THE LORD TAKES PLEASURE

Psalm 147:10–11 ESV

10 His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the legs of a man, 11 but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.

I. THE CONTRAST

A. Psalm 147:10–11 (ESV) — 10 His delight is not in… 11 but the Lord takes pleasure in...

B. The Psalmist gives us insight into the heart of God when he makes it clear what the Lord delights the Lord.

C. First, Psalm 147:10 (ESV) — His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the legs of a man…

Psalm 147:10 ESV

10 His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the legs of a man,

D. It seems the focus is on self-sufficiency or God dependency.

E. In Scripture we see pride versus humility as an underlying theme.

F. The proud are those who look not to God, but to themselves as sufficient.

G. The humble look away from themselves and acknowledge that it is God who makes us adequate for every good work.

H. God created the horse with its strength and the legs of man, but these are not the source of victory in battle.

I. Amos 2:14–15 (ESV) — 14 Flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not retain his strength, nor shall the mighty save his life; 15 he who handles the bow shall not stand, and he who is swift of foot shall not save himself, nor shall he who rides the horse save his life;

Amos 2:14–15 ESV

14 Flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not retain his strength, nor shall the mighty save his life; 15 he who handles the bow shall not stand, and he who is swift of foot shall not save himself, nor shall he who rides the horse save his life;

J. God does not delight or find pleasure in those who trust themselves apart from Him.

K. That is the attitude of the proud.

L. BUT

M. The humble in this verse are those who fear Him and those who hope in His steadfast love.

N. It is in these that the Lord takes pleasure.

II. THINKING ABOUT THE FEAR OF THE LORD

A. Psalm 147:11 (ESV) — 11 but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.

Psalm 147:11 ESV

11 but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.

B. The fear of the Lord being spoken of in this verse is not some sense of dread and horror.

C. It is a very positive attitude toward the Lord.

D. Isaiah 11:1–3 (ESV) — 1 There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. 2 And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. 3 And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear,

Isaiah 11:1–3 ESV

1 There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. 2 And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. 3 And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear,

E. I say it is a very positive attitude because it come from the Spirit of God and it was in our Lord Jesus.

F. Vs. 3 tells us, “…his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.

G. Jesus found joy in the Father and His will. He obeyed the Father in all things. The Father’s will was His will.

H. Thankfully, it is by the Spirit of God that this right kind of fear of the Lord is produced in our lives.

I. The fear of the Lord comes to us in two ways: the fear of the Lord as Creator and the fear of the Lord our Redeemer.

J. “The first sort of right fear is the weak-kneed and trembling response to the fact that God is the Creator. It appreciates – indeed, it enjoys - that God is splendid in his transcendence, above and beyond creation. God is holy, majestic, perfect, all-powerful, and dazzling in all his perfections.” Rejoice and Tremble p. 70 by Michael Reeves

K. This fear comes as the result of seeing the majesty, glory, and power of God in creation.

L. But this fear, while good, can leave us vulnerable to dread and being afraid as a man apart from Christ might be.

M. We must see Him as our loving redeemer.

N. “Spurgeon was quakingly delighted (and not afraid) because the immensity of the heavens and the complexity of the insects and the might of the thunder all came from “his father’s wealth, his father’s wisdom, his father’s power.” He knew the Creator was his Father in Christ.” Michael Reeves pg. 79 in Rejoice and Tremble

O. (Maybe take the book and read Spurgeon’s words on page 79.)

P. “Only fear of someone more powerful than what you are facing and the assurance that this One of scary power has chosen to unleash his power for your benefit has the power to give you courage in the face of something or someone more powerful than you. Fear of God, that thankful and reverential recognition of his glory, sovereignty, and power, is how rest and hope can be found in the face of what seems difficult and hopeless.” Suffering p.67 by Paul Tripp

Q. Our text says the Lord takes pleasure not only in those who fear Him rightly, but also in those who hope in His steadfast love.

R. This is the fear of the Lord who redeems us. It is seeing the condescension of Jesus to save us from our sin. This is the joy filled experience of our great and mighty God whose steadfast love motivates Him to rescue us.

S. “Fear of God does not remove suffering from your life but dramatically changes the way you suffer. When you fear God, the equation is not you compared to the size of your trial, but your God compared to it. God understands what we do not understand; he controls what we cannot control; he has power where we have no power; he gives what we could never earn; he is ever-present, ever-loving, and eternally gracious; and he pours all of what he is down on his children.” Paul Tripp pg. 67 in Suffering

T. Psalm 130:3–4 (ESV) — 3 If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? 4 But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.

Psalm 130:3–4 ESV

3 If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? 4 But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.