The Happiness of Forgiveness (Psalm 32) [Penitential Psalms]

Psalm 32:1-11; 1

"How joyful is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered!" (Ps 32:1, HCSB)

This is the second of the seven "penitential psalms" (Psalm 6, 38, 51, 102, 130, 143). Psalm 32 can be considered in four parts:

1. Forgiveness: The joy of forgiveness (1-2).
2. Silence: The curse of silence (3-4).
3. Confession: The wisdom of confession (5-7).
4. Trust: The exhilaration of trust (8-11).

References:

How To Delight in God's Word

The first sermon that I will preach in 2015 this Sunday is from Psalm 1, titled: The Secret of Happiness.

The theme: One is happy and blessed when they delight in the law (instruction) of the Lord, and meditate on it day and night (Ps 1:2).

What does it mean to delight in God's word? Loving God's word cannot be separated from loving God and loving others. Delighting in Gods word should include at least the following:

1. Loving God.
2. Loving others.
3. Loving Scripture.

Face and Fight Fright with Faith, not Fear or Flight (Psalm 11)

Psalm 11:1-7; 7

"For the Lord is righteous, he loves justice; the upright will see his face" (Ps 11:7, NIV).

Psalm 11 expresses the confidence that the faithful have, even in a time of severe crisis. Two different "voices" were speaking to David ("flee in fear" or "fight with faith") in a context of personal or national crisis. David made up his mind to trust only in the Lord. The psalm is adaptable to a variety of desperate situations, showing how to face them in faith.

1. Flee in Fear (1-3).
2. Fight with Faith (4-7).

Justice Will Prevail (Psalm 9-10)

Psalm 9:1-10:18; 7-8

"But the Lord sits enthroned forever; he has established his throne for justice" (Ps 9:7, ESV). "He will judge the world with justice and rule the nations with fairness" (Ps 9:8, NLT).

The Greek and Latin versions have combined Psalm 9-10 as a single psalm (with a broken or incomplete acrostic with several letters of the alphabet missing or out of order). Both psalms refer to God's interest in "the oppressed" (Ps 9:9; 10:18), both mention "times of trouble" (Ps 9:9; 10:1), both call on God to "arise" (Ps 9:19; 10:12), and both are sure that God will not "forget the afflicted" (Ps 9:12; 10:12). [On the other hand, there are enough differences to justify finding two Psalms here: the tone of Psalm 9 is predominantly praise and thanks, while that of Psalm 10 is largely lament.] Noting much overlap between both psalms, Derek Kidner titles Psalm 9 as "God: King and Judge," and Psalm 10 as "Man: Predator and Prey." Man is also both the oppressor and the oppressed. Consider Psalm 9-10 in three parts:

1. God is King and Judge on His Throne (Ps 9:1-12).
2. God Seems Far Away Because Present Troubles Are Near and Real (Ps 9:13-10:6).
3. God Listens to the Afflicted and the Oppressed (Ps 10:7-18); God's Justice Will Prevail.

What is Man (Psalm 8)

Psalm 8:1-9; 4, 1a, 9

"...what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?" "Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!" (Ps 8:4, 1a, 9, NIV)

Regarding Psalm 8, Derek Kidner eloquently and succinctly writes:

"This psalm is an unsurpassed example of what a hymn should be, celebrating as it does the glory and grace of God, rehearsing who he is and what he has done, and relating us and our world to him; all with a masterly enonomy of words, and in a spirit of mingled joy and awe. It brings to light the unexpectedness of God's ways in the roles he has assigned to the strong and the weak (2), the spectacular and the obscure (3-5), the multitudinous and the few (6-8); but it begins and ends with God himself, and its overriding theme is 'How excellent is thy name!'"

J.I. Packer says, "we are at the end of 4 centuries of God shrinking." God (seemingly) gets smaller while we get bigger. The Bible does not see it this way. David did not see it this way. We must not see it this way.

Slandered, Opposed and Attacked (Psalm 7)

Psalm 7:1-17; 8

"The Lord judges the peoples; vindicate me, Lord, according to my righteousness and my integrity" (Ps 7:8, HCSB).

What do you do when you feel misunderstood, maligned and marginalized? Psalm 7 is a lament, petition and prayer by an innocent person who was slandered, opposed and attacked by those who wanted to discredit and dishonor him. Psalm 7 is titled by three different commentaries as follows:

1. A Cry for Justice (Ps 7:8-10). [Derek Kidner]
2. The Blessing of a Good Conscience (Ps 7:3-5, 9-10). [Alec Motyer]
3. Surviving Slander (Ps 7:1-2, 6, 14; 4:2; 5:6, 9). [George Zemek]

Justice. David's primary concerns and motivations were not just for his own personal vindication, but for universal justice before a Righteous Judge who examines each person's thoughts and emotions (Ps 7:8-10).

Conscience. Despite being slandered, opposed and attacked, David checked his conscience before God (Ps 7:3-5), instead of retaliating with the spirit of vengeance and revenge.

Barely Able To Pray (Psalm 6)

Psalm 6:1-10, 2-3a

"Have compassion on me, Lord, for I am weak. Heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony" (Ps 6:2, NLT). "...my whole being is shaken with terror" (Ps 6:3a, HCSB). "...my soul is in deep anguish" (Ps 6:3a, NIV).

From reading several different commentaries on Psalm 6, for some reason numerous (similar and different) titles for this sermon came to my mind that all seemed proper and appropriate to this psalm:

• Crying in Helplessness.
• Praying in Weakness.
• Grieving Prayer.
• Agonizing Prayer.
• A Troubled Conscience.
• Feeling Helpless and Hopeless.
• Shaken by Weakness.
• Broken and Shaken.
• Overwhelmed, Yet Triumphant.
• From Defeat to Defiance.
• From Desperate Need to Great Assurance.
• From Depression to Elation.

Joy Among Liars (Psalm 5)

Psalm 5:1-12; 11

"But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them sing joyful praises forever. Spread your protection over them, that all who love your name may be filled with joy" (Ps 5:11, NLT).

Cry out to God in your distress. Psalm 5 is a lament and a prayer petitioning the Lord in the midst of distress. Why was the psalmist distressed? The psalmist's distress is caused by liars and deceitful speech. However, the psalmist also expresses trust and finding refuge in the Lord's protection.

Lies hurt. The devil is the father of lies (Jn 8:44). The destiny of all liars is the second death (Rev 21:8). James understood how destructive lying words can be (Jas 3:5-6). We have all experienced that when lies are spread about you, it wounds, disheartens and devastates you. David experienced devastating lies said about him (Ps 4:2; 5:6, 9). If he allowed the words of liars to get to him he would become bitter and crushed. He would have retaliated in anger and rage. But when he took refuge in the Lord, he found joy amidst the scathing lies (Ps 5:11).

Peace Amidst Discouragment (Psalm 4)

Psalm 4:1-8, 7-8

"You have given me greater joy than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine. In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe" (Ps 4:7-8, NLT).

From Psalms we learn about the manifold emotional life of the psalmist, who is a believer and a person who has faith in God. So far, the following were considered:

1. The Happy (Ps 1:2): A happy person knows how to live and what to think about (Ps 1:1-2).
2. The Sovereign (Ps 2:6): The sovereign God rules despite the constant opposition from the rulers of the world (Ps 2:1-3).
3. The Confident (Ps 3:6): People who pray are confident and fearless, even when the odds are heavily stacked against them.

In Psalm 4, we consider The Peaceful. We learn how the psalmist experienced peace and joy in the midst of different types of discouraging people. Consider this psalm in two parts:

Fearless Before Many Adversaries (Psalm 3)

Psalm 3:1-8; 6

"I am not afraid of the thousands of people who have taken their stand against me on every side" (Ps 3:6, HCSB).

• Do you feel confident when the odds are stacked against you?
• Do you live with no fear or anxiety in your heart when you are uncertain about your future?
• Can you sleep peacefully when there are troubles all about you?

Outline of Psalm 3

1	1-2	Despondency: What he knows	Complaint: Many enemies	Predicament
2	3-4	Dependency: What he does	Confession: God is my shield	Prayer
3	5-8	Deliverance: What he experiences	Consolation: Sleep & confidence	Peace

God's King Rules (Psalm 2)

Psalm 2:1-12; 6a

"I have installed my king..." (Ps 2:6, NIV). For the Lord declares, "I have placed my chosen king on the throne...." (Ps 2:6, NLT).

From Psalm 1, we learn the "secret" of happiness, which is really no secret at all, since it is self-evident and freely accessible to anyone and everyone. For anyone to be happy, we simply need to be prayerful and watchful about how we live (Ps 1:1)--who we hang out with (including on the internet), and what we entertain and desire in our hearts (Ps 1:2)--what we delight in and meditate on, which God sees and knows (1 Sam 16:7).

In Psalm 2, the psalmist declares, "God's King Rules!" God's king will rule, regardless if the kings and nations of the world oppose and rebel against Him. A longer title would be "The world rebels, yet God's King still rules." The four natural parts of Psalm 2, each with three verses, are:

The Secret of Happiness (Psalm 1)

Psalm 1:1-6; 2

"Instead, his delight is in the Lord's instruction, and he meditates on it day and night" (Ps 1:2, HCSB). "But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night" (Ps 1:2, NLT).

(Alternate titles: Happiness. True Happiness. True Blessedness. The Blessed Life. A Truly Happy Person. A Truly Happy Man. Gateway to Happiness. Two Ways to Live. What Do You Think About? Prosperity as a Problem.)

A theme for each year. Happy New Year. At the end of 2014 I reviewed our six year story at West Loop, 2008-2014. Over the last few years, I chose a yearly theme for West Loop: gospel, grace, sanctification, the whole council of God, remembrance. For 2015 the theme is faith: "The righteous by faith will live" (Rom 1:17c). We do not become righteous by living by faith, but because we are righteous by faith in what Jesus has done for us, we live confidently with our heads held high.

Biblical Portraits of Creation

As the title declares, Biblical Portraits of Creation is indeed a celebration of the Maker of Heaven and Earth. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I plan to use it and encourage its use in preaching and Bible studies. I highly recommend it.

The important, glorious, majestic and dynamic doctrine of creation that emphasizes God as Creator (Gen 1:1) is often a neglected theme of sermons and Bible studies in churches, which favors redemptive historical aspects of the Bible. But Biblical Portraits of Creation faithfully and edifyingly lays emphasis on the utmost importance of God as Creator. It captures the grandeur, glory and majesty of the creation (and new creation) texts of both the Old Testament and New Testament by explaining, expounding and exegeting those texts in an engaging way. (See titles for the 12 chapters and the corresponding biblical text below.) It is an excellent resource for Christians, pastors and lay Bible teachers who wants to preach and/or teach about creation and new creation. The concise and succinct summary points at the end of each chapter is very useful, along with study questions, which can benefit and facilitate group Bible studies and personal reflection.

Intimacy: Outline, Quotes

"O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you..." (Ps 63:1, NLT). [I is for Intimacy.]

Theme: God created us for intimacy. No one can truly live happily without it. Jesus was the happiest man who ever lived, because of his unbroken intimacy with the One who loved him.

"Some of us know at times what it is to be almost too happy to live! The love of God has been so overpoweringly experienced by us on some occasions, that we have almost had to ask for a stay of the delight because we could not endure any more. If the glory had not been veiled a little, we should have died of excess of rapture, or happiness." Charles Spurgeon.

How To Have Intimacy

1. A true knowledge of God and of ourselves (John Calvin, Institutes, Chap. 1, Sec. 1,2). "There is no deep knowing of God without a deep knowing of self and no deep knowing of self without a deep knowing of God."

Intimacy

Psalm 63:1-8; Ps 63:1, NLT

"O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you..."

Quotes for reflection: "Intimacy begins with oneself. It does no good to try to find intimacy with friends, lovers, and family if you are starting out from alienation and division within yourself." Thomas Moore (author, former Catholic monk), Care of the Soul.

“It is hard to hear God, but it is even harder not to hear God. The pain one brings upon oneself by living outside of evident reality is a greater and longer-lasting pain than the brief pain of facing it head on.” Richard Rohr.

"The dominant characteristic of an authentic spiritual life is the gratitude that flows from trust - not only for all the gifts that I receive from God, but gratitude for all the suffering. Because in that purifying experience, suffering has often been the shortest path to intimacy with God." Brennan Manning.

A Celebration of God's Word (Psalm 119)

Psalm 119 is a celebration of God's gift of the Scriptures and uses ten synonyms for God's word:

1. law (25 times).
2. testimonies (22).
3. ways (5).
4. precepts (21).
5. statutes (21).
6. commandments (21).
7. judgment(s) (19).
8. word(s) (25).
9. sayings (19).
10. path (5).

Our Earthly Fathers and Our Heavenly Father

Some questions for you to probe and ponder:

1. What recollections do you have about your dad?
2. How has your relationship with your dad affected you? Others? Your view of God?
3. How can fathers love their children (Ex 20:5; Dt 5:9; 6:5; Col 3:19; Eph 5:25)?
4. Why do you think Jesus teaches us to call God "Father" (Mt 6:9; Lk 11:2)?
5. When his son Absalom died, how did King David express the heart of a father (2 Sam 18:33)?
6. What is God like according to Isa 9:6; Ex 34:6-7; Ps 103:13; Lk 15:11-32?
7. Why is Jesus the way to the Father (Jn 14:6; Mt 27:46; Mk 15:34)?

Father

Psalm 103:13 (Lk 15:11-32)

"As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him."

E is for Experience: Taste and See (Ps 34:8)

1. What is the difference between knowing and tasting? How might we taste and see that God is good?

2. How exhilarating are our senses? Isn't our world a world of sensory delight (even overload)?

3. Why does God create a world that inundates our senses?

4. Should we fear our feelings? Can they lead us astray?

5. Have you tasted God's goodness? How?

"B" is for Beauty

Psalm 27:4 (Gen 27:27-28; 29:17-20)

"One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple." (Ps 90:17 says, "And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us..." [KJV])

(Last week's theme was "A" is for Accountability. The questions were, "Do you have a Nathan? Are you a Nathan? Would having a Nathan and being a Nathan burden or enrich your life? Why?")

Theme/thesis: Human beings inextricably link together love, beauty and happiness. Thus, we can never resist desiring and loving what we find most beautiful.

Key Questions: What is most beautiful to you? Are you attracted to "the beauty of the Lord"?