples of His hatred for false worship. Probably the most well known Old Testament example is in Leviticus with Nadab and Abihu.

In Leviticus 10 we read that the sons of Aaron offered strange fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them. And so the Lord consumed them with fire and said, “By those who come near Me, I must be regarded as holy; And before all the people, I must be glorified.”

This requirement from God continues in the New Testament. One example is where the Apostle Paul corrects the Colossians in their errant worship, calling what they are doing “will-worship,” that is, worship that is according to their own will rather than God’s – a self-made religion (Col. 2:23).

This commitment is known in the Reformed tradition as the regulative principle of worship. The simplest definition of the regulative principle is this: worship is to be according to Scripture. Now we know that Scripture does not give explicit instructions regarding every detail of Lord’s Day worship. There is not a bulletin located in its appendix and we have no mention of microphones. But God has made His overall desires for what true worship contains clear, both explicitly and implicitly in His Word.

As the Westminster Confession says, “the acceptable way of worshiping the true God is instituted by Himself, and so limited to His own revealed will, that He may not be worshiped according to the imaginations and devices of men… or any other way not prescribed in the Holy Scripture.” And so this is why we have a set liturgy each week with certain fixed elements in our worship. These elements include prayer, the reading of Scripture, sound preaching, the singing of psalms and hymns, and the administration of the sacraments.

Additionally, our worship is ordered according to a particular pattern every week. If you look in your bulletins, you will see the headers throughout the liturgy that say – Call / Confession / Consecration / Communion / and Commissioning. This pattern is not arbitrary, but rather is an attempt to mirror the patterns of worship in Scripture, particularly in Leviticus, where the three middle categories follow three distinct sacrifices – the guilt offering, the ascension offering, and the peace offering.

So the first thing I want you to see in this ark narrative in 1 Chronicles is this – that worship is to be done reverently in accordance to God’s commands.

THE ROLE OF AFFECTIONS

Our second point involves the role of emotions or feelings in worship.

We’ve established how God requires worship to be done according to His own word – not according to our word or how we feel he should be worshiped. Saul did not seek the Lord, or when he did, he took matters into his own hands and disobeyed in the process. And so Samuel tells him that to obey is better than sacrifice. David sought the Lord with zeal and a right desire, but he did not do it according to the law of the Lord, leading the Lord to anger. But we would be greatly mistaken to think that feelings do not matter to God, or that they are irrelevant in our worship.

This biblical, liturgical worship we desire and participate in is not meant to be a dead and lifeless thing – a simple matter of going through the motions. Biblical worship is not stuffy or boring, rather in our text it is quite the opposite. There is singing, stringed instruments and trumpets, dancing, and joy all over.

But what we must realize is that when we worship God, feelings do not lead. Obedience to His commands comes first, and then feelings follow. Affections are not absent, they are not meaningless, but they simply are not the driver of our worship. Our feelings do not guide our worship, but rather they attend it.

When God gives commands in Scripture regarding worship, they are commands to do something. Worship is action. It is obedience. The Lord says to offer me a sacrifice, and so we offer it. The Lord says to sing praises to My name, and so we sing them. And when we worship God rightly, when we do our duty and offer to God that which he is due, it then leads to high praise and joy. Obedient worship trains our affections and it changes our emotions. It gives usjoy before the Lord.

And so throughout this second processional of the ark, joy is all over. In 1 Chron. 15:25 it says that when David and his many men went to bring the ark of the Lord up from the house Obed-Edom, they did this with joy. David’s song here in our passage is a perfect example of this reality. When the ark is finally placed in the tabernacle, he can’t contain himself but bursts forth into a psalm of thanksgiving. His first attempt lacked reverent obedience. But he reforms his ways and in the climax of this second attempt to seek and worship the Lord through the ark, David can’t help but rejoice with song.

But this song is so interesting. It is full of joy and gladness, and yet it is also full of commands.

There is command after command to worship God. From verses 8–13, he tells the people of God to give thanks, to call upon His name, to make known His deeds, to sing to Him, to talk of all His wondrous works, to seek the Lord, and to remember His marvelous works. And in the midst of all the commands is the promise in verse 10, that the hearts of those who seek the Lord will rejoice.

This is exactly how the psalmist who penned Psalm 2 speaks of worship, when he says to “Worship the Lord with reverence, and rejoice with trembling” (Ps. 2:11). Biblical worship is reverent… but it contains both rejoicing and trembling. Doing and feeling go hand in hand in worship, but we must keep the order right.

So when we gather on the Lord’s day, we gather foremost to offer God the obedience that He is due. We do not come primarily to seek out a certain feeling in ourselves. But throughout Scripture, joy and love toward God typically come alongside our doing.

Now some of you may be thinking – okay, this sounds good. But what about when the feelings don’t come? What about when week after week I come and I am seemingly unmoved? And my encouragement to you might seem simple, but I mean it earnestly – trust the Lord.

Do your part – obey His commands. Participate in the worship of God, pay attention to what we are saying and doing, to the best of your ability. When we sing, sing – don’t just stand there. And don’t just sing, but consider the truths you are proclaiming with your lips. Observe the goodness all around you, as You hear Scripture sung, preached, and prayed. Be engaged in the worship of God. Meditate on His goodness in this room. And after all that, trust the Lord with your emotions.

C.S. Lewis once wrote in a letter regarding this topic of emotions in the Christian life. He wrote that “Obedience is the key to all doors.” And then he says, “feelings come (or don’t come) and go as God pleases. We can’t produce them at will and must not try.”

Lewis notes elsewhere that when we obey even when we don’t feel like it, the funny thing is at some point in that obedience we begin to feel it without noticing. He uses the example of when we come into contact with someone we really don’t like all that much, but we know how to be polite, and so we pretend to be kind. And the next thing you know, we’re actually meaning it –we’re actually being kind to them in our conversation.

So worship the Lord according to His Word, worship Him in the beauty of holiness and simplicity with all of God’s people here. And trust Him to bless it all.

MISSION: ARK OF ELOHIM

Our third and final point is this – as we worship God, we will then desire to see others join in on the praise.

We may think that this passage is only about good news for Israel, as the ark of the covenant is returned and as they praise their God. But this worship is good news for the nations. There are hints throughout the ark narrative here that point to it being an international affair — not something just for Israel but something that affects all the nations of the earth. For example, there are various Gentiles involved in the narrative supporting David, such as Obed-Edom who housed the ark after the first attempt and whose exact racial identity is unclear – but his name suggests he either was a Gentile or lived among them for a time.

Another major hint that can be easily overlooked is the name given to the ark here in 1 Chronicles. Typically the full name designated to the ark is this: the ark of the covenant, or, the ark of the covenant of Yahweh of Hosts. This designation shows that the ark is for God’s covenant people, with Yahweh being the covenant name of God. This is the most common name for it in Deuteronomy and Joshua. But in 1 Chronicles, it is repeatedly called simply the ark of God. The ark of Elohim, without reference to God’s covenant or His covenant name.

Elohim is another name for our God, and one that has a more universal designation. It is the first name of God in the Bible. Elohim created the heavens and the earth. The ark is God’s meeting place with His people, but it also considered in Psalm 132 as His footstool, the footstool of His heavenly throne. And so the ark-throne of Elohim, the God of all creation, is established here in Jerusalem and this affects all nations, it matters to both Jew and Gentile.

MISSION: DAVID’S PSALM

This theme continues in David’s song of praise and thanksgiving, which we will consider now. There is a rough outline to this psalm which has David expanding the praise of God outward from Jerusalem.

First, he begins speaking to the people of God, speaking to Israel. He tells them to remember the special work that God has done specifically for them. In verse 12–13, “Remember His marvelous works which He has done… O seed of Israel His servant, you children of Jacob, His chosen ones!” He continues to refer to their covenant status, in verses 15–19, “Remember His covenant forever, the Word He commanded for a thousand generations, the covenant which He made with Abraham, and His oath to Isaac, and confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, to Israel for an everlasting covenant…”

But throughout David’s commands to them to praise the Lord, He is telling them to make their praise public among the nations. Verses 24, “Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples.” What are these nations to hear? What do they need to learn? Verses 25–26 read, “For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised; He is also above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens.”

And so as David and all Israel praise the Lord, the psalm then turns to address the nations directly beginning in verse 28, “Give to the Lord, O families of the peoples, Give to the Lord the glory due His name…” And the nations are invited in to participate in the worship, David says, “Bring an offering, and come before Him. Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness!”

After addressing the nations, all creation is summoned beginning in verse 31… “Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; and let them say among the nations, ‘The Lord reigns.’ Let the sea roar, and all its fullness; Let the field rejoice, and all that is in it. Then the trees of the woods shall rejoice before the Lord, for He is coming to judge the earth.”

All creation is meant to praise its Creator. When we see the glimmer of the golden hour sun, we see the glory of God. When we see the wind whisper through the green leaves of a tree, we see them clapping their hands for joy. When we hear the crashing waves of the sea roar, they are singing songs of praise to the Lord which sustains them.

That is the intended end of all creation. All creation is to glorify and bring honor to its Creator. And this is the scope of our worship – it covers the whole earth and all that it is in it.

AN INVITATION TO THE NATIONS

So what we do here every Lord’s Day is really not contained within these walls. We are participating in cosmic praise, all of creation is joining in, and throughout the nations of the earth God’s people are offering themselves as living sacrifices to Him.

And as we worship the Lord in the fullness of joy, our desires should be turned outward to see our family and friends, our neighbors and our whole town, to join in with us.

Our church is not an exclusive social club or a secret society. We are the people of God, we are those who worship the Creator of heaven and earth. We worship the one, true, and living God – and we do so publicly because we want our whole city to hear and see and be compelled to do the same.

Our zeal for the Lord and our desire to see him honored rightly will necessarily mean that we want to all people to honor Him. Why? For the Lord deserves the praises of their lips. And not only does He deserve their praise, He desires their praise.

That is the gospel.

All the way back to God’s covenant with Abraham, he promises this, he says, “…in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” In the next chapter of Chronicles, this promise is continued in God’s covenant with David. God through the prophet Nathan tells David that the Lord will build him a house.  He says, “I will set up your seed after you, who will be of your sons; and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build Me a house, and I will establish his throne forever.”

Who is the seed of Abraham and David? The One whom has an everlasting kingdom? It is our Lord Christ, the Son of David, the king of the nations.

And so in Acts 15 when the apostles are debating what to do with all the Gentiles turning to the Lord, they recall the words of God through the prophet Amos, foretelling of the salvation of the nations through the Jewish Messiah. As it is written, “‘After this I will return, And will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down; I will rebuild its ruins, And I will set it up;So that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, Even all the Gentiles who are called by My name…’”

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, like King David we must seek the Lord, and seek Him rightly, and offer Him worship as He has commanded.

But this worship does not terminate here. It is meant to flow into our homes, into our neighborhoods, throughout our land, and throughout the earth.

With David, let us say to all with our words and with our actions, Come! Come, worship the Lord with us in the beauty of holiness!

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Get the Girl (Get Married & Stay Married #1)

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INTRODUCTION

The Gospel we preach is potent because it restores in Christ what was ruined in Adam. Throughout Scripture, high and lofty theological discourses are often followed by “now husbands.…” Or “teach these things to you children.” This sets doctrine in the midst of community; and marriage is the fundamental building block of community. Modern redefinitions of marriage are like a contractor substituting concrete for silly putty. We currently live in a culture that’s trying to build skyscrapers this way. So faithful Christians, in living out the Gospel glories of Christ winning His bride, must labor to cultivate & maintain godly marriages.

THE TEXT

Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh (Gen. 2:24).

MADE FOR COMMUNITY

The creation narrative ends with a wedding. Our text describes how all subsequent marriages are to occur: the tie between father & son is left (not ended) in order for the son to be bound fast unto his wife. The community of parents is forsaken in order to enter into the sweeter community of marriage. And from this communion of husband and wife an increase of community. Community is not decreased by marriage, it is increased, sweetened, and heightened.

But this text also clues us in to what happens in this cleaving. The man & his wife are made one. This all follows from God revealing to Adam his task of dressing and keeping the garden (Gen. 2:15-17). Although Adam is created similarto the beasts, there’s no companion for him amongst them (Gen. 2:18-20). It is not good for man to be alone.

Amidst the good of God’s creation, we find that the one thing “not good” was Adam’s incompleteness. Man was not made for isolation, but for communion; communion with God, and then communion with neighbor. Thus, a single man eager to  pursue marriage isn’t being ungodly, but he is pursuing the Love God, Love Neighbor paradigm which Scripture sets forth as a life of true holiness.

BEFORE CHOOSING A BRIDE

From this we can glean a few instructive lessons for young men who would honor God in wooing & winning a bride. Young men must recognize that they were made for an aim. They were made for a mission. God gave unto man the task of protecting and providing. Boys & young men should be taught what their strength is for: not taking, but creating.

The Scriptures give us a helpful description of what a young man should be aiming for and spending his strength on. In other words, if a young man desires to honor the Lord, he is not left to guess at where he should be headed. Young men should be strong (Pro. 20:29). Young men should be sober minded; men of gravity (Tit. 2:6). Young men should be noted for strength & overcoming the devil (1 Jn. 2:14-15). Lastly, and most importantly, young men should be mindful that their youth will fail, but waiting upon God will be an eternal fountain of strength (Is. 40:30-31).

This last point is of utmost important. A man who looks to himself to be filled, will soon find himself empty. Amos warned Israel that as they would not hear and heed God’s word, the curse would land upon them in the form of fainting young men and maids (Amos 8:13, Cf. Is. 51:20).

You’re a contingent being. Even the strength of young men isn’t enough to save them. It will fade. It will falter. It will fail. But in the Lord is an unwearying supply of strength. A new birth, a renovation, is the only way to truly live. In other words, the word to young men is the word to us all, rest in the power of Christ alone. Having this frame of mind, for all of life, is the only way for a young man to keep his way pure (Ps. 119:9). This is poignantly true in regards to pursuing marriage.

FINDING A WIFE

A young man desiring to find a wife is a good thing, but this goodness is not automatic. Better to live in the Australian outback, than with a brawling wife. But of course, a godly wife has a price far above rubies. A bachelor should think of himself as a treasure hunter, not a museum curator. As such, he must bear a few things in mind.

Contrary to the modern sentiment, romance isn’t a hobby. In the last decade or two, a seismic shift has taken place. Dating was an expected recreational activity of young people. Find a boyfriend/girlfriend, for as long as it suited your fancy. However, this was understood to be a temporary arrangement. You need to play the field in order to know what you like. Or so the “thinking” went. It’s been observed that this was divorce training, and that certainly hits near the mark.

Tragically, that removal of responsibility triggered an avalanche of sexual irresponsibility. We live in a moment where young men are increasingly withdrawing from even pursuing young women, while women are increasingly throwing themselves at the “top 20%” of men. The average young man has been incentivized into a neutered existence. The average young woman has been incentivized into an unchaste existence. This arrangement will be the ruin of our nation unless we repent and return to the ways of the Lord.

Christian young men should take to heart the wisdom of Solomon. Throughout the book of Proverbs the summons is for the son to recognize and flee from the seductive woman, and to pursue and cling to the virtuous woman. This comes back to my earlier point that young men should cultivate gravitas. A man without this Spirit-born gravity will be easily thrown out of orbit by every insta-babe that shows up on his feed. By contrast, a man who can say with David, “I shall not be moved”, will be the sort of man which lovely women of virtue will want to orbit.

Scripture, then, gives a broad category of two types of women: Lady Wisdom & Lady Folly. Or, to put this in NT terms: converted & unconverted. That narrows the pool. While the OT patriarchs selected brides for their sons from the extended family––and there is a certain wisdom that can be gleaned––we shouldn’t forget that provision was made for how a man might lawfully marry a foreign women (Deu. 21:10-14). There were a few more hoops to jump through, but it wasn’t unachievable. That said, wisdom would call for seeking a bride by starting close to home, and working outward from there. But only in the Lord (1 Cor. 7:39).

ROOTED IN CHRIST

But all of this is vanity if it is not rooted in Christ. The mystery of marriage is that while it brings a husband and wife to the heights of earthly joys, it isn’t an eternal arrangement. Marriage is bounded by earthly life (only death ought to end a marriage). Nevertheless, it is a parable of eternity. Young men are called upon to model their lives in conformity to Christ, the Church’s bridegroom. And this means learning to live so as to die. This means a life of sacrifice, selfless leadership, courage, all built on the faith which God gives by grace (Cf. 2 Pt. 1:5).

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Thirst for God (CCD)

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INTRODUCTION

This is a beloved Psalm which demonstrates the maturing faith of David in his later years and trials. This Psalm is vivid. Surprising. It is memorable, and it is a wonderfully balm to the aching heart.

THE TEXT

A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches. Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice. My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me. But those that seek my soul, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth. They shall fall by the sword: they shall be a portion for foxes. But the king shall rejoice in God; every one that sweareth by him shall glory: but the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped.
Psalm 63:1-11

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

This is a Psalm for the wilderness. Despite physical deprivation, David longs for God with both his soul & body (v1). His longing centers on seeing God’s power & glory as displayed in the sanctuary (v2). Because God’s lovingkindness is superior to life itself, praise will arise from David’s parched lips (v3). Though physically feeble, his arms will be raised in praise (v4).
His inner man will be strengthened, as with hearty victuals, and his lips will break forth in praise as after a delicious covenant meal (v5); this all will be the case even when upon his desert bed during the midnight watch (v6). Meditating upon God’s past deliverances secures a present peace to rest under the shadow of Jehovah’s wings (v7, Cf. Rt. 2:12).
Despite being hunted by his enemies, David hunts after God and he sees that even in this it is God’s right hand which holds him up (v8). Then David turns to his companions and rouses them to courage & loyalty. Those pursuing him for destruction would themselves be destroyed (v9). Either the sword or the desert scavengers would be their demise (v10). King David would remain joyful in God, and those who would share in that glory must renew their vows of fealty to David (v11). However, any traitors will meet with a sudden end, their lying lips will be stopped (v11).

IN FAMINE OR FEAST

David provides a sharp contrast to his ancestors here. Whereas Israel’s wilderness wanderings were marked by complaining, fear of foes, compromise with idolaters, pining for Egypts leeks & onions. Here David longs for “my God.” This is the beating heart of the evangelical faith. To call God your God is the sum of true piety.
Notice the orientation of David’s longing. He longs for God, as a night-watcher for the dawn, like a desert plant sends forth its tendrils to reach the smallest droplet of moisture, like a parched & famished man searches for food & drink. But this longing has a reference point: the power and glory of God. But David is more specific than that, it is God’s power & glory as displayed in the Sanctuary of saints which fills David’s mind.
God, of course, is not confined to the tabernacle. So, although there is great glory in the congregation of saints, true piety is sustained even in times of dryness, exile, and misery. It is false piety which deludes itself into thinking it can sustain spiritual life apart from the glory of God in the midst of His people, or if it thinks that mere emotional enthusiasm is enough to sustain Christian vibrancy. Individualism and mere enthusiasm are insufficient to sustain the spiritual life of the saint.

DELIGHTING IN GOD

In our emotionally stunted age, in many respects we must relearn how to feel. On one hand there is a tendency towards embracing emotional expressiveness as emotional maturity. But it is the one who has their emotions well in hand who truly has maturity. On the other hand, the stoic approach treats any emotional feeling with suspicion.

This and many other Psalms are full of godly emotions. This sets before us how to feel rightly about God. Many well-meaning Christians try to manufacture what they perceive to be vibrant “holy feelings”. Conferences. Summer camps. The right combination of books. Trying to obtain the right posture during their morning devotionals so that the Angel Choirs are forced to break forth in the Hallelujah Chorus. All of this is missing the focal point of our piety: God is your God.

You don’t have to persuade a starving man of his hunger. Nor do you awake each morning panicked with concern that maybe you’re not hungry enough for breakfast. By being human, you are in need of God. You need Him in your rising, sleeping, in the glory of the congregation, in the sorrow of the desert. You need Him more than life, more than breath, more than food, or water, or sunshine.

This is just the way things are. Spiritually maturity does not mean the deadening of emotions, it means the ripening of them. It means to aim for the object of those desires not the feeling of desire itself. Immature emotions are like a toddler trying to the hold fourteen leashes of untrained Great Danes after a cat runs by. By delighting in God for His own sake, and despite your circumstances, your emotions are brought to heel.

MORE THAN LIFE

But God is your God because His lovingkindness has been great towards you. Indeed, until you see that God’s hesed has been great towards you, you will chase after this life as if it is the point. But David says otherwise.

The Lord’s lovingkindness is better than “lives”. In other words, group together all variety of lives which could be lived––monarchs, drunkards, business tycoons, desert monks, those who live to a ripe old age and those who are cut off in childhood. The Lord’s tender mercy to you is better than any of them whether individually or in totality. His lovingkindness is like a strong hand beneath you. You seek hard after God, all to discover that God’s lovingkindness holds steadfast to you.

LET LIARS DIE

A striking thing about the Psalms is that they don’t follow the grooves of our nice and tidy sensibilities of what “godly emotions” should look like. This is particularly evident in this Psalm. Here is glorious lines of David rejoicing in the Lord. Here are glorious metaphors. And then, instead of a sweet ending, we have the clamor of threats and the swearing of oaths.

True longing for God fits us for battle with our enemies. While you remain on earth, your worship of the Living God is not intended to end with the sweet sighings of romantics. Rather, setting your affections of Christ above (Col. 3:1-5) is how you bring about the downfall of those hunting you down.

They shall fall by the sword. They shall be left to be devoured by desert beasts. Because God is your God. David resolves, as the lawful head of Israel, to rejoice in God. He then summons those with him to either join the cause or fall in silence.

You are beset with enemies. Both inward and outward. What is that to you? God is your God. Have you been feeling parched spiritually? Go to your God, both here amongst His people and in the solitary night watches. Seek after God, and find, that all along, at every turn, it is He who has sought after you, and will deliver you from all your enemies.

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Clean Hearts & Blessed Fountains (Biblical Sexuality Sunday 2023)

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INTRODUCTION

In January 2022, the Canadian government enacted Bill C-4, effectively criminalizing Christian preaching, teaching, and counseling that upholds Biblical morality for all sexuality. It specifically prohibits “conversion therapy” and defines that therapy as any practice, treatment, or service that seeks to call individuals to embrace the body God created them with and covenant marriage, with a penalty of up to five years in prison. It also condemns historic, biblical teaching on sexuality as “myths.”

A number of faithful men have called for the pastors of Canada to preach messages annually in direct defiance of that law. We, along with many American pastors, are joining them to stand in solidarity with them. With the recent passage of the so-called “Respect for Marriage Act,” American churches have even more reason to stand with our faithful Canadian brothers and to exhort and warn our own American leaders from going down this same path.

Here in this text, we are given an example of a faithful father teaching and warning his children, and his son in particular, to spot the deadly allures of sexual confusion and sin, and to pursue and rejoice in one woman in the fear of God.

THE TEXT

“My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding: that thou mayest regard discretion and that thy lips may keep knowledge…” (Prov. 5:1-23).

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

Solomon warns his son to listen to his father closely in order to stay far away from the seductive lips of the strange woman whose feet go down to Hell (Prov. 5:1-8). That path is paved with regret, sadness, sickness, and poverty (Prov. 5:9-14). Instead, the son is instructed to love the life God has given him and rejoice in the wife of his youth (Prov. 5:15-20). God sees all things, and He has fashioned the world such that a man hangs himself with his own sins and folly (Prov. 5:21-23).

INESCAPABLE DISCIPLESHIP

There is no neutrality anywhere; every square inch of the universe is claimed by Christ. And therefore, every human moment is either submitted to that Lordship or else it is defying that Lordship. This means that children are growing up either being taught that Christ is Lord of everything, or not. This is why God required Israel to teach their children that the Lord is One God and to love Him with singular devotion all day long and everywhere (Dt. 6:4-9). This is what the New Testament calls “the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4). This nurture and admonition includes everything the Bible says about human sexuality. This means that whatever any human authority says, we must obey God rather than man (Acts 5:29). This applies to all men, but it applies particularly to our children.

LIFE OR DEATH

The basic choice before us and our children is: life or death? The path of all sexual confusion and immorality leads to death; sexual obedience is the path of life (Prov. 5:5-6). This same choice is between, on the one hand: productivity, fruitfulness, and joy, and on the other hand: futility, barrenness, and sorrow (Prov. 5:10-14). Sexual obedience begins by submitting with gratitude to the biology God has given, as well as rejoicing in the respective assignments and glories that come with your body. And from the earliest ages, honoring those differences with all modesty and purity and joy. This requires joyfully teaching boundaries and enforcing them. This should be done in faith (not fear), trusting that what you’re actually insisting on is the natural goodness of the created order, like teaching them to walk or talk or sing. This should include lots of healthy physical affection, compliments, and good humor. The central “well of life” in a family is the affection, respect, and loyalty between a man and his wife (Prov. 5:15-19). Whatever you are saying, you are either confirming or contradicting by your marriage. The strongest protection from the Devil and all predators and lies is the unity of husband and wife (1 Cor. 7:5, Eph. 4:26-27).

APPLICATIONS

Run from all temptation: Joseph ran from Potiphar’s wife (Gen. 39:12). Jesus says to cut off the hand that causes you to sin, pluck out the eye (Mt. 5:29). It’s striking that He says this again, specifically when He warns against causing little ones to stumble (Mt. 18:6-10). Run from sexual temptation, but also run from all bitterness, wrath, and strife in your home that may cause your children to stumble.

Repent of all your sins: “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God… For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God… Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth: fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry… put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him” (Col. 3:1-10).

Sin deforms the image of God; repentance in Christ reforms and restores the image of God. But Christian repentance is impossible apart from regeneration. You cannot “mortify therefore” unless you have been raised with Christ. But if you have risen with Christ, then you are dead and your life is hidden with Christ in God, and repentance is simply agreeing that all of your sin really is dead. And if it is dead, then you are clean and free. Full repentance includes confession to God, people sinned against, and new obedience.

Clean hearts see more clearly than dirty hearts. Sin-laden hearts have eyes with logs in them, and you can’t see dangers clearly and know how to avoid them, whether for yourself or your children (Mt. 7:3-5). There are several biblical principles for wise and faithful parenting (e.g. faith, joy, obedience, fellowship), but parenting is a lot more like cooking than a math problem. There is a general recipe to follow, but depending on a number of details, your taste must be well trained to know what is needed next. And that is only possible with clean hearts.

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The Law of Kindness (KC)

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INTRODUCTION

The Bible says that a man who doesn’t sin with his words is perfect and has tamed something wilder than beasts and serpents (Js. 3:2-8). If this is the case ordinarily, how much more so are we up against it in a world that has embraced profanity, perversion, lies, and violent words and has the technological ability to send and multiply them exponentially around the world?

But this is one of the marks of a new heart in Christ. No man can tame the tongue (Js. 3:8), and out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks (Lk. 6:45). Therefore, only a new heart from God can turn the tongue into a well of blessing, and when He does, it is exponential blessing.

THE TEXT

“She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness” (Prov. 31:26).

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

The Proverbs 31 woman is the culminating summary of Lady Wisdom who was introduced in the opening chapters of Proverbs, as the woman a young man should seek to marry with all his strength. While wisdom certainly is understanding, knowledge, skills, and virtues, the picture of wisdom as a woman is not merely a picture, but part of the point is that seeking, finding, wooing, and marrying a good woman, and building a home with her under the blessing of God is where wisdom is found and cultivated. So wisdom is woman to be pursued, and a good woman embodies that wisdom, particularly in her words. But ultimately Christ is the wisdom of God and on His tongue is the law of kindness (1 Cor. 1:24, 30). Therefore, in every Christian home, everyone is learning to speak that glorious dialect.

THE TORAH OF GRACE

The word “Torah” is the word for “law,” and it refers specifically to the first five books of Moses, but Christ is the end of the law for everyone who believes (Rom. 10:4). The word “Torah” generically means “guidance” or “instruction.” So on the one hand, the mouth of wisdom includes teaching the grace of the law of God, the goodness of the law of God, the sweetness of the law of God: “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul… the statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart… more to be desired are they than gold… sweeter also than honey” (Ps. 19:7-11). “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous” (1 Jn. 5:3). On the other hand, the mouth of wisdom guides and instructs in grace, in kindness, toward grace and kindness. Ultimately, these two things are the same: for against the fruit of the Spirit “there is no law” (Gal. 5:22-23).

LIES & FLATTERY

The law of kindness is first of all truthful: “A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it; and a flattering mouth worketh ruin” (Prov. 26:28). And while straight lies, cheating, and all deception must be renounced and repented of, flattery is often excused under the guise of being nice or kind. Flattery is false, insincere, or excessive praise, usually with the aim of either avoiding conflict or gaining some favor. Socrates said that flattery is a show of friendship but not the actual fruit. The evil woman flatters with her tongue; her lips drip honey, luring to sexual immorality (Prov. 2:16, 5:3, 6:24). Flattery is satanic, going all the way back to the garden (Gen. 3:4-5). True biblical love confronts sin in love (Lev. 18:17-18, Eph. 4:15).

Flattery may happen in a refusal to address sin or problems, and flattery may occur angling for honor or friendship or gifts. The Psalm says that those who flatter have “double-hearts” (Ps. 12:2); they have ulterior motives. But the law of kindness is sincere, single, simple (2 Cor. 1:12). The first Christians were characterized by this “singleness of heart” (Acts 2:46). The center of this kindness and singleness of heart is the fear of God; it is not “eyeservice,” or being “menpleasers” (Col. 3:22). It speaks always fully aware that Christ is in the room.

A TREE OF LIFE

As opposed to the hatred and destruction of lies and flattery, good words are a tree of life (Prov. 15:4). In particular, words of blessing are like good food for the soul: “The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life” (Prov. 10:11). “By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted: but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked” (Prov. 11:11). “A man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth: but the soul of the transgressors shall eat violence.” (Prov. 13:2). In other words, we are always “eating” our words, either for good or for ill: “A man’s belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled” (Prov. 18:20). “Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel” (Prov. 20:17). But the tongue of the wise is health (Prov. 12:18).

APPLICATIONS

Pray, write, and say blessings over one another: Husbands, bless your wives literally (Prov. 31:28). Here are a few: “Be thou the mother of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them” (Gen. 24:60). “Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem, terrible as an army with banners” (Song 6:4). Parents, especially fathers, say blessings over your children: “That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace” (Ps. 144:12).

When my children were young, I would say this over my sons: “May the Lord bless you and keep you and make you a mighty man; may you fight sin, Satan, giants, and dragons, through Jesus Christ our Lord.” And I said this over my daughters: “May the Lord bless you and keep you and make you wise and beautiful; and may your children and grandchildren rise up and call you blessed.” Quote/imitate Scripture and write your own for bedtimes, Sabbath dinners, birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, etc.

We want to continue to cultivate a culture of blessing: “And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers, The LORD be with you. And they answered him, The LORD bless thee” (Ruth 2:4). “By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted” (Prov. 11:11). And all of this is based on the fact that God’s Word and God’s ways are blessings. His command in the beginning was simultaneously a blessing (Gen. 1:28). And in Christ, His single-hearted word to us is hesed, His covenant faithfulness, His lovingkindness, to a thousand generations.

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