Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Psalm 35 - An Imprecatory Psalm


Psalm 34:19 Many are the afflictions (bad, evil, displeasing, unhappiness, misery, calamity) of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.

Psalm 119:71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted; (bowed down, humbled, mishandled) that I might learn thy statutes.

Imprecate = to invoke evil or a curse upon someone

Intro.

There are many today who would say that praying imprecatory prayers is not valid for the New Testament believer. They believe that to pray this way places an emphasis on Old Testament law rather than New Testament grace. If this has been your view, then I ask you to consider the following
  1. Is grace only a New Testament concept?
  2. Is judgment only an Old Testament concept?
  3. What Did David mean when he wrote passages like Ps 119:97 O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.
  4. Psalm 7:11 God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.
  5. What all is involved in the opening statements of the model prayer of Mat. 6:9 ¶ After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Hint The revelation of the kingdom of Christ gives us insight into a believer's expectations 2 Thes 1
As we have seen many times the last year, God's holiness provides the believer with a biblical balance and right approach to living.

Have confidence in God during the affliction of false accusation.

  1. Confidence in God's Ability (vs 1-10)
    A. The Lord's Help (vs 1-8)
          B. The Lord's Healing (vs 9-10)
 
               1. My soul will be joyful (9)
               2. My bones shall say......(10)

                   Ps 22:14,17 – Crucifixion
                   Ps 32:3 – Chastening
                   Ps 52:8 – Cleansing

      • the psalmist looked ahead to the time when the LORD delivered him from his affliction as a time of joy.
     II. Confidence in God's Approval (vs 11-17) cf (vs 7)

          A. The behavior of the wicked (vs 11-12, 15-16)

               (vs 11) witnessed falsely against him
               (vs 12) spoiled his soul  -  Spoiling = robbed, bereaved

Pro 17:12 / Jer 18:21

“For the good David did in killing Goliath, and slaying his ten thousands of Philistines, and thereby saving his king and country, Saul and his courtiers envied him, and sought to slay him: so our Lord Jesus Christ, for all the good he did to the Jews, by healing their bodies of diseases, and preaching the gospel to them for the benefit of their souls, was rewarded with reproaches and persecutions, and at last with the shameful death of the cross; and in like manner are his people used, but this is an evil that shall not go unpunished. John Gill.

              (vs 15) rejoiced and gathered against him
              (vs 16) gnashed upon him with teeth in the feasts

          B. The behavior of the righteous (vs 13-14)

          Before there was imprecatory prayer, there was intercessory prayer

               (vs 13) fasting and prayer for them
               (vs 13) prayer was not in vain – here is his confidence
               (vs 14) mourned for them like family

* Notice that Jesus gave a right perspective of personal attitude in Mt 5. - imprecatory prayer must be confined to the desire for God's righteousness to be performed. Not our personal satisfaction. - no lust. - Father forgive them.
  1. Confidence in God's Appointing (vs 18-28)
          A. His servant – Darling cf Ps 22:20
          B. His servant's Diligence (vs 18-26)
        1. Demonstrated through praise (vs 18)
        2. Demonstrated through prayer (vs 19) * John 15:25
        3. Demonstrated through patience (vs 20-23) * (Rev 6:8-11)
        4. Demonstrated through purity (vs 24-26)
         C. His servant's Desire (vs 27-28)
        1. The praise of others (vs 27)
        2. The praise of his own tongue (vs 28)

Friday, January 4, 2013

Micah Outline


Here in the book of Micah, we find where God has chosen to preserve his prophecy to all generations as a testimony to his Holy desires toward man.


I. The Authority of Micha was considered as legitimate by:

  1. Hezikiah king of Judah and certain elders in the time of Jeremiah (Jer 26:16-19) Hezikiah must have seen the fall of Samaria as proof of the Prophets message and taken to heart the message

  2. Herod, the chief priests and elders all believed the book of Micah ( Mt 2:1-5) – Their actions proved they believed!
      - Herod tried to kill the young child (Mt 2:16-18)
      - The religious leaders tried to kill him (Mk 12:7)
      3.  Jesus referred to Micah 7:6 in his teaching the disciples  (Mt 10:21, 35-36)


II. The Accomplices of Micha
  1. Isaiah – Preaching to Judah and Jerusalem the Gospel! Isaiah 59
  2. Hosea – Proclaiming a holy love to His People! Hos 3:1-5
III. The Attributes of Micah

A. The Sin of the Nation of Israel

     1. The Lord is coming to Judge (Ch 1-3)

          a. The transgression – Samaria (1Kings 12:25- 13:34)
          b. The tears of the prophet(vs 8-10)
          c. The Terror of Judgment (vs 11-16)
          d. The Transgressions of Israel (ch 2-3)

              i.   The People (Chapter 2) – Hope (2:12-13)
              ii.  The Princes (3:1-4)
              iii. The Prophets (3:5-7) – A true Prophet (vs 5!)   Cf Jer 26:12-15 and Jer 26:20-24

       2. The greed of the unrighteous (3:9-12)

B. The Salvation of the Nation of Israel (Chapter 4-5)

     1. The Exaltation of the Lord's House (4:1-5)
     2. The Exaltation of the Lord's People (4:6-13)
     3. The Exaltation of the Lord's Christ (5:1-15)  cf Is 9:7-8

C. The Sanctification of the Nation of Israel (Chapter 6-7)

     1. The Lord's Controversy (6:1-5)

          a. The Lord's appeal in Creation (vs 1-2)
          b. The Lord's appeal in Salvation (vs 3-4)
          c. The Lord's appeal in Perception (vs 5)

     2. The Prophet's Cry (6:6-16)

          a. The theme of righteousness in the Bible (6:6-8)        Humility and faith pleases God.

1Sa 15:22 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

Ho 6:6-7 For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. But they like men have transgressed the covenant: there have they dealt treacherously against me.

Isa 1:11-13To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. 12 When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts?13 Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting.

Jer 7:22-24 22 For I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices: 23 But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you. 24 But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward.

Ecl 5:1-3 Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools:

Pr 21:3 To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.
 
     b. The Throne of Righteousness (10-16)

          1. The Chastening of God (vs 10-15) cf Dut 8

          2. The Counsels of God (vs 16)

               i. Statutes (rule of action, ordinance )

                    a. The Statues of Omri (vs 16)  1Kings 16:16-26

                    b. The Statues of the Lord (Ps 19:8)

               ii.  Works (Actions)

                    a. The Works of Ahab (vs 16)  1Ki 21:25 26

                    b. The Works of the LORD  Ps 111:2 

               Psalm 28 Read - Thus the pronouncement of vs 11-15

     C. The People's Condition (7:1-7)
         
          i.  their sin (1-4)
          ii. their judgment (5-6) cf Mt 10:34-36

     D. The Remnant's Cause (7:7-20)

          i.  The Confounding of the nations (vs 16)
          ii. The Compassion upon Jacob (vs 19)