INTRODUCTION This psalm contains one of the great Old Testament portrayals of the Gospel. Along with Isaiah 53, we learn here that the death of Christ for the sins of the world was no afterthought. The Lamb of God was indeed slain from before the foundations of the world. THE TEXTS My God, my God, …
The Law of Liberty
Understanding the nature and purpose of God’s law is central to our Christian lives. If we misunderstand or disobey what God requires of us, we have sinned grievously. If we understand it and obey, we receive tremendous blessing. To misunderstand law is to misunderstand grace. We see this in the preface to the Ten Commandments. …
Friends of God/Psalm 15
Who may be considered a friend of God? The question is one of the most important that can be posed in this life. The answer requires development, but an accurate summary requires us to remember that a man is a friend of God only when he is a friend of God’s character and attributes. The …
Blessed Are Those Who Mourn
As we consider the context of this next blessing, we must understand that Jesus is not pronouncing an indiscriminate blessing on all forms of sorrow and mourning. Just as the previous blessing was reserved for those who are poor in spirit, so this blessing is for those who spiritually mourn. Christ teaches us: “Blessed are …
Spiritual Bankrupts
The Beatitudes taken together begin the Sermon on the Mount, and this Beatitude is the introduction to the rest of the Beatitudes. Poverty of spirit is the introduction to the introduction. As we shall see, this is the place where understanding of Christ’s message must begin. Christ teaches us that “Blessed are the poor in …
Secret Atheism/Psalm 14
Just as covenant keeping begins in the heart, so does covenant breaking. Christians are far too often exercised over displays of overt atheism, when we ought to be more concerned over the existence of practical atheism in the hearts of covenant members. The fool says in his heart that there is no God. With his …
Christ the Doctor
Those who are citizens of Christ’s kingdom have certain, well-defined responsibilities — Christ teaches us how we are required to live before Him. These requirements are not idealistic — “something to shoot for,” and they are not “for somebody else” — the Jews of the Old Covenant, say. The teaching is a pattern of living …
An Argument God Loves/Psalm 13
In the language of the old proverb, troubles arrive on horseback but depart on foot. This is a psalm offered up in the midst of troubles at the point of despair, and it gives us a pattern or example to follow in similar circumstances. “How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how …
When the Wicked Strut/Psalm 12
All of God’s Word is of course profitable and applicable to our lives. But this psalm is particularly relevant to our contemporary condition, and is worth our careful attention. The great Puritan writer William Gurnall once said that just as one tap can drain a whole cask of wine, so one promise can obtain for …
The Joy of Jesus Christ/Psalm 21
INTRODUCTION: As with many of the psalms, David intends himself in the description, but under the inspiration of the Spirit, the language transcends David’s situation, and finds its fullest fulfillment in the triumph and victory of the Lord Jesus. THE TEXT: The king shall joy in thy strength, O LORD; and in thy salvation how …