Psalm 15- Abide

 Psalm 15 - Abide

Psalms 15

Description of a Citizen of Zion.

A PSALM OF DAVID.

1 O LORD, who may abide in Your tent?

Who may dwell on Your holy hill?

2 He who walks with integrity, and works righteousness,

And speaks truth in his heart.

3 He does not slander with his tongue,

Nor does evil to his neighbor,

Nor takes up a reproach against his friend;

4 In whose eyes a reprobate is despised,

But who honors those who fear the LORD;

He swears to his own hurt and does not change;

5 He does not put out his money at interest,

Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.

He who does these things will never be shaken.

I’ve been meditating on this psalm, and the word “abide”, for several days. There are several other psalms that speak on this topic as well, and to of them are psalm 24 and psalm 61:

Psalms 24:3-4

3 Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD?

And who may stand in His holy place?

4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart,

Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood

And has not sworn deceitfully.

Psalms 61:4

4 Let me dwell in Your tent forever;

Let me take refuge in the shelter of Your wings.

Selah.

I’ve been dwelling on this subject for quite awhile, trying to figure out the whole concept of abiding with the Lord. However, this Sunday, we had a guest speaker who preached about hearing God. One thing that he said is that sometimes you can’t hear God until you calm down and take a rest. You can’t do it all on your own. This certainly applies to me as I always want to investigate every issue and find my own solution to every problem, but for some things, you just need chill out and wait on God. In this case, “abide” just means “abide”; to live with, to dwell, to remain and to just spend time with God. 

I’m especially guilty of overthinking every thing and trying to understand everything that can be known about a problem. However, with some thinks of God, is impossible for our feeble human mind to comprehend everything! We just need to lay back and rest, trusting in Him in all things.

That being said, there are a couple of mysteries about abiding. As they say, “Where the Old conceals the New reveals”, so let us look at what the New Testament says about abiding. The Apostle John in particular says a lot about abiding. 

So then, the first mystery is this: The psalmist asks the question “who may abide in your tent?” and answers in Psalm 24 with the statement “He who has clean hands and a pure heart.” But this raises the question of who is pure enough to abide with God? Do you have to have a perfectly pure heart to abide with God, or is it the other way round where abiding with God creates a pure heart? (Ps 51:10)

In the Gospel of John, chapter 15, he records the teaching of Jesus about abiding.

John 15:4

4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.

John 15:7-10

7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. 9 Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.

Jesus teaches that abiding with him is like a branch of a vine. There is a mutual aspect of this because abiding begins with Jesus love for us. But as we abide in Him, we receive that love and life and begin to bear fruit. In John 1, we see that the Spirit abiding with Jesus began with his baptism. (The Greek word menō [g3306 μένω] is translated remained here, but is the same word translated as abide in John 15.) 

John 1:32

32 John testified saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. 

So this gives us a picture of how we can begin to abide with the Lord. Jess voluntarily submitted to the baptism of John, and with His obedience, the Father blessed Him and sent the Holy Spirit to dwell with Him. This also applies to us as we can approach the Father, even in our present sinful position, and submit to His will and he will bless us a begin to abide with us,.

So the answer is that neither “abiding” nor “pure heart” come first, but they are mutually supporting activities. What comes first is our submission to the will of God, accepting His grace and salvation, and then pressing in to His presence to begin learning how to abide with Him. Then the more we abide in the vine, the more we bear the fruit of the tree.

Another related question is “how do you learn to abide with the Lord?” There are several answers to this question, but one that interests me, because it causes me lots of difficulty is this; the mystery of Christ and the church is modeled in marriage. When marriage is perfect, the love an unity illustrates the relationship between Christ and the church. This is abiding. I say that this gives me problems because I’m not even close to perfect at marriage! Not that I’ve not had a lot of practice, being married for over four decades, but there are lots of issues with abiding with my wife that I am still struggling to figure out. Still, I think marriage is a good workshop for us to work out how to abide in love with another person, and thus teaches us how to abide with Jesus. If I have problems with one, it’s no wonder that I have problems with the other, so pray for me!

The Apostle John has a lot more to say about abiding, but I will leave it as an exercise for the reader to study further on this. Some other interesting verses about abiding are John 5:38, 6:56, 8:31, 14:10 and 1 John 2:3-6, 2:10, 2:14, 2:24, 2:27-28, 3:9, 3:24, 4:12-15 and 2 John 1:9.

The passage in 1 John 4 is a pretty good summary of the concept of abiding with the Lord:

1 John 4:12-15

12 No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us. 13 By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. 14 We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.

15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.

We are taught here that love and abiding go together hand in hand and the the Spirit of God dwells in us and teaches us to love and to abide. Therefore, let us love one another, confessing that Jesus is the Son of God and testifying that the Father has sent the Son to save the world. It is this kind of love and abiding that will sustain us in this world and cause us to bear fruit that will testify to the world that Jesus is love.

Psalm 14- None Righteous

 Psalm 14- None Righteous

Psalm 14 (NET)

For the music director; by David.

1 Fools say to themselves, “There is no God.”

They sin and commit evil deeds;

none of them does what is right.

2 The LORD looks down from heaven at the human race,

to see if there is anyone who is wise and seeks God.

3 Everyone rejects God;

they are all morally corrupt.

None of them does what is right,

not even one!

4 All those who behave wickedly do not understand -

those who devour my people as if they were eating bread,

and do not call out to the LORD.

5 They are absolutely terrified,

for God defends the godly.

6 You want to humiliate the oppressed,

even though the LORD is their shelter.

7 I wish the deliverance of Israel would come from Zion!

When the LORD restores the well-being of his people,

may Jacob rejoice,

may Israel be happy!

Psalms 14:2-3 (NKJV)

The LORD looks down from heaven upon the children of men,

To see if there are any who understand, who seek God.

3 They have all turned aside,

They have together become corrupt;

There is none who does good,

No, not one.

Psalms 14:7

Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion!

When the LORD brings back the captivity of His people,

Let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad.

Todays discussion is another look at the Old Testament roots of New Testament theology. One passage in this psalm may look a little familiar. Verse 3 is quoted in Romans 3:

Romans 3:9-12 (NASB)

9 What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin;

10 as it is written,

“THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE;

11 THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS,

THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD;

12 ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS;

THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD,

THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.”

Thus we see some roots of the doctrine of original sin, which John Calvin so memorably entitled “Total Depravity”. The writer of the Psalms was making an observation based on his experience with the people around him. He was looking for righteous people, but he seemed to be surrounded by people who didn’t believe in God and were always doing wrong. In typical Old Testament fashion, he then calls for God to terrify his enemies. But in the end, in verse 7, he looks forward to the salvation that would come to Israel many years later.  He was looking for the deliverer, but we have found him.

In the letter to the Romans, Paul explains how it is still true that “there is none righteous, not even one.” But now we have a solution. 

Romans 3:21-2522 

Justification by Faith

But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,

22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; 25 whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith.

We now know that the deliverer has come out of Zion, namely Jesus, and that we can be saved from our wicked condition through faith in Him. Justification by faith is a great gift that Jesus purchased for us on the cross. So even though we all fall short of the glory of God, we can be justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption in Christ Jesus. We can now sing the psalm with joy knowing that salvation has come and we can rejoice and be glad in Him!

Psalm 11- Foundations

 Psalm 11- Foundations

Psalms11:1-7 (NET) 1 In the LORD I have taken shelter. How can you say to me, "Flee to a mountain like a bird! 2 For look, the wicked prepare their bows, they put their arrows on the strings, to shoot in the darkness at the morally upright. 3 When the foundations are destroyed, what can the godly accomplish?" 

4 The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD's throne is in heaven. His eyes watch; his eyes examine all people. 5 The LORD approves of the godly, but he hates the wicked and those who love to do violence. 6 May the LORD rain down burning coals and brimstone on the wicked! A whirlwind is what they deserve! 7 Certainly the LORD is just; he rewards godly deeds; the upright will experience his favor.

I’m writing this on July 5th, the day after American Independence Day, so it is a good time to think about foundations. In this psalm, the writer asks the question, “When the foundations are destroyed, what can the godly accomplish?" 

That question is certainly applicable to this day when all the foundations of our country are being attacked. Patriotism, family, religion, morality and even rational thought all under attack by the forces of evil in our time. So what can the godly accomplish?

We are reminded, and we need to remind our nation, that “The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD's throne is in heaven. His eyes watch; his eyes examine all people.” This thought is mirrored in the New Testament in the second letter to Timothy:

2 Timothy 2:19 (NET)

19 However, God's solid foundation remains standing, bearing this seal: "The Lord knows those who are his," and "Everyone whoconfesses the name of the Lord must turn away from evil."

And he continues:

2Timothy 2:22-23 (NET) 22 But keep away from youthful passions, and pursue righteousness, faithfulness, love, and peace, in company with others who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 23 But reject foolish and ignorant controversies, because you know they breed infighting.

The earthly and philosophical foundations of America may be under attack, but the true foundations of our faith are unshakable. The Lord is in his holy temple… we can think back to Psalm 2 where we see the picture of the Lord, sitting on his throne in heaven, laughing at the evil schemes of the world leaders. 

Our charge is to keep the faith and to “confess the name of the Lord must turn away from evil." And to “But keep away from youthful passions, and pursue righteousness, faithfulness, love, and peace, in company with others who call on the Lord from a pure heart.”  We are also to avoid foolish and ignorant controversies. This is not an easy task in this day and age when all the world seems to be spiraling downwards toward chaos and destruction. However the only true defense against darkness is light. (1 John 1:5-7) if we can live in a manner that shows righteousness , faithfulness, love and peace, some will take notice and turn from darkness to the light.

In the end, the psalmist reminds us of the promise that the Lord watches over and will reward the faithful:

 Psalms11:7 (NET) Certainly the LORD is just; he rewards godly deeds; the upright will experience his favor.

So take heart. Build your life on the foundations rooted in heaven and strive to build on the kingdom principles of righteousness, peace and joy. As the Apostle Paul put it:

2 Thessalonians 3:16 (NET) Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with you all.

Psalm 8- How Majestic is Your Name

 Psalm 8- How Majestic is Your Name in All the Earth

Psalms 8:1-9 (NASB95) 

1 For the choir director; on the Gittith. A Psalm of David. 

O LORD, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth, Who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens! 2 From the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have established strength Because of Your adversaries, To make the enemy and the revengeful cease. 

3 When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained; 4 What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him? 5 Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with glory and majesty! 6 You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, 7 All sheep and oxen, And also the beasts of the field, 8 The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, Whatever passes through the paths of the seas. 

9 O LORD, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth!

How Majestic

Psalm 8:1 O LORD, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth, Who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens!…

3 When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained;…

7 All sheep and oxen, And also the beasts of the field, 8 The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea,…

These verses remind me of my own personal testimony of coming to the Lord. A long time ago, in a land far away, I was a student at a national laboratory in northern Illinois. This was in the age of the hippie revolution and anti Vietnam war protests, and I was all in with the counterculture of that day. I was also studying high energy physics so was also influenced by the secular thinking of the scientific community. We were looking for meaning in the inner workings of the universe without acknowledging the creator of it all. It was the age of love,  peace, and rock and roll, but we had neither love nor peace.

There was only one visible Christian student at my college, and as it happened, we were both studying at the national laboratory that semester. One day we had lunch together, and we talked about God. I told him I wasn’t sure that God even existed. He challenged me, as a scientist, to do an experiment. It was simple, just ask God to prove to me that he exists. I agreed since it seemed simple enough and surely no harm would be done when nothing happened. Boy was I wrong!

Later that evening, I was thinking about all this while walking though the woods. This national lab is in the middle of a forest preserve, partly to isolate the sensitive and sometimes dangerous experiments from the public. The original nuclear pile reactor from the University of Chicago is stored there. Anyway, I was pretty deep in the woods, thinking how silly the concept of god was, so decided to turn around and return to my room. At that exact moment, all the wild animals of the forest began to speak to me. Some birds flew up at me from the reeds around a pond that I had already passed, and other animals in the woods began to howl and hoot. This was a bit disturbing to me, but I discounted it as a coincidence and walked a bit further into the woods. After a bit I though to myself that this was a silly pursuit and tuned to return the way I had come. Again the same thing happened, more birds, more coyotes and other wild animals raised a ruckus. It was as if nature itself was speaking to me, telling me of the glory of their creator. This time I believed and turned to continue forward. I’ve been walking forward, following the Lord to this day. I don’t always follow Him perfectly, but when I need encouragement to continue on, I can always look to nature to see the splendor of the heavens and the other wonders which are the works of HIs hand. O LORD, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth,

What is Man

Another mystery is hidden in this psalm. Just reading the text alone doesn’t reveal this, but fortunately, we have the New Testament to explain it. The writer of Hebrews, in chapter 2, explains how this psalm is a prophesy of the coming Messiah and how Jesus was the perfect fulfillment of this word.

Hebrews 2:6-9 (NASB95)

6 But one has testified somewhere, saying, 

“WHAT IS MAN, THAT YOU REMEMBER HIM? OR THE SON OF MAN, THAT YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT HIM? 7 “YOU HAVE MADE HIM FOR A LITTLE WHILE LOWER THAN THE ANGELS; YOU HAVE CROWNED HIM WITH GLORY AND HONOR, AND HAVE APPOINTED HIM OVER THE WORKS OF YOUR HANDS; 8 YOU HAVE PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET.” 

For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him. 9 But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.

Thus, nature not only speaks to us of the glory of God, but also it shows us how little we are in comparison to the universe. It then explains how Jesus became the least of all of us in order to redeem us, and reclaim the crown of glory lost in the fall of Adam. By allowing himself to be made lower than the angels, Jesus triumphed over sin and death and now all things are in subjection under His feet. He tasted death that we should live and reign forever with him. O LORD, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth!