Psalm 103: Yahweh Loves His Enemies
Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 2 viewsNotes
Transcript
6 Yahweh performs righteous deeds And judgments for all who are oppressed. 7 He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the sons of Israel. 8 Yahweh is compassionate and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness. 9 He will not always contend with us, And He will not keep His anger forever. 10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins, And He has not rewarded us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. 12 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. 13 As a father has compassion on his children, So Yahweh has compassion on those who fear Him. 14 For He Himself knows our form; He remembers that we are but dust.
I’m super excited about this section. And I have a lot of scripture to share!
How does it make you feel when you play a team that plays dirty?
What do you want to do when that happens?
My natural impulse is to strike back.
Arguing with someone. If they take a cheap shot with their words or make an accusation I believe is false and manipulative, I feel I have to respond with something that can bring me justice.
I want to say something that might sting if they say something to sting me.
Yahweh God is not like that.
This section of Psalm 103 is continuing to share reasons why we, God’s people, should “bless” or praise Yahweh.
This section is detailing how, while God might discipline us for sin, and was currently disciplining Israel for sin, He would not always discipline them. Nor was he seeking revenge.
See, Israel had played dirty. And Yahweh threw a flag out and disciplined them for their dirty play. But He refused to get dirty like them. Get even or crush them.
Part of His discipline for them was to allow them to become oppressed by a foreign power.
Look here though:
6 Yahweh performs righteous deeds And judgments for all who are oppressed.
This is not going to be a permanent discipline.
7 He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the sons of Israel.
8 Yahweh is compassionate and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.
Concise Oxford English Dictionary Compassion
compassion
■ noun sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others.
Grace
3 (in Christian belief) the free and unearned favour of God
He is saying, “Yahweh love will overcome what we deserve.”
9 He will not always contend with us, And He will not keep His anger forever.
Sin and rebellion does anger God. Because He is holy.
Sin deserves death.
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gracious gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
We got it.
1 And you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience,
Big problem.
Just as much as that makes you and me uncomfortable and we don’t like that. GOD IS INFINITELY MORE DISTRESSED BY WHAT SIN DESERVES!
We know this because of JESUS!
GOSPEL
10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins, And He has not rewarded us according to our iniquities.
WHAT!?
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him.
4 But God, being rich in mercy because of His great love with which He loved us,
It gets better
12 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
Where did sin go?
21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh,
This is how God views you now:
13 As a father has compassion on his children, So Yahweh has compassion on those who fear Him.
14 For He Himself knows our form; He remembers that we are but dust.
God also knows our limitations. This gives him both compassion and a plan!
We won’t always be dust!
The gospel promises us new life after dust.
51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
Do you see it now! GOD LOVES HIS ENEMIES!