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A Prayer For The King
Psalms 72
May 24, 2020

Tonight we come upon the 72nd Psalm.
A Psalm that is pretty easy to grasp and understand.

The one confusing aspect comes from the sub-title
Which calls it “A Psalm of Solomon”

Some translations have easily picked upon the fact that this title is difficult because Solomon clearly didn’t write it.
• The last verse even says (20) “The prayers of David the son of Jesse are
ended.”

Clearly David is the author.

• This has led some translators to translate the sub-heading “A Psalm For
Solomon”
• And yet all the Hebrew experts in the commentaries I read say there is no
grounds for that translation.

Spurgeon says it, I think, best when he asserts that
This is David’s prayer, heard and recorded by Solomon
Who not only heard it, but adopted it for his own kingly reign.

But aside from that it is clear to us that it is a prayer for the King.

And this is good for us,
Because we are also called to pray for our leaders.

Certainly we understand the calling
To submit to our governing authorities.
Jesus was clear that we should “render to Caesar that which is Caesars”

Paul EXTENDED THAT COMMAND beyond taxes when he wrote:
Romans 13:7 “Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.”

Paul reminding us that we give more than just taxes,
We also give fear and honor to those whom God has placed in authority.

Peter certainly echoed this, even with the evil Nero on the throne, he wrote:
1 Peter 2:13-17 “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God. Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.”

So the submission to the governing authorities is clear to us.
God is the ultimate sovereign, and all authority comes from Him,
Therefore to rebel against any authority
Is ultimately to rebel against His authority.

And as I have shared with you, my belief in this
Has certainly been put to the test over the last few months.

I still believe it, but I have been given a taste of how difficult it can be,
And certainly have had to seek the Lord’s help to respond correctly.

But that is regarding our submission.

IN ADDITION to submission we are also called to pray for our leaders.

Paul wrote:
1 Timothy 2:1-2 “First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.”

• That verse is actually the basis for why we pray for the lost every Sunday night.
• God has called us to pray in that way, and especially for our leaders in this prayer.

To be specific Paul told us to pray for our rulers “so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.”

The idea is that
• If you desire a culture that values righteousness…
• If you long for a society that finds evil repulsive…
• If you want a country that walks in moral integrity…

You do not achieve this
Through activism or protesting or social media debate.
Honestly, you don’t even achieve it through voting.

After all, there have been many nations to whom the Bible was also written who did not have the luxury of democracy or a vote to cast.

But rather, the weapon and tool of the believer for a righteous land is PRAYER
• Paul didn’t say to organize…
• Paul didn’t say to protest…
• Paul didn’t say to vote…
• Paul didn’t say to lobby…
• Paul said to pray.

If you want an example of that prayer, we simply look at Psalms 72.

If Spurgeon is correct then as David gave his final admonition to Solomon, this was the prayer he also prayed on his behalf.

1 Kings 2:1-4 “As David’s time to die drew near, he charged Solomon his son, saying, “I am going the way of all the earth. Be strong, therefore, and show yourself a man. “Keep the charge of the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His ordinances, and His testimonies, according to what is written in the Law of Moses, that you may succeed in all that you do and wherever you turn, so that the LORD may carry out His promise which He spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons are careful of their way, to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’”

David’s charge to Solomon was clear.
Obey God so that God is free to bless you.

THAT IS GOOD ADVICE.
It is a foolish thing to seek to force the Lord to bless your wickedness.

And accompanied with that advice, must have been this prayer.

Now, as we said, it is clear that Solomon adopted this advice
And took it to heart for we see clear evidence of that in his life.

It wouldn’t be long before Solomon would become King and we remember his prayer to God.
TURN TO: 1 KINGS 3:3-14
• Solomon wanted wisdom.
• This pleased God and God granted it to him.

And of course we have famous stories of Solomon exercising that wisdom.
TURN TO: 1 KINGS 3:16-28

It wouldn’t be long before Solomon would build God’s temple and in dedication he would pray:
TURN TO: 1 KINGS 8:25-26

And when the prayer was over, God would reiterate the advice of David by saying:
TURN TO: 1 KINGS 9:1-9

And even though Solomon’s life would have some severe hiccups,
(mostly due to the influence of his many pagan wives,)
Solomon held to his understanding of what David had taught him;
Namely that he should not expect God to bless a wicked life.

And in the last book that Solomon wrote, as an old man giving advice to a younger man, Solomon completed his wisdom with these words:
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 “The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.”

And I just remind you of that to show you that
THIS PRAYER HAD A PROFOUND EFFECT UPON HIS LIFE.

And it is a prayer that is preserved for us
That we may also know how to pray for our leaders.

At the same time, it is also a tremendous Messianic Psalm
Since the only King who will ever fully live up to the standards set here,
Or see its truest fulfillment will be King Jesus.

So
• We pray this in faith for our worldly leaders
• And we sing this in hope as we wait for the One who will finally live up to it.

With that in mind, let’s look at this 72nd Psalm
And learn how to pray for the King.

There are 4 prayer requests here.
#1 REGARDING HIS GUIDE
Psalms 72:1-4

To put it plainly the request goes like this:
“Instruct his mind to judge justly”

David begins his prayer by saying, “Give the king Your judgments, O God, And Your righteousness to the king’s son.”

First you notice that the prayer here is for BOTH the king and his son.
• David, even though near the end, still prays that God would grant him His judgments,
• And that God would also extend that to Solomon.

In short, David is praying that both the current king and the coming king
Would be one who is guided by the judgments and righteousness of God.

It speaks of the importance that
The one who sits in authority over a nation
First be one who sits under the authority of God.

• God’s judgments are perfect wisdom.
• God’s word is perfect truth.
• God’s judgments are perfectly accurate.

Psalms 19:7-10 “The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether. They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.”

Time would certainly fail us if we referenced every passage in Scripture about the perfection of Scripture.

But the idea is clear.
There is no greater counsel on earth than the counsel of God’s word
And THEREFORE no wise ruler could do better
Than to know God’s word and submit to it as his guide.

In fact in the book of Deuteronomy Moses actually gave a small piece of instruction regarding any future king Israel might have.

Deuteronomy 17:14-20 “When you enter the land which the LORD your God gives you, and you possess it and live in it, and you say, ‘ I will set a king over me like all the nations who are around me,’ you shall surely set a king over you whom the LORD your God chooses, one from among your countrymen you shall set as king over yourselves; you may not put a foreigner over yourselves who is not your countryman. “Moreover, he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor shall he cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, since the LORD has said to you, ‘You shall never again return that way.’ “He shall not multiply wives for himself, or else his heart will turn away; nor shall he greatly increase silver and gold for himself. “Now it shall come about when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself a copy of this law on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. “It shall be with him and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, by carefully observing all the words of this law and these statutes, that his heart may not be lifted up above his countrymen and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or the left, so that he and his sons may continue long in his kingdom in the midst of Israel.”

The point is again clearly made.
THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS for any king in Israel
Is to first hand write his own copy of God’s word
So that he might be well versed in the wisdom of God.

That is David’s prayer both for himself and Solomon.

And WHEN the king so values the word of God,
THEN the effects become obvious.
God’s judgments become the king’s judgments.

(2-4) “May he judge Your people with righteousness And Your afflicted with justice. Let the mountains bring peace to the people, And the hills, in righteousness. May he vindicate the afflicted of the people, Save the children of the needy And crush the oppressor.”

When the king internalizes God’s judgments
Then one priority will rise above them all.

HE WILL JUDGE WITH JUSTICE.
• He will not cater to the ruthless, but rather will defend the weak.
• He will certainly know that God is a God who father’s the fatherless and who defends the orphan and the widow.
• He will certainly learn that God does not take a bribe, nor does He honor those who do.

By reading God’s word, he will be in touch with God’s heart
And will thus judge according to God’s will.

Micah 6:6-8 “With what shall I come to the LORD And bow myself before the God on high? Shall I come to Him with burnt offerings, With yearling calves? Does the LORD take delight in thousands of rams, In ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my firstborn for my rebellious acts, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?”

Isaiah 1:16-17 “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Cease to do evil, Learn to do good; Seek justice, Reprove the ruthless, Defend the orphan, Plead for the widow.”

Psalms 82:1-3 “God takes His stand in His own congregation; He judges in the midst of the rulers. How long will you judge unjustly And show partiality to the wicked? Selah. Vindicate the weak and fatherless; Do justice to the afflicted and destitute.”

Many of you are familiar with Proverbs 31
• As the chapter about the Virtuous Woman.
• Most people begin studying that passage in verse 10.
• But it was written by King Lemuel’s mother and she had other advice for him besides what wife to choose.

Proverbs 31:1-9 “The words of King Lemuel, the oracle which his mother taught him: What, O my son? And what, O son of my womb? And what, O son of my vows? Do not give your strength to women, Or your ways to that which destroys kings. It is not for kings, O Lemuel, It is not for kings to drink wine, Or for rulers to desire strong drink, For they will drink and forget what is decreed, And pervert the rights of all the afflicted. Give strong drink to him who is perishing, And wine to him whose life is bitter. Let him drink and forget his poverty And remember his trouble no more. Open your mouth for the mute, For the rights of all the unfortunate. Open your mouth, judge righteously, And defend the rights of the afflicted and needy.”

Her advice was filled with wisdom, clearly as a woman who understood God’s judgments and encouraged her son to follow suit.

Certainly you get the idea.
The first prayer for the king was that
He would be filled with and know what God’s will is.

• It is a prayer that God would enlighten the king with His truth and instruct the king with His wisdom.
• With the expectation that, having learned God’s will, the king would rule with God’s wisdom.

Do you want to pray for our leaders, this is a great place to start.

Incidentally, when King Jesus returns, this is precisely how He will rule.
Isaiah 11:1-5 “Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, And a branch from his roots will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and strength, The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. And He will delight in the fear of the LORD, And He will not judge by what His eyes see, Nor make a decision by what His ears hear; But with righteousness He will judge the poor, And decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth; And He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked. Also righteousness will be the belt about His loins, And faithfulness the belt about His waist.”

We pray for our current rulers to lead like this,
But we certainly rejoice that One is coming who most certainly will.

Regarding His Guide
#2 REGARDING HIS GOAL
Psalms 72:5-7

And if we were to state this a little more precisely, our prayer would be:
“Captivate His Heart To Encourage Righteousness.”

If you’ll notice verse 5, the request is for the fear of the Lord.
(5) “Let them fear You while the sun endures, And as long as the moon, throughout all generations.”

Who is “them”?
• It’s the king and the king’s son who were identified back in verse 1.

The second prayer request here is that the king would fear God.
And that he would fear Him forever (“while the sun endures”)

And we also understand the necessity of the fear of the Lord.

Proverbs 1:7 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

Proverbs 8:13 “The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverted mouth, I hate.”

Proverbs 10:27 “The fear of the LORD prolongs life, But the years of the wicked will be shortened.”

Proverbs 14:27 “The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, That one may avoid the snares of death.”

Proverbs 15:16 “Better is a little with the fear of the LORD Than great treasure and turmoil with it.”

Proverbs 22:4 “The reward of humility and the fear of the LORD Are riches, honor and life.”

The understanding here is that when a man fears God,
It dictates his behavior and his decisions and saves his life.

A king cannot condone evil if he fears God
And understands that one day
He will answer to God for his decisions.

You want a leader to have fear of God.

For when he does, he will crush evil and encourage righteousness.

(6-7) “May he come down like rain upon the mown grass, Like showers that water the earth. In his days may the righteous flourish, And abundance of peace till the moon is no more.”

That’s really the kind of ruler you want.
A ruler who fears God and so he judges justly
And the righteous can flourish.

• A ruler who fears God is far more valuable than a ruler with military expertise.
• A ruler who fears God is far more valuable than a ruler with economic strategy.

For those men may make a country secure or even financially strong,
But far more valuable is a king who elevates righteousness.

We certainly don’t desire a king who is corrupt.
We don’t desire a king who allows the wicked to flourish.
A king like that is one who clearly does not fear God.

So we pray for our rulers to fear God
That they might encourage the righteous and stop the wicked.

Let me remind you, that this is their job.
It is actually one of the few legitimate jobs of government according to Scripture.

• We know that we are not to take our own revenge.
• We know that we are not to deal out judgment.
• But God has appointed the governing authorities for this very purpose.

Romans 13:1-4 “Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.”

Scripture teaches that God has entrusted the sword to the government
For the punishment of evil.

Our world has sort of been lost in this notion of not governing morality.
You hear that sometimes, “You can’t govern morality”.

Well what else are they supposed to govern?

The Bible says that the government is there to
“bring wrath on the one who practices evil.”

Since that is true we certainly pray that
They have a good grasp on what is evil and what is good.

Since they have the sword, we certainly pray they will know when and where to use it.

So we pray not only that they know God’s will,
But that they also fear God so that they will judge accurately.

We pray that they will punish the wicked and encourage the righteous.

And the very history of Israel will indicate how important this was.
For the king on the throne made all the difference for the nation.

In fact, the books of The Kings are two of the saddest books in Scripture
Because they lament how king after king after king
Led Israel away from God until they were finally destroyed.

Of particular notice would be Jeroboam
• Who was the first king of Israel after the kingdom split.
• He is the one who set up the golden calves and told Israel they no longer had
to travel to Jerusalem for worship.
• Every evil king after him reads with this distinction: “he did not turn away
from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat…”

One by one the kings led Israel into idolatry.
Having a king who doesn’t fear God is a tragedy.

But then how wonderful
When a king who feared God would step on the throne.

Consider Josiah.
2 Kings 23:19-25 “Josiah also removed all the houses of the high places which were in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made provoking the LORD; and he did to them just as he had done in Bethel. All the priests of the high places who were there he slaughtered on the altars and burned human bones on them; then he returned to Jerusalem. Then the king commanded all the people saying, ” Celebrate the Passover to the LORD your God as it is written in this book of the covenant.” Surely such a Passover had not been celebrated from the days of the judges who judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel and of the kings of Judah. But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, this Passover was observed to the LORD in Jerusalem. Moreover, Josiah removed the mediums and the spiritists and the teraphim and the idols and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, that he might confirm the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the LORD. Before him there was no king like him who turned to the LORD with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; nor did any like him arise after him.”

WE PRAY FOR A KING LIKE THAT.

And again, as we pray for this now, WE LOOK FORWARD TO the day when Christ returns.

We already read about Him:
Isaiah 11:3 “And He will delight in the fear of the LORD…”

But we also understand that in His day
Peace will abound and righteousness will be encouraged.

Isaiah 11:6-9 “And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, And the leopard will lie down with the young goat, And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little boy will lead them. Also the cow and the bear will graze, Their young will lie down together, And the lion will eat straw like the ox. The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra, And the weaned child will put his hand on the viper’s den. They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD As the waters cover the sea.”

When you have a righteous king who knows God’s word and fears God,
Then the result is justice, righteousness, and peace.

We pray for that now, we look for that at the return of Christ.

His Guide, His Goal
#3 HIS GOVERNMENT
Psalms 72:8-15

We might more specifically state this request as:
“Increase His Influence Across The World.”

Of course this request is predicated on the fact that the first two are fulfilled.
• But IF he is a king who knows God’s word
• And IF he is a king who fears God
• And IF justice and righteousness and peace are his goal

Then by all means, give him a global platform.

We saw that with Solomon, even as the Queen of Sheba came and was breathless at his wisdom and splendor.

But this is the prayer here.
Take this wise king and let the whole world listen to him.

(8-11) “May he also rule from sea to sea And from the River to the ends of the earth. Let the nomads of the desert bow before him, And his enemies lick the dust. Let the kings of Tarshish and of the islands bring presents; The kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts. And let all kings bow down before him, All nations serve him.”

• That speaks of his global influence.
• That his wisdom is so amazing that God grants him global influence.
• Let this king be a king who changes the world.

And again, his credentials are listed.
(12-15) “For he will deliver the needy when he cries for help, The afflicted also, and him who has no helper. He will have compassion on the poor and needy, And the lives of the needy he will save. He will rescue their life from oppression and violence, And their blood will be precious in his sight; So may he live, and may the gold of Sheba be given to him; And let them pray for him continually; Let them bless him all day long.”

What a great description of the passions of a godly king.
• “he will deliver the needy”
• “he will have compassion on the poor”
• “he will rescue [the needy] from oppression and violence”
• “their blood will be precious in his sight”

• He cares about the shedding of innocent blood.
• He cares about injustice.
• He cares about the poor and the helpless.

When you have a king like that,
Then the prayer is for the whole world
To come and hear what he has to say.
Let this king’s government spread across the world.

And again, while we don’t see kings that live up to that billing today, we certainly pray for the One who will.

Isaiah 9:7 “There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.”

Isaiah 11:10 “Then in that day The nations will resort to the root of Jesse, Who will stand as a signal for the peoples; And His resting place will be glorious.”

We certainly look to the coming of King Jesus
And pray for His global reign.

His guide, His goal, His government
#4 HIS GLORY
Psalms 72:16-17

And again to more specifically state the request we would pray:
“Reward His Faithfulness With Prosperity”

• When we have a king who knows God’s word and fears God.
• When we have a king who defends the helpless and cares about the shedding of innocent blood.
• When we have a king who crushes evil and encourages the righteous.

Then we pray that God blesses and honors that king
With prosperity and peace throughout his kingdom.

This is above all why David prayed this for Solomon.
• David knew that the only way in which Solomon could ever hope to have his nation blessed by God
• Was if Solomon was first filled with the knowledge of God and the fear of the Lord.

That was the pathway to a prosperous nation.
The right king would make all the difference.

And you see that prosperity spelled out here.
(16-17) “May there be abundance of grain in the earth on top of the mountains; Its fruit will wave like the cedars of Lebanon; And may those from the city flourish like vegetation of the earth. May his name endure forever; May his name increase as long as the sun shines; And let men bless themselves by him; Let all nations call him blessed.”

It is just two verses that speak of the glory of the king.

In fact we read about the response of his people.
(17b) “let men bless themselves by him;”

It’s not men running around shouting, “Not my king”,
It’s men honored to associate themselves with him.
We pray for a ruler like that.

And again, one day we will have Him.
Isaiah 65:17-25 “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former things will not be remembered or come to mind. “But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; For behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing And her people for gladness. “I will also rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in My people; And there will no longer be heard in her The voice of weeping and the sound of crying. “No longer will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, Or an old man who does not live out his days; For the youth will die at the age of one hundred And the one who does not reach the age of one hundred Will be thought accursed. “They will build houses and inhabit them; They will also plant vineyards and eat their fruit. “They will not build and another inhabit, They will not plant and another eat; For as the lifetime of a tree, so will be the days of My people, And My chosen ones will wear out the work of their hands. “They will not labor in vain, Or bear children for calamity; For they are the offspring of those blessed by the LORD, And their descendants with them. “It will also come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear. “The wolf and the lamb will graze together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox; and dust will be the serpent’s food. They will do no evil or harm in all My holy mountain,” says the LORD.”

One day we will have a king who will be so blessed.
And in the meantime, this is how we pray for our rulers.

We pray:
• God instruct his mind to judge justly.
• God captivate his heart to encourage righteousness.
• God, when he walks uprightly, increase his influence across the world.
• God, when he follows you, reward his faithfulness with prosperity

That is how David prayed for Solomon.
• That is how Israel was called to pray for their king.
• That is how we pray for our leaders.

In fact (15b) “And let them pray for him continually; let them bless him all day long.”

We are called to pray for our rulers.

And then we come to the closing of the second book of the Psalms.

David closed book 1 with a doxology.
Psalms 41:13 “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, From everlasting to everlasting. Amen and Amen.”

And David closes book 2 with a doxology.
(18-19) “Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, Who alone works wonders. And blessed be His glorious name forever; And may the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen, and Amen.”

And the reminder is that regardless of LIFE, and regardless of STRUGGLE, and regardless of what we face (as so many Psalms address),
Ultimately we have a great God who we always turn to and worship.

For
• He “alone works wonders”
• And “His glorious name” is blessed forever.
• And “the whole earth” will be filled “with His glory”

He is always the focus of the Psalms.
He is always the focus of the worship.

The very point of each book of the Psalms is that we would focus upon God as our only source of hope.
• Rather that be deliverance from evil.
• Rather that be avenging of our foes.
• Rather that be encouraging us in distress.
• Rather that be molding our rulers.

Ultimately we lift all things to this great God who alone is to be glorified.

And if this indeed is the last Psalm David ever wrote,
WHAT A FITTING WAY TO END IT.

“The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.”

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A Candidate For Salvation
Luke 18:35-43
May 24, 2020

Luke 18 has been quite an interesting chapter.
We have seen contrast after contrast and picture after picture.

Examples of those who are prime candidates for salvation
And examples of those who are not.

And that may seem like a strange way to put it.
Isn’t every lost person a candidate for salvation?
• Every lost person is in need of salvation.
• Every lost person has the opportunity of salvation.
• But not everyone is a candidate for salvation.

WHY?
Because they don’t see themselves as one who needs salvation.

Take for example Jesus warning in Matthew 7
Matthew 7:6 “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.”

• This of course is on the heels of Jesus message about not judging.
• He says to first “take the log out of your own eye so that you will see clearly to take the spec out of your brother’s eye”.
• However, He also gives this warning about casting your pears before swine.

The idea is that not everyone will hear it.
Not everyone will value the truth simply because it is the truth.
And you cannot argue people into the Kingdom of Heaven.

We studied the Old Testament prophecy last week in which Isaiah asked:
Isaiah 53:1 “Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?”

John referenced that same verse as a fulfillment of the people of Jesus’ day:
John 12:37-38 “But though He had performed so many signs before them, yet they were not believing in Him. This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet which he spoke: “LORD, WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT? AND TO WHOM HAS THE ARM OF THE LORD BEEN REVEALED?”

What we have learned is that there are certain attitudes
That make a person a prime candidate for salvation
And there are attitudes that make a terrible candidate for salvation.

Those attitudes are clearly laid out for us in the Beatitudes

Matthew 5:3-8 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”

Jesus showed us there who is a candidate for salvation.
• Those who know their spiritual poverty.
• Those who hate the sin that made them that way.
• Those who are submissive to whatever is required for salvation.
• Those who long and hunger for salvation.
• Those who understand the value of mercy.
• Those who have no ulterior motives.
• Those who understand the necessity of peace with God.

Those are the attitudes of salvation.

But
• A person who thinks themselves to be spiritually rich
• A person who does not hate their sin
• A person who is rebellious to the call of God
• A person who doesn’t desire righteousness
• A person who sees no need or value in mercy
• A person who is hypocritical in their religion
• A person who is worried about peace with God

That person is not a candidate for salvation
Simply because they do not think the need it.

And Luke 18 has been a chapter that
Has really SHOWN US THE DIFFERENCES between the two.

We can think of that PERSISTENT WIDOW
• Who wanted justice so bad that she continued to return to the judge even though he was unrighteous.

And at the end of that story, Jesus drove His point home by asking:
Luke 18:8 “I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”

That widow was a picture of the type of attitude Christ was looking for.
SHE HAD FAITH.

We can think of hat HUMBLE TAX COLLECTOR
• That contrasting story of the two men who went up to pray.
• The Pharisee however was not a candidate for salvation because he thought himself to be spiritually rich and had no need for mercy.
• The Tax Collector was a picture of spiritual poverty and humility as he could only beg for God’s mercy.

Again Jesus made the point:
Luke 18:14 “I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

That Tax Collector had the attitude Christ was looking for.
HE HAD HUMILITY

We can think of those PARENTS BRINGING THEIR CHILDREN
• The parents wanted their children blessed.
• The children were helpless.
• The disciples didn’t like it.
• But again we saw candidates for salvation.

In fact Jesus said:
Luke 18:16-17 “But Jesus called for them, saying, “Permit the children to come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. “Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.”

But those children demonstrated the attitude Jesus was looking for.
They were DEPENDANT

It is the person who understands that they need someone else
To do for them what they cannot do on their own.

And then we saw the story of that RICH YOUNG RULER,
• He was not a candidate for salvation.

WHY?
Because he was rich.
(And he put far too much value not just on his earthly riches,
But also on his spiritual accomplishments)
He wasn’t willing to leave it all behind for Jesus.

Luke 18:24-25 “And Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God! “For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

However Luke contrasted him with THE DISCIPLES who did leave everything to follow Jesus.
They were DESPERATE

But again I remind you of this journey Luke has taken us on.

Really throughout his gospel,
Luke has continued to draw this hard line
Between those who see the need for Christ and those who do not.

Now I remind you of all those stories here in Luke’s gospel because
Luke is about to give you one of his greatest examples.
(Really he’s about to give you two great examples)

• The first is the blind man who Mark calls Bartimaeus
• The second is a rich man you know as Zaccheus

This morning we look at the first.
This blind man.

He is one of, if not the best, description
Of a salvation candidate that we see in the Bible.

In fact, those attributes that we highlighted in the stories in Luke 18;
THIS MAN HAS THEM ALL.

He serves as a living picture and illustration
Of precisely the attitude needed if one is to be saved.

And we are grateful for such pictures.
• For if you don’t come to Christ like that widow, you can’t come.
• If you don’t come to Christ like that tax collector, you can’t come.
• If you don’t come to Christ like those children, you can’t come.
• If you don’t come to Christ like the disciples, you can’t come.
• And if you don’t come like this blind beggar, you can’t come.

So let’s look now at this new illustration of salvation in Luke’s gospel.

5 observations we can draw out of this text.
#1 HIS PITIFUL STATE
Luke 18:35

“As Jesus was approaching Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road begging. Now hearing a crowd going by, he began to inquire what this was.”

Just to understand all that’s going on here in Jesus’ life,
Let’s develop this story a little.

• We saw last week that Jesus had determined to make His final trip to Jerusalem.
• They’ve tried to stone Him the last two times He was there.
• Recently He raised Lazarus from the dead, and that event sealed the deal and they are plotting His death.
• But none the less, motivated by love, our Lord is heading to Jerusalem to give Himself up for us.

He is on that journey, and He is “approaching Jericho”

When you moved from Galilee toward Jerusalem,
• Typically the Jews would travel on the East side of the Jordan river (so that they didn’t have to go through Samaria)
• And cross back over just north of the Dead Sea.

From there it was about a 20 mile walk to Jerusalem, but it was hard.
• The Dead Sea is over 1,400 feet BELOW sea level.
• Jericho is 800 feet ABOVE sea level.
• Jerusalem is 3800 feet ABOVE sea level.

• In short, you’d clime around 2000 feet in a 6 mile walk to get to Jericho
• And you’d clime about 3000 feet in a 14 mile walk to Jerusalem.

The road from Jericho to Jerusalem was intense.
It was filled with rocky crags narrow paths.
It was dangerous as the story of the Good Samaritan makes clear

But for Jews coming south for the Passover it was a well-traveled area.

And that is why this blind man is here.
• Both Matthew and Mark mention two blind men
• Mark names one of them as Bartimaeus (probably prominent in the church)
• No doubt Bartimaeus is the main character and thus the only one Luke mentions.

But Bartimaeus is here by the road in Jericho.
• First because it was a high traffic area and good for begging.
• Second because travelers often had more money on them than those at home.
• Third Because Jericho was a lower elevation it was often warmer than Jerusalem.
• Fourth because a certain bush grew in the region that was believe to help with blindness.

It makes sense why he’d be here.

But in order to grasp the pitiful state
You also need to understand the cultural perception towards the blind.

The blind were not cared for, they were considered cursed.
The general consensus was that their blindness was a result of sin.

This would have especially been true in Bartimaeus’ case
For in a moment he will ask, “Lord, I want to regain my sight!”
Indicating that he was probably not born blind, but rather became blind.

Remember the disciples discussing the blind man in Jerusalem?
John 9:1-2 “As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?”

And remember after Jesus healed that man that he got into an argument with the Pharisees about Jesus.
John 9:34 “They answered him, “You were born entirely in sins, and are you teaching us?” So they put him out.”

Bartimaeus was in a pitiful state.

He was a blind beggar.
“a blind man was sitting by the road begging.”

And just so we are clear, you need to understand that
Bartimaeus is a perfect illustration of every lost man.

• We are all born entirely in sins.
• Apart from Christ we are all spiritually blind.
• And we are all totally helpless to do anything about it on our own.
• If we are to receive anything it will only be through begging.

That was Bartimaeus.
But on this day, grace is about to arrive.

His Pitiful State
#2 HIS PERCEPTIVE CRY
Luke 18:36-38

What a day this would prove to be, for we read:
(36) “Now hearing a crowd going by, he began to inquire what this was.”

No doubt he had heard plenty of travelers,
• Especially during this time as people were headed to Jerusalem for Passover.

But on this day, the crowd was much larger, much louder,
And presumably much more excited.

WHY?
They were with Jesus and Jesus was fresh off of raising Lazarus from the dead
And the crowds were at fever pitch levels.

Let me just give you a glimpse of the scene from John’s gospel.
John 12:17-22 “So the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead, continued to testify about Him. For this reason also the people went and met Him, because they heard that He had performed this sign. So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are not doing any good; look, the world has gone after Him.” Now there were some Greeks among those who were going up to worship at the feast; these then came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and began to ask him, saying, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip came and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip came and told Jesus.”

• His popularity is through the roof.
• Excitement regarding Him is at an all-time high.
• Even the Pharisees seem deflated that the “the world has gone after Him”
• In the next day or two He’s about to have the Triumphal Entry where they
proclaim Him king.

The buzz of this crowd is different and Bartimaeus notices it.
“he began to inquire what this was.”

(37) “They told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by.”

It is interesting that Jesus is introduced to Bartimaeus with this title
Because in the very next verse we read:

(38) “And he called out, saying, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

I’m sure you recognize the difference.
• They told Bartimaeus this was “Jesus of Nazareth”
• Bartimaeus calls Him “Jesus, Son of David”

The first title is accurate. Jesus was a man from Nazareth.
But the second title sees beyond the physical. It is a Messianic title.
Bartimaeus sees Him as God’s King.

And this is why we say that Bartimaeus had a perceptive cry.
In fact, it is apparent that this blind man saw what others did not.

Perhaps it was even his blindness which helped his perception.

For Isaiah also said:
Isaiah 53:2 “For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.”

• But Bartimaeus was not influenced by such physical evidence.
• What Jesus looked like meant nothing to him.

But not doubt Bartimaeus had heard about the mighty works of Jesus, AND THE EVIDENCE WAS CLEAR.
Jesus was no mere man. He was certainly the Messiah.

The crowd with physical eyes couldn’t see it.
This blind beggar saw it perfectly it.

You might ask, WHY he could see it when no one else could?
• And the answer is the same for him as it is for every other human.
• God revealed it to him.

Remember when Peter first confessed Christ?
Matthew 16:15-17 “He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.”

And that is true for every man.
You don’t see unless God shows you.

Clearly, God had revealed to Bartimaeus what no one else could see.
• Jesus was the “Son of David”.
• Jesus was sent by God.
• Jesus was the Messiah.

Bartimaeus perceived that.

BUT THAT WASN’T ALL BARTIMAEUS PERCEIVED.
• Notice his request: “have mercy on me!”

Bartimaeus also perceived himself.
And he sees himself as one at the mercy of another.

• How different that is than the perspective of the Pharisee.
• How different that is than the perspective of the Rich Young Ruler

There is perception and desperation here that is necessary for salvation.
He can’t do this on his own.
He is totally helpless and dependent.

He’s in the same boat as those children who were being brought to Jesus.
• He’s got nothing to offer…
• He’s got nothing to give…
• He’s got no ability to help…

AND HE KNOWS IT.

In short, he knows who Jesus is, and he knows who he is.
Very important if a person is going to be saved.

His Pitiful State, His Perceptive Cry
#3 HIS PERSISTENT REQUEST
Luke 18:39

“Those who led the way were sternly telling him to be quiet; but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

You have to love this don’t you.
• It illustrates that blind beggars were viewed as a nuisance; cursed by God.

And so the leaders of the caravan “were sternly telling him to be quiet”
They weren’t messing around
They were serious.

This man was not getting to Jesus.

But don’t you love him…
“but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

The word there is KRAZO
It is an onomatopoetic word (defined by how it sounds)
It means “to squawk like a bird”

• It was a shrill, loud, almost obnoxious cry like that of a raven.
• It was actually used to describe the cry of an insane person.
• Or the cry of a woman in labor.

It is how the Canaanite Woman (another salvation candidate) responded to Jesus.
Matthew 15:22 “And a Canaanite woman from that region came out and began to cry out, saying, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is cruelly demon-possessed.”

The point is that this man is not to be denied.

Do you recognize his desperation? (of course you do)
Luke 18:3-5 “There was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me legal protection from my opponent.’ “For a while he was unwilling; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow bothers me, I will give her legal protection, otherwise by continually coming she will wear me out.'”

Do you not also see the same mentality in those parents who kept bringing their children even though the disciples were rebuking them?

It is more than desperation, it is FAITH.

It is the belief that Jesus can and Jesus will.
No one could silence him.
No one could stop him.

He was a man in need of what only Jesus could offer
And Jesus was currently available.
This moment was not passing him by.

As noted,
• This was that Canaanite Woman.
• This was those 4 men who lowered their friend through the roof.
• This will be Zaccheus climbing that sycamore tree
• This is that woman fighting the crowd to touch the hem of His garment
• This is that synagogue ruler bowing down in front of everyone because his
daughter was sick

Do you see the faith here?
He’s all in

He is a pitiful man, who perceived that Jesus was near,
And he’s not about to let Jesus get away.

That is all of those characters we’ve seen in Luke 18 rolled up into one.
• It is that persistent widow who won’t quit coming
• It is that tax collector beating his breast and begging for mercy
• It is those parents and their dependent children coming despite a rebuke
• It is those disciples who left everything to follow Jesus

You see them all right here in this blind beggar.

And his faith, humility, dependence, and desperation pay off for him
Just as it did for all those other people in this chapter.

#4 HIS PARDON AND HEALING
Luke 18:40-42

“And Jesus stopped”
• That is certainly good news for a blind desperate beggar.
• He had gained the attention of the Son of God!

“and commanded that the he be brought to Him”
• Matthew’s gospel gives those familiar words: “moved with compassion”
• Of course He was; He always was
• It is the selfless love of our Savior.

• He is not so distracted by His mission of the cross…
• He is not so tired from His climb up the hill…
• He is not so puffed up by the crowds who are following Him…

HE HAS TIME FOR THIS BLIND BEGGAR BY THE ROAD.
And we are not surprised.

We remember the woman at the well
John 4:27 “At this point His disciples came, and they were amazed that He had been speaking with a woman, yet no one said, “What do You seek?” or, “Why do You speak with her?”

We remember that woman at the Pharisee house
Luke 7:39 “Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a sinner.”

We remember Matthew and his friends
Matthew 9:11 “When the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, “Why is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners?”

We’ll see Zaccheus next week
Luke 19:7 “When they saw it, they all began to grumble, saying, “He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.”

But just because it is common for Jesus
Does not mean that it’s not still remarkable.

Kings don’t mingle with commoners
Kings don’t answer the requests of beggars

Even modern day leaders make sure their perimeter is protected by their guards and the only time they are going to talk to a blind beggar is if the TV cameras are rolling.

Jesus was the King, and He had every right
To send His heralds ahead of him
To clear the streets of this type of nuisance, BUT HERE HE IS.

BARTIMAEUS HAD FAITH, AND JESUS RESPONDED.

(41) “What do you want Me to do for you?”
Another remarkable thought.

“And he said, “Lord, I want to regain my sight!”

Now, I know there will be some DETRACTORS who say,
• “Nope, Bartimaeus got it wrong. If he was truly humble he would have asked for forgiveness or salvation.”

They would say the fact that he asked for sight
Only indicates that he is no different from the rest of the crowds
Who also only wanted healing.

But that’s not Bartimaeus and you’ll see why.

Bartimaeus was described in verse 35 as “a blind man was…sitting by the road begging.”

What do you think he was begging for? (just on a normal every day basis)
• Do you think he was asking everyone who came by for sight?
• Of course not! He was asking for money, possibly food.

But that’s not what he asked for from Jesus.
His request indicates that He knows Jesus is different from everyone else.

But perhaps even that is not enough for us to declare his motives pure.
After all, plenty of others requested healing from Jesus
Who were not saved.

But Jesus’ response to Bartimaeus does show us the truth.
(42) “And Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.”

First Bartimaeus gets his sight.
• Clearly a miracle.
• Clearly a indication of Jesus deity.
• Clearly a Messianic proof

But that isn’t all Jesus gave him.
• Jesus also said, “your faith has made you well.”

“made you well” translates SOZO
Which is the Greek word for “saved”.

Matthew 1:21 “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

Jesus verifies the purity of Bartimaeus’ faith
By not only granting him healing,
But by ultimately giving him salvation.

Like the tax collector from the earlier story, “this man went away justified…for everyone who humbles himself will be exalted.”

This man’s faith paid off.

But if you want further indication of the genuineness of his faith,
LET’S LOOK AT THE LAST POINT.

#5 HIS PASSION FOR CHRIST
Luke 18:43

“Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him, glorifying God;”

Bartimaeus did what the Rich Young Ruler would not do.
Bartimaeus did what the disciples had earlier done.
He followed Jesus.

Some might say,
• “Yes, but it’s not like he had anything to lose. He was a beggar.”
• It would have been way easier for him to follow than the Rich Young Ruler.

But to make that judgment is to not see the whole picture.
• It is true that he had nothing to leave at the moment
• And in that sense his cost was far less extreme than that of the Rich Young Ruler.

But let me ask you.
• Do you think as a man who had formerly seen, and then gone blind, he might not have a few things on his list that he’d like to do if his sight was ever restored?
• Do you think he might not have some memories of things he like see again?
• Do you suppose there’s a life he’d like to return to?
• Do you suppose there’s a “bucket list” of sorts?

His cost to follow Jesus was not in possessions,
His cost was in dreams and in ambitions and in future plans.

And let me tell you, that is a real cost too.

Laying your future at the feet of Jesus
Is every bit as much of a cost as laying your past there.

AND BARTIMAEUS DOES.
He found Jesus, and He was all in.

And as you look at his life you see a wonderful picture of salvation.
He encompasses all the attributes of all the other examples put together.

Faith – Humility – Dependence – Desperation
He had it all

The question this morning is what about you?

Luke has clearly laid it out for us over the last several weeks.
• There are those who have no faith.
• There are those who are not humble.
• There are those who are self-reliant.
• There are those who are not desperate.

AND THEREFORE THEY ARE NOT CANDIDATES FOR SALVATION.

Salvation is for the pitiful, it is for the perceptive, it is for the persistent.

HOW ABOUT YOU?

Let me show you one other text that would fit well with this story.

After Jesus healed that blind man in John 9 and the debate broke out.
John 9:39-41 “And Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind.” Those of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these things and said to Him, “We are not blind too, are we?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.”

Jesus just laid out exactly what we’ve been talking about.
• There are those who are blind and the know it and Jesus came to give them
sight! He came to save them.
• And then there are those who are blind who do not know it, and there’s
nothing Jesus can do for them because they don’t think they need Him.

Which are you?
The necessary attitudes of salvation are clearly defined in Scripture,
And they must be yours if you are to be saved.

BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT
If you know you are blind
And you know you need help
And you know Jesus is that help,
Then you can cry out to Him and He will save you too!

He always did, and He always does.
So if you are blind, and by God’s grace you know it,
Then follow the lead of Bartimaeus and cry out to Jesus.

• Don’t worry about the crowd…
• Don’t worry about their scorn…
• Do whatever it takes to get the attention of Jesus…

Romans 10:13 “for “WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.”

OUR 8TH ANNUAL COED SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT IS SET FOR JUNE 5-6

We currently still have room for 1 more team to sign up.  It’s a $100 entry fee, due before play.

We will also have an air up waterslide on Saturday.  Wristbands allow for all day access to the slide (available in the concession stand for $10) a piece.

 

FBC YOUTH ARE EXPECTED TO WORK SHIFTS IN THE CONCESSION STAND / WATER SLIDE.

WE NEED PARENTAL HELP AS WELL SINCE THERE NEEDS TO ALWAYS BE AT LEAST 

ALL FBC YOUTH AND/OR PARENTS NEED TO SIGN UP FOR 3 SLOTS AT THE TOURNAMENT

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WE FINALLY HAVE  A PLAN!!!

We will leave early Friday, July 24 and travel to LaGrange, TX to Camp Eternal.  Where will spend 3 nights relaxing, having fun, and studying God’s Word regarding what is truly essential in life.  We will return home late on Monday, July 27.  This is a youth event so anyone who is headed into 6th grade all the way through recently graduated seniors are welcome to attend.  There is limited space (60 max) at the camp so don’t delay!!!

The cost for the retreat is $200.  If you are a regular attender to our Wednesday night youth or if you or your family attend Sunday worship, then our church will cover $100 of your cost, but you will be expected to participate in our two upcoming fund raisers (The Coed Softball Tournament concession stand – June 5&6; and serve at a benefit meal on June 28).

We hope to see you there: SIGN UP HERE

Please note: REGISTRANT INFO is the PARENTS info.
Each youth attending is referred to as an ATTENDEE

ALSO: To pay by check or to request financial help use promo code: HELP
If you are an FBC Spur Youth use promo code: FAITHFUL

FBC YOUTH WHO WANT 50% OFF MUST WORK THE UPCOMING FUNDRAISER MEAL & SILENT AUCTION ON JUNE 28. 

YOU WILL ALSO BE REQUIRED TO PRINT AND FILL OUT THE  FOLLOWING CAMP ETERNAL LIABILITY WAIVER BEFORE YOU CAN GO.

• http://www.campeternal.com/wp-content/uploads/forms/Registration-Form.pdf
• IF YOU WISH TO PLAY PAINTBALL: http://campeternal.com/files/Camp-Eternal-Liability-Release.pdf

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Trusting The Immutable God
Psalms 71
May 17, 2020

Tonight we come to the 71st Psalm,
Which is generally recognized as a song one’s old age.
Since the Psalmist references being old and gray.

• And certainly we see great faith here
• And a great example of the goal of every senior saint,
• And even the goal of those who are younger as we all move rapidly toward old age.

What it really is, though at its core
Is a song that celebrates the immutability of God.

You’ve likely heard that term before,
But if you don’t immediately recognize it,
It means that GOD IS UNCHANGING

Now of course that DOESN’T MEAN that God never moves or that He doesn’t respond to our lives or behavior. He’s not static in that sense.

WHAT IT MEANS IS THAT
His person and His power and His promises never change.

Malachi 3:6 “For I, the LORD, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.”

1 Samuel 15:29 “Also the Glory of Israel will not lie or change His mind; for He is not a man that He should change His mind.”

Psalms 33:11 “The counsel of the LORD stands forever, The plans of His heart from generation to generation.”

Psalms 102:26-27 “Even they will perish, but You endure; And all of them will wear out like a garment; Like clothing You will change them and they will be changed. “But You are the same, And Your years will not come to an end.”

The New Testament also teaches this immutability:

James 1:17 “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.”

Romans 11:29 “for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.”

Perhaps though the most telling passage is when
God reveals Himself to Moses simply as “I Am”.
(Not, “I Was” or “I Will Be”)

And even in the New Testament we know this to be true of Jesus as well.

Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

Jesus of course echoes that reality when He says:
• “I am the Bread of Life”
• “I am the Light of the World”
• “I am the door of the sheep”
• “I am the Good Shepherd”
• “I am the Resurrection and the Life”
• “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life”
• “I am the True Vine”

That is NOT who He was.
That is NOT who He will be.
That is who He is; always, never changing.

This is perhaps the most comforting reality we have about God.
• He is not wishy washy
• He is not fickle
• He doesn’t change His mind
• He doesn’t age or lose His power

He is the same…always.
And that gives us great confidence in the faith.
We know who God is.
We know what God desires.
We know what God will do.

If God were ever evolving or changing we wouldn’t know what to expect.
• The stories of the Old Testament would be an interesting read,
• But ultimately of no value because God might not be like that anymore.

But He is.
• The same God that met Adam in the garden is the same God that meets us today.
• The same God that spoke this world into existence is the same God who will destroy it with a word.

We even sing:
“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.”

God’s immutability is a great attribute of God.

Now the doctrine of God’s immutability is certainly a doctrine we can LEARN THEOLOGICALLY.
• That is, we can read a paper about it.
• We can study texts about it.
• We can learn it and explain it and defend.
• We can learn that truth theologically from a sermon.

BUT, we LEARN IT EXPERIENTIALLY from life.
• As we live, we experience the immutability and faithfulness of God.

As we move from infancy to elderly
Our life builds a framework of experience
Whereby we can see that God has in fact, never changed.

And this experience is the wisdom behind Psalms 71.

Here we have an old man giving praise
Because God has proven Himself
To be the same every single day of his life.

SOME OBSERVATIONS ABOUT THE PSALM (for context)

1) HE IS OLD
• (9a) “do not cast me off in the time of old age”
• (18a) “And even when I am old and gray, O God, do not forsake me,”

2) HE IS AFFLICTED
• (4) “Rescue me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the grasp of the wrongdoer and the ruthless man,”
• (10-11) “For my enemies have spoken against me; And those who watch for my life have consulted together, saying, “God has forsaken him; pursue and seize him, for there is no one to deliver.”
• (13) “Let those who are adversaries of my soul be ashamed and consumed”
• (20b) “bring me up from the depths of the earth”

3) HE IS CONVINCED OF GOD’S FAITHFULNESS
• (5-6) “For You are my hope; O Lord GOD, You are my confidence from my youth. By You I have been sustained from my birth; You are He who took me from my mother’s womb; My praise is continually of You.”
• (7b) “You are my strong refuge”
• (17) “O God, You have taught me from my youth, And I still declare Your wondrous deeds.”
• (20) “You who have shown me many troubles and distresses will revive me again, and will bring me up again from the depths of the earth.”

4) HE WANTS HIS FAITHFUL GOD TO DELIVER HIM
• (2) “deliver me and rescue me; incline Your ear to me and save me”
• (4) “Rescue me, O my God”
• (9) “Do not cast me off…Do not forsake me”
• (12) “O God, do not be far from me; O my God, hasten to my help!”
• (18) “O God, do not forsake me”
• (21) “May You increase my greatness and turn to comfort me”

BUT EVEN IN HIS CRY FOR DELIVERANCE HIS SONG OF PRAISE CONTINUALLY OVERCOMES HIS CRY
• In verse 4 he is crying for deliverance, but by the time you get to verse 6 “My praise is continually of You”
• (8) “My mouth is filled with Your praise”
• In verses 12-13 he’s praying for God to stop his enemies, but by when you get to verses 14-16 it all turns to praise.
• In verse 18 he’s asking God not to forsake him, but by 19 he’s praise God’s great righteousness.
• Even the Psalm itself closes with 3 verses of solid praise (22-23)

It actually can cause you to be a little confused when reading the Psalm.
• Is he in despair over his affliction or is he rejoicing in his victory?
• Is he begging God to come near or is he praising God for all He’s done?

At times you can’t tell what his primary attitude is.
Is Psalms 71 a cry for deliverance or is it a song of praise?
Both are occurring.

What you ultimately get here is this:
• An older man who is certainly in affliction and who is certainly concerned about it.
• He is taking this present trouble before God and asking for help.
• And at the same time as he goes, he is 100% confident in who his God is and in what He will do
• So he can’t help breaking out in praise.

It is a song written by a senior saint
Who hasn’t just been taught that God never changes,
But who knows He never does.

The Apostle John wrote an interesting passage:
1 John 2:12-14 “I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you for His name’s sake. I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children, because you know the Father. I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.”

I still remember hearing John MacArthur preach on this text
Many years ago and being amazed at it.

John speaks of “little children” who he says “your sins have been forgiven” and later “because you know the Father”
• And MacArthur would talk about new Christians who don’t really know anything at first. They know they are forgiven and they know they love God but that’s really about it.
• They have no theology and they have no experience.
• They just have a desire to run into the arms of this Father who they love.

John also speaks of “young men”, and describes them as “you have overcome the evil one” and again “you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.”
• These are those who have now grown in the faith.
• They have studied the word, they have developed their theology, they fight battles, they wage war.
• They are soldiers for truth and full of enthusiasm and excitement.

And John also refers to “fathers” and about them says, “you know Him who has been from the beginning” and again “you know Him who was from the beginning.”
• And MacArthur spoke of that old seasoned Christian, who has more than just a love for God and more than just a complete theology.
• He has the experience of having walked with God for many years and he knows God.
• He doesn’t just know about Him, He knows God.

And I remember thinking, “That is certainly what I want!”
I want to know God.

Well, that is the perspective of Psalms 71.
It is written from an old man who is in trouble, but he knows God.
• He knows who God has been.
• He knows who God is.
• He knows who God will be.

And that is why even his distress sounds more like praise than distress.
He is supremely confident in who God is and what God will do.

It is a song of praise that rests upon the immutability of God.

So let’s work our way through this Psalm this evening
And listen to a song written by one who trusts an immutable God.

It is a man who knows God
And therefore sings about what he expects God to do.

5 stanzas here.
#1 HE EXPECTS DELIVERANCE FROM THE WICKED
Psalms 71:1-6

Now an interesting note to this Psalm is that,
Like the last one (70), it begins with a repeat.

The first 3 verses of this Psalm are clearly a quoting of the first 3 verses of Psalms 31.

Psalms 31:1-3 “In You, O LORD, I have taken refuge; Let me never be ashamed; In Your righteousness deliver me. Incline Your ear to me, rescue me quickly; Be to me a rock of strength, A stronghold to save me. For You are my rock and my fortress; For Your name’s sake You will lead me and guide me.”

Obviously David penned that Psalm when he was younger
And during a time of great distress.

As a young man, he faced adversity and he cried out to God for deliverance.

When we studied that Psalm we noted that
As David cried out for deliverance
He did so by standing on the truth of who God is.

David made the request there, “Be to me a rock of strength”
• And then moment later David said, “For You are my rock and my fortress”
• In verse 4 of that Psalm David would say, “For You are my strength”

So, we noted that David prayed for God to be his rock and his strength
Because God had revealed Himself to David as a rock and as strength.

So in Psalms 31 David was standing on his theology,
And we talked about how important that is.

Well David here many years later David is still singing that song.
• He still believes that doctrine.
• He is still acting upon it.

And he is still crying out to God.
(4) “Rescue me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, Out of the grasp of the wrongdoer and ruthless man,”

He is still in many ways that same man who knows the truth about God
And who therefore cries out to God.

BUT it is in verse 5 that this Psalm moves beyond Psalms 31.

For David now, as an old man,
No longer only leans on his theology,
David also leans on his experience.

(5-6) “For You are my hope; O Lord GOD, You are my confidence from my youth. By You I have been sustained from my birth; You are He who took me from my mother’s womb; My praise is continually of You.”

Theology is certainly there, but so is experience.

He is now taking inventory of all the way back to the womb
And he comes up with this conclusion.
• “You are my confidence from my youth”
• “You…have sustained [me] from my birth”

• I know You!
• I know who You are!
• I know who You have always been and therefore who You will be.

And that is why the DREADFUL MOMENT
So easily transitions from a cry of desperation to a SONG OF PRAISE.

“My praise is continually of You”

• Is afflicted? Yes
• Does he want God to deliver? Yes
• But he is praising because experience has taught him that God will.

God DOES NOT forever give His children over to the grasp of the wicked.
God DOES NOT forever allow His children to be seized by the ruthless.

There is affliction, but based upon the track record of God
There is also great hope and reason to praise.

Consider Paul in the New Testament.
2 Corinthians 2:14 “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.”

2 Corinthians 4:7-10 “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.”

How can you have such hope in the midst of such hardship?

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

Even in Paul’s final letter, he wrote:
2 Timothy 4:16-18 “At my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted me; may it not be counted against them. But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished, and that all the Gentiles might hear; and I was rescued out of the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”

It certainly doesn’t mean we will never be afflicted or ensnared or pursued or persecuted, BUT WE WON’T BE FOREVER.

God does not leave his children there.

In Psalms 31 David knew that theologically, in Psalms 71 he knows it experientially.
• His life and his experiences have taught him that God delivers and so now he expects it.

HE EXPECTS DELIVERANCE FROM THE WICKED.
That is what it means to trust an immutable God.

#2 HE EXPECTS DEVOTION IN WEAKNESS
Psalms 71:7-11

In verses 7-8 David recounts
What has been HIS REPUTATION for most of his life.

(7) “I have become a marvel to many”

That word “marvel” in the Hebrew is MOPHETH (mo-faith)

And it speaks of “a wonder or sign or miracle or display of power”
It was the word used of God’s display of power through the plagues of Egypt.

David says that all his life he was a “display of God’s power to man”
He was “a model of strength.”

And we can hear the masses singing,
“Saul has slain his thousands and David his ten-thousands.”

And David says the reason he was such a demonstration of power is “For You are my strong refuge.”

David’s strength was because of God’s strength
And people knew not to mess with him.

And David praises God for that.
(8) “My mouth is filled with Your praise And with Your glory all day long.”

But now, David is old and he no longer intimidates his enemies.
(9-11) “Do not cast me off in the time of old age; Do not forsake me when my strength fails. For my enemies have spoken against me; And those who watch for my life have consulted together, Saying, “God has forsaken him; Pursue and seize him, for there is no one to deliver.”

You can see how they no longer fear the appearance of David.
• When he was young they didn’t want to mess with the giant-slayer,
• But now he is old and feeble and they are not afraid.

But David knows what they do not.
His strength and power was never about his arm,
It was always about his God.

He was strong because his God was strong
And even though David’s flesh is now weak,
He still counts on God to help him with power.

Paul also spoke of this reality.
2 Corinthians 12:7-10 “Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me — to keep me from exalting myself! Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Those are statements of men who know more than theology.
• They knew God.
• They knew their power was from God

And just because they were physically weak
Was NO REASON that God’s power couldn’t still show up in their lives.

That is the expectation of a man who knows God.
HE EXPECTS DEVOTION IN WEAKNESS.

#3 HE EXPECTS DEFENSE IN INJUSTICE
Psalms 71:12-16

This stanza begins with yet another imprecatory prayer.
(Are you surprised that there are so many of them?)

As we have said so many times before,
We would have to blot out a great portion of Scripture
If it was our objective to overlook the imprecatory Psalms.

Here is another.
• He again asks God to vindicate and avenge him.
• He again expects God to come to his defense and extract vengeance on his behalf.

(12-13) “O God, do not be far from me; O my God, hasten to my help! Let those who are adversaries of my soul be ashamed and consumed; Let them be covered with reproach and dishonor, who seek to injure me.”

David has no problem being like that persistent widow.

But if you’ll notice, while David prays for justice,
He doesn’t seem to fret it.
He lays this injustice at the feet of God and he moves on to praise.

(14-16) “But as for me, I will hope continually, And will praise You yet more and more. My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness And of Your salvation all day long; For I do not know the sum of them. I will come with the mighty deeds of the Lord GOD; I will make mention of Your righteousness, Yours alone.”

That is a great statement of faith.
• You handle their threats,
• I’ll focus on praising you.

That is definitely a man who has learned to “never take his own revenge but to leave room for the wrath of the Lord”.

He’s just not worried about it.
He knows God, and he knows that God will take care of it.

And again, we see this confidence in Paul in the New Testament.
Romans 8:35-39 “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, “FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.” But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

He just wasn’t worried about it.

2 Timothy 1:12 “For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.”

• He just wasn’t worried about suffering and injustice and things like that.
• He had entrusted justice to God and he knew God well enough to know that God would take care of it.

Because he knew God, he expected defense in injustice.

#4 HE EXPECTS DECLARATION AFTER TROUBLE
Psalms 71:17-21

By “declaration” here I mean to say that
He expects to have a testimony to share when this is all over.

He knows that trials serve many purposes in the life of believers,
And one of those purposes is that
We might share testimony to strengthen others.

And David has had this opportunity in life more times than we can count.
• Many times has he gathered the people around to tell them about how God delivered from the lion or the bear or the giant or the king or the Philistines.

And he expects, since God is faithful, that he will do it again.

(17-18) “O God, You have taught me from my youth, And I still declare Your wondrous deeds. And even when I am old and gray, O God, do not forsake me, Until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to all who are to come.”

He is again crying out for deliverance,
And he expects it so that he can share with the next generation
Just how great God is.

I CAN’T STRESS ENOUGH HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS
Titus 2:1-5 “But as for you, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine. Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love, in perseverance. Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.”

Our sinful culture has inflicted a great injustice on the aged.
• Our culture sees them as slow
• They are mocked as dumb because they don’t grasp modern technology
• They are seen as old-fashioned and a hindrance to progress
• They are often seen as out of touch with modern things

That is just a satanic deception.

The Bible says just the opposite.
• The Bible speaks of the old (if they are Godly in their old age of course) as a great treasure and resource to the world.
• They have years and years of testimony and experience to share with the younger generation.

It is always my objective
To throw our children and youth with our senior adults as often as I can.
• Aside from preaching the word of God to them, there is not a greater gift I can give our youth than the experience and knowledge of God that resides in our senior adults.
• Young people need to learn from the old and the old need to be willing to instruct the young.
• It would be a tragedy if you racked up 70+ years of experience in walking with God and never shared that with the next generation.

David understands that.
He knows his victories are not just for him personally,
But are also for the corporate good of the congregation.

And so he expects to have the opportunity to boast about this victory.

AND IN FACT, even though he has yet to be delivered, HE ALREADY STARTS.

(19-21) “For Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the heavens, You who have done great things; O God, who is like You? You who have shown me many troubles and distresses Will revive me again, And will bring me up again from the depths of the earth. May You increase my greatness And turn to comfort me.”

As David starts trying to recount the greatness of God, he realizes that ultimately it is A STORY TOO LOFTY TO TELL.
• God’s righteousness “reaches to the heavens” it is beyond measure.
• All David can say is “O God, who is like You?”

And he recounts all the times God has delivered him in the past.
And not just him, but the entire nation.
• Some translate the “me” of verse 20 as “us” speaking of the entire nation.

David knows that God has led him through many troubles and distresses
And has at the same time rescued him from them all.

He knows God will rescue him this time as well
And he will declare that to the next generation.

We sing, “Through many dangers, toils, and snares I have already come. His grace has kept me safe thus far and grace will lead me home.”

2 Timothy 3:10-11 “Now you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, perseverance, persecutions, and sufferings, such as happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium and at Lystra; what persecutions I endured, and out of them all the Lord rescued me!”

2 Timothy 4:6-8 “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.”

It is simply one who has walked with God
And who knows God never changes.
AND SO HE EXPECTS DECLARATION AFTER TROUBLE.

#5 HE EXPECTS DELIGHT IN VICTORY
Psalms 71:22-24

The song ends in pure praise.
And we notice the future tense of the verbs.

“I will…” (several times in these 3 verses)

This is what is coming.
He is certain of the victory.

The days are dark, but he is not concerned.
WHY? He knows God.

God has never changed.
Psalms 37:25 “I have been young and now I am old, Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken Or his descendants begging bread.”

David knows how this ends.
• It will end with him holding a harp
• It will end with him contemplating God’s truth
• It will end with him singing God’s praises
• It will end with him shouting for joy
• It will end with his soul rejoicing in redemption
• It will end with his tongue never stopping to talk about God’s righteousness
• It will end with his enemies ashamed and humiliated.

He knows God.
He knows who He is.
And so he knows how this ends.

It is more than a man with strong theology.
It is a man with experience.

His entire life God has proven himself faithful.
God has never changed and so David is able to confidently rest upon Him.

1 Corinthians 15:50-58 “Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory. “O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.”

That’s the confidence of a man who knows who God is.
• He doesn’t just know theology, but through life he has come to know God
• And his faith now rests upon God’s unchanging nature.

For us then this Psalm is both A HOPE AND A GOAL.
• We rejoice that God is unchanging.
• We rejoice in the truths that this Psalm presents.

But at the same time this Psalm reveals the goal of the Christian life
• That by the time we come to the end of our journey here,
• That we might also be able to say, we have come to know God.

That there is a deep theological and experiential testimony
To be shared
Because we have both learned and proved who God is.

Let that be your goal as well.
To know and trust and prove the faithfulness of God.