Great is the Lord
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Introduction
Introduction
1 In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. And they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.
2 It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose from his couch and was walking on the roof of the king’s house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful. 3 And David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, “Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?” 4 So David sent messengers and took her, and she came to him, and he lay with her. (Now she had been purifying herself from her uncleanness.) Then she returned to her house. 5 And the woman conceived, and she sent and told David, “I am pregnant.”
6 So David sent word to Joab, “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” And Joab sent Uriah to David. 7 When Uriah came to him, David asked how Joab was doing and how the people were doing and how the war was going. 8 Then David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” And Uriah went out of the king’s house, and there followed him a present from the king. 9 But Uriah slept at the door of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house. 10 When they told David, “Uriah did not go down to his house,” David said to Uriah, “Have you not come from a journey? Why did you not go down to your house?” 11 Uriah said to David, “The ark and Israel and Judah dwell in booths, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are camping in the open field. Shall I then go to my house, to eat and to drink and to lie with my wife? As you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do this thing.” 12 Then David said to Uriah, “Remain here today also, and tomorrow I will send you back.” So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next. 13 And David invited him, and he ate in his presence and drank, so that he made him drunk. And in the evening he went out to lie on his couch with the servants of his lord, but he did not go down to his house.
14 In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah. 15 In the letter he wrote, “Set Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting, and then draw back from him, that he may be struck down, and die.” 16 And as Joab was besieging the city, he assigned Uriah to the place where he knew there were valiant men. 17 And the men of the city came out and fought with Joab, and some of the servants of David among the people fell. Uriah the Hittite also died. 18 Then Joab sent and told David all the news about the fighting. 19 And he instructed the messenger, “When you have finished telling all the news about the fighting to the king, 20 then, if the king’s anger rises, and if he says to you, ‘Why did you go so near the city to fight? Did you not know that they would shoot from the wall? 21 Who killed Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? Did not a woman cast an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died at Thebez? Why did you go so near the wall?’ then you shall say, ‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.’ ”
22 So the messenger went and came and told David all that Joab had sent him to tell. 23 The messenger said to David, “The men gained an advantage over us and came out against us in the field, but we drove them back to the entrance of the gate. 24 Then the archers shot at your servants from the wall. Some of the king’s servants are dead, and your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.” 25 David said to the messenger, “Thus shall you say to Joab, ‘Do not let this matter displease you, for the sword devours now one and now another. Strengthen your attack against the city and overthrow it.’ And encourage him.”
26 When the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she lamented over her husband. 27 And when the mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord.
1 “I have made a covenant with my eyes;
how then could I gaze at a virgin?
2 What would be my portion from God above
and my heritage from the Almighty on high?
3 Is not calamity for the unrighteous,
and disaster for the workers of iniquity?
4 Does not he see my ways
and number all my steps?
5 “If I have walked with falsehood
and my foot has hastened to deceit;
6 (Let me be weighed in a just balance,
and let God know my integrity!)
7 if my step has turned aside from the way
and my heart has gone after my eyes,
and if any spot has stuck to my hands,
8 then let me sow, and another eat,
and let what grows for me be rooted out.
9 “If my heart has been enticed toward a woman,
and I have lain in wait at my neighbor’s door,
10 then let my wife grind for another,
and let others bow down on her.
11 For that would be a heinous crime;
that would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges;
12 for that would be a fire that consumes as far as Abaddon,
and it would burn to the root all my increase.
13 “If I have rejected the cause of my manservant or my maidservant,
when they brought a complaint against me,
14 what then shall I do when God rises up?
When he makes inquiry, what shall I answer him?
15 Did not he who made me in the womb make him?
And did not one fashion us in the womb?
16 “If I have withheld anything that the poor desired,
or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,
17 or have eaten my morsel alone,
and the fatherless has not eaten of it
18 (for from my youth the fatherless grew up with me as with a father,
and from my mother’s womb I guided the widow),
19 if I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing,
or the needy without covering,
20 if his body has not blessed me,
and if he was not warmed with the fleece of my sheep,
21 if I have raised my hand against the fatherless,
because I saw my help in the gate,
22 then let my shoulder blade fall from my shoulder,
and let my arm be broken from its socket.
23 For I was in terror of calamity from God,
and I could not have faced his majesty.
24 “If I have made gold my trust
or called fine gold my confidence,
25 if I have rejoiced because my wealth was abundant
or because my hand had found much,
26 if I have looked at the sun when it shone,
or the moon moving in splendor,
27 and my heart has been secretly enticed,
and my mouth has kissed my hand,
28 this also would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges,
for I would have been false to God above.
29 “If I have rejoiced at the ruin of him who hated me,
or exulted when evil overtook him
30 (I have not let my mouth sin
by asking for his life with a curse),
31 if the men of my tent have not said,
‘Who is there that has not been filled with his meat?’
32 (the sojourner has not lodged in the street;
I have opened my doors to the traveler),
33 if I have concealed my transgressions as others do
by hiding my iniquity in my heart,
34 because I stood in great fear of the multitude,
and the contempt of families terrified me,
so that I kept silence, and did not go out of doors—
35 Oh, that I had one to hear me!
(Here is my signature! Let the Almighty answer me!)
Oh, that I had the indictment written by my adversary!
36 Surely I would carry it on my shoulder;
I would bind it on me as a crown;
37 I would give him an account of all my steps;
like a prince I would approach him.
38 “If my land has cried out against me
and its furrows have wept together,
39 if I have eaten its yield without payment
and made its owners breathe their last,
40 let thorns grow instead of wheat,
and foul weeds instead of barley.”
The words of Job are ended.
Job 31
Good morning everyone, so very nice to see you all today.
Luke
1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”
3 So he told them this parable: 4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ 7 Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
8 “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? 9 And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ 10 Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
11 And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. 13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. 14 And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.
17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.” ’ 20 And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. 23 And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.
25 “Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 27 And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ 28 But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, 29 but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ 31 And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’ ”
I am convinced that there is no greater joy than being here with each of you and worshipping the Lord our God - together!
Here we are already the first of February, hard to imagine another month gone already.
And this morning I want to change up my teaching just a bit. I want us to go back and look at the book of Psalms in the Old Testament.
Psalms is a wonderful book of instruction, of praise and it has a powerful message for all who study its pages.
Now this morning we are going to head over to , hope you brought your Bible with you today.
Now this is the last of the Psalms of David, the last one we know for certain that he authored and it is unique in its own right.
Here is what makes it so interesting: David uses so many different words for “praising” the Lord...
David uses words like
Extol, Bless, Commend, Praise, meditate, pour forth and a few more that we will talk about as we walk through this message....
So this morning, take a moment as we begin and just think about your past few days, is there anything there, words you’ve said, thoughts, actions… something that might keep you from being joyful today, something that might keep you from praising him today.
If you think there is, take a moment and ask the Lord to clear your heart and mind, to forgive you for past actions and to make you ready to hear Him today.
Alright!
Do that now…prayer Father, search our hearts and mind O’ God and know me. cleanse and forgive me of the things that would hinder me from hearing from you today, that would keep me from praising your name today…
In Jesus name.... Amen
and consider this thought........
Now consider this thought........David places the title of this psalm as ‘Great is the Lord.” Why can we say “Great is the Lord?”
Here is what I want you to consider to day.....
David says He is great and worthy to be praised
Here is what I want you to consider to day
1. He is Worthy to be Praised....
1. He is Worthy to be Praised....
Now I know this is a topic we are not unfamiliar with… we hear from different sources all the time about just why people think, believe and know for certain that God is good and worthy to be praised.
Now why do you think He is worthy to be praised.... I bet a few reasons just started popping into your mind…
And David as well could testify to the greatness of the Lord...
Listen to what he says
Verses 1-3
1 I will extol you, my God and King,
and bless your name forever and ever.
2 Every day I will bless you
and praise your name forever and ever.
3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised,
and his greatness is unsearchable.
A. In just those three verses we get a great picture of King David’s heart and love for Lord, and did you notice some of those different words we talked about earlier that David uses to emphasize praise?
Verse 1 David says “I will extrol you, my God and my King.”
Psalm
We don’t hear that word “extol” often, do we? Nah, not at all.... here is what what it means in the Hebrew?
To praise, to exalt to honor.... but here we go… to do so with great enthusiasm. Are we enthusiastic about honoring and praising the name of the Lord?
Not always.... we are afraid someone might say something.... But we don’t care to raise our voice other places… now do we.
The other night I was watching the JV girls play, and man that other team was pushy,they pushed, and leaned on our girls, and I was getting living, I was raising my voice. I get to excited at ball games...
Marci looked over and said, you are going to get technical… i didn’t like seeing our girls get treated unfairly by the other team, and don’t even get me started about the ref… wow.
But I thought about that the other morning, when was the last time we lived, worshiped that passionately and praised the Lord.
He is better than ball games, he is better than anything. The almighty is the only reason we are here and have made it this far in life.
Now listen to what King David says...
David says he will extol him because He is his God and King.....
Look at those terms, God here is described by the word Elo’him, the plural word for God, the same as found in ...
1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
The triune God of the universe David praises as His God..... the one who is the creator God and as creator God is Lord over all creation but David also confess He is King.
The word here King, is ba’rak…in the Hebrew and it means “...the one who is knelt before… .”
And when you tie this phrase together we see that David is praising the one true God of the universe who has not only created all things but rules all things as well. God has a kingship rule over all things, big and small.
And with that knowledge David praises the Lord enthusiastically....
B. But if we look a little farther David says this .... Verses 2 and 3
2 Every day I will bless you
and praise your name forever and ever.
3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised,
and his greatness is unsearchable.
Stop right there for a second, and honestly answer this question . Do you praise the Lord every single day? Or does your ability to praise, is it affected by your day....
Here is a thought for you today… if your circumstances hinder your ability to praise the name of our Lord, then there is something missing in your understanding of who God is...
In the storm, in the battle, in the pain will you praise his name or will you moan about your own condition.
Understand I am not belittling your circumstance but I am asking you where is your faith? Where is your outlook and what do you think about God....
I think about Jeremy Camp, when his first wife died, as he was there by her bedside as she left this world and entered into the kingdom of God. He was hurting, He was dying on the inside but still he stood and called on his family and her family to rise up and praise the Lord.
Why… the Almighty God is Both God and King
David cant help but praise Him… He says Everyday I will bless your and praise you forever and ever.... Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised and his greatness is unsearchable.
Have you ever considered this.... His greatness is unsearchable....
What does that term unsearchable mean…there is no way to understand...
The human mind cannot fully comprehend, cannot fully describe the greatness of our God.
David just says I will praise Him for ever and ever....
You see David had lived and experienced the goodness, the mercy and yes the forgiving grace of God and because of His relationship with Him, He said I can’t stop praising him enough...
Wow!
He is worthy to be praised.... Do you have reason to praise the Lord?
Let me put a little side note, if you say no, either something is terribly wrong in your life or you really do not know, have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus.
Let me put a little side note, if you say no, either something is terribly wrong in your life or you really do not know, have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus.
Now lets move on to another thought from this Psalm…
2. David says: God is gracious and merciful....
2. David says: God is gracious and merciful....
Consider this thought with me, the words gracious and merciful mark some of the attributes of who God is, what defines Him, what describes our knowledge of Him through relationship.
David had great reason to proclaim the Lord’s goodness, look at the text....
Verses 8-10,
8 The Lord is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 The Lord is good to all,
and his mercy is over all that he has made.
10 All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord,
and all your saints shall bless you!
This is not the first time David has uttered these words, in fact others have heralded this truth before as well. When David says the Lord is gracious and merciful his implication is this.... He is full of grace, his mercy extends to all...
A. So the first word is gracious
Gracious says.... The Lord is one who is known to show compassion to the needy and to those whose hearts reveal repentance.
Let’s be honest here, we need graciousness. We live in a time when so many people would be willing do wrong no matter who it hurts and out of love, people forgive, they are gracious and willing to keep on trying to help a person.
Some might say they are foolish, but really they are gracious. Their desire is to help those they love...
God’s desire is bent on helping humanity, why? He loves us! we are the children of His creation. As a Father, He loves his children!!
B. And the second word is merciful.
Another important word when we think about God’s nature, is the word mercy.
Mercy is a word we often times find mentioned in close proximity to grace, why? They tend to complete one another.
You could say they almost go hand in hand.
S
Now what does the word Merciful mean… Well remember we talked about compassion in graciousness, well it is right here as well. But here is a little better idea, the word Merciful lends it self to the idea of God being inclined to show mankind compassion in that He would rather show us favor instead of the punishment we deserve.
What does that tell us… God, Our God is full of forgiveness.. and it is based in His love
pertaining to showing favor, and not punishment as is often deserved, implying a forgiving relationship
pertaining to showing favor, and not punishment as is often deserved, implying a forgiving relationship
If anyone deserved punishment it was me, it was you … it was Adam and all of his descendants. But instead we received mercy and love...
He is benevolent toward us, kind toward us, helpful, loving, kind… God will chastise his children, but I believe He would rather bless us and lead us by His own hands.
In fact, listen to how David speaks about what he has just told us....
In fact, listen to how David speaks about what he has just told us....
He says God is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love....
Wow…
I don’t understand it, when I look back at history, I see a people who challenged God, called God names and misused His name, when I look back and see how we treated God and his creation I am certain that humanity, and yes that is me as well… we deserved punishment.
We deserved death and yes we deserved hell.....
But God didn’t give us what we deserved, NO!
He was slow to anger.... and abounding in steadfast love....
There is an old phrase connected to this Idea of being slow to anger, it is long nosed… Now do not think of that as being nosey... that is not it at all.
To be long nosed meant that the Lord was patient with us… He took a great deal of time to watch us, help us and try to see us changed before having to pronounce judgment upon life.
Listen to Deut 4:31....
31 For the Lord your God is a merciful God. He will not leave you or destroy you or forget the covenant with your fathers that he swore to them.
And this verse as well
38 Yet he, being compassionate,
atoned for their iniquity
and did not destroy them;
he restrained his anger often
and did not stir up all his wrath.
God is merciful and gracious my friends, can you praise Him, love Him even more for that????
Man, we should… I did not get what I deserved, instead I got the love of God! The salvation of God, the home of God… wow....
now let me just share on last thought this morning, there is so much in this Psalm it is hard to cover it all in one setting… but I think this last point is important.
3. The Lord our God is Faithful...
3. The Lord our God is Faithful...
The Lord our God is Faithful...
The Lord our God is Faithful...
Have you ever considered the idea that God is faithful in all His ways to us?
It is a truth that we do not see all the time in the world, literally people around us.... what does that mean? People will fail us, God ever fails is the best way for me to sum up the statement.
He never fails....He is faithful...
Now listen to David here in this passage… Verses 13 -20
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures throughout all generations.
The Lord is faithful in all his words
and kind in all his works.
14 The Lord upholds all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food in due season.
16 You open your hand;
you satisfy the desire of every living thing.
17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways
and kind in all his works.
18 The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
19 He fulfills the desire of those who fear him;
he also hears their cry and saves them.
20 The Lord preserves all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.
That is passage that is jam packed, I could take each verse and preach on them.... but let me pick out a few bright gems and share some thoughts with you as come to the end of this message.
A. First off, His faithfulness means He watches over His children...
The eyes of the Lord are upon his children, listen to Proverbs 15:3
3 The eyes of the Lord are in every place,
keeping watch on the evil and the good.
The Lord keeps watch over all, nothing escapes his sight or knowledge, why is this important you might ask....
If the Lord is watching… then we do not have to worry about our lives, He knows all ...
Because of this insight, watchfulness in our lives look at what David says...
He upholds all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down.... verse 14
Here is what I believe David is saying...
To those who suffer, face ruin, who endure hardships of every king, the Lord our God is faithful to uphold....
And to those who are bowed low, the meaning of which as a wide range of meanings from those who have surrendered themselves to him to those who by circumstance are lowly in heart, they are grieving… He will Uphold, comfort and keep.
The other day I was visiting with Roxie and Frank, and I know the Lord knows the timing of all things, but I heard her words, I am almost gone.... The Lord is there, He up holds and keeps his children..
No matter what we face, we might feel wiped out, ruined… but He is there...
A Psalm of David.
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
3 He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
Psa
Friends what more could we ask for… amen...
Now just add onto to this thought with verse 18
Now just add onto to this thought with verse 18
B. He is faithfully near to us....
18 The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
My friends I can praise him, He is worthy of all our praise simply because He is never far from the heart of those who look to him, who ask for His help, His truth in the world they live.
The word “near” in the Hebrew is qua -rob and it means time, space, circumstance can separate us from His presence. The almighty God is near to His children.
So wonderful, we can be here and a loved one a 1000 miles away, no matter the Lord is with each of us, at the same time and at the same moment. Praise His name....
No wonder David could sing and praise ‘Great is the Lord”....
We serve a great God, we walk with a great God, we are in relationship through the cross with a great God, and He is faithful because He is a great God.
Praise his name...
But do you know Him today,
Are you walking close to him today
or are you the one who is distant and you know you need to come back home to his presence...
Come home oh servant, come home...
pray
1 I will extol you, my God and King,
and bless your name forever and ever.
2 Every day I will bless you
and praise your name forever and ever.
3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised,
and his greatness is unsearchable.
4 One generation shall commend your works to another,
and shall declare your mighty acts.
5 On the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
6 They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds,
and I will declare your greatness.
7 They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness
and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.
A Song of Praise. Of David.
1 I will extol you, my God and King,
and bless your name forever and ever.
2 Every day I will bless you
and praise your name forever and ever.
3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised,
and his greatness is unsearchable.
4 One generation shall commend your works to another,
and shall declare your mighty acts.
5 On the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
6 They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds,
and I will declare your greatness.
7 They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness
and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.
8 The Lord is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 The Lord is good to all,
and his mercy is over all that he has made.
10 All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord,
and all your saints shall bless you!
11 They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom
and tell of your power,
12 to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds,
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures throughout all generations.
The Lord is faithful in all his words
and kind in all his works.
14 The Lord upholds all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food in due season.
16 You open your hand;
you satisfy the desire of every living thing.
17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways
and kind in all his works.
18 The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
19 He fulfills the desire of those who fear him;
he also hears their cry and saves them.
20 The Lord preserves all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.
21 My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.