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. 

New Testament Reading: Acts 1:1-11

“In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, ‘you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’ So when they had come together, they asked him, ‘Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?’ He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.’ And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven’” (Acts 1:1–11, ESV).

Old Testament  Reading: Psalm 67

“TO THE CHOIRMASTER: WITH STRINGED INSTRUMENTS. A PSALM. A SONG. May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Selah Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, shall bless us. God shall bless us; let all the ends of the earth fear him!” (Psalm 67, 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

Please be patient with me this morning, brothers and sisters. It will take me a little while to get back to the text of Psalm 67, but I assure you, everything will tie together in the end. 

I wish to begin this sermon by addressing a terrible misconception that some have of those of us who are Calvinistic and Reformed, and that is the misconception that Calvinists do not believe in evangelism or world missions. 

Have you ever encountered this claim? I know that many of you have! This charge was slanderously leveled against us when we planted this church nearly ten years ago, and I have heard that some of you have been asked this question even recently. So is it true that Calvinists do not believe in evangelism or world missions? The short answer is, no, of course it is not true.

So where does this misconception come from, then? Please allow me to make three brief remarks about this: 

One, it may be true that some within the Calvinistic and Reformed tradition have neglected evangelism and world missions. I do not doubt that for a second. But listen carefully. Their neglect is not the result of our beliefs, but of sin. These, for one reason or another, have failed to do what they know in their minds the scriptures call them to do — that is, to go and make disciples of all nations through the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. So, if there has been neglect amongst the Reformed, it is not the product of our theology, but of spiritual lethargy. And, if our critics were to be honest they would admit that this same spiritual lethargy does sometimes appear in other traditions besides the Reformed tradition. 

Two, there are some who would call themselves “Calvinists” who hold erroneous views on this subject. We would call them hyper-Calvinists. And these do in fact error in their doctrine by downplaying the role of human responsibility in the Christian life in general, and in the salvation of sinners in particular. But these hyper-Calvinists are badly out of step with the Reformed faith, that is to say, with biblical Christianity. As we will see in just a moment, the Reformed believe that God is sovereign over all things, including salvation, and that man is also responsible to do what God has called him to do. And one thing God has called his church to do is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth. So please do not confuse us with the hyper-Calvinists.

Three, it is ultimately the ignorance of our critics that produces the misconception. They are ignorant of our beliefs, and they are also ignorant of the scriptures. When our critics hear us say that God has chosen some for salvation (which is what the scriptures clearly teach) they assume that means there is no need for evangelism or world missions. It is truly an absurd notion. Our critics are guilty of jumping to this conclusion. 

Watch how they jump. They hear us say what the scriptures say — that God has chosen some for salvation (see Ephesians 1:3ff, for example), and that God is sovereign over salvation, meaning that he will certainly bring those whom he has chosen to faith (see Ephesians 2:1ff, for example) — and they jump to the conclusion that there is no place for evangelism in our theological system. But they have connected dots that do not necessarily connect.   

Think of it. If it is true that God has chosen some for salvation from before the foundation of the world (see John 17, and Romans 8:28ff), and if it is true that God will certainly save these (see again the texts cited above along with John 6:35ff), the question must still be asked, how will God bring his elect to faith and to salvation in Jesus Christ? How will he do it? What means will he use? How will he move these elect of his from unbelief to belief, from death to life, from wrath to grace? Will he simply act upon them immediately and supernaturally without any human intermediary? Will God simply zap his elect from on high and cause them to believe upon Jesus the Messiah? No, that is not what the scriptures teach, nor is it what we believe. 

So, how will God bring his elect to faith in Christ and thus to salvation? Answer: through the proclamation of the gospel, and the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit. This will be the means. Yes, the Spirit of God must work. The Spirit must open blind eyes, unstop deaf ears, and breathe spiritual life into those who are spiritually dead. God must do that work. And if he does not, then none will ever believe (see John 3:3ff and 6:44ff). But the gospel must also be proclaimed by us, for this is the way that God has determined to bring his elect to salvation — through the preaching of his word and the working of his Spirit. 

This is why Christ told his disciples to “go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:18ff). And this is why he sent them out as his “witnesses” (Acts 1:1ff). And when they went out from Jerusalem to go to the nations, what did they do? They proclaimed Christ crucified and risen. And why were they confident that anyone would believe in their message? Their confidence was in God, in the knowledge that he had his elect scattered throughout the nations, and that as they went and preached the gospel of the kingdom, those chosen by God and appointed to salvation would in fact believe. Stated differently, their confidence was in the sovereignty of God over all things, and over the salvation of souls in particular. So no, their belief in the sovereignty of God over salvation did not produce lethargy in them, but rather it propelled them to “go” with boldness in obedience to Christ’s command, knowing that God would surely accomplish all of his purposes through them.

This mindset  — that God is sovereign over the salvation of his elect, and that we must be responsible to go and proclaim the gospel, for this is the means by which all will be saved — is clearly seen in the book of Acts. For example, in Acts 13:13ff we read of Paul and Barnabus’ gospel ministry in Antioch. As the story unfolds we learn that many of the Gentiles in that place were receptive to the gospel message. And listen carefully to how Luke describes what happened. He says in verse 48, “And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed” (Acts 13:48, ESV). Did you hear that? The gospel was preached by Paul and Barnabus, and many believed. And how did Luke interpret this? He says, it was those “appointed” or “assigned” to eternal life who believed the message of the gospel. In other words, the elect of God believed. Those chosen by God believed. And this was the understanding of Christ and all of his Apostles — the gospel would be preached, and the elect would respond in faith as the Spirit of God worked upon their hearts. This is exactly what Christ taught when he concluded that parable regarding the invitation to the wedding feast with the words, “For many are called, but few are chosen.” (Matthew 22:14, ESV). He was teaching his disciples that many would hear the external call of the gospel with their natural ears, but it would only be those chosen of the Lord, and are therefore called of God inwardly and effectively, who will respond in faith to the invitation. 

So no, the biblical doctrines of predestination and effectual calling, which the Reformed are faithful to teach, do not nullify the need for evangelism, for it is through the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ that the elect will be drawn to faith and salvation. Stated most bluntly: no gospel, no salvation (with the exception, perhaps, of “elect infants dying in infancy… and [other] elect persons, who are incapable of being outwardly called by the ministry of the Word”. See 10.3. of our Confession of Faith). But in general, no gospel, no salvation. For the Lord has determined to bring salvation to his elect by the means of gospel proclamation.

And this is why Paul — yes, the same Paul who so clearly teaches the doctrine of election or predestination in all of his letters — says in Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16, ESV). And a little later in the same letter, he says, “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, ‘Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ [Now listen to this] How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’ But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, ‘Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.’” (Romans 10:9–17, ESV)

So please hear me. The Reformed agree with Paul and with the rest of the scriptures that there is no conflict between the biblical doctrine of election and the need for evangelism, for this is how the elect will come to saving faith. To call on the Lord, they must first hear about him. And to hear about him, someone must preach. And to preach, someone must be sent. 

Far from being a hindrance to evangelism, the doctrine of election does in fact motivate it. For it is the doctrine of election that says, God has his chosen ones scattered throughout the world and he will certainly bring them to faith in Christ. So we must go and prayerfully preach the word, and watch as the Lord does his work. Stated differently, it is the doctrine of election that reassures us that the fields are indeed ripe for harvest (John 4:35). God has his elect scattered throughout the world. He will prepare them. He will draw them inwardly. We must simply go and harvest them with the gospel message freely offered. 

And this was exactly what motivated Paul to persevere in his missionary work, despite all of the suffering. He says so in 2 Timothy 2:10, where he writes, “Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory” (2 Timothy 2:10, ESV). Paul knew that all of the sufferings he endured in his gospel ministry were for “the sake of the elect” of God. His mission was to go and harvest those whom God had chosen. He did not know who they were, but he would find out as preached, and as men and women responded in faith. 

So, this idea that those who believe and teach the doctrine of predestination, effectual calling, limited atonement (and all the rest), do not believe in evangelism is ridiculous. This is not what we believe. This is not what we teach. For this is not what the scriptures say. Also, it is not difficult to see that this is not the case when one considers church history. 

And if you would only take a moment to study the history of the so-called modern missions movement, you would see that it was sparked by men with Reformed and Calvinistic convictions. Perhaps you have heard of William Carry? He is called the “father of modern missions.” Did you know that he was a Particular (or Reformed) Baptist? And did you know that he was sent out to do his work by Particular (Reformed) Baptists? Adoniram Judson was also a Particular Baptist. So too was Luther Rice. These leaders in the modern missionary movement were all Calvinists. They believed just as we believe. Brothers and sisters, Reformed theology properly understood does not hinder missions. No, it propels it. Why? Because Reformed theology simply tells the truth regarding God’s plans for the salvation of sinners, his accomplishment of that plan in Christ, and the means by which he will apply it to his elect in every time and place, that is, through the preaching of his word and the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit.

So, what does all of this have to do with Psalm 67? 

Well, here is the point that I wish to make from this Psalm: while it is true that our doctrine of salvation does not hinder evangelism, but rather encourages and propels it, it is also true that our understanding of the history of redemption  — that is, our understanding of what is called covenant theology — does not stifle our zeal for world missions, but should propel us to take the gospel of the kingdom to all nations, knowing for certain that this has always been God’s plan. 

The dispensationalists (at least the radical ones) miss this. In their minds, the great commission that Christ gave to his disciples to “go and make disciples of all nations” was “plan B” in the mind of God. Not all dispensationalists will talk in this extreme way, but some do. To them “plan A” was for God’s kingdom to be established with ethnic and Old Covenant Israel, but when Israel rejected Jesus as the Messiah, then the gospel was to be proclaimed to the Gentiles as “plan B”. A greater misunderstanding of the overarching story of the Bible can hardly be imagined. We reject this view in all of its various forms and insist that God’s plan has always been the same (How could it not be? For our God does not change?). His plan has always been to save people from every tongue, tribe, and nation through faith in the crucified and risen Christ.

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Believing Israel Knew They Were Blessed To Be A Blessing To The Nations (vs. 1-2)

Psalm 67 proves the point. Here we have a Psalm (or song) written and sung by Old Covenant Israel. And what is its central concern? That salvation would come to all of the nations of the earth! 

Yes, it is certainly true that from the days of Abraham up to the day of Pentecost after Christ’s resurrection and ascension, the gospel of the kingdom was largely confined to the Hebrew people and to the nation of Israel. They were blessed to have the word of God, to worship God, and to know and preserve his very great promises concerning the Messiah who would come from them. But hear this: they were blessed to be a blessing! And they knew this (or at least some of them did). [SLIDE] Believing Israel knew that they were blessed to be a blessing to the nations. Listen to what they sang: “May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations.” (Psalm 67:1–2, ESV)

The first line of this Psalm is drawn from the blessing that Aaron the priest and his sons were commanded to pronounce upon Israel, as recorded in Numbers 6:22ff. There we read, “The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them, The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.’ So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them” (Numbers 6:22–27, ESV).

In Psalm 67 the people of Israel cry out to God for this blessing. “May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us…”, they sing. But in verse 2 the purpose for this blessing is acknowledged beginning with the word “that”. “That…”, or might say, so that “your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations” (Psalm 67:2, ESV). As I have said, Israel knew that they were blessed by God so that they might be a blessing to the nations. They were chosen by God so that through them salvation might come to the Gentiles. This was always God’s plan. And this plan was clearly revealed to them from the beginning. 

Do not forget what the LORD said to father Abraham when he called him to leave his country and promised to make him into a great nation. He said, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great…” Abraham did not live to see the fulfillment of these promises, but we know the story. We know that Abraham became Israel. But that is not all that God said. He added these words of purpose “so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Genesis 12:1–3, ESV). So, from the beginning, God revealed to Abraham and his descendants that they were uniquely blessed by God… so as to be a blessing to the nations. 

Yes, many within Israel had lost sight of this in the days when Jesus walked the earth. And yes, many from amongst the Jews were offended by the news that the Christ died for all the peoples of the earth, that this gospel of the kingdom was to go to the nations, and that the Gentiles who believed would be grafted into the true Israel of God. But they were surprised, not because this truth hadn’t been revealed before, but because they either misunderstood or willingly ignored, the scriptures.  

From the start, Israel was blessed to be a blessing to the nations. And this is why they were to sing, “May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us… that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations.” (Psalm 67:1–2, ESV) 

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Believing Israel’s Desire Was To See the Nations Give Praise To God  (vs. 3-4)

Secondly, we see in this Psalm that believing Israel’s desire was for the nations to give praise to God. Look at verses 3 and 4. They sang, “Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Selah” (Psalm 67:3–4, ESV)

Read the New Testament and see the difference between believing and unbelieving Israel. One key difference is that while unbelieving Israel was enraged at the thought that the kingdom of God would extend to the nations, believing Israel rejoiced greatly in this. Considered from the vantage point of Psalm 67, unbelieving Israel could not bring themselves to sing this Psalm, whereas believing Israel sang this Psalm heartily. 

To illustrate, in the book of Acts there is a large portion of the text devoted to the story of the Apostle Peter (an Israelite) proclaiming the gospel to a man named Cornelious (a Gentile). The story runs from 10 all the way to Acts 11:18. Apparently, this was a very significant moment given the amount of space devoted to this story. In brief, Peter was faithful to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to Cornelious and his household, they believed, and they received the Holy Spirit. When Peter reported this to the church in Jerusalem, he concluded by saying, “If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?” And listen to the response  of believing Israel: “When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, ‘Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.’” (Acts 11:17–18, ESV)

This was always to be the disposition of Israel. They were to be eager to see the Gentiles believe in the Messiah, and give praise to the one true God, who “[judges] the peoples with equity and [guides] the nations upon earth.”

Why should the Hebrew people be so eager to see the Gentile people give praise to their God? Well, beyond what has already been said regarding the Covenant transacted with Abraham, and the observation that Israel was blessed to be a blessing, we must also say that the Gentile nations should give glory to the God of Israel for he is also God of the nations. 

Yes, the LORD was Israel’s God in a special way from the days of Abraham to the resurrection of Christ — that is to say, under the Old Covenant. The LORD was Israel’s God, and they were his special people. But never did this mean that God was not also Lord of the nations. For we know there is only one God. He is the Maker of heaven and earth. He is Lord Most High. And he is the judge, not of Israel only, but of all peoples. And so that is one reason why Israel was so concerned to see the nations turn to God in praise — “[judges] the peoples with equity and [guides] the nations upon earth.”

To state the matter most succinctly, when God set Israel apart as his peculiar people, he did not at that moment cease to be God of the nations also. Or to say it another way, when the LORD set Abram and his offspring apart from the nations, he did not forget about the rest of the offspring of Adam. No, in setting Abraham apart, his purpose was to bring salvation to the other children of Adam through his, for the God of Israel is the one and only. 

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Believing Israel Knew That God Preserved Them So As To Bear Fruit Through Them, And They Gave God Thanks (vs. 5-7)

Lastly, in verses 5 through 7 we see that believing Israel knew that God preserved them so as to bear fruit through them, and they gave God thanks. 

In verse 5 we find a repeat of the exhortation of verse 3: “Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!” But in verse 6 the emphasis is not on God as Lord and judge of all the earth 

(as it was in verse 4), but on God’s provision for Israel. In verse 6 we read, “The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, shall bless us.” 

Here Israel gives thanks to God for his provision. “The earth has yielded its increase” means, the Lord has blessed us with a good harvest. The Lord has provided food for his people to eat so that we might live. And the words, “God, our God, shall bless us”, are words of confidence and hope concerning the future. In other words, Israel was to testify to the Lord’s past provision when they sang this Psalm, and they were also to confess their faith and hope in God concerning future provision. 

By the way, where did they get this confidence that the Lord would bless them? How did they know that the Lord would provide? Answer: from the unconditional promises given to them in the Covenant that God transacted with their Abraham.

I do love how simple, raw, and down-to-earth this portion of the Psalm is (pun intended). God promised to bless Abraham and his descendants so that they would be a blessing to the nations by bringing Christ into the world. And how did God bless them? Among other things, by causing vegetables and grain to grow from the earth so that they and their animals might have food to eat. 

When we consider the promises that God made to Abraham and their ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ from a high level, big picture perspective, we can lose sight of the fact that God kept these awesome promises concerning the Messiah, by preserving his people in very ordinary ways from day to day, and from season to season, as his chosen people gave glory to him while planting seeds and reaping the harvest for hundreds of years.

We can learn from this, I think. I just a moment I will exhort you to not lose sight of the mission that God has given to us. But here I will take the opportunity to say, don’t neglect the little things. And don’t forget to give glory to God for his daily provision. 

But again, we return to the theme. Israel gave thanks to God for his provision. They knew that God would be faithful to bless them in the future. But they were never to forget their purpose. They were to bear fruit in bringing salvation to the nations. 

Verse 6: “The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, shall bless us. God shall bless us; let all the ends of the earth fear him!”

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Conclusion 

I began this sermon by insisting that Reformed and Calvinistic theology does not hinder evangelistic zeal, but propels it. God has his elect in the world. Let to themselves they would never come to faith in Christ, and so God will surely call them to the faith. How will he do it? By calling them externally through the ministry of the word, that is, through the proclamation of the gospel, and inwardly by the power of the Holy Spirit. The doctrines of grace, or the five points of Calvinism as they are commonly called, do not stifle evangelistic zeal. To the contrary, they stoke the flame. They insure us that the fields are white for harvest and that God will make our labors effective. It is the Calvinist who has reason to be confident in God when proclaiming the Gospel. The Arminian, if they are true to their system, must trust only in themselves, and in the goodness and light they imagine resides within the heart of every man. 

And I wish to conclude this sermon by saying that is the Reformed understanding of God’s working in the history of redemption which propels our zeal for world missions. Here I may contrast our covenant theology with the dispensationalism that is so prevalent in Arminian churches today. 

When we go to the nations with the gospel, brothers and sisters, we are not wasting our time with God’s “plan B”. God does not have a plan B. God only has plan A. This is what we confess in 2LBC 3.1, which speaks the truth when it says, “God hath decreed in himself, from all eternity, by the most wise and holy counsel of his own will, freely and unchangeably, all things, whatsoever comes to pass…” 

And what is God’s will regarding salvation? He has decreed to redeem a people for himself, through faith in Christ, not from the Hebrews only, but from every tongue, tribe, and nation. What a glorious plan it is! 

We must remember brothers and sisters that this plan of redemption was not revealed first to Abraham, but to Adam. God promised to provide a Savior for Adam and his offspring (Genesis 3:15). And when this gospel was clarified and entrusted to Abraham and his descendants, it was always with the nations in view.  Abraham was blessed to be a blessing to the nations.

Brothers and sisters, you and I are the nations. Don’t ever forget it. Think of how gracious and kind God has been to us to bring us the gospel of his Son. It truly is marvelous and mindblowing to consider how this gospel of the kingdom has been preserved and has come here to this place!  And think of how blessed we are to have been grafted into the Israel of God by faith. 

But here is one other thing that we must never forget. Like our Father Abraham, and like Israel which descended from his loins, we, the Israel of God by faith, are blessed to be a blessing. Our mission is still to take the gospel of the kingdom to the nations. Our heartfelt song must be “Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! Let the nations be glad and sing for joy…”

Never can we allow ourselves to lose sight of the mission that Christ has given us. He said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18–20, ESV)

May we be found faithful to the end of the age. 

Let me conclude with a few very brief suggestions for application. 

One, let us be faithful to proclaim the gospel of Jesus in this place — in our homes, to our children, in our churches, and in our communities. Being mindful of the nations does not require us to neglect the fields that are white for harvest locally. And so we must know the gospel, believe the gospel, and share the gospel here, praying and trusting that God will make it effective according to his will. 

Two, let us pray that the Lord would raise up ministers of the word of God to be used by him locally and to the ends of the earth as he wills. Christ taught his disciples saying, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest” (Matthew 9:37–38, ESV). We must pray for this, and we must also work towards this. 

Three, let us be sure to never lose sight of the nations. Yes, we are the nations. And yes, this culture is very dark and in need of the gospel and biblical churches. But even still, there are places where the gospel has not been preached, and where the church is in an even worse condition than it is here! We must not forget about world missions. Instead, we must be constant in prayer, and eager to support gospel ministers even to the far-out corners of the earth.  

New Testament Reading: Luke 16:19–31

“There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house— for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’” (Luke 16:19–31, ESV)

Old Testament  Reading: Psalm 49

“TO THE CHOIRMASTER. A PSALM OF THE SONS OF KORAH. Hear this, all peoples! Give ear, all inhabitants of the world, both low and high, rich and poor together! My mouth shall speak wisdom; the meditation of my heart shall be understanding. I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will solve my riddle to the music of the lyre. Why should I fear in times of trouble, when the iniquity of those who cheat me surrounds me, those who trust in their wealth and boast of the abundance of their riches? Truly no man can ransom another, or give to God the price of his life, for the ransom of their life is costly and can never suffice, that he should live on forever and never see the pit. For he sees that even the wise die; the fool and the stupid alike must perish and leave their wealth to others. Their graves are their homes forever, their dwelling places to all generations, though they called lands by their own names. Man in his pomp will not remain; he is like the beasts that perish. This is the path of those who have foolish confidence; yet after them people approve of their boasts. Selah Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol; death shall be their shepherd, and the upright shall rule over them in the morning. Their form shall be consumed in Sheol, with no place to dwell. But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me. Selah Be not afraid when a man becomes rich, when the glory of his house increases. For when he dies he will carry nothing away; his glory will not go down after him. For though, while he lives, he counts himself blessed —and though you get praise when you do well for yourself— his soul will go to the generation of his fathers, who will never again see light. Man in his pomp yet without understanding is like the beasts that perish.” (Psalm 49, 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 Psalm 49 is, “TO THE CHOIRMASTER. A PSALM OF THE SONS OF KORAH”. The sons of Korah were just that — the descendants of a man named Korah. You can read about him in Numbers 16. It’s not a happy story. Korah was the Levite who led a rebellion against Moses and Aaron, and the Lord judged him. The earth opened up and swallowed Korah and his household. But Numbers 26:11 clarifies that “the sons of Korah did not die.” By the grace of God, some of Korah’s descendants survived and became temple doorkeepers and guardians (1 Chronicles 9:17ff.), whereas others became singers and musicians in the temple choir, which was founded in the days of David (1 Chronicles 6:31ff.). So, it is possible that this Psalm was written in the days of David, but it is also possible that it was written later by the further descendants of Korah. 

Notice that Psalm 49 is a wisdom Psalm. This Psalm (like Psalm 1, and many others) is not addressed to God as Psalms of thanksgiving and praise are, but to man. Look with me at verses 1 through 4: “Hear this, all peoples! Give ear, all inhabitants of the world, both low and high, rich and poor together! My mouth shall speak wisdom; the meditation of my heart shall be understanding. I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will solve my riddle to the music of the lyre” (Psalm 49:1–4, ESV). So Psalm 49 is like a Proverb, or a wise saying, put to song. 

On a bit of a side note, what does this say about our singing, brothers and sisters? We are to sing the Psalms — yes, even wisdom Psalms like Psalm 49. And when we write our own hymns and spiritual songs, we may also write songs of wisdom that are addressed, not to God, but to one another. In fact, that is what Ephesians 5:19 commands. It says that we are to “[address] one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with [our] heart…” (Ephesians 5:19, ESV). So, all of our singing is to be directed “to the Lord”, but we do also address one another when we sing. We are to remind one another of God’s truth and God’s faithfulness as we offer up praise to him together through song.

But one might ask, how do songs of wisdom, which are addressed to man and not God, give glory and praise to God? Should not all of our singing give glory and praise to God? Of course it should. And Psalms of wisdom do give glory to God even though they are addressed to man. They give glory to God for it is God’s truth that is expressed. They give glory to God for they do implore men and women to run to God for truth and for deliverance (see verse 15). And they give glory to God when they move men and women to live according to God’s truth. Certainly, God is glorified when his people trust and obey him. Though Psalm 49 is addressed to men, it is God who gets the glory, for it is God and his truth that is here exulted.  

Verses 1 through 4 functions as an introduction to this Psalm. Here we see that the Psalm is addressed to “all peoples”. All “the inhabitants of the world” are called upon to listen. In particular, the sons of Korah call upon those who are “low and high, rich and poor” to listen. As we consider this Psalm it will become clear as to why he addresses these two groups specifically, for this Psalm does provide special instruction for the powerful and the weak, the rich and the poor. And lastly, by way of introduction, this Psalm is said to be a wise saying which is the product of the Psalmist’s meditation upon a “proverb” and his contemplation of a “riddle”, or a difficult question. 

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Why Should I Fear The Wealthy And Powerful In Times Of Trouble (vs. 5-6)

So what is the question on the Psalmist’s mind? What is the “riddle”? It is actually stated in verses 5 and 6. “Why should I fear in times of trouble, when the iniquity of those who cheat me surrounds me, those who trust in their wealth and boast of the abundance of their riches?” 

This is a very good question. It is a riddle that has plagued the people of God from generation to generation ever since man’s fall into sin. And I think you would agree, it is certainly a question for our days as well. 

“Why should I fear in times of trouble…”, the Psalmist asks. So this wisdom song is about fear. Why should I fear? is the question at hand. Or put it another way, should I fear? Is there any good reason for me to be afraid? 

And while it is true that this Psalm will help with all kinds of fear, no matter the source, the question is rather precise: “Why should I fear in times of trouble…?” Other English translations say, “in days of evil”, “in days of adversity”, or “when evil days come.” So this is not a Psalm about fear in the face of some natural disaster or sickness or some other amoral tribulation, but rather fear of the trouble that evil people are causing. Look again at verses 5 and 6. “Why should I fear in times of trouble, when the iniquity of those who cheat me surrounds me, those who trust in their wealth and boast of the abundance of their riches?” (Psalm 49:5–6, ESV). So the fear that the Psalmist speaks of is the fear of man. It is the fear that those who are weak and vulnerable feel when those who are rich and powerful come against them to oppress them.

As I said before, this is a perennial problem for the people of God. Sometimes the weak and the poor are oppressed by the rich and the powerful. This happens all around the world, in every time, and in every place. And sometimes it happens to God’s people. It happened to Christ. It happened to his Apostles. In fact, it has happened to people of faith from the days of Adam on to the present day. And really, we must admit that it is terrifying. If you have not experienced it directly and personally, then you must use your imagination. And when you do, you will admit that it must be a very fearful experience to have those who are powerful seek to oppress you especially if you are weak.

Last Saturday was the 500th anniversary of the Diet of Worms where Martin Luther refused to recant of his writings before the religious and political authorities of his day. He famously concluded his speech with words, “Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me. Amen.” Can you imagine the pressure that he felt? Can you imagine the temptation to give in to fear? He stood before some very, very, powerful figures who were eager to have him recant. And he knew what had happened to others who refused to bow to the pressure of powerful and wealthy figures such as these — they burned! Whenever I hear that story I think, where did Luther get the strength? 

Luther escaped, but many others in the history of the church did not. Perhaps you should read Foxe’s Book of Martyrs some time. It is a history of some who have died for their faith from the days of the Apostles onward. The book is not for the faint of heart. But it is helpful to consider the martyrs who have gone before us and to ask, where did they get the strength? Where did they find the courage to not give in to fear in the days of adversity as the powerful moved to oppress them?

And of course, we may ask this same question of Jesus himself. Where did he get the courage? How was it that he was able to drink the cup of suffering that the Father had called him to drink? And yes, we are to remember that Jesus was fully human. He experienced all of the emotions that we experience. Where did Jesus, the Son of Man, the Son God, get the courage to stand firm and true in the face of persecution and death at the hands of those with great earthly power?

These are famous examples of men and women who have suffered persecution, and even martyrdom, at the hands of powerful and wicked men. But we should not forget that many, many more of God’s people have suffered at the hands of powerful persecutors whose names we do not know. And many are suffering throughout the world today, being oppressed by powerful governments, organizations, and individuals. Where do they get the courage? Where do they find the strength to overcome the fear and to stand firm?

Clearly, they possess some deeply held conviction which moves them to bear up under the suffering and to not abandon their hope in God and Christ. They have decided that it is better to suffer in this world for Christ’s sake than to deny him. So what is that conviction? What do those who suffer in the name of Christ believe which enables them to stand in the face of such fear? And then we must ask, do we have it? Do we have the same courage founded on the same conviction?

This wisdom Psalm — Psalm 49 — does not say everything that may be said, but it does help us to contemplate this age-old question: “Why should I fear in times of trouble, when the iniquity of those who cheat me surrounds me, those who trust in their wealth and boast of the abundance of their riches?” It truly is a marvelous Psalm. 

It is a little difficult to know how to divide the remainder of this passage. Commentators differ in their divisions of it. And I will admit that the commentaries I read do not divide it in the way that I have. But whatever structure we see in this Psalm, the meaning will be the same at the end. 

I have decided to take my cues for the division of the text from the two “Selah’s” found after verses 13 and 15. Do you see them there? Most commentators agree that the term “Selah” was used to signal a musical interlude, perhaps to encourage the worshiper to pause and reflect on what was just said.

And when we divide the remainder of the passage up by the “Selah’s” after verses 13 and 15 we do find that these sections have themes.  After the introduction of verses 1 through 4, and the question found in verses 5 through 6, we find a contemplation of the grave in verses 7 through 13, and then a contemplation of Sheol in verses 14 through 15, followed by a beautiful resolution to the question in verses 16 through 20. 

So I have outlined the Psalm like this:

Introduction (vs. 1-4)

Question (vs. 5-6)

Contemplation of the grave (vs. 7-13)

Contemplation of Sheol (vs. 14-15)

Resolution of the question (vs. 16-20)

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Contemplate The Grave (vs. 7-13)

The question has been stated. In summary, it is this: Why should I fear the wealthy and powerful when they seek to oppress? And the first thing that the sons of Korah wish for us to contemplate is the grave. They call upon the peoples of the earth — rich and poor, strong and weak — to come along and to think about oppression in light of the grave.

In verses 7 we read, “Truly no man can ransom another, or give to God the price of his life, for the ransom of their life is costly and can never suffice, that he should live on forever and never see the pit. For he sees that even the wise die; the fool and the stupid alike must perish and leave their wealth to others. Their graves are their homes forever, their dwelling places to all generations, though they called lands by their own names. Man in his pomp will not remain; he is like the beasts that perish. This is the path of those who have foolish confidence; yet after them people approve of their boasts. Selah”

This is profound. Should the poor and the weak fear the rich and the strong when they come against them to oppress them? The Psalmist says, let us begin by considering the pit, or the grave. And when we do it becomes apparent that the rich and the powerful oppressors have their hope and confidence misplaced, for they too will go down into the pit. No amount of power or wealth will save them from that. And when they go down into the grave, they will take nothing with them. In other words, death is the great equalizer. The bodies of both the rich and poor will return to the dust of earth from which we all came.   

This is a very helpful observation, I think. And it may help to put yourself in the place of the persecuted and to see the world through their eyes to understand why this is a helpful observation. Immagine yourself weak and vulnerable, and imagine someone powerful, like a king or governor, coming against you to threaten you even to the point of death. You see him there in all of his wealth and splendor. He dwells in his fortress. He has armies at his disposal. He could crush you in a moment if he so desired. Is it not helpful to remember that he is just a man? His body will one day go down into the grave just like everyone else? Yes, his tomb may be more elaborate than yours, but his body will decay just the same. 

Now, this observation is not comforting all by itself (more will be said in this Psalm). But it is an important observation, for it puts things in their proper perspective. The wealthy and powerful oppressors are mere men. In fact, they are men with their hopes misplaced. They trust in their power and wealth, but these things will utterly fail them in the end. 

This theme of misplaced trust was introduced to us in the question of verses 5 through 6. “Why should I fear in times of trouble, when the iniquity of those who cheat me surrounds me, those who trust in their wealth and boast of the abundance of their riches?” They trust in their power and wealth, but when we consider the grave we see that their trust is misplaced. This is an important truth for the oppressed to consider. And it is also an important truth for the oppressor to consider. You are merely a man, and one day your will body will go into the grave like all the rest. 

In verse 7 we find this observation: “Truly no man can ransom another, or give to God the price of his life, for the ransom of their life is costly and can never suffice, that he should live on forever and never see the pit.” In other words, though the rich may oppress the poor (by demanding a ransom for their life), the rich  (no matter how rich they are!) will never be able to pay a ransom to God to escape the curse of death. Truly, this observation puts everything into perspective. 

Think of the ultra-wealthy today. Some are worth millions and even billions of dollars. Their power is very great. And yet there is no sum of money that they can pay to escape the curse of death. They may try, but they will surely fail, “for the wages of sin is death…” (Romans 6:23, ESV)

Verse 10: “For he sees that even the wise die; the fool and the stupid alike must perish and leave their wealth to others.” As I have said, death is the great equalizer. One cannot take his wealth with him, though he may try. And the Psalmist says that even the oppressor can see this if he would but open his eyes. 

Verse 11: “Their graves are their homes forever, their dwelling places to all generations, though they called lands by their own names.” So there is an irony here. Even the powerful ones who live in lavish homes and have lands named after them will in the end occupy the same amount of real estate as all the rest — their grave.  

Verse 12: “Man in his pomp will not remain; he is like the beasts that perish.” “Pomp” here means “splendor”. Even those with splendid power and wealth will not live forever. Like the beasts of the earth, their bodies will also perish and decay. 

Verse 13: “This is the path of those who have foolish confidence; yet after them people approve of their boasts. Selah”. The word “path” is important. It refers to a way of life. “This is the [way of life] of those who have foolish confidence…” This word “path” is found throughout the book of Proverbs where the way of wisdom is consistently contrasted with the way of folly. And this word “path” is also found throughout the Psalms where it is often used in the same way. In fact, the first verse of the first Psalm introduced this theme, saying, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way [path] of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers…”, etc. 

As I have said, this is a wisdom Psalm. Here the Psalmist is highlighting the folly of this way of life. It is foolish for the wealthy and powerful to set their hope on riches. It is very foolish for them to use their power to oppress the weak. But it is wise for rich and poor alike to remember the grave and live accordingly.    

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Contemplate Sheol (vs. 14-15)

But the grave is not the only thing we must consider. The rich and poor, strong and weak, oppressor and oppressed must also remember Sheol. If we are to live according to wisdom and without fear not only must we contemplate the grave, but also Sheol.

In verse 14 we read, “Like sheep they [that is, the wicked who have trusted in their power and wealth] are appointed for Sheol; death shall be their shepherd, and the upright shall rule over them in the morning. Their form shall be consumed in Sheol, with no place to dwell.” This is a very ominous verse but it expresses truths that are very important for us to consider.

Notice that the rich and powerful oppressors are said to be “like sheep”. This is quite a contrast to what they appear to be in the eyes of the oppressed! To the oppressed, they appear to be like strong lions! But in death, they will be like sheep — sheep appointed for Sheol. 

So what is Sheol, or in the Greek language, Hades? Well, it is not the grave. The grave is where the body of man goes after death, but Sheol receives the soul. Sheol is the place where the souls of the dead live. They do not live there bodily, but their souls reside there. 

Prior to the resurrection of Christ from the dead the souls of the righteous and the unrighteous went to Sheol after death, and there they lived. The souls of the wicked were tormented there, whereas the souls of those made right through faith in the promised Messiah were comforted there. And so Sheol was divided into two parts, and a great chasm separated the two parts. Within Sheol, which is the realm of the dead, there was hell and there was also paradise. This is precisely what Jesus described in that story about the rich man and Lazarus which we read from Luke 16:19–31. The unrighteous rich man was tormented in Hades, or Sheol, whereas righteous Lazarus was comforted there at Abraham’s side (or bosom), for Lazarus had the faith of Abraham. 

Now, something did change in Sheol (or Hades) at the time of Christ’s resurrection from the dead. The souls of the unrighteous who pass from this world do still go to Sheol and are tormented there, but the souls of the righteous — those who have faith in Christ and are cleansed by his blood — go, not to Sheol, or Abraham’s bosom, to be comforted there as in the former times, but into the blessed presence of God in the heavenly realm. Why the change, you ask? Because Christ has won the victory. He is “the living one. [He] died, and behold [he is] alive forevermore, and [he has] the keys of Death and Hades. [Sheol]” (Revelation 1:18, ESV). “Therefore it says, ‘When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men’” (Ephesians 4:8, ESV).

When we read the Psalms we must remember that they were all written prior to the resurrection of Christ from the dead. Therefore, what is said regarding the wicked in Sheol is still true, and it will remain true until the resurrection of the dead and the final judgment when those not in Christ, but in their sins, will be cast into the lake of fire. But what is said regarding the righteous in Sheol, though it was true then, is not true now, for Christ has risen, and he has set those once held captivate free. And this is why in the book of Revelation we see the souls of the righteous worshiping God, not in Abraham’s bosom, but in heaven. So it is true then, for all who have faith in Christ after his resurrection, “to be absent from the body [is] to be present with the Lord” in the heavenly realm (2 Corinthians 5:8, NKJV). 

Back to our text. What is the destiny of the wicked at the time of death? Their bodies go into the grave, and “Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol”. And then we read, “death shall be their shepherd”. Here death is eerily personified as a shepherd. The unrighteous in Sheol are alive in the soul, but death governs them. They live in a continual state of death, and they await eternal condemnation. Again, we are to recognize the contrast. While alive on earth these rich and powerful oppressors appeared to live life to the fullest. But in death, their bodies will go to the grave and their souls will go to Sheol where they will be shepherded by death and covered in darkness. 

Furthermore, we read that “the upright shall rule over them in the morning.” “The morning” may refer to the final judgment, or the morning may refer to the change that occurs when we pass from this life to the next. I think I prefer the second of these two options. But the imagery is very powerful either way. When we pass from this world, and especially at the final judgment, a great change will occur. From the vantage point of the wicked oppressors, they will at the moment of death move from light in this world to the darkness of death, that is, from earthly day to eternal night. But for the oppressed who have taken refuge in the LORD and in his Messiah, at death they will be transferred from the dark night of suffering here on earth to the dawning of the eternal day in the comfort of God. And this is why the text says, “the upright shall rule over them in the morning.” The just and the unjust must always keep this in mind. At the time of death, and especially at the final judgment, there will be the dawning of a new day. For the righteous — that is, for those who have taken refuge in God and in the Christ — it will seem like the morning. The sun will rise upon them, bringing eternal light and comfort. But to the wicked, this new day will seem like nightfall. The sun will set on them never to rise again. Whatever graces of God they enjoyed in this life will melt away and never return. 

Again, note the contrast in our text. Note the reversal of the fortunes, as it were, of the faithful oppressed and the faithless oppressor. As the oppressor moves from day to night, the oppressed who are in Christ will move from the darkness of suffering to the dawning of the day as they pass from this world.

Concerning the faithless and wicked oppressor, the text goes on to say, “their form shall be consumed in Sheol”. This is an interesting expression and one that is hard to translate. I do believe that the context makes it clear what is meant. This verse seems to correspond to verse 12, which said, “Man in his pomp [or spendor] will not remain; he is like the beasts that perish.” That, I believe, is what the word “form” refers to here in verse 14. In Sheol, the external and fleshly pomp and splendor of the wealthy and powerful will be consumed. Their form will melt away, for, as the remainder of verse 14 teaches, in Sheol, there is no place for the form, or external splendor, of the dead to dwell. The fleshly splendor of the powerful and wealthy will all be consumed by death and the grave. Again, the contrast is startling. The reversal of things is very great.

And in verse 15 we find one more statement about Sheol. And it is in this statement that true comfort is delivered to the people of God. Up to this point, we have contemplated what will become of the wicked in Sheol. And yes, we have been told that in Sheol “the upright [would] rule over” the wicked. But true comfort is found in these words: “But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me. Selah” (Psalm 49:15, ESV)

Those two words, “but God”, are very refreshing, are they not? They grab our attention because they are words of hope. This Psalm is rather dark and ominous in its contemplation of the grave and Sheol. But the words “but God” signal that in God there is hope for man, body and soul. 

The words, “but God”, remind me of what Paul said in Ephesians 2. Speaking to Christians he wrote,  “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus…” (Ephesians 2:1–6, ESV). The words “but God” are the hinge on which this passage turns from bad news to good. And so it is with Psalm 49. The words “but God” signal that good news is coming — there is true hope and comfort found in God.  

Listen again to the hope of the Psalmist. “But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me. Selah”

Ransom. Think about that word for a moment. Previously it was said that no man, no matter how rich, could possibly ransom another or give to God the price of his life. We are indebted to God, brothers and sisters. We stand guilty before him. A price must be paid for our sin. And the wages of sin is death. No sum of money will do. But here the Psalmist says, “But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol”. God himself must pay the ransom. And notice the faith of the Psalmist! He knew for certain that God would! “God will ransom my soul”, he says. And we know that he has done this very thing through Jesus the Christ in his life, death, burial, and resurrection. Christ has ransomed his people, body and soul. He has paid the price for their sins. As Matthew says, “the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28, ESV). He has ransomed those given to him by the Father. He has rescued his people from Sheol, and he will raise their bodies from the grave at the end of time to bring them healthy and whole into the new creation and into the blessed presence of God forever and ever. “For he will receive me”, the Psalmist says. God will redeem me, and God will receive me. That was his hope, and it is our hope too. 

And so finally we have the answer to the question, why should I fear in times of trouble? The answer is that in Christ we should not! In Christ, we should never fear, even when the strong and powerful oppress us to the point of death. For in Christ God has ransomed us body and soul. And through faith in Christ, he will receive us for all eternity. “So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?’” (Hebrews 13:6, ESV).

To some, this may seem like a strange way to answer the question, why should I fear in times of trouble? Many Christians today will not dare answer the question in this way, by contemplating the grave and Sheol and Christ’s victory over it. Instead, many will say, fear not, for God will certainly protect you in this life. He will surely bless you, heal you, preserve you, and keep you from all evil. But this is neither true biblically, nor is it true in reality. Martyrdom is real, friends (consider Christ and his Apostles). And so these unbiblical, naive, and shallow answers to the question, why should I fear?, will not do. They will not bring real comfort in the face of the real trials and tribulations of life. But what will bring real comfort? It is the good news that Christ has won the victory over death, the grave, and Sheol. Indeed, all who are found in him will live in the blessed presence of God forever and ever. This is real comfort. And this must be our decided belief and conviction if we hope to stand in the evil day. 

We teach our children the Baptist Catechism, but there is another very good Catechism that you should be aware of. It is called the Orthodox Catechism. It is the Baptist’s version of another very famous and beloved catechism called the Heidelberg Catechism. Listen to the very first question and answer:

Q. What is your only comfort
in life and in death?

A. That I am not my own,
but belong—
body and soul,
in life and in death—
to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ.
He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood,
and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil.

He also watches over me in such a way
that not a hair can fall from my head
without the will of my Father in heaven;
in fact, all things must work together for my salvation.

Because I belong to him,
Christ, by his Holy Spirit,
assures me of eternal life
and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready
from now on to live for him.

That pretty much sums it up, doesn’t it? Really, this is our only comfort in life and death. We are not our own, but belong— body and soul, in life and in death— to our faithful Savior, Jesus Christ.

*****

Fear Not, For God Has Redeemed You And Will Keep You In Christ, But The Wicked Will Perish  (vs. 16-20)

Let us now very briefly consider the resolution or solution to the question that was raised in verses 5 through 6. I don’t have much to add to the reading of these verses, for they do nicely summarize the observations that have already been made. Why should we fear when the powerful and wealthy rise up to oppress us? We should not. Fear not, brothers and sisters, for God has redeemed you and will keep you in Christ, but the wicked will surely perish.

Verse 16: “Be not afraid when a man becomes rich, when the glory of his house increases. For when he dies he will carry nothing away; his glory will not go down after him. For though, while he lives, he counts himself blessed —and though you get praise when you do well for yourself— his soul will go to the generation of his fathers, who will never again see light. Man in his pomp yet without understanding is like the beasts that perish.” (Psalm 49, ESV)

Here is wisdom for the rich and poor, the powerful and the weak alike. May we all live our lives with the grave and Sheol in mind. And may we be sure to run to God and to his Messiah for refuge, for he has paid our ransom. Through faith in him we find the forgiveness of our sins and the promise of life everlasting in the blessed presence of God. Amen.