God's Perfections And Glorious Attributes!

 

By James Smith,
"The Way to Be Happy" 1855

"The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress!" Psalm 46:7

"If God is for us--who can be against us?" Romans 8:31

Who can prevail against us? Who can really injure us? Let us daily think of God's glorious perfections--and view them as engaged for us at all times.

·         His power is engaged to support, defend, and strengthen us.

·         His omniscient eye is constantly upon us--watching over us for good.

·         His omnipresence is our safeguard from all our foes--for no one can come and find our God absent from us.

·         His justice and righteousness shine in all His dealings with us--and are like lofty mountains round about us.

·         His holiness shines in all His purposes and plans--and forbids the thought that He will act unsuitably towards us.

·         His mercy is ever great towards us--and by it He sympathizes with us in all our sorrows, griefs, and woes.

·         His goodness will constantly supply us--and is sufficient to fill us with admiration and astonishment.

·         His truth renders certain--every promise He has given and recorded in His Word.

·         His immutability bears us up and bears us on--confirming our faith and hope in His Word.

·         His wisdom frustrates the designs of our foes--and arranges and manages all for our welfare.

·         His eternity is the date of our happiness--and the duration of our unspeakable blessedness!

Here is enough to:

·         engage our thoughts,

·         overflow our minds, and

·         forever fill us with adoration and praise!

What a God is Jehovah! And Jehovah, in Jesus--is ours!

How cheering this fact, and what sweet support it yields to the mind--to meditate on God's perfections and glorious attributes--seeing them all in Jesus--and in Him, engaged for our present and everlasting welfare!

What could shake our minds--if we did but firmly believe that God's omnipotence is engaged to defend us to the uttermost?

What could tempt us to commit any known sin--if we were realizing that God's omniscient eye is ever upon us; yes, that God is present with us, and that He is our sin-hating Father?

What could lead us into murmuring and rebellion--if we were fully persuaded that God's holiness and justice are for us, and will shine resplendent in all His dealings with us?

What could lead us to think that our prayers would not be answered, nor our petitions be regarded--if our minds were influenced by the assurance, that God is truth?

How could we believe that He would ever turn against us--if we rightly viewed His immutability?

Or, how could we think that our affairs could be disordered--if we felt satisfied that His wisdom was working for us at all times!

"The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress!" Psalm 46:7

God's Eternaltiy & What It Means To Us

   At the beginning of all things. At the beginning of all we know, God already was and thus can be said to have had no beginning. There was never a time when God was not, because He already was at the beginning.
   There is a strange logic and yet an illogic in the thought. One might consider that this is speaking of the beginning of our existence alone, and that it says nothing beyond that about God's eternality. In the strictest of senses, I suppose that one would have to conclude, on the merits of this verse alone, that it says nothing about whether God had a beginning or not.
   What it does say is that that alleged beginning, if there was one, was "before" our beginning. Thankfully, we are not left with this verse alone, but have the rest of the testimony of the Scripture to rely on for more information.
   The short list of verses in the Bible that speak of the Eternality of God would include: Gen. 21:33; Deut. 32:40; Deut. 33:27; 1 Chron. 16:36; Neh. 9:5; Job 36:26; Ps. 29:10; Ps. 33:11; Ps. 41:13; Ps. 45:6; Ps. 48:14; Ps. 90:1-2, 4; Ps. 93:2; Ps. 102:25-27; Isa. 26:4; Isa. 40:28; Isa. 41:4; Isa. 44:6; Isa. 57:15; Lam. 5:19; Dan. 4:34; Hab. 1:12; Hab. 3:6; Rom. 1:20; Rom. 16:26; 1 Cor. 2:7; Eph. 1:4; 1 Tim. 1:17; 1 Tim. 6:15; Heb. 1:10-12; 2 Pet. 3:8; Rev. 1:8; Rev. 4:8-9.
   That our God is eternal is of little doubt to any real believer in the Scripture. There are some interesting implications to this idea that bear considering. If God is indeed eternal, that the God we know cannot have ever been mortal, and hence, have never been a man as the Mormons claim. Their position is that God as he is now, is as man can some day be. Not if the Bible is true! God is eternal and had no beginning! Every man is mortal and had a beginning.
   That God is eternal also speaks of His essential difference from us. He is eternal and we are immortal. He and we share the fact that we will have no end. Yet, He had no beginning while there was a time when you and I were not thought of, except in the mind and purposes of God Himself. There a real security, in my mind, I knowing that there is a Being Who is greater than I am, in essence. With other men, we share the bottom line that we are all creatures and that we share a common nature, handed down from Adam over the years.
   While we are related to God by faith, there is also that real difference between us. That comforts because I can know that I am in the care of One whose experience and wisdom transcends that of myself and my compatriots. There is indeed a God Who is eternal and Who's knowledge and understanding far outstrips my own! It is good for me to put myself in the place of a small son and take comfort from the knowledge that my Father knows how to fix what is wrong!
   We should also note that the verse indicates that all that the chapter reveals happened at THE beginning, no A beginning. There were not multiple tries at starting things as some would suggest. God did not create and then allow His first creation to be destroyed, and then remake the earth. There was "the beginning" and no other beginning. It is into that frame that we must fit the details of the chapter, not alter the basic frame of reference to fit what we would make of the details of the chapter.
   You might wonder why this is important? Let me suggest a couple reasons.
   First, it is important because it is what the text says. These are clear and simple words, easily understood. We need not stretch to allow them to fit some other understanding that we bring with us to the text. It is folly to pursue the "well, it could be this way or that" method of interpretation.
   Secondly, it is important because of the directness with which it speaks to man and his origins. We are not an evolved creature, a happenstance meeting of amino and other acids in a primordial sea. God set out, a particular moment and He created. The results of that creation came to be in an instant and not over millennia.
   Thirdly, it is important because it lays the foundation, in the very first verse of the Bible, of trustworthiness and clarity of understanding. This phrase, and the greater concepts of the following verses all appear to say one thing. If they do not, indeed, say those things, then we have some problems, do we not?
   Occam's Razor applies here I believe. the simplest explanation is probably the correct one. We need not try and explain these words in any other fashion other than what the clearly intend to say. That is an important precedent to get straight, and God gets it straight in the verse first few words of the Book.
   The reference to the beginning also implies and ending. Not an ending to your and my existence, but an ending to that which gives the verse and the chapter a frame of reference, the creation of the world.

Worshipping God As Creator - Along With Isaiah (Part 2)

“I am the Lord, and there is no other; There is no God besides Me. I will gird you, though you have not known Me, That they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting That there is none besides Me. I am the Lord, and there is no other; I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the Lord, do all these things.’ (Is 45:5-7).

O Lord - what glorious words - they are high and lifted up - how can we even begin to appreciate them? Surely Lord you do those things that we cannot and would not do ourselves! You made the earth, You created man on it. You—Your hands—stretched out the heavens, and all their host You have commanded. (Isaiah 45:12) It is You Who created the heavens, Who is God, Who formed the earth and made it, Who has established it, Who did not create it in vain, Who formed it to be inhabited.

You have proclaimed time and again: “I am the Lord, and there is no other. I have not spoken in secret, In a dark place of the earth; I did not say to the seed of Jacob, ‘Seek Me in vain’. 

I, the Lord, speak righteousness, I declare things that are right (Isaiah 45:18-19). Indeed Lord, Your hand has laid the foundation of the earth, and Your right hand has stretched out the heavens. When You call to those heavens, they stand up together. (Isaiah 48:13)

Time and again we heard the preacher say those words from Isaiah’s mouth: “Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool.” Truly we understand the what was said to David; “Where is the house that you will build Me? Where is the place of My rest?” We remember that Stephen cited this passage before the Sanhedrin in reminding them that You do not in stone and Golden palaces. “For all those things My hand has made, And all those things exist,” You say O Lord. “But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word. O Lord it is our desire to be that people! Give us a that poor and contrite heart and let us tremble, truly tremble and the sound of Your voice this morning! For Lord, we know that that is where godliness lay…

Meet with us and let us know that we have met with You…

Worshipping God As Creator - Along With Isaiah

We stand alone Lord. We stand as Your people among the peoples of the earth. You have placed us as Your beacon among nations and asked us to shine among them. Hear, O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, the One who dwells between the cherubim, You are God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Incline Your ear, O Lord, and hear; open Your eyes, O Lord, and see. (Isaiah 37:16-17a) For they raise their voices and their fists against you. Hear all the words of the unredeemed, which have raised up a reproach the living God. (Isaiah 37:b).

How can they stand against You O Lord? Who of them has measured the waters in the hollow of Your hand or measured heaven with a span and calculated the dust of the earth in a measure? Which of them has weighed the mountains in scales or the hills in a balance?

Their pride drives their mouths to striking blasphemies Father, but yet, Who has directed the You, or as You counselor has taught You? With which of them did You ask opinion in any matter, and who instructed You and taught You in the path of what is just? Who has knowledge of anything that You do not already have and can show You the way of understanding?

Behold, the nations are as a drop in a bucket, and are counted as the small dust on the scales. You lift up the very islands as a very little thing! The entire forests of Lebanon are not sufficient to burn, nor are its beasts sufficient for a burnt offering. Lord, all nations before You are as nothing. In truth, they are counted as less than nothing and worthless compared to Your worth. (Isaiah 40:12-17).

Lift up your eyes on high, And see who has created these things, Who brings out their host by number. Lord, You call them all by name, by the greatness of Your might and the strength of His power, not one of the called are missing. (Isaiah 40:26)

We hear what Isaiah says and we wonder at its’ beauty Lord!

Praying Along With Psalm 100

¹Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!

I want to make a joyful shout Lord, I truly wish it was all lands! I truly wish it was all peoples - it grieves my heart that men dishonor and forget you and treat you as it you were not there. I am not certain sometimes what keeps me from shouting, but for my own pride and my own flesh, my own desire to not appear foolish in the eyes of those same peoples. Lord, show me how I can shout, let me lift my voice and show your glory to all me without reservation and without thought for my own reputation!

²Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.

Pride is a horror to me. Let it not be found in me. Let me be glad to serve and let me be ever seeking to humbly and without thought for self bowing my knee to you. Lord, I give myself to you and let you and your service my all in all. I am nothing and my future is nothing but yours to use. When I in your presence, let that the happiest time there is for me!

³Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

I do know it Lord. Let me now live it in every thing and every thought. Let it rule my every breath and every waking moment. God, I want to be about nothing but the serving of you and your church, at large and at the Church because I know that it you who made me and not I. I know that I am yours and the sheep of your pasture.

⁴Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

Oh Lord, when I enter your presence, let it not be with a petition on my lips, but with thankful praise in my heart. Let me not come wanting something. But let me come simply because you are my Father and I want to be with you and praise you and thank you for what you have done for me. I don't mean to be trite and meaningless - but Lord, how tiring it must be for you to hear a list of shopping requests all the time. God let me be faithful to pray and to ask for you command me to do so. But let me also be faithful to simply be thankful and full of praise as well! For you are surely a God who deserves both!

⁵For the Lord is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations.

Oh God how can a man even begin to express how good you truly are? How can good, a human word say what God is? We are men and we think in human terms, but you are God. We long for eternity so that we can, at last, see you as you are and have tongues that praise you as you deserve to be praised! O Lord - bring that day quickly. Until then - give us hearts to worship and praise you and tongues that never tire of worshipping and praising.

Scriptural Prayer Of Praise for God as Creator (Part 5)

Oh Lord, You are great and greatly to be praised; You are to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the You made the heavens. They are for nothing but dishonor while honor and majesty are before You and strength and beauty are in His sanctuary (Ps 96:4-6). And so I will bless the Lord, and all His works, in all places of His dominion. I will say with David: Bless the Lord, O my soul! (Ps 103:22).

Indeed! Bless the Lord, O my soul! For You are very great O Lord my God! You are clothed with honor and majesty and cover Yourself with light as with a garment; stretching out the heavens like a curtain. You lay the beams of His upper chambers in the waters, You make the clouds His chariot, You walk on the wings of the wind, You make Your angels spirits and Your ministers a flame of fire. (Ps 104:1-4).

O Lord, how manifold are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all. The earth is full of Your possessions—This great and wide sea, in which are innumerable teeming things, living things both small and great. There the ships sail about; and there is that Leviathan; which You have made to play there. Lord, these all wait for You in Your greatness and majesty; that You may give them their food in due season. What You give them they gather in. You open Your hand, they are filled with good. You hide Your face, they are troubled. You take away their breath, they die and return to their dust. You send forth Your Spirit, they are created. May Your great glory endure forever. May You rejoice in Your works. (Ps 104:24-32).

Oh Lord help me to see that Your Word and Your creation stand together. For forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven and Your faithfulness endures to all generations. And You established the earth, and it abides. They both continue this day according to Your ordinances, according to the faithfulness, the trustworthiness and power of Your Word; for all are Your servants. (Ps 119:89-91).

Lord, David proclaimed that all we know of our trust in You rests in that You made heaven and earth; even the truth that our help comes from the Lord. He said "I will lift up my eyes to the hills— From whence comes my help?" And he knew, and we know as well, that that help comes from You for He who made the hills can certainly help ones such as we! (Ps 121:1-2). Our help is in the name of the Lord, The One Who made heaven and earth. (Ps 124:8).

You condescend to us in mercy and that mercy endures for ever Lord! To You Lord give abundant thanks! For You are good! You are the God of gods!; The Lord of lords! You, by wisdom made the heavens; You laid out the earth above the waters, You made great lights, the sun to rule by day, the moon and stars to rule by night. (Ps 136:5-9). Truly Lord - You are worthy of our Thanks and of our Praise!

Well and truly David said: "Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, Whose hope is in the Lord his God, Who made heaven and earth, The sea, and all that is in them; Who keeps truth forever…" (Ps 146:5-6).

Ah Lord - We shout with Your Word:

1   Praise the Lord!
     Praise the Lord from the heavens;
     Praise Him in the heights!
2   Praise Him, all His angels;
     Praise Him, all His hosts!
3   Praise Him, sun and moon;
     Praise Him, all you stars of light!
4   Praise Him, you heavens of heavens,
     And you waters above the heavens!
5   Let them praise the name of the Lord,
     For He commanded and they were created.
6   He also established them forever and ever;
     He made a decree which shall not pass away. (Ps 148:1-6).

Scriptural Prayer Of Praise for God as Creator (Part 4)

Ah Lord God, You have been my dwelling place, and not mine alone, You have been our dwelling place, the dwelling place of Your people for all generations. There is no doubt that You are God and that You are sovereign for before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, as David proclaimed, You are God. (Ps 90:2). In Your hand are the deep places of the earth; places I've never seen or even thought of. The heights of the hills are Yours also. Likewise the sea is Yours, for You made it; and Your hands formed the dry land. How can I help but fall down and worship, but bow down and worship a God such as this. How can I not kneel before the Lord my Maker? For He is My God, and I am, we are the people of His pasture. Moreover, we are sheep cared for and protected by His own good, right hand (Ps 95:4-7).

Lord, I long to see the face of He Who, of old, laid the foundations of the earth. It is my heart's desire to come and to dwell with Him whose work is the heavens above. I know I will come to You, all of Your children will. The heavens and the earth will perish, but You will endure; they will all grow old like a garment and like a cloak You will change them and behold!; they will be changed. Ah! But You are the same, and Your years will have no end. The children of Your servants will continue, and their descendants will be established before You.” (Ps 102:26-28). Lord, I long for that day - the longer I live the great that longing becomes!

Scriptural Prayer Of Praise for God as Creator (Part 3)

Lord, You are greater even that the greatest strength in Your world! "You established the mountains by Your strength, Being clothed with power; You who still the noise of the seas, The noise of their waves, And the tumult of the peoples."(Ps 65:6-7). Oh Lord, to make such majesty and such great strength You must be all the more strong and majestic. Greatness can only come from that is the more great!

Lord, even the great concepts and guiding precepts of our creations are Yours, you put them in place! They didn't just happen - they were your idea! They didn't just evolve! "The day is Yours, the night also is Yours; You have prepared the light and the sun. You have set all the borders of the earth; You have made summer and winter." (Ps 74:16-17). It is God who set the boundaries of the world in place and the rotations and the orbits of the planets in their cycles. They didn't just happen or evolve over millions of years. Oh Lord, they are the product of your design!

Lord, you designed the skies, the heavens to declare Your glory and to draw our attention to You and focus our hearts on Your glory! "And He built His sanctuary like the heights, Like the earth which He has established forever." (Ps 78:69). Lord, let it do so! Help me to see the skies and the heavens and worship and to praise You! Let me not walk under that canopy and do so without thinking of Your power and Your glory! Teach me more…There is never a time when I know all there is to know about the God of Creation Lord. Show me what a great God you and impress on me more of Who You are by showing me more of Your Creation!

You know them and can reveal them to me for... "The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours; The world and all its fullness, You have founded them. The north and the south, You have created them...(Ps 89:11-12a). Tell me of them Lord, show them to me, teach me of You as you show them to me.

Scriptural Prayer Of Praise for God as Creation (Part 2)

My God, I affirm with Nehemiah that You alone are the Lord; You have made heaven, The heaven of heavens, with all their host, Lord - No being that is was not made but by Your hand! The earth and everything on it, The seas and all that is in them is because of Your strong right arm and because Your great mind. You preserve them all. For this I and all of the host of heaven worships You. (Neh. 9:6).

As Job said, You alone spread out the heavens, and You alone have tread on the waves of the sea (Job 9:8). You made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades and You made the chambers of the south. You do great things past finding out, yes, wonders without number. (Job 9:8-10). I will ask the beasts, and they will teach me; and the birds of the air, and they will tell me Lord; I will speak to the earth, and it will teach me; and to the fish of the sea will explain to me. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this, in His hand is the life of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind?. (Job 12:7-9)

O Lord, You stretch out the north over empty space; You hang the earth on nothing, You bind up the water in His thick clouds, yet the clouds are not broken under it. You cover the face of Your throne, and spread your cloud over it. You drew a circular horizon on the face of the waters, at the boundary of light and darkness. The pillars of heaven tremble, and are astonished at Your rebuke. You stir up the sea with Your power and by Your understanding You break up the storm. Lord, by Your Spirit You adorned the heavens. These are only the mere edges of Your ways. And how small a whisper we hear of You! But the thunder of Your power who can understand?". (Job 26:7-14) Truly Father we understand what You allow us to understand but who can understand You in your greatness?

Oh Lord - I worship You as David worshipped you as Creator. David knew You as the Creator God and knew the implications of what that meant: "When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,  The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor." (Psalm 8:3-5) He understood, I do Lord, that You have created a wonderful world and stood us, stood me at the top of it. O Lord how wonderful are your works!

Everywhere I look, "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork". (Ps 19:1). There can be no question but that there is a God and that You are powerful and that You are in charge of all things. My knee bows before you. "The earth is Yours and all that is in it, You do with it as You will. The earth is Yours, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein. For You have founded it upon the seas, And established it upon the waters" (Psalm 24:1-2).

"By Your Word the heavens were made oh Lord, and all the host of them by the breath of Your mouth! You gather the waters of the sea together as a heap; You lay up the deep in storehouses. Oh Lord, let all the earth fear the Lord, Let me fear You rightly!; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of You. For You spoke, and it was done; You commanded, and it stood fast". (Psalm 33:6-9) Lord, what other is there of Whom this can be said? Where else can we look to see a Being that controls all and holds all in the palm of His hand?

Scriptural Prayer Of Praise for God as Creator

O Lord you created the heavens and the earth...and all the host of them, were finished…And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done…and it was good! Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made. You are the Creator God and your strong arm created all that is! Nothing exists hat You did bring to pass. The processes you set in motion either directly or indirectly are responsible for all that is.

You formed me of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and I became a living being and I praise you for it. I am made in the likeness of God, fearfully and wonderfully - show me what that means! How glorious that is!

How marvelous is it that "in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it." Surely you are God and no man could do anything like that!

David said you are a God "Who made heaven and earth, The sea, and all that is in them." When I consider the abundance and the variety of all that is there Lord it boggle my mind - but then when I consider the God of the heavens - I am not amazed because I know you are who you are!

Samuel said that “the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, And He has set the world upon them". The picture of you that this draws for us is a God so mighty that it comforts and encourages us to trust you without question.

On the day David brought the Tabernacle to Jerusalem and put it in Tabernacle he praised you saying: "For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But the Lord made the heavens." Of a truth, Lord - I look around and that is the case today as well - all of the gods of our world are but idols as well. They are dumb pieces of stone, figments of the depraved imagination of men. Only you are God - only you are the Creator, only You are to be worshipped.

The Humble Shall Hear Of It – Psalm 34:2b (Part 2)

The Testimony of Boasting in the Lord

Notice that David immediately turns his attention away from himself and to how his experience and what he has learned can do in benefit of other servants of God and how it bring glory to God. The redeemed are never content to sit in isolation and simply just “be” right with the Lord (whatever that would mean if such sitting still and being right were even possible). His concern is that “the humble” hear of his experience and they “be glad”.

The “humble”, it seems certain, are God’s people.

It is a plural noun and refers primarily to a person suffering some kind of disability or distress.[1] In theological contexts in the Scripture, that is most often the context of sinfulness and redemption. It was used of Moses in Numbers 12:3. David Himself used the word twice in the context of redeemed sinners in Psalm 25:9. He uses it in a similar context in Psalm 37:11; Psalm 147:6; & in Psalm 149:4. Solomon used in the same context in Proverbs 3:34. (We must certainly admit, though, that the word is not always used in the clear context of believers. Zephaniah 3:3 is not so clear a reference for instance.)

Self-satisfaction in being rescued was not David’s point. He was not just happy and basking in the after-glow of what God had done. Oh no! David wanted testimony to others and ministry to the family of God’s people (though that is surely NT language) to be the great profit of his experience. And more, as we see from what follows, he wanted God’s glory to be the profit – he want them to grow and benefit themselves and then to join him in magnify the God who had delivered him!!

The goals of the lives of the Redeemed is not self-centered! We are not here to experience life! We are told by sign after sign and therapist after therapist that what we need is “love ourselves” and just let go and experience life! But that is not what God has put us here for. We are here for the benefit of the Body of Christ and, ultimately, for the glory of Lord Who created us! David understood that and his heart raced to fulfill those goals.

Matthew Henry, in his wonderful, devotional commentary[2], gave three things for which we “must agree with David” at this point in Psalm 34:

• In great and high thoughts of God, which we should express in magnifying him and exalting his name, v. 3. We cannot make God greater or higher than he is; but if we adore him as infinitely great, and higher than the highest, he is pleased to reckon this magnifying and exalting him.
• He would have us to join with him in kind and good thoughts of God (v. 8): O taste and see that the Lord is good! The goodness of God includes both the beauty and amiableness of his being and the bounty and beneficence of his providence and grace; and accordingly,
• He would have us join with him in a resolution to seek God and serve him, and continue in his fear (v. 9): O fear the Lord! you his saints. When we taste and see that he is good we must not forget that he is great and greatly to be feared; nay, even his goodness is the proper object of a filial reverence and awe. They shall fear the Lord and his goodness,

I think that is the kind of thing David would have applauded! That his experience turn our thought to the character and works of God. That if the focus of the rest of the marvelous Psalm. His works are insignificant, nothing unless they drive the attention of the reader to the Person and Character of the One true and Living God. That ought to be what you and I live for as well!

One Last Consideration – The Necessity of Humility

There is one last matter for our consideration here. That last phrase, “The humble shall hear of it and be glad” points out the need for humility in order to receive the message Gospel. Micah 6:8 says:

He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?

God requires that, in order to walk before Him, men walk “humbly”. We can define humility as being marked by meekness or modesty in behavior, attitude, or spirit; not arrogant or prideful. Theologically that basic definition would stand up pretty well if we added the idea of rejecting dependence on human devices or ability for any part of salvation or sanctification or to commend you to God’s favor.

One cannot even enter into a relationship with God without some degree of humility. That humility is demonstrated in a willingness to repent of sin and hear the truth of the Word of God. This is why unredeemed people cast the Scripture aside and consider it foolish. Their pride will not allow them see its truth. They will not humble themselves before God and bow before his authority.

It is small wonder then that they spend their lives with little to be glad about and little encouragement. They have cut themselves off from the One Being in the entire universe Who could, in all situations, without fail bring them cheer and hope!

In the end, this is horribly foolish, but of course, that is from the point of view of the redeemed! From the point of view of the unredeemed they are simply doing what David did, serving their own best interest, a completely natural thing to do. But also completely self-destructive.

David would argue that there is no more “self-serving” thing than to give ones-self over to the service of their Creator. It is counterintuitive to the unredeemed, but once one is redeemed and that fog of sin is lifted and clear sight is restored, thinking is possible for the first time ever. Then things make sense and one can see how what once seemed to be ridiculous is not so foolish after all.

That being the case, it becomes easy for the “humble to hear” of the works of God and “be glad”. Who wouldn’t be?

________________________________________

[1] Harris, R. L., Harris, R. L., Archer, G. L., & Waltke, B. K. (1999, c1980). Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (electronic ed.) (683). Chicago: Moody Press.

[2] Henry, M. (1996, c1991). Matthew Henry's commentary on the whole Bible : Complete and unabridged in one volume (Ps 34:11). Peabody: Hendrickson.

The Humble Shall Hear Of It - Psalm 34:2b

My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.

The heart of David is one of the great example in the Bible of one who, though making terrible mistakes, sinful mistakes to be sure, still maintained a heart for the Lord that drove him to see the need for repentance and holiness. Often David would fall down and do very foolish, wicked things. But then God would show him how stupid his behavior was and he would repent and turn around and head back in the right direction.

The beauty of this and the example for us is that he was completely transparent in all this. There is no trying to hid anything from the Lord or from us. Once he realizes his sin, it comes out in the open, he repents and his heart breaks and forsakes it.

This Psalm is given over just such an incident, occurring in Gath when he fled from Saul in 1 Samuel 21:

10 Then David arose and fled that day from before Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath. 11 And the servants of Achish said to him, “Is this not David the king of the land? Did they not sing of him to one another in dances, saying:

     ‘Saul has slain his thousands,
     And David his ten thousands’?”

12 Now David took these words to heart, and was very much afraid of Achish the king of Gath. 13 So he changed his behavior before them, pretended madness in their hands, scratched on the doors of the gate, and let his saliva fall down on his beard. 14 Then Achish said to his servants, “Look, you see the man is insane. Why have you brought him to me? 15 Have I need of madmen, that you have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?” (1 Sam. 21:10-15)

David, afraid of Saul, flees to Gath, becomes afraid of Achish (Abimelech) and so feigns madness. This great man of war crawls around, and acts like a crazy person lest Achish kill him (as Saul would have, or so he feared). All of this because he had lost his perspective on who God was and thus had lost faith in God’s Person and willingness to protect him.

He flees to the Cave at Adullam (1 Samuel 22) and there gathers men to himself and his fame grows as well as his faith is restored and he writes this Psalm.

Praise In the Midst of Helplessness

One of the themes of this Psalm is that praise, even in the midst of helplessness. David saw himself as helpless to defend himself against Saul. Saul was God’s anointed King over Israel and thus he was untouchable. He was in a place where David could not strike against him. In fact, David had no desire to strike against him for that very reason. He understood that God had established Saul as Kind and that was fine with David.

But David knew that Saul sought his life and the two things, Saul unreasonableness and his absolute power made his situation untenable. What he forgot what that God was also in the mix and that He was a power stronger that Saul. For some brief period of time, David saw with earthly eyes and saw no way out but to run, and so he fled to Gath.

We do that as well. We do not allow for God to enter a situation and alter the mix from “the hills”. In Psalm 121:1 David says:

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.

He is, of course, using the physical hills around about as a figure for the heavens and our Lord. The “Lifting of the eyes” likewise is a figure for prayer and together they make a remarkable wonderful picture of prayer and dependence on God for help and intercession in our affairs.

I am certain that the affair in 1 Samuel 21 was not the only lesson that taught David this truth, but it surely was one schoolroom where he learned it! The sooner we learn that we are helpless and need the help of God to accomplish what He has sent us to do, the better off we will be!

My Soul Shall Makes It's Boast In The Lord!

2     My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
     The humble shall hear of it and be glad.

To speak of deeds, abilities, or characteristics in a manner showing pride or self-satisfaction. In the Bible the word also has a more positive connotation (“to glory in”).[1]

In the OT, “boasting” is often used to describe the basic attitude of the ungodly, who depend on their own resources rather than on God (Ps. 52:1; 94:3–4). The enemies of Israel boasted of their victories and claimed the glory for themselves (Deut. 32:27; Ps. 10:3; 35:26; 73:9; Is 3:9). They boasted of their riches (Ps 49:6) and wisdom (Is 19:11). According to the Lord, the rich and wise are to

“…boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on the earth” (Jer. 9:24,).

Jesus depicted a proud Pharisee boasting to God in prayer (Luke 18:10–14). Most of the NT usages of the word occur in the apostle Paul’s letters. The negative aspect of vaunting one’s own accomplishments is contrasted with the positive counterpart of glorying in what the Lord has done (Rom 3:27–28; 2 Cor. 10:17; Gal 6:14).

Self-righteousness and bragging are to be avoided (Rom 1:30; 2:17, 23; Eph 2:9; 2 Tm 3:2). Paul associated boasting with the attitude of those Jews who developed a feeling of self-confidence because of having kept the law. There are, in fact, a number of clear reasons associated with boasting that are to be avoided in the Bible:[2]

• Man’s limited knowledge (Prov. 27:1, 2)
• Uncertain issues (1 Kin. 20:11)
• Evil incurred thereby (Luke 12:19–21; James 3:5)
• Salvation by grace (Eph. 2:9)
• God’s sovereignty (Rom. 11:17–21)

There are also quite a number of clear examples of the kinds of boasting that God despises and we are to avoid: [3]

• Goliath (1 Sam. 17:44)
• Ben-Hadad (1 Kin. 20:10)
• Rabshakeh (2 Kin. 18:27, 34)
• Satan (Is. 14:12–15; Ezek. 28:12–19)

For Paul, the only legitimate boasting was to boast (rejoice) in the Lord (Rom 5:11). In Romans 5:3, the rabbinic view of glorying in one’s sufferings is contrasted with Paul’s view that his present sufferings pointed to God’s power and toward Paul’s hope for the future.

Paul’s boasting was not based upon comparisons with others, in contrast to the boasting of his opponents. Because Christ worked through him (2 Cor. 3:2–6) and God commended him (10:18), he could give glory to God. Paul preferred to boast of his own weakness, and of the Lord’s power and strength (12:5, 9).

On occasion, the apostle did boast concerning a particular group of Christians (7:4, 14; 8:24; 9:2–3), but with the implication that he was expressing confidence in them, not bragging about his own successes. Concerning himself, Paul boasted reluctantly and only as a means of defense against an unsupportive element in the Corinthian church. He said that those who should have commended him had instead compelled him to engage in “foolish” boasting (2 Cor 12:11).

Boasting in the Lord

But there is the matter of "Boasting in the Lord" as David puts it here. That surely is not a sinful action and is not objectionable to God, and, in fact is pleasing and honorable to Him! The Scripture presents such "boasting as a four-fold responsibility for believers before their Lord: [4]

First, it is a Continual duty. Here in Psalm 34:3 David himself tells us this truth. Remember from our last lesson that this is in the "Jussive", which expresses and indirect command, that is a command to a second or third person. The point is that this is not an option, it is a necessary function of any believer's life. That duty has two components, that it be present and that it be continual or ongoing.

It is to be Always in the Lord. 2 Corinthians 10:13–18 says:

13 We, however, will not boast beyond measure, but within the limits of the sphere which God appointed us—a sphere which especially includes you. 14 For we are not overextending ourselves (as though our authority did not extend to you), for it was to you that we came with the gospel of Christ; 15 not boasting of things beyond measure, that is, in other men’s labors, but having hope, that as your faith is increased, we shall be greatly enlarged by you in our sphere, 16 to preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man’s sphere of accomplishment.

17 But “he who glories, let him glory in the Lord.” 18 For not he who commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends.

Our boasting is not be in the labors of men, but what God has accomplished for us. Self promotion is not what gets us there - but being approved of God!

It is Necessary to refute the wayward. In 2 Corinthians 11:5–33 Paul speaks of the matter of false apostles. The Corinthians were being seduced by the credentials of men and impressed by false apostles who had come and were leading them astray. Paul writes and does a little "boasting to give them some perspective:

16 I say again, let no one think me a fool. If otherwise, at least receive me as a fool, that I also may boast a little. 17 What I speak, I speak not according to the Lord, but as it were, foolishly, in this confidence of boasting. 18 Seeing that many boast according to the flesh, I also will boast.

He goes on and lists all of his human qualification, secular AND spiritual, which dwarfed anything that the false prophets had to offer. Of course, his conclusion is that none of that matters. His human qualifications were irrelevant when it came to making hum the servant of God that God wanted him to be. He sums up his case in vv. 30-33:

30 If I must boast, I will boast in the things which concern my infirmity. 31 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. 32 In Damascus the governor, under Aretas the king, was guarding the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desiring to arrest me; 33 but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and escaped from his hands.

There could not be a more sound refutation! Our boasting, when we do it must be in what God has done for us and nothing more!

It is to be spiritual rather than natural. In those very famous verses in Philippians 3:3–14 Paul tells us that his qualifications to serve the Lord are spiritual and not physical. He sums it up in the middle of the section:

7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

With all of the physical qualifications he had, including circumcision, one would think he was well suited to count him himself on solid ground. But he came to see that that was not what made ground with God solid. None of those things enter in to our "boasting" arena. The sooner we, as David and Paul, learn that lesson, the sooner we will be, as they - able to make our boast in the Lord!

______________________________

[1] Elwell, W. A., & Comfort, P. W. (2001). Tyndale Bible dictionary. Tyndale reference library (229). Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers. (This entire section is taken from this resource)

[2] Thomas Nelson Publishers. (1995). Nelson's quick reference topical Bible index. Nelson's Quick reference (107). Nashville, Tenn.: Thomas Nelson Publishers.

[3] Ibid]

[4] Ibid, (108).

My Soul Shall Makes It's Boast In The Lord!

2     My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
     The humble shall hear of it and be glad.

What should be the object of our testimony? So often when testimony time comes in church we hear testimony concern what God has done for us and the focus of that testimony is all about what God has done for me. Inadvertently, perhaps, the center of the testimony ends up being the believer and his experience of God rather than God himself. I'm not sure that this is what should be happening. This is not the way David gave testimony, nor is it the way others in the Bible gave theirs. Jeremiah, for instance, in Jeremiah 9:23-24 said:

23 Thus says the Lord:
     “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,
     Let not the mighty man glory in his might,
     Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;
24     But let him who glories glory in this,
     That he understands and knows Me,
     That I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, 
     judgment, and righteousness in the earth.
     For in these I delight,” says the Lord.

Our glorying, even innocently, ought not be in ourselves or in any other thing that is about us, it ought to center in and about our Lord and abut Who He is. David knew this and practiced it!

Now, at the time this Psalm was written, he was in a where he should not have been and he knew that he was in trouble. Remember that this Psalm was written when he was feigning madness down in enemy territory before Abimelech (Achish - see 1 Samuel 21) in Gath to escape Saul. The Psalm is an acrostic Psalm (like Psalm 25) in which each verse starts with different letter of the Hebrew alphabet (with the exception that there does not seem to one for the letter "waw" , it seems to have been dropped or lost, after verse 5).

God had delivered him from danger and even from his own foolishness. David's focus in these entire first 10 verses is to call on the congregation to praise the Lord for delivering him and for His goodness to His people.[1] He does this by asking the people to focus, not on the effect of the deliverance, but on the character of the God Who did the delivering.

This is an important difference, especially in our day and age! So much of Christianity is only about God in token. When say "praise the Lord and then move on to "Me, Me, Me!" We are a function of our consumer age. Our "praise to God more about how He has satisfied us well and how He has made us full and well pleased than it is about Who He is and what His attributes are. This is truly pitiful.

Note the verbs: bless, boast, magnify, exalt just in first three verses. The name “Lord” (YAHWEH) is used sixteen times in the psalm.[2] All this points to David's focus on the person of God and not so much on his own experience. He is more concerned with the God who delivered him than he is with that he got delivered.

Now, don't get me wrong, this is not to say that he wasn't grateful, overjoyed that he had been delivered! I am certain that he was. But that was vastly overshadowed by the fact that all that was to his benefit was done by the God of universe! Somewhere in his experience down there in Philistia David realized this and that contrast changed his perspective and whereas he was once filled with fear, he became filled with the kind of courage only God can give someone. Not bald, human bravado; but true confidence in that God will provide and care and see to his well-being.

This is what David is testifying to - the realization anew that he serves the kind of God, the character and Person of a God that has made that kind of transformation in his life. He had lost that perspective. That fall in his mind and heart is allowed him to flee to Gath and feign madness. It was what allowed him to indulge in all of that nonsense and foolishness in the first place. But now, Oh! But now God, Yahweh - the One true and Living God has revealed Himself anew and afresh and has shown Himself to David!

Is it any wonder that this kind of praise is forced from his lips? Would it not be forced from yours and mine?

_______________________________________

[1] Ryrie, C. C. (1995). Ryrie study Bible: New American Standard Bible, 1995 update. Includes indexes. (Expanded ed.) (859). Chicago: Moody Press.

[2] Wiersbe, W. W. (2004). Be worshipful (1st ed.) (131). Colorado Springs, Colo.: Cook Communications Ministries.

What I Want My Praise To Be

1     I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. (Psalm 34:1a)

O Lord, the challenge of praise at all times! Not so much that I don't know that you don't deserve it but that I don't feel like it. Some would argue that it is only human that there are times when I don't feel like offering you praise, when my voice is not ready to lift itself high in worship and extol the virtues of the one who has done all to bring me all that I have. From a human standpoint, I can certainly see the logic there.

But from a godly standpoint, from the point of view of a redeemed person, I cannot see that logic. David did not see it. The redeemed ought to bless the Lord at all times is him opinion! The praise of God ought always be in their mouths. The ones whom God has brought to eternal life ought to live to worship and offer thanksgiving and praise to their God.

Now, I don't think that he means this as any kind of servitude. I don't believe that David intended or had in mind the kind of praise that we think of when we think of monks in a monastery, offering blank and empty, mechanical servitude born of a sense of trying to please God of some desire to please Him legally somehow, desperately hoping that we can balance the books by our effort. No, that is surely not David's intention.

Nor is he speaking of any kind of obligatory service that would follow after salvation that is "tacked onto" our relationship God as a means to keep it right and vibrant. David is not saying that there is some means by which we "must" keep things going or they die if we are not careful.

Likewise, David is not saying that we are somehow purchase the good pleasure of God with our praise. He is not saying that, as we praise him, we are somehow "buying" His favor and thus He is disposed to do good things for us. Sadly, many in Church history have this, but that is a fairy tale. That good favor was purchased by Christ alone. You and I cannot BE good enough to satisfy God, which is why Christ had to come in the first place.

No, David is simply saying that this continual praise is simply the response of the redeemed heart! The heart for whom God done such a magnificent thing will wish to praise Him and will wish to praise Him continually - as much it can and often as it can!

The verb in the phrase is "cohortive" in Hebrew, meaning that it expresses very strong intention, hence the "I Will Bless" in English. It means to bless another or speak words invoking Divine favor always with the intention that there will be a favorable circumstance resulting in the future. Most often the verb is used, of course, in regard to people. David here uses in regard to God Himself. There is nothing wrong with that, for there is no other human language to express the thought he intends.

"Praise" is adoration, thanksgiving, i.e., positive words about the excellence of another. Often these words are in the context of being sung in the Scripture. We see this often in the Bible, as they are here! They are often word of reputation, words that cause a person's reputation to be enhanced, that characterize Him in some fashion, that give that person glory or praise, words of renown. Again that fits this context well.

"All" is a catch all construct that that refers to the totality of a thing. It refers to the totality of thing, the entirety, its completeness. "Times" is actually singular in Hebrew. The word refers to time in the most general sense possible. The season, the idea most general sense of time one can imagine. David is saying that he will praise the Lord "Always" . His intention is to avoid any make the statement without any reference to time at all, just a blanket commitment to praise the Lord!

It that not wonderful! How marvelous a commitment to the praise of God that to make for any believer! I will praise the Lord - always! No consideration circumstance; no consideration what may occur, what I might feel like, nothing! I will praise the Lord regardless! O Lord - that is what I want my praise for you to be like!

Note also that this praise is also done with his mouth - it is oral, note just in the meditations of his heart it is for all to hear! It is public praise! Not to make too much of this, more than is intended, but it one thing to be full of thanksgiving and praise in our hearts, but it is another all together to be full of praise vocally, publicly, in front of the world, before people! David's intent is that God's reputation be enhanced, we saw that from the word he used for "bless". He desires that God's reputation before all men be lifted up and they think more of Him as a result. That cannot happen if he is "oral" with his praise. And so David spoke his praise - he shouted his praise form every housetop!

Nor can it happen if we are not open and out loud with our praise as well. It well and good to be all full praise in our hearts, and I sure that God approves of that - but that is not where our duty ends and that is not what the example of the Scripture is. Our pattern is that of the person of David - I will praise the Lord at all times - His praise shall continually be in my mouth!