Thursday
Evening Bible Study
December
17, 2015
Introduction
Do people see Jesus? Is the gospel
preached? Does it address the person who is: Empty, lonely, guilty, or afraid
to die? Does it speak to the broken
hearted? Does it build up the church? Milk – Meat – Manna Preach for a decision
Is the church loved? Target 3300 words
Video = 75 wpm
Next week our Christmas Eve Service will be at 6:00pm. It’s just an hour long, and is for the entire
family – the kids will be in church with us.
The following week is New Year’s Eve.
Daniel Grant is planning an evening with a potluck, fellowship, games,
communion, and a movie (The War Room).
It starts at 6:00pm and runs until midnight.
The English word psalm comes from a Greek word that means “a poem
sung to musical accompaniment”, or in particular, “stringed instruments”.
The Hebrew name is tehillim, which means
“praises.”
The book of Psalms is the hymnbook of God’s people.
It’s also the “Him” book as well. It’s all about Jesus.
The writer of Hebrews quotes from
Psalm 40:8 when he writes,
(Hebrews 10:7 NKJV) Then I
said, ‘Behold, I have come— In the
volume of the book it is written of Me— To do Your will, O God.’ ”
The author was talking about Jesus.
We’re going to see a lot of Jesus
in the Psalms.
Soul Music
Music touches the soul. It’s “soulish” in nature. It touches the emotions.
We’re going to find every kind of emotion possible expressed in the Psalms.
For every sigh there is a Psalm.
For most of us, this is what makes
the Psalms so wonderful. We can identify. We can relate.
If we were honest, even darkest
most depressing Psalms describe the very things we go through day by day.
It is my prayer that as we continue
on this journey through the Psalms, we won’t just look at these songs academically,
with our mind, but that we may also grow as worshippers.
Psalm 30 – From Mourning to Dancing
: A Psalm. A Song At the Dedication of the House
of David.
A Song At the Dedication of the House of David
This is the first Psalm to be called a “Song”.
song – shiyr – song; lyric song; song of Levitical
choirs with musical accompaniment.
There are two possibilities about when this song was written.
Some say it was written for the dedication of the Temple.
David had purchased the land for the Temple,
designed the buildings, and even gathered all the materials for the building of
the Temple. Though it was Solomon that actually had the
structure built, you could conceivably call it the house of David.
When David first approached God
about building a Temple, a “house” for God, God answered by telling David that
instead of David building a house for Him, God would build David a house…
(2 Samuel 7:11b NKJV) Also
the Lord tells you that He will
make you a house.
God was talking
about the family, the dynasty of David.
Others say that it refers to the building of David’s own house.
(2 Samuel 5:11–12
NKJV) —11 Then Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers
to David, and cedar trees, and carpenters and masons. And they built David a
house. 12 So David
knew that the Lord had
established him as king over Israel, and that He had exalted His kingdom for
the sake of His people Israel.
Either way, this Psalm is about God’s grace on David’s life. It’s about how God can turn the darkest
circumstances to dancing.
:1 I will extol You, O Lord,
for You have lifted me up, And have not let my foes rejoice over me.
:2 O Lord my God, I cried out
to You, And You healed me.
:3 O Lord, You brought my
soul up from the grave; You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the
pit.
:3 that I should not go down to the pit
David is thinking about the many times that God had rescued David from his
enemies and saved his life.
David was a warrior, and he had been in battle many times.
He had faced Goliath with only his sling and God’s name.
He and his men had battled the Philistines and the Amalekites many times.
He even had his own boss, King Saul, try to kill him several times.
Each time God rescued David.
:4 Sing praise to the Lord,
you saints of His, And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.
:5 For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life;
Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.
:5 anger … favor
anger – ‘aph – nostril, nose, face; anger
favor – ratsown – pleasure, delight, favor, goodwill,
acceptance
There may be times when you have sinned and you feel you are facing God’s
anger.
If you will deal with your sin, it is only for a moment.
God’s grace is what lasts your lifetime.
David also wrote,
(Psalm 103:8–11
NKJV) —8 The Lord is
merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. 9 He will not
always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. 10 He has not
dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities. 11 For as the
heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;
:5 joy comes in the morning
Lesson
Wait for the morning
It seems when you are sick in the middle of the night, that the morning
seems to come so slowly.
Yet when the morning comes, somehow everything is a little better.
When we are going through a difficult time, it seems like it is going to
last forever.
We need to hold on until the “morning” comes and we find relief.
Sometimes “morning” comes when the sun rises.
Sometimes “morning” comes in a month.
Sometimes “morning” comes when we change our attitude.
Illustration
German pastor Martin Rinkart served in the walled town of Eilenburg during the horrors of the Thirty Years War of
1618-1648. Eilenburg became an overcrowded refuge for
the surrounding area. The fugitives suffered from epidemic and famine. At the
beginning of 1637, the year of the Great Pestilence, there were four pastors in
Eilenburg. But one abandoned his post for healthier
areas and could not be persuaded to return. Pastor Rinkhart
officiated at the funerals of the other two. As the only pastor left, he often
conducted services for as many as 40 to 50 persons a day—some 4,480 in all. In
May of that year, his own wife died. By the end of the year, the refugees had
to be buried in trenches without services.
Yet living in a world dominated by death, Pastor Rinkart wrote the
following prayer for his children to offer to the Lord:
Now thank we all our
God
With hearts and hands and voices;
Who wondrous things hath done,
In whom this world rejoices.
Who, from our mother's arms,
Hath led us on our way,
With countless gifts of love,
And still is ours today.
Sometimes we just need to change our attitude.
:6 Now in my prosperity I said, “I shall never be moved.”
:7 Lord, by Your favor You
have made my mountain stand strong; You hid Your face, and I was
troubled.
(Psalm 30:6–7 NLT)
—6 When I was prosperous, I said, “Nothing can stop me now!” 7 Your favor,
O Lord, made me as secure as a
mountain. Then you turned away from me, and I was shattered.
:8 I cried out to You, O Lord;
And to the Lord I made
supplication:
:9 “What profit is there in my blood, When I go down to the pit?
Will the dust praise You? Will it declare Your truth?
David’s prayer is a little like negotiating. He is saying that He will not be any good for
God if he dies.
:10 Hear, O Lord, and have
mercy on me; Lord, be my helper!”
:11 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my
sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,
:11 turned for me my mourning into dancing
mourning – micepd – wailing
dancing – machowl – dancing
from – chuwl – to twist, whirl, dance
I grew up in a Baptist church, so I don’t know anything about dancing. But the Jewish people do…
Video: Jewish Dancing
:12 To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be
silent. O Lord my God, I will
give thanks to You forever.
:8 I cried out to You, O Lord
How did David’s mourning get turned into dancing?
Lesson
Prayer
Some folks don’t really have a clue what prayer is about. They just think it’s about learning special
words…
We too can have some misconceptions about prayer
Prayer is simply talking to God like a friend, which He is.
It’s not about fancy language, it’s about being honest and open.
Take your worries and your fears to the Lord.
Put them in His lap.
Tran: A D F#m E
A D F#m E
I'm trading my sorrows
A D F#m E
I'm trading my shame
A D F#m
I'm laying them down
E A...(tran)
For the joy of the Lord
A D F#m E
I'm trading my sickness
A D F#m E
I'm trading my pain
A D F#m
I'm laying them down
E A...(tran)
For the joy of the Lord
A D F#m E
Yes Lord, yes Lord, yes, yes Lord
A D F#m E
Yes Lord, yes Lord, yes, yes Lord
A D F#m E
A...
Yes Lord, yes Lord, yes, yes Lord Amen
A D
I am pressed but not crushed
F#m E
Persecuted, not abandoned
A D F#m E
Struck down but not destroyed
A D
I am blessed beyond the curse
F#m E
For His promise will endure
A D
F#m E
That His joy's gonna be my strength
E Esus E
Though the sorrow may last for the night
G D
His joy comes with the morning
Trading My Sorrows / Words & Music by Darrell Evans
/ © 1998 Integrity's
Hosanna Music / Sorrow.doc
Psalm 31 – Trust in Betrayal
: To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
It is not certain when David wrote this psalm, but it speaks of a time of
being betrayed.
At least three possibilities –
David had been betrayed by Saul.
David was nothing but faithful to Saul, yet Saul becomes jealous of
David’s battle victories and turns against David.
When David had rescued the people of the city of Keilah,
they turned on him and betrayed him to Saul.
It might also speak about the time when David was running from his own son
Absalom’s rebellion.
:1 In You, O Lord, I put my
trust; Let me never be ashamed; Deliver me in Your righteousness.
:2 Bow down Your ear to me, Deliver me speedily; Be my rock of refuge, A
fortress of defense to save me.
:3 For You are my rock and my fortress; Therefore, for Your name’s
sake, Lead me and guide me.
:3 You are my rock and my fortress
Lesson
My help
In verses 2-3, David uses many different words translated “rock”, “refuge”,
“fortress”, and “defense”, but one word he uses twice.
fortress – matsuwd – fastness, stronghold
The word “Masada” comes from this word.
The same word is translated “defense” in verse 2.
When David was fleeing from Saul, one of the places he fled to was the area
of Ein Gedi (En Gedi).
Ein Gedi is this
beautiful oasis in the middle of a desert, with a spring that empties out into
the Dead Sea.
While David was hiding in a cave at Ein Gedi, Saul and his men showed up. Saul went into the cave to go to the bathroom
(1Sam. 24).
David’s men tried to get David to kill Saul in the cave, but David would
not do it. He couldn’t bring himself to
kill the man that God had anointed to be king, even when Saul was acting so
wickedly.
After Saul left the cave, David came out and confronted Saul about trying
to kill David even when David remained loyal.
Saul expressed remorse for chasing David, and asked David to promise not to
kill all his descendants.
(1 Samuel 24:22
NKJV) So David swore to Saul. And Saul went home, but David and his men
went up to the stronghold.
The word for “stronghold” is the same word as “fortress”
in our passage (matsuwd)
Video: Masada map clip
Some have suggested that the “stronghold” David went up to
was Masada, an imposing rock formation just south of Ein
Gedi, overlooking the Dead Sea.
Here’s the view from the top of Masada
Video: Masada View
Masada is a great place to hide from your enemies. There are only a few narrow trails up the
1500 feet to the top, and is easily defended.
In the days of the Jewish rebellion against the Romans, a group of 1,000
men and women held out for years against the Romans until the Romans finally
build a huge siege ramp on the west side and breached the walls at the top.
For David, his own sense of safety and security didn’t depend on having a
cool place to hide from his enemies.
David’s safety and security came from the Lord.
:4 Pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me, For You are
my strength.
:5 Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.
:5 Into Your hand I commit my spirit
spirit – ruwach – wind, breath, mind, spirit
Jesus quoted this on the cross. (Luke 23:46-47)
(Luke 23:46–47 NKJV) —46 And when
Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘into Your hands I
commit My spirit.’ ” Having said this, He breathed His last. 47
So when the centurion saw what had happened, he
glorified God, saying, “Certainly this was a righteous Man!”
Video: Greatest Story Ever Told –
Christ’s Death
I think there is a sense in which we can see this whole Psalm as the heart
of Jesus on the cross (like Psalm 22).
Though there were times when Christ experienced a separation from God (“why
have you forsaken me”), He still trusted God, He “committed” Himself to God.
:6 I have hated those who regard useless idols; But I trust in the Lord.
:7 I will be glad and rejoice in Your mercy, For You have considered my
trouble; You have known my soul in adversities,
:8 And have not shut me up into the hand of the enemy; You have set my feet
in a wide place.
:8 You have set my feet in a wide place
wide place – merchab – broad or roomy place, wide, expanses
from – rachab – to be or grow wide, be or grow large
These are words that speak of safety and security.
Isaac had large flocks and needed sources of water to keep his sheep alive.
Whenever they’d move the flocks, Isaac’s herdsmen would get into quarrels
with the other herdsmen of the area, until the day they came to a “broad place”
(Genesis 26:22
NKJV) And he moved from there and dug another well, and they did not
quarrel over it. So he called its name Rehoboth, because he said, “For now the Lord has made room for us, and we shall
be fruitful in the land.”
:9 Have mercy on me, O Lord,
for I am in trouble; My eye wastes away with grief, Yes, my soul and my
body!
:10 For my life is spent with grief, And my years with sighing; My strength
fails because of my iniquity, And my bones waste away.
:11 I am a reproach among all my enemies, But especially among my
neighbors, And am repulsive to my acquaintances; Those who see me
outside flee from me.
:11 I am a reproach among all my enemies
Lesson
Above reproach
The Bible says that leaders in the church ought to be “above reproach”.
(1 Timothy 3:2 NLT)
So
an elder must be a man whose life is above reproach. He must be faithful to his
wife. He must exercise self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation.
He must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must be able to teach.
For the most part this means that people can’t accuse you
of wrong doing, or of being a hypocrite.
Yet there is a sense in which even when you are doing what you’re supposed
to do, you can’t control how people are going to react to you.
There’s going to be times when even people close to you (your “neighbors”)
aren’t going to be happy with you.
This happened to Jesus on the cross.
(Matthew
27:39–40 NLT) —39 The people passing by shouted abuse, shaking their heads in
mockery. 40 “Look at you
now!” they yelled at him. “You said you were going to destroy the Temple and
rebuild it in three days. Well then, if you are the Son of God, save yourself
and come down from the cross!”
Being “above reproach” doesn’t mean no one ever criticizes you because you
are a “people pleaser”, it means that you are living to please God.
:12 I am forgotten like a dead man, out of mind; I am like a broken vessel.
:13 For I hear the slander of many; Fear is on every side; While
they take counsel together against me, They scheme to take away my life.
This sounds so much like Jesus on the cross.
:14 But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord;
I say, “You are my God.”
:15 My times are in Your hand; Deliver me from the hand of my
enemies, And from those who persecute me.
:16 Make Your face shine upon Your servant; Save me for Your mercies’ sake.
:16 Make Your face shine upon Your servant
The concept of God’s face “shining” on a person is to express that God is
pleased with that person.
This was part of the blessing that Aaron and his descendants were to learn
to speak over God’s people:
(Numbers 6:24–26
NKJV) —24 “The Lord bless you
and keep you; 25
The
Lord make His face shine upon
you, And be
gracious to you;
26 The Lord lift up His
countenance upon you, And give you peace.”
Here’s a video of last September during Sukkot (Tabernacles) at the Western
Wall in Jerusalem. They are singing the
blessing one word at a time. The leader sings a word, and the people are echoing.
To David, the words of Aaron’s blessing aren’t just random religious
words. They mean something. David craves for God’s favor and blessing to
be upon him.
:17 Do not let me be ashamed, O Lord,
for I have called upon You; Let the wicked be ashamed; Let them be silent in
the grave.
:18 Let the lying lips be put to silence, Which speak insolent things
proudly and contemptuously against the righteous.
:19 Oh, how great is Your goodness, Which You have laid up for those
who fear You, Which You have prepared for those who trust in You In the
presence of the sons of men!
:19 great is your goodness,
Which You have laid up
God cares for you.
He has good things laid up, stored up, prepared and ready for those who
trust in Him.
Paul wrote,
(1 Corinthians 2:9
NKJV) But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of
man The things
which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
:20 You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence From the plots
of man; You shall keep them secretly in a pavilion From the strife of tongues.
:21 Blessed be the Lord,
For He has shown me His marvelous kindness in a strong city!
:21 kindness in a strong city
What “city” is David talking about?
Some have suggested this might be Mahanaim, where
David was living when his troops won the battle over Absalom.
Others suggest it might be the city of Rabbah, where
David’s troops won a great victory over the Ammonites.
Others suggest it might be Jerusalem.
:22 For I said in my haste, “I am cut off from before Your eyes”;
Nevertheless You heard the voice of my supplications When I cried out to You.
:22 I said in my haste
in my haste – chaphaz – to be in a hurry, be alarmed
Lesson
Slow down.
Sometimes life just gets going too fast.
Illustration
A man decided that he was going to ride a 10-speed bike from Phoenix to
Flagstaff. He got as far as Black Canyon City before the mountains just became
too much and he could go no farther. He stuck his thumb out, but after 3 hours
he hadn’t gotten a single person to stop. Finally a guy in a Corvette pulled
over and offered him a ride. Of course, the bike wouldn’t fit in the car. The
owner of the Corvette found a piece of rope lying by the highway and tied it to
his bumper. He tied the other end to the bike and told the man that if he got
to going too fast to honk the horn on his bike and he would slow down.
Everything went fine for the first 30 miles. Suddenly, another Corvette blew
past them. Not to be outdone, the Corvette pulling the bike took off after the
other. A short distance down the road, the Corvettes-both going well over 120
mph-blew through a speed trap. The police officer noted the speeds from his
radar gun and radioed to the other officer that he had 2 Corvettes headed his
way at over 120 mph. He then relayed, “And you’re not going to believe this,
but there’s guy on a 10-speed bike honking to pass”.
After Elijah had his great victory over the prophets of Baal, and he had
the prophets of Baal put to death, wicked Queen Jezebel ordered Elijah to be
put to death.
Elijah became afraid and ran, ran, ran. (1Kings 19)
Elijah wanted to hear from God, but when there was a great
wind, then a fire, and then an earthquake, God wasn’t in those things.
God spoke in a still, small voice.
When God spoke, He asked, “What are you doing here?”
Elijah told God that he was the only prophet of God left
on the planet.
God told Elijah that He had 7,000 who hadn’t yet kneeled
before Baal.
I think that sometimes we need to slow down and simply reconnect with God.
(Psalm 46:10a NKJV)
Be
still, and know that I am God
Sometimes we are a little “hasty” in our conclusions that God is finished with
us.
God may not be finished with you.
Maybe you just need to slow down.
:23 Oh, love the Lord, all
you His saints! For the Lord
preserves the faithful, And fully repays the proud person.
:24 Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, All you who
hope in the Lord.
:14 But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord
Lesson
Trust God when betrayed
Remember that the context seems to be that David has been betrayed.
When we are betrayed, our tendency is to not trust anyone. But we can still trust God.
What does David (and Jesus) do when faced with betrayal?
He goes back to trust in God.
(Hebrews 12:1–3
NKJV) —1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of
witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us,
and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto
Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was
set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the
right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against
Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.
Jesus knows what it’s like to be betrayed.
And yet He continued to trust in God.
From verses 14-15 …
tran A: G C/G
D C/D G C D
Verse:
C D
G
He will deliver me
C D
G
My God will set me free
C D
G
From all my enemies
C D
G
He will deliver me
Chorus:
C D
G Em
My God and Savior, Savior
C D
G
He will deliver me
C D
G Em
My God and Savior, Savior
C D
G
He will deliver me
tran B: G D/G G
C D
G D/G G C D
tran C: G C/G D C/D
G C/G F
C/E (G)
Bridge:
D C/D G/D D C/D G/D
I will praise His name
D C/D G/D F
C/E
I will praise His name
D C/D G/D D C/D G/D
I will praise His name
D C/D G/D Am
D
I will praise His name
He Will Deliver Me / Words & Music by Bill Batstone
/ © 1992 House of
Worship Music / HeWillDe.doc