Podcasts about messianic psalms

This is a Messianic Psalm which speaks prophetically of how God's enemies raged against Jesus, the Anointed King.

Psalm 88 WorksheetOne of the most interesting things about this Psalm and the next is that they are written by 2 men named Heman the Ezrahite and Ethan the Ezrahite. Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were each descendants of Levi's sons Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Asaph was from Gershon; Heman from the line of Kohath; Ethan from Merari (1 Chr. 6:31-48). Heman has the added distinction of being the grandson of _______________________ (1 Chr. 6:33).Asaph wrote 12 Psalms, 11 here in book 3 of the Psalms; Heman wrote Psalm 88 and Ethan wrote Psalm 89. So 13 of the 17 Psalms of Book 3 are attributed to David's key music leaders from the tribe of Levi. The tone of Psalm 88 is very much one of _____________________________. It appears the Psalmist is facing suffering and death is very discouraged. It is not regarded as a Messianic Psalm, but several verses remind me of the suffering Jesus endured. As I read Psalm 88, look for the different ways death is referred to. Also look for the 3 times he speaks of calling out or crying out to the LORD. A man _______________________ death cries out to the LORD V. 1-9This man is despondent, but at least he is __________________________. Be honest with God in your prayers like in Psalm 88, and then go on to the kind of perspective that Psalm ____________ gives! The first reference to death is in verse 3, the word grave or Sheol. Sheol occurs 64 times in the Old Testament. The second reference to death is in verse 4, the word pit or bor. Bor occurs 61 times in the Old Testament. The third reference to death is in verse 5, “adrift among the dead.” The word for dead is mut, which occurs 693 times in the Old Testament. The sixth and seventh references to death are the words darkness and depths in verse 6.The word “wrath” in verse 7 reminds me of when Jesus was bearing our sin on the cross and cried out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me” (2 Cor. 5:21; John 3:36). Verse 8 reminds me of Jesus “shut up” on the cross, with so many of His followers not there to support Him. Jesus can identify with the Psalmist and any of us who feels neglected or forsaken by _____________. Verses 1 and 9 begin and end the first section by crying out to the LORD in the midst of this man facing death. A man ______________________ death cries out to the LORD V. 11-18Verses 10-12 feature 6 questions that it appears the Psalmist fears the answer is no but Christians now know the answer is ________________ in Christ!Let's not forget our count of references to death – verses 10-12 have the eighth through ________________ references to death! Verse 13 gives the one note of hope that after death, the “___________________________” will come. We borrow that hope from this being near to Psalm 86 by David.“I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and I will glorify Your name forevermore. For great is Your mercy toward me, and You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.” -Psalm 86:11-12Back in Psalm 88, the Psalmist wants to know, he wants to feel what David feels and __________________ in Psalm 86, but he is on the struggle bus. Verses 15 to the end make that struggle clear.Verse 15 gives us at least the 14th reference to death. With other references to being “cut off”, “wrath” and “terrors,” we may get all the way to ________________ references to death. Why is this discouraging Psalm in the Psalter, meant to be sung by the people? Sometimes getting the way we feel out there begins the ___________________________. Psalm 88 is like parts of the book of Ecclesiastes, that really describe the emptiness in life without God. Ecclesiastes brings to despair to then drive to faith in God (Ecc. 12:13-14). Psalm 89 does that for book 3 of of the Psalms. After the discouraging note of Psalm 88, Psalm 89 includes this thought to God's people when they feel discouraged:Nevertheless My lovingkindness I will not utterly take from him, nor allow My faithfulness to fail. -Psalm 89:33

David cried out for God to save him, protect him, and watch over him. His basis is trusting in God alone.

Wonderfully, the theme of Psalm 17 is Jesus Christ.  Although it is not specifically a Messianic Psalm, it is a psalm that looks forward to the time when we will be able to see God face-to-face… David wrote Psalm 18 before his sin with Bathsheba.  The one thing you cannot miss is just how grateful to God David is at this point in his life.  But we know a time is coming when David will lose that sense of gratitude.  You see, a grateful man doesn't commit adultery-  Or murder.  When we lose our passion, our gratitude toward God, we are all capable of terrible sin.  I include this only as a warning to all of us here tonight.  This is when David's heart was full of God…

What does it mean to be forsaken by God? Is it possible for a Christian to be forsaken today?

In this opening message on Psalm 16, Jim Osman introduces the powerful theme of trust in Yahweh. He explains how the Psalm reveals Christ as the Holy One who would not see decay and how David, though imperfect, points forward to Jesus. Osman highlights the structure and significance of Psalm 16 and shows that true hope, joy, and resurrection life come when we trust in Yahweh. ★ Support this podcast ★

Teacher: Daniel HopkinsChurch Services: Bible Class - 9:30 - 10:15 Sunday Morning Worship Service - 10:30 - 11:30 Sunday Evening Worship Service - 6 - 7 Wednesday Evening Bible Study - 6 - 7 Stanford, Kentucky

Listen in as Michael shares an encouraging message from Psalm 22. We have a high Priest who understands suffering and we can confidently turn to Him in times of great anguish with confidence knowing He went through suffering Himself and He is near to us in such times.

What does it mean that Jesus is the cornerstone? How can we know that we have trusted Jesus as our Savior?

We often focus on the cross and the return of Jesus. And while those are important, we must understand that Jesus is still working in our life now.

Continuing our series through the Psalms, we arrive at Psalm 2- one of the great Messianic Psalms. Here, we find that in the midst of the rebellion of the nations, God has placed His King upon the throne. This king, His son, shall rule and reign, and the nations are called to recognize the wisdom in submitting to his rule.

So often we try to fight in our own strenght, but the battle has already been won. It was won by Jesus on the cross and through the resurrection.

There are two questions that we need to ask. First, who/what is the ultimately authority in my life? Second, who am I worshipping with my life? Jesus is King, we don't make Him King, It is up to us to surrender and submit to Him in all areas of my life

Leviticus 15 speaks of issues arising from the flesh. Once again talking about the sin that arises from the conflict between that which is natural to us; and the developing mind which is striving for holiness before our Father (Romans 7 verses 15-8 verse11 consider carefully). Verses 1-15 talk of running issues in men – verses 1-12 the unclean issue and how it is transferred from one to another; verses 13-15 tell of the period of cleansing and the required offerings. Verses 16-18 address impurity in physical relationships between man and woman. Verses 19-30 outline running issues in women – verses 19-24 talks of normal menstruation and the measures to be followed in order to avoid the transferring of impurity and disease; verses 25-27 abnormal and prolonged menstruation (a woman with this problem was cured by our Lord Jesus Christ; see Mark 5 verses 24-34); verses 28-30 the period of purification and the necessary offerings. Verses 31-33 describe the reason for these laws about issues. Consider the importance the LORD places on these laws (v31). In Psalm 117 we have the shortest “chapter” in the Bible. In Psalm 118 we have the middle “chapter” of the Scriptures. And in verse 22 of Psalm 118 we have the middle verse of the Bible. It of course centres on our Lord Jesus Christ for he is the central theme of the Scriptures. He is in every chapter; and without him there can be no Bible. “THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED HAS BECOME THE CORNERSTONE” (ESV). Psalm 117 calls upon all nations to extol Yahweh for His everlasting kindness (“chesed”) and truth (Romans 11 verses 22-23). These will be the hallmarks of the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. Psalm 118 continues the theme of the LORD's enduring stedfast kindness. It is a Messianic Psalm so often quoted in the New Testament. The saints must thank our Sovereign (Yahweh – the LORD) for His covenant love. From verses 5-21 is a pattern of prayer calling from out of the Psalmist's (Jesus') distress; alternating with praise and thankfulness for the writer's deliverance. The trials surrounding our Lord's crucifixion are described in verses 5-7, verses 10-13 and verses 17-18. The songs of thanksgiving are found in verses 8-9, verses 14-16 and verses 19-21. Note that Messiah says that his enemies would be destroyed in the name of Yahweh (compare Proverbs 18:10). The great work of the Almighty is the focus of the twenty second verse (Isaiah 8 verses 11-16, 28 verses 14-17; 1 Peter 2 verses 4-10). The three synoptic gospel accounts all quote verses 22-23 of Psalm 118, as applying to our Lord's crucifixion. When our Lord Jesus rode into Jerusalem prior to his death the multitude cried out in the words of verse 25-26. Verses 27-28 tell us that' like Isaac (Genesis 22), our Lord was bound – and yet he willingly submitted to the painful and humiliating appointed death. And so Messiah, the now glorious, but previously slain, Saviour praises his Almighty Father in a redeemed and immortalised body. “O give thanks to Yahweh, for He is good; for His stedfast love endures forever!” (Verse 29 ESV). 2 Corinthians 10 tells us that the battle for Christ's soldiers is in the realm of their mind – a spiritual warfare designed to bring every thought into captivity to Christ. The great Apostle answers his critics who claim that he could cogently argue, but was a weak orator. Paul promises to sort these foes out when he comes to Corinth. Commendation from the tongue of humans is worthless. The Apostle's approval would come from the Lord Jesus Christ. In chapter 11 Paul tells them that he loves and guards them from their enemies and would be deceivers. The Apostle says that he is as a true husband to the disciples who he has begotten in Christ: compare Galatians 4:19-20. Paul gives an analogy from Genesis 3 proving that the events of the temptation in Eden really happened. Then from verses 7-15 the Apostle sarcastically compares himself with the false teachers – the judaisers. Finally from the 16th verse to the chapter's end he composes a catalogue of his sufferings in order to assert his credentials as a committed Apostle of Christ. Paul concludes the list with an account of an act earlier after his conversion of which he was ashamed. His seemingly fleeing from Damascus after having being let down the wall in a basket to escape.

Leviticus chapters 11-15 deal with the laws of uncleanness. Chapter deals with regulations telling of “clean” and “unclean” animals (ceremonially speaking). Verses 1-23 of Leviticus 11 tell of uncleanness in relation to eating; verses 2-8 beasts of the earth; verses 9-12 creatures of the waters; verses 13-19 fowls of the air; verses 20-23 insects. Verses 24-40 speak of defilement by contact with dead bodies; verses 24-38 Defilement by the dead bodies of unclean animals. (Eight species of unclean animals that are especially defiling and whose bodies defile not only individuals but also inanimate objects on which they fall). Verses 39-40 describe the defilement of the dead bodies of the clean animals. Verses 41-47 provide a summary and an appeal for holiness. Psalm 110 is one of the greatest of the Messianic Psalms in the Psalter. It was written by David, who acted en the part of a protracted parable about the Messiah. This parable is recorded in 2 Samuel chapters 6-8. The events spoken of in 2 Samuel 8 are recorded out of chronological order. Samuel has presented the story of the Messiah's elevation to the right hand of the Majesty in the heavens; his return to earth and the subjecting of the earth during Messiah's kingdom rule. In Psalm 110 David, by the Holy Spirit, tells of these events, which were in part experienced by David. Brother Stephen Palmer spoke at the Rathmines Bible School about this Psalm. Brother Stephen showed how remarkable is the verbal inspiration of the Scriptures. Every word from the Psalm is quoted in the New Testament in a variety of contexts. The Lord Jesus uses the opening words from the Psalm to prove that he is the divine Son of God (Matthew 22 verses 41-45). Peter uses the same verses in his Pentecost address to show the authority that God has invested in His Son (Acts 2 verses 32-36). The Psalm implies that Messiah would be rejected at the hands of the Jewish leaders, “Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power” (co. John 1verses 10-12). The Psalm tells of the Son awaiting the Father's command to return to the Earth, “until I make thy foes thy footstool” (a fulfilling of the Abrahamic promise Genesis 22 verse 17 compare. Romans 4 verse 13). The word “UNTIL” becomes the lynchpin of the Apostolic preaching about the second coming of the Christ (Acts 3 verses 19-26). The writer to the Hebrews picks up many of these themes in their Book eg. Hebrews 1 verses 1-4. The Psalm then deals with the returned Jesus, as Judah's conquering lion, subduing the earth. One of his first great victories will be over the northern confederacy invading Israel. The word translated “head” (verse 7) is a proper noun – Rosh (speaking of Russia soon to invade Israel s the head of a mighty confederacy) – in the Hebrew language. Jesus will be a King-Priest upon his throne; after the order and type presented in Genesis 14; 2 Samuel 6-8; and Hebrews chapters 5-7. Ponder these matters and be instructed. Psalm 111 deals with the greatness of the LORD's deeds. Note verse 1 that the writer is wholehearted in his praise for the Almighty; as are all of the faithful. The LORD's deeds are splendid and a cause of wonder. Highlighted in verses 3 and 4 are His righteousness and His mercy (Romans 11 verses 22-23). Yahweh's care and His kindness are celebrated in verses 5-6. His redemptive work for His people are spoken of in Vv7-9. And the sun total of the advice for the devout faithful is told in verses 10. Read aloud slowly. Pause and ponder together with Proverbs 1 verses 2-7. Psalm 112 addresses the theme that the righteous will never be moved. The Psalm is linked to 111 as it begins where the previous Psalm finishes. Prioritise your reverence for your Sovereign. Verses 2-9 outline the benefits that flow for the faithful. It is not what we deserve, but is graciously given by God, because of who He is. And the righteous reciprocate God's love in generous acts as verse 5 tells. The Apostle Paul alludes to this verse in 2 Corinthians 8. Only the faithful will flourish; and finally the wicked will perish (Psalm 37). In 2 Corinthians 3 Paul tells of God's great work in him as an administrator of the new covenant in our Lord Jesus Christ. Unlike the Mosaic covenant that was written upon stone tablets, the new covenant is engraved on the fleshy tables of the heart. The mediator of the former covenant had to wear a veil over his face so that Israel would not perceive the transient nature of the glory which glowed every time he went in before the LORD and began fading soon after. But as believers we behold the open and glorious face of our Lord Jesus Christ and are being transformed from one level of glory to another. The transforming power of the Gospel is further developed in chapter 4. The message is unmistakable to those having ears to hear; but unintelligible to the hard hearted. The Almighty chose to reveal His power – of salvation to those who believe the gospel – through He reveals it in flawed human vessels. God does this so the transforming power is seen as His, and not from us: Romans 1 verses 16-17. The illustration Paul presents is based on the story of Gideon in Judges 7 verses 19-23. What a contrast exists between our transient light affliction and the great weight of glory reserved for believers – the Greek word for weight is identical to that of glory. Read verses Read v17-18 aloud. Pause and Ponder.

In this week’s edition of Words of Grace, we share a recent message by Ben Winslett from the 16th Psalm. Psalm 16, a Messianic Psalm, reminds us that because Christ was raised from the dead, our flesh can rest in hope. Trust and hope—two crucial words—offer us peace in the face of loss. Trusting in … Continue reading "Resting in Hope"

Thoughts on the readings January 10th(Genesis 19; Psalm 22;Matthew 12)When the two angels came to Sodom about sunset they were met by Lot, who sat in the gate - a position of authority in ancient towns. The angels once more seemed to be ordinary men and told Lot of their intention to sleep in the street. He begged them to reconsider, rather than be subjected to the vile practices of the Sodomites. With great difficulty he persuaded them to accept his hospitality. No sooner had this happened than all the men of city - everyone of them a sodomite - encompassed Lot's house demanding the two men be brought out to be abused. Lot ironically offers them his two unmarried daughters instead. They were enraged at this calculated rebuke and said that they would vent their anger on Lot. The 19th chapter of Genesis tells us that the angels used their powers to smite the men of Sodom with dazzlings, so that in their confusion they became weary in trying to find the door. The angels then urged Lot to hastily gather his family and escape the impending doom. Lot was mocked by hisSons-in-law who couldn't accept the message that the cities of the plain would be destroyed by the Almighty because of their immorality. Lot was eventually taken away with his two unmarried daughters and his wife; and they were commanded to not look back. Lot's wife's heart remained in Sodom and she was encrusted in salt. Let us heed our Lord's warning to not be caught in the affairs of this world when Jesus returns to judge it (Luke 17:26-33; slowly read aloud. Pause and ponder). Lot was graciously allowed to escape to the tiny town of Zoar. The immense and overwhelming disaster produced fear in Lot and his daughters, who further withdrew to a cave in the mountains. Lot's daughters made him drunk and committed incest with him in the mistaken belief that every man of that region had been destroyed. But God had remembered Abraham and delivered Lot as this chapter tells us in verses 27-29 (see2 Peter 2:6-10; where Peter tells us the wicked are reserved for judgment and the godly are preserved for salvation).Psalm 22 is one the greatest psalms of David from the entire 150 in the book. It is a Messianic Psalm, which focuses on the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ. It also gives us glimpses into our Lord's thoughts and how he was able to use prayer to resolve incredible trials and testing of his mind at this time of immense physical trial and enormous mental pressure. The words of this Psalm may have been uttered in their entirety whilst our Lord hung upon the stake (cross = Greek stauros; a stake, or a pole; called in Peter "the tree"). The opening words "My God, my God why have you forsaken me" are found in the gospel records of Matthew, Mark and Luke. Some suggest that Jesus said this in Aramaic leading to the confusion among some of those around the stake to believe Jesus was calling for help from Elijah. Others have suggested that the word used in Psalm 22 for "forsaken" means to be trapped in a thicket, such as the ram was in Genesis 22. The records tell us that His Father had withdrawn from Jesus the Holy Spirit power leaving our Lord with an incredible feeling of aloneness. Whatever it was, Jesus drew immense strength from the Scriptures and how they told of God's deliverance to those who had committed themselves in trust to the Almighty. ...

When Abraham was 99 years old an angel representing the Almighty visited Abram and Sarai and gave the covenant of circumcision and told them that their names were to be changed. Abram's name was changed to Abraham; and Sarai's to Sarah. Abram meant "lofty father" and Abraham was "father of a multitude" - emblematic of the promise of Genesis 12:3; ie of all nations in the world. The divine name of Yahweh is 4 letters in the Hebrew YHWH (called the Tetragrammaton). So both Abraham and Sarah become "heirs together in the grace of life" (1 Peter 2:7); by the addition of the 5th letter in the Hebrew alphabet, signifying "grace". It was when human worth and generative capability was repudiated that God could now work through Abraham and Sarah to produce the "promised seed"; the heir of the promises. The chapter concludes with the circumcision of Abraham and every male in his household. Abraham was, as we said, 99 and Ishmael 13 (the age at which Islamic boys are circumcised). Chapter 18 says Abraham and Sarah were visited by 3 men, who are in fact angels - unbeknown to Abraham and Sarah (prompting Paul's comments in Hebrews 13:2). Eastern hospitality was shown and the angels prophesy Isaac's birth which means "laughter". He was so named because Sarah initially refused belief; but, later in faith tells us that she conceived when she believed - Hebrews 11:11. After this Abraham walked with the angels towards the place of impending judgment - Sodom. They tell Abraham of their intentions, because of Abraham's faithfulness - slowly read aloud the words of verses 17-19; and pause and ponder. How wonderful that the LORD so knows each us. But has he foreseen diligence and faithfulness in our dealings with our families? Abraham enters into negotiations with the name bearing angel to spare Sodom, where his nephew Lot and his family lived. Abraham finally stopped pleading for the city to be spared should there be 10 righteous people in the city. He must have been confident of this given the vast numbers of Lot's "ecclesia" in Genesis 13.Psalm 19 is a magnificent example of Hebrew poetry; which speaks of the wonders of the Almighty's creative hand evident in the stars; and our sun in particular. Hayden's Creation Hymn draws thoughts from this Psalm - "the unwearied sun from day to day  doth His Creator's power display ...". Surely when we gaze upon the night sky, as Abram was asked to do in Genesis 15, we are caused to wonder at the awesome power on display (Genesis 1 says he just scattered the stars from His hand). On day 4 the sun was appointed to rule the day - emblematic of the sun of righteousness (Malachi 4; Matthew 13:43).  Verse 3 tells us that the universal message is that there must be an Omnipotent Creator (Romans 1:20); and they  = Sun, moon and star - symbolically proclaim the gospel message (Romans10:18). In the Psalm David says, that the sun is like a strong man running a race; it is also like a bridegroom  - the Lord Jesus Christ (John 3). The Psalm finishes by exhorting the reader to contemplate the sweetness and preciousness of God's Word; and its saving power.Psalm 20 continues the theme of trusting in Yahweh's saving strength. This might is in no horse; no battle weapon; no man. But it has been consistently and dependably exercised by God in the cause of delivering the faithful.Psalm 21 is a Messianic Psalm in which the LORD's strength and salvation is evident in his chosen king - the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no salvation in any other name (Acts 4:12). read more here.. https://christadelphianvideo.org/thoughts-on-the-bible-readings-for-january-9th-genesis-17-18-psalms-19-20-21-matthew-11/ Penned by Warwick Rosser and his team and produced by Christa delphian video .org

In a Messianic Psalm, those who desire to worship God are instructed to give thanks and find their refuge in Him.

The dramatic words of v7-10 were spoken at the Gates of Jerusalem, when David brought the Ark of the Covenant to God's earthly holy Hill in a procession (2Sam 6, 1Chr 15). This was the ascension of the Lord Himself, enthroned on the Ark (Ps 132:5-8) to His chosen resting place in the city of the great King (Ps 48:2, Matt 5:35). Thus, it's a type of Christ's Ascension to His throne in the New Jerusalem, God's heavenly holy Hill, as well as His ascension to sit on David's throne at His 2nd Coming. It's a Messianic Psalm ultimately fulfilled in His Ascension. v3-6 poses & starts to answer a big question: “Who may ASCEND into the Hill of the LORD or STAND in His Holy Place?” (v3). God's requirement to ascend & stand in His Presence is perfection (v4), so it's impossible for us, but God provides salvation by grace (v5-6). In v7-10, He answers the big question, revealing the unique perfect Man, Christ, who ascended to Heaven, the King of Glory, mighty in battle who defeated all foes & accomplished our salvation. It reveals that with Him many will ascend, showing how God provides us salvation by grace (v5). We can't climb to God, but He came down to us, so we could rise with Him (Heb 2:10). He fulfilled the conditions of v4; then ascended to Heaven (v7-10), to make a way for us to rise with Him. Before this no man ascended to Heaven (John 3:13). He alone fulfils God's standards. The scene describes this glorified Man ascending to Heaven & coming to its Gates to request access. v7-10: “Lift up your heads, O you Gates! and be lifted up, you everlasting Doors! and the KING of GLORY shall come in. Who is this KING of GLORY? (God does not seek entrance to Heaven, so this refers to Christ, His anointed human King). The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle (He's the Lord God, who became a man, fought the battle & won the victory for us). Lift up your heads, O you Gates! Lift up, you everlasting doors! and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this KING of GLORY? The LORD of HOSTS (armies), He is the KING of GLORY. Selah.” v3 asked: 'Who can ascend?' Here is the answer. He lived a perfect life, defeated all foes & ascended, but not on His own. He's the Lord of armies. When He enters thru the Gates, His army of saints enter with Him, united to Him by faith. He gained access to Heaven for all under His command. Thus Ps 24 deals with the issue of salvation, asking & answering: “Who may ascend?” (v3). To enter requires moral perfection (v4). When we receive Him, we receive His righteousness, so in Him we ascend into God's Presence & receive His blessing (v5). He's the Head and we, His Body, rise with Him. He rose as our representative, so we ascend in Him. Thus Christ, the Righteous One, is the Way to God (John 14:6,12). Moses' Tabernacle teaches our access to the Holy Place (v3) is only by His Blood. Ps 24:7-10 also reveals His future earthly ascension to David's throne. He humbly offered Himself to Israel as her King with salvation, but the leaders didn't receive Him. He said He'd only return when they repent & receive Him as King (Matt 23:37-39). They'll do this at Armageddon & then He'll return as King of Glory to Zion, save them from their enemies & establish His Kingdom (Zech 14:3-4). When Israel receives Him as King, He'll manifest His glory to, thru & for her. Notice, He didn't force Himself into Heaven, or force His reign on Israel, and He doesn't force Himself on us. We must receive Him as our King, and then He'll manifest His glory in & thru us. He reveals & offers Himself to us to be our Lord & Saviour. When we open the gates of our heart to Him, He comes in with His glory, 1st into our spirit, then into different parts of our soul. So v7-10 can be applied personally. He fulfilled it by ascending into the Heavenly Temple, but we're also God's Temple & He has the right to enter our holy of holies & be enthroned there. The Gospel declares v7 (Rev 3:20). By these words, He seeks access to our Temple, and we must open our gates & let Him in. When we do, He enters our spirit & imparts His glory (manifested nature) to us, as a free gift, making our spirit righteous, holy, full of His life & light, enabling us to ascend into God's Presence in Him. Since He's already ascended, as soon as He enters into us, we automatically ascend in our spirit to the Father thru our union to Him, by His power & righteousness in us. He comes in as the Lord, delivering us from the power of darkness & translating us into His Kingdom. Then His glory (love) works in our souls from within, changing us from glory to glory, so we increasingly fulfil His righteous requirements (v4). As we increase in holiness, the more we can ascend into His Presence to commune with Him (v3). He continues to ask for more access to every part of our soul, with the words of v7, so as we open our doors, inviting Him in to reign, He manifests Himself in us as the King of Glory, the Lord strong & mighty in battle, releasing His power & victory in us.

Today we begin study and meditation on Psalm 22. This Psalm has been rightly called by many commentators, “The Psalm of the Cross”.  We know that this Psalm was written by King David but as to when he wrote it or the conditions under which he was when it was written, we have no idea and can only speculate. This Psalm stands above all the other Psalms when it comes to the prophesies concerning the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.   David is called a prophet in Acts 2:30 and for sure in Psalm 22, he looked ahead one-thousand years and clearly saw the Lord Jesus Christ dying on the cross. This definitely is in the category of the Messianic Psalms.   Notices some of the verses that we know directly relate to the cross of Christ: “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me” (v. 1).  Christ spoke these very same words on the Cross (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34).  “But I am a worm, and no man; A reproach of men, and despised by the people. All those who see Me ridicule Me; They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, "He trusted in the LORD, let Him rescue Him; Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!" (vv. 6-8).  This was fulfilled in Matthew 27:39-44. “They pierced My hands and My feet” (v. 16). This was fulfilled in Matthew 27:35. “They divide My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots” (v. 17). This was fulfilled in John 19:23-24. We will look at these, and several more of these verses, in greater detail as we go through the Psalm over the next few days.   There are many Bible teachers and scholars that believe that Jesus quoted this entire Psalm as He hung on the cross. As we read and meditate on this Psalm, we will find we are on holy ground, and like Moses, we should take off our spiritual shoes and worship our Lord!  The Psalm begins with, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me”.  This Psalm ends with, “That He has done this”.  Some believe in the original Hebrew that this actually is, “It is finished”.   In this Psalm, we see both the darkness of the Cross and the glory of the Cross.  We see the suffering of Christ and the glory that should follow.  No other place in the Bible do we get a better picture of the physical, emotional, phycological, and spiritual suffering of Christ on the cross!  We see the inner soul of Jesus as He dies on the Cross in our place for our sins.  Taking the penalty and curse of our sin upon Himself on the Cross.   A companion prophetic passage to this Psalm in the Bible would be Isaiah 53.  I would encourage you to also read it over the next few days as we continue to think about this Psalm.  It is my prayer as we think and meditate on the sufferings of Christ on the Cross that we will be more grateful and thankful and more willing to give our lives to Him for His service and His glory!   God bless!

The background to Ps 24 is the ascension of the Ark of the Covenant (God's earthly throne) to its rightful place in Jerusalem in a great procession, with much rejoicing (2Sam 6, 1Chron 13,15). It signified God arising to be enthroned in Jerusalem, His chosen dwelling place (Ps 132). The event's importance is reflected in the pomp & pageantry of Ps 24. This is a type of Christ's Ascension to sit on God's throne in the New Jerusalem & future ascension to sit on His earthly throne in Jerusalem. What gave significance to this event is the holiness of the Hill of the Lord (His dwelling place) and the King of Glory enthroned on the Ark. The question & answers in Ps 24 were part of the dramatic ceremony, enacted before the city gates. The answers affirm only the King of Glory is worthy to enter thru the Gates and ascend to His place on the holy Hill. Likewise, Christ alone (the King of Glory) is worthy to ascend into Heaven, but He did it for us, so that in Christ, we also can ascend into God's holy Presence in Heaven. Ps 24 is in 3 parts: *(1) The Sovereign Creator, who owns all things (v1-2). *(2) The Heavenly Temple – the requirements for Ascension (v3-6), how can a man know such a high God, stand before Him & receive His blessing? Perfection is required, which is a problem for us. *(3) The true Redeemer – the King of Glory (v7-10). God became a man, and made a way to bring men to God. *PART 1. The Truth about God (v1-2): "The earth is the Lord's, and all its fullness (expanded in next line), the world and those who dwell therein (its produce and people)" (v1). This is quoted x2 in 1Cor 10:25-28 (see Ps 50:10-11). WHY does it all belong to Him? He is its Maker & Manager: "For He has (1) founded it on the seas (Maker, Gen 1:2,9,10, 2Pet 3:5), and (2) established it on the waters (rivers, symbolic of His Providence)" (v2). ‘Established' (imperfect tense) speaks of His ongoing management of the earth. He's the rightful Owner of all things. We are just tenant possessors of the earth & stewards of God's resources, for which we'll give account. Our life is not for us to do with as we please. God's authority is absolute over all, He has the right to do whatever He wants with us & the world. When we see this, it humbles us. The big question we must ask is: "How can I be right with God?" This seems impossible due to the infinite gap between us as sinful creatures & the holy God. Holiness is represented by height, so God is high above us (Is 57:15, 55:8). For man to be right with God & commune with Him requires us to ascend, but how is this possible? This is what David asks in PART 2: God's requirements for Ascension (v3-6): "Who may ASCEND the Hill of the Lord? (Heavenly Jerusalem) or STAND in His Holy Place?" (v3). The answer, the moral requirements for ascension, is given in v4: "(1) He who has clean hands & (2) a pure heart" (v4a). Here Hebrew parallelism works like stereo vision to give a full 3D picture, emphasising both his (1) outward actions & (2) inward attitudes & motives must be pure & perfect. This is followed by another parallelism emphasising (1) perfect holiness & (2) perfect righteousness: "(1) who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, nor (2) sworn deceitfully" (v4b). These represent the (1) God-ward requirement of true worship, free from idolatry, and (2) man-ward requirement of integrity, being a person of our word (no lies, deception or bearing false witness). 'Idol' also means vanity (that which is hollow). Rather than finding meaning, comfort & identity in the Creator, man seeks it in the creation, superficial things, even things with no reality, that don't ring true & against nature (like gender ideology). Thus, God requires perfection (Matt 5:48), but all sin (only Jesus fulfils these requirements), so what hope have we? But v5 says God provides a way for men to be saved and be made righteous by grace: "He shall receive blessing from the Lord (as a free-gift), and righteousness from the God of his salvation (enabling him to ascend)" (v5). These ones who ascend to God, not by their own righteousness, but by His grace, are described as God-seekers: "This is Jacob, the generation (the group of people) of those who SEEK Him, who SEEK Your face. Selah" (v6). They want to know Him & be right with Him. He promises they will find Him (Deut 4:29, Jer 29:13, Matt 7:7-8). David uses Jacob to represent those who are imperfect, but seek God (Gen 32:9-12), whom He brings to Himself by a process of coming to saving faith, when they come to an end of themselves & their own strength, knowing they can't stand before God on their own, and so cling to Him for blessing (Gen 32:24-29). So, to ascend to God requires a perfect righteousness, which God graciously gives to those who seek Him. How He made salvation possible, solving our sin-problem is revealed in PART 3: The King of Glory (v7-10), which describes the Ascension of Christ, the righteous Man, the King of glory - the subject of the next study.

The background to Ps 24 is the ascension of the Ark of the Covenant (God's earthly throne) to its rightful place in Jerusalem in a great procession, with much rejoicing (2Sam 6, 1Chron 13,15). It signified God arising to be enthroned in Jerusalem, His chosen dwelling place (Ps 132). The event's importance is reflected in the pomp & pageantry of Ps 24. This is a type of Christ's Ascension to sit on God's throne in the New Jerusalem & future ascension to sit on His earthly throne in Jerusalem. What gave significance to this event is the holiness of the Hill of the Lord (His dwelling place) and the King of Glory enthroned on the Ark. The question & answers in Ps 24 were part of the dramatic ceremony, enacted before the city gates. The answers affirm only the King of Glory is worthy to enter thru the Gates and ascend to His place on the holy Hill. Likewise, Christ alone (the King of Glory) is worthy to ascend into Heaven, but He did it for us, so that in Christ, we also can ascend into God's holy Presence in Heaven. Ps 24 is in 3 parts: *(1) The Sovereign Creator, who owns all things (v1-2). *(2) The Heavenly Temple – the requirements for Ascension (v3-6), how can a man know such a high God, stand before Him & receive His blessing? Perfection is required, which is a problem for us. *(3) The true Redeemer – the King of Glory (v7-10). God became a man, and made a way to bring men to God. *PART 1. The Truth about God (v1-2): "The earth is the Lord's, and all its fullness (expanded in next line), the world and those who dwell therein (its produce and people)" (v1). This is quoted x2 in 1Cor 10:25-28 (see Ps 50:10-11). WHY does it all belong to Him? He is its Maker & Manager: "For He has (1) founded it on the seas (Maker, Gen 1:2,9,10, 2Pet 3:5), and (2) established it on the waters (rivers, symbolic of His Providence)" (v2). ‘Established' (imperfect tense) speaks of His ongoing management of the earth. He's the rightful Owner of all things. We are just tenant possessors of the earth & stewards of God's resources, for which we'll give account. Our life is not for us to do with as we please. God's authority is absolute over all, He has the right to do whatever He wants with us & the world. When we see this, it humbles us. The big question we must ask is: "How can I be right with God?" This seems impossible due to the infinite gap between us as sinful creatures & the holy God. Holiness is represented by height, so God is high above us (Is 57:15, 55:8). For man to be right with God & commune with Him requires us to ascend, but how is this possible? This is what David asks in PART 2: God's requirements for Ascension (v3-6): "Who may ASCEND the Hill of the Lord? (Heavenly Jerusalem) or STAND in His Holy Place?" (v3). The answer, the moral requirements for ascension, is given in v4: "(1) He who has clean hands & (2) a pure heart" (v4a). Here Hebrew parallelism works like stereo vision to give a full 3D picture, emphasising both his (1) outward actions & (2) inward attitudes & motives must be pure & perfect. This is followed by another parallelism emphasising (1) perfect holiness & (2) perfect righteousness: "(1) who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, nor (2) sworn deceitfully" (v4b). These represent the (1) God-ward requirement of true worship, free from idolatry, and (2) man-ward requirement of integrity, being a person of our word (no lies, deception or bearing false witness). 'Idol' also means vanity (that which is hollow). Rather than finding meaning, comfort & identity in the Creator, man seeks it in the creation, superficial things, even things with no reality, that don't ring true & against nature (like gender ideology). Thus, God requires perfection (Matt 5:48), but all sin (only Jesus fulfils these requirements), so what hope have we? But v5 says God provides a way for men to be saved and be made righteous by grace: "He shall receive blessing from the Lord (as a free-gift), and righteousness from the God of his salvation (enabling him to ascend)" (v5). These ones who ascend to God, not by their own righteousness, but by His grace, are described as God-seekers: "This is Jacob, the generation (the group of people) of those who SEEK Him, who SEEK Your face. Selah" (v6). They want to know Him & be right with Him. He promises they will find Him (Deut 4:29, Jer 29:13, Matt 7:7-8). David uses Jacob to represent those who are imperfect, but seek God (Gen 32:9-12), whom He brings to Himself by a process of coming to saving faith, when they come to an end of themselves & their own strength, knowing they can't stand before God on their own, and so cling to Him for blessing (Gen 32:24-29). So, to ascend to God requires a perfect righteousness, which God graciously gives to those who seek Him. How He made salvation possible, solving our sin-problem is revealed in PART 3: The King of Glory (v7-10), which describes the Ascension of Christ, the righteous Man, the King of glory - the subject of the next study.

(Psalm 110:1-7) As we continue our weekend series through a Messianic Psalm, God leads us to a confidence-building truth. We share access to and authority of God the Father through His Son. We can rest in His oversight.  (08264241102) 

We study Ps 23 thru the eyes of our personal covenant relationship with the LORD = YEHOVAH, God's covenant Name. 8 compound Covenant Names cover all blessings of the New Covenant. The 1st is: “The LORD is my SHEPHERD” (v1), Yehovah Rohi. Jesus said: “I AM the good SHEPHERD” of Ps 23 (Jn 10:11,14), speaking of His loving care for us. I AM = YEHOVAH, so His I AM claims correspond to the YEHOVAH Names. As our risen Shepherd, as Ps 23 says, He leads us into our full inheritance, described by these Names. True shepherding means a devoted personal relationship between shepherd & sheep. He lives in personal relationship with his sheep & knows them all by name; they know his voice & follow him. This is seen in the word MY: ‘The Lord is MY Shepherd.' He cares for me, watches over, leads, feeds & preserves me. His constant presence protects them from danger. David, an experienced shepherd, knew of what he talked, a man (who sought) after God's own heart to know Him (1Sam 13:14, Acts 13:22) and God revealed His heart of love to Him, the heart of a shepherd, that just as he cared for his sheep, protecting, providing, leading & rescuing them, so that's how God is toward His people. As he was devoted to his sheep, so God is fully committed to us, laying down His life for us. He found comfort & security in the covenant-keeping God caring for him, as a devoted shepherd for his sheep. v1b: “I shall not want” = Yehovah Yireh, the LORD my PROVIDER (seeing ahead & providing for us by His Sacrifice, Gen 22;14). He said: “I AM the BREAD of LIFE” (Jn 6:35). By the provision of Himself, in His death & resurrection He meets all our needs (Ro 8:32, 5000). “I'll not want” confesses covenant confidence in Him. v2: “He makes me to lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside the still waters” = Yehovah Shalom, the Lord my Peace (Jud 6:24). He said: “I AM the VINE” (Jn 15:1, Eph 2:14). v3: “He restores my soul” = Yehovah Rophe, the Lord my Healer (Ex 15:26). He said: “I AM the Resurrection & Life” (Jn 11:26). v3b: “He leads me in the paths of RIGHTEOUSNESS for His Name's sake” = Yehovah Tsidkenu, the Lord my Righteousness (Jer 23:6, 33:16). He said: “I AM the DOOR” into God's Presence & Kingdom (Jn 10:7,9). v4: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for YOU are WITH ME Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me” = Yehovah Shammah, the LORD is PRESENT (Ezek 48:35). He said: “I AM the LIGHT” (Jn 8:12, 9:5). As sheep on their own are helpless, lost & defenceless, so without our Shepherd we'd be destroyed. Ps 23 is most beloved for believers, for it tells us we're never alone, without help or hope. Now the scene changes. The Shepherd is now a King giving a bountiful Banquet. v5: “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies” = Yehovah Nissi, the Lord my Banner of Victory (Ex 17:15). The risen Christ claims this (Rev 1:18). A good host gave protection & provision for his guests. To prepare (set in order) suggests foresight & care, 'before me' means personal provision. He knows all our needs & prepared His perfect provision for us of every blessing, in this life (with our enemies present) & eternity. To dine together signified abiding friendship. In context, to sit at table with the Lord & partake of the meal He's prepared is the manifestation of our covenant relationship & close fellowship (Rev 3:20). He shows His love, by preparing an everlasting feast for us in His Presence, under His Banner of Protection, for He won the Victory for us (Song 2:4). A fulfilment of this is Holy Communion. He invites us to come & partake of Himself. Every blessing revealed by Ps 23 & 8 Covenant Names is ours in Christ. He wants us to draw near & receive of His abundance. v5b: “You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over” = Yehovah M'kaddesh, the LORD my Sanctifier (Lev 20:8). He said: “I AM the WAY, TRUTH & LIFE” (Jn 14:6). A host anoints his guest with oil (Lk 7:44-46), representing sanctification & empowerment with His Spirit. ‘My cup runs over' speaks of a generous host, ever filling our cup to overflowing (Eph 5:18), giving us life & joy in His Spirit (Jn 10:10). His abundant provision shows His great love for us, but the main blessing of the Banquet is to be with Him. Ps 23 concludes with a summary of the results of the Shepherd's Ministry to us in this life & eternity, v6: “Surely goodness (grace) & mercy (chesed) shall follow (pursue) me (with vigor) all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the House of the Lord (Heaven) forever.” He's sure of enjoying His Presence all his life, & that He'll lead him thru the valley of death to Heaven, where he'll dwell with Him forever - a key verse to comfort those facing death. Don't follow (covet) blessings, but follow our Shepherd & the blessings will follow. His Ministry as our personal Shepherd continues forever (Rev 7:15-17). Grace & mercy covers all. In grace He gives what we don't deserve & in mercy He doesn't give what we deserve.

Psalm 23:1: “The Lord is my Shepherd” - a confession of personal faith & submission. He's my Shepherd, Owner, Lord, Leader (sheep belong to their shepherd; they submit, follow & trust him). Only believers humble themselves to be His sheep and admit they need, belong to & follow their Shepherd, trusting Him to provide. Since the Lord is my Shepherd: “I shall not want” (v1b), a summary of His provision of every blessing, unfolded in detail in the rest of Ps 23: "I'll not want for peace, protection, guidance, blessing etc. Also, a statement of contentment: “He's all I want.” “He makes me to lie down (settles me down) in green pastures” (v2a) - satisfied peace & rest. Shepherds rested their flocks at noon (Song 1:7). Sheep only lie down having had plenty to eat & drink, not threatened by wild animals or troubled by parasites or flies and if there's no friction among the sheep. Rest comes, for the shepherd has dealt with fear, friction, flies & famine. Christ brings us into soul-rest: “He leads (not drives) me beside the still (gentle) waters” (v2b). He plans my life, knows the best way & leads me in it – oriental shepherds go ahead & lead their sheep. They know his voice & follow him. Jesus the Prince of Peace can't give us peace apart from Himself, as He is Peace. So, if you go away from Him, you lose peace. Sheep can't drink from swift waters. He supplies us with grass to chew (His WORD) and gentle waters to drink (His SPIRIT). “He restores (lit: 'brings back') my soul” (v3a). Translations emphasise the reviving of the soul. The literal meaning includes something more important, the restoration of a soul by repentance (Gal 6:1). He brings my soul back to God, resulting in the restoring of life & peace. Thus, it speaks of the rescue of a lost sheep, who has gone astray, a vital part of a shepherd's work (Ezek 34:4-6,11-12), a picture of salvation (Isa 53:6). Lost souls are sheep without a shepherd, and Jesus came in compassion to gather His flock (Matt 9:36). This aspect of the Good Shepherd's ministry is emphasised in the NT (1Pet 2:25). The Parable of the Good Shepherd (Matt 18:11-13) reveals Christ, the Son of Man, is the Good Shepherd, with sacrificial love for each of His sheep. He claimed to be the Good Shepherd of Ps 23, who came from Heaven to seek & save His lost sheep, by bringing us back to Himself. Luke 15:4-7 adds detail: “When he has found it (the lost sheep), he lays it on his shoulders (salvation by grace) rejoicing" (v5). "Likewise, there will be more joy in Heaven over one SINNER who REPENTS” (v7). This proves it's a picture of salvation by Christ thru repentant faith. When a sheep knows it is lost, it's paralysed by fear & lies down, or gets caught in a bush or ditch. It's helpless to save itself. But the Shepherd loves him & seeks Him, calling out to him. When he hears His voice, he bleats (we call on His Name to save us), He lifts him up & carries him home. We repent from going our own way, call on the Shepherd and trust Him to save us, rather than running away. His rejoicing over 1 saved sheep reveals God's personal love for us. To save the sheep He had to go to where he was. So, to save us, God had to come to earth as a man. So, Ps 23 can only be fulfilled by God becoming a man in the person of Jesus to save us. Having restored me to Himself: “He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His Name's sake (for His glory & reputation, displaying the glory of His grace)” (v3b). The Good Shepherd is our Leader & Guide. He plans the best route for the day. The sheep didn't need to know where to go; just to know where the Shepherd was and follow Him. The Lord leads us into abundance of life & provision. He leads us on the right path for our life. Trust Him, for He'll lead you well, in accordance with His good Name. "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for YOU are with me" (v4a). At times it was necessary to go thru deep gorges in the shadows, vulnerable to robbers & predators, representing times of danger, when death casts a shadow over us, but if we're with Jesus, our Shepherd, we need not even fear death, for He defeated death for us. He'll be with us even thru death. v4 speaks of His Protection through His Presence with us both now & forever, for He'll never leave us. Note the change from HE to YOU. The sheep draws closer to Him in danger. He's now alongside us, rather than ahead. His Presence protects us from evil, removing our fear. Sheep don't last long on their own, our safety is in staying close to the Shepherd. “Your ROD and Your STAFF, they comfort me” (v4b). The Shepherd manifests His Presence and so comforts the sheep (1) by His ROD (a club with iron nails in its head, like a mace, used to strike His enemies, 1Sam 17:34-35), corresponding to His WORD. The STAFF was used on the sheep if it started to go the wrong way, to pull it to safety if it needed rescuing, and to count the sheep (Mic 7:14) – a symbol of His SPIRIT.

Psalm 23:1: “The Lord is my Shepherd” - a confession of personal faith & submission. He's my Shepherd, Owner, Lord, Leader (sheep belong to their shepherd; they submit, follow & trust him). Only believers humble themselves to be His sheep and admit they need, belong to & follow their Shepherd, trusting Him to provide. Since the Lord is my Shepherd: “I shall not want” (v1b), a summary of His provision of every blessing, unfolded in detail in the rest of Ps 23: "I'll not want for peace, protection, guidance, blessing etc. Also, a statement of contentment: “He's all I want.” “He makes me to lie down (settles me down) in green pastures” (v2a) - satisfied peace & rest. Shepherds rested their flocks at noon (Song 1:7). Sheep only lie down having had plenty to eat & drink, not threatened by wild animals or troubled by parasites or flies and if there's no friction among the sheep. Rest comes, for the shepherd has dealt with fear, friction, flies & famine. Christ brings us into soul-rest: “He leads (not drives) me beside the still (gentle) waters” (v2b). He plans my life, knows the best way & leads me in it – oriental shepherds go ahead & lead their sheep. They know his voice & follow him. Jesus the Prince of Peace can't give us peace apart from Himself, as He is Peace. So, if you go away from Him, you lose peace. Sheep can't drink from swift waters. He supplies us with grass to chew (His WORD) and gentle waters to drink (His SPIRIT). “He restores (lit: 'brings back') my soul” (v3a). Translations emphasise the reviving of the soul. The literal meaning includes something more important, the restoration of a soul by repentance (Gal 6:1). He brings my soul back to God, resulting in the restoring of life & peace. Thus, it speaks of the rescue of a lost sheep, who has gone astray, a vital part of a shepherd's work (Ezek 34:4-6,11-12), a picture of salvation (Isa 53:6). Lost souls are sheep without a shepherd, and Jesus came in compassion to gather His flock (Matt 9:36). This aspect of the Good Shepherd's ministry is emphasised in the NT (1Pet 2:25). The Parable of the Good Shepherd (Matt 18:11-13) reveals Christ, the Son of Man, is the Good Shepherd, with sacrificial love for each of His sheep. He claimed to be the Good Shepherd of Ps 23, who came from Heaven to seek & save His lost sheep, by bringing us back to Himself. Luke 15:4-7 adds detail: “When he has found it (the lost sheep), he lays it on his shoulders (salvation by grace) rejoicing" (v5). "Likewise, there will be more joy in Heaven over one SINNER who REPENTS” (v7). This proves it's a picture of salvation by Christ thru repentant faith. When a sheep knows it is lost, it's paralysed by fear & lies down, or gets caught in a bush or ditch. It's helpless to save itself. But the Shepherd loves him & seeks Him, calling out to him. When he hears His voice, he bleats (we call on His Name to save us), He lifts him up & carries him home. We repent from going our own way, call on the Shepherd and trust Him to save us, rather than running away. His rejoicing over 1 saved sheep reveals God's personal love for us. To save the sheep He had to go to where he was. So, to save us, God had to come to earth as a man. So, Ps 23 can only be fulfilled by God becoming a man in the person of Jesus to save us. Having restored me to Himself: “He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His Name's sake (for His glory & reputation, displaying the glory of His grace)” (v3b). The Good Shepherd is our Leader & Guide. He plans the best route for the day. The sheep didn't need to know where to go; just to know where the Shepherd was and follow Him. The Lord leads us into abundance of life & provision. He leads us on the right path for our life. Trust Him, for He'll lead you well, in accordance with His good Name. "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for YOU are with me" (v4a). At times it was necessary to go thru deep gorges in the shadows, vulnerable to robbers & predators, representing times of danger, when death casts a shadow over us, but if we're with Jesus, our Shepherd, we need not even fear death, for He defeated death for us. He'll be with us even thru death. v4 speaks of His Protection through His Presence with us both now & forever, for He'll never leave us. Note the change from HE to YOU. The sheep draws closer to Him in danger. He's now alongside us, rather than ahead. His Presence protects us from evil, removing our fear. Sheep don't last long on their own, our safety is in staying close to the Shepherd. “Your ROD and Your STAFF, they comfort me” (v4b). The Shepherd manifests His Presence and so comforts the sheep (1) by His ROD (a club with iron nails in its head, like a mace, used to strike His enemies, 1Sam 17:34-35), corresponding to His WORD. The STAFF was used on the sheep if it started to go the wrong way, to pull it to safety if it needed rescuing, and to count the sheep (Mic 7:14) – a symbol of His SPIRIT.

(Psalm 110:7) Have you ever felt spiritually drained? The Lord Jesus has made a way for us to access divine refreshment in a spiritually barren world. Join us for this edition of The Weekend Pulpit as we dive into one of the Messianic Psalms.  (08258241026) 

We introduce Psalm 23, the most popular of Psalms, which despite being short, speaks in poetic beauty to all our needs in life, as well as in facing death, imparting comfort & faith to our souls. It is a declaration of trust in God's goodness, with no complaints or requests – a confident confession of faith. A great thing to do is to declare it boldly over your life. It has a close relationship with Ps 22, which describes the Good Shepherd, who dies for the sheep & rises again, and provides abundant life for His people (John 10). Then Ps 23 develops this theme in detail, describing this risen Shepherd, leading His sheep, who hear His voice and follow Him, into abundant & eternal life, purchased through His death. Through knowing & following Him, our Shepherd leads us into every blessing of the new covenant (Heb 13:20). We can only claim Ps 23 if we have come to Christ through faith in His death & resurrection (Ps 22). We must meet Christ in Ps 22, before we experience Him in Ps 23. It starts with an outstanding claim that "the Lord is my Shepherd" (v1). This describes His personal care for us, His commitment to us, to provide for us, protect us and lead us as our Shepherd. This is the translation of Jehovah Rohi - one of the 8 Covenant Names of God. God as the Shepherd of His people (sheep) is major theme of Scripture. We look at how Ps 23 fits into the wider biblical revelation of God as our Shepherd, and note the special place it has within this revelation. God is the Shepherd of Israel (Gen 49:24, Ps 77:20, 78:52, 79:13, 80:1, 95:7, 100:3). Ps 23 is special because it emphases God is our personal Shepherd, as well as being the Shepherd of His people as a whole. The human leaders of Israel, including David, are also described as shepherds - His under-shepherds (Ps 78:70-71, Isa 63:11). These 2 concepts of divine & human shepherds come together in the God-man Messiah, who would be the good Shepherd of His people. The sinful leaders of Israel had failed to shepherd & feed His people as they should, and so the sheep were scattered (Jer 23:1-3, Ezek 34:1-10). In response, God declared He Himself would be their Shepherd, by personally coming to the earth a Man (the Messiah) to shepherd His people, saving, restoring, protecting and feeding them, leading them into peace, good pasture & abundant life (Jer 23:4-6, Ezek 34:11-16, 23-31). Other prophecies of the God-man Messianic Shepherd are Micah 5:2,4, Isa 40:3,9-11, Zech 13:7. This was fulfilled by Jesus (Matt 2:6, 26:31, Luke 19:10, John 10). Jesus said He was the fulfilment of these prophecies in John 10, where He claimed He was the true Shepherd, who alone entered through the door of the virgin birth (v1-3). He comes to call His people to Himself: "and when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice" (v4). He comes to save us and bring us into abundant and eternal life (v7-10). By claiming He is 'THE Door' into God's Kingdom (v7) and 'THE Good Shepherd' of Ps 23 (v11), He was claiming to be the true Shepherd prophesied in the Old Testament, the Messiah-King, even God manifested in flesh. This was a Divine claim: 'I AM the Good Shepherd' = Jehovah Rohi (Ps 23:1). Good (kalos) does not just mean moral excellence, but that He is excellent in His shepherding, in fulfilment of Ps 23. He repeats this claim in v14 adding: "I know My sheep, and am known by My own", the very feature unique to Ps 23. He demonstrated His selfless love for the sheep by giving His life for them (v11,15, 17-18), adding that He will also take up His life again in resurrection, another claim to Deity (v17,18). Thus, He will save His sheep through His death & resurrection. Now we can see why Ps 23 could only find its full fulfilment in Christ. For example: "Yea, though I walk through the VALLEY of the shadow of DEATH, I will fear no evil; for You are WITH ME” (v4). This only became fully true, when God became one of us, to identify with us (Immanuel: “God with us”) and personally lead us through the valley of death into Heaven's glory, so that we: "will dwell in the House of the Lord forever" (v6). This would not have been possible if God had not become a man to shepherd us to glory. Through taking on Himself a human nature, He went through death & resurrection for us, so that if we trust in Him, through our union with His humanity, we enter through the Door (Himself) into eternal life. Only true believers in Christ are His sheep, who receive the blessings of Ps 23 (v26). He calls them to Himself through the Gospel, and they enter into a personal relationship with Him, and they show their faith by following Him (submitting to His leadership) - v27, and He gives them eternal life & security in His & His Father's hands, in fulfilment of Ps 23:6 (v28-30). He gathers all these sheep into one Flock (the true Church), of both Jews and Gentiles (v16).

We introduce Psalm 23, the most popular of Psalms, which despite being short, speaks in poetic beauty to all our needs in life, as well as in facing death, imparting comfort & faith to our souls. It is a declaration of trust in God's goodness, with no complaints or requests – a confident confession of faith. A great thing to do is to declare it boldly over your life. It has a close relationship with Ps 22, which describes the Good Shepherd, who dies for the sheep & rises again, and provides abundant life for His people (John 10). Then Ps 23 develops this theme in detail, describing this risen Shepherd, leading His sheep, who hear His voice and follow Him, into abundant & eternal life, purchased through His death. Through knowing & following Him, our Shepherd leads us into every blessing of the new covenant (Heb 13:20). We can only claim Ps 23 if we have come to Christ through faith in His death & resurrection (Ps 22). We must meet Christ in Ps 22, before we experience Him in Ps 23. It starts with an outstanding claim that "the Lord is my Shepherd" (v1). This describes His personal care for us, His commitment to us, to provide for us, protect us and lead us as our Shepherd. This is the translation of Jehovah Rohi - one of the 8 Covenant Names of God. God as the Shepherd of His people (sheep) is major theme of Scripture. We look at how Ps 23 fits into the wider biblical revelation of God as our Shepherd, and note the special place it has within this revelation. God is the Shepherd of Israel (Gen 49:24, Ps 77:20, 78:52, 79:13, 80:1, 95:7, 100:3). Ps 23 is special because it emphases God is our personal Shepherd, as well as being the Shepherd of His people as a whole. The human leaders of Israel, including David, are also described as shepherds - His under-shepherds (Ps 78:70-71, Isa 63:11). These 2 concepts of divine & human shepherds come together in the God-man Messiah, who would be the good Shepherd of His people. The sinful leaders of Israel had failed to shepherd & feed His people as they should, and so the sheep were scattered (Jer 23:1-3, Ezek 34:1-10). In response, God declared He Himself would be their Shepherd, by personally coming to the earth a Man (the Messiah) to shepherd His people, saving, restoring, protecting and feeding them, leading them into peace, good pasture & abundant life (Jer 23:4-6, Ezek 34:11-16, 23-31). Other prophecies of the God-man Messianic Shepherd are Micah 5:2,4, Isa 40:3,9-11, Zech 13:7. This was fulfilled by Jesus (Matt 2:6, 26:31, Luke 19:10, John 10). Jesus said He was the fulfilment of these prophecies in John 10, where He claimed He was the true Shepherd, who alone entered through the door of the virgin birth (v1-3). He comes to call His people to Himself: "and when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice" (v4). He comes to save us and bring us into abundant and eternal life (v7-10). By claiming He is 'THE Door' into God's Kingdom (v7) and 'THE Good Shepherd' of Ps 23 (v11), He was claiming to be the true Shepherd prophesied in the Old Testament, the Messiah-King, even God manifested in flesh. This was a Divine claim: 'I AM the Good Shepherd' = Jehovah Rohi (Ps 23:1). Good (kalos) does not just mean moral excellence, but that He is excellent in His shepherding, in fulfilment of Ps 23. He repeats this claim in v14 adding: "I know My sheep, and am known by My own", the very feature unique to Ps 23. He demonstrated His selfless love for the sheep by giving His life for them (v11,15, 17-18), adding that He will also take up His life again in resurrection, another claim to Deity (v17,18). Thus, He will save His sheep through His death & resurrection. Now we can see why Ps 23 could only find its full fulfilment in Christ. For example: "Yea, though I walk through the VALLEY of the shadow of DEATH, I will fear no evil; for You are WITH ME” (v4). This only became fully true, when God became one of us, to identify with us (Immanuel: “God with us”) and personally lead us through the valley of death into Heaven's glory, so that we: "will dwell in the House of the Lord forever" (v6). This would not have been possible if God had not become a man to shepherd us to glory. Through taking on Himself a human nature, He went through death & resurrection for us, so that if we trust in Him, through our union with His humanity, we enter through the Door (Himself) into eternal life. Only true believers in Christ are His sheep, who receive the blessings of Ps 23 (v26). He calls them to Himself through the Gospel, and they enter into a personal relationship with Him, and they show their faith by following Him (submitting to His leadership) - v27, and He gives them eternal life & security in His & His Father's hands, in fulfilment of Ps 23:6 (v28-30). He gathers all these sheep into one Flock (the true Church), of both Jews and Gentiles (v16).

Psalm 69 Worksheet We come now to the _______________________ Psalm in Book 2 of the Psalms, the 9th longest Psalm of the 150 in the Psalter. The Heading tells us it was written by David for the Chief Musician to use in worship, and like Psalm 45 set to “the lilies.” The Hebrew word for lilies is Shoshannim, which could also refer to a six-stringed instrument. We see in David's lament and prayer a sense that after suffering there will be ______________________, and many words in this Psalm are referred to in the New Testament about things Christ went through, making it a Messianic Psalm. Read Psalm 69 What does David compare his suffering to in verses 1-2? It makes you wonder whether David as a shepherd boy or soldier had ever been caught up in flood conditions and experienced their devastation. David had cried tears until he was wore out, and his throat has gotten sore from crying out for deliverance, but it had not come. The last part may be a way of saying, “I'm dying here hoping for God to save me” (Verse 3). Jesus quoted verse 4 in reference to Himself in John 15:25. Verse 5 makes us think of the omniscience of God – God _____________________ our foolishness and our sins are not hidden from Him. In the Psalm David will appeal to God for mercy (v. 13) and lovingkindness (v. 16). I like David's train of thought – “God, you know I am a sinner; I know you receive repentant sinners who cry out to you!” John may have been thinking of Psalm 69:8 when he wrote in John 7:3-5 that even Jesus' brothers did not believe in Him. And John definitely quoted verse 9 about Jesus' zeal for the purity of Temple worship. A lot of David's suffering also parallels Job's suffering. Job 19:13-15; Job 17:6 compared to Psalm 69:11 Despite the ____________________________ of even family and the mocking of drunkards, David appeals to God's mercy. I hope part of what you do during the week is _____________________ for people with heavy hearts who think no one cares like David describes himself (verse 20). May we say to someone this week in word and deed, “I care, and God cares.” All four gospels cite verse 21 as they record the events of Golgotha/ Calvary (Matt. 27:34, 48; Mark 15:23; Luke 23:36; John 19:28-30). Several of the curses on the wicked are referred to in the New Testament. Verses 22-23 are used by Paul in Romans 11:9-10 as Paul speaks of God's vindication of a godly _________________________ who believe as opposed to “the rest” who were blinded. Jesus also used verse 23 in reference to the generation that rejected Him (Matt. 23:38; Luke 13:35). Who did Peter apply verse 25 to in Acts 1:20? Verse 26 is an interesting allusion to God's sovereignty: “They persecute the ones You have struck.” It makes us think of how God ___________________________ Job's sufferings, but his ‘friends' interpreted that suffering as sin-based and ‘persecuted him.' Of course it also makes us think of Jesus, slain before the foundation of the world (1 Pet.1:20; Rev. 13:8). Genesis 50:20 Romans 8:28 Craig Gilreath – “Nothing happens to me that doesn't first come across God's desk!” Verse 28 is another reference to the Book of Life. Those in “right standing” with God through faith will be in the Book and are citizens of Heaven, the wicked who _________________________ God will not be (Rev. 20:11-15). Let your testimony be the same as verse 29 – That's what happened to Jesus – God the Son, the Son of Man returns to Heaven after suffering with glorified human flesh! The last 7 verses go from the suffering of the “cross” to the triumph of “________________________.” In these last verses the meek, the weak, the needy and despised who know the Lord are all vindicated! Verse 32 is a good verse to underline, circle, and continually meditate on! Verse 34 makes us think of Romans 8:21 and Acts 3:19-21.

With the victorious cry: "You have answered Me!" (v21), Ps 22 suddenly transitions from a prayer of suffering in the dark, to praise for salvation in the light, from lament to thanksgiving, from travail to triumph, from a prophecy of Christ's suffering on the Cross to a prophecy of His glorious resurrection and the bringing in of a new age of grace. From being alone in the darkness, forsaken by all, even apparently by God (v1-21), He is now in the light of God's Presence surrounded by a great congregation of His brothers, declaring the universal & eternal consequences of His sacrificial death on our behalf & His resurrection (v22-31). His 1st announcement is the formation of His new spiritual family, the Church, brought forth (born again) by His resurrection as the firstborn among many brethren (v22, Rom 8:29). His great desire is for God to be glorified by His people, especially as they gather together, for praise is the repeating theme in all of these verses (the subject of every verse from v22-32, except v24, which gives a reason for praise). God's glory is the fulfilment of our faith, the ultimate purpose & result of His work of salvation. We see His priority is the formation of the Church & one of her main purposes is to praise God. v23-31 describe the formation of this worshipping community, expanding from Israel (v23) to the whole world (v25-29), as the Gospel declaration of God's gift of righteousness through His finished work is proclaimed down the generations(v30-31). This predicts His death & resurrection will have universal & eternal significance, changing the future of the world, and bringing about the world-wide salvation of the Gentiles, proving that Jesus is the Christ. v23-24: “You who fear the Lord, praise Him!” (true believers fear the Lord, and true praise comes from a submitted heart). “All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him, and fear Him, all you offspring of Israel! For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction (v1-21) of the afflicted (Messiah); nor has He hidden His face from Him; but when He cried to Him, He heard (by raising Him from the dead).” This predicts the Gospel will go 1st to Israel, declaring God has fully accepted the value of His sacrificial death (v1-21) as the sufficient basis (payment) for our eternal salvation, and has declared this by hearing His prayer & raising Him from death (v24). The risen Christ calls all Israel to respond & glorify God by believing in Him as Messiah, and in His finished work, submitting to Him & praising Him. He calls all who fear the Lord to praise Him (v23), due to the wonderful work of salvation He's just accomplished (v24). Then v25 predicts the successful formation of a great Assembly of believers, united to Christ, all praising God together, as the Church grows and expands across the world (confirmed by v27): “My praise shall be of You in the great Assembly” (v25a), He gives a reason why they praise God – they share in His great sacrificial feast: "I will pay My vows before those who fear Him. The poor shall eat and be satisfied" (v25b-26a). Someone in bad situation would pray for Divine Intervention (v1-21), and make vows to God that they'd fulfil after their deliverance. This included a peace offering for thanksgiving in the Temple, then sharing the benefits of the sacrifice with family, friends & the poor in a communal meal before God, where they all joyfully partake of the sacrifice (Lev 7:15-16, Deut 12;17-19). Likewise, by His death, Christ purchased & received every blessing for us. He vowed to God to offer His sacrificial blood to God in the heavenly Temple on our behalf and share the wealth (blessing) with us in an everlasting Sacrificial Feast. Since He is the Sacrifice, He shares Himself with us (the Feeding of the 5000 - John 6). Thus, this is a picture of the feast made available to all thru His finished work. He fulfils His vow to share His purchased blessings with us, and we're all invited to come into God's Presence to partake. But only believers will respond, only the poor (in spirit) will eat & be satisfied. Thus, His provision is abundant & sufficient for all our needs (Isa 53:12, 55:1-3). "Those who seek Him will (find Him and) praise the Lord" (v26b). The seekers will become singers. The blessings are not just for this life but also eternal life & glory with God: "Let your heart live forever!" (v26c). The prophecy goes on to predict the conversion of the Gentiles in the Church Age & Millennium as a result of the Christ's death & resurrection: "All the ends of the world shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall worship before You." This is a picture of true conversion: (1) REMEMBER - like the prodigal son, people come to their right mind about God, when they hear the Gospel, (2) REPENTANCE - they will turn from their own ways & return to God (like the prodigal) - the turning of the will to God. (3) REVERENCE - the fruit of this repentance unto salvation is a lifes

With the victorious cry: "You have answered Me!" (v21), Ps 22 transitions from lament to thanksgiving, travail to triumph, from prayer of suffering, alone & forsaken in the dark, to praise for salvation in the light of God's Presence, declaring the universal & eternal consequences of His sacrificial death on our behalf, from a prophecy of the Cross to His resurrection, ushering in a new age of grace (v22-31), including the forming of a worshipping community, expanding from Israel (v23) to the world (v25-29), as the Gospel is proclaimed (v30-31). It predicts the universal & eternal significance of His death & resurrection. 1st He announces the formation of His new spiritual family, the Church, reborn by His resurrection as the firstborn of many brethren (v22, Rom 8:29). His desire is for God to be glorified by His people, especially as they gather together, for praise is the repeating theme of all these verses. God's glory is the ultimate fruit of His work. v23-24: “You who fear the Lord, praise Him!” (true believers fear God; true praise is from submitted hearts). “All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him, and fear Him, all you offspring of Israel! For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction (v1-21) of the afflicted (Messiah); nor has He hidden His face from Him; but when He cried to Him, He heard (by raising Him from death).” This predicts the Gospel will go 1st to Israel, that God has fully accepted the value of His sacrificial death (v1-21) as the sufficient basis (payment) for our salvation and has declared this by His resurrection. The risen Christ calls all Israel to respond & glorify God by believing in Him & His finished work, submitting to & praising Him, for what He's accomplished. Then v25 predicts the formation of a great Assembly of believers, united to Christ, praising God together, growing & expanding across the world (also v27): “My praise shall be of You in the great Assembly” (v25a). A reason why they praise is they share in His great sacrificial feast: "I will pay My vows before those who fear Him. The poor shall eat and be satisfied" (v25b-26a). A man in trouble prays for God's help (v1-21) & makes vows to fulfil after his deliverance, including a peace offering for thanksgiving in the Temple, then sharing the benefits of the sacrifice with family, friends & poor in a communal meal before God, joyfully partaking of the sacrifice (Lev 7:15-16, Deut 12;17-19). Likewise, Christ purchased every blessing for us. He vowed to God to offer His sacrificial Blood in the heavenly Temple on our behalf & share His purchased blessings with us in an everlasting sacrificial Feast. He fulfils His vow, inviting us to come to God to partake. As the Sacrifice, He shares Himself with us. Only believers (poor in spirit) respond, eat & are satisfied. His provision is abundant & sufficient for all our needs. "Those who seek Him will (find Him and) praise the Lord" (v26b). Seekers become singers. The blessings are for this life & eternal life & glory with God: "Let your heart live forever!" (v26c). Next, we see the conversion of the Gentiles in the Church Age & Millennium as a result of His Sacrifice: "All the ends of the world shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall worship before You." A picture of true conversion (prodigal son): (1) REMEMBER - come to a right mind about God, (2) REPENT - turn from sin to God. (3) REVERENCE - the fruit of this repentance is a lifestyle of worship. This Gentile salvation is only accomplished by Christ (Isa 42,49,53, Gen 12:1-3). Thus, the success of the Gospel proves Jesus is the Christ. It's clear these verses are not about David. This victory is the basis for God's Kingdom on earth: "For the Kingdom is the Lord's, and He rules over the nations" (v28). Christ will be made Lord of all people in every realm (v29) - fulfilled (Phil 2:9-11, Ro 14:10-11). The last verses predict the propagation of salvation by the Gospel from one generation to the next: "A posterity (seed - future generations, or 'His seed', born again spiritual offspring, Isa 53:10) shall serve Him. It will be recounted of the Lord to the next generation" (v30). One way they serve Him is by the Gospel. "They will come (to God, to Christ, & come forth to new life), and declare His righteousness (all He did in His perfect life & death, and in giving His perfect righteousness to us) to a people, who will be born (again) that He has DONE this.” This is the message, that "He has FINISHED it" (in 2Chr 4:11 this word describes the finishing of the Temple. Likewise, Jesus finished the work to make us His Temple). Thus, the burden of the Gospel is His finished work. Jesus quoted this verse on the Cross, just before He died in John 19:30: “Jesus said: “It is finished!” May we see our salvation fully accomplished by Him. He paid in full for our forgiveness & abundant & eternal life. Jesus quoted the 1st & last verse on the Cross, showing all Ps 22 is messianic.

The 1st Part of Psalm 22 (v1-21) is a Prophecy of Christ's suffering & prayers on the Cross. Its 3rd Lamentation (v12-18), describes His physical sufferings inflicted by the Romans, described as DOGS (v16), and oppression by demonic powers (BULLS, v12) & Satan (LION, v13, 1Pet 5:8). Then He turns to God asking Him to draw near to Him, release His mighty power on His behalf (‘O My strength'), deliver, help & save Him (v19-21a). In this prayer He asks for deliverance from the same 3 animals, causing His suffering: DOG (v20), LION (v21), WILD OXEN (Reem, an extinct massive wild BULL, v21). We note the Chiastic Structure of these animal verses (His prayer names them in reverse order to His lament), so we have in His lament: (1) BULLS (v12), (2) LION (v13), (3) DOGS (v16), and in His prayer: (3) DOG (v20), (2) LION (v21) and (1) BULLS (v21). This means we have 3 sets of parallel verses to be compared. In particular, v16, where DOGS PIERCE His hand & feet (the key act in crucifixion), and v20, where the DOG's power is in the SWORD (of capital punishment) are parallel, confirming ‘they pierced my hands & feet' is the correct translation, rather than ‘like a lion' which destroys the symmetry. His prayer concludes with a triumphant declaration: “You have answered Me” (v21b). This dramatic change of tone marks the transition to Part 2 (v22-31), a Prophecy of His resurrection, declared in faith on the Cross, knowing God will answer His Prayer for deliverance from death & enemies (v1-21), by raising Him from death, resulting in God's salvation going to the whole world (v22-31). At this point, it dramatically transitions from a lament-prayer of suffering in the DARK to thanksgiving for salvation in the LIGHT. Dawn is when light overcomes darkness, and this is His announcement of the dawning of a new day, not just for Himself, but for all His people, the dawning of a new day of history, brought about by His resurrection at dawn on Sunday, April 3rd AD 33. The Light (Christ) has overcome the darkness by His death & resurrection! At this point, Psalm 22 moves from travail to triumph, from suffering to the glory that would follow. It's significant that the title is the ‘Hind of the Morning' or ‘Deer of the Dawn.' Christ is the deer, hunted by the lion, dogs & wild bulls, springing up in new life to victory in resurrection power, bringing in the dawning of a new day. This is a Prophecy that this sinless man, who is executed, will be resurrected. It reveals His dramatic reversal of fortunes, from depths of despair to exuberant praise. for God has heard His prayer. v22: “I will declare Your Name to MY BRETHREN; in the midst of the Assembly (Church) I will praise You.” Before He was alone and surrounded by enemies. He's no longer alone, but in the midst of a great congregation of His friends. The 1st thing He wants to do is to praise God in the Assembly. This shows the importance of public praise, and that Jesus is in the midst when we gather together in His Name (Matt 18:20), revealing God to us, and glorifying God through us, empowering our praises & preaching (John 17:26). This verse also announces the 1st accomplishment of His death & resurrection - the creation and formation of a new spiritual family in Christ, the Birth of His Church. This is signified by Him calling us His BRETHREN. Thru His resurrection, as the Head of the New Creation of humanity, He's now the firstborn among many brethren (Rom 8:29, Col 1:18, Heb 12:23). Believers sharing in His resurrection life are now BORN AGAIN, sons of God, by His resurrection (1Pet 1:3), and so are members of God's family. His life is our life, and our lives belong to Him. The New Birth is a New Covenant reality, not available before. ‘Brethren' also speaks of His ongoing humanity, and reveals His purpose in becoming a man was to bring men to God, so we would be born again into His forever family, and might all know and praise Him. Immediately after He rose, He said to Mary: “Go to MY BRETHREN and say to them: ‘I am ascending to My Father & your Father, and to My God & your God” (John 20:17). He was declaring to her that Ps 22:22 was now being fulfilled, that we are now in the 2nd Part of Ps 22, just as He'd declared v1 on the Cross to tell us He was fulfilling Part 1. He was telling them that to understand the new reality, study the 2nd half of Ps 22. (He'd not used this description ‘MY BRETHREN' before, as it reflects the new reality, which Ps 22 predicted with the same term). He reinforced this by saying that His Father was also now their Father, so they were in the same covenant relationship with God as He was. This vital verse is quoted in Hebrews 2:11-12. This is another proof that the whole Psalm is Messianic, fulfilled by Jesus. It confirms that the fruit of His work is that we would be reborn from the same womb as Christ, through His death & resurrection, so that in His humanity, He is now our brother, the firstborn among many brethren (Rom 8:29).

The 1st Part of Psalm 22 (v1-21) is a Prophecy of Christ's suffering & prayers on the Cross. Its 3rd Lamentation (v12-18), describes His physical sufferings inflicted by the Romans, described as DOGS (v16), and oppression by demonic powers (BULLS, v12) & Satan (LION, v13, 1Pet 5:8). Then He turns to God asking Him to draw near to Him, release His mighty power on His behalf (‘O My strength'), deliver, help & save Him (v19-21a). In this prayer He asks for deliverance from the same 3 animals, causing His suffering: DOG (v20), LION (v21), WILD OXEN (Reem, an extinct massive wild BULL, v21). We note the Chiastic Structure of these animal verses (His prayer names them in reverse order to His lament), so we have in His lament: (1) BULLS (v12), (2) LION (v13), (3) DOGS (v16), and in His prayer: (3) DOG (v20), (2) LION (v21) and (1) BULLS (v21). This means we have 3 sets of parallel verses to be compared. In particular, v16, where DOGS PIERCE His hand & feet (the key act in crucifixion), and v20, where the DOG's power is in the SWORD (of capital punishment) are parallel, confirming ‘they pierced my hands & feet' is the correct translation, rather than ‘like a lion' which destroys the symmetry. His prayer concludes with a triumphant declaration: “You have answered Me” (v21b). This dramatic change of tone marks the transition to Part 2 (v22-31), a Prophecy of His resurrection, declared in faith on the Cross, knowing God will answer His Prayer for deliverance from death & enemies (v1-21), by raising Him from death, resulting in God's salvation going to the whole world (v22-31). At this point, it dramatically transitions from a lament-prayer of suffering in the DARK to thanksgiving for salvation in the LIGHT. Dawn is when light overcomes darkness, and this is His announcement of the dawning of a new day, not just for Himself, but for all His people, the dawning of a new day of history, brought about by His resurrection at dawn on Sunday, April 3rd AD 33. The Light (Christ) has overcome the darkness by His death & resurrection! At this point, Psalm 22 moves from travail to triumph, from suffering to the glory that would follow. It's significant that the title is the ‘Hind of the Morning' or ‘Deer of the Dawn.' Christ is the deer, hunted by the lion, dogs & wild bulls, springing up in new life to victory in resurrection power, bringing in the dawning of a new day. This is a Prophecy that this sinless man, who is executed, will be resurrected. It reveals His dramatic reversal of fortunes, from depths of despair to exuberant praise. for God has heard His prayer. v22: “I will declare Your Name to MY BRETHREN; in the midst of the Assembly (Church) I will praise You.” Before He was alone and surrounded by enemies. He's no longer alone, but in the midst of a great congregation of His friends. The 1st thing He wants to do is to praise God in the Assembly. This shows the importance of public praise, and that Jesus is in the midst when we gather together in His Name (Matt 18:20), revealing God to us, and glorifying God through us, empowering our praises & preaching (John 17:26). This verse also announces the 1st accomplishment of His death & resurrection - the creation and formation of a new spiritual family in Christ, the Birth of His Church. This is signified by Him calling us His BRETHREN. Thru His resurrection, as the Head of the New Creation of humanity, He's now the firstborn among many brethren (Rom 8:29, Col 1:18, Heb 12:23). Believers sharing in His resurrection life are now BORN AGAIN, sons of God, by His resurrection (1Pet 1:3), and so are members of God's family. His life is our life, and our lives belong to Him. The New Birth is a New Covenant reality, not available before. ‘Brethren' also speaks of His ongoing humanity, and reveals His purpose in becoming a man was to bring men to God, so we would be born again into His forever family, and might all know and praise Him. Immediately after He rose, He said to Mary: “Go to MY BRETHREN and say to them: ‘I am ascending to My Father & your Father, and to My God & your God” (John 20:17). He was declaring to her that Ps 22:22 was now being fulfilled, that we are now in the 2nd Part of Ps 22, just as He'd declared v1 on the Cross to tell us He was fulfilling Part 1. He was telling them that to understand the new reality, study the 2nd half of Ps 22. (He'd not used this description ‘MY BRETHREN' before, as it reflects the new reality, which Ps 22 predicted with the same term). He reinforced this by saying that His Father was also now their Father, so they were in the same covenant relationship with God as He was. This vital verse is quoted in Hebrews 2:11-12. This is another proof that the whole Psalm is Messianic, fulfilled by Jesus. It confirms that the fruit of His work is that we would be reborn from the same womb as Christ, through His death & resurrection, so that in His humanity, He is now our brother, the firstborn among many brethren (Rom 8:29).

Last time, we studied the 1st Lamentation of Christ from the Cross describing His spiritual suffering (v1-5). This week, we study the 2nd Lamentation of Christfrom the Cross describing His mental suffering (v6-11), from His enemies who mocked and humiliated Him as He suffered. “But I am a WORM, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised by the people” (v6, see Isaiah 53:3). This is made worse by the fact that ‘the people' are His own people – Israel). Being a WORM is a figure of speech describing how helpless, despised, weak He felt, as those who hated Him treated Him as a worm, only worthy of being trampled under foot (see Isaiah 41:14, where Israel was compared to a worm under the foot of her enemies, yet God promised to deliver her). But there is also a deeper meaning to this picture. The word for ‘worm' is ‘tolaith' - the same word as for ‘scarlet', for these worms were crushed to create a costly, brilliant, beautiful and enduring red dye from their blood. Crimson-dyed clothes were costly (Lam. 4:5). It was used for dyeing the curtains of the Tabernacle (Ex. 26:1), the garments of the high priests; in the purification rites of a leper (Lev 14:4–6), and of a house affected by leprosy; and it was added to the ashes of the red heifer (Num 19:6). Likewise, Christ was crushed for us and His Blood was used to cleanse, purify and clothe us as Temples of God. Moreover, thus worm would reproduce by attaching itself to the limb of a tree and would die in the process of giving birth! We were weak and helpless as a worm, worthy to be rejected and crushed because of our sin, but God valued us and redeemed us, by becoming a worm in our place, made weak, helpless and vulnerable to the attacks of people, and He was treated like a worm to be crushed by our sin and curse to make us whole. v7-8: All those who see Me ridicule Me; they shoot out the lip, they shake the head (show contempt with their mouth)” (for the fulfilment see Matthew 27:39, Mark 15:29), saying: “He trusted in the Lord, let Him rescue Him; let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!” (for the fulfilment see Matthew 27:41-44). It is important to recognise the evil voice of the serpent behind this attack. It is more than the mockery of hatred. This was a mental torture, designed to attack and undermine His faith, His very connection with God, when He was at His most vulnerable, when it seemed as if God was abandoning Him and not hearing His prayers. The serpent, speaking through these men, tried to play with His mind and deceive and persuade Him by suggestion that God had finished with Him, that He did not actually love Him or delight in Him, and so He should let go of God. This was a more dangerous attack than the attack on His body, for it was satan's voice trying to penetrate His inner heart, sowing seeds of doubt saying: “If God really loved you, you would not suffer like this, or He would have delivered you, so give up your faith in God.” But God did delight in Him and would deliver Him in the resurrection. Likewise, when we suffer, whether it is because we have sinned or not, satan comes as the accuser to whisper his lies to us that God does not love us any more, and that we should abandon our loyalty to God. At that time, it is important that we should not be passive, but answer these evil thoughts by declaring our faith, that God does love us, that He has redeemed us by His Blood, and that we will always love and trust God (Rev 12:10-11) This is exactly what Christ does, when He moves from His Lament to focusing back on God and declaring His faith in God in v9-10: “BUT YOU are He who took Me out of the womb; You made (caused) Me (to) trust while on My mother's breasts. I was cast upon You from birth. From My mother's womb You have been My God.” This predicts the Messiah will be sinless and in perfect fellowship with God from birth, not having a sin-nature because of the virgin birth (Gen 3:15, Isa 7:14, confirming that He is not suffering because of his sins. This is only true of Christ, not David (Psalm 51:5). So, He had never experienced any separation from God before. Whereas He previously established His faith on God's proven faithfulness to Israel, as recorded in the Bible (v3-5), here He establishes his faith on God's faithfulness in His own life. Based on God's constant faithful Presence with Him as His God, throughout His life, He knows that God will not suddenly abandon Him now. From that place of faith, and prays that God would draw close to Him again to help Him, and deliver Him from trouble, as He has always done before: “Be not far from Me, for trouble is near; for there is none to help” (v11). God answered this prayer at His resurrection.

Last time, we studied the 1st Lamentation of Christ from the Cross describing His spiritual suffering (v1-5). This week, we study the 2nd Lamentation of Christfrom the Cross describing His mental suffering (v6-11), from His enemies who mocked and humiliated Him as He suffered. “But I am a WORM, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised by the people” (v6, see Isaiah 53:3). This is made worse by the fact that ‘the people' are His own people – Israel). Being a WORM is a figure of speech describing how helpless, despised, weak He felt, as those who hated Him treated Him as a worm, only worthy of being trampled under foot (see Isaiah 41:14, where Israel was compared to a worm under the foot of her enemies, yet God promised to deliver her). But there is also a deeper meaning to this picture. The word for ‘worm' is ‘tolaith' - the same word as for ‘scarlet', for these worms were crushed to create a costly, brilliant, beautiful and enduring red dye from their blood. Crimson-dyed clothes were costly (Lam. 4:5). It was used for dyeing the curtains of the Tabernacle (Ex. 26:1), the garments of the high priests; in the purification rites of a leper (Lev 14:4–6), and of a house affected by leprosy; and it was added to the ashes of the red heifer (Num 19:6). Likewise, Christ was crushed for us and His Blood was used to cleanse, purify and clothe us as Temples of God. Moreover, thus worm would reproduce by attaching itself to the limb of a tree and would die in the process of giving birth! We were weak and helpless as a worm, worthy to be rejected and crushed because of our sin, but God valued us and redeemed us, by becoming a worm in our place, made weak, helpless and vulnerable to the attacks of people, and He was treated like a worm to be crushed by our sin and curse to make us whole. v7-8: All those who see Me ridicule Me; they shoot out the lip, they shake the head (show contempt with their mouth)” (for the fulfilment see Matthew 27:39, Mark 15:29), saying: “He trusted in the Lord, let Him rescue Him; let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!” (for the fulfilment see Matthew 27:41-44). It is important to recognise the evil voice of the serpent behind this attack. It is more than the mockery of hatred. This was a mental torture, designed to attack and undermine His faith, His very connection with God, when He was at His most vulnerable, when it seemed as if God was abandoning Him and not hearing His prayers. The serpent, speaking through these men, tried to play with His mind and deceive and persuade Him by suggestion that God had finished with Him, that He did not actually love Him or delight in Him, and so He should let go of God. This was a more dangerous attack than the attack on His body, for it was satan's voice trying to penetrate His inner heart, sowing seeds of doubt saying: “If God really loved you, you would not suffer like this, or He would have delivered you, so give up your faith in God.” But God did delight in Him and would deliver Him in the resurrection. Likewise, when we suffer, whether it is because we have sinned or not, satan comes as the accuser to whisper his lies to us that God does not love us any more, and that we should abandon our loyalty to God. At that time, it is important that we should not be passive, but answer these evil thoughts by declaring our faith, that God does love us, that He has redeemed us by His Blood, and that we will always love and trust God (Rev 12:10-11) This is exactly what Christ does, when He moves from His Lament to focusing back on God and declaring His faith in God in v9-10: “BUT YOU are He who took Me out of the womb; You made (caused) Me (to) trust while on My mother's breasts. I was cast upon You from birth. From My mother's womb You have been My God.” This predicts the Messiah will be sinless and in perfect fellowship with God from birth, not having a sin-nature because of the virgin birth (Gen 3:15, Isa 7:14, confirming that He is not suffering because of his sins. This is only true of Christ, not David (Psalm 51:5). So, He had never experienced any separation from God before. Whereas He previously established His faith on God's proven faithfulness to Israel, as recorded in the Bible (v3-5), here He establishes his faith on God's faithfulness in His own life. Based on God's constant faithful Presence with Him as His God, throughout His life, He knows that God will not suddenly abandon Him now. From that place of faith, and prays that God would draw close to Him again to help Him, and deliver Him from trouble, as He has always done before: “Be not far from Me, for trouble is near; for there is none to help” (v11). God answered this prayer at His resurrection.

Psalm 22 is a detailed & accurate prophecy describing a righteous man being executed by crucifixion by evil men, written 800 years before crucifixion was invented. Nothing in Ps 22 was fulfilled by David, either in the details of his suffering or in the world-wide consequences of his death. Rather as a prophet (Acts 2:30), David spoke by the Spirit of Prophecy, enabling him to describe Messiah's inner thoughts & feelings on the Cross. Whereas the Gospels record outward events, Messianic Psalms (like 22) reveal His inner experience. It is messianic from start to finish, a prophecy of His death & resurrection, followed by the Gospel going to the world, and the establishment of God's Kingdom. This is confirmed by New Testament quotes from Ps 22, claiming Jesus is the fulfilment. Along with Isa 53, it has special importance in providing a detailed revelation of the Cross. It's written in 2 Parts corresponding to (1) Christ's SUFFERINGS (v1-21), and (2) the GLORIES that would follow (v22-31), see 1Pet 1:10-11. The 1st Part is a Lament, in which an isolated man, surrounded by enemies, suffers & prays on the altar of sacrifice (v1-21a). He describes his sufferings, but also turns to God and declares his faith, requesting God to draw near to save Him. Then it moves from travail to triumph in v21b, when he declares: “You have answered me”. The 2nd Part is a Thanksgiving Psalm, where He rejoices in his victory, and thanks God for accepting his sacrifice and delivering him from death, and for all the blessings released as a result. He is no longer alone, but praises God in the midst of His brethren. He declares the Gospel of His finished work will be declared around the world and down the ages, resulting in the salvation of the Gentiles (as well as Jews), and God's Kingdom established over all. *Part 1 consists of 3 Laments: (1) His spiritual suffering & desolation (v1-2), followed by a declaration of faith in God (v3-5). (2) His mental suffering & humiliation as a social outcast (v6-8), followed by a faith-declaration and request to God (v9-11). (3) His physical suffering - the torture of crucifixion (v12-18), followed by a faith-declaration & request (v19-21). Each time, He first expresses His feelings and describes His suffering (the focus is on ‘I' & ‘ME'). Then He turns his focus to God, saying: “BUT YOU.” So it is fine to express our feelings to God, but don't stop there, as if they are the final word. Don't stop with the negative, but go on to declare the truth of God, who has the final word. *Lament 1 describes his spiritual suffering, as he felt totally forsaken by God: “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me (v11,19) and from the words of My groaning (roaring)? O My God, I cry in the DAYTIME, but You do not hear; and in the NIGHT season, and am not silent” (v1-2). He had a covenant relationship with God (‘My God') and walked with God all His life (v9-10,31), yet now all fellowship was broken. He experienced total separation from God's Presence. Ps 22 starts with him asking ‘Why?' The answer to this unlocks the meaning of the whole Psalm. The answer as revealed in v31 is that He was bearing the sin of mankind, as our sin-offering, and so experienced Hell (total separation from God's Presence) for us. Thus, the result of this one man's suffering is salvation for the world (v22-31). He suffered separation from God, so we might be restored to God's Presence. During the supernatural darkness on the Cross, Jesus quoted v1 in Matt 27:45 & Mark 15:33-34. By quoting the start of Ps 22, He pointed to the whole Psalm, saying He was fulfilling it all: ‘if you want to know what I am experiencing and what the outcome will be read Ps 22'. He prayed it all, ending with the proclamation: “He has done (finished) it” (v21). So, just before He died, He quoted the last verse saying: “It is finished!” (John 20:30). As v2 predicted, Jesus suffered on the Cross during the day (9am – noon), when He was the burnt offering, and during a night, when He was the sin offering (the supernatural darkness, noon to 3pm, Amos 8:9, Joel 2:31, Acts 2:20). Throughout this time, He called on God in faith to help Him. The physical pains did not cause Him to roar v1 in agony, for He only did this in the darkness, when He experienced God's wrath on our sin and the spiritual darkness of total separation from His Presence, as predicted by v1-2, fulfilled in Matt 27:45. We discuss the secular evidence for the supernatural darkness and prove it was indeed a night (v2, Gen1:5,14-18), and how this solves the paradox of the 3 days & 3 nights between His death & resurrection, and how it confirms He died in AD 33. In v3-5 Christ moves from His 1st Lament to a declaration of faith: “BUT You are HOLY.” This shows He knew the answer to His question in v1. When Christ became sin, God's holiness required Him to pour His wrath on him, and separate Himself from him. Thus, He praised God & vindicated His righteousness.

Psalm 22 is an amazingly accurate & detailed prophecy describing a righteous man being executed by crucifixion by wicked men, 800 years before crucifixion was even invented. Nothing in Ps 22 was fulfilled by David, either in the details of the man's suffering or in the world-wide consequences of his death. Rather David, being a prophet (Acts 2:30), spoke by the Spirit of Prophecy, enabling him to describe the inner thoughts & feelings of the Messiah on the Cross. Whereas the Gospels record the outer facts of these events, the Messianic Psalms (like 22) which reveal His inner experience. It is Messianic from the start to the end, a detailed prophecy of Christ's death & resurrection, followed by the Gospel going to the whole world and the establishment of God's Kingdom. This is confirmed by numerous New Testament quotes from Ps 22, which claim Jesus is the fulfilment. Along with Isaiah 53, hit as a special importance in providing a detailed revelation of the Cross. It is written in 2 Parts corresponding to (1) the SUFFERINGS of Christ (v1-21), and (2) the GLORIES that would follow (v22-31) – see 1Peter 1:10-11. The 1st Part is a Lament, in which an isolated man, surrounded by enemies, is suffering and praying on the altar of sacrifice (v1-21a). He describes all his sufferings, but also turns to God and declares his faith, requesting God to draw near to save Him. Then it moves from travail to triumph in v21b, when he declares: “You have answered me”. The 2nd Part is a Thanksgiving Psalm, where He rejoices in his victory, and thanks God for accepting his sacrifice and delivering him from death, and for all the blessings that will be released as a result. He is no longer alone, but praising God in the midst of His brethren. He declares the Gospel of His finished work will be declared throughout the world and down all generations, resulting in the salvation of the Gentiles (as well as the Jews), and the establishment of God's Kingdom over all. *Part 1 consists of 3 Laments: (1) His spiritual suffering & desolation (v1-2), followed by a declaration of faith in God (v3-5). (2) His mental suffering & humiliation as a social outcast (v6-8), followed by a declaration of faith and request to God (v9-11). (3) His physical suffering - the torture of crucifixion (v12-18), followed by a declaration of faith and request (v19-21). Each time, He first expresses His feelings and describes His suffering (the focus is on ‘I' and ‘ME'). Then He turns his focus on to God, saying: “BUT YOU…” So, it is fine to express our feelings to God, but don't stop there, as if they are the final word. Don't stop with the negative, but move on to declare the truth of God, who will have the final word. *Lamentation 1 describes his spiritual suffering, as he felt totally forsaken by God: “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me (see v11,19) and from the words of My groaning (roaring)? O My God, I cry in the DAYTIME, but You do not hear; and in the NIGHT season, and am not silent” (v1-2). He had a covenant relationship with God (‘My God') and walked with God all His life (v9-10,31), yet now all fellowship was broken. He experienced total separation from God's Presence. Ps 22 starts with Him asking ‘Why?' The answer to this question unlocks the meaning of the whole Psalm. The answer as revealed in v31 & Isaiah 53 is that He was bearing the sin of mankind, as our sin-offering (1John 2:2, 4:14, Gal 3:13, 2Cor 5:18,21), and so experienced Hell (total separation from God's Presence) for us (2Thess 1:9). Therefore, the result of this one man's suffering is salvation for the whole world (v22-31). He suffered separation from God, so we might be restored to God's Presence. During the supernatural darkness on the Cross, shortly before He died, Jesus quoted v1 in Matt 27:45, and Mark 15:33-34. By quoting the start of the Psalm, He was referencing the whole of it (according to Rabbinic method), saying He was fulfilling the whole Psalm. He was saying, if you want to know what I am experiencing and what the outcome will be read Ps 22. He prayed the whole Psalm, which finishes with the proclamation: “He has done (finished) it” (v21). So, just before His death He quoted the last verse saying: “It is finished!” (John 20:30). As v2 predicted, Jesus suffered on the Cross during the day time (9am – noon), when He was the burnt offering, and during a night season, when He became the sin offering (the supernatural darkness, noon to 3pm, Amos 8:9, Joel 2:31, Acts 2:20). Throughout this time, He called on God in faith to help Him. The physical pains of the Cross did not cause Him to roar v1 in agony, for He only did this during the supernatural darkness, when He experienced God's wrath on our sin and the spiritual darkness of total separation from His Presence, as predicted by v1-2, and fulfilled in Matthew 27:45. We discuss the secular evidence for the supernatural darkness and prove it was indeed a night (v2, Gen1:5,1

American author, comedian, TV presenter and committed Orthodox Christian, Jay Dyer, joins James for a contemplation of one of the Messianic Psalms, Psalm 24. ↓ ↓ ↓ Buy James a Coffee at: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/jamesdelingpole The official website of James Delingpole: https://jamesdelingpole.co.uk x

This is a recording provided by Adirondack Christian Fellowship of Dave's guest teaching on Psalm 102. Given at ACF on Sunday September 15th, 2024. Theme: Bring your Burdens This is one of the Penitential Psalms, which is a psalm in which the author shows a penitent heart, they confess their brokenness, their sin, and their need for God's forgiveness. Psalms 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, and 143 are all categorized as penitent psalms. Psalm 51 as you may recall is King David's lament after being caught in his sin with Bathsheba & Uriah the hitite. This is also a Messianic psalm, and I will show you why. There are three segments to this psalm: Vv 1-11 - Personal Lament Vv 12-22 - Future hope Vv 23-28 - Eternal God Psalm 102.1-11 What do you think this writer is going through? What is his distress? Terminal cancer - June of 2023 - Steve Beck. Glioblastoma Depression. Psalm 42.3 says, “My tears have been my food day and night” The Sorrow of Unrepentant, un delt-with Sin. Psalm 102.12-22 Future hope What a turn in the text. We go from a lament in total pain and anguish to a Parise., “You Lord sit enthroned forever, your renown endures through all generations.” CONTEXT Whenever we study the Bible we must always ask about the context; WHO wrote this, WHO did they write it to? WHEN was it written? WHERE was it written from and where was it written to? Once we know these things we will be better informed to ask the Holy Spirt WHAT we are supposed to do with this information and HOW we can apply it to our lives. What is ZION? 2 Sam 5.7; Psalm 2:6; 48:2, 11-12 & 132:13; Jer 31.6; Isa 40.9; Jer 31.12; Zec 9.13 Psalm 102:13,16,21 In the midst of this poets personal lament of anguish to the Lord he calls out and says, “I am going through this pain, but you rule soverough over all, our beloved Jerusalem has fallen, and its people in Exile, but you are in charge and you will see it rebuilt, both its walls and its people.” V18, “Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise the Lord.” The nation of Israel is proof of God's existence No other people group in the world's history has been whipped out, destroyed, and come back. A language gone extinct and then come back. The Israelites are God's people and a study of the prophecies in the Bible in conjunction with world history is the closest actual proof we can have of God's existence. Moving on… Psalm 102.23-28 - Eternal God V23-24 - a return to a personal lament - “he broke my strength, he cut short my days.” and a plee - “do not take me away, my God, in the midst of my days.” A personal cry out followed by an acknowledgment of who God is, he is the eternal creator that will go on forever. This world is going to end, but you are not. We see here a prophetic message of what the future holds for our earth. Isa 34:4 Mat 24:35 2Pe 3:7-10 How is this a Messianic Psalm? Heb1.10-12 Heb 1.1-2; Heb 13.8 Concluding Psalm 102 Psalm 55.22 - “Cast your burden on the Lord and he shall sustain you.” --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ironsheep/support

Psalm 21 is the celebration of the accomplished victory prayed for in Ps 20. The kind of language used means it's a Messianic Psalm, for only Christ can fully fulfil these words, although it was fulfilled in measure by David. The ancient Rabbis interpreted it as speaking of King Messiah (v1), but the later Rabbis dropped this view, to try & prevent Christians from showing how Jesus perfectly fulfils it. v1: “The KING (Messiah) shall have joy in Your strength (invisible power), O LORD; and in Your salvation (manifested victory) how greatly shall he rejoice!” This describes God's mighty power that raised Christ from the dead, bringing Him into manifested victory & glory. Likewise, we should thank God for the invisible power of His Spirit (the blessing), as well as the manifested blessings brought forth by His grace. This verse is the answer to the prayers in Ps 20:2,5,8. v2: “You have given him his heart's desire, and have not withheld the request (desire) of his lips. Selah.” This corresponds to Ps 20:4. His desire is our salvation, through His victory over enemy powers (Heb 12:2). Note the poetic parallelism – He did not just desire our salvation & victory, but prays for us (Jas 4:2, Heb 7:25). You were on His mind when He went to the Cross and ever since! Also notice God works through our desires, but only when our heart is submitted to God (Ps 37:4, Phil 2:12-13). v3: “For You meet (welcome) him with the blessings of goodness (abundant rich blessings); You set a crown of pure gold on his head.” Here the image changes from celebrating a Conquest to a Coronation - both were fulfilled by Christ in His Ascension. Having won His great victory, He ascended to Heaven and was crowned as Lord of all. Also as our representative He received every blessing of the New Covenant on our behalf, so that every blessing is now ours in Christ (Eph 1:3), for we are joints heirs with Him (Rom 8:17). This blessing includes abundant & eternal life, salvation, glory, authority (v4-5). The fact He shares this blessing with us is stated in v6a: “For You have made him most blessed forever (literally, ‘you have made Him blessings forever').” This means He was made to the source of blessing to us forever (blessed to be a blessing). This blessing includes joy, which only comes from God's Presence: “You have made him exceedingly glad (‘joyful with gladness') with Your Presence” (see Ps 16:11). God's Presence is the key to happiness. Thus, holiness comes before happiness (Heb 1:9, Ps 45:7). The basis for Christ (and us) to receive God's blessing is faith in the Lord and His covenant love: “For the KING trusts in the Lord, and through the mercy (covenant love and faithfulness) of the Most High, he shall not be moved (shaken)” (v7). He shall be established forever in God's grace. Whereas Part 1 looks back Christ's decisive victory at His 1st Coming (v1-7), Part 2 looks forward to His future victory at His 2nd Coming, when He'll judge all His enemies and establish His Kingdom on earth (v8-13). Thus, after Christ's initial victory, this predicts His enemies will still be in the field, which is the case. But at His 2nd Coming He will search out and then seize all His enemies with His mighty right hand (v8, Ex 15:6). He'll then throw them into His fiery furnace: “You (the KING) shall make them as a fiery oven in the time of Your anger (lit: ‘face, presence'), the LORD shall swallow them up in His wrath, and the fire shall devour them” (v9). This will happen when they meet Him face to face for judgment. The parallelism shows the close relationship between KING (Messiah) and the LORD. Christ is the Lord's representative & channel of both the Lord's salvation for His people (v6) and His wrath on His enemies (v9). This judgment is in 2 stages: (1) At the 2nd Coming (or death) the souls of the wicked are thrown into the fire of Hades, and then at the end of time, they'll be resurrected and stand before the Great White Throne, and then be thrown body & soul into the Lake of Fire. All they've produced (the fruit of their lives) will be destroyed, as well as their spiritual sons, who partook of their nature and followed in their ways (v10). They'll get their just desserts for they planned evil against God, but were always bound to fail (v11), for God resists the proud (Jas 4:6), and you can't defeat God. This reveals the futility of the godless life (any success is temporary). At a time of His choosing, He'll confront all rebels and cause them to want to flee, but there'll be no escape. God is seen as the Divine Warrior, who has already prepared His arrows of judgment, placed them on His bow, pulled back the strings, and pointed His arrows toward their faces - a picture of imminent judgment (v12). Ps 21 concludes with God's people praising Him for manifesting His power, not only in accomplishing salvation for them, but also for judging His enemies (v13). This judgment is a necessary part of establishing His Kingdom (Rev 11:15-18, 19:1-6).

Ps 20 describes Israel's spiritual preparation before an impending battle, a day of trouble (v1). It is a model for how to prepare ourselves in prayer, to walk in victory in our spiritual battles & days of trouble. It twins with Ps 21, describing the celebration after the victory (c.f 20:2,5 & 21:1; 20:4 & 21:2). The central character is the anointed king (v6), leading his people into battle. It finds its ultimate fulfilment in Christ, who leads His people to victory (battles of the Lord are pictures of His ultimate battle, when Christ personally overcomes all His enemies). Thus Ps 20 is messianic like Ps 21). The setting shows God's people gathering before Him before battle, dedicating their lives to God, and calling on the covenant-keeping God to go with them to battle & give them victory. Their trust in & submission to God was expressed thru the sacrifice the king offered up on behalf of the nation (v3, 1Sam 7:7-12). The efficacy of their prayers was based on the merits of the sacrifice, representing the Sacrifice of Christ. Likewise, we come to God on the basis of Christ's righteousness, given us thru His Sacrifice, and dedicate ourselves to God to do His will (Rom 12:1), acknowledging the battle belongs to Him & we fight in His Name, under His authority, for His glory & will to be done. Thru this dedication, His Presence comes on us transforming us into mighty warriors (Ro 12:2), for He gives grace to the humble. At this point the priests encouraged the army to fear not, even if the enemy seems superior, for God goes with them into the battle to fight for them (Deut 20:1-4). So, in our battles, we don't fight in our own strength, but daily come to God with a sacrifice of praise, dedicating ourselves for His will to be done thru us, and drawing on His grace. In v1-5, the people (‘we' in v5) pray for the anointed king (David), who speaks in v6. They are one with their king, so his victory is theirs. “May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble; may the Name (revealed nature) of the God of Jacob defend you (set you on high)” (v1). They call on God to manifest His Name on behalf of His people. “May He send you help from the Sanctuary (the Place of God's Presence) and strengthen you out of Zion” (v2). The key to victory is His Presence, so to receive help from God, we must draw near to Him, so His Presence fills us. The 1st key in spiritual warfare is to look to & submit to God, calling on Him to fill us with His Presence. “May He remember all your offerings and accept your burnt sacrifice. Selah” (v3). They offered their prayers on the foundation of the sacrifice. Likewise, when we pray, we trust in Christ's Sacrifice for God to accept our dedication & for our prayer to be answered. “May He grant you according to your heart's desire (the saving of his people, victory over God's enemies & God's glory) and fulfil all your purpose” (v4). Their prayer ends with assurance of victory, and readiness to go into battle under His Banner, as He goes with them to give them victory (Ex 17:15): “We will rejoice in your salvation (victory), and in the Name of our God, we will set up our banners! May the Lord fulfil all your petitions” (v5). Thus, true dedication to God brings assurance of God's Presence, which we confess with our lips, that God is with us. In response, the king declares his faith, that God's mighty right hand will give him the victory: “Now I know that the Lord saves (gives victory) to His anointed; He will answer him from His holy Heaven with the saving strength of His right hand” (v6). Then the people also declare their faith is in God, not in the strength of their forces. They focus on & make mention of (confess) His Name, His faithfulness to the covenant (v7), and, by faith they confess the final outcome of victory, before battle begins (v8). Again, we see it's important to confess our faith (Rom 10:8-10, 2Cor 4:13), as part of our spiritual preparation for battle. The concluding prayer in v8 is best translated: “O Lord, save (give victory to) the king, answer us in the day of our calling” (the origin of 'God save the king'). This is another link to Ps 21 (v1), v2 of which records the answer to this prayer. We show how Ps 20 was fulfilled by Christ, on His day of trouble, after which He was lifted up on high (v1), by God in Heaven (v2), who accepted His perfect Sacrifice (v3). God granted Jesus His heart's desire (our salvation, the defeat of all His enemies & the fulfilment of His purpose to establish His Kingdom over all, v4). God gave victory to His Anointed by raising Him from death by His mighty power (v6). His people call on the exalted King, who is also Lord, for salvation (v9, Rom 10:13). They now rejoice in His salvation, for He won the victory for us, and now ever-lives to make intercession for us (v5). They now trust in His Name, rather than their own resources (v7), and are assured of the final downfall of the wicked and their own future resurrection to life (v8).

Al Fadi and Anthony Rogers continue in the series about Christ in the Psalms.  In this episode they compare two sets of Psalms that compares to the first two Psalms.  Psalm 18 and 19 ; Psalm 18 is a Messianic Psalm that talks about the suffering of the Messiah, while Psalm19 is a Psalm about the Torah/law of the Lord.  Another pair of Psalms that are like that are Psalm 118 and 119.  Psalm 118 is Messianic  while Psalm 119 is about the law or the Torah of the Lord.  They encourage you to read the Psalms looking for the Messiah.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.” (Psalm 110:1) The 110th Psalm is one of the most significant of the so-called Messianic Psalms, ... More...

(Psalm 102:1-7) Although we cannot know the tune to which the Psalms in Scripture were sung, we can most certainly know the tone of them. In Psalm 102, the tone moves from brokenness to joyfulness. Rediscover God's tender care for you in this Messianic Psalm. (0876240328)  Read more and download the 30-Day Prayer Guide at https://enjoyingthejourney.org/30-day-prayer-guide/