Psalm 9

 

Again we hear David coming before the Lord, pleading for deliverance from enemies.  In this prayer the righteous are seen as being the oppressed and the enemy as the oppressors.  It is the humble man seeking God’s help against the proud.  Note these simple thoughts that show the movement of this prayer.

·         In v1-5 David speaks of the “predicted outcome” (v1-2) based on God’s “past actions” (v3-5).  The 4 “I will” statements in v1-2 show David’s confidence; he will praise God and proclaim His works with respect to the immediate trial.  The 5 “You + verb” statements are encouragements to David’s faith.  We need to pray in this way, giving ourselves encouraging thoughts that will build our faith as we bring our needs to God.  v3 in the midst of the stanza tells what is predicted for the enemies of the man of faith and the people of God.  They will fall in God’s presence, not David’s.  In other words, God is the one to trust.  In this stanza David speaks to God.

·         In v6-12 there may seem to be a variety of things said, but in the end it is David stating his theology, his view of God.  In v6-8 God endures.  Even if the enemy destroys, God will still be there and will judge the destroyer.  In v9-12 God is a refuge for His people.  And note how His people are described or defined: they are the oppressed (v9) who know Your name …  who seek You (v10), the humble (v12).  Again, this is an encouragement to faith.  It is the way we need to pray.  We need to speak truthfully about God in ways appropriate to the struggle we are facing.  In this stanza David speaks both to the enemy and to God.  It is as if he is in the middle, facing the enemy, with his God standing behind him, so to speak.  And yet it is a conversation held in the presence of the rest of God’s people so they too are encouraged.

·         In v13-20 we come to the prayer.  There are two requests: have mercy (v13-14) and arise, O LORD (v19-20).  He pleads for God’s heart and then God’s strong arm.  The enemy is addressed in the middle of the 8 verses.  He will reap a harvest of what he has sown, which is the essence of God’s judgment (v15-16).  And he will be turned to hell because God will not always forget (or seem to forget) the needy (v17-18).  There is a great progression here, as David prays intelligently, pleading on the basis of the good theology he espoused in the middle stanza of the Psalm.

v13-14: have mercy that You may receive praise			v19-20: arise O LORD, don’t let man prevail & receive praise
	v15-16: the wicked will reap a harvest so God will be known in judgment (v6-8)	v17-18: the wicked will be turned to hell so God will be seen as refuge for the needy (v9-12)

 

One thing that is constantly seen in the Psalms is the knowledgeable praying of God’s people.  They do not come with the same old things.  Every situation is related to the character of God as well as to His past works.  Faith rests on truth.  So let us pray intelligently.  Let us pray the truth.  Is that not what it means when we are told that we have confidence in prayer if we ask anything according to His will (1 John 5:14)?  Pray with good theology.  Pray with the encouragement of the record of God’s dealings with His people in the past. 

May God be praised!

Ex. 9:13-21; 5:2, God vs. god!

We are not going to go into any more detail on the issue of the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart, mainly because we have already done that (see our Blogs dated Jan. 18-26, 2019).  Our conclusion at that time we still maintain today: as God hardened Pharaoh’s heart, Pharaoh did exactly what he willed to do resisting God.  Whatever conclusion we come to on that subject, the ultimate conclusion is that God was doing things in a way that would bring Him great glory. 

We need to remember that God loved and loves the nations.  He did not choose Israel because they were better than other nations (Deut. 7:6-8).  God’s purpose in all of this was that the nations would seek Him.  Think about these passages.

·       Gen. 15:12-16: God promised Abraham He would punish the nation that held his descendants in bondage (Egypt). But God waited over 400 years because the sin of the Amorites (who inhabited Canaan) had not reached its full measure.  God was patient with the Amorites.

·       Psalm 47: God is ruler over the nations, even to the point of subduing them for Israel’s sake.  But God’s special relationship with Israel was intended to make Israel a witness to the nations, to display His glory to the nations.

·       Ezekiel: God punished the Assyrians (who deported the Northern Kingdom of Israel and devastated Judah all except for Jerusalem) using another nation, the Babylonians.  The reason was the pride of the Assyrians (Isa. 36-37).  God also used the Babylonians to defeat Egypt because Israel was putting her trust in Egypt to defend them against the Babylonians.  Our point is that God judged sin wherever is appeared: in Israel or in the nations.

·       Zech. 14:2-3,9,17-19:  Israel be around in the future kingdom of Messiah.  But so will the nations, engaging in the worship of the God of Israel.

·       Acts 17:25-28: God placed every nation in boundaries “so that men would seek Him.”  Keep this in mind when you read the list of nations in Gen. 10. 

God wants the nations to seek Him.  This was true of Egypt in Moses’ time.  Egypt was a widely divergent country (Upper and Lower Egypt were urban and rural).  To enable Pharaoh to be strong enough to rule he was declared “god.”  It was evident in the names of the kings of Egypt: Ramses (the sun-god Ra is the one who begot him), Amenhotep (the god of Amon is satisfied) and so forth.  By law all property and people, were his by divine right (Gen. 47:13-26).  There was no need to codify law because the word of the god-king was present to make law.  By Moses time Pharaoh had begun to seek the oracle of the great gods, and the high priest of Amon-Ra of Karnak became a powerful figure along with the vizier (prime minister) and the commander of the army.  Did Egypt seek the Creator?  No!  Instead of thanking the Creator for the Nile and its many blessings, they worshiped and served the creature.  What is recorded in Ex. 7-12 is “God vs. god” (Ex. 5:2).  The same could be said about our daily lives, for we also live to declare God's glory.

Ex. 5:1-9,19-6:9; 7:3-5, What’s Going On Here?

Moses returned to Egypt, and met with the people and the elders of Israel (4:27-31).  He told them the LORD’s plan, performed the signs, and the people “believed” and “bowed their heads and worshiped” at the news that God was concerned with their affliction.  Good start.

Then Moses went to meet with Pharaoh for the first time, telling him that YAHWEH, the God of Israel, wants them to worship Him at a feast in the wilderness.  Moses makes the LORD the issue.  It is the LORD who said, “Let My people go.”  Pharaoh also makes the LORD the issue by responding, “Who is the LORD, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go?”

The results of the first meeting were not good, as far as Moses and the people of Jacob are concerned.  Pharaoh accused the people of loafing, increased their load, and showed no mercy.  The further result was that the people became upset with Moses (v20-21), and Moses became upset with God (v22-23).

Why did God allow this to happen?  There are what I would call “lesser” answers to that question.  He did it to begin the work of purifying the people who were His treasured people.  He did it to reveal Israel’s heart (v21), and also to reveal Moses’ heart (v22).  This is the first of many intercessions and discussions between God and Moses.  As we said previously, the maturing of Moses is a major part of the story of the Exodus and the wilderness wanderings.

But the greatest reason God allowed this had to do with Pharaoh, for the hardening of his heart, for the ultimate purpose that God would receive great honor (Ex. 7:3).  God could have turned Pharaoh’s heart so that he would let them go have their feast, and then, once in the desert they could have made a run for it to Canaan.  But God had a much greater plan that, in the end would devastate Egypt, send Israel out with much riches, make for an eternal testimony to Israel of God’s power and love for them, and, above all, glorify YAHWEH the God of Israel to be the Most High God above all gods!

You may be aware that Exodus tells us that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart and that Pharaoh also hardened his own heart.  We will talk about this more, but for today we just want to define four terms used for “hardening.”

·       Heb. hazaq, used 9 of 12 times of God’s hardening.  It emphasizes the pressure that was exerted on Pharaoh.

·       Heb. kabed, used 5 of 6 times of Pharaoh’s hardening his heart.  It emphasizes the weight of a thing.

·       Greek skleruno, to render stubborn.  This is the term Paul used in Rom. 9:17-18 when he spoke of God’s hardening Pharaoh’s heart.

·       Greek poroo, to petrify.  This is used in Mark :52; 8:17 of the disciples.

Hardening of the heart is progressive, over a course of time, with repeated opportunities to respond, and the continued rejection resulting in “petrification.”

Ex. 4:18-31, A Serious Sin of Omission

(Just a personal note.  Today is the 55th anniversary of my marriage to my wife Cynthia.  I am so thankful to the Lord for her.  She is Ruth, the Shulamite, Abishag and Priscilla all in one.  She is a true blessing to our family: our children and grandchildren are blessed by her and call her blessed, as do I.  The chief thing is that she loves her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  I am a better person because of her.)

Moses’ rebellion was a serious matter.  But God was not willing to “give in” and find someone else.  God did bring Aaron into the picture, to be Moses’ mouthpiece.  But Moses was still to be God’s man in defeating Pharaoh and delivering the people of Israel from bondage.  Make sure you note: Moses still had not said “yes” to God.  The story in the next few chapters of Exodus are not just about the formation of a nation, a people chosen by the Lord.  It is also the story of God’s cultivating a true servant.  In the end, God and Moses would have a “friendship” (Ex. 33:11). 

Having said that, keep in mind how serious it is to tell God “no.”  It dishonors God.  It is evidence of unbelief in the heart.  Israel said “no” to God the first time they came to the door of Canaan.  God did not change His mind and give them a different land, but He did give them 38 more years in the wilderness until a new generation was ready and willing to trust God.  Jonah said “no” to God.  Again, God did not choose another prophet.   But He did put Jonah through an experience that Jonah likened to being in the grave.  God has plans for you and me, and they involve a call to serve Him in ways beyond our ability.  If you say “yes” God gets an opportunity to honor Himself by being strong through your weaknesses.  If you say “no” God will still gain the glory, but your road will be more difficult as your loving Father disciplines you to bring you to the goal of Christ-likeness.

So, Moses went to his father-in-law Jethro, and told him of his plan to return with his family to Egypt.  Aaron had come from Egypt and met Moses at Mt. Sinai, and they all headed back to Egypt.  But then, at the first night’s camp, something amazing happened.  God struck Moses so that he was near death.  Without all the detail, our understanding is that Moses had failed to circumcise his son.  Apparently it was because of the reluctance of the child’s mother, Zipporah.  She was not an Israelite and undoubtedly had no desire to inflict such pain on her infant.  Moses had failed in not requiring this to be done.  In the end, Zipporah realized the life of her husband was in danger and did what was right and necessary.

You won’t understand the story if you don’t understand that circumcision was established by God, in the time of Abraham, as a sign of God’s covenant with Abraham and his descendents (Gen. 17:9-27; 21:4; Jn. 7:22).  Circumcision was not a replacement for “faith,” even for Abraham (Rom. 4:7-12).  It did not save him, but it was the sign of the Abrahamic Covenant.  For 40 years Moses had neglected God.  He could not serve God unless he honored the “covenant” relationship with God.  Moses, particularly, would not be able to lead Israel without satisfying this requirement.  Further, the “firstborn” message Moses was to deliver to Pharaoh (4:22-23) would have been pretty empty apart from this obligation.  God’s servants are not just called to a holy life when “on duty;” the holy life of the servant gives credence to the service of the servant.

Ex. 4:13-17, Burning Anger at the Burning Bush

Before we return to the question of what God would do with His stubborn and reluctant servant Moses, let’s note that God does not require that His prophets and preachers be poor speakers.  In the NT Apollos was an excellent orator and was used mightily by God (Ac. 18:24-28).  The point is that God does not require that His servant be learned speakers.  The key is that they are yielded to Him so that He can speak through them regardless of their human skills.

Having said that, in the NT there are things that a “preacher” can do to be better servants of the Lord.  These are things they “can” do, but I’m sure we would agree these are essentials.

·       They can preach the gospel (i.e. not getting sidetracked; 1 Cor. 2:4-5; 1:18-25).

·       They can pray for clarity (Col. 4:4).

·       They can relate words to life (Col. 4:5; Deut. 6:7: children taught in the context of all life experiences). 

·       They can be gracious (Col. 4:6: speech seasoned with grace; 1 Pt. 3:15: speaking with gentleness and respect).

·       They can be Spirit-filled (Ac. 4:31).

Moses was out of excuses.  Yet God had met him with every one of them, and promised to meet every need for Moses.  So, Moses simply refused!  O my Lord, please send by the hand of whomever else You may send.  God’s response was as strong as it gets: the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses.  Moses was not guilty of being too humble, nor did he have “poor self-esteem.”  He was filled with unbelief.  In order for us to understand God’s anger, and how important this issue was with God, consider that our God is a consuming fire (Deut. 4:24; Heb. 12:29).  Here are times when God’s anger was kindled.

·       Numbers 25:3: wilderness, worshiping Baal of Peor.

·       Numbers 32:13: wilderness, Israel's refusal to enter Canaan.

·       Deuteronomy 4:20: Moses barred from entering the Promised Land "because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites."

·       Deuteronomy 29:26-27: worshiping other gods.

·       Joshua 7:1: Achan, "acted unfaithfully" ("give glory to God").

·       2 Samuel 6:7: Uzzah's "irreverent act", touching the Ark of the Covenant.

·       1 Kings 11:9: Solomon, " turned away from LORD who appeared to him twice."

·       2 Kings 13:3: Israel continuing in Jeroboam's sins (idols).

·       2 Kings 17:18: Israel’s deportation, "removed fr. his presence", for idolatry.

·       Zechariah 7:12: Israel: "They made their hearts as hard as flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the Lord Almighty had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. So, the Lord Almighty was very angry."

·       Rev. 20:14: hell is a “lake of fire,” the fire of God's jealousy!

Ex. 4:10-12; 1 Cor. 2:1-5, No Excuses (5)

The preceding studies on “The Purpose of Miracles” and “Are the Heathen Really Lost?” stem from Moses’ excuse that they wouldn’t listen to him anyway.  Before we move on to Moses’ last excuse let’s consider some personal application for us on this side of the cross.  Do we sometimes fail to speak for the Lord because of fear people will not listen?

·       It is normal to experience ridicule and rejection (Acts 17:32: Paul experienced it; 2 Chron. 30:1-11: Hezekiah’s messengers sent to call people to Passover experienced it; Mark 4:1-20, esp. v17: believers in Christ should expect it).

·       Obedience to the great commission is not based on the predictability of response (“tell them because they will probably listen”) but on God’s command to go.

o   Jeremiah was commanded to preach, even though he was also told that very few would listen (Jer. 1:17ff).

o   Ezekiel was told to announce like a watchman, know many would not pay attention (Ezek. 33:7-11).

o   Paul said the responsibility of the preacher is like a servant in a household: to be faithful and speak the message he has been given (1 Cor. 4:1-2).

·       The gospel’s purpose is served both in those who reject as well as in those who believe (1 Cor. 18:23-24; Phil. 1:27-29).

·       The servant of the Lord can take steps to gain a better hearing for the gospel.

o   He can pray (Acts 4:29; Col. 4:2-4).

o   He can be clear.

o   He can seek common ground (Stephen, a Greek Jew went to the Helenist Synagogue, Ac. 6; Paul on Mars Hill quoted Greek philosophers but not the Old Testament as he would do in a Jewish audience, Ac. 17; in both situations he clearly declared the gospel).

o   He can encourage people to hear (2 Cor. 5:20: we “beg” or “implore” you).

o   He can live it out.  Our changed life is the “miracle” that can help others to desire the same Savior.

That brings us to the last of Moses’ excuses.

Excuse #4: “I am not eloquent.” (Ex. 4:10-12)

Moses had been trained in Egypt, a training that would have included the art of public speaking.  Sometimes we are drawn to speakers with charisma, by which we mean eloquence and dynamics. But “eloquence” (abundant or superior words) and “wisdom” (i.e. man’s wisdom, 1 Cor. 2:5) are not the issue.  “Dynamics” is not the issue (Paul came to Corinth in “weakness,” “fear” and “much trembling”).  For Moses, it was not his eloquence but God’s presence that would make the difference.  God made Moses’ tongue and could enable him as necessary.  What would God do now with His reluctant servant?  More in our next post.

Rom. 10:8-17, Are the Heathen Really Lost?

Again, in the interest of “rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15), so that we gain proper “transferrable concepts” from the story of Moses, we are taking a brief aside.  Moses thought he didn’t need to go tell Israel because they wouldn’t believe him anyway.  So, God gave him miraculous powers as signs. 

But what if Moses did not go?  What if the people of Israel never heard the “good news” of God’s impending deliverance?  That’s a hypothetical question, of course, because Moses did go and declared God’s plan.  But it’s not hypothetical in terms of many who have lived in this world.  To our knowledge, many have died without ever hearing the good news of Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection.  Are they excused in judgment, since they have not heard?  This question is hard for many people. In today’s post I would like to give you many reasons from Scripture that tell us that, yes, those who have not heard are still considered “lost” in God’s view.  From a practical point of view, we are hoping this will encourage us to be obedient to the great commission, taking the gospel to the ends of the earth!

Are all men lost, even if they have not heard the gospel or rejected its message?

1)    The extent of sinfulness proves all are lost.  All are considered sinners (Rom. 3:23).  The principle of Scripture is that one who sins bears the consequences, which is that they die.  “The soul that sins shall surely die (Ezek. 18:20).  And, yes, all have sinned.  …all have turned aside … there is none who does good, no, not one (Ps. 14:1-3; 53:1-3).  Our connection to Adam makes us all sinners by birth (Rom. 5:12-14).  All are accountable to God.

2)    The extent of Christ's provision proves all are lost.  He is the Lamb that takes away the sin of the world (Jn. 1:29).  He is the Savior of the world (Jn. 4:42).  He is the propitiation (atonement, one who appeases, 1 John 2:2).

3)    The extent of the gospel offer proves all are lost.  “Whosoever” believe in Christ, God’s Son, shall be saved (Jn. 3:1).  “Whosoever” calls on the name of the Lord will be saved (Rom. 10:13).  The gospel is God’s power for salvation “to every one that believeth: to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” (Rom. 1:1).

4)    The extent of the Great Commission proves all are lost.  Matthew says we are to make disciples of all nations (Mt. 28:19-20).  Mark says the gospel is to be preached to every creature (Mk. 16:15).  Luke says repentance and forgiveness is to be preached in His name to all nations (Lk. 24:47).  John says we are sent as the Father sent Me (Christ; see #2 above; as Christ was sent for the salvation of all, so we are sent to take the gospel to all).  Acts says we are to be witnesses to the uttermost parts of the world (Acts 1:8).

The world must hear.  How shall they hear without a preacher (Rom. 10:14)?