Sunday
Morning Bible Study
June 6, 2004
Psalm 147
The second of the “Hallel” psalms (Ps.
146-150). In the Hebrew, each psalm
starts with hallelujah and each psalm
ends with hallelujah (“praise the
Lord”).
This song was possibly written after the Babylonian captivity when the
people had returned to Jerusalem
and had finished rebuilding the walls of the city.
:1-6 God heals the brokenhearted
:1 for it is pleasant; and praise is comely.
pleasant – na‘iym – pleasant, delightful, sweet, lovely,
agreeable
When David is called the “sweet psalmist” of Israel,
this is the word that is used (2Sam. 23:1)
comely – na’veh – comely, beautiful, seemly. The NIV translates this “fitting”, NASB as
“becoming”.
In other words, when you are praising God, you look marvelous.
:2 The LORD doth build up Jerusalem:
he gathereth together the outcasts
This was fulfilled at the return from the Babylonian captivity. We also see it happening today as Jews continue
to return to Israel
from all around the world.
People that the rest of the world rejects, God gathers. He’s like the people that go from yard sale
to yard sale on Saturdays, picking up bargains from other peoples’ junk.
:3 He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.
The proof that God heals the broken hearted is in that Jerusalem
was rebuilt (vs. 2).
:4 He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names.
telleth – manah – to count, number
They are now estimating that the universe contains 40 billion galaxies,
with each galaxy containing somewhere between 50 and 100 billion stars.
I have a hard time just remembering all your names. God knows the names of all the stars. God says …
(Isa 40:25-26 KJV) To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be
equal? saith the Holy One. {26} Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath
created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them
all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not
one faileth.
:6 The LORD lifteth up the meek: he casteth the wicked down to the ground.
(Ps 147:6 The Message) God
puts the fallen on their feet again and pushes the wicked into the ditch.
God is all powerful and He knows everything. He could spend His time doing anything He wants,
but how does God spend His time? Caring
for broken people like us.
:7-11 God delights in those that fear Him
:8 who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains.
Our new house has a huge yard with way too many plants, bushes, flowers and
trees. I’ve been having a hard time
getting all the sprinkler timers on schedule and some of the plants aren’t
going to make it. Yet my little back
yard is nothing compared to the gardens on the mountains that God maintains.
:10 He delighteth not in the strength of the horse…
This is probably talking about military strength – cavalry and infantry.
Illustration
Clueless
A University of Texas
football player was visiting a Yankee relative in Boston
over the holidays. He went to a large party and met a pretty co-ed. He was attempting
to start up a conversation with the line, “Where does you go to school?” The
coed, of course, was not overly impressed with his grammar nor his southern
drawl, but did answer his question. “Yale,” she replied. The University
of Texas student took a big, deep
breath and shouted, “WHERE DOES YOU GO TO SCHOOL?”
We are impressed by things like fast cars, strong muscles, or a fancy
education men. God isn’t.
:11 The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in
his mercy.
This is not a fear that is afraid of God’s punishment and turns to run from Him. This is a fear that carries great respect and
awe at God, that hopes in God’s mercy, and runs to Him.
Lesson
Impressing God
(Rev 4:11
KJV) Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive
glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy
pleasure they are and were created.
You were created for God’s pleasure.
What does God take pleasure in?
Those that fear Him AND hope in His mercy.
Like two wings of an airplane – we need both “fear” and “hope” to fly.
Paul talks about this mixture of “fear” and “hope” as one of the things
that motivates him:
(2 Cor 5:1-11 NLT) For we know that when this earthly tent we
live in is taken down--when we die and leave these bodies--we will have a home
in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands.
{2} We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long for the day when we will
put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. {3} For we will not be spirits
without bodies, but we will put on new heavenly bodies. {4} Our dying bodies
make us groan and sigh, but it's not that we want to die and have no bodies at
all. We want to slip into our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be
swallowed up by everlasting life. {5} God himself has prepared us for this, and
as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit. {6} So we are always confident,
even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home
with the Lord. {7} That is why we live by believing and not by seeing. {8} Yes,
we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these bodies, for then
we will be at home with the Lord.
This is Paul’s hope, to be with the Lord.
{9} So our aim is to please him always, whether we are here in this
body or away from this body. {10} For we must all stand before Christ to be
judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have
done in our bodies. {11} It is because we know this solemn fear of the Lord
that we work so hard to persuade others. God knows we are sincere, and I hope
you know this, too.
For Paul, the “fear of God” involved keeping in mind that
we will be judged by Jesus for what we’ve done in this life.
For Paul, as a Christian, this judgment seat of Christ
does not involve salvation, it involves the rewards for what we’ve done in life
as a believer.
When I have this balance of the “fear of God” and the “hope of mercy”, I
will live a life that is pleasing to the Lord.
Not running from Him but running to Him.
(Isa 66:1-2 KJV) Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne,
and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and
where is the place of my rest? {2} For all those things hath mine hand made,
and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look,
even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.
:12-20 God gives His Word
:13 For he hath strengthened the bars of thy gates
Jerusalem’s walls had been
rebuilt. Solomon wrote,
(Psa 127:1 KJV) …except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh
but in vain.
:14 …and filleth thee with the finest of the wheat.
I’m sure there was still a lot of mess in the city of Jerusalem
at this time. There were probably still lots of rubble in the streets. But that’s not what the psalmist notices.
Lesson
Seeing the blessings
Do you see the blessings that God has given you?
(Prov 15:15 NASB) All the days of the afflicted are bad, But a
cheerful heart has a continual feast.
Illustration
The Optimist
There is a story of identical twins. One was a hope-filled
optimist. “Everything is coming up roses!” he would say. The other twin was a
sad and hopeless pessimist. He thought that Murphy, as in Murphy’s Law, was an
optimist. The worried parents of the boys brought them to the local
psychologist.
He suggested to the parents a plan to balance the twins’
personalities. “On their next birthday, put them in separate rooms to open
their gifts. Give the pessimist the best toys you can afford, and give the
optimist a box of manure.” The parents followed these instructions and
carefully observed the results.
When they peeked in on the pessimist, they heard him
audibly complaining, “I don’t like the color of this computer . . I’ll bet this
calculator will break . . . I don’t like the game . . . I know someone who’s
got a bigger toy car than this . . .”
Tiptoeing across the corridor, the parents peeked in and
saw their little optimist gleefully throwing the manure up in the air. He was
giggling. “You can’t fool me! Where there’s this much manure, there’s gotta be a pony!”
from Brian
Cavanaugh's More Sower's Seeds
What are you focused on? The pain of
life or the blessings of God?
Illustration
Count Your
Blessings – the hymn by Johnson Oatman Jr.
When upon life’s
billows you are tempest tossed, when you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
count your many blessings—name them one by one, and it will surprise you what
the Lord hath done.
Are you ever
burdened with a load of care? Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings—ev’ry doubt will fly, and
you will be singing as the days go by.
When you look at
others with their lands and gold, think that Christ has promised you His wealth
untold; count your many blessings—money cannot buy your reward in heaven nor your
home on high.
So amid the
conflict, whether great or small, do not be discouraged. God is over all; count
your many blessings—angels will attend, help and comfort give you to your
journey’s end.
Count your
blessings—name them one by one; count your blessings—see what God hath done.[1]
Angels Game – catcher Josh Paul is called a “force multiplier” by one of
his team mates because he’s always got a positive outlook and doesn’t
complain. Even though he spends more
time on the bench than he’d like, his teammates don’t see him complaining about
it, and his mature attitude encourages others to be team players as well.
This is what is “comely” or “beautiful” – Giving praise to God. Focusing on His blessings.
:20 He hath not dealt so with any nation
The Jews are a very privileged people.
They alone were the nation that God picked out to give His word to. God spoke through Moses:
(Deu 4:7-8 KJV) For what
nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the LORD our God
is in all things that we call upon him for? {8} And what nation is there so
great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I
set before you this day?
It is to the Jews that God also gave His Living Word as well. The Messiah came from the Jews and to the Jews.
We as Gentiles are privileged that God would open the door that we might be
saved as well.
:15 his word runneth very swiftly
(NLT) Ps 147:15 He sends his
orders to the world—how swiftly his word flies!
We live in a day of “instant approval”.
When you buy something with a credit card, the approval comes in
seconds. The purchase goes on your
statement immediately. When we applied
for “pre-approval” of a loan for our new house, Deb applied online and the
approval came in seconds instead of weeks.
In the ancient days, a command from a king could take weeks to get from the
throne to the people it affected.
In ancient times when there were no phones, internet, or text messaging …
(Mat 8:1-4 KJV) When he was come down from the mountain,
great multitudes followed him. {2} And, behold, there came a leper and
worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. {3} And
Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
{4} And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, show
thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony
unto them.
Immediately …
(Mat 8:5-13 KJV) And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came
unto him a centurion, beseeching him, {6} And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at
home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. {7} And Jesus saith unto him, I
will come and heal him. {8} The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not
worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my
servant shall be healed. {9} For I am a man under authority, having soldiers
under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he
cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. {10} When Jesus heard it,
he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not
found so great faith, no, not in Israel. {11} And I say unto you, That many
shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac,
and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. {12} But the children of the kingdom shall
be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
{13} And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed,
so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.
In the selfsame hour …
There are so many stories about Jesus’ miracles and how at times Jesus
simply spoke and the request was fulfilled.
Immediately.
Lesson
He’s never late
His answers to prayer can come instantly.
The problem is, if God’s orders are filled so quickly, then how come I
haven’t had my prayer answered yet? If
God cares for the broken-hearted, how come my heart is still broken?
God’s never in a hurry and He’s never
late.
I get impatient with circumstances, but God is never late. God could fix my problem instantly, but
sometimes He makes me wait.
Though Jesus could have answered every need instantly, He didn’t.
Jesus had a family that He loved very much.
He heard that the brother of the family was ill:
(John 11:4-6 KJV) When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness
is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be
glorified thereby. {5} Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. {6}
When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the
same place where he was.
Jesus didn’t drop everything and run to Lazarus. He waited before he left.
(John 11:20-23 KJV) Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus
was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house. {21} Then said
Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. {22}
But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it
thee. {23} Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.
Martha didn’t appreciate that Jesus had taken His time.
(John 11:32-44 KJV) Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and
saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been
here, my brother had not died. {33} When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and
the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was
troubled, {34} And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come
and see. {35} Jesus wept. {36} Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!
{37} And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the
blind, have caused that even this man should not have died? {38} Jesus
therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a
stone lay upon it. {39} Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister
of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh:
for he hath been dead four days. {40} Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto
thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?
Believe – see the glory of God. Trust Him.
{41} Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead
was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that
thou hast heard me. {42} And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of
the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent
me. {43} And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come
forth. {44} And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin.
Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.
Jesus may not handle your life’s situations the way you
think He should. But He knows much
better about what ought to be done.
Illustration
WAIT
Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I
cried
Quietly, patiently, lovingly God
replied.
I pled and I wept for a clue to my
fate,
And the Master so gently said, “Child,
you must wait”.
“Wait? You say, wait!” my indignant reply.
“Lord, I need answers, I need to know
why!
Is Your hand shortened? Or have you not heard?
By Faith, I have asked, and am
claiming your Word.
My future and all to which I can
relate
hangs in the balance, and YOU tell me
to WAIT?
I’m needing a ‘yes’, a go-ahead sign,
or even a ‘no’ to which I can resign.
And Lord, I’ve been asking, and this
is my cry:
I’m weary of asking! I need a reply!”
Then quietly, softly, I learned of my
fate
As my Master replied once again, “You
must wait.”
So, I slumped in my chair, defeated
and taut
and grumbled to God, “So, I’m
waiting...for what?”
He seemed, then, to kneel, and His
eyes wept with mine,
And He tenderly said, “I could give
you a sign.
I could shake the heavens, and darken
the sun.
I could raise the dead, and cause
mountains to run.
All you seek, I could give, and
pleased you would be.
You would have what you want—but you
wouldn’t know Me.
You’d not know the depth of My love
for each saint;
You’d not know the power that I give
to the faint;
You’d not learn to see through the
clouds of despair;
You’d not learn to trust just by
knowing I’m there;
You’d not know the joy of resting in
Me
When darkness and silence were all you
could see.
You’d never experience that fullness
of love
As the peace of My Spirit descends
like a dove;
You’d know that I give and I
save...(for a start)
But you’d not know the depth of the
beat of My heart.
The glow of My comfort late into the
night,
The faith that I give when you walk
without sight,
The depth that’s beyond getting just
what you asked
Of an infinite God, who makes what you
have LAST.
You’d never know, should your pain
quickly flee,
What it means that “My grace is
sufficient for Thee.”
Yes, your dreams for your loved one
overnight would come true,
But, Oh, the loss! If I lost what I’m doing in you!
So, be silent, My Child, and in time
you will see
That the greatest of gifts is to get
to know Me.
And though oft’ may My answers seem
terribly late,
My most precious answer of all is
still, “Wait.’”
~ Author unknown