Psalm 27

This is a Psalm of confidence.  The godly can face any trial confidently because the Lord is “my light and my salvation … the strength of my life.”  But this is not confidence without good reason.  It is not only about who God is (v1); it is about the patient faith of the godly (v4-6).  It is not only because of the memory of God’s previous help (v2); it is about the continuing faithfulness of the man of God (v11-14).

Consider this carefully.  The promise of God in v1 that we often quote is conditioned upon the singleness of heart on the part of God’s man, to seek God and God alone.  When we use the word “conditioned” is it not in the sense of some bargaining ploy by God, as if He were saying “give me what I want and I’ll give you what you want.”  It is a logical condition, if you will.  We are in the secure place when we are dwelling in His house and inquiring at His temple (v4).  It is then that we are hidden in His pavilion, in the secret place of His tabernacle (v5).

It is a simple thought.  If the king tells the citizenry that he can and will protect them from the enemy if they take refuge in his castle, then that is the place to be.  The king has all the means to do this; the citizens have nothing.  But if a citizen determines to take matters into his own hands and run from the approaching enemy or hole up in his house then he forfeits what the king has promised.  The king is not considered to be unreasonable or cruel because he does not send soldiers out to defend the citizen.  Rather the citizen is considered foolish.

In this sense grace is conditional.  Now don’t reject this thought.  Scripture is clear that grace, unmerited favor, is not based on our works or our measuring up to some standard whereby we make ourselves worthy.  But grace saves us through faith (Eph. 2:8).  Apart from faith grace is offered but not experienced.  Consider these promises to Christians and their “context.”

·        Matthew 6:33: Jesus promises to care for us in terms of basic, daily needs; but only as we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.

·        Matthew 28:19-20: Jesus promises to actively be with believers, but only as they are making disciples of all nations.

·        Philippians 4:10-13: The confidence of “I can do all things” is only “through Christ who strengthens me.”  I must be in a relationship with Him that draws upon His strength, a relationship whereby we have learned contentment.

·        Philippians 4:14-20: Again, the great and oft-quoted promise of God’s supply of every need (v19) is given to people whose relationship with God has produced generosity.  In other words, as noted above, they are joined with the Apostle in making disciples and thus Paul can promise God’s provision.

In every situation our confidence in God is both the means of receiving His grace as well as the result of receiving His grace.  And this is seen in Psalm 27.  David was in the place to receive God’s grace and that place was in God’s presence.  Thus David desired one thing from the LORD: to be in His presence!  Is this not the lesson of Mary and Martha?  One thing was needed and Mary had chosen that when she sought to be in the presence of our Lord (Luke 10:41-42).  Is this not what our Lord taught?  “Do not labor for food which perishes, but for food which endures to everlasting life” (John 6:27).

Do not miss the idea of “faith” and “faithfulness”.  When David prays “teach me Your way, O LORD” (v11) he is saying that he is not only in God’s presence today but that he intends to stay there.  He is in a place of waiting for God’s deliverance (v14) and realizes that he cannot lose heart and go out of the “castle” of God’s safety and try to make it on his own.  

So you see that in all ages God’s people have found His grace/goodness by faith.  David says, “unless I had believed” (v13).  No one who waits on the LORD will be ashamed (Ps. 25:3).  So may our faith (The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear) be faithfulness (Wait, I say, on the LORD).  May our hearts desire be to seek the LORD, and our ongoing prayer be “Teach me Your way.”

Luke 18:1-17 (Calvary Roads 3)

Don’t ignore the context of this passage.  Jesus is still on the road to Jerusalem with others headed there for Passover.  Likely the crowds are growing as people join the road at the various junctions and communities along the way and as they hear that Jesus is on the road as well.  

These three situations should be seen in the context of His teaching in the previous chapter.  Having spoken of troubling days preceding the days of the Son of Man He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart (18:1).  Having made the distinction between those who, by faith, had entered the spiritual kingdom, Jesus spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others (18:9) and also taught the essence of true faith through the little children, proclaiming that you cannot enter the kingdom of God without receiving it as a little child (18:17).

·        The Parable of the Persistent Widow, 18:1-8.

This paragle is encouragement to pray and not lost heart.  What a wonderful thought.  As Paul said in Phil. 4:6-7: Be anxious for nothing in in everything by prayer and supplication …!  Again, in our time of need we are to come boldly to the throne of grace (Heb. 4:16).

Don’t get hung up on the connection between God and a judge who did not fear God nor regard man.  Jesus is saying that God is better than that judge (v7-8).  God is always better, better than neighbors (Lk. 11:5-8) and better than earthly fathers (Lk. 11:9-12).  He bears long with us because it gives us greater opportunity to glorify Him through our changed lives.  But remember, He never willingly afflicts us and is full of mercy (Lam. 3:22-24,31-33).

·        The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, 18:9-14.

To be justified is to be declared and counted righteous (Rom. 4:4-5).  The faith of the tax collector is evident in his humility; it is the evidence that he has entered the Kingdom of God, that he has bowed before the King.  

·        Jesus Blesses Little Children, 18:15-17.

Note that in all these stories Jesus shows His love for the weak and despised: a widow, a tax collector and now children.  He loves all, including the rich (that will be seen in the next story); but His love shone when compared to the attitudes of the day.  Even Jesus disciples rebuked the children; but Jesus saw them as the perfect illustration of true faith.  So we, today, must come to Him as a child, as one who can do nothing but receive (depend, trust, rely). 

Luke 11:20-37 (Calvary Roads 2)

This is an amazing and very revealing conversation.  We must pay attention to those Jesus is addressing.  The question is asked by the Pharisees: when the kingdom of God would come.  Jesus first answered the Pharisees (v20-21); then He spoke to His disciples on the same subject (v22-37).

What the Pharisees are asking is very clear: they know Jesus claims to be the Christ; they know the Messiah will establish a Kingdom headquartered in Jerusalem; they are asking about that kingdom as promised in Psalm 2 and throughout the Old Testament.  This kingdom is often referred to as the Millennium (meaning 1000 years, from 6 specific references in Rev. 20:1-7).  There are three basic views of this kingdom (with many nuances):

• A-millennialism: there is no earthly reign of Christ; it is a spiritual kingdom.
• Post-millennialism: Christ will reign on earth only after the world is spiritually ready to submit to Him.
• Pre-millennialism: Christ will return to establish an earthly kingdom.

Those who deny an earthly kingdom often refer to Jesus’ words in v20-21  (E.g. Kenneth Gentry on p38 of Three Views …, see Bibliography: The kingdom does not await some future, catastrophic, visible coming, Luke 17:20-21).  

There are many things that can be said in response to this argument but we will limit ourselves to the immediate context.  Jesus clearly tells the Pharisees that the kingdom of God is spiritual and is first and always a matter of the heart.  That is what the Pharisees needed to know.  For Jesus to talk to them about His earthly reign would only complicate their problem: they longed for an earthly kingdom without being prepared spiritually to submit to the King of that kingdom.

On the other hand, in Jesus’ words to His disciples (those who professed faith in Him, to have received Him as the Christ) Jesus very clearly speaks of an earthly kingdom in the days of the Son of Man, a term He defines as the day when the Son of Man is revealed (v30).  It is the subject of the Revelation of Jesus Christ (Rev. 1:1).  

Yet this kingdom is very earthly.  Jesus gives the timing: first He must suffer … and be rejected (v25).  He speaks of the nature of life on earth as the time draws near, being days like the days of Noah (v26-27) and the days of Lot (v28-30).  The Revealer of Hearts (Lk. 2:35) will reveal the hearts of those on earth with one taken (in judgment because that one is not right spiritually, like the Pharisees) and one will be left (to enter the earthly kingdom).

Do you remember the ten lepers?  One, whose faith had made him whole, had faith in Christ; the kingdom of God was within him.  That is what distinguished him from the others.  Is the kingdom of God within you?