Praying to the Dragonslayer
Notes
Transcript
Handout
They recognized God’s POWER and ORDER in creation around them. Psalms 93, 29, 104;
The Lord reigns! He is robed in majesty;
the Lord is robed, enveloped in strength.
The world is firmly established;
it cannot be shaken.
Your throne has been established
from the beginning;
you are from eternity.
The floods have lifted up, Lord,
the floods have lifted up their voice;
the floods lift up their pounding waves.
Greater than the roar of a huge torrent—
the mighty breakers of the sea—
the Lord on high is majestic.
The voice of the Lord is above the waters.
The God of glory thunders—
the Lord, above the vast water,
the voice of the Lord in power,
the voice of the Lord in splendor.
The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
the Lord shatters the cedars of Lebanon.
He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,
and Sirion, like a young wild ox.
The voice of the Lord flashes flames of fire.
The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth
and strips the woodlands bare.
In his temple all cry, “Glory!”
My soul, bless the Lord!
Lord my God, you are very great;
you are clothed with majesty and splendor.
He wraps himself in light as if it were a robe,
spreading out the sky like a canopy,
laying the beams of his palace
on the waters above,
making the clouds his chariot,
walking on the wings of the wind,
He established the earth on its foundations;
it will never be shaken.
You covered it with the deep
as if it were a garment;
the water stood above the mountains.
At your rebuke the water fled;
at the sound of your thunder they hurried away—
mountains rose and valleys sank—
to the place you established for them.
You set a boundary they cannot cross;
they will never cover the earth again.
How countless are your works, Lord!
In wisdom you have made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.
Here is the sea, vast and wide,
teeming with creatures beyond number—
living things both large and small.
There the ships move about,
and Leviathan, which you formed to play there.
They found COURAGE in God’s power and COMMITMENT to order. Ps. 97, 46
The Lord reigns! Let the earth rejoice;
let the many coasts and islands be glad.
Clouds and total darkness surround him;
righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
Fire goes before him
and burns up his foes on every side.
His lightning lights up the world;
the earth sees and trembles.
The mountains melt like wax
at the presence of the Lord—
at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.
The heavens proclaim his righteousness;
all the peoples see his glory.
All who serve carved images,
those who boast in worthless idols, will be put to shame.
All the gods must worship him.
Zion hears and is glad,
Judah’s villages rejoice
because of your judgments, Lord.
For you, Lord,
are the Most High over the whole earth;
you are exalted above all the gods.
You who love the Lord, hate evil!
He protects the lives of his faithful ones;
he rescues them from the power of the wicked.
Light dawns for the righteous,
gladness for the upright in heart.
Be glad in the Lord, you righteous ones,
and give thanks to his holy name.
For the choir director. A song of the sons of Korah. According to Alamoth.
God is our refuge and strength,
a helper who is always found
in times of trouble.
Therefore we will not be afraid,
though the earth trembles
and the mountains topple
into the depths of the seas,
though its water roars and foams
and the mountains quake with its turmoil.
Selah
There is a river—
its streams delight the city of God,
the holy dwelling place of the Most High.
God is within her; she will not be toppled.
God will help her when the morning dawns.
Nations rage, kingdoms topple;
the earth melts when he lifts his voice.
The Lord of Armies is with us;
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
Selah
Come, see the works of the Lord,
who brings devastation on the earth.
He makes wars cease throughout the earth.
He shatters bows and cuts spears to pieces;
he sets wagons ablaze.
“Stop fighting, and know that I am God,
exalted among the nations, exalted on the earth.”
The Lord of Armies is with us;
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
Selah
They CELEBRATED the moments when God slayed dragons in THEIR LIVES. Ps. 18, 68;
Sing to God! Sing praises to his name.
Exalt him who rides on the clouds—
his name is the Lord—and celebrate before him.
God in his holy dwelling is
a father of the fatherless
and a champion of widows.
God provides homes for those who are deserted.
He leads out the prisoners to prosperity,
but the rebellious live in a scorched land.
God, when you went out before your people,
when you marched through the desert,
Selah
the earth trembled and the skies poured rain
before God, the God of Sinai,
before God, the God of Israel.
You, God, showered abundant rain;
you revived your inheritance when it languished.
Your people settled in it;
God, you provided for the poor by your goodness.
The Lord gave the command;
a great company of women brought the good news:
“The kings of the armies flee—they flee!”
She who stays at home divides the spoil.
I love you, Lord, my strength.
The Lord is my rock,
my fortress, and my deliverer,
my God, my rock where I seek refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation,
my stronghold.
I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
and I was saved from my enemies.
The ropes of death were wrapped around me;
the torrents of destruction terrified me.
The ropes of Sheol entangled me;
the snares of death confronted me.
I called to the Lord in my distress,
and I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice,
and my cry to him reached his ears.
Then the earth shook and quaked;
the foundations of the mountains trembled;
they shook because he burned with anger.
Smoke rose from his nostrils,
and consuming fire came from his mouth;
coals were set ablaze by it.
He bent the heavens and came down,
total darkness beneath his feet.
He rode on a cherub and flew,
soaring on the wings of the wind.
He made darkness his hiding place,
dark storm clouds his canopy around him.
From the radiance of his presence,
his clouds swept onward with hail and blazing coals.
The Lord thundered from heaven;
the Most High made his voice heard.
He shot his arrows and scattered them;
he hurled lightning bolts and routed them.
The depths of the sea became visible,
the foundations of the world were exposed,
at your rebuke, Lord,
at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.
He reached down from on high
and took hold of me;
he pulled me out of deep water.
He rescued me from my powerful enemy
and from those who hated me,
for they were too strong for me.
They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
but the Lord was my support.
They knew that the chaos of the world was not God’s ULTIMATE PLAN. Ps. 74
Why have you rejected us forever, God?
Why does your anger burn
against the sheep of your pasture?
Remember your congregation,
which you purchased long ago
and redeemed as the tribe for your own possession.
Remember Mount Zion where you dwell.
Make your way to the perpetual ruins,
to all that the enemy has destroyed in the sanctuary.
Your adversaries roared in the meeting place
where you met with us.
They set up their emblems as signs.
It was like men in a thicket of trees,
wielding axes,
then smashing all the carvings
with hatchets and picks.
They set your sanctuary on fire;
they utterly desecrated
the dwelling place of your name.
They said in their hearts,
“Let’s oppress them relentlessly.”
They burned every place throughout the land
where God met with us.
There are no signs for us to see.
There is no longer a prophet.
And none of us knows how long this will last.
God, how long will the enemy mock?
Will the foe insult your name forever?
Why do you hold back your hand?
Stretch out your right hand and destroy them!
God my King is from ancient times,
performing saving acts on the earth.
You divided the sea with your strength;
you smashed the heads of the sea monsters in the water;
you crushed the heads of Leviathan;
you fed him to the creatures of the desert.
You opened up springs and streams;
you dried up ever-flowing rivers.
The day is yours, also the night;
you established the moon and the sun.
You set all the boundaries of the earth;
you made summer and winter.
Remember this: the enemy has mocked the Lord,
and a foolish people has insulted your name.
Do not give to beasts the life of your dove;
do not forget the lives of your poor people forever.
Consider the covenant,
for the dark places of the land are full of violence.
Do not let the oppressed turn away in shame;
let the poor and needy praise your name.
Rise up, God, champion your cause!
Remember the insults
that fools bring against you all day long.
Do not forget the clamor of your adversaries,
the tumult of your opponents that goes up constantly.
They COMPLAINED when God’s promises of order weren’t being FULFILLED. Ps. 89
I will sing about the Lord’s faithful love forever;
I will proclaim your faithfulness to all generations
with my mouth.
For I will declare,
“Faithful love is built up forever;
you establish your faithfulness in the heavens.”
The Lord said,
“I have made a covenant with my chosen one;
I have sworn an oath to David my servant:
‘I will establish your offspring forever
and build up your throne for all generations.’ ”
Selah
Lord God of Armies,
who is strong like you, Lord?
Your faithfulness surrounds you.
You rule the raging sea;
when its waves surge, you still them.
You crushed Rahab like one who is slain;
you scattered your enemies with your powerful arm.
The heavens are yours; the earth also is yours.
The world and everything in it—you founded them.
North and south—you created them.
Tabor and Hermon shout for joy at your name.
You have a mighty arm;
your hand is powerful;
your right hand is lifted high.
Righteousness and justice are the foundation
of your throne;
faithful love and truth go before you.
But you have spurned and rejected him;
you have become enraged with your anointed.
You have repudiated the covenant with your servant;
you have completely dishonored his crown.
You have broken down all his walls;
you have reduced his fortified cities to ruins.
All who pass by plunder him;
he has become an object of ridicule
to his neighbors.
You have lifted high the right hand of his foes;
you have made all his enemies rejoice.
You have also turned back his sharp sword
and have not let him stand in battle.
You have made his splendor cease
and have overturned his throne.
You have shortened the days of his youth;
you have covered him with shame.
Selah
How long, Lord? Will you hide forever?
Will your anger keep burning like fire?
Remember how short my life is.
Have you created everyone for nothing?
What courageous person can live and never see death?
Who can save himself from the power of Sheol?
Selah
Lord, where are the former acts of your faithful love
that you swore to David in your faithfulness?
Remember, Lord, the ridicule against your servants—
in my heart I carry abuse from all the peoples—
how your enemies have ridiculed, Lord,
how they have ridiculed every step of your anointed.
They found hope in their MEMORY of God’s actions and CHARACTER. Ps. 77, 148
I cry aloud to God,
aloud to God, and he will hear me.
I sought the Lord in my day of trouble.
My hands were continually lifted up
all night long;
I refused to be comforted.
I think of God; I groan;
I meditate; my spirit becomes weak.
Selah
You have kept me from closing my eyes;
I am troubled and cannot speak.
I consider days of old,
years long past.
At night I remember my music;
I meditate in my heart, and my spirit ponders.
“Will the Lord reject forever
and never again show favor?
Has his faithful love ceased forever?
Is his promise at an end for all generations?
Has God forgotten to be gracious?
Has he in anger withheld his compassion?”
Selah
So I say, “I am grieved
that the right hand of the Most High has changed.”
I will remember the Lord’s works;
yes, I will remember your ancient wonders.
I will reflect on all you have done
and meditate on your actions.
God, your way is holy.
What god is great like God?
You are the God who works wonders;
you revealed your strength among the peoples.
With power you redeemed your people,
the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.
Selah
The water saw you, God.
The water saw you; it trembled.
Even the depths shook.
The clouds poured down water.
The storm clouds thundered;
your arrows flashed back and forth.
The sound of your thunder was in the whirlwind;
lightning lit up the world.
The earth shook and quaked.
Your way went through the sea
and your path through the vast water,
but your footprints were unseen.
You led your people like a flock
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
Hallelujah!
Praise the Lord from the heavens;
praise him in the heights.
Praise him, all his angels;
praise him, all his heavenly armies.
Praise him, sun and moon;
praise him, all you shining stars.
Praise him, highest heavens,
and you waters above the heavens.
Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for he commanded, and they were created.
He set them in position forever and ever;
he gave an order that will never pass away.
Praise the Lord from the earth,
all sea monsters and ocean depths,
lightning and hail, snow and cloud,
stormy wind that executes his command,
mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars,
wild animals and all cattle,
creatures that crawl and flying birds,
kings of the earth and all peoples,
princes and all judges of the earth,
young men as well as young women,
old and young together.
Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is exalted.
His majesty covers heaven and earth.
He has raised up a horn for his people,
resulting in praise to all his faithful ones,
to the Israelites, the people close to him.
Hallelujah!
Living with Dragons
Living with Dragons
The beauty of creation reveals that God is the TRUE SOURCE of order in the world. Romans 1:18-25;
For God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth, since what can be known about God is evident among them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, that is, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what he has made. As a result, people are without excuse. For though they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became worthless, and their senseless hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles.
Therefore God delivered them over in the desires of their hearts to sexual impurity, so that their bodies were degraded among themselves. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served what has been created instead of the Creator, who is praised forever. Amen.
It is right and good to LAMENT the chaos that DISRUPTS God’s good world. John 11:35, Hebrews 5:7;
Jesus wept.
During his earthly life, he offered prayers and appeals with loud cries and tears to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence.
God is FAITHFUL: he will FINISH what he has started. Ephesians 1:20-23; Romans 8:18-30, 38-39;
He exercised this power in Christ by raising him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavens—far above every ruler and authority, power and dominion, and every title given, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he subjected everything under his feet and appointed him as head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way.
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us. For the creation eagerly waits with anticipation for God’s sons to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to futility—not willingly, but because of him who subjected it—in the hope that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage to decay into the glorious freedom of God’s children. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together with labor pains until now. Not only that, but we ourselves who have the Spirit as the firstfruits—we also groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. Now in this hope we were saved, but hope that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he sees? Now if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with patience.
In the same way the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because he intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified.
For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.