Sermon Tone Analysis
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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.
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.
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.
Deceitfulness of Sin
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.
The wicked person lives as though God is non-existent and that there will be no accounting before Him.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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
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
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
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?
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