New Testament Reading: 1 Peter 5:6–11

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (1 Peter 5:6–11, ESV)

Old Testament  Reading: Psalm 38

“A PSALM OF DAVID, FOR THE MEMORIAL OFFERING. O LORD, rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath! For your arrows have sunk into me, and your hand has come down on me. There is no soundness in my flesh because of your indignation; there is no health in my bones because of my sin. For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me. My wounds stink and fester because of my foolishness, I am utterly bowed down and prostrate; all the day I go about mourning. For my sides are filled with burning, and there is no soundness in my flesh. I am feeble and crushed; I groan because of the tumult of my heart. O Lord, all my longing is before you; my sighing is not hidden from you. My heart throbs; my strength fails me, and the light of my eyes—it also has gone from me. My friends and companions stand aloof from my plague, and my nearest kin stand far off. Those who seek my life lay their snares; those who seek my hurt speak of ruin and meditate treachery all day long. But I am like a deaf man; I do not hear, like a mute man who does not open his mouth. I have become like a man who does not hear, and in whose mouth are no rebukes. But for you, O LORD, do I wait; it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer. For I said, ‘Only let them not rejoice over me, who boast against me when my foot slips!’ For I am ready to fall, and my pain is ever before me. I confess my iniquity; I am sorry for my sin. But my foes are vigorous, they are mighty, and many are those who hate me wrongfully. Those who render me evil for good accuse me because I follow after good. Do not forsake me, O LORD! O my God, be not far from me! Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!” (Psalm 38, 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

Psalm 38 may be categorized as a “Psalm of lament”, or a Psalm of sorrow. This is one of the reasons that the Psalms are so loved. They express the whole range of human emotion. There is a Psalm for every season of life, therefore. There are Psalms of praise, thanksgiving, and confidence. But there are also Psalms of lament. And this is because life is not always easy for God’s people. God’s people do sometimes suffer in this world. There is such a thing as “the dark night of the soul”. And Psalms of lament can help us to run to God in the midst of our suffering. These Psalms may help us to “Humble [ourselves]… under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt [us]”. They help us to cast our anxieties on him, and to remember that he cares for us. 

Notice, this is what David does in Psalm 38. He runs to the Lord in his affliction. After expressing his sorrow he acknowledges God’s presence, saying in verse 9, “O Lord, all my longing is before you; my sighing is not hidden from you.” And then in verse 15 he reasserts his faith, saying, “But for you, O LORD, do I wait; it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer.” As I have said, Psalms of lament show us how to run to God and to wait on the LORD in the midst of our suffering.  

Psalm 38 is a Psalm of lament. But we might classify this Psalm with even greater precision as a “penitential Psalm”. Penitential Psalms are Psalms of repentance (there are seven such Psalms — 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, and 143). As we analyze this Psalm together it will become clear that in this instance David’s suffering had something to do with David’s sin. And so David to runs to God in his suffering, but does also repent. And this is also helpful for the people of God, for God’s people do struggle with sin as they sojourn in this world. And sometimes our sin does bring about suffering. In this Psalm, we learn that even when our suffering is the result of our sin — even as we languish under the chastisement of the Lord —  even still we are to run to God and not from him. 

So, Psalm 38 is a penitential Psalm of lament.

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In Humility Confess Your Sin And Run To The Lord To Receive Mercy And Grace (vs. 1-4)

Look with me now at verses 1 through 4 where the Psalmist says, “O LORD, rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath! For your arrows have sunk into me, and your hand has come down on me. There is no soundness in my flesh because of your indignation; there is no health in my bones because of my sin. For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me.” (Psalm 38:1–4, ESV)

In this instance, David knew that his suffering was the consequence of his sin. What sin of David brought about this suffering? We do not know for sure. The text does not say. Perhaps it was one of the sins of David recorded in the pages of Holy Scripture, or perhaps it was another sin. We simply do not know. But we do know that David was suffering and that David knew that this suffering was the consequence of his sin. 

Sometimes our sins have natural consequences. The sin of lying will often naturally lead to fractured relationships. The sin of fornication may lead to disease. Sin is often accompanied by natural consequences.      

Our sins always have spiritual consequences. When the people of God sin the Spirit of God is grieved within them. Sometimes our sin will lead us into seasons of doubt and despair. 

And sometimes we are able to discern that the suffering we are enduring, be it physical or spiritual,  is in fact God’s discipline upon us. 

Please notice that I said “sometimes”. The scriptures are very clear that not all suffering is the direct consequence of some sin that we have committed. There is a whole book of the Bible that has this as one of its major themes — the book of Job. And certainly, we could pile up examples from scripture and from the history of men and women who suffered in the flesh though they were doing right in God’s sight. Christ is of course the supreme example of this. So it is not always possible to draw a straight line between our suffering and some particular sin that we have committed. Suffering is not always the chastisement of the Lord. Sometimes we simply suffer because we live in a fallen world and because God wishes to refine through the suffering, to bring us some good, and to glorify his name. So we should not assume that every ache and pain, every sniffle, every heartache and sorrow of life is the Lord’s discipline upon us. We may say that it is the Lord’s will, for nothing happens apart from his will (there is purpose and meaning in everything, therefore). And we may say that it is the sanctifying work of the Lord. Yes, the Lord is always sanctifying, or refining, his people. But we must not say that every bit of suffering we endure is the Lord’s chastisement. I think you can see how problematic it would be to think in this way.     

But in this instance (whatever the circumstances were) David was able to draw a straight line between his suffering and his sin. He knew that the Lord was chastising him at this moment. He knew that his affliction was the discipline of the Lord. Hear again verse 3: “There is no soundness in my flesh because of your indignation [anger]; there is no health in my bones because of my sin. For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me.” And in verse 2 David confessed that this suffering was in fact the discipline of the LORD, saying, “For your arrows have sunk into me, and your hand has come down on me.” And this is why in verse 1 David cried out for mercy, saying, “O LORD, rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath!” 

We know that God will never pour out his wrath on those he loves, that is, on those who have taken refuge in Christ. But that did not stop David from praying in this way, and neither should it stop us. It is right for us to say, Lord, we know that we deserve your wrath, but have mercy on us for Christ’s sake. Lord, be gracious to us in Jesus’ name. “Rebuke [us] not in your anger, nor discipline [us] in your wrath!” Have mercy Lord. And we know that he will if we are in Christ Jesus, for Christ endured the wrath of God in our place. In Christ, we are washed. In Christ, we are covered. His righteousness has been applied to us through faith.

But never should we forget that God disciplines those he loves. As Hebrews 12:6 says, “The Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives” (Hebrews 12:6, ESV). We must never forget this. We must never despise the discipline of the Lord. Though it is true that “for the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant”, we are to remember that “later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:11, ESV). Never will God pour out his wrath on those in Christ, but he will discipline those who are his. 

Here in verses 1 through 4 David confesses his sin and acknowledges that his suffering is the result of his sin. He was experiencing the natural consequences of his actions (whatever they were). And more than this, the LORD was disciplining him through the suffering. 

But do not miss this one fact: David ran to the LORD and not away from him even as endured the LORD’s chastisement. The Psalm begins with the words, “O LORD”. What did David do when the LORD disciplined him? He ran to the LORD and cried out to him for grace and mercy. And here is the difference between the faithful and the unfaithful, the righteous and the wicked. When the wicked endure God’s judgment they flee from the LORD. But those who have been made righteous by the blood of the Lamb endure God’s discipline, they know it is in love, and so they run to the LORD, who is their heavenly Father.  

[SLIDE] And so this is the first point of the sermon for today. When the LORD chastises you, do not run from the Lord, but in humility confess your sin and run to the Lord to receive mercy and grace (vs. 1-4)

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Bring Your Suffering To The Lord, For He Cares For You (vs. 5-8)

Let us go now to verses 5 through 8 where we read, “My wounds stink and fester because of my foolishness, I am utterly bowed down and prostrate; all the day I go about mourning. For my sides are filled with burning, and there is no soundness in my flesh. I am feeble and crushed; I groan because of the tumult of my heart.” (Psalm 38:5–8, ESV)

So it appears that David was both physically and spiritually afflicted. And this affliction, as I have already said, with the result of sin. Here David says that it was “because of my foolishness”. Sin is foolish. When we sin against God we exchange that which is good, beautiful, and life-giving for that which is ugly, detestable, and leads to death and decay. As David says elsewhere, “The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul… the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward” (Psalm 19:7, 9–11, ESV). Sin is folly. To live in disobedience to God’s commands is to choose the wrong path  — a path that leads only to death and destruction. David had gone down the path of folly. But because David belonged to the Lord, the Lord was faithful to discipline him so as to turn him around so that he might set his feet upon the right path again.    

I will say it again, it would be wrong to interpret every bit of suffering we endure as the Lord chastisement. But it would also be wrong to forget that the Lord does discipline those he loves. When we suffer, we should at least ask the question, what is the Lord teaching us through this suffering? How is he refining me? How is he working to strengthen me? I can tell you for certain that he is always about that work! But we should also ask this question, is there some sin in my life that I have not turned from so that this suffering that I am enduring may in fact be interpreted as the discipline of the Lord? 

There is always sin, brothers and sisters. We always come short of God’s law in thought, word, and deed. And I am not talking about those sins that you struggle with and struggle against. No, I am talking about unrepentant sin. Intentional sin. Sins committed with a high, arrogant, and rebellious hand. I hope you can see the difference. There is a difference between, let’s say, a mother being impatient with her children from time to time, recognizing her fault, confessing it to the Lord to seek his forgiveness and strength, and even asking her children for forgiveness. Did the mother sin when she was harsh with her children? Well, yes. But should we expect the Lord to chastise her? Well, no, for she responded with repentance when the Spirit of God convicted her. She judged herself according to the scriptures, recognized her failure, and amended her ways. This is the Christian life, friends. There is a great difference between that, and the one who professes faith in Christ running headlong into sin without any thought of turning. It breaks my heart to see that as a pastor, but I have witnessed it. And I have also watched the Lord chastise those who belong to him so as to humble them and finally bring them to true repentance.     

We should remember that David did at one point sin in this way. I am thinking here of his sin with Bathsheba. He sinned in a bad way. And for a time he did not acknowledge his sin but instead covered it so as to persist in it. And we know that the Lord brought him low so as to bring him to true repentance. Perhaps that is what Psalm 38 is about, but we do not know for sure.   

And we should remember what Paul said to the Corinthians regarding the connection between their unrepentant sin, the unworthy partaking of the Lord’s Supper, and their sickness. 

In 1 Corinthians 11:27, he says, “Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.” (1 Corinthians 11:27–32, ESV)

So why would the Lord give his children over to the natural consequences of their sin? Why would he chastise them with physical and spiritual afflictions? Doesn’t he love his children? Yes, he loves his children. And we know that he disciplines us because he loves us. He wishes to refine us. He uses afflictions to humble us. He does often wake us up from our sleepy slumber concerning the danger of sin by giving us over to its consequences for a time. 

The thing that I would like for you to see in verses 5 through 8 is that David did not grow hard-hearted and calloused as he endured the Lord’s disciple. [SLIDE] No, he brought his suffering to the Lord, knowing that the Lord cared for him. Not only did David confess his sin, he also confessed his suffering to the Lord in prayer, saying, “My wounds stink and fester because of my foolishness, I am utterly bowed down and prostrate; all the day I go about mourning”, etc. (Psalm 38:5–8, ESV). And we are to do the same, brothers and sisters. Confess your sins to Lord. Run to him for mercy and grace. And bring your suffering with you to lay it before his feet, knowing that he cares for you. “For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives” (Hebrews 12:6, ESV).

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Know That The Lord Is With You in The Midst Of Suffering (vs. 9-14)

In verses 9 through 14 we see that though David knew his suffering was the result of his sin, and though he knew that his suffering was the chastisement of the Lord, he also knew that the Lord was with him. And that is the third point of this sermon: [SLIDE] If you are in Christ you must never forget that the Lord is with you in the midst of suffering. This is true of the suffering that is unrelated to some particular sin. And this is even true of suffering that is the result of sin. If you are in Christ — if you have faith in him — then you must know for certain that the Lord is with you, for he has promised to “never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5, ESV). 

Let us now briefly consider verses 9 through 14 and notice that David knew the Lord was near.

In verses 9 we read, “O Lord, all my longing is before you; my sighing is not hidden from you” (Psalm 38:9, ESV). In other words, David knew that the Lord was not unaware. He knew that the Lord had not abandoned him, but was there with him. 

In verse 10 he says, “My heart throbs; my strength fails me, and the light of my eyes—it also has gone from me” (Psalm 38:10, ESV). I do not doubt that David was physically afflicted, but what he describes here is spiritual affliction. And this is what sin does to the soul. It hurts the heart, saps our strength, and darkens our outlook.

And in verse 11 David notes that his friends and companions did abandon him in his trial. He says, “My friends and companions stand aloof from my plague, and my nearest kin stand far off” (Psalm 38:11, ESV). This verse is very significant. You should notice that it is at the heart of this Psalm. Also, you should notice that this verse is alluded to in Luke 22:49 which describes the experience of Jesus on the cross with the words, “And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things” (Luke 23:49, ESV). We will return to this observation at the end of this sermon. But for now, notice the contrast. The Lord was faithful to David even as his closest companions failed him. And so it is in life. Many have found that in times of trial and tribulation those who were thought to be friends prove only to be fair-weathered friends. 

Allow me to make a brief point of application before moving on. This must not be the case in Christ’s church. We must be faithful to God and to one another in Christ’s church. This will involve weeping with those who weep. This will involve walking with one another through the trials and tribulations of life. This will even involve patiently enduring one another’s weakness. We must show grace to one another, brothers and sisters. We must love “one another earnestly”, and we know that “love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8, ESV). This does not mean that love ignores sin. Nor does it mean that love tolerates unrepentant sin. No, unrepentant sin is not to be tolerated within Christ’s church. But it does mean that we are to forgive one another, bear with one another, be patient with one another, and walk alongside those who are suffering — yes, even if the suffering is self-induced. 

David’s friends abandoned him, but the Lord did not.

And then in verse 12, David mentions his enemies. “Those who seek my life lay their snares; those who seek my hurt speak of ruin and meditate treachery all day long” (Psalm 38:12, ESV). David’s enemies looked to capitalize on his weakness to overthrow him.

And finally, in verses 13 and 14 David describes his response.“But I am like a deaf man; I do not hear, like a mute man who does not open his mouth. I have become like a man who does not hear, and in whose mouth are no rebukes”. So weak was he that he could not respond. 

But again, the point is that David knew the Lord was with him. He was so very weak that he could not even speak in his own defense. His enemies were plotting against him. His friends had abandoned him. But he knew for certain that the Lord was with him. “O Lord, all my longing is before you; my sighing is not hidden from you”, he says. 

And this should bring great comfort to all who are in Christ Jesus. You must not interpret the trials and tribulations of life to mean that God has abandoned you. No, if you are in Christ, then God cannot abandon you, for he has determined to set his love upon you. This he has done, not because he regarded you as worthy, but according to his good pleasure. If he set his love upon you because he regarded you as worthy, then I suppose he could remove his love if you began to walk in an unworthy manner. But this is not the case. God has determined to set his love upon you, not because of anything in you, but according to the good pleasure of his will. He has set his love upon you, he has justified you, and he is sanctifying you, not because of your own merits, but because of Christ’s merit. And God is faithful. He will never leave you nor forsake you, for he has promised.

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Have The Lord As Your Only Hope (vs. 15-22)

Lastly, in verses 15 through 22 we find a most wonderful expression of faith. David’s hope was in the Lord and in the Lord only. And this must be true for you and me. [SLIDE] We must have the Lord as our only hope.

Listen carefully to his words: “But for you, O LORD, do I wait; it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer. For I said, ‘Only let them not rejoice over me, who boast against me when my foot slips!’ For I am ready to fall, and my pain is ever before me. I confess my iniquity; I am sorry for my sin. But my foes are vigorous, they are mighty, and many are those who hate me wrongfully. Those who render me evil for good accuse me because I follow after good. Do not forsake me, O LORD! O my God, be not far from me! Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!” (Psalm 38:15–22, ESV)

The question that I have is, where did David get this confidence? What made him think that he could cry out to God for mercy as he did in this Psalm. After all, he admits that his suffering was due to his sin. He deserved it, in other words. So on what basis did he plead for mercy, saying in verse 1, “O LORD, rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath!” Where did he get the confidence that the Lord was with him, saying in verse 9, “O Lord, all my longing is before you; my sighing is not hidden from you.” And why would he set his hope so firmly on the Lord, saying in verse 15, “But for you, O LORD, do I wait; it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer.” And on what basis does he make his final appeal in verses 21 and 22, saying, “Do not forsake me, O LORD! O my God, be not far from me! Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!”

The basis cannot be his own righteousness, for he admits that he had none. It was his own sin that brought this misery upon him. The basis for his hope could only be the gospel. David knew that the LORD was gracious. He knew that the LORD had promised to forgive all of his sins in the Messiah. He understood that the Lord was his salvation. And so he ran to the Lord for refuge, knowing that “blessed are all who take refuge in him” (Psalm 2:12, ESV).

Conclusion

I have told you before that the Psalms are all about Jesus the Christ. Yes, Psalm 38 was about David and his experience. We cannot ignore that. And yes, Psalm 38 does apply to us. We have experienced similar things, have we not? But above all, this Psalm is about Jesus the Christ. 

Notice two things: 

One, David could not appeal to God for mercy as he did, not have confidence that God was with him, not have the hope that the Lord was his Savior, apart from promises of God concerning a coming Messiah who would atone for all his sins. So in this sense Psalm 38 is about Jesus. The Christ is revealed here in this Psalm, for it is in Christ that David hopes. 

Secondly, this Psalm is about Jesus the Christ for Jesus experienced what David experienced but on a higher level and without committing sin. Jesus suffered as David suffered. Indeed, the very wrath of God was poured out on Jesus. He was abandoned by his friends. His enemies sought his destruction. And he did also trust in the Lord, just as David did. But Jesus the Christ is different in this respect — he suffered, not for his own sin, but for the sins of others. The sins of his elect were imputed to him, he endured the wrath of God (the wrath that David and you and I deserve), his friends abandoned him, his enemies prevailed over him, he died and was buried, but on the third day he rose again in victory, for he had earned our salvation. This Psalm is about Jesus. Every word spoken by David could be spoken by Jesus the Christ with the exception of these: “there is no health in my bones because of my sin. For my iniquities have gone over my head”, “My wounds stink and fester because of my foolishness”, and “I confess my iniquity; I am sorry for my sin.” But even these words, which belong properly only to David, and which may also belong to us, still illuminate the Christ, for they show that he suffered for sin — not his own sin, but the sins of those given to him by the Father — David’s sin, yours and mine, and all who will run to Christ the Savior for refuge.  

Read the Psalm again today, but read as if uttered by Christ, and you will see what I mean. With the exception of the confession of personal sin, these are the words of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the Son of God. And then labor to make this connection: these could only be the words of King David because they would also be the words of King Jesus. In other words, David, the anointed King, could only make this expression of hope as he suffered for his own sin because he knew that the Christ, God’s anointed one, would suffer in his place and atone for his sins to provide salvation for him.    

So let me conclude with four very brief suggestions for application. 

First of all, as you reflect upon Psalm 38 I pray that you are moved to carefully avoid sin seeing that sin does lead only to death and destruction. Up to this point, I have not said anything about the title of this Psalm. The ESV renders it, “FOR THE MEMORIAL OFFERING”. The KJV and NKJV say, “To Bring to Remembrance”. I think that is more the point. In Psalm 38 David remembers his sin, its destructiveness, and how the Lord was faithful to preserve and refine him through suffering. May we learn something from David’s remembrance. And may we also be disciplined to remember our own past. Do not forget how destructive sin is, brothers and sisters. Avoid it! But also, do not forget the faithfulness of the Lord. He is faithful to discipline those he loves.

Secondly, if you are in Christ Jesus, united to him by faith, may I exhort you to patiently endure suffering knowing that the Lord is with you? He is working to refine you through suffering, he will keep you, and in due time he will lift you up. The title of this sermon is, “For you, O LORD, do I wait”. And this is drawn from verse 15 where David says, “But for you, O LORD, do I wait; it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer” (Psalm 38:15, ESV). As God’s children, we must learn to wait patiently on the Lord and to know that God will answer. “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you…” (1 Peter 5:6, ESV).

Thirdly, may I exhort you to patiently endure the Lord’s chastisement. When God disciplines you, turn from the sin, brothers and sisters. Run to God through faith in Christ. And once there, wait on him. Endure his discipline knowing that he disciplines those he loves. Do not misinterpret the discipline of the Lord. If you are in Christ then God will discipline you because he loves you. This is a truth that is learned in homes where fathers and mothers are faithful to discipline their children in love. The children in homes like these learn from a young age that discipline and love are not contradictory. But I’m afraid that those who have grown up in abusive homes, or in homes where “love” meant “no discipline”, may have a more difficult time understanding this marvelous truth. They will have to learn it from the scriptures and in the church. God disciplines those he loves. The faithful know this. And they will run to God and not from him when he disciplines.      

Fourthly, and lastly, if you have not believed upon Christ for the forgiveness of you sin then I must plead with you to flee to Christ for refuge today. Yes, God is love. He is merciful, gracious, and kind. But if we are to come to him and stand right before him,  we must come to him through faith in the Savior that he has provided. Jesus taught this saying, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6, ESV). And in John 3:16-18 the matter is stated most clearly: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God” (John 3:16–18, ESV). Friends, we must run to Christ for refuge, for there is refuge found in no other but him.  

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Baptist Catechism 75-77

Q. 75. Which is the seventh commandment?

A. The seventh commandment is, “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” (Exodus 20:14)

Q. 76. What is required in the seventh commandment?

A. The seventh commandment requireth the preservation of our own and our neighbor’s chastity, in heart, speech, and behavior. (1 Cor. 6:18; 7:2; 2 Tim. 2:22; Matt. 5:28; 1 Peter 3:2)

Q. 77. What is forbidden in the seventh commandment?

A. The seventh commandment forbideth all unchaste thoughts, words, and actions. (Matt. 5:28-32; Job 31:1; Eph. 5:3,4; Rom. 13:13; Col. 4:6)

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 6:18–7:5

“Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: ‘It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.’ But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.” (1 Corinthians 6:18–7:5, 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.

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Before we can understand what the sin of adultery is, we must first understand God’s design for sexual relations. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And the pinnacle of God’s creation was man made in his image. As Genesis 1:27 says, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27, ESV). And in the beginning God did also institute marriage. As Genesis 2:24 says, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24, ESV). This one flesh union is spiritual. In the marriage covenant two lives become one. But it is also physical. Sexual union consummates the marriage bond. 

And this is where we must begin if we are to understand the seventh commandment, which is “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” God created sex, so it must be considered good. But like many other things, it is only good when enjoyed in a particular context. Wine is good, but it may be misused. Men and women do sin when they drink wine to the point of drunkenness. Money is good. But the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. And so to sex is good. But it may be misused, abused, and distorted. It is good when it is enjoyed by a man and women bound together in the covenant of marriage. 

When two who are unmarried engage in sexual relations, that is called forenication. Deuteronomy 22:28ff. speaks to the sin of fornication when it says, “If a man meets a virgin who is not betrothed, and seizes her and lies with her, and they are found, then the man who lay with her shall give to the father of the young woman fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife, because he has violated her. He may not divorce her all his days” (Deuteronomy 22:28–29, ESV). Now, we are not under the law of Moses as a civil law code, but we may learn from this law even still. It is fornication that is described here, and not adultery, for neither the man nor the woman were betrothed nor married. And penalty, you will notice, is not death but a fine. 

The sin of fornication is a serious sin. Sexual relations are to be reserved for marriage. But a more serious sin is the sin of adultery wherein one who is married lies with someone who is not their spouse. That adultery is a more serious sin is made clear from the punishment prescribed under the law of Moses. Again, we are not under the law of Moses as a civil law code, but we may learn something about the seriousness of the sin of adultery from what it says — the adulterer and the adulteress were to be put to death. Deuteronomy 22:22 says, “If a man is found lying with the wife of another man, both of them shall die, the man who lay with the woman, and the woman. So you shall purge the evil from Israel” (Deuteronomy 22:22, ESV). Don’t mess with the sin of adultery, brothers and sisters. It is so very destructive. 

And if were to go even further to discuss even greater acts of sexual perversion we would have to talk about the sins of besteality and finally homosexuality. Concerning the sin of homosexuality, Leviticus 18:22 says, “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination” (Leviticus 18:22, ESV). 

And the New Testament scriptures also speak against these sexual sins. Take for example 1 Corinthians 6:9, which says, “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:9–11, ESV).

So, as I have said, to understand the seventh commandment and the sin of adultery, we must first understand god’s design for sexual relations. God created sex to be enjoyed by a man and woman bound together for life in the covenant of marriage. All other sexual relations are a perversion of God’s design. Sexual immorality of all kinds is to be avoided, and especially the sin of adultery, for when the sin of adultery is committed, the marriage covenant, which is a very sacred thing, is broken. 

Can the adulterer be forgiven? Yes, of course. And so too can the homosexual, and the fornicator. Did you hear what Paul said to the Corinthains? After speaking of the sins of sexual immorality, adultery, and homosexuality (among other things), he said, “And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:11, ESV). “Such were some of you”, Paul said. And by this he indicated the Christians in Corinth were no longer these things, for they had turned from their sin. And more than this they were washed, sanctified, and justified, through faith in Jesus the Christ. 

You know, it is common for homosexuals and other sexully perverse people today to say, this is who I am. And there may be some truth to that. But look at what the scriptures say. Who you are needs to change! God is calling you to turn from your sins and to Christ. And in Christ there is cleansing, renewal, and the forgiveness of sins. Who would tolerate the liar, the thief, or the adulter excusing their sin saying, this is who I am? Well, perhaps it is true that you have a propensity towards these sins; and perhaps it is true that your deepest desires lead you in this direction; and perhaps this is now your way of life to the point that you can hardly distinguish between the sinful act and your very being, and so you say, this is who I am. But even still, God calls you to repent and to believe upon Christ for forgiveness and for renewal, so that it may be said of you, and such were you, “but you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:9–11, ESV).

The sin that is expressly forbidden in the seventh commandment is adultery. And adultery is forbidden because it is particularly damaging. Not only is it a perversion of God’s design for sexual relations, it is also the breaking of the sacred covenat of marriage. I do not need to describe to you the damage that the sin of adultery does to individual lives, to families, and to society. 

But as usual, our catechism helps us to see that the commandment is to be interpreted and applied broadly. Not only does the seventh commandment forbid the sin of adultery, it also requires “the preservation of our own and our neighbor’s chastity, in heart, speech, and behavior”, while forbidding “all unchaste thoughts, words, and actions.” The rest of the scriptures make it very clear that this is the proper interpretation and application of God’s moral law, “thou shalt not commit adultery.”

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Baptist Catechism 76 and 77

Not only does the seventh commandment forbid you from committing adultery, it requires that you seek to preserve your own and your neighbor’s chastity. Now there is an old fashioned word — chastity. It should not be old fashioned. It ought to still be on our minds and lips. To be chaste is to abstain from extramarital or premarital intercourse. The seventh commandment requires us to preserve our own chastity and also our neighbors. 

This means that men and women should be careful not to bring temptation to those around them. Being mindful of this will affect the way that you dress and the way that you talk.

This also means that husbands and wives should be generous with one another as it pertains to conjugal rights, for this does help to guard against temptation. You may read 1 Corinthians 6:18-7:5 against to see what I mean. Husbands and wives are to serve one another in this way. 

And notice also how our catechism applies the seventh commandment to the hearts, and not merely to our words and actions, saying, “The seventh commandment requireth the preservation of our own and our neighbor’s chastity, in heart, speech, and behavior”, and again, “The seventh commandment forbideth all unchaste thoughts, words, and actions.”

God’s commands are always to be applied to the heart, friends. You should know this by now. And this is why Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

Again I will tell you, Jesus was not saying something new here. Instead, he was giving the proper interpretation of the commandment. God’s law was always meant to be applied to the heart. Remember the summary of the law is to love God with all our being, and to love our neighbor as ourself. Here Christ is simply saying that the seventh commandment is to be kept from the heart. This was always the intent. 

And please don’t misunderstand his words. He is not saying that lust and adultery are the same thing. They are not. Adultery is far worse. But he is teaching that lust is adultery in the heart. Lust — that is, sexual desire for someone not your spouse — is adultery in seed form. It is not adultery full grown, but adultery in seed form. Root it out, brothers and sisters, before it is full grown. 

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Conclusion 

I will say it again, “Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:18–20, ESV)

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New Testament Reading: James 1:19-26 

“Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.” (James 1:19–26, ESV)

Old Testament  Reading: Psalm 19

“TO THE CHOIRMASTER. A PSALM OF DAVID. 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. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy. Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat. The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults. Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.” (Psalm 19, 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

God has spoken.

Let us think about that statement for a moment, for it is in fact the starting point of our faith and our religion. We believe that God has spoken.

By “God” we mean the one true God, the Triune God, the Creator of heaven and earth.   

And when we say that he “has spoken”, we mean that he has revealed himself to us. He has told us something about who he is, who we are, and what he requires of us. 

God has spoken. He has revealed himself to us. And he has made us in such a way that we are able to hear his voice. This too is a marvelous truth to consider. God has spoken and we have the ability to perceive and receive his revelation. This is a part of what it means to be made in the image of God. God has spoken, and we can hear his voice.

It should be clear to all that if God had not spoken — that is, if he had withheld all forms of revelation, then we could not know him, for he is above us and beyond us. We would be left to wander in the dark concerning our knowledge of God and our knowledge of self.  But because God has spoken, then he may be truly known. 

And how has God spoken to us? Well, in two ways. One, he has revealed something of himself to us in the world that he has made. God created the world in such a way that the creation testifies concerning him. And two, he has revealed himself to us by giving us his word — he has spoken through the prophets, through Christ who was and is the eternal Word of God come in the flesh, and through the scriptures. So God has provided us with two books, then. We have the world-book, and we have the word-book. These two books — the book of creation, and the book of scripture — are not at war with one another. No, both proclaim the truth concerning our Maker.  And the Christian is to happily read both books — the world-book, and the word-book.

Psalm 19 is about this. It is a celebration of, and response to, God’s revelation in nature and in scripture. In this Psalm David rightly handles both the book of nature, and the book of scripture, and then he rightly responds, saying, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.” (Psalm 19:14, ESV)

Perhaps you noticed that Psalm 19 feels like two Psalms squished together into one. Verse 1-6 are about the creation. In particular, they are about the sky. “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork”, says verse 1.  And then all of a sudden in verse 7 the focus shifts to the scriptures, saying, “The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple, etc.” (Psalm 19:7, ESV). 

The transition from the sky to the scriptures is very abrupt. So what is the theme that holds Psalm 19 together? The theme is revelation. The Psalmist is contemplating God’s revelation, first in creation, and secondly in the scriptures. And then he responds to God’s revelation in verses 12-14. 

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God Speaks To Us Through The Sky

First of all, let us consider verses 1-6 that God speaks to us through the sky. He reveals something of himself to us through the world that he has made. The sun, moon, and stars — indeed, all of creation — speak continuously to us concerning our Maker. 

The physical creation may be divided into three worlds. We may speak of the world of the oceans, the world of the land, and the world of the heavens. And the heavens themselves are varied. There is the heaven where the birds fly and the clouds reside. And there is the heaven of the sun, moon, and stars. When the scriptures speak of the third heaven they speak of God’s heavenly temple, that realm where the glory of God is particularly manifest, where the angels of God worship and serve him night and day. That heaven — the third heaven — is invisible to us. And we can only imagine what the glory of that realm is like. But the glory of the second heaven — the heaven of the sun, moon, and stars — may be of some help to us. Of all of God’s visible creation, the heaven of the sun, moon, and stars is most glorious. And it is the heaven of the sun, moon, and stars that provides us with the light by which we may contemplate the rest of God’s visible creation — the oceans, the land, and the first heaven. This, I think, is why the Psalmist gives particular attention to the starry sky. The heavens — the second heaven where the sun, moon, and stars reside — are most glorious. And they do illuminate the eye of man so that we might consider the glory of God in all of creation.  

God speaks to us through the sky. And what does the sky have to say?

Verse 1 tells us. “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” (Psalm 19:1, ESV) 

There are two statements here. They mirror one another, but they are not exactly the same.

First, “the heavens declare the glory of God.” “The heavens” — and soon it will become clear that David has the sun, moon and stars in mind — “declare” — this word means to recount or to communicate — “the glory of God”. 

God is glorious. He is infinite in being and perfection. He is a most pure spirit. He is invisible, immortal, immutable, immense, eternal, incomprehensible, and almighty. His wisdom and power are infinite. He is most holy, most pure. Though we may try, human language cannot describe the glory of the infinite One. Our words strain under the weight of the pressure. And so it is with the heavens of the visible creation. They “declare the glory of God”, but they do not tell the whole story. Even the sun, moon, and stars, as glorious as they are, only “declare” God’s glory. They do not display it for what it really is. 

“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” “Handiwork” — what an interesting word that is. God does not have hands. And yet the creation is called his handiwork. This illustrates what I have just said about the inadequacy of our language. When it comes to God and the works of God we must use language that we are familiar with. Sometimes this involves attributing human characteristics to the Divine. We have hands. God does not have hands. And yet his creation is called his “handiwork”, for he made this world. He spoke it into existence out of nothing, and then he, like a skilled craftsman, formed and fashioned it into this orderly world in which we now live. 

And here the Psalmist says that the “sky above  proclaims [that is, reports or makes known] his handiwork.” The heavens are themselves God’s handiwork. But the heavens — the sun, moon, and stars — do also illuminate the rest of God’s creation so that we might perceive it. We do not dwell in utter darkness, do we? Even on the darkest of nights, the stars are still there to illuminate the created world. And each day the sun rises in the east to illuminate the earth so that we might clearly perceive the world that God has made. “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” (Psalm 19:1, ESV) 

We should remember that David, who is the author of this Psalm, was a shepherd before he was a king. He was very familiar with the sun, moon, and stars, therefore. He spent many nights out in the field gazing up at the stars. He observed the same constellations that you and I observe. And though he lacked the scientific insights into the expansiveness of the cosmos, he could perceive that space was very deep and full. He noticed the orderliness of the stars in the heavens and the consistency of the planets as they moved across the sky night after night and from season to season. Undoubtedly David felt the same sense of awe as we feel when we look up at the stars on a clear and dark night. And he felt the same sense of relief that we feel when the warmth and light of the sun rose upon him in the morning.  

You and I have a better sense of what these heavenly bodies are than David did, physically speaking. Thanks to technological advancements we know what these heavenly bodies are made of. We know that they are very, very far away. We know that they are very large. But I would guess that David understood the spiritual significance of the heavenly bodies more than most modern men do. I’m afraid that the advancements made in science have caused us to look upon the heavenly hosts in a merely scientific and natural way. We may marvel at the expanse. We may marvel at the size and the power. But many in our modern age have forgotten that these heavenly bodies are preachers. They are messengers or angels who constantly proclaim the glory of the God who made the heavens and the earth and everything within. The heavenly bodies are not divine. No, they are created things. But they were created to testify to the glory of God. It is very good for us to scientifically consider the natural world. But the natural world must also be considered theologically, for it was created for this purpose: to declare the glory of our Maker.    

So what do the preachers in the heavenly realm have to say? Day and night they say, there is a God, and he is glorious. He is the creator. He is powerful and mighty. He is a God of order. He is faithful. He is to be worshipped. 

And what language do these heavenly preachers speak?

Verses 2 and 3 tell us: “Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard.

“Day to day pours out speech”. When the sun rises it illuminates the earth so that we may hear what all of creation has to say concerning the glory of the Creator God.

But the creation does not only speak to us during the day. No, “night to night reveals knowledge” too. The stars of the second heaven are always there. But during the day they are hidden from our sight, being concealed from our eyes by the light of day. When the darkness of night descends, they appear. And we are able to hear once again the declaration of the glory of God through the stars of heaven. “Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.” So, the glory of God is revealed in the light of day, and the glory of God is also revealed in the darkness of night. I suppose there is a profound metaphor built into creation here concerning the glory of God revealed in darkness and light, good and evil, judgment and grace. 

But to answer the question, what language do these heavenly preachers speak?, the Psalmist says, “There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard.” In other words, these heavenly preachers do not preach to the ear of man, but to the eye. They do not preach with words. Their message is not heard, therefore. No, their testimony is seen. They engage the mind and the heart of man, not with words, but with images. Their language is universal, therefore. The confusion of the languages at Babel is no problem for the preachers of heaven, for they do not speak to the soul of man through the ear, but the eye. And though the peoples of this earth speak and understand different languages, all perceive the same world with their eyes. 

Who hears these preachers of heaven, then? Everyone does.  

Verse 4: “Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.” Everyone hears this preaching. Everyone has access to the book of creation. Everyone is exposed to this general and natural revelation concerning the glory of God, for all live in God’s world.  

Everything that is said here concerning God’s natural and general revelation is brought to a grand conclusion from the end of verse 4 through verse 6, with all attention being given to the sun. From our perspective, the sun is the most magnificent of the heavenly bodies. The sun is radiant. Its light is so glorious that the eye of man cannot gaze upon it, and yet its heat is a comfort, and its light gives life.

In verse 4c we read, “In them [that is, in the heavens] he [that is, God] has set a tent for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy. Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat.”

Many idolaters have worshipped the sun, moon, and stars. But the scriptures tell us that they are not gods. They are created things. They are not to be confused with the Creator of all things. And here David portrays the sun as an obedient creature. Day after day the sun runs the course that God has established for it as a minister of God. The sun is here compared to a groom who rises with joy to go and take his bride. The sun is like a strong man who “ runs its course with joy”. Day after day the sun is faithful to run the course that God has established for it to give light and life to the world that God has made. “There is nothing hidden from its heat.” All may see and feel the testimony of the sun regarding the glory of God. 

All have access to God’s revelation in creation. All hear the voice of the sun, moon, and stars. All may perceive that God is glorious and that God is to be worshipped. In fact, Paul draws upon this truth in Romans 1 where he teaches that all will stand guilty before God for rejecting the testimony of creation, saying, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse” (Romans 1:18–20, ESV). All have access to God’s world-book. All hear the voice of God’s preachers as they proclaim the glory of God from the second heaven. But all suppress this truth in unrighteousness. All will stand guilty before God on the last day, therefore.  

The message of general revelation cannot save, friends. The sun, moon, and stars declare the glory of God, but they do not declare the gospel of salvation. Yes, God may use his world-book to drive men and women to his word-book where salvation through faith in the Messiah is revealed. Yes, God’s world-book does agree with God’s word-book so that the faith of those in Christ may be strengthened as they see that the testimony of scripture does agree with the testimony of creation. But salvation through faith in the Messiah is not revealed in the stars, friends. No, the “heavens declare the glory of God.” And while it is true that those who are right with God rejoice in and seek the glory of God, for the one who stands guilty and in their sins, the glory of God is a terror. And this is why men and women suppress the truth of creation in unrighteousness. Some very smart people come to some very foolish conclusions after considering the creation, and this due to the sin in their hearts. “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God’” (Psalm 14:1, ESV).

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God Speaks To Us Through The Scriptures

In verse 7 the focus shifts from the revelation we receive through creation to the revelation we receive through scripture. Yes, it is true, God speaks to us through the sky — “The heavens declare the glory of the Lord.” But God speaks to us ever more thoroughly and clearly through the Holy Scriptures. The scriptures reveal God most fully. The scriptures teach us the way we should go. The scriptures show us our sin and misery. And the scriptures reveal that the LORD is our rock and redeemer. 

You will notice that in verses 7 through 9 many terms are piled up all of which refer to the Holy Scriptures — “law”, “testimony”, “precepts”, “commandment”, “fear”, and “rules”. Each of these six nouns refer to the scriptures in all of their variety. The scriptures are even called the “fear of the LORD”, for this is what the scriptures are to produce within the heart of man — reverential fear. And each of these nouns are said to be “of the LORD”. They come from God. The law that David is rejoicing in is not just any law, but “the law of the LORD”. He is celebrating “the testimony of the LORD”, etc.

Each of the six nouns are paired with an adjective. “The law of the LORD is perfect”, or blameless.  “The testimony of the LORD is sure”, or verified. “The precepts of the LORD are right”, that is, morally upright or just.  “The commandment of the LORD is pure”, or radiant. “The fear of the LORD is clean”, or genuine. And “the rules of the LORD are true” — they are true and dependable. 

And you will also notice that each of the six nouns are paired with a verb, which describe what the word of God does for man, or is within itself. The scriptures revive the soul, make wise the simple, rejoice the heart, enlighten the eyes, endure forever, and are altogether righteous.

It should be clear to all that David has placed a much higher value on the scriptures than on the sky as it pertains to the benefit they bring to man’s soul. The book of creation is to be read. The book of creation is to be appreciated. Indeed, the people of God must learn to see the glory of God in creation. But the scriptures are of surpassing worth. The scriptures are perfect, sure, right, pure, clean, and true. And the scriptures are able to revive the soul, make wise the simple, rejoice the heart, enlighten the eyes. Indeed, they will endure forever as altogether righteous. And this is why David says, “More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.” (Psalm 19:10, ESV)

Should the Christian read God’s world-book? Yes! But not without his word-book. For while the heavens declare the glory of the LORD, the scriptures reveal him much more thoroughly and clearly. It is through the scriptures, and not the stars, that we learn that God is Triune. It is through the scriptures, and not the stars, that we learn he is the one and only. It is the scriptures that tell us of all his perfections. And it is the scriptures that reveal how it is that we are to relate to him, worship, and serve him. And that is what David says in verse 11: “Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.” (Psalm 19:11, ESV)

The word of God is to be believed, and it is to be kept, friends. To quote James again, “be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” And “the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.” And “if anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.” The word of God is to be believed, and it is to be kept. Listen again to verse 11: “Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.” (Psalm 19:11, ESV)

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Those Who Are Faithful Will Contemplate The Scriptures And Seek To Obey Them From The Heart

Friends, those who are faithful will contemplate the scriptures and seek to obey them from the heart.

David knew this. And he also knew his sin and how prone he was to go in the wrong way. And so he concludes this Psalm with a prayer to the LORD. He prays to the LORD, his rock and his redeemer, to forgive him of his sins and to lead him in the right way. 

His prayer to LORD begins in verse 12 with the question, “Who can discern his errors?” In other words, who among us can perceive all of the ways in which we have gone wrong? Sometimes we sin and we know it. But often we sin and know it not. 

If God’s law requires us to love the LORD our God with all the heart, soul, mind, and strength, and our neighbor as ourself. And if sin is any lack of conformity unto or violation of the law of God, then it should not surprise us to learn that we sometimes sin and do not even know it. We are often blind to our own sin. And so David prays that the LORD would “declare [him] innocent from hidden faults.” David is not here dismissing the seriousness of hidden or unperceived sin. Instead, he is simply acknowledging that they. We often sin unwittingly, or unknowingly. And David cries out for mercy and grace. “Declare me innocent from hidden faults”, he says.

As David considered God’s law, what was the first thing he was moved to do? He confessed his sin and fled to the LORD for refuge. 

And in verse 13 he says, “Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Presumptuous sins are arrogant sins. They are not sins committed mistakenly, unwittingly, or unknowingly. No, they are sins committed with a high hand. They are sins committed ni willful defiance against the LORD. 

All sin is sin. And all sin is serious. Indeed the wages of sin — all sin — is death. But there is a great difference between sins committed by accident due to some ignorance weakness, and sins committed purposefully and willfully. The law of Moses distinguishes between the two in Numbers 15:27ff. which says, “If one person sins unintentionally, he shall offer a female goat a year old for a sin offering. And the priest shall make atonement before the LORD for the person who makes a mistake, when he sins unintentionally, to make atonement for him, and he shall be forgiven. You shall have one law for him who does anything unintentionally, for him who is native among the people of Israel and for the stranger who sojourns among them. But the person who does anything with a high hand, whether he is native or a sojourner, reviles the LORD, and that person shall be cut off from among his people” (Numbers 15:27–30, ESV).

David’s prayer is that sin — presumptuous sin — would not have dominion over him. And this should remind us of what Paul the apostles says in Romans 6:12ff.: “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace” (Romans 6:12–14, ESV).

Those in Christ will continue to struggle with sin. We all come short of God’s holy law in thought, word, and deed. But sin shall not have dominion over God’s people. In other words, the Christian ought not to go on committing sins of presumption — high-handed, arrogant, and intentional sins. 

By the way, this is how we are to distinguish between sins deserving of church discipline, and those that are to be simply covered in love. We all sin. We come short of God’s law in many ways. And when we sin we are to turn from it and to Christ. But when one who professes faith in Christ walks in sin knowingly and willingly, they are to be cut off from the people of God. They are to be put out of the congregation, barred from the LORD’s table, and considered a sinner. 

All sin is sin. And all sin is serious. But sins of presumption are particularly heinous. “Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression” (Psalm 19:13, ESV). I take the words, “then I shall be blameless” to correspond to David’s request in verse 12: “Declare me innocent from hidden faults”, and the words, “then I shall be…  innocent of great transgression”, to correspond to his request in verse 13: “Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me!”

Verse 14 concludes this Psalm, not with a prayer for forgiveness, but with a prayer for strength. David wants to have the strength to offer up to God a fitting sacrifice of obedience. “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.” 

Notice just a few things about this concluding prayer. 

One, David’s prayer was offered up to the LORD as his rock and redeemer. Though David desired to keep God’s law, he knew that he had not — he needed a redeemer. The LORD was his redeemer. The LORD was his savior. And he called the LORD his rock. This echos back to the gospel of Psalm 2, which said, “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). The LORD and the LORD’s anointed Son were David’s refuge and rock. Though David loved God’s law, he was no legalist. No, his hope was in the gospel. 

Two, David understood that God’s law was to be applied even to the heart. “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD.” The Christian is to keep God’s law from the heart. We are to honor the LORD even in the inner man, in the heart and mind. “For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” (Mark 7:21–23, ESV)

Three, though David loved God’s law, and though he desired to keep it from the heart, he dared not move forward in his own strength. No, he prayed to the LORD, “Declare me innocent from hidden faults. Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me!” And “let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer” (Psalm 19:12–14, ESV).

This should be our prayer each and every day. In fact, it will be our prayer if we pray that prayer that Christ taught his disciples: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” (Matthew 6:9–13, ESV)

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Conclusion

Brothers and sisters, let us read the books that God has given to us. Let us read the book of creation which declares so wonderfully the glory of God. And let us be all the more eager to devour the scriptures, for God is revealed to us there, and so too is his will for us, along with the way of salvation. And having read the book of scripture let us rise up with the intent to obey, trusting always in Christ the Lord, our rock and redeemer. 

Baptist Catechism 74

Q. 74. What is forbidden in the sixth commandment?

A. The sixth commandment absolutely forbideth the taking away of our own life, or the life of our neighbor unjustly, or whatsoever tendeth thereunto. (Gen. 4:10,11; 9:6; Matt. 5:21-26)

Scripture Reading: Matthew 5:21-26

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.” (Matthew 5:21–26, 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.

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The reason I have read from Matthew 5:21-26 is to remind you that these commandments we are considering are to be kept, not only externally, but in the heart. Jesus did not make this up when he said, “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.” No, this was not a new and novel interpretation of God’s law. This was not a stricter application of God’s law. No, Jesus was simply presenting the true interpretation and full application of God’s law. God’s law was always to be obeyed, not only in deed, but also in thought and in word. Remember, the commandments of God are summed up with these two: “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6:5, ESV), and “you shall love your neighbor as yourself…” (Leviticus 19:18, ESV).

So have we kept the sixth commandment when we refrain from murder? Well, not necessarily. The commandment is to be applied more broadly. We are also to seek to “preserve our own life and the life of others.” And the commandment is to be applied to the heart. We must not hate our neighbor. Neither are we to hold a grudge against our neighbor, insult them, or curse them.

All of God’s commandments are to be kept from the heart, friends.  I’m sure Jesus said what he said as recorded in Matthew 5 to combat legalism. Legalism takes many forms, but the most common form is the thought that men and women may stand before God righteous through obedience to God’s law. And you can see how some might think that they are able to keep God’s law perfectly if they apply God’s law only to external behavior. 

“Thou shalt not murder.” Check.

“Thou shall not commit adultery.” Check. 

“Thou shall not bear false witness.” Check.

But wait a minute. Is God only concerned with the act of murder, the act of adultery, and the act of bearing false witness in the court of law? No. If we think so, we have badly misunderstood God’s law. God requires us to love him with all that we are, and our neighbor as we love our own selves. Once we understand this we will be able to see that all have violated God’s law in thought, word, and deed. And then we will also clearly see our guilt and our need for a Savior.  

We have learned what the sixth commandment requires. “The sixth commandment requires all lawful endeavors to preserve our own life and the life of others” (BC 73). And now we learn about what it forbids. “The sixth commandment absolutely forbideth the taking away of our own life, or the life of our neighbor unjustly, or whatsoever tendeth thereunto.”

Baptist Catechism 74

First of all, “the sixth commandment absolutely forbideth the taking away of our own life…”

Suicide and assisted suicide is a violation of God’s law. Some might reason in this way: My life is so miserable that it would be better if I died. But that is not your decision to make, friends. God has numbered our days. It is his right to give us life, and to take it away. It is a great evil to take that decision into our own hands. 

I’m afraid that those who think this way have forgotten that God is able to use our suffering for good. I run the risk of sounding insensitive here. I do understand that people do sometimes suffer greatly. And I am aware that I myself am not currently suffering, nor can I claim to have endured any great suffering in my life. So I acknowledge that I do not speak from experience here. But if I am only allowed to speak from experience, then there will be many things that I will never be able to say a word about, for my experiences are limited. So I do not speak on the authority of experience, but on the authority of God’s word. And God’s word is clear — he works through suffering. He refines his people through suffering. He is able to bring good out of suffering. 

Do you want proof of this? Then look to Christ. See the good that came out of his suffering. More examples can be given — indeed, I could pile up scriptures texts. But the sufferings of Christ provide sufficient proof that God accomplishes his purposes through suffering. 

If we lose sight of this, then we will struggle to suffer well. In fact, we may even despair of life in the midst of suffering.  Brothers and sisters, do not despair. Persevere through suffering, knowing that God will keep you. He will use the suffering to refine you, to bring about good, and to accomplish his purposes.

And some may be tempted to take their life into their own hand’s reasoning that they do not wish to be a burden to others who must care for them in their suffering. But this too is a great error. You must remember that God may use your suffering to refine those who have the privilege to care for you in the mists of it. 

Whatever the reason, the sixth commandment is a great help to those who are despairing of life, for it strictly forbids us from taking our own life. It simply is not an option. We must leave the matter to God. God determined the moment of our birth, and we are to leave it to him to determine the moment and circumstances of our death. 

Some have wondered if those who commit suicide can be saved? Two things should be considered. First, Christ atoned for all kinds of sins when he died on the cross for his people, including violations of the sixth commandment. So no sin, with the exception of the sin of unbelief, is beyond the atoning power of Christ’s blood. But secondly, the scriptures do teach that we will know Christ’s disciples by their fruits. Those who belong to Christ will keep his commandments. It is no wonder, then, that the sin of suicide leaves everyone wondering what they are to think about the salvation of that soul. For that one’s life comes to an end in an act of sin. I have heard many describe suicide as a selfish act. Why is it described in that way? Because it leaves so many behind wondering and morning the loss.

With that said, by heart does break for those who have come to such a dark place of despair. They need the gospel of Jesus Christ. They need to know that hope and peace is found in him. They need to know that there is a purpose to life, and even to the suffering. And they need to know that life does not end when we pass from this world. No, every human is in fact immortal. All will live forever either in heaven or hell. We must be found in Christ if we are to spend eternity with him in heaven, for he is the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through him. And of all people, the Christian ought never to take their own life.

Secondly, “the sixth commandment absolutely forbideth the taking away of… the life of our neighbor unjustly, or whatsoever tendeth thereunto.”

The words “whatsoever tendeth thereunto” remind us that we are not to participate in anything that leads to the unjust taking of human life.

And the word “unjustly” is also crucial. It indicates that while it is true that it is not our place to take away life — our own life, or the life of another — there are exceptions. And the exceptions are when the taking away of the life of another is “just”, or “right”. 

Three instances come to mind: One, in self defense. Two, when the state rightly uses its power to punish a murderer. And three, in just war. 

As Christians, we must learn to think carefully and biblically about these things. 

If someone commits a crime against you, is it your place to punish them? No. That is the job of the state. 

And should the state punish every sin? No. There are many sins that are not criminal. Lying is a sin, but is not a crime, unless the lie is uttered while under oath, or leads to the damage of another’s person or property. 

And should the state use the death penalty to punish every crime? No. The murderer is to be put to death (Genesis 9), and the murder had better be proven. But other crimes may be punished through restitution. 

Also, the Christain should think very carefully about what constitutes “self defense”, and what is to be considered “just war”. We are walking in the realm of ethics again, and ethical questions can be complicated. 

I would be remiss if I failed to address the great sin of abortion. Abortion is the taking away of life. And these lives of the unborn are taken away unjustly. These little ones did not do anything to deserve being put to death by their own mothers and fathers. No, in the vast majority of cases they are put to death on the basis of the preference of the parents. It is often about convenience. This is not right.

If you have had an abortion I must say, it was a sin to do so. You violated the sixth commandment. But their forgiveness in Christ Jesus. Acknowledge your sin, trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins, and serve him as Lord from this day forward. You will not be shunned by him, for he is gracious and kind. And neither will you be shunned by us, for we are all sinners saved by the marvelous grace of God.   

Lord, help us to know your word and give us the wisdom to apply it in every circumstance, should be our prayer.  

Conclusion 

But here is where we must begin: with God’s law. And what does God’s law say? “You shall not murder” What does this commandment forbid?

A. The sixth commandment absolutely forbideth the taking away of our own life, or the life of our neighbor unjustly, or whatsoever tendeth thereunto. (Gen. 4:10,11; 9:6; Matt. 5:21-26)