Fountain of Life
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Introduction
Introduction
The myth of a spring that restores the youth of one who drinks it has captivated imagination of many. It is the fountain of youth and I first learned about this myth when studying the Age of Exploration in history. Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon the first governor of Puerto Rico. He was searching for the fountain of youth when he traveled to Florida in 1513. The offer of vitality and eternal life was extended only to this plain - here on earth. Many think a full and filled life is one in which there is enough time to do all the hearts content. People look for potions, lotions, powders and creams that promise youthfulness, health and anti-aging. All a vain excursion.
The Bible offers something obtainable and substantially more fulfilling and eternal lasting. The fountain of life. The fountain of life is able to make a person happy, healthy and alive forevermore. The fountain of life refreshes and regenerates us.
5 he saved us—not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy—through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit. 6 He poured out his Spirit on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we may become heirs with the hope of eternal life.
The fountain of youth is a myth - is not real, but the fountain of life is a reality and is attainable, for all who are spiritually thirsty, through Jesus Christ.
14 But whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again. In fact, the water I will give him will become a well of water springing up in him for eternal life.”
What would keep one from the fountain of life? What draws one to trust in the fountain of life? David in this Psalm gives a contrast of the one without the Fount of Life and the one who knows and drinks at the Fount of life. May we look with wisdom and understanding so that we would seek to drink only from the Fount of Life ourselves.
1 An oracle within my heart concerning the transgression of the wicked person: Dread of God has no effect on him. 2 For with his flattering opinion of himself, he does not discover and hate his iniquity. 3 The words from his mouth are malicious and deceptive; he has stopped acting wisely and doing good.
4 Even on his bed he makes malicious plans. He sets himself on a path that is not good, and he does not reject evil. 5 Lord, your faithful love reaches to heaven, your faithfulness to the clouds. 6 Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your judgments like the deepest sea. Lord, you preserve people and animals.
7 How priceless your faithful love is, God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings. 8 They are filled from the abundance of your house. You let them drink from your refreshing stream. 9 For the wellspring of life is with you. By means of your light we see light.
10 Spread your faithful love over those who know you, and your righteousness over the upright in heart. 11 Do not let the foot of the arrogant come near me or the hand of the wicked drive me away. 12 There! The evildoers have fallen. They have been thrown down and cannot rise.
Deceitfulness of Sin
Deceitfulness of Sin
1 An oracle within my heart concerning the transgression of the wicked person: Dread of God has no effect on him. 2 For with his flattering opinion of himself, he does not discover and hate his iniquity.
3 The words from his mouth are malicious and deceptive; he has stopped acting wisely and doing good. 4 Even on his bed he makes malicious plans. He sets himself on a path that is not good, and he does not reject evil.
This Psalm is a psalm that is written to the Choir Director - it is to be sung in the congregation. The Psalm is written by David as it is titles of David. It is written by David - the LORD’s servant. Though David was a warrior, a musician, a prophet, and a king David calls himself the LORD’s servant. No one ever rises above this status but with the God we serve there is no higher status either. No matter who or what you are — in the LORD — you are always the servant of the LORD first and foremost.
David explains the birthplace of this psalm as originating from his heart as an oracle that was found there. An oracle is a whispering, or an announcement - making a declaration or decision. This oracle is a declarative oracle from within David’s heart that spoken to it by the LORD. This oracle is concerning the transgression of the wicked person. A transgression is an evildoing - whether it is violation of law, duty, or moral principle — of the wicked person. Here is the oracle’s truth “Dread of God has no effect on the wicked person”. Literally there is no fear of God before his eyes. All sin flows from this oracle. Wickedness is born from the absence of a fear of God. Wickedness begins and grows from rejection of God, or not taking God into account.
10 as it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one. 11 There is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. 12 All have turned away; all alike have become worthless. There is no one who does what is good, not even one.
13 Their throat is an open grave; they deceive with their tongues. Vipers’ venom is under their lips. 14 Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. 15 Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 ruin and wretchedness are in their paths, 17 and the path of peace they have not known. 18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.
The wicked person lives as though God is non-existent and that there will be no accounting before Him.
1 The fool says in his heart, “There’s no God.” They are corrupt; they do vile deeds. There is no one who does good.
This denial of God has a truly profound impact on how the person walks in life. The next several verses provide description of lifestyle habits of the wicked.
After deceiving the person on the existence and importance of God - then sin begins to deceive further, by flattering the wicked. Flattery is dishonest praise that seeks to cover or ignore faults. One sees themselves not in the light of God holiness but in the light of ones own deception. We all tend to minimize our own faults and see our major flaws in a much better light. We see ourselves better than we truly are in the revealing light of God’s holiness. This says that sin so deludes so one does not discover (determine the existence, presence or absolute fact of) their iniquity. It also deludes in that what iniquity is seen is not hated but rather accepted.
19 When someone hears the words of this oath, he may consider himself exempt, thinking, ‘I will have peace even though I follow my own stubborn heart.’ This will lead to the destruction of the well-watered land as well as the dry land.
Genesis 3:1–5 (CSB)
1 Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the wild animals that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You can’t eat from any tree in the garden’?” 2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit from the trees in the garden.
3 But about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, God said, ‘You must not eat it or touch it, or you will die.’ ” 4 “No! You will certainly not die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “In fact, God knows that when you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Listen to your heart is all that is left when God is left out but ones own heart because of its wickedness deceives them.
9 The heart is more deceitful than anything else, and incurable—who can understand it?
When the wicked does not fear God but displaces Him, then he becomes the center of his own existence and thus self-deluded. Losing this reference point to determine god and evil the wicked person is unable to detect and thus hate their sin.
The wicked person is unable to speak truth, be wise, or even to do good.
22 “For my people are fools; they do not know me. They are foolish children, without understanding. They are skilled in doing what is evil, but they do not know how to do what is good.”
So entrenched in sin and evil they plot evil while they rest. It is evil day and night they are committed to the course of evil plots. This is not merely drifting into evil but rather inventing ways to be evil.
The evil and wicked person then becomes unable to reject evil and wrongdoing. This is one who believes black is white, up is down, good is evil and evil is good.
2 I spread out my hands all day long to a rebellious people who walk in the path that is not good, following their own thoughts.
12 There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes, yet is not washed from its filth.
12 There is a way that seems right to a person, but its end is the way to death.
Truth is error and joy is misery. The one whose thinking is twisted this way would be described as insane - they are spiritually insane. They have set themselves on a path that is not good abandoned to a godless depraved mind.
Delightfulness of God
Delightfulness of God
5 Lord, your faithful love reaches to heaven, your faithfulness to the clouds. 6 Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your judgments like the deepest sea. Lord, you preserve people and animals.
David moves on from the oracle of the sinner to consider the character of God. Kind of wondering perhaps - why would the wicked not fear or consider God. God deserves to be considered - considering all of His great character qualities that far surpass anything a mere man could hope to do. The delightfulness of God attracts us to seek Him as the source of every blessing; from the depths of depravity, David leaps to the heights of God and His abundant blessings towards those who seek Him.
God’s Faithful Love Is Vast and Immense
God’s Faithful Love Is Vast and Immense
David’s first notes that God’s faithful love and faithfulness is vast and immense. Faithful love is again the word hesed in Hebrew and points to the covenantal love of God. David starts off with pointing to LORD — all caps — the covenantal name of God top speak of His immense and vast (unending and unconditional) covenantal love. David describes this love as reaching to heaven. So vast and so immense is His faithful love and compassion it stretches to heaven. It is stretched so far it is beyond human sight.
God’s Faithfulness Is Inexhaustible
God’s Faithfulness Is Inexhaustible
David also mentions God’s faithfulness along with faithful love and that it is inexhaustible. Faithfulness - steadfastness, security, permanent and trustworthy. God’s faithfulness is so substantial it reaches up to the clouds to the sky where the clouds form and hang. God’s faithfulness is limitless and reaches to the sky (the sky is definitely not the limit.) God’s faithfulness is important because it is through His faithfulness that God keeps all His promises. God is consistent and never changing. God’s faithfulness is inexhaustible we can keep coming to Him for more and we can keep depending upon Him for more.
God’s Righteousness Is Impressive and Immovable
God’s Righteousness Is Impressive and Immovable
David moves to the righteousness of God and describes that as being like the highest mountain. God righteousness stands upright like the highest mountain. The word from which is translated righteousness means conformity to an ethical or moral standard. God Himself is the standard for which righteousness is measured. He always wills and does what is right and what is good. God’s righteousness is like the highest mountains; impressive and immovable
19 Your righteousness reaches the heights, God, you who have done great things; God, who is like you?
God’s Judgments Are Immeasurable
God’s Judgments Are Immeasurable
David continues with God’s judgments and how they are like the deepest sea. The deepest sea is still yet to be accessed by man. God’s judgments extending to His governance of His own creation. God’s ways are not our ways. Man cannot fathom the deepest sea and neither can he understand all God does or why He does it. Why does He bring certain trials into our lives? Why does He allow some righteous to suffer while yet delivering others? Why does He heal some and not others? It is because God has judged with a judgment that we cannot possibly begin to know or understand it is simply so far beyond us we must trust the God whose ways are above our own.
8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways.” This is the Lord’s declaration. 9 “For as heaven is higher than earth, so my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
God Is The Preserver Of All Life
God Is The Preserver Of All Life
David acknowledges God as the source of all life and the one who preserves it. Preserve is to help, save, deliver.
God’s love and faithfulness coupled with His other characteristics show that He is both life giving and life preserving in His ways. Beyond our understanding and comprehension wider than the heavens and higher than the skies and stars greater than the mountains and deeper than the sea.
14 For this reason I kneel before the Father 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named. 16 I pray that he may grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power in your inner being through his Spirit, 17 and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love,
18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love, 19 and to know Christ’s love that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us—21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Blessings For The Believer
Blessings For The Believer
7 How priceless your faithful love is, God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings. 8 They are filled from the abundance of your house. You let them drink from your refreshing stream. 9 For the wellspring of life is with you. By means of your light we see light.
The contrast between the deceit of sin and the delight of God couldn’t be clearer. Sin tells one that they dont need to live in consideration or concern of God in fact they are better off if they reject and ignore God. God’s delightfulness shows us that God is far beyond what we really consider. He actually is guided by His love, righteousness, faithfulness, and just judgments to preserve life not waste it. David now mentions and lists out the blessings for the one who lives in light of God and is God-fearing believer. David declares how priceless your faithful love is God! How valuable it is for everyone who receives God’s faithful love. Notice the transition from covenantal name YHWH to God. The offering is still covenantal love but I believe this opens it up. These blessings we are about to see are open to everyone who receives God’s love. God’s priceless faithful love and blessings are universally open to all who would receive them.
Safety
Safety
David says that people take refuge in the shadow of God’s wings. A privileged position for those who God calls His own. They refused this in Jesus day and Jerusalem was destroyed.
37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her. How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! 38 See, your house is left to you desolate.
Satisfaction
Satisfaction
David declares that the believer is abundantly satisfied from the lavish provision of His house. They eat and drink at His table. Literally the best or the fat portions - prime rib or steak. You will have satisfaction of the truly delightful things.
2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son.
3 He sent his servants to summon those invited to the banquet, but they didn’t want to come. 4 Again, he sent out other servants and said, ‘Tell those who are invited: See, I’ve prepared my dinner; my oxen and fattened cattle have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’
5 “But they paid no attention and went away, one to his own farm, another to his business, 6 while the rest seized his servants, mistreated them, and killed them. 7 The king was enraged, and he sent out his troops, killed those murderers, and burned down their city.
8 “Then he told his servants, ‘The banquet is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. 9 Go then to where the roads exit the city and invite everyone you find to the banquet.’
Refreshment
Refreshment
In order to appreciate the sense in which David wrote this we must imagine a desert society without indoor plumbing and fresh water available at a tap. David speaks of a refreshing stream from which they can drink their fill - literally like drinking until they are drunk. You have all the water you could ever hope for or need. For the wellspring of life is with God
7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. “Give me a drink,” Jesus said to her, 8 because his disciples had gone into town to buy food. 9 “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” she asked him. For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.
10 Jesus answered, “If you knew the gift of God, and who is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would ask him, and he would give you living water.” 11 “Sir,” said the woman, “you don’t even have a bucket, and the well is deep. So where do you get this ‘living water’?
13 Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks from this water will get thirsty again. 14 But whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again. In fact, the water I will give him will become a well of water springing up in him for eternal life.”
6 Then he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will freely give to the thirsty from the spring of the water of life.
Light
Light
David then says it is by the light of God that we see light. Lighting up our way is the light of God without light in the darkness one cannot see to navigate properly. Light can illuminate a room or give understanding and illuminate the mind or the spirit. Without the light of God we are all spiritually blind and Satan continues to blind our minds without the illumination of God’s holy light.
4 In their case, the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify about the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but he came to testify about the light. 9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.
12 Jesus spoke to them again: “I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.”
10 Spread your faithful love over those who know you, and your righteousness over the upright in heart. 11 Do not let the foot of the arrogant come near me or the hand of the wicked drive me away. 12 There! The evildoers have fallen. They have been thrown down and cannot rise.
In light of these blessings David now prays that nothing would drive them away from God’s covenantal love and blessings. A prayer for a continual knowing of and experiencing of God’s love.
Romans 8:35–39 (CSB)
35 Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can affliction or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: Because of you we are being put to death all day long; we are counted as sheep to be slaughtered. 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 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.
In this Psalm we see that the deceitfulness of sin is only overcome by embracing the true life through God. Giving up the vain pursuit for fountain of youth to take hold of the very much obtainable and much more satisfying fountain of life - through God’s provision
Conclusion
Conclusion
Where do you desire to drink from — the fountain of youth or the fountain of life? Have you been so deceived by sin that you seek a drink from that which doesnt exist and cannot satisfy? Come to the well that never runs dry that flows with the rivers of living waters. The fountain of life that God offers can be had and will sustain and satisfy.
Have you received the light of life that Christ offers? Come and receive sight and life that you would see your sin and hate it that you would repent and turn to Christ for forgiveness and eternal life.
If you have already received the light then let your light shine be the salt and the light we are called to be so they may find the life and light that they truly need.
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt should lose its taste, how can it be made salty? It’s no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden.
15 No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.