Dealing with Distress

Psalms 119:17-24

August 21, 2011

 

Studying now through this wonderful 119th Psalm,

We are beginning to learn the tremendous sufficiency of the word of God.

 

• In the first stanza we saw that God’s word is sufficient to bring about blessing in a life.

 

• In the second stanza we saw that God’s word is sufficient to produce a life of purity.

 

Tonight we still learn about the sufficiency of Scripture,

But in a much broader sense.

 

Tonight we see that Scripture is sufficient,

Even when it is all you have.

 

In other words, even during the low points in life,

There is a sufficiency to Scripture that if you simply have it, it is enough.

 

And to illustrate that, our Psalmist takes us to a day

When he was dealing with distress.

 

Lets just jump right into this stanza tonight, there are five things I want you to see.

#1 HIS CIRCUMSTANCE

Psalms 119:19-23

 

I’ve told you since the beginning that one of the things that makes this Psalm so wonderful to study is that not only does it give great insight to the value of God’s word, but that it also shows us how God’s word fits in a variety of circumstances.

 

We’ve even said that it is tremendously helpful

To find the specific circumstance behind each stanza.

 

When you read tonight’s stanza

It becomes evident that our Psalmist is in distress.

 

Let me show you what I mean.

 

Look at the first part of verse 19.

“I am a stranger on the earth”

 

Now look at verse 20.

“My soul is crushed with longing after Your ordinances at all times.”

 

There is a similarity with both of those statements.

They both speak of a man who is separated from someone.

In verse 19, he is separated from all men.

In verse 20, he feels separated from God.

 

In short he feels REJECTED.

He is caught in a difficult place.

 

He doesn’t seem to fit in in this world,

And yet he doesn’t seem to be getting all that he desires

Out of a relationship with God either.

 

Statements like, “My soul is crushed” do not indicate a man

Who is walking in the fullness of satisfaction.

 

There is an obvious distress in his life.

 

So on one hand there is a feeling of REJECTION in his life.

 

There is more.

 

Look at the first part of verse 22.

“Take away reproach and contempt from me”

 

Look at the first part of verse 23.

“Even though princes sit and talk against me.”

 

There we learn that not only is this man rejected,

But he is also under REPROACH.

 

• He is not a popular man.

• He is not a man that people speak well of.

• He is an outcast and people scorn him.

 

Now you are probably recognizing a similar attitude to the man from the first stanza of our Psalm, but this man is quite different.

 

That first stanza dealt with a man whose hardship was his own doing.

He disobeyed, and that is what left him in despair.

 

This man has no indication of disobedience.

 

Rather, he is just walking in a spot of rejection by the world (possibly even because of his righteousness)

But he is also failing to get the answers from God that he wants.

 

He is just walking in a tough spot.

 

Maybe you have been there.

 

Certainly Jesus promised His followers would be there from time to time.

 

John 16:2 “They will make you outcasts from the synagogue, but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God.”

 

Matthew 10:22 “You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.”

 

And the apostles who heard those statements obviously learned them,

For they passed them on to others.

 

1 John 3:13-14 “Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death.”

 

1 Peter 4:12 “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you;”

 

The reality is that in a Christian life we will certainly

Walk through times of being rejected by the world.

 

We certainly are strangers and aliens in a foreign land,

For our citizenship is in heaven,

But there are times when we feel that separation more than others.

 

The dilemma is that often times when those hardships arise,

God isn’t instantly speaking.

 

You can certainly see evidence of this in the life of Jeremiah, or even Job.

Both of those men were righteous, suffered,

And yet still didn’t seem to be getting all that they wanted from God.

 

Perhaps the best example of a righteous man

Being rejected and reviled is Jesus.

 

Rejected:

Matthew 27:46 “About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?” that is, “MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?”

 

Reviled:

1 Peter 2:21-23 “For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;”

 

Jesus walked through His darkest moment, His greatest distress

And yet felt not only rejected by men, but also abandoned by God.

 

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN THERE?

 

You walk through distress in which the world rejects you,

But turning to God doesn’t quickly produce any answers either?

You find your soul crushed with longing, but there is no quick relief.

 

No doubt those moments come in our lives.

This stanza shows us how to deal with those moments.

 

First, His Circumstance.

#2 HIS CRY

Psalms 119:17-19

 

It is certainly not uncommon to cry out to God from the midst of distress.

 

And if you have ever been in a situation when you feel all alone and people are talking about you, then certainly you cried out to God.

 

This man had three requests as he cried out to God.

 

1) FINISH ME (17)

“Deal bountifully with Your servant, That I may live and keep Your word.”

 

“Deal bountifully” translates GAMAL

And it means “to deal fully or adequately with”

It can refer to “weaning” a child or fruit that is “ripened”

 

And so “deal bountifully” seems a little perplexing.

 

The Psalmist is not here asking for God to fill his cup,

Or to bless him financially, or something like that.

 

The Psalmist is asking for God to finish the work

He is doing through this distress.

 

He wants God to deal fully with him.

He wants God to complete the work.

 

He seems to be very aware that while trials are not pleasant

That God is using this trial to mold and shape him spiritually.

His request is that God will finish it.

 

“Deal bountifully with Your servant, That I may live and keep Your word.”

And I love that statement.

 

Remember what James said about boasting?

James 4:13-15 “Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.”

 

James spoke of an arrogant man who thought he had it all under control.

The Psalmist is not walking in any such arrogance.

He realizes that until God finishes His work, he is at the mercy of God.

He isn’t going anywhere until God finishes this work.

 

His first request is for God to finish.

 

2) ENCOURAGE ME (18)

“Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law.”

 

Here we find a man who is scouring the pages of Scripture

In search of something “wonderful”,

But who has thus far been prevented from seeing it.

 

This is a man who is looking for answers.

This is a man who wants to have the situation explained to him.

 

“Wonderful” is an interesting word.

 

One of the first times we find it used is in the book of Judges.

 

When Manoah and his wife

Want to know the name of the angel who spoke to them.

 

Judges 13:18 “But the angel of the LORD said to him, “Why do you ask my name, seeing it is wonderful?”

 

In other words, it is too lofty for you.

 

Job used it as well.

Job 42:3 “Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ “Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.”

 

Job used it as stuff he knew nothing about.

 

And that is where our Psalmist is.

• He knows God has a purpose.

• He knows God is at work.

• He knows God knows exactly what is going on.

 

He would just like God to clue him in a little.

He would like to see some of those “wonderful” things.

 

He would like to be encouraged a little

By being allowed to see what God is up to.

 

If you’ve ever been in distress, you’ve been there too.

Just crying out for God to give you just a little insight to encourage you.

 

3) ENLIGHTEN ME (19)

“I am a stranger in the earth; Do not hide Your commandments from me.”

Here it is similar to the last one, but a little different.

 

In that here he is not necessarily asking for insight into what is going on, here he would just like for God to tell him what to do.

 

“commandments” is a word that

Speaks of something specifically ordained.

 

Examples would be

• God’s command to Adam not to eat from the tree.

• God’s command to Noah to build the ark.

 

The psalmist wants one of those.

Just tell me specifically what to do.

 

But thus far he has gotten nothing.

He doesn’t know what God is doing, and he doesn’t know what to do.

 

He is just stuck in distress, crying out for God to do something.

Finish me

Encourage me

Enlighten me

Do something.

 

He is in distress, and you can feel his pain.

 

His Circumstance, His Cry

#3 HIS CRISIS

Psalms 119:20

 

We already talked about this a little,

But in light of his cry, it makes this situation a little more severe.

 

He is crying out to God, wanting to see something encouraging,

Wanting a simple command of what to do.

But he has yet to receive it.

 

This statement is not a statement of one who is satisfied.

This is a statement of one who has yet to get what he wants.

 

“My soul is crushed with longing after Your ordinances at all times.”

 

And you can just feel his desperation.

 

He is consumed with getting an answer from God

And the weight of God’s silence is seemingly more than he can bear.

 

His “soul is crushed”

That is a crisis.

 

Things are rough, and you can’t seem to get an answer from God at all.

Furthermore the weight of God’s silence has you broken.

 

His Circumstance, His Cry, His Crisis

#4 HIS CONFUSION

Psalms 119:21-22

 

And at this point our heart just really goes out to the guy.

 

He understands that God is right to cause some people to suffer.

 

(21) “You rebuke the arrogant, the cursed, Who wander from Your commandments.”

 

The Psalmist understands that there are those “arrogant” people

Who are in reality “cursed”

Because they are under the rebuke of God.

 

He understands why they are rejected.

He understands why they suffer.

 

What our Psalmist is having difficulty with is

Why he personally is suffering,

Since to the best of his knowledge, he has obeyed God.

 

(22) “Take away reproach and contempt from me, For I observe Your testimonies.”

 

Can’t you just hear his confusion here.

“God I understand why You rebuke the wicked, but why are You rebuking me?”

 

He is not the first to feel this way.

Turn To: Job 31

 

It would be one thing if I had turned away from your word,

Then I would understand this silent treatment I am getting.

 

“But God, I have tried to do all that You said,

And so I am confused as to why you won’t answer me.”

 

So look at where this man is.

• He is a stranger on earth, and people are talking about him.

• He has been crying out to God for answers and solutions, but thus far God hasn’t granted him an answer.

• And God’s silence almost makes it feel like even God is against him, and if that is so, he can’t figure out why, for he has walked in obedience up this point.

We call this a life of distress

 

And it is a place that even believers sometimes walk.

 

Job did

 

Maybe you remember John the Baptist getting there when he asked Jesus, “Are You the Expected One, or shall we look for someone else?”

 

Even Jesus did.

 

And we find this sentiment all throughout the Psalms.

Psalms 13:1-4 “How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, Having sorrow in my heart all the day? How long will my enemy be exalted over me? Consider and answer me, O LORD my God; Enlighten my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death, And my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,” And my adversaries will rejoice when I am shaken.”

 

Psalms 69:16-21 “Answer me, O LORD, for Your lovingkindness is good; According to the greatness of Your compassion, turn to me, And do not hide Your face from Your servant, For I am in distress; answer me quickly. Oh draw near to my soul and redeem it; Ransom me because of my enemies! You know my reproach and my shame and my dishonor; All my adversaries are before You. Reproach has broken my heart and I am so sick. And I looked for sympathy, but there was none, And for comforters, but I found none. They also gave me gall for my food And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.”

 

Psalms 88:14 “O LORD, why do You reject my soul? Why do You hide Your face from me?”

 

Psalms 89:46-47 “How long, O LORD? Will You hide Yourself forever? Will Your wrath burn like fire? Remember what my span of life is; For what vanity You have created all the sons of men!”

 

We see that sentiment from God’s people frequently.

And maybe you have been there too.

 

You don’t know of any sin, yet you are hated by men,

And when you try to take it to God, you still don’t find any satisfaction.

 

WHAT DO YOU DO?

 

Well, that is where we learn a great example from our Psalmist.

 

#5 HIS COMMITMENT

Psalms 119:23-24

 

I like the “Even though” here.

 

Here the Psalmist says, it is bad, and it may stay bad,

But I am not rejecting Your word.

“Even though princes sit and talk against me, Your servant meditates on Your statutes.”

 

They may be talking, and I may not be getting any new answers.

But in the meantime, I have decided just to meditate on Your statutes.

 

As I told you last week, “statutes” refers to

Something engraved with an iron stylus.

These are the “Thou shalt nots” of Scripture.

 

When the Psalmist can get nothing new or refreshing or “relevant” He simply determines to continue to feast

On the simple revealed commands of God.

 

He is committed.

 

(24) “Your testimonies also are my delight; They are my counselors.”

 

And this statement is especially beautiful.

 

“Your testimonies also are my delight”

 

“testimonies” are the examples of times

God has come through in the past.

 

It is like when you are in distress so you read the book of Job

To see that it all turned out well in the end.

 

Or it is like when you read that familiar passage from Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.”

 

Or that familiar passage from Romans.

Romans 8:28 “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

 

Those are testimonies that God is faithful.

 

And here the Psalmist says, “I may not know what God is doing,

And I may not be getting a clear answer as to what to do next,

So I will just keep reading how God has always been faithful in the past

And I will let that counsel me.”

 

That is tremendous commitment.

That is faith without sight.

And it is a great example for you and me.

 

Maybe God hasn’t explained the situation to you,

And maybe you don’t have a roadmap for what to do next.

Well don’t get mad at God and abandon His word altogether.

 

Instead, meditate on His commands so that you stay obedient,

And take joy in all the testimonies of Scripture

That God has never failed His people yet.

 

• Read Daniel’s testimony about how God delivered him from the lions.

• Read David’s testimony about how God delivered him from the giant.

• Read Job’s testimony about how God delivered him out of despair.

• Read the disciples testimony about how Jesus rescued them from the raging sea.

 

Let God’s faithfulness (as revealed throughout Scripture)

Counsel you on how to walk.

 

Continue trusting God and continue going to His word.

 

That is what the Psalmist did.

 

And with that we learn a great deal

About the sufficiency of God’s word.

 

God’s word is sufficient even when

It doesn’t give you the answer you are looking for.

 

God’s word is enough even when

It doesn’t show you the thing you most want to know.

 

Maybe you want to know “why” or “what next”

And God’s word doesn’t tell you that.

 

But keep reading it, for even if God’s word doesn’t tell you “why”

It can still encourage you and lift you up

As it continually reveals God’s faithfulness.

 

In short, God’s word is enough, even when you don’t think it is.

 

So if you ever find yourself in distress again, like this Psalmist,

Don’t get discouraged, and don’t give up on God.

 

Continue going to God’s word.

Continue to meditate on His clear commands.

Continue to find joy in His countless testimonies.

 

That is what this Psalmist decided to do, and it will work for you too.

 

Psalms 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.”

 

The Quest for Purity

Psalms 119:9-16

August 14, 2011

 

As you know, we have begun studying the 119th Psalm.

 

For those who weren’t here for our introduction,

This is far more than just the longest chapter in Scripture.

 

• 176 verses – 174 directly refer to the Word of God

• An Acrostic – each stanza begins with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet

• Rich in Value – each stanza comes from a different circumstance.

 

And we have said that as we study this Psalm,

Not only will we learn to love the Word of God more,

We also learn that God’s word is sufficient for every circumstance.

 

Last week we saw that God’s word is sufficient to bring blessing to a life.

 

We saw a Psalmist who had committed sin and because of that sin

Was now walking in guilt, was somewhat severed from God,

And actually lived in fear that God would forsake him to the uttermost.

 

And from that floor of brokenness, he looked up

And saw that there were people in life however who were blessed.

It was those who had been obedient to God’s Word.

 

In the end it wasn’t those who engaged in sin who were the happiest,

It was those who had chosen to obey God.

 

This brought about an epiphany for the Psalmist.

(4) “You have ordained Your precepts, That we should keep them diligently.”

 

In other words the Psalmist learned that God’s commands

Were not merely suggestions or alternate ways of living.

God spoke because He expected mankind to do what He said.

 

The Psalmist learned that and actually made a determination

That from now on, he would obey God.

 

(7) “I shall keep Your statutes;”

 

And so while his sinful choice had not brought about blessing

God’s word was sufficient to bring blessing to a life.

 

Tonight we come to a new circumstance

In which we find God’s word sufficient.

 

And this circumstance is not hard to spot.

(9) “How can a young man keep his way pure?”

Here we have a man on a quest to be pure.

 

So we understand that the context of this Psalm

Is to help you and I find purity.

 

Now of course that presupposes that purity is the desire of your heart.

It most certainly should be, as purity or holiness

Is in fact the desire of a true believer.

 

Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”

 

The attitude of the redeemed is a hunger and thirst for righteousness.

• It is this initial hunger that first drives them to Jesus for salvation.

• It is the continual hunger even after salvation that causes a true believer to long for a life of purity.

 

This was the context behind Paul’s infamous 7th chapter of Romans.

Romans 7:21-24 “I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?”

 

Paul may not have achieved perfect righteousness in this life,

But it is clear from that chapter that he wanted to.

 

And of course having studied Romans, you are aware that at this point Paul has already confronted all “so called” believers who don’t desire purity.

 

Romans 6:1-3 “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?”

 

Paul saw an obvious contradiction to anyone who

Claimed to be dead to sin, yet who still desired to live in it.

 

In effect Paul was asking, “Did you die with Christ or not?”

 

Romans 6:12-14 “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.”

 

And so we understand that the supernatural desire

Of every true believer is in fact purity.

 

They are those who have seen their sin, mourned over their sin,

Repented of their sin, trusted in Christ,

And now who hunger and thirst for righteousness.

Furthermore, we know that purity is God’s desire for us.

 

1 Thessalonians 4:3a “For this is the will of God, your sanctification…”

 

Titus 2:11-12 “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age,”

 

And really it is summed up the best by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount.

 

Matthew 5:48 “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

 

God desires holiness,

God desires purity,

God desire sanctification in our lives.

And so it also stands to reason that this is the desire of Christ in our lives.

 

Ephesians 5:25-27 “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.”

 

Christ literally washes us over and over

In order to make us clean, spotless, and blameless.

 

Of course the water Christ uses is “the word”,

And that is a great segue to this stanza of Psalm 119

 

Here we find a “young man” wanting to know how

He can achieve and maintain the purity that he desires,

That God desires, and that Christ desires.

 

PERHAPS YOU HAVE HAD THE SAME QUESTION.

 

In a carnal world where sin bombards us…

A world with temptation on every corner…

 

HOW IS A BELIEVER SUPPOSED TO BE PURE

IN THE MIDST OF SUCH A VILE SOCIETY?

 

That is the question of the Psalmist.

And I hope you clearly see his answer tonight.

 

Four things

#1 HIS CONCERNS

Psalms 119:9-11

 

When you read those three verses, one of the first things that pop out at you are the concerns that this young man faces.

 

He actually lists three.

1) PURITY

(9) “How can a young man keep his way pure?”

 

It is a simple desire to be holy and to maintain holiness.

He not only wants to be pure, but he wants to stay pure.

 

He wants to “keep his way pure”

 

But obviously with such a fallen world around him,

He’s concerned he can’t maintain this level of purity.

 

We have all had times in our lives when we hit the spiritual mountain top.

A revival…

A retreat…

A mission trip…

 

And during the event God was able to deal with sin in our lives

And through it we found forgiveness and healing,

And ultimately a mountain top of praise.

 

And really one of the main concerns we have coming back

Is that we never again stumble in sin

And have to return to that floor of shame.

We are thankful to be pure and we want to remain pure.

 

That is also a concern of this young man.

2) APATHY

(10) “Do not let me wander from Your commandments.”

 

And this is a very honest statement.

He doesn’t blame all of his sin on the devil.

 

• There are times in his life when he grows complacent to purity.

• There are times in his life when he grows tired with obedience.

• There are times in his life when apathy sets in.

 

And maybe you’ve seen this in your life as well.

 

There were times when the slightest sins nauseated you,

But then there are times when they don’t bother you quite so much.

 

We are prone to grow apathetic toward sin,

And although we may not defiantly break God’s word,

We sort of drift away slowly through apathy.

 

Like the hymn, “Prone to wander, Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love, here’s my heart, O take and seal it. Seal it for thy courts above.”

 

He is concerned about apathy.

3) INIQUITY

(11) “That I may not sin against You.”

 

And this is a legitimate concern as well.

It reveals the most negative of the three concerns.

 

This is a person who just defiantly and adamantly chose to do something that they knew wasn’t pleasing to God.

 

The Psalmist certainly knew he was prone to this type of sin.

 

And now he stands with these concerns.

Purity

Apathy

Iniquity

 

And let me just say that these are healthy and Biblical concerns.

You and I ought to be concerned about purity.

You and I ought to be fearful of sinning.

You and I ought to be guarded against apathy.

 

This is at the very heart of spiritual warfare.

 

Contrary to popular belief, Satan isn’t trying to steal

Your money, or your health, or your happiness.

Satan is trying to steal your purity.

 

(In fact he’ll give you money in exchange for purity)

 

AND SO WE GUARD OURSELVES AGAINST SIN!

 

Listen to what Peter says;

1 Peter 1:13-19 “Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, “YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.” If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth; knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.”

 

After telling us to be holy, Peter actually tells us to “conduct yourselves with fear”. He is telling us to be afraid of falling into sin.

 

We live our lives afraid of cancer…

We live our lives afraid of cholesterol…

We live our lives afraid of cellulite…

But Scripture says we should be afraid of sin.

Remember Paul’s admonition to publicly rebuke a sinning elder?

Do you know why we are to publicly rebuke them?

 

1 Timothy 5:20 “Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest also will be fearful of sinning.”

 

And so this man’s concern is dead on target.

But his question is still the same, “How..?”

 

And if you noticed he actually answers the question.

(Perhaps God answered it for him)

 

IN REGARD TO PURITY?

(9) “How does a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word.”

 

The simple answer is OBEDIENCE.

He knows that God’s word is sufficient

To lead you to a life of perfect purity.

 

2 Peter 1:2-4 “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.”

 

It is the Scripture that allows us to maintain pure lives.

God’s word is a road map of instruction on how to live this life.

 

BUT HOW ABOUT APATHY?

(10) “With all my heard I have sought You; Do not let me wander from Your commandments.”

 

• There we see that it is actually God who keeps us focused.

• It is actually God who keeps us from growing apathetic.

So the answer to apathy is to have a relationship with God.

 

And here the Psalmist seeks it.

He is seeking God with all his heart.

BUT WHERE DO YOU SEEK FOR GOD?

 

Do you go to the highest mountains?

Do you go to the lowest valleys?

 

Romans 10:6-8 “But the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows: “DO NOT SAY IN YOUR HEART, ‘WHO WILL ASCEND INTO HEAVEN?’ (that is, to bring Christ down), or ‘WHO WILL DESCEND INTO THE ABYSS?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).” But what does it say? “THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART” — that is, the word of faith which we are preaching,”

 

We seek God out in His word.

It is in God’s word that you commune with Him.

It is in God’s word that you hear Him.

It is in God’s word that you see His heart.

 

So the Psalmist knew he would run to God’s word not only for a guide of what to do, but also because it was there that he would find God.

 

It is impossible to be close to God and be apathetic about purity.

God is a consuming fire, and when you are around Him,

Trust me purity is all you thing of.

 

(Remember Isaiah when he was close?)

(What do the four living creatures cry?)

 

BUT WHAT ABOUT INIQUITY?

(11) “Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You.”

 

• How do you handle temptation when you aren’t in church?

• How do you handle situations at work when your Bible isn’t with you?

 

You put God’s word in your heart before you ever go.

 

God’s word is living and active.

And God’s word can get inside of you and go with you wherever you go.

 

Remember the promises Jesus made to those who witness for Him?

Matthew 10:19-20 “But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for it will be given you in that hour what you are to say. “For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.”

 

John 14:26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.”

 

And that is our safeguard from iniquity.

 

The best illustration of this is Jesus when He was tempted by Satan.

He didn’t have a bible with Him,

But He did have God’s word written on His heart.

 

At those moments when He had access to it, He treasured it,

And that aided Him while in the midst of the battle.

 

The Psalmist decided that to answer his concern about purity,

He needed to treasure his access to God’s word, he needed to read it in search of God, and he needed to do what it said.

 

This is how he would “keep his way pure”

 

His Concerns

#2 HIS DESIRE

Psalms 119:12

 

And doesn’t this statement make perfect sense.

 

If God’s word is the answer to living the life of purity that he desires,

It only makes sense that he would now desire more of God’s word.

 

And this is an obvious revelation to our own lives.

 

If we claim to desire purity, but do not desire to learn God’s word,

Then somewhere we are deceiving ourselves.

 

This man wants purity so he sets out to learn God’s statutes.

 

But beyond that, notice what he says.

“Blessed are You, O LORD;”

 

First he indicates that God is “blessed”

In other words God is the best, God is where he wants to be.

 

And since God is the best, the Psalmist says,

“Teach me Your statutes”

 

To put it plainly, he says I want to learn what You have to say

Because You are the best.

It is like asking Tiger Woods to teach you to hit a golf ball.

 

That’s not only a statement of SUFFICIENCY, but one of PRIORITY.

There is nothing I could learn more valuable than what You have to say.

There is nothing I could read more reliable than what You would tell me.

 

Certainly this should be our desire as well.

To desire God’s words over those of anyone else’s.

 

His Concerns, His Desire

#3 HIS SATISFACTION

Psalms 119:13-14

 

Here we have a small statement of contentment.

It is a testimony to how fulfilling he has found God’s word to be.

 

• He has read God’s word…

• He has searched out God’s word…

• He has obeyed God’s word…

• He is learning God’s word…

Now he makes a statement to let you and I know that it is worth it.

It is so much worth it,

That he has given God’s word a full endorsement.

 

“With my lips I have told of All the ordinances of Your mouth.”

 

He says that what he has found in God’s word was of such value

That he has determined to spread it to others.

“I tried God’s word, and you should try it too!”

 

I love going to my parents house

Because this is the type of conversation that continually goes on there.

(A bunch of preachers preaching)

 

But it is not just satisfaction in what he has learned.

This man has also found satisfaction in what he has tried.

 

(14) “I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, as much as in all riches.”

 

That is from the heart of a man who did what God said,

Reaped the benefits of his obedience, and rejoiced in it.

 

Many times in life we do things we shouldn’t have done,

Only to regret it later.

But have you ever done something God said to do,

Even when it was hard, and lived to rejoice in it later?

 

It is the joy and praise of saying,

“Wow God, you really were right, it worked great!”

 

• This psalmist desires purity

• He went to God’s word for it.

• And he is satisfied with what he found.

 

His Concerns, His Desire, His Satisfaction

#4 HIS PLAN

Psalms 119:15-16

 

And again this makes perfect sense.

If God’s word has always been worth it…

If God’s word is valuable to keep you pure…

 

THEN HOW SHOULD I DEAL WITH GOD’S WORD FROM HERE ON OUT?

 

And what follows is absolutely profound.

He gives the answer as to

How every believer should treat God’s word.

 

He gives the answer as to how every person

Who longs for purity should approach God’s word.

 

Let me give you four words

As to how a believer should approach God’s word.

1) MEDITATION

“I will meditate on Your precepts”

 

Don’t just read it to get through with it, read it to learn something.

(There is so much more to say here, but I feel confident we’ll make it back here before we are done with the Psalm)

 

But don’t just swallow God’s word whole,

Chew on it a while, ponder it a while.

 

2) EXAMINATION

“And regard Your ways”

 

“ways” refers to how God walks, or what God would do.

 

The Psalmist always approaches God’s word to find out

What God would do if He were in this man’s shoes.

 

That is how a believer approaches the Bible.

• We go to it to find out how God would handle my situation.

• We want to know what God would do.

 

3) ADORATION

“I shall delight in Your statutes”

 

1 John 5:3 “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.”

 

A believer cannot view God’s word as burdensome.

If he does, he has listened too much to the enemy,

Who told Eve that God’s commands were killing all her fun.

 

• God’s laws are not a “drag”, they are not a “kill-joy”

• God’s laws are for our good.

• God’s laws are a benefit.

• God’s laws are our safeguard, they are our solution.

 

That means that instead of reading the Bible and saying,

“O no, God said I can’t do that.”

 

We should say,

“Hallelujah, God has spoken in regard to this situation!”

 

We ought to rejoice to find that God has given and answer.

4) RECOLLECTION

“I shall not forget Your word.”

 

On one hand this speaks of the memory,

And a desire to hide God’s word in your heart

(which every believer should)

 

But it also speaks of influence.

When I face a situation and God’s word is brought to my attention,

I will not disregard it.

 

I won’t forget what God has to say.

It is a promise to always keep God’s word at the pinnacle.

It is a promise to always let God have the last say.

 

And this is how a believer approaches God’s word.

 

He meditates on it, He examines it, He adores it, He recalls it

And gives it preference in every situation.

WHY?

 

Because it is God’s word that will protect him

From the sin that he dreads.

 

“How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word.”

 

If you wonder how you will ever escape

The bombarding temptations of this life unscathed…

 

The answer is you won’t,

Apart from a relentless commitment to the word of God.

 

The only way to achieve the life of purity

(which we learned last week is the blessed life)

Is to dive into the word of God.

 

GOD’S WORD IS SUFFICIENT TO BRING ABOUT PURITY IN YOUR LIFE.

• Obey it

• Seek it

• Treasure it

• Learn it

• Tell it

• Rejoice in it

• Meditate on it

• Examine it

• Delight in it

• Never forget it

Psalms 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.”

 

The Blessing of Obedience

Psalms 119:1-8

August 7, 2011

 

Tonight we begin a new study in the word of God,

We begin our study of the 119th Psalm.

 

To many it is merely “the longest chapter in the Bible”

But it is far more than that.

Some have called it David’s Magnum Opus.

 

It is in fact a Psalm that reverberates

With the immense value of the Word of God.

 

There are 176 verses in this chapter, 174 of them mention God’s word.

You will grow familiar with words like

“Law, Precepts, Testimonies, Statutes, Ways and Judgments”.

 

Each of those have their own distinct meanings,

But corporately they all refer to the Word of God.

 

Another unique thing about this chapter is that it is an acrostic.

There are 22 stanzas of 8 verses each.

 

Each of those stanzas is characterized by every verse

Beginning with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

 

This is not the only chapter in Scripture arranged like this.

Proverbs 31 (The virtuous woman) is also an acrostic.

 

The obvious reason is to make it easier to memorize

 

The other unique thing about this chapter is that each stanza seems to come at you from a different angle.

 

This Psalm is far from mundane or routine or redundant.

 

Each stanza finds the author in a different circumstance

And each stanza offers the word of God as the solution.

 

For example:

Tonight we find a man who is in fear of being forsaken by the Lord and has recognized that obedience would have been a better option.

 

Verses 9-16 are written from a heart that longs for purity…

(9)“How can a young man keep his way pure?”

 

Verses 17-24 are written from a heart of man who is being chastised…

(23) “princes sit and talk against me”

 

What we hope to learn then is obvious.

 

We certainly want to develop a greater love for God’s word.

But we also want to learn the sufficiency of God’s word.

 

David Allen,

“We won the battle for the inerrancy of Scripture. Now we are fighting the battle for the sufficiency of it.”

 

We all agree that the Bible is God’s Word.

We all agree that it is without error.

What we must also believe is that the Bible is sufficient.

 

It reigns supreme over every other form and type of information.

 

It was God who asked through Jeremiah:

Jeremiah 23:28-29 “The prophet who has a dream may relate his dream, but let him who has My word speak My word in truth. What does straw have in common with grain?” declares the LORD. “Is not My word like fire?” declares the LORD, “and like a hammer which shatters a rock?”

 

Nothing anyone could say could even come close to comparing

To the value of knowing what God has said.

 

His word is sufficient.

 

And as we study this great Psalm hopefully our hearts will grow

Even more in love with the living and enduring word of God.

 

Tonight we study the first 8 verses.

Now tonight I am going to give you an outline, but it is going to be a little backward.

 

Four things

#1 SIN SEPARATES

Psalms 119:8b

 

“Do not forsake me utterly!”

 

The reason we start here at the end in this opening stanza

Is because it is actually this statement that gives us insight

Into the circumstance behind it.

 

Each of these stanza’s comes from a specific circumstance

Finding that circumstance makes it easier to interpret the text.

 

It is this statement that helps us understand

Where the writer is coming from.

 

When you read these first 8 verses,

Initially this statement sort of catches you off guard.

He is giving this great statement about the blessing of obedience and even his intention to be more obedient

Then all of a sudden he hits this cry to God. “Do not forsake me utterly!”

 

And that statement puts the rest of the stanza in perspective.

 

This man has a fear.

This man has an anxiety.

 

WHAT IS IT?

That God would forsake him utterly.

 

Now the fact that he uses the word “utterly” would indicate

That to some degree he already feels forsaken by God.

 

He uses the word “utterly” because he is begging

That God won’t go all the way and forsake him totally.

 

This is not a man who feels secure in his relationship with God. This is a man who has a kink in the relationship

And now fears that God will just totally cut him off.

 

The Psalmist has done something that hindered the relationship with God

At some point in his life he was disobedient to God,

And now he is reaping the effects of that disobedience.

 

Verse 6 indicates that he has shame when he reads God’s word.

Verse 7 indicates an inability to learn more of God’s word or rejoice in it.

 

And if that wasn’t bad enough he now fears a total rejection from God.

 

Now I know we scoff at such a notion today, and quickly fire back,

“And surely I will be with you always…” or

“I will never leave you nor forsake you…”

 

And so we would sort of tell this guy to just dismiss it and

“Know that you know” that God won’t ever do that.

 

But you see this Psalmist has proof that God will.

 

TURN TO: 1 Samuel 13:5-14

Saul did not obey, and God promised to remove the kingdom.

 

TURN TO: 1 Samuel 15:1-3

(10-11; 17-29)

And there again God promised to reject Saul.

 

TURN TO: 1 Samuel 16:14; 18:12

 

Now this was Saul God was referring to.

• The man God had hand-picked.

• The man on whom the Spirit of the Lord came and he prophesied.

 

There was a time in which Saul knew the presence of God,

And then because of Saul’s disobedience, God departed from him.

 

(Now we are not going to get in to security of the believer here.

Saul is in fact an example of an apostate. And you cannot compare Old Testament to New Testament in relation to the Spirit of God – True believers have God’s Spirit in them and that Spirit is a deposit of a salvation that cannot be lost)

 

But I point out Saul to you because I want you to see that

This man is in distress that God would leave him,

After all God has done it before.

 

Now what we don’t know is what this man did.

We don’t know his specific sin.

We don’t know what occurred.

 

If it was David, it could have been a number of things.

 

Remember the affair with Bathsheeba?

Psalms 51:10-12 “Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation And sustain me with a willing spirit.”

 

Remember when David numbered Israel?

1 Chronicles 21:8 “David said to God, “I have sinned greatly, in that I have done this thing. But now, please take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly.”

 

David surely made mistakes, and whatever the mistake was here,

Now he is in fear that God will throw him aside, just as He did Saul.

 

And that is the context to this stanza.

 

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN THERE?

You walked in an area of disobedience, did something contrary to the word of God and the guilt and shame was so bad that you feared God would just wash His hands of you altogether?

 

I certainly have.

And you and I are not alone.

 

• Here we find Peter’s tears after denying the Lord…

• Here we find the shame of John Mark after abandoning Paul…

• Here we find the frustration of Paul in Romans 7 as he does the thing he hates…

 

We have been there.

We have all learned that SIN SEPARATES

 

We know that sin hinders our fellowship with God,

And when that fellowship is hindered, life is dreadful.

 

Sin Separates

#2 RIGHTEOUSNESS BLESSES

Psalms 119:1-3

 

Now at this point we have to make a very important distinction.

 

DO YOU NOTICE THE PRONOUNS USED IN THE FIRST THREE VERSES?

“those”, “those”, “they”, “they”

 

It is important to note that he is not here referring to himself,

But to someone else.

 

Here is a man who has disobeyed is suffering the consequences of disobedience, and is afraid of utter rejection.

And from that spot in life he lifts up his head and notices someone.

 

WHO DOES HE NOTICE?

“those whose way is blameless”

“[those] who walk in the law of the Lord”

“those who observe His testimonies”

“[those] who seek Him with all their heart.”

“[those who] do no unrighteousness;”

“[those who] walk in His ways”

 

To help make it even more specific, look at what he notices about them.

1) HE RECOGNIZES OBEDIENCE

 

He says they (1) “walk in the law of the Lord”

He says they (2) “observe His testimonies”

He says they (3) “walk in His ways”

 

He sees that they are obedient people.

Whereas he failed to obey God’s word, he sees that these did not.

 

He recognizes obedience.

 

2) HE RECOGNIZES HOLINESS

 

He says (1) “whose way is blameless”

He says (3) “The also do no unrighteousness”

 

And that means that their obedience isn’t short lived.

They obey all the time.

Perhaps these were even those

He would have scorned or ridiculed in the past for their choice.

 

3) HE RECOGNIZES SINCERITY

 

He says (2) “[They] seek Him with all their heart.”

 

He even recognized a level of sincerity.

 

He wasn’t referring to Pharisees here.

These were not those who were clean on the outside,

But inside full of robbery and self-indulgence.

 

He recognizes people who obeyed God

And walked holy because they wanted to.

 

While the rest of this world was choosing

The passing pleasures of sin, these chose God.

 

4) HE RECOGNIZES BLESSING

 

He says, (1) “How blessed are those whose way is blameless”

He says, (2) How blessed are those who observe His testimonies”

 

And this is an important recognition.

 

Often times we hear of those who choose to do things God’s way

And then live jealous of the wicked.

 

Remember Asaph?

Psalms 73:3-5 “For I was envious of the arrogant As I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there are no pains in their death, And their body is fat. They are not in trouble as other men, Nor are they plagued like mankind.”

 

Psalms 73:13-14 “Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure And washed my hands in innocence; For I have been stricken all day long And chastened every morning.”

 

Many a religious man has abstained from certain pleasures

Because of his calling, yet secretly and inwardly has wished

He could enjoy the sin of the wicked.

 

Just the opposite is occurring here.

Here we have a man who chose sin.

Here we have a man who disobeyed.

Here we have a man reaping the consequences of shame and fear

 

And all he can see is how blessed the righteous are

For making the decision to obey.

 

Men can deride another man for refusing to look at other women,

But on the day their marriage falls apart

They will recognize how blessed he is to still have a happy home.

 

Women can mock a woman for choosing her kids over a career,

But on the day their children leave the nest

They will recognize how blessed she was to have spent so much time with her children.

 

This man sees who is blessed.

It is those who did it God’s way.

 

Psalms 1 “How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, But they are like chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the wicked will perish.”

 

Sometimes it is hard to see the blessing involved in obedience.

Satan loves to make God’s laws look burdensome and outdated.

 

But we know that God’s laws actually serve

To save us from our own bad choices and selfish desires.

 

God’s decrees protect us from ourselves.

And the true path of blessing is not found

In doing what is right in our own eyes,

But in doing what God says is right whether we understand or not.

 

That is what this man just saw.

 

Sin Separates Righteousness Blesses

#3 GOD IS SERIOUS

Psalms 119:4

 

Now again we notice the pronoun change.

Now he isn’t speaking about “they” nor is it just himself yet.

 

Here he speaks to everyone.

This is the point in the Psalm

Where he tells everyone who will listen what he has learned.

 

“You have ordained Your precepts, That we should keep them diligently.”

 

The more we study this Psalm, I’ll try to help you see the subtle differences

For all the words that the Psalmist uses for God’s word.

Tonight let me just point out what “precepts” means.

 

When you see the word “precepts” in this Psalm,

Think of the word “treasure”.

 

The word “precepts” comes from a word that means “to place trust in”

So here the writer refers to “something God has entrusted to man”

 

It paints a picture of something valuable

That God has entrusted to man.

 

That is why the writer says “keep them diligently”

The literal translation is “keep them carefully”

 

He uses a word to help you and I recognize God’s word as a treasure.

 

And of course it is.

Psalms 19:10 “They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.”

 

And mankind should treasure it.

 

1 Timothy 6:20-21 “O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called “knowledge” – which some have professed and thus gone astray from the faith. Grace be with you.”

 

And that is the light the Psalmist speaks of it here.

 

And this is only fitting.

 

After all, his life is in a predicament

Because he didn’t regard the word of God.

 

And the only difference between himself and the blessed is

They treasured God’s word and he didn’t.

 

All of a sudden he has grown to look at God’s word differently.

This is a treasure that God has entrusted to man.

 

And finally the Psalmist understands it rightly.

God gave His word because He intended it to be obeyed.

 

“You have ordained Your precepts, that we should keep them diligently.”

 

God didn’t give His word as suggestions.

God didn’t give His word as just another option.

 

When God gave His word He saw it as a divine treasure,

And He spoke intending for you and I to listen.

Deuteronomy 29:29 “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law.”

 

Moses clearly tells us there that God did not tell us everything.

There is plenty that God knows that He has never told us.

But what God did tell us, He expects us to treasure it and obey it.

 

And it is like that light just came on for this man.

 

Here he sits in the despair of disobedience,

And as he looks at the blessing on those who obey God he finally gets it.

GOD MEANT FOR ME TO OBEY

 

God wasn’t giving me an optional way of doing things,

God was telling me how to do it,

And because I didn’t, my life is a wreck,

While those who did obey are blessed.

 

And we must understand that as well.

God’s word isn’t for decoration.

God’s word isn’t for starting conversations.

 

God’s word is for ending conversations.

God’s word is the final answer, the Amen, the end of every argument.

 

Romans 3:19 “Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God;”

 

God doesn’t just throw His two cents in for you to weigh your options.

When God cares enough to interrupt the silence He expects that you will

See that as a special treasure and do what He says.

 

This man has just figured that out.

God is serious.

 

Sin Separates, Righteousness Blesses, God is Serious

#4 OBEDIENCE IS THE ANSWER

Psalms 119:5-8

 

And now we change pronouns one more time.

Now it is all about himself.

 

1) HIS DESIRE (5)

“Oh that my ways may be established to keep Your statutes!”

 

In other words, I may not be obedient now, but I sure want to be.

I sure wish I could change.

Here is a man that sees the blessing of the righteous and says,

“I want to be like that!”

 

I want to be a blessed man!

I want God’s favor in my life!

 

And that by the way is the absolute beginning of wisdom.

Proverbs 4:7 “The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom; And with all your acquiring, get understanding.”

 

That is this man.

I’m not obedient now, but I want to be.

 

And friend anyone who can see God’s blessing on the righteous

And not want a part of it is a fool.

 

• How could a man not want peace that surpasses comprehension?

• How could a man not want grace that is sufficient?

• How could a man not want mercy that is new every morning?

• How could a man not want love that never fails?

• How could a man not want a marriage that lasts?

• How could a man not want children that love the Lord?

• How could a man not want life that is full?

• How could a man not want an eternal home?

• How could a man not want treasure in heaven?

 

These are blessings that God pours on those who obey Him.

 

Even Jesus started His famous sermon by 9 times saying, “Blessed are…”

He was giving you the pathway to blessing.

 

You ought to desire it.

This man did.

He desired obedience that he could be blessed too.

 

2) HIS DREAM (6-7)

“Then I shall not be ashamed when I look upon all Your commandments. I shall give thinks to You with uprightness of heart, when I learn Your righteous judgments.”

 

Notice these aren’t things he is doing now.

 

Right now he is ashamed when he reads God’s word. He is convicted.

Right now he doesn’t learn from God, God won’t leave his sin alone.

 

You see when we walk in sin, God isn’t interested in

Teaching us new things, He only wants to deal with the sin.

 

And so this man isn’t presently learning.

 

But he knows if my heart were established in obedience,

Then I could get to a place where I could read without shame,

And I could read with gratitude and joy.

 

This man sees the blessing on other lives and he dreams of it.

 

3) HIS DECISION (8)

 

“I shall keep Your statutes; do not forsake me utterly!”

 

There is his new commitment.

I have decided to obey God.

 

And friend that is the answer.

• If you find yourself lacking joy in your salvation…

• If you find yourself with anxiety that God is angry…

• If you find yourself in disobedience and no fellowship with God…

 

Then start doing what those who are blessed have been doing

And start obeying God.

 

Take one of God’s commands and obey it.

(There may even be one glaring one that needs to be dealt with first)

 

But the return is simple.

Start obeying God.

 

“walk in the law of the Lord”

“observe His testimonies”

“seek Him with all [your] heart”

“walk in His ways”

 

The outcome will be the same blessing

That dwells on those in the first three verses.

 

And so tonight we get our first lesson on the sufficiency of God’s word.

 

God’s word is sufficient to take you to a life of blessing,

If you will only obey it.

 

Take it from this Psalmist who didn’t, and who suffered because of it.

But as he saw the blessing of the righteous,

He had a change in thinking, and he determined to be obedient as well.

 

Make that your decision as well.

Decide in your heart to obey God’s word. It is always a blessing.

 

Psalms 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.”

 

Hope During the Exile

2 Kings 25:27-30

 

Well, we have now reached the end of our study of the kings.

 

While it has certainly been enlightening,

We cannot say that it has always been cheerful.

 

The story of the kings is a story of

Wicked kings

Stubborn people

Ignored prophets

And an Angry God

 

That has been clearly seen in the last couple of weeks

As God’s judgment has been poured out upon this group of apostates.

 

God has thoroughly and systematically removed all of Israel

From the promised land and has exiled them into a foreign country.

It has been a difficult judgment to watch.

 

And our lesson has been clear.

Seek God

Trust God

Obey God

Love God

And don’t do any of those things for any other god.

 

And since Israel did not take that advice,

It has been a depressing book to study.

UNTIL TODAY

 

The writer of kings actually concludes this story on a very positive note.

 

And this is good, for even in the midst of the judgment of Israel, God never failed to have words of encouragement.

 

TO ILLUSTRATE THIS BEST,

I want to spend a few minutes in the book of Jeremiah.

 

You know Jeremiah.

He was a prophet who lived in Jerusalem.

He was widely ignored…

He was often persecuted…

But he was extremely faithful.

 

And he was appointed by God to announce the coming doom of Judah,

Which he did faithfully.

 

But it was in the midst of this doom,

That God had some of the brightest words of hope He ever spoken

Through this same prophet.

 

TURN TO: JEREMIAH 29

 

Jeremiah 29 begins with a letter written by Jeremiah to those exiles who were taken over on one of the first two waves. (Remember Nebuchadnezzar took them in three shifts)

 

And Jeremiah’s counsel is that they should dig in

And prepare themselves to be there a while.

READ 29:4-7

 

And so Jeremiah reveals that this judgment is for real,

And it will last a very long time.

 

But it is then, while announcing that discouraging news, that Jeremiah gives a few words of hope.

READ 29:10-14

 

How many times have we quotes that very passage.

It was preached by Jeremiah

In one of the darkest moments of Israel’s history.

 

God promised that what He did, He did for Israel’s good.

It was in her best interest that she go to Babylon.

 

For it would be in Babylon that Israel would finally learn

To seek God and to seek Him with all their heart.

 

And because Israel would finally learn to seek out God,

It would be in Babylon that Israel would finally find Him.

 

(14) “I will be found by you,” declares the LORD”

 

And so Jeremiah was giving some hope in the midst of despair.

 

But that is not the only words of hope Jeremiah had for these judged people.

 

TURN TO: JEREMIAH 31

 

This is another extremely famous passage of Scripture.

 

Again Jeremiah is preaching

During one of the darkest moments in Israel’s history.

 

Most have been killed, many have been exiled, and the city of Jerusalem is under attack, about to fall to Nebuchadnezzar.

It is at this moment that Jeremiah uttered a few more words of hope.

READ 31:31-34

 

It runs very close to the truth we learned in the 29th chapter.

That God was about to do something in their lives

That was truly remarkable.

 

You and I know it as the “New Covenant”

In which salvation no longer depended upon our obedience,

But upon God’s mercy.

 

Even while destroying Jerusalem,

God was promising a day when righteousness

Would be the order of the day and God’s favor would follow.

 

And still God is not finished.

 

TURN TO: JEREMIAH 32

 

There again, if you were to read the entire chapter you would know that God gave a strange command to Jeremiah.

 

He commanded Jeremiah to buy a field in Judah.

You must know that land wasn’t worth much,

Seeing as how Babylon was about to seize it all.

 

Yet God commanded Jeremiah to buy some,

And God had a purpose in this.

READ 32:15

 

The point is that God has a plan to one day bring

A purified and devoted people back to the land of Israel.

READ 32:36-41

 

God again has a message of hope

In the midst of judgment and destruction.

 

Let me show you one more.

TURN TO: JEREMIAH 33

 

If you read the first part of this chapter you will see that

Jeremiah received this prophecy while in prison.

 

Jeremiah appeared to the people to be a traitor, because he prophesied against the city and therefore he was held in custody.

 

But again, during this dark moment God reveals words of hope.

READ 33:14-26

 

The point is that even during Israel’s darkest moments

God never failed to leave them with a promise of hope.

 

Judgment may be coming, but there was always hope

That God would not fully forsake them.

 

God would remember them and God would deliver them.

God never failed to give hope.

 

And therefore it is only fitting that as the writer of kings

Brings this book of warning to a close

That he also end it with a few words of hope.

 

Now the writer of kings doesn’t utter a prophecy,

What he does do is give a real life illustration of God’s plan for Israel is.

 

The writer will focus on the king you and I know as Jehoiakin,

And through his circumstances give us hope as well.

 

Hopefully you remember Jehoiakin.

We covered him quickly.

 

Also called Jeconiah.

 

We called him “The Despised King”

Jeremiah 22:24-30 “As I live,” declares the LORD, “even though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were a signet ring on My right hand, yet I would pull you off; and I will give you over into the hand of those who are seeking your life, yes, into the hand of those whom you dread, even into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of the Chaldeans. “I will hurl you and your mother who bore you into another country where you were not born, and there you will die. “But as for the land to which they desire to return, they will not return to it. “Is this man Coniah a despised, shattered jar? Or is he an undesirable vessel? Why have he and his descendants been hurled out And cast into a land that they had not known? “O land, land, land, Hear the word of the LORD! “Thus says the LORD, ‘Write this man down childless, A man who will not prosper in his days; For no man of his descendants will prosper Sitting on the throne of David Or ruling again in Judah.'”

 

This king was despised by God.

This king was promised to have no descendants on the throne.

 

Of all the kings this story could be about,

The writer chooses one that was truly disliked by God.

 

He does so on purpose.

Because if God could show mercy to Jehoiachin

Then certainly He could show mercy to Israel.

 

Lets look at a living picture illustration of what God has planned for Israel.

 

There are four things here that occur for Jehoiachin

#1 HE WAS SET FREE

2 Kings 25:27

 

You immediately notice that we are “in the thirty-seventh year of the exile”

 

That means that Jehoiachin has been in prison for 37 years.

He was taken captive when he was 18, he is now 55

 

He spent his prime years in a Babylonian prison.

 

But now, 37 years into the exile Babylon gets a new king.

Nebuchadnezzar has died and his son Evil-merodach became king.

 

And in that first year, this new king “released Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison;”

 

No doubt Nebuchadnezzar had sentenced him for life,

And surely at age 55 Jehoiachin had lost all hope of ever being released.

 

He was a refugee…

He was a criminal…

He was under the wrath of God…

And it must have appeared to him that all hope was lost.

 

Until the unthinkable happened and Jehoiachin was released.

 

But that isn’t all that happened.

 

#2 HE WAS SHOWN FAVOR

2 Kings 25:28

 

Now it is one thing to be released and free to go where you please,

But it appears that Evil-merodach went the extra mile with Jehoiachin.

 

“he spoke kindly to him and set his throne above the throne of the kings who were with him in Babylon.”

 

To put it simply, Evil-merodach befriended Jehoiachin.

He just started being nice to him.

 

He even bestowed on him a ceremonial title.

He put him above all the other conquered kings.

 

Certainly this was a “shadow position”

And had no real authority, but what throne isn’t?

 

It must have felt nice to know that he was so popular with the ruler.

 

Jehoiachin was set free Jehoiachin was shown favor

#3 HIS SINS WERE FORGIVEN

2 Kings 25:29

 

The writer reveals that “Jehoiachin changed his prison clothes”

 

This may seem insignificant to you, but I promise you it is anything but.

 

Throughout Scripture garments represent character.

Those seen in filthy garments are seen as wicked and evil.

Those seen in clean garments are seen as righteous.

 

Perhaps you remember Joshua the high priest

When he was being accused by Satan.

 

Zechariah 3:3-4 “Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and standing before the angel. He spoke and said to those who were standing before him, saying, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” Again he said to him, “See, I have taken your iniquity away from you and will clothe you with festal robes.”

 

You may also remember the parable of the wedding banquet

Where the man sought to slip into the wedding banquet

Without wedding clothes (i.e. clean garments)

 

In Revelation, those who are saved are those who have been washed.

Revelation 7:13-14 “Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and where have they come from?” I said to him, “My lord, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

 

That is why the Psalmist said:

Psalms 96:9 “Worship the LORD in holy attire; Tremble before Him, all the earth.”

 

That is also why when Isaiah preached salvation he said:

Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the LORD, “Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool.”

 

The point is that garments are representative of character

And by allowing Jehoiachin to remove his prison clothes,

It was more than just cleaning up.

 

It was signifying that Jehoiachin had a change in status.

He was no longer to be considered a fugitive,

He was to be considered a friend.

 

Jehoiachin had been forgiven.

 

He was set free He was shown favor His sins were forgiven

#4 HE WAS SAVED FOREVER

2 Kings 25:29b-30

Here we certainly see more about the favor he received.

 

(29) “had his meals in the king’s presence regularly”

(30) “a regular allowance was given him by the king, a portion for each day”

And both of those are absolutely mind boggling.

 

Here is an enemy king, a man in prison,

Being released and treated like a son.

 

And that alone is amazing, but the truly amazing part

Is the duration of each of these benefits.

 

Both of them occurred “all the days of his life;”

 

These benefits never expired.

He never lost his status.

He never lost his provision.

 

He did nothing to deserve it,

But once it was conferred to him, it was his forever.

 

It sort of mirrors that familiar passage:

Psalms 23:6 “Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,

And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”

 

No doubt you could look at Jehoiachin and say,

“What a lucky guy!”

 

But this story is far from coincidence.

 

Jehoiachin is a prophetic picture of Israel.

He was a despised king – Israel had become a despised nation

He was imprisoned – Israel was in bondage to sin

He was clothed in filthy rags – Israel was also covered in iniquity

He had no worth – Israel did not either

 

Yet, what Evil-merodach did for Jehoiachin,

God was going to do for Israel.

 

God was reminding her of the promises that were given.

God will

Set her Free

Show her Favor

Forgive her Sin

Save her Forever

This story is meant to be beautiful

Because of the horrific backdrop behind it.

 

Israel had done nothing to ever expect

That God would ever be gracious again.

 

But that goes against the nature of our great God.

 

Psalms 103:8-14 “The LORD is compassionate and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness. He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. Just as a father has compassion on his children, So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him. For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust.”

 

The point here is easy to see.

 

Regardless of how faithful Israel was to God,

God chose to remain faithful to Israel.

 

A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO WE TALKED ABOUT LAMENTATIONS.

 

To keep from falling into the deepest of despair,

Jeremiah focused on God’s faithfulness.

 

Lamentations 3:19-33 “Remember my affliction and my wandering, the wormwood and bitterness. Surely my soul remembers And is bowed down within me. This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. The LORD’S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I have hope in Him.” The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, To the person who seeks Him. It is good that he waits silently For the salvation of the LORD. It is good for a man that he should bear The yoke in his youth. Let him sit alone and be silent Since He has laid it on him. Let him put his mouth in the dust, Perhaps there is hope. Let him give his cheek to the smiter, Let him be filled with reproach. For the Lord will not reject forever, For if He causes grief, Then He will have compassion According to His abundant lovingkindness. For He does not afflict willingly Or grieve the sons of men.”

 

It was that passage that inspired Thomas Chisholm to write these words:

 

“Great is Thy faithfulness, O God, my Father, there is no shadow of turning with Thee; Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not; As Thou hast been, Thou forever wilt be.”

 

“Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide; Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!”

 

The lesson learned is that God is faithful even when we are not.

2 Timothy 2:11-13 “It is a trustworthy statement: For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him; If we endure, we will also reign with Him; If we deny Him, He also will deny us; If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.”

 

Boy did Israel ever learn that.

They brought upon themselves the judgment of God

Because they denied Him.

 

Yet, their faithlessness could not undo God’s faithfulness.

He had chosen to be faithful to Israel, and no amount of infidelity could change that.

 

Even today, God is remaining faithful to faithless Israel.

 

Having rejected the Messiah, they are currently under the judgment of God, yet God’s faithfulness remains.

 

Paul said:

Romans 11:25-29 “For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery — so that you will not be wise in your own estimation — that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, “THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB.” “THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS.” From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.”

 

The point is this:

 

GOD’S FAITHFULNESS IS NOT DEPENDANT UPON OURS

 

And that is absolutely proved here at the end of the book of Kings.

We are dealing with a people who have rejected God at every turn

And in every possible way.

 

They have forsaken His temple…

They have forsaken His ordinances…

They have ignored His messengers…

They have done it all right in front of God’s face.

 

YET THE PROMISES OF GOD REMAIN

 

Now this is not a sermon meant to encourage you

To sin without fear of punishment.

 

Israel was punished.

70 years in captivity is no laughing matter.

 

So this sermon is not meant to yet you think that sin is no big deal.

 

Rather, this sermon is meant to encourage those of us who have sinned and desire to be restored to God.

 

For those in here like that, the news is good!

GOD STILL ACCEPTS PRODIGALS

 

He will set you free

He will show you favor

He will forgive your sin

He will save you forever

 

It is simply time for you to call upon Him.

 

What He did for Jehoiachin was just a picture

Of what He had already promised to do for Israel.

AND WHAT HE’LL DO FOR YOU

 

 

Run to Him, Seek Him, Obey Him, Trust Him,

Love Him with all your heart.

 

And God will receive you.

 

Luke 15:20-24 “So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. “And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ “But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet; and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to celebrate.”

 

Hiding Through the Judgment

2 Kings 25:22-26

 

Most of you are familiar with

What is presently going on in the book of Kings.

• At this point, Judah no longer has a king.

• The temple has been burned, along with every house

• The city wall has been destroyed

• Everything of value has been stolen

• The exile of the Jews has been completed.

(15,000 were exiled, the rest were killed)

 

And over the last two weeks we have talked about

Exactly why that happened.

 

Israel had entered into covenant with God.

The stipulations of that covenant were clear.

 

Israel was to love God with all their heart, soul, and mind

And to make that love evident through total devotion and obedience.

 

They were to love and worship God only.

They were to set themselves apart from the people of the world.

They were to strictly obey all the commands of God.

 

If they would do this, then God would bless them bountifully.

 

But as you know, Israel did not keep her end of the agreement.

Disobedience, Idol Worship, Worldliness, Shedding Innocent Blood

 

The covenant was broken and the consequences were clear.

If you don’t keep God’s covenant, you don’t live in God’s land.

 

WHY?

Because that land was only for those who are in a covenant with God.

 

If you break that covenant, you must be removed.

Deuteronomy 28:63-68 “It shall come about that as the LORD delighted over you to prosper you, and multiply you, so the LORD will delight over you to make you perish and destroy you; and you will be torn from the land where you are entering to possess it. “Moreover, the LORD will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth; and there you shall serve other gods, wood and stone, which you or your fathers have not known. “Among those nations you shall find no rest, and there will be no resting place for the sole of your foot; but there the LORD will give you a trembling heart, failing of eyes, and despair of soul. “So your life shall hang in doubt before you; and you will be in dread night and day, and shall have no assurance of your life. “In the morning you shall say, ‘Would that it were evening!’ And at evening you shall say, ‘Would that it were morning!’ because of the dread of your heart which you dread, and for the sight of your eyes which you will see. “The LORD will bring you back to Egypt in ships, by the way about which I spoke to you, ‘You will never see it again!’ And there you will offer yourselves for sale to your enemies as male and female slaves, but there will be no buyer.”

 

It was clear.

 

You can claim to be God’s people,

You can take His name upon yourself.

But if your claim is a lie, and you take God’s name in vain,

Then I will remove you.

 

And that is exactly what has happened to Israel and Judah.

They claimed to be God’s people.

They claimed to have a relationship with Him.

But they were liars.

They were hypocrites.

They were apostates.

They were tares among the wheat.

They were goats among the sheep.

 

So Judah has been removed.

 

BUT THERE IS ONE MINOR PROBLEM WITH ALL OF THIS.

Nebuchadnezzar didn’t remove everyone.

 

(22) “Now as for the people who were left in the land of Judah,”

 

WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE?

 

1) The Poor

 

2 Kings 25:12 “But the captain of the guard left some of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and plowmen.”

 

2) Those who hid during battle

 

Jeremiah 40:7 “Now all the commanders of the forces that were in the field, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam over the land and that he had put him in charge of the men, women and children, those of the poorest of the land who had not been exiled to Babylon.”

 

3) Foreign Jews who were living in another land, who have returned

 

Jeremiah 40:11-12 “Likewise, also all the Jews who were in Moab and among the sons of Ammon and in Edom and who were in all the other countries, heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant for Judah, and that he had appointed over them Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan. Then all the Jews returned from all the places to which they had been driven away and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah, and gathered in wine and summer fruit in great abundance.”

 

And so it seems that there were actually a few

Who successfully hid through the judgment.

That is troublesome because God said it wouldn’t happen.

In fact, through Zephaniah,

God promised to be very thorough in the judgment.

 

Zephaniah 1:10-13 “On that day,” declares the LORD, “There will be the sound of a cry from the Fish Gate, A wail from the Second Quarter, And a loud crash from the hills. “Wail, O inhabitants of the Mortar, For all the people of Canaan will be silenced; All who weigh out silver will be cut off. “It will come about at that time That I will search Jerusalem with lamps, And I will punish the men Who are stagnant in spirit, Who say in their hearts, ‘The LORD will not do good or evil!’ “Moreover, their wealth will become plunder And their houses desolate; Yes, they will build houses but not inhabit them, And plant vineyards but not drink their wine.”

 

Yet, Nebuchadnezzar came and went and somehow,

Despite the promise of God, these were able to remain in the land.

 

And if you think on that very much it really makes it seem

As though there are loopholes to the judgment.

 

And by the way, that is precisely what a lost world is counting on.

That somehow when the judgment comes around

They will be able to survive it.

 

Well, this morning I want to show you why that is not the case.

 

4 parts to our text this morning.

#1 THEY REMAINED IN THE LAND

2 Kings 25:22

 

Just as we mentioned, here is the fact we have seen.

 

Nebuchadnezzar left some behind in the land.

He intended for them to work the fields and the vineyards of the land.

 

And as I said, this is somewhat troublesome

Because here are false Jews who not only got to stay in the land,

But even seem to have been given virtual ownership of it.

 

These Jews, rather by hiding, or by being poor,

Seem to have really done well for themselves.

 

And you will also see that Nebuchadnezzar has appointed a new leader.

 

“he appointed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan over them.”

 

So there you have it.

Those who survived judgment and their new leader.

 

#2 THEY RECEIVED INSTRUCTION

2 Kings 25:23-24

 

Here you see that some men came to Mizpah

Where Gedaliah was ruling the land.

 

These were some of those hiding armies.

• They had successfully avoided the Babylonian army.

• They did not try to defend Judah or Jerusalem, instead they hid themselves.

 

And now that Babylon is gone they return to the new ruler of the land.

 

And when they did, they received some instruction.

(24) “Gedaliah swore to them and their men and said to them, “Do not be afraid of the servants of the Chaldeans; live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will be well with you.”

 

Obviously this band of rogue fighters

Did not like the fact that they had to submit to Babylon now.

 

No doubt they wanted to live in the land

Without having to pay tribute to Nebuchadnezzar.

 

AND GOD IS EXTREMELY MERCIFUL

They will be allowed to remain in the land,

But the land is no longer theirs.

 

In a way, this could almost be seen like a second chance.

 

I really think you can see a parallel here to the great tribulation in which those who survive the great peril are actually given a chance to submit and be saved.

 

If these survivors will submit to God’s plan,

Then they can stay in the land.

 

#3 THEY REBELLED AGAINST THE LEADER

2 Kings 25:25

 

These Jews were disobedient.

These Jews wanted nothing to do with submission.

And therefore these Jews rebelled and killed Gedaliah.

 

There is a little more to the story.

Jeremiah 40:13-16 “Now Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces that were in the field came to Gedaliah at Mizpah and said to him, “Are you well aware that Baalis the king of the sons of Ammon has sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to take your life?” But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam did not believe them. Then Johanan the son of Kareah spoke secretly to Gedaliah in Mizpah, saying, “Let me go and kill Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and not a man will know! Why should he take your life, so that all the Jews who are gathered to you would be scattered and the remnant of Judah would perish?” But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam said to Johanan the son of Kareah, “Do not do this thing, for you are telling a lie about Ishmael.”

 

It appears that some of the people of the land

Knew that these Jews had no intention of submission,

Yet Gedaliah would not listen and as a result he was killed.

 

Jeremiah 41 indicates that while they were eating bread together,

Ishmael struck down Gedaliah and the Chaldeans that were with him.

 

It is yet another case of disobedience to the plan of God.

 

They remained in the land

They received instruction

They rebelled against their leader

#4 THEY RAN TO EGYPT

2 Kings 25:26

 

Jeremiah actually gives quite a bit more insight into the story.

 

Jeremiah 41:16-18 “Then Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces that were with him took from Mizpah all the remnant of the people whom he had recovered from Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, after he had struck down Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, that is, the men who were soldiers, the women, the children, and the eunuchs, whom he had brought back from Gibeon. And they went and stayed in Geruth Chimham, which is beside Bethlehem, in order to proceed into Egypt because of the Chaldeans; for they were afraid of them, since Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had struck down Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had appointed over the land.”

 

When this happened all the people in the land were terrified,

Because they just knew that Babylon would be back to kill them all.

 

And they instantly had a plan.

They were going to flee to Egypt.

 

Now at this point, according to the book of Jeremiah, the leaders actually did seek out Jeremiah for God’s will on the matter.

 

Jeremiah 42:1-3 “Then all the commanders of the forces, Johanan the son of Kareah, Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people both small and great approached and said to Jeremiah the prophet, “Please let our petition come before you, and pray for us to the LORD your God, that is for all this remnant; because we are left but a few out of many, as your own eyes now see us, that the LORD your God may tell us the way in which we should walk and the thing that we should do.”

 

So they wanted to know if they should run or stay.

 

And to make a long story short, God was merciful yet again.

He actually sent word through Jeremiah

That the people should stay in the land.

All they needed to do was trust God and submit to God’s appointed leader of the land and they could stay.

 

But again these people prove to be disobedient.

 

They respond to Jeremiah’s prophecy.

Jeremiah 43:1-4 “But as soon as Jeremiah, whom the LORD their God had sent, had finished telling all the people all the words of the LORD their God — that is, all these words — Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the arrogant men said to Jeremiah, “You are telling a lie! The LORD our God has not sent you to say, ‘You are not to enter Egypt to reside there’; but Baruch the son of Neriah is inciting you against us to give us over into the hand of the Chaldeans, so they will put us to death or exile us to Babylon.” So Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces, and all the people, did not obey the voice of the LORD to stay in the land of Judah.”

 

Now in case you missed it, what you have just seen

Is the completion of God’s judgment.

 

If you would submit to God and obey Him

You could remain in the land,

But if you refused, you were removed.

 

And eventually everyone was removed.

 

If you read Jeremiah 43:8 you will see that even Jeremiah went to Egypt with them (not as a means of disobedience) and through him God promised that all of those deserters would die in Egypt.

 

And so God’s Word was fulfilled.

 

There were none who successfully hid from God’s judgment.

There were none who stayed in their sin

And yet somehow managed to stay in the land.

 

That land was only for those who had kept the covenant of God,

And everyone who broke that covenant was removed.

 

GOD IS THOROUGH TO REMOVE THE DISOBEDIENT FROM HIS LAND.

 

And all along we have seen the parallel to the church today.

 

Just as there were false believers living in Israel,

There are false brethren in the church today.

 

Apostates

Hypocrites

Tares

 

And many times we have noted that they will not inherit the land

That God has in store for His true children.

 

False brethren may enter the church and seek to remain,

But God knows them, and they will not survive the judgment.

 

Matthew 3:11-12 “As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. “His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

 

John the Baptist knew that Jesus would be thorough.

 

However, that doesn’t mean that there won’t be many who try.

There will be false brethren who not only try to remain in the church,

But who even try to slip through the judgment.

 

Matthew 22:11-14 “But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes, and he said to him, ‘ Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?’ And the man was speechless. “Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ “For many are called, but few are chosen.”

 

Matthew 7:22-23 “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’

 

Luke 13:26-27 “Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets’; and He will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you are from; DEPART FROM ME, ALL YOU EVILDOERS.’

 

Matthew 3:9 “and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, ‘ We have Abraham for our father’; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham.”

 

There will be all sorts of excuses offered.

Some just try to sneak in on their own goodness.

Some try to present their resume.

Others seek to use their familiarity as an excuse.

Others try to use their family tree.

 

They are men who seek to slip past the judgment.

They desire to hide from the wrath of God,

And seek to live in the promised land undetected,

Despite having never truly entered into a relationship with God.

 

But none will make it.

 

 

Listen to me.

Although there are many who seek to hide through the judgment,

No one will be able to on their own.

 

Revelation 20:11-15 “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”

 

During the judgment all the hiding places are turned over.

Even those who have sunk to the bottom of the sea

Will not be able to hide there from the judgment of God.

 

The great can’t overcome it, and the small can’t hide from it.

God is thorough in judgment.

 

On your own, you cannot hide from it.

BUT THERE IS ONE WHO CAN HIDE YOU

 

1 Peter 3:18-22 “For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison, who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water. Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you — not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience — through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him.”

 

Figuratively speaking Jesus is our Ark.

 

That means that while on our own

You and I could never hide through the judgment

There is a way to be hidden, and that is in Jesus Christ.

 

It really enforces that text we often quote:

John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”

 

Trying to get to heaven without Jesus

Would have been like trying to survive the flood without the ark.

 

On your own you cannot hide from judgment, God is too thorough.

 

 

And this is what we have been stressing.

This is what the writer of kings has been stressing.

 

Don’t suppose that you can be ½ hearted in the covenant

And yet enjoy the full benefits of salvation.

 

You may sneak in to God’s land, but you will not stay there.

You may sneak in to God’s church, but you will not stay there.

 

Matthew 13:37-43 “And He said, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, and the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one; and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels. “So just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age. “The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. “Then THE RIGHTEOUS WILL SHINE FORTH AS THE SUN in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.”

 

The only salvation is found in total faith in Jesus Christ.

A faith that is evidenced by total submission and obedience.

There is no other way.

 

And all the way from Babylon, several thousand years ago,

The writer of kings is begging this very thing of you.

 

Having witnessed the horror of being kicked out of the land of promise,

The writer of kings is begging you not to make the same mistake.

 

Don’t suppose that just because

You have managed to fool those around you

That God is somehow fooled.

 

He sees you, He knows you,

And He will remove the tares from the wheat.

 

A couple of weeks ago in Sunday School we studied this passage.

 

John 2:23-25 “Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name, observing His signs which He was doing. But Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men, and because He did not need anyone to testify concerning man, for He Himself knew what was in man.”

 

The word “believed” and the word for “entrusting” are the same word in the Greek.

PISTEUO

 

There were many who believed in Jesus,

But Jesus didn’t believe in them.

 

He saw their heart.

He knew what they were.

He knew they were not fully committed.

And He did not give Himself to them.

 

And what a way to be evaluated.

I know we live in an area of the world where everyone believes in Jesus.

But I wonder how many Jesus believes in.

 

There are many who claim to know Jesus.

But I wonder how many Jesus knows.

 

DO YOU GET THE POINT?

 

Israel claimed to be in a covenant, but she lied

And despite all her religion, despite all her history,

Even she could not survive the judgment.

 

This morning I ask you to learn a lesson from her mistake

And don’t follow her example.

 

Don’t give your lip service to God.

Give Him your heart.

Give Him your life.

 

Love Him with everything you have

And evidence it by your unwavering obedience to His word.

 

In short – BE REAL

 

John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”