New Testament Reading: Hebrews 4:1–13

“Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened. For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said, ‘As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest,’’ although his works were finished from the foundation of the world. For he has somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way: ‘And God rested on the seventh day from all his works.’ And again in this passage he said, ‘They shall not enter my rest.’ Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience, again he appoints a certain day, ‘Today,’ saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted, ‘Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.’ For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” (Hebrews 4:1–13, ESV)

Old Testament Reading: Psalm 139

“TO THE CHOIRMASTER. A PSALM OF DAVID. O LORD, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it. Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,” even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you. For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you. Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God! O men of blood, depart from me! They speak against you with malicious intent; your enemies take your name in vain. Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD? And do I not loathe those who rise up against you? I hate them with complete hatred; I count them my enemies. Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” (Psalm 139, ESV)

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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

Introduction

This Psalm should sound familiar to you. I will sometimes read the first four verses of it before the confession of sin and assurance of pardon in our liturgy. Those first four verses are helpful to prepare us for the silent confession of our sins to the Lord for they remind us that God sees our sins anyway, so what is the point of trying to hide them? God has atoned for our sins in Christ Jesus. He is merciful and kind. He is eager to forgive. So come to him, confess your sins, turn from them, and to Christ, having been washed in his blood.

This Psalm should sound familiar to you, for I do often use it in that way — to urge you to confess your sins, to run to God again through faith in Christ, and walk in paths of righteousness for his names’ sake. But there is more to this marvelous Psalm. The whole thing is a contemplation and then application of the all-pervasive presence of God in his creation. God sees all. God is everywhere present, for God is the source and sustainer of all life. The concluding verses reveal the proper response to these truths.

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Old Testament Reading: Psalm 139

In verses 1-6 King David considers that God is all-seeing.  

“O LORD, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether.” (Psalm 139:1–4, ESV)

The first line states the principle: “O LORD, you have searched me and known me!” In other words, nothing about us is hidden from God’s sight. He has thoroughly explored us and truly knows us. 

We do not have this kind of knowledge. I know you and you know me, but our knowledge of one another is only superficial. I can observe your actions. I can listen to your words. But your thoughts are hidden from me, and mine are hidden from you. When two people grow close to one another they gain greater insights into the mind and the heart of the other. This is especially true in healthy marriages. But even then, the true mind and heart of the other are beyond our comprehension.

In fact, people do not always have a clear understanding of their own mind and heart. Sin does this, I’m afraid. It blinds us to the realities of our own inner life so that we do not even see ourselves clearly. Sometimes our own thoughts and emotions are a mystery to us.

But God’s knowledge of us is perfect.  He sees our every action and he hears our every word, but more than this, he discerns (or perceives) our thoughts from afar; even before a word is on our lips the LORD knows it altogether. 

We see one another superficially. We know ourselves more thoroughly, but even then our own thoughts, emotions, and motives remain mysterious. But God sees us with perfect clarity, for “no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:13, ESV), he “[pierces] to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and [discerns] the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12, ESV).

As we consider this we will begin to feel like David felt — surrounded, trapped, and vulnerable before God. This is what he confesses in verse 5, saying, “You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me” (Psalm 139:5, ESV). The word translated as “hem” is often translated as “besieged” in the Old Testament. King David knew what it was to besiege or surround a city with his army, but here he confesses that God has besieged him! God has surrounded him and trapped him. God has gotten his hands on David, as it were. And here he is recognizing his absolute vulnerability before the LORD who sees and knows all things.

And in verse 6 he confesses that the thought of it is overwhelming to him: “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it”, he says. I appreciate the way that the NET renders verse 6: “Your knowledge is beyond my comprehension; it is so far beyond me, I am unable to fathom it” (Psalm 139:6, NET). Paul confesses something like this in Romans 11:33 when he exclaims, “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how fathomless his ways!” (Romans 11:33, NET).

I do hope that you feel this way when you contemplate the knowledge, power, and glory of God. We should feel overwhelmed by God. And I do not mean that in a bad way. It is good to stand in awe of him. It is good to know and to confess that God is beyond us.

And  I wonder, how does it make you feel to think that God is omniscient, that he, all-seeing and all-knowing? 

There is a sense in which God’s omniscience should comfort us. It is comforting to know that God sees all things and knows all things. God is not ignorant. There is no room for him to grow in knowledge. This means that God’s wisdom is perfect, his plans are perfect, and his judgments are perfect. We sometimes lack wisdom, make foolish plans, and faulty judgments. We do this,  in part, because we lack knowledge. But it is not so with God, for he knows all things. He sees all things with perfect precision and clarity. Yes, he even sees our thoughts and knows our intentions.  

It is because we are sinful that God’s omniscience is not only a comfort to us, it is also troubling. It makes us feel vulnerable and exposed before him. It makes us feel like running away. Remember, that is what Adam and Eve did after they rebelled against God. They heard God coming and they ran away. They tried to hide from God and to cover their shame, but they could not.   

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God Is Everywhere Present (vs. 7-12)

In verses 7 through 12 we learn that David felt the same impulse. After considering that God sees all he considered running away, but thought the better of it given that God is also everywhere present. 

In verse 7 he speaks to God and asks, “Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?” In other words, LORD when I consider that you see everything about me — even my thoughts — I feel like running away from you! But where can I go, for you are not only omniscient, you are also omnipresent?

Brothers and sisters, there is nowhere that God is not.  

Where is God? Some may say, he is in heaven. And yes, this is true. God is enthroned in the heavenly. This means that his glory is manifest or made visible in that realm in a special way. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. He created the heavenly realm — that is, the spiritual realm which is presently invisible to us — to show forth his glory in a special way to the elect angels of heaven and, eventually, the elect from amongst the children of man. But this does not mean that God is confined to that realm. No, he transcends heaven, and he transcends earth too. Heaven and earth are created realms, but God is not confined to either. He is without boundaries or borders of any kind. He is omnipresent.  

And that is what David reflects upon in this Psalm. LORD when I consider that you see all, even my innermost being, I want to run! But that would be pointless. Where would I go? Verse 8: “If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!”

You are beginning to notice that the Psalms talk about Sheol a lot. Remember that Sheol is the place where the dead live. Before the resurrection of Christ, the bodies of those who died went to the grave and their souls went to Sheol. This was true of both the righteous and the unrighteous, but their experiences were very different in that place. The unrighteous who died in their sins were tormented in Sheol. The righteous who were justified through faith in the promised Messiah were comforted there. I will not take the time to tell you about the change that took place in Sheol (or Hades) when Christ rose from the dead, for I have done that recently. It will suffice to say that when the righteous pass from the world today their souls go, not to Sheol (or Hades), but into the blessed presence of God, for Christ has won the victory through his resurrection. He has set the captives free. He has opened up the way into the Most Holy place. Truly, to be absent from the body is to be present with the LORD. So something did change in the realm of the dead when Christ rose from the grave. Now, it is only the unrighteous dead who are alive in Sheol. The righteous dead live in the presence of God in the soul while their bodies await the resurrection on the last day.  

But David, living long before the resurrection of Christ from the dead, expected to be comforted in Sheol (Abraham’s bosom) at death. And here he confesses that God is present even there. “If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!” 

I think many assume that God is not present in Sheol or hell, but that is a misconception, for there is nowhere that God is not. He is omnipresent. The difference between heaven and hell is not God’s presence, but the way that God is present. In heaven, God is present to eternally bless his redeemed and to lavish them with his love and grace, whereas in hell God is eternally present to pour out his wrath and justice upon all sin. In hell, the wicked will be tormented not by the absence of God, but by his presence. You have heard it said (and I think I have been guilty of saying this in the past), that God cannot dwell in the presence of sin. If you think of it, that is really a silly statement. God is everywhere present in this world, isn’t he? And yet this world is filled with sin. When Adam and Eve sinned, God “approached” them in the garden. It would be more accurate to say that God must punish all sin, for he is just. This is true. And God will punish every sin. He has either punished your sin by setting it on Christ as your substitute, or he will punish it at the final judgement and in hell. 

Though much more could be said, this sermon is not about Sheol, Hades, or hell, and so I will move on. Here is the point of the text. When David considered that God sees all he was tempted to flee. But he immediately recognized the futility of that approach, for no man can escape the presence of God. He is present in heaven, and he is present in hell. 

So in verse 9, David considers another place: “If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me” (Psalm 139:9–10, ESV). So you see what David is doing, don’t you? He is looking for somewhere to run, but he confesses that there is nowhere in all of creation for him to go. God is present in heaven (above the earth, if you will). God is present in Sheol (under the earth, if you will). God is obviously present on the dry land (for that is where he communes with his people). And God is also present in the uttermost parts of the sea. Can you picture David looking out upon the sea thinking, maybe if I allow the winds to drive me way out there I can hide from the presence of God? No, God is there too. 

Lastly, David considers the darkness of night as a potential hiding place. Verse 11: “If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,’ even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.” (Psalm 139:11–12, ESV). Here David confesses that the darkness of night will not do the trick either. The darkness of night may hide the sins of men from the eyes of other men, but it cannot hide us from the eyes nor from the presence of God. 

So David is out of options. He has considered all of creation. In the spiritual realm, God is present in heaven and in Sheol. In the earthly realm, he is present on land and in the depths of the sea. And he sees with equal clarity in the light of day and in the darkness of night. Truly, David is hemmed in on every side. And the same is true for you and me. We may try to escape the presence of God by running to some place or by denying his existence, but it is all in vain, for he does exist, and he is everywhere present.

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God Is The Source And Sustainer Of All (vs. 13-18)

In verses 13 through 18 David goes even deeper in his contemplation of God’s omnipresence. Here he clarifies that God is not merely present in the realms of heaven and Sheol, earth and sea, day and night in a passive way, but he is present actively as creator and sustainer of all life. 

I wonder if you can sense the difference between the two ways of speaking of God’s omnipresence. It is one thing to say that God is everywhere present. But it is another thing to say that God is everywhere present as the source and sustainer of all things seen and unseen. It is a question of intensity and intimacy, I guess. God is everywhere present… well, how so? Is he here but hands-off? Is he here with us but only as a passive observer? The answer is no, God is everywhere present and intimately so, for he is our creator and sustainer. “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.” (Romans 11:36, ESV)

Listen again to verses 13-18 and consider that God is present with us as our source and as our sustainer. Here David says, “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you.” (Psalm 139:13–18, ESV)

God is everywhere present in the world that he has made, and intimately so, for he is our creator and our sustainer. 

When David says, “you formed my inward parts”, I take this to refer to the soul of man, the invisible aspects of man, the mind and the heart, the personality. Have you ever thought about this? Have you ever asked the question, where did I come from? And no, I do not mean where did your body come from, but your soul. Where did your soul come from? Answer: it came from God. He formed your inner parts. How he does it is debated. But that he does it is perfectly clear, for you and I had a beginning. There was a time when we were not. And this is true of both our body and soul. God is the source of both.  

When David says, “you knitted me together in my mother’s womb”, he refers to the development of the human body which does contain the soul. I appreciate the NKJV here. It says, “For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb” (Psalm 139:13, NKJV). Verse 15 will restate the same idea but in a different way: “My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.” “The depths of the earth” is a poetic way of speaking of the darkness and secrecy of the womb. 

In verse 14 we see that David’s response to these truths is to praise God: “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.”

In verse 16 we learn that God is not only the source of our body and soul, he also the source of the days of our life: “Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.” This is the doctrine of predestination. God has “a book”. This is not to be taken literally, of course, but metaphorically. Men write books; God does not. But what does this metaphorical language teach us about God? It teaches us that the days of our lives are determined by God. He is the source of them. Men write books about what they learn. They write history books, but they always write those books after the events have occurred. Not so with God.  He wrote his book concerning the days of our life “when as yet there was none of them.” The question regarding the relationship between God’s predestinating and our freedom is difficult and mysterious, but we must accept what the scriptures say. God is the source of the days of our life. He “formed” them. He wrote his book concerning us beforehand. This was true of David and it is true of us.

Notice that David’s response to this is not to complain against God, but to marvel at his wisdom and his grace: “How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you” (Psalm 139:17–18, ESV).

As I have said, God is our creator and he is our sustainer. He is our source. He knit us together, body and soul. He formed our days. He thinks of us continually, and he sustains us in this. He is with us, and we are with him. Day after day we awake, and God is there with us. Indeed, he will be with us and sustain us for all eternity. 

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What Then Shall We Do?

So the question that remains is, what shall we do? If this is true that the LORD sees our sinful words and deeds, even the thoughts and intentions of our heart. And if it is true that we cannot flee from his presence, for he is everywhere present as the source and sustainer of all things, what then shall we do? 

Verses 19 through 24 show us the way. 

First, we must turn from sin. That is what is described in verses 19-22 where David expresses his hatred for all that is evil. 

“Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God! O men of blood, depart from me! They speak against you with malicious intent; your enemies take your name in vain. Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD? And do I not loathe those who rise up against you? I hate them with complete hatred; I count them my enemies.” (Psalm 139:19–22, ESV)

These words can trouble Christians who have been taught by Christ to love their enemies. Really, there is no reason to be troubled by what is said here. To hate the wicked and to love your enemies are not contradictory things. It is possible to, on the one hand, hate the wicked and their works, and on the other hand, to pray for their repentance and to show them kindness and love. It is possible for us to do these two things at once. 

What David says here needs to be considered in context. After considering God’s omniscience and omnipresence, he is choosing, not to flee from God, but to run to him and to be found on his side. He prays for God’s justice. He separates himself from the wicked and bloodthirsty. He declares that God’s enemies are also his enemies. 

Friends, you must do the same thing. In Psalm 1 we learned that there are two possible paths. There is the way of the wicked and there is the way of the righteous. There is no other way. So do not be found walking, nor standing, nor sitting with the wicked. No, be found on the path of the righteous which leads to life eternal. Flee from sin and run to God. Draw near to him and be found on his side. 

Hating the wicked in this way does not mean that you cannot also pray for them and show them love and kindness as you have the opportunity. That is what Jesus means when he says, “love your enemies”. He means, do good to them. Listen carefully to his words, “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:32–36, ESV). The Father hates the wicked and yet he is merciful and kind to them. We are to do the same. We are to “abhor what is evil [and] hold fast to what is good” (Romans 12:9, ESV). And yes we are to at the same time show love and kindness to our enemies. Do not forget the words of Christ to the church in Ephesus: “Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate” (Revelation 2:6, ESV). 

But here is the point. After considering God’s omniscience and omnipresence David did not run away from God, but to him. He turned away from the wicked, took God’s side, and declared that God’s enemies were his enemies.

Secondly, David pursued righteousness and the way of life eternal, and we must do the same. 

Verse 23: “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” (Psalm 139:23–24, ESV). In the context of this particular Psalm, of the Psalter in general, and of the life of David most broadly, this must be understood, not as a self-righteous boast, but as a cry to God for grace and for cleansing. 

Some may read the words, “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me” and think that David is claiming to be pure and upright before God to the core of his being. Go ahead, Lord! Look in upon my heart and mind with your x-ray vision and see what you can find! You will find me blameless! Is that what David means?

No, if David thought that he was self-righteous, then why did consider fleeing from God’s presence earlier in the Psalm? And if we consider the rest of the Psalms of David, we know that he was not upright in and of himself. For example, in Psalm 51:3 he said, “For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me” (Psalm 51:3, ESV). If you know the story of King David, you know that he was a flawed and sinful man, no different from you and me. 

What then does he mean when he says, “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me.”

One, he is claiming to have a true and sincere love for God and faith in his heart. 

Two, he is asking the Lord to purify him further.

And three, he is running to God for refuge. He concludes the Psalm with these words: “lead me in the way everlasting!” (Psalm 139:24, ESV).

What is the way to life everlasting? 

Do you remember Psalm 2? That Psalm mirrors the verses 19-24 of Psalm 139. It speaks of how the Son will judge the nations at the end of time, and then it concludes with these words: “Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him” (Psalm 2:11–12, ESV).

Think of it. Because God is omniscient and omnipresent, the sinner will find no refuge in heaven or on earth from the just wrath of God… but there is one exception. Refuge may be found in the Son, and it is to God’s Son, the Messiah, that David fled for refuge. This is the reason for his confidence. This is the reason for his rejoicing. 

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Conclusion

So what about you? Have you taken refuge in the Son? 

I pray that you would if you have not. I pray that you would come to your senses regarding your sin. I pray that you would feel hemmed in on every side by God who is all-seeing, everywhere present, holy, and just. I pray that you would come to the realization that there is nowhere to run except to the Son, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, the Savior, the Door, the way, the truth, and the life, the only mediator between God and man. If we hope to be found on God’s side and to have everlasting life, we must be found in him. So please turn from your sins and to Christ for the forgiveness of sins.  

And if you have faith in Christ, I pray that you would, like David, marvel at the grace that God has shown to you, and say with him “How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you” (Psalm 139:17–18, ESV).

New Testament Reading: Mark 4:35–41

“On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, ‘Let us go across to the other side.’ And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, ‘Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?’ And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’ And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, ‘Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?’  And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?’” (Mark 4:35–41, ESV)

Old Testament Reading: Psalm 107

“Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south. Some wandered in desert wastes, finding no way to a city to dwell in; hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted within them. Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He led them by a straight way till they reached a city to dwell in. Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things. Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, prisoners in affliction and in irons, for they had rebelled against the words of God, and spurned the counsel of the Most High. So he bowed their hearts down with hard labor; they fell down, with none to help. Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and burst their bonds apart. Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! For he shatters the doors of bronze and cuts in two the bars of iron. Some were fools through their sinful ways, and because of their iniquities suffered affliction; they loathed any kind of food, and they drew near to the gates of death. Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction. Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! And let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving, and tell of his deeds in songs of joy! Some went down to the sea in ships, doing business on the great waters; they saw the deeds of the LORD, his wondrous works in the deep. For he commanded and raised the stormy wind, which lifted up the waves of the sea. They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths; their courage melted away in their evil plight; they reeled and staggered like drunken men and were at their wits’ end. Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven. Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! Let them extol him in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders. He turns rivers into a desert, springs of water into thirsty ground, a fruitful land into a salty waste, because of the evil of its inhabitants. He turns a desert into pools of water, a parched land into springs of water. And there he lets the hungry dwell, and they establish a city to live in; they sow fields and plant vineyards and get a fruitful yield. By his blessing, they multiply greatly, and he does not let their livestock diminish. When they are diminished and brought low through oppression, evil, and sorrow, he pours contempt on princes and makes them wander in trackless wastes; but he raises up the needy out of affliction and makes their families like flocks. The upright see it and are glad, and all wickedness shuts its mouth. Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things; let them consider the steadfast love of the LORD.” (Psalm 107, ESV)

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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

Introduction

At the beginning of this little sermon series through the Psalms, I made a few brief remarks about the structure of the Psalms. Psalms 1 and 2 are the entrance to the Psalter — they are the twin pillars that we must walk between as we enter the Psalms. They are law and gospel, remember? And I also drew your attention to the fact that the 150 Psalms of the Psalter are divided into five books, the headings to the five books of the Psalter being found above Psalms 1, 42, 73, 90, and 107, which is our Psalm for today. So this Psalm — Psalm 107 — is the first Psalm of book five of the Psalter. 

It can be very difficult to recognize this as we consider one Psalm at a time, but the Psalter is in fact carefully organized. There are little grouping of Psalms. For example, there are clusters of the Psalms of David, pairings of law/gospel Psalms, and groupings of various themes. But the most obvious structure is observable in the division of the five books, and scholars have recognized that each of these five books carries a general theme. 

Scholars differ on the terminology, but I do appreciate the terms used by O. Palmer Robertson. The Psalms are about the kingdom of Israel. Book one carries the theme of confrontation (think of the struggles that David endured before taking the throne); book two carries the theme of communication (in these Psalms the nations are compelled to consider God’s steadfast love for Israel, his salvation, and his judgments, and to worship the God of Israel); book three, carries the theme of devastation (remember that Israel and Judah were eventually carried away into captivity — book three is filled with Psalms of lament and cries for rescue, therefore); book four, carries the theme maturation (these Psalms present the mature perspective of Israel regarding the promises of the Davidic covenant); and book five, carries the theme of consummation. Here in this fifth and final book of the Psalter, the movement is away from the devastation of captivity and up towards Jerusalem and the temple. Throughout book five we are compelled to remember God’s steadfast love and to praise him. All of this will culminate, of course, with the so-called Hallelu-YAH (or, Praise the LORD) Psalms of Psalm 146-150. 

So in this way, the flow of the Psalms matches the flow of the history of redemption in the experience of the Old Covenant nation of Israel. And in this way, the Psalms are rightly called the book of Praises. Not all Psalms are Psalms of Praise (there are wisdom Psalms and Psalm of lament, etc), but the book of Psalms does move us to praise — praise is found throughout and it does conclude with praise.

I have said all of this by way of introduction so that we might see that Psalm 107 is a marvelous introduction to book five of the Psalter, for it is meant to provoke praise. Listen again to the opening lines and consider the way that this Psalm compels us to praise: “Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.” (Psalm 107:1–3, ESV)

Let us carefully consider these opening lines, for they set the tone for this Psalm in particular, and for book five of the Psalter in general. 

First of all, Psalm 107 opens with a call to worship. “Oh give thanks to the LORD”, is the opening line. This introductory call to worship sets the tone for the remainder of this Psalm which will call the redeemed to worship four more times with the repeated refrain, “Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man!”  

Secondly, it is the LORD who is to be worshipped. You will notice that “LORD” is spelled with all capitals indicating that it is the Hebrew word “YHWH” that is being translated. This name for God emphasizes his self-existence, his unchangeableness, and his covenant faithfulness. 

In this brief study on the Psalms, I have grown in my appreciation for the role that the covenant which God transacted with King David plays in the Psalter. Many of the Psalms refer back to that covenant and look forward in some way to its fulfillment in Christ Jesus. And of course, the covenant that God transacted with King David (which is recorded for us in 2 Samuel 7) does not stand all alone but is organically connected to the promise that God made to Adam, and to the covenant that God transacted with Abraham and with Israel in the days of Moses. The point is this: It is the LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph, the covenant-making and covenant-keeping God, who is to be praised. He is the God of the Bible, he is our Creator and Redeemer, and he is faithful to keep his covenant promises — he is worthy of all praise.

Thirdly, this Psalm calls us to praise the LORD specifically for his goodness and his steadfast love. “Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!” 

God is good. By this we mean that he is upright and free from all that is evil. He is holy and he is pure. This must be the confession of the faithful, for this is the clear revelation of Holy Scripture. God is good. He is holy. When the angels in heaven praise him they do declare his holiness three times over: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD God Almighty” (see Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:8). And when we come to worship the Lord we must declare the same in our hearts and with our lips. The LORD is good. He is good all the time, for he does not change. He is most holy. He dwells “in the light which no man can approach unto”. Yes, the world is filled with evil. And yes, the world is filled with suffering. But that is the result of our sin and rebellion. God governs this fallen world. And God is accomplishing all of his purposes despite our sin, working all things together for good for those who love him and are called according to his purposes (see Romans 8:28), and for his glory (see Romans 9). But God is unstained. God is pure light. He is holy and upright, free from any blemish. God is good. 

And when we say that God is good we also draw attention to his kindness — that is, to his mercy and grace. Given the theme of this Psalm, that does seem to be especially in view. God is good. He is merciful and he is kind.  

When the Psalmist goes on to say, “his steadfast love endures forever!”, he is drawing attention to the covenant faithfulness of God. God entered into covenant with Abraham and with David. He set his love upon them and upon their offspring. He promised to preserve their offspring and to bring the Messiah into the world through them. And here the Psalmist is drawing attention to the steadfast love of the Lord, that is, to his faithfulness to keep all of his gracious promises.

In verses 2 through 3 the Psalm calls upon the redeemed of the LORD to praise the LORD for his goodness and for his steadfast love. “Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.” (Psalm 107:2–3, ESV)

Most agree that this Psalm was composed late in Israel’s history during the time when the people of Israel returned to Jerusalem and to their temple from Babylonian captivity. I briefly rehearsed the history of Israel for you in a sermon not too long ago. For now, I will remind you that the Jews spent 70 years in Babylonian captivity because of their sin, but the Lord was gracious to return them to their land beginning in 538 BC. The LORD was merciful to them. He was faithful to keep his promises to Abraham and to David. And here in Psalm 107, the redeemed of Israel are called to offer up praise to their God.

Now, I do agree that this was the original circumstance that prompted the writing of this Psalm — the return of the Jews from Babylonian captivity. We should do our best to put ourselves in that setting as we consider this Psalm, therefore. But this Psalm is written in such a way that the “redeemed of the LORD” living in every time and place may sing it from the heart. In fact, I do believe this is the proper interpretation of the Psalm. It was a Psalm to be sung by Israel celebrating their return to Jerusalem and to their temple from Babylonian captivity, and it is also a Psalm to be sung by the redeemed of the LORD living in every time and in every place. 

The reason this is true is that the historical redemption of Israel from Babylonian captivity was prototypical of the redemption that all who are found in the Messiah by faith experience. They were redeemed from Babylon, and those who have faith in the promised Messiah are redeemed from bondage to sin, the kingdom of Satan, and the fear of death. Israel was for a time held captive. They were for a time separated from the land and from the temple where the glory of God did dwell. They were aliens and they were sojourners, but God set them free. He redeemed them. He rescued them from the enemy and reconciled them to himself. He brought them home to Jerusalem. He brought them back into his presence in the holy temple. And I am saying that this, like the exodus event, was an earthly picture of the heavenly and spiritual redemption that is ours in Christ Jesus. Psalm 107 is written in such a way that it has obvious reference to Israel’s deliverance from Babylon. In fact, the language used is also reminiscent of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt. But at the same time, this Psalm may be taken up by the individual worshiper — an individual under the Old Covenant or New who has placed their faith in the Messiah — and they may see their own experience here. They may raise up from reading or singing this Psalm and say, this is what the LORD has done for me. This is the deliverance that the LORD has worked for my own soul.    

So in this way Psalm 107 is not only about Old Covenant Israel’s deliverance from captivity. It is also about the redemption of God’s people from all nations. “Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.” (Psalm 107:2–3, ESV)

Yes, the LORD did gather Israel who had been scattered from east and west, north and south. But we must not forget that God had promised to gather the nations also. Remember the promise made to Abraham. He was blessed to be a blessing. In him, all the nations of the earth would be blessed. And the prophets who ministered during the time of the Babylonian captivity never lost sight of this. They ministered to Israel (the descendants of Abraham) and spoke words of comfort to them concerning their eventual return to Jerusalem. But as they ministered to Israel they also reminded Israel that one day the nations would be brought back to the LORD too. 

Consider the prophet Isaiah. He spoke words of comfort to Israel in exile, saying, “He [the LORD] will raise a signal for the nations and will assemble the banished of Israel, and gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth” (Isaiah 11:12, ESV). That was Israel’s hope as they lived in Babylonian captivity, and Psalm 107 is clearly a celebration of the fulfillment of this promise.  But in Isaiah 56 the prophet declared that the LORD would redeem, not only ethnic Israel, but foreigners too. Concerning the foreigners, the LORD said “‘I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.’ The Lord GOD, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, declares, ‘I will gather yet others to him besides those already gathered’” (Isaiah 56:7–8, ESV).

So, when we read the opening verses of this Psalm, “Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south”, it right for us to think, first of all, of the redemption that God worked for Old Covenant Israel from Babylonian captivity, and secondly, of the redemption that God has worked for all nations — yes, even for you and me — through the Messiah that has come into the world through God’s faithful preservation of Israel. This is the proper interpretation. It is the interpretation that the Old Testament scriptures demand. And it is surely the interpretation of the New Testament scriptures, which demonstrate that Christ is the fulfillment of all the law, the prophets, and the Psalms (see Luke 24).

To state the matter more succinctly, this Psalm gives praise to God for the redemption that he accomplished for Israel to rescue them from Babylonian captivity and to bring them home to Jerusalem and to God’s temple and this Psalm gives praise to God for the redemption that he accomplished for his church in rescuing them from the power of sin, Satan, and death to bring his elect safely home into the new Jerusalem, which is his eschatological and eternal temple. Both of these things are true at once, for the experience of Old Covenant Israel was a type or a foreshadowing of the experience of Christ and his redeemed bride, the church.

All of that is a rather complicated way of saying, this Psalm was originally about Israel, but it is also about you and me and all who are united to Christ by faith. 

The remainder of this Psalm is divided into five parts. There are four stanzas wherein the lovingkindness of the LORD to redeem sinners is described, and then there is a conclusion. The four stanzas are easy to identify, for they each begin in the same way. Verse 4: “Some wandered in desert wastes…”; Verse 10: “Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death…”; Verse 17: “Some were fools through their sinful ways, and because of their iniquities suffered affliction…”; Verse 23: “Some went down into the sea in ships…” These were storm-tossed and despairing. “Their courage melted away in their evil plight; they reeled and staggered like drunken men and were at their wits’ end” (Psalm 117:26-27).     

These four stanzas describe the plight of Israel in Babylonian captivity from different vantage points, but they also describe the plight of sinners alienated from God, helpless, and hopeless in every time and in every place. 

As I read this Psalm months ago, I thought of the various testimonies of the members of this church. I thought of the mercy and grace that God has shown to us in Christ Jesus. In some ways, our stories all differ. But in another way, our stories are all the same. We were hopelessly lost, in bondage, spiritually afflicted, and despairing, but God was merciful to us. He rescued us from our plight and redeemed us to himself. 

As we consider the redemption that God has worked for us, what should our response be? The repeated refrain tells us! “Let [us] thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man!” (Psalm 107:8, ESV)

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Lost Sinners Retrieved (vs. 4-9)

Consider with me briefly verses 4-9. Here the picture is that of hopelessly lost sinners being retrieved. 

“Some wandered in desert wastes, finding no way to a city to dwell in; hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted within them”  (Psalm 107:4–5, ESV).

Can you imagine being hopelessly lost in a desert waste? Can you imagine being without food or water? Think of how your soul would faint within you as you tried and tried to find the way to a city to take refuge in but without success. 

This is the plight of every sinner who is alienated from God because of their sin. Apart from God, this world is a desert waste. The soul of man was made to take refuge and to find comfort and nourishment in God. But being separated from God because of sin, the sinner wanders in desert wastes. He tries to find nourishment and refreshment in the things of this world, but to no avail. He finds no true comfort, no refuge, no sustenance, no hope. And this will be his plight for all eternity apart from the salvation of the LORD. 

But in verse 6 we read, “Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He led them by a straight way till they reached a city to dwell in.” God is merciful and kind. As Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1, ESV). And so men and women are to call upon the name of the LORD. They are to run to him for refuge. And if they are to find refuge and satisfaction in God, they must find it in God’s Anointed Son. Remember Psalm 2:12? “Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him” (Psalm 2:12, ESV). So, from beginning to end the Psalms are urging us to take refuge in God and in the Son he has provided, for God is merciful to sinners. He has redeemed us from our hopeless plight. Those lost sinners who call upon the name of the Lord are delivered from their distress. They are led in a straight way till they reach a city to dwell in. Ultimately, that city is God himself. It is the new heavens and earth, the new Jerusalem, which has no need for the sun, for the glory of God will fill that place. Listen to the way that John describes the new heavens and earth in Revelation 21:22:  “And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple, is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb” (Revelation 21:22–23, ESV). 

Dear brothers and sisters, God himself is our refuge and strength. And if we are to take refuge in him, we must be found in Christ by faith. Consider how Christ described himself in his earthly ministry and compare it to the plight of sinners as described in verses 4 and 5 of Psalm 107. Sinners are hopelessly lost as if in a wasteland. But Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. Through him, we come to the Father (John 14:6). Sinners are desperately hungry and Jesus is the bread of life (John 6:35). Sinners are terribly thirsty, but those in Christ “shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes” (Revelation 7:16–17, ESV).

“Some wandered in desert wastes, finding no way to a city to dwell in; hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted within them…” Such were we before taking refuge in God and in his Christ. “Then [we] cried to the LORD in [our] trouble, and he delivered [us] from [our] distress. He led [us] by a straight way till [we] reached a city to dwell in” (Psalm 107:6–7, ESV). What now shall we do? 

“Let [us] thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things” (Psalm 107:8–9, ESV).

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Prisoners Released (vs. 10-16)

In verses 10 through 16 our redemption is considered again but from a different vantage point. Here our plight is not described as lostness but bondage. And our deliverance is not described in terms of the provision of a city refuge but as a release from bondage. 

Verse 10: “Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, prisoners in affliction and in irons, for they had rebelled against the words of God, and spurned the counsel of the Most High” (Psalm 107:10–11, ESV).

Again I will urge you to imagine the despair of imprisonment such as this.

And again I will urge you to see that such is the condition of every human soul apart from the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. By nature, we are in bondage to sin, to the power of Satan, and to the fear of death. 

But Christ came to set us free from this bondage.

He has set us free from the power of sin.

He has set us free from bondage to Satan

He has set us free from the fear of death. 

As Hebrews 2:14-15 says, “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.” 

Once again the Psalm does urge sinners to cry out to God for rescue, for God is merciful and kind. 

Verse 12 tells us that God “bowed their hearts [that is, the hearts of the prisoners] down with hard labor; they fell down, with none to help.” If you are living in sin presently, I pray that the Lord would do this very thing for you, for this is the mercy of the Lord. May he bring you to this place of utter despair and lead you to finally turn from your sin and to call upon his name. For that is what this text describes. 

Verse 13: “Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and burst their bonds apart” (Psalm 107:13–14, ESV).

If you are in Christ Jesus by faith, you know this freedom. You know what it is to be set free from bondage to sin, Satan, and the fear of death. What then shall we do? “Let [us] thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! For he shatters the doors of bronze and cuts in two the bars of iron.” (Psalm 107:15–16, ESV)

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The Sick Restored (vs. 17-22)

In verses 17 through 22 our redemption is considered again but from another vantage point. This time it is sickness that is described. 

Verse 17: “Some were fools through their sinful ways, and because of their iniquities suffered affliction; they loathed any kind of food, and they drew near to the gates of death. Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction”  (Psalm 107:17–20, ESV).

I wonder, Christian, can you relate to what is described here? Did you live as a fool for a time and, because of your iniquities, suffer affliction? Did God use afflictions to move you to cry out to him for relief? I know this is true for some within this congregation. 

And I wonder, Christian, do you ever pray that this would be true for those you love who are living in rebellion against God and Christ? Have you ever asked the Lord to afflict someone you love (if necessary) so as to lead them to repentance? I often pray this way. Never have I prayed for affliction for affliction’s sake. But I have prayed that the Lord would kindly afflict so as to draw a sinner to repentance. 

“Lord, bring so and so to a place where they might see the severity of their sin and their need for Christ. Make them discontent and uncomfortable in their sin. Make them sick of it, Lord. Bring them low so that they might cry out to you for salvation. Have mercy, Lord.” I often pray this way. 

In one way or another God has rescued all of us from affliction through Christ Jesus. God has humbled us, moving us to cry out to him for mercy. What then shall we do? “Let [us] thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! And let [us] offer sacrifices of thanksgiving, and tell of his deeds in songs of joy!” (Psalm 107:21-22, ESV)

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The Storm Tossed Rescued (vs. 23-32)

In verses 23-32 our redemption is described yet again, but here the image is of those who are stormed tossed on the sea and despairing. 

“Some went down to the sea in ships, doing business on the great waters…” Here we are to think of merchants eager to make a prophet and to enjoy the pleasures of this world. “They saw the deeds of the LORD, his wondrous works in the deep.” Deep waters signify the judgment of the LORD in scriptures. Think of the waters that God divided at the time of creation, the flood, and the parting of the Red Sea, and the story of Jonah — the tone is ominous.  Verse 25: “For he commanded and raised the stormy wind, which lifted up the waves of the sea. They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths; their courage melted away in their evil plight; they reeled and staggered like drunken men and were at their wits’ end.” (Psalm 107:25–27, ESV)

How many of the exiles of Israel experienced this sort of thing literally, I do not know. But many have experienced this very thing spiritually. Many sinners living in rebellion against God have been tossed to and fro by the storms of life, bringing them to their wit’s end and leading them to despair.

Not long ago a man living in sin told me, “I have felt very unsettled and afraid while living in sin.” 

Perhaps you experienced something similar when the LORD drew you to faith and repentance. You were going about your business chasing after the pleasures of this life with no care for God or things of God, and then you grew unsettled. You became aware of the frailty of your life, the certainty of death, and of the judgment that awaits you. This is the mercy of the Lord, for he does rescue many from stormed tossed seas.  

What shall we do when life grows tumultuous, and when we feel that turmoil within. Verse 28: We must cry out “to the LORD in [our] trouble”, for he will deliver us “from [our] distress. He [will make] the storm be still, and the waves of the sea [be] hushed. Then [we will be] glad that the waters [are] quiet, and he [will bring us] to [our] desired haven.” (Psalm 107:28–30, ESV)

Brethren, the LORD has done this for you in Christ Jesus. If you have faith in him he has calmed the storms of your heart,  has rescued you from despair and from the fear of judgment. What should be our response? Verse 31: “Let [us] thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! Let [us] extol him in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders” (Psalm 107:31–32, ESV). 

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Conclusion

Verses 33 through 43 bring this Psalm to a marvelous conclusion. The pattern of calamity, cry for mercy, salvation, and thanksgiving is dropped in this section. Here the Psalmist exults the LORD as he testifies to God’s ability, not only to rescue sinners from calamity, but to provide them with true refuge, stability, and prosperity. 

This conclusion is truly beautiful. It is probably worthy of a sermon all its own. As I read it, listen for allusions to other biblical stories from the history of God’s redeeming acts. Truly, it is God’s sovereignty that is here being emphasized. He is able to deliver his people, and he will surely do it. 

For our God “turns rivers into a desert, springs of water into thirsty ground, a fruitful land into a salty waste, because of the evil of its inhabitants. He turns a desert into pools of water, a parched land into springs of water. And there he lets the hungry dwell, and they establish a city to live in; they sow fields and plant vineyards and get a fruitful yield. By his blessing, they multiply greatly, and he does not let their livestock diminish. When they are diminished and brought low through oppression, evil, and sorrow, he pours contempt on princes and makes them wander in trackless wastes; but he raises up the needy out of affliction and makes their families like flocks. The upright see it and are glad, and all wickedness shuts its mouth. Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things; let them consider the steadfast love of the LORD.” (Psalm 107:33–43, ESV)

 What a marvelous exhortation this: “Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things; let them consider the steadfast love of the LORD.” 

Brothers and sisters, will you consider God’s steadfast love today?

Consider his covenant faithfulness shown to Israel to redeem them from Egypt and from Babylone. 

Consider his covenant faithfulness to bring the Christ into the world through them, and to bless the nations of the earth through him. 

Consider the grace that he has bestowed upon you in Christ Jesus to redeem you from all despair. 

And as you consider these things, consider also this: God has rescued you from all despair by reconciling you to himself so that you might take refuge, comfort, and satisfaction in him. It is hard to put into words, but we must not forget that the greatest blessing is not what we have been rescued from, but what we have been rescued to, namely, the enjoyment of God forever and ever. For God’s redeemed will dwell securely in him. They will flourish in him. They will be satisfied in him for all eternity. 

That is what this Psalm is about. Yes, Israel was redeemed from Babylonian captivity and was brought back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple where the glory of God was manifest in the midst of the people. But that was a picture of something much greater — our redemption in Jesus Christ, the new heavens and new earth, the heavenly Jerusalem, the eschatological temple of God. 

John saw a vision of this heavenly temple. “The angel showed [him] the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.” (Revelation 22:1–5, ESV)

“Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things; let them consider the steadfast love of the LORD”, and let us be moved to thankfulness and to praise. 

New Testament Reading: Mark 2:23–28

“One Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. And the Pharisees were saying to him, ‘Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?’ And he said to them, ‘Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God, in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?’ And he said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.’” (Mark 2:23–28, ESV)

Old Testament Reading: Psalm 92

“A PSALM. A SONG FOR THE SABBATH. It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night, to the music of the lute and the harp, to the melody of the lyre. For you, O LORD, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy. How great are your works, O LORD! Your thoughts are very deep! The stupid man cannot know; the fool cannot understand this: that though the wicked sprout like grass and all evildoers flourish, they are doomed to destruction forever; but you, O LORD, are on high forever. For behold, your enemies, O LORD, for behold, your enemies shall perish; all evildoers shall be scattered. But you have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox; you have poured over me fresh oil. My eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies; my ears have heard the doom of my evil assailants. The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the LORD; they flourish in the courts of our God. They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green, to declare that the LORD is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.” (Psalm 92, ESV)

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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

Introduction

The title of this Psalm is A Psalm, A Song For The Sabbath. 

And while it is true that this Psalm may well be sung on any day of the week, we will soon see that this Psalm is particularly fitting for the Sabbath day. 

This Psalm moves the worshipper to exult the LORD. It compels us to exult the LORD by giving him thanks and praise. We are to exult the LORD by remembering his marvelous works — his work of creation and his work of redemption. We are to exult the LORD by considering his righteous judgment of the wicked, and that grace that he has bestowed on the upright. Indeed, the upright will flourish in the LORD forever and ever. This Psalm acknowledges this and gives all glory to God.

As I have said, this Psalm may be well sung on any day of the week, but it is particularly fitting for the Sabbath day, for the Sabbath day is designed for this. The Sabbath day was made to be a day to reflect upon God, his marvelous works, the abundant life that is found in him, and to give him thanks and praise. Truly, this is a song for the Sabbath, for the themes of this Psalm are to be the themes of our heart always, but especially on the Sabbath day.

Truly one of the saddest things to witness in the church today is the neglect of the Sabbath day. It is sad, for God is disobeyed and dishonored by his people when they neglect the Sabbath. But it is also sad because God’s peoples miss out on something truly good and beneficial when they neglect the Sabbath. 

God instituted the Sabbath at the time of creation. Even before sin entered the world Adam was to work six days, rest from his labors, and worship on the seventh day in imitation of his Maker. The Sabbath day signified God’s eternal rest and it was an invitation to Adam to enter that rest by keeping the terms of the covenant that God transacted with him. Work faithfully and enter into rest, was the message. So, the tree of life and the Sabbath day both functioned in this way: they called to Adam to advance beyond his natural condition. The Sabbath called Adam to enter into God’s rest through obedience. The tree of life called him to lay hold of eternal life by keeping the terms of the covenant that God transacted with him. 

Adam failed, this we know. He broke the covenant and the way to the tree of life was cut off from him and all of his descendants. But the Sabbath remained. Think of that. The Sabbath remained after man’s fall into sin. And so after man’s fall into sin, the weekly seventh-day Sabbath functioned in two ways. It functioned as a perpetual reminder that Adam failed to enter the rest that God had offered to him (so in this way the Sabbath condemned). But it also communicated that rest — eternal rest in God — was by God’s grace still available (so in this way the Sabbath brought hope). 

Israel was to honor the Sabbath day and keep it holy on the seventh day. Why? Because our salvation still needed to be earned! Work and thus enter into rest was the message of the seventh-day Sabbath. And the work of redemption was yet to be accomplished. And so the people of Israel, and the Patriarchs before them, were to keep the seventh-day Sabbath holy. 

And what were they to do on the seventh day? How were they to honor it and keep it holy? One, they were to rest from their ordinary labors. Two, they were to assemble together — this is what Leviticus 23:3 means when it calls the Sabbath day “a holy convocation.” And three, they were to worship the LORD and give thanks to him as they considered his marvelous works in creation and also redemption. The Psalm that we are considering today proves this. This Psalm was written for the Sabbath day. And its themes are particularly fitting for the day. 

Dear brothers and sisters, the scriptures are so very clear that the Sabbath is still to be kept holy by the people of God today. Consider briefly these five points which prove that the Sabbath day is permanent until the consummation.  

One, the Sabbath command was given, not to Abraham or Israel originally, but to Adam. The Sabbath was not only for Old Covenant Israel, therefore, but for all humanity descended from Adam. 

Two when the Sabbath command was delivered to Israel formally it was not grouped amongst the ceremonial laws unique to that nation but was positioned at the very heart of the Ten Commandments, which are a summary of God’s moral law applying to all people in all times and places. Yes, there are some things ceremonial and unique to Old Covenant Israel found within those Ten Commandments. But the moral and unchanging law of God is at the heart of those Ten Words. The first four commandments are about the worship of God. The fourth is about the time of worship. God is to be worshipped, and one day out of every seven is to be set aside as holy for rest and worship. This law is abiding, for it is rooted in creation. 

Three, the thing symbolized by the Sabbath, namely eternal rest in God, is not yet here in fullness, and therefore the Sabbath must remain. It remains because it has not yet been fulfilled in full. Stated differently, how could the Sabbath pass away if what it signifies, namely, eternal rest in God, has not yet come?

Four, though it is true that Sabbath remains, it is also true that the Sabbath has changed. The legal strictness imposed upon the people of Israel regarding the Sabbath has been removed. And the day has also changed. The Sabbath day is no longer the seventh day, but the first. The pattern of six and one remains, but the day has changed. And there is a very good reason for this! The Sabbath day has moved forward because the accomplishment of God’s plan of redemption has moved forward. The Christ has come. Unlike the first Adam, he accomplished the work that the Father gave him to do. He earned the salvation of God’s elect. He won the victory. He himself has entered into rest, being seated now at the Father’s right hand, and we have entered into his rest spiritually as we await the full and final consummation of all things in the new heaven and earth. In the meantime, we are to honor Sabbath day and keep it holy. But the Sabbath is to be kept on the first day (or the eighth day) and not the seventh, for the work of redemption has been accomplished by Jesus the Christ. And so now we work, not to enter rest, but out of the rest that Christ has secured for us. In other words, for those who live under the Covenant of Grace, our work (obedience) flows out of the work that Christ has done on our behalf. 

Five, the New Testament teaches that the Sabbath day remains for the New Covenant people of God. Christ did not throw the Sabbath away but taught us how to properly observe it. The Apostles of Christ and the early church did not abandon the Sabbath but kept it on the first day, which is called the Lord’s Day. And in Hebrews 4:9 we are explicitly told that a Sabbath-keeping remains under the New Covenant. There we read, “So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God,” (Hebrews 4:9, ESV). And if you follow along with the argument being developed in Hebrews, and carefully consider the Greek term, which is in the ESV translated as “Sabbath rest”, you will see that the writer to the Hebrews teaches that a Sabbath-keeping remains for the people of God. The Greek word is σαββατισμός. It refers to “a special religiously significant period for rest and worship—‘a Sabbath rest, a period of rest” (Louw Nida, 67.185). So then, Hebrews 4:9 teaches that a Sabbath resting, or a religious observance of the Sabbath day, remains under the New Covenant for the people of God. God’s people are to worship God, and one day in seven is still to be set apart as holy unto him. 

So, when we come to Psalm 92 we are not only to ask, what did the Old Covenant saints do on the Sabbath day? What was on their minds? And what was on their lips? No, we are to go beyond this and ask,  what are we to do on the Sabbath day? What should be on our minds and on our lips? For a Sabbath-keeping does in fact remain for the people of God today. Psalm 92 will be a great help to us, therefore, as we seek to align the themes of our heart to the themes of the Sabbath day.

Notice four things in Psalm 92. One, the Lord’s Day Sabbath is a day for giving thanks and praise to God. Two, it is a day for contemplating the marvelous works of God. Three, it is a day for gaining perspective. And four, the Lord’s Day Sabbath is a day for celebrating the salvation that is ours in Christ Jesus.  

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A Day For Giving Thanks And Praise To God (v. 1-3)

 In verses 1 through 3 we see that the Sabbath day is a day for giving thanks and praise to God. 

“It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night, to the music of the lute and the harp, to the melody of the lyre” (Psalm 92:1–3, ESV).

Not only is it right to give thanks and praise to the LORD, but the Psalmist also says that it is good. 

One, it is good to thank the LORD for his kindness and to praise his most holy name, for this is right. It is wrong to live in God’s world, to enjoy his blessings, and fail to give him thanks. But it is right, and therefore good, to thank him for his loving-kindness and tender mercies. 

Two, it is good to give thanks and praise to the Lord, for this is pleasing to God. It is always pleasing to God when his people give him thanks and praise. But it is especially pleasing to him when his people give him thanks and praise on the Sabbath day, for he has set this day apart for this very purpose. It is a day for thanksgiving and for worship. 

And three, it is good to give thanks and praise to the LORD, because it is also good for us. It is good for the human soul, for we were made to worship our Maker, and indeed our hearts are kept healthy and pure when they are filled with gratitude towards God and kept from all covetousness and discontentment. 

Yes, we should give thanks to God always, but especially on the Lord’s Day Sabbath. When we come into the house of the Lord, and when we hear the call to worship read, it should remind us that this is a day for thanksgiving and for praise. 

Truly, “It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to [his] name”, for he is “Most High”. That is what the LORD is called at the end of verse 1. He is Most High. What a marvelous name for God! He is LORD Most High. He is the Creator of Heaven and Earth. None may be compared with him. What a fitting name for God, and especially on the Sabbath Day, for on this day we do assemble together to give praise to God who is Sovereign overall. 

In particular, we are to thank him for his steadfast love and faithfulness. “It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to your name, O Most High…”  Verse 2: “to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night.”

God’s love is not like our love. Our love ebbs and flows, is sometimes hot and other times cold. But God’s love is steadfast and constant, for God is love. God hates with perfect and holy hatred all that is evil, and he loves with pure love all that is good. In his mercy and grace, he has determined to set his love on sinners such as you and me, having washed us clean by the shed blood of the Messiah. And his love is steadfast. God does not change his mind. He is faithful to his people and to keep all of his promises.  

The Lord’s Day Sabbath is a day to remember this and to give God thanks and praise. This we are to do “morning” and “night”. In other words, this we are to do all day on the Sabbath day. The day — the whole day — is to be set apart as holy unto the Lord. No, this does not mean that the whole day is to be spent with the church and in corporate worship, but it does mean that the whole day should be regarded as holy, that is, set apart as unique unto God. 

Our confession captures this idea when it says in 2LBC 22.8, “The sabbath is then kept holy unto the Lord, when men, after a due preparing of their hearts, and ordering their common affairs a-forehand, do not only observe a holy rest all day, from their own works, words and thoughts, about their worldly employment and recreations, but are also taken up the whole time in the public and private exercises of his worship, and in the duties of necessity and mercy.”

Brothers and Sisters, the Lord’s Day Sabbath is a holy day ( is not a common day). It is a day to rest from our ordinary work and recreations. But it is also a day for worship, both public and private. We are to honor this day. We are to keep it holy. And this will require thoughtfulness and preparation. To prepare for the Lord’s Day Sabbath we must take care of business during the other days of the week. And thoughtfulness is also required. When planning activities besides corporate worship on the Lord’s Day we should ask, does this activity serve the purpose of the day, or does it detract and distract from it. 

The Lord’s Day Sabbath — all of it — is, among other things, a day for offering up thanksgiving and praise to our God. This we are to do in our minds and hearts. This we are to do in prayer. This we are to do in our conversations with one another. And this we are to do through song. “It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night, to the music of the lute and the harp, to the melody of the lyre” (Psalm 92:1–3, ESV). We sing when we assemble. But we should also sing when we are alone and with our families. 

God’s people have always been a singing people. Yes, we are to pray. But we are also to sing. Singing engages the emotions and expresses the heart in a way that plain words do not. Think of it! Human beings can sing! What a marvelous ability this is! And we are to use this ability to offer up prayers of thanksgiving and praise to God from the depths of our soul. Sing, brothers and sisters. Sing every day, but especially on the Lord’s Day Sabbath, for this is a day for thanksgiving and praise.   

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A Day For Contemplating The Marvelous Works Of God (vs. 4-5)

Secondly, the Sabbath day is a day for contemplating the works of God. 

Look at verses 4 and 5. “For you, O LORD, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy. How great are your works, O LORD! Your thoughts are very deep!” (Psalm 92:4–5, ESV)

The Sabbath day is a day for contemplating the works of God. You know how life goes. On the other six days of the week, our heads are often down and our eyes fixated upon our own work. And yes, we should be disciplined to contemplate the works of God on those days too, but the Sabbath day was made for this. On the Lord’s Day Sabbath we are to cease from our work so that we might contemplate God’s work! And this song for the Sabbath encourages us to do that very thing. It is a day when we are invited to lift our eyes up from our worldly work and recreations (and no, worldly does not here mean sinful, but earthly and common), and to fix our eyes on God’s work. And God’s work must be considered in three ways.

 One, we must contemplate God’s work of creation. Lift up your eyes on the Sabbath day and consider the world that God has made. Indeed, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge” (Psalm 19:1–2, ESV). Read God’s world-book on the Sabbath day and give God praise!  

Two, we must contemplate God’s work of providence and preservation. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth, and now he upholds it! God governs this world. He is accomplishing his eternal decree. And he is upholding life — all life, yours, and mine.  All of this he does according to his will and through Jesus Christ the risen Son, for “he is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:15–17, ESV). So, when you contemplate the works of God on the Sabbath day, do not forget about God’s work of providence.

Three, we must also contemplate God’s work of redemption on the Sabbath day. Yes, Adam and Eve were to keep the Sabbath day holy in the garden before sin entered the world. When they kept the Sabbath they were to contemplate God’s work of creation and providence. And yes, they were to look forward to the rest — the eternal and consummate rest — that God had offered to them in the Covenant of Works. But this rest was to be earned by them. So no, they did not contemplate God’s work of redemption on the Sabbath day, for redemption presupposes sin. But Adam and Eve, and all of the faithful who descended from them, did contemplate God’s work of redemption on the Sabbath day beginning with that first proclamation of the gospel in the curse that was pronounced upon the serpent in the words, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel” (Genesis 3:15, ESV). So at that moment, the Sabbath was imbued with new significance. Man fell into sin and death, but by God’s grace, eternal rest was still available. It was available, not through the work of man, but through the work of God in the accomplishment of our redemption. When Adam kept the Sabbath day on the seventh day he was reminded of what he came short of, and he was also reminded of the gracious promise of God concerning a redeemer. 

This was true for all of the faithful who honored the Sabbath day from Adam to Christ. They were reminded of what Adam came short of, but they were also reminded of the redemption that promised. And as God’s redemptive purposes unfolded in human history the people had more and more to contemplate regarding God’s work of redemption. Once God called Abraham and transacted that covenant with him, there was more to contemplate. And once God led Israel out of Egypt through Moses and entered into covenant with them, there was more to contemplate. And when God set David on the throne and transacted a covenant with him, there was more to contemplate. Ever since man’s fall into sin the Sabbath day has been a day to contemplate the works of God — his work of creation, providence, and also redemption. 

But think of how blessed we are, brothers and sisters, to live on this side of the accomplishment of our redemption by Jesus the Christ! Yes, all of the faithful living before Christ were able to contemplate God’s work of redemption on the Sabbath day. But they knew so very little compared to what we know. How exactly God would accomplish our redemption through the Christ was mysterious to them. But for those living after Christ, the mystery has been revealed. We can see with perfect clarity the work that God has done, for Christ has accomplished it, and we have his Word and Spirit. What exactly our eternal Sabbath rest will be like is still a mystery to us. Do you know what the new heavens and earth will be like? I don’t. The scriptures tell us some things, but it is hard for me to imagine. But our redemption in Christ has been accomplished. The work of our redemption has been done, and we are to contemplate it on the Lord’s Day Sabbath, for he is risen… he is risen indeed.   

As I was writing this portion of the sermon I was struck again by how tragic it is that Christians today are taught that there no longer remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. Think of what these Christians are missing out on when they neglect the Sabbath day! They have gotten ahead of themselves. They have stopped observing the Sabbath day before entering into the eternal rest of which the Sabbath is a sign. And when they do, they miss out on something truly wonderful — an opportunity to contemplate the work of God in creation, providence, and redemption, and to delight in his power and wisdom. 

Indeed, the Sabbath day is a day for singing these words: “For you, O LORD, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy. How great are your works, O LORD! Your thoughts are very deep!” (Psalm 92:4–5, ESV).

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A Day For Gaining Perspective

Thirdly, the Sabbath day is a day for gaining perspective.

I have used this little phrase to sum up all that is said in verses 6 through 9. There we read, “The stupid man cannot know; the fool cannot understand this: that though the wicked sprout like grass and all evildoers flourish, they are doomed to destruction forever; but you, O LORD, are on high forever. For behold, your enemies, O LORD, for behold, your enemies shall perish; all evildoers shall be scattered.” (Psalm 92:6–9, ESV)

Stated differently, on the Sabbath day we consider in a positive way God’s eternal rest and how those who take refuge in the Messiah will enter into and enjoy God’s eternal rest forever and ever. But in a negative way the faithful of God also remember that the wicked will not enter into his rest. 

As I have said, the Sabbath day cuts in both ways. When we observe it we remember the rest that is to come. It is the rest that Christ has entered into and secured for us. But when we observe the Sabbath day, we are also reminded that we have not yet entered into this rest, and the wicked will never enter in. 

Verse 6 says, “The stupid man cannot know; the fool cannot understand this…” (Psalm 92:6, ESV). The word “stupid” here is not being used as an insult, but to describe one who is foolish or senseless. The “stupid man” is the man or woman who is blind to these spiritual and eternal realities. He is the “fool” who lacks understanding.

And what does the fool not understand? That “though the wicked sprout like grass and all evildoers flourish, they are doomed to destruction forever…” (Psalm 92:7, ESV).

I have said that the Sabbath day is a day for gaining perspective. And here is the perspective that people of God must gain and maintain as they sojourn in this world: the wicked will sometimes prosper. Evildoers sometimes flourish. But they will soon come to an end, and they will be doomed to destruction forever. Therefore, “Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb” (Psalm 37:1–2, ESV).

Just a month or so ago the grass was green on the hills surrounding our town, but after just a few days of hot weather, the grass withered. And so it will be with the wicked. Learn this lesson, brothers and sisters. Do not envy the wicked when they prosper! Learn this lesson, young people. Do not be fooled by the rich and famous. They will soon go down into the grave. And if they are not in Christ, they will be tormented forever in hell. Do not envy them. Do not be enticed by them. Do not be afraid of them. Fear the Lord and honor him. Go the way of the righteous who, though they may suffer in this world, will flourish in God’s house forever and ever. 

Gain this perspective, brothers and sisters. And what better day to get it than the Sabbath day! For on this day we remember God’s eternal rest, how mankind has failed to enter it, but that God has graciously provided a way.

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A Day For Celebrating The Salvation That Is Ours In Christ Jesus (vs. 10-15)

And that brings us quite naturally to the last point of this sermon. The Lord’s Day Sabbath is a day for celebrating the salvation that is ours in Christ Jesus. 

Now, this last point does overlap a bit with the point that was made earlier regarding the contemplation of God’s work of redemption on the Sabbath day, but it is not exactly the same. Here I wish to be even more specific. On the Sabbath day, we are to remember that our salvation has been earned by Jesus Christ, God’s anointed King. And we are to look forward to the full and final enjoyment of our salvation in the new heavens and new earth. 

Verses 10 through 15 speak to these things. 

In verses 10 and 11 we are reminded that our salvation is accomplished by God’s anointed and victorious King. 

There we read, “But you have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox; you have poured over me fresh oil. My eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies; my ears have heard the doom of my evil assailants” (Psalm 92:10–11, ESV).

This is kingly language. These are the words of a king of Israel (perhaps David) speaking of the victory he has won over his enemies. His horn is exalted like that of the wild ox. This means that he is powerful and victorious. He says that the LORD poured fresh oil over him. This is the language of anointing. David was anointed as King of Israel, and the Savior of God’s people would be the Anointed One, the Christ, or Messiah). And this Anointed King of God has “seen the downfall of [his] enemies” and has “heard the doom of [his] evil assailants.” 

In verses 10 and 11 the victory of God’s anointed King is contrasted with the doom and destruction of the wicked as described in verses 6 through 9. So the wicked, though they may prosper momentarily, will be destroyed in the end. And they will be destroyed by this Anointed One of God. 

Who is this Anointed One? Well, typologically he is King David, or some other King of Israel who descended from him. But ultimately, the Anointed King is Jesus Christ, the promised son of David. When Zechariah gave praise to God concerning the birth of his son, John the Baptist, and the arrival of Israel’s Messiah, he said, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David…” (Luke 1:68–69, ESV). Yes, David was anointed as Israel’s king. Yes David’s horn was exulted “like that of the wild ox”. Yes, David won the victory over all of his and Israel’s earthly enemies. But David did not earn our salvation. David did not defeat sin, Satan, and death. But his Son would, Christ Jesus the Lord. And that is what this Psalm is about, ultimately. 

And it is because Christ has won the victory that (verse 12) “The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the LORD; they flourish in the courts of our God. They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green, to declare that the LORD is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him” (Psalm 92:12–15, ESV).

Here the flourishing of God’s people is contrasted with the doom of the wicked. The wicked flourish for a time, but in the end they wither away. But God’s people — those made righteous through faith in the redeemer — “flourish like the Palm tree and grow like a ceder”. What a contrast to the seasonal grasses which cover the hills is Israel just as they cover ours. The wild grasses are green, but only for a very short time. The heat of summer consumes them. But the palm and cedar are ever green. The Palm bears fruit in old age, and the cedar is ever full of sap and strength. 

And where are these trees said to be planted? “In the house of the LORD; they flourish in the courts of our God”. And what do they do there? They give glory to God, declaring “that the LORD is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.” 

Again, this must be interpreted on two levels. One, we are to think of the Kingdom of Israel under David. It is right for us to consider the way that the righteous did prosper in David’s victorious kingdom. In those days the righteous flourished in the house of the LORD, in the courts of God. But that king, kingdom, and tabernacle were prototypes of a much greater King, Kingdom and Temple that was to come. Christ is the victorious King. His is the Kingdom of Heaven. And the Temple wherein the righteous will flourish forever and ever is the new heavens and earth, which he has secured by his shed blood and his resurrection from the dead.        

Stated succinctly, on the Lord’s Day Sabbath we are to remember and celebrate God’s anointed and victorious King, and what it is that he has earned for us: eternal life in God’s eschatological temple wherein we will rest in him for all eternity, offering up to God the fruit of praise, declaring that he is upright, he is our rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.      

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Conclusion

Brothers and sisters, keep the Lord’s Day Sabbath holy. Set this day apart for rest and for worship. From morning to night make this song the song of your heart.  Giving thanks and praise to God on this day. Contemplate God’s marvelous. Get perspective. And celebrating the salvation that is ours in Christ Jesus. For he is risen… he is risen indeed.