Psalm 138 (Hymn Sing)
Notes
Transcript
Hymn # -
Hymn # -
Background:
I am immortal until the will of God for me is accomplished.” David Livingstone
Psalm 138 (ESV)
Of David. 1 I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing your praise; 2 I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word. 3 On the day I called, you answered me; my strength of soul you increased.
4 All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O Lord, for they have heard the words of your mouth, 5 and they shall sing of the ways of the Lord, for great is the glory of the Lord. 6 For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly, but the haughty he knows from afar.
7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand delivers me. 8 The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.
Thanks for answering my prayer (1-3)
Thanks for answering my prayer (1-3)
1 I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing your praise; 2 I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word. 3 On the day I called, you answered me; my strength of soul you increased.
v 1 - I give you thank…(exerting his will) - not if i get all my emotions in check then I will do this, no He says “I give you thanks.”
To give thanks is a “public attestation of what it is about God that causes us to be grateful.”
So what is it about God that causes us to want to publicly testify?
Let’s do that now!
He does so with his whole heart.
The way he gives thanks is by “singing” God’s praise. ascribing to him the glory due His name.
“before the gods” - there are other recognized lower case (g)ods, but David is praising the real one.
v 2 - He bowed down toward His holy temple.
He changed the direction he was facing to intentionally put God’s dwelling place in the crosshairs of His gaze. And then when he was in the right direction, he bowed down.
Colossians 3:1–4 (ESV) - 1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Isaiah 26:3 (ESV) - 3 You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.
Turn to Jesus, bow before Him.
Next he gives thanks. (AGAIN).
Not just a one time thing. Not just at thanksgiving.
Gives thank for two things (steadfast love and faithfulness)
hesed and eh-meth
Hesed is a multifaceted word - Hesed is love in action that is loyal in nature and that goes above and beyond.
LOVINGKINDNESS (combo word) - tender and considerate toward others (outward expression and not self-seeking.
“Hesed is never merely an abstract feeling of goodwill, but always entails practical action on behalf of another”
Eh-meth - firmness, faithfulness, reliability
exalted above all things (NAME and WORD) - and isn’t in the text,
it reads “you have exalted above all your name, your word.”
Seems kind of confusing but here is what is going on.
two possible ways of looking at it.
1. Exalted if it is only attached to “your word.” then what is being communicated is that…God’s word (ie. what God promises), that when He fulfills those promises it gives a greater revelation of Who He is and what He is capable of than what was previously understood about Him (ie. his name).
So think about how much more we can know about God the Father once we saw Jesus the word made flesh dwelling among us.
If you have seen me, you have seen the father. I and the Father are one. The exact imprint of His being, fullness of deity dwelt bodily.
We can know more about God after seeing all the promises of God’s word fulfilled in Jesus.
2. their is a “AND” that is assumed in the texts and link (name and word) together. they are together supreme and exalted above all things. Name - who God has revealed himself to be and (word) what He promises to do are exalted above all else.
Either way - God is the recipient of David’s praise.
v3. - On the day I called you answered. He singles out one day!
have you ever had an answered prayer?
maybe have had a thousand unanswered ones, but have you had at least one?
David singles out one day. and that day God heard and provided strength for his soul.
Speaking of Thankfulness GK. Chesterton said, “The worst moment for an atheist is when he is really thankful and has no one to thank.”
The world is spilling over with goodness and even answered prayers. (even if it is just one to save our souls).
Andrew Peterson tells the story about how he and his wife suffered a few miscarriages early in their marriage, and one of the doctors told them something that they never forget. He said that so many millions of things have to go right in every pregnancy in order for a healthy baby to be born, he’s honestly amazed every time it happens.
Think about how much God’s lovingkindness and reliable faithfulness is preserving us everyday.
So many things go right everyday – things like gravity (fly off the planet) and breathing, and nutrition, sleep.
It’s easy to take them for granted.
It’s like we win the lottery every time our heart beats.
There’s so much more goodness and beauty than we realize.
Hymn # - His Name is Wonderful
Hymn # - Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart
Hymn # - The Love of God
The Lord Looks Out for the Lowly (4-6)
The Lord Looks Out for the Lowly (4-6)
4 All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O Lord, for they have heard the words of your mouth, 5 and they shall sing of the ways of the Lord, for great is the glory of the Lord. 6 For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly, but the haughty he knows from afar.
So many of the Psalms are an expansion of Psalm 1-2.
Psalm 2:10–12 (ESV) - 10 Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. 11 Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. 12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
Psalm 2 will be fulfilled and the kingdom will come. Here we get a glimpse of that.
this is more than just David…now it’s all the kings. Global reach
3 reasons why they give thanks
Reason 1 - Heard about His glory. They Heard the words of your mouth (Gospel was preached to them)
Reason 2 - Recognized His glory. the recognized that the glory of the Lord was great (causing them to sing)
Reason 3 - They were humbled by His grace. He regarded (sees) them (even though in comparison to him they were lowly) - wonder of grace.
He sees them - He sees you.
James 4:6 (ESV) - 6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
Hymn # - Humility Hymns
He doesn’t save us from troubles, He preserves us through them. (7-8)
He doesn’t save us from troubles, He preserves us through them. (7-8)
7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand delivers me. 8 The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.
we aren’t immune from problems. We aren’t exempt from evil.
protects us from anything outside His will.
Right hand delivers me (Jesus will deliver us)
1 Thessalonians 1:10 (ESV) - 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.
He will fulfil His purposes in us.
Philippians 1:6 (ESV) - 6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
It is God's method to exercise his children with the continual conflict, that, having one foot as it were in the grave, they may flee with alarm to hide themselves under his wings, where they may abide in peace. Calvin.
Hymn # 4 - How Great Thou Art
Alan Redpath quote
