Untitled Sermon (5)

Dealing With The Heat.

Unshakeable Confidence In God

Psalm 27:1–3 NASB95

The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread? When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh, My adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell. Though a host encamp against me, My heart will not fear; Though war arise against me, In spite of this I shall be confident.

The confidence of the psalmist lies, not in his own abilities or in the strength of his forces, but in the Lord. He has experienced the Lord’s presence and describes it by two metaphors: “light” and “stronghold” (v. ). The Lord as “light” pertains to the experiences of salvation and the confidence of the joyous and glorious victory God has promised to his people. The phrases “my light” and “my salvation” mean essentially the same thing. “Light” and “salvation” (yēšaʿ) pertain to the work of God in giving relief and victory, crowning his people with his blessings.

Light signifies understanding, joy, and life. , "your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." the word stronghold signifies defense. , "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!" , "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in the trouble."

The purpose of the stronghold is to protect those who seek refuge. Therefore the psalmist calls the Lord “the stronghold of my life.”

“Whom shall I fear?” and “Of whom shall I be afraid?” the psalmist uses two separate roots for “fear. The combination expresses the strong confidence He has in the Lord. Regardless of how great the adversities, evil people, enemies, armies, even outright war, the psalmist looks at the greatness of God and says, in spite of this i shall be confident. David's confidence was based on what God had brought him through......God had stopped his enemies in their tracks...If God could save him from that he could save him from anything. Through it all the songwriter said, "I thank God for the mountains, and I thank Him for the valleys,I thank Him for the storms He brought me through. For if I’d never had a problem, I wouldn’t know God could solve them, I’d never know what faith in God could do.

A Close Walk With God

Psalm 27:4 NASB95

One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord And to meditate in His temple.

The trials David had experienced served a good purpose; it strengthened his walk with God. Its impact did not make him relax into complacency and worldliness, they had the opposite effect --they gave him a desire to live more completely with God. Note what David seeks from God.... to dwell in the house of the Lord.......to behold the beauty of the Lord......to meditate in His temple....They are metaphors for living close to God. One thing I have asked from the Lord, that shall I seek..........David's has one passion and that is knowing God as fully as he is able. This text echos into Phil. 3:10 , "that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings." Ps. 42:1-2 , "as the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for you, oh God. My soul thirsts for God..... What's your passion? Do you long for a closer walk with God? Do you thirst to dwell in the house of the lord? Do long to behold the beauty of the Lord? Do you desire to meditate on God's truths? What is your one passion?

Reason To Rejoice

Psalm 27:5–6 NASB95

For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; In the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock. And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me, And I will offer in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.

Verse paints a vivid image of the Lord’s protection with a series of metaphors, shelter , hiding place , and rock. The common terms hiding place and rock are paired here with the unique word shelter, which is used only here in this psalm as a metaphor for God’s protecting grace. It is the term from which the Jewish festival of (or Booths) draws its name, a reference to the protective shelters in which the people stayed during the Wilderness years, as they wandered under God’s protection. The Lord’s tent (ʾōhel) is a frequent metaphor for the temple, but also a metaphor for God’s protecting presence. In the day of trouble refers to any time of crisis or danger. God's grace protects the believer from the schemes of our enemies, God's grace doesn't allow our enemies to bring us to shame and allows us to hold our heads up in confidence that God will protect us. God's grace is the reason we rejoice in worship!