Oxford Bible Church - Living in the Last Days (audio)

Last time, we studied the 1st Lamentation of Christ from the Cross describing His spiritual suffering (v1-5). This week, we study the 2nd Lamentation of Christfrom the Cross describing His mental suffering (v6-11), from His enemies who mocked and humiliated Him as He suffered. “But I am a WORM, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised by the people” (v6, see Isaiah 53:3). This is made worse by the fact that ‘the people’ are His own people – Israel). Being a WORM is a figure of speech describing how helpless, despised, weak He felt, as those who hated Him treated Him as a worm, only worthy of being trampled under foot (see Isaiah 41:14, where Israel was compared to a worm under the foot of her enemies, yet God promised to deliver her). But there is also a deeper meaning to this picture. The word for ‘worm’ is ‘tolaith’ - the same word as for ‘scarlet’, for these worms were crushed to create a costly, brilliant, beautiful and enduring red dye from their blood. Crimson-dyed clothes were costly (Lam. 4:5). It was used for dyeing the curtains of the Tabernacle (Ex. 26:1), the garments of the high priests; in the purification rites of a leper (Lev 14:4–6), and of a house affected by leprosy; and it was added to the ashes of the red heifer (Num 19:6). Likewise, Christ was crushed for us and His Blood was used to cleanse, purify and clothe us as Temples of God. Moreover, thus worm would reproduce by attaching itself to the limb of a tree and would die in the process of giving birth! We were weak and helpless as a worm, worthy to be rejected and crushed because of our sin, but God valued us and redeemed us, by becoming a worm in our place, made weak, helpless and vulnerable to the attacks of people, and He was treated like a worm to be crushed by our sin and curse to make us whole. v7-8: All those who see Me ridicule Me; they shoot out the lip, they shake the head (show contempt with their mouth)” (for the fulfilment see Matthew 27:39, Mark 15:29), saying: “He trusted in the Lord, let Him rescue Him; let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!” (for the fulfilment see Matthew 27:41-44). It is important to recognise the evil voice of the serpent behind this attack. It is more than the mockery of hatred. This was a mental torture, designed to attack and undermine His faith, His very connection with God, when He was at His most vulnerable, when it seemed as if God was abandoning Him and not hearing His prayers. The serpent, speaking through these men, tried to play with His mind and deceive and persuade Him by suggestion that God had finished with Him, that He did not actually love Him or delight in Him, and so He should let go of God. This was a more dangerous attack than the attack on His body, for it was satan’s voice trying to penetrate His inner heart, sowing seeds of doubt saying: “If God really loved you, you would not suffer like this, or He would have delivered you, so give up your faith in God.” But God did delight in Him and would deliver Him in the resurrection. Likewise, when we suffer, whether it is because we have sinned or not, satan comes as the accuser to whisper his lies to us that God does not love us any more, and that we should abandon our loyalty to God. At that time, it is important that we should not be passive, but answer these evil thoughts by declaring our faith, that God does love us, that He has redeemed us by His Blood, and that we will always love and trust God (Rev 12:10-11) This is exactly what Christ does, when He moves from His Lament to focusing back on God and declaring His faith in God in v9-10: “BUT YOU are He who took Me out of the womb; You made (caused) Me (to) trust while on My mother’s breasts. I was cast upon You from birth. From My mother’s womb You have been My God.” This predicts the Messiah will be sinless and in perfect fellowship with God from birth, not having a sin-nature because of the virgin birth (Gen 3:15, Isa 7:14, confirming that He is not suffering because of his sins. This is only true of Christ, not David (Psalm 51:5). So, He had never experienced any separation from God before. Whereas He previously established His faith on God’s proven faithfulness to Israel, as recorded in the Bible (v3-5), here He establishes his faith on God’s faithfulness in His own life. Based on God’s constant faithful Presence with Him as His God, throughout His life, He knows that God will not suddenly abandon Him now. From that place of faith, and prays that God would draw close to Him again to help Him, and deliver Him from trouble, as He has always done before: “Be not far from Me, for trouble is near; for there is none to help” (v11). God answered this prayer at His resurrection.

Psalm 22 is a detailed accurate prophecy describing a righteous man executed by crucifixion, written 800 years before it existed. Nothing in Ps 22 was fulfilled by David, either in the details of his suffering or the world-wide consequences of his death. Rather David spoke by the Spirit of Prophecy (Acts 2:30), enabling him to describe Messiah’s suffering on the Cross. Whereas the Gospels record outward events, Messianic Psalms (like 22) also reveal His inner experience. It’s wholly messianic, a prophecy of His death & resurrection, followed by the Gospel going to the world (confirmed by New Testament quotes from Ps 22, claiming Jesus is the fulfilment). It's written in 2 Parts corresponding to (1) Christ’s SUFFERINGS (v1-21), and (2) the GLORIES to follow (v22-31), 1Pet 1:10-11. The 1st Part is a Lament, in which an isolated man, surrounded by enemies, suffers & prays on the altar of sacrifice (v1-21a). He describes his sufferings, but also turns to God & declares his faith, requesting God to draw near to save Him. Then it moves from travail to triumph in v21b, when he declares: “You have answered me.” The 2nd Part is Thanksgiving, where He rejoices in his victory, thanking God for accepting his sacrifice and delivering him from death, and for all the blessings released as a result. He’s no longer alone, but praises God in the midst of his brethren. He declares the Gospel of His finished work will be declared around the world & down the ages, resulting in the salvation of all nations, and God’s Kingdom established over all. Part 1 consists of 3 Laments: (1) His spiritual suffering & desolation (v1-2), followed by a declaration of faith in God (v3-5). (2) His mental suffering & humiliation as a social outcast (v6-8), followed by a faith-declaration & request to God (v9-11). (3) His physical suffering - the torture of crucifixion (v12-18), followed by a faith-declaration & request (v19-21). Each time, He 1st expresses His feelings and describes His suffering (‘I’ & ‘ME’), then turns his focus to God: “BUT YOU.” So, it’s fine to express feelings to God, but don’t stop there. Go on to declare the truth of God, who has the final word. Lament 1 describes his spiritual suffering, as he felt totally forsaken by God: “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me (v11,19) and from the words of My groaning (roaring)? O My God, I cry in the DAYTIME, but You do not hear; and in the NIGHT season, and am not silent” (v1-2). He knew and walked with God all His life (v9-10,31), yet now fellowship was broken, experiencing total separation from His Presence. Ps 22 starts with him asking ‘Why?’ The answer (v31) unlocks the meaning of Ps 22 - He was bearing the sin of mankind, and so experienced Hell for us. Thus, the result of this one man’s suffering is salvation for the world (v22-31). He suffered separation from God, so we might be restored to His Presence. During the supernatural darkness on the Cross, Jesus quoted v1 in Matt 27:45 & Mark 15:33-34. By quoting the start of Ps 22, He pointed to the whole Psalm, saying He was fulfilling it all: ‘if you want to know what I am experiencing and the outcome - read Ps 22’. He prayed it all, ending with the proclamation: “He has done (finished) it” (v21). So, just before He died, He quoted the last verse saying: “It is finished!” (John 20:30). As v2 predicted, Jesus suffered on the Cross during the day (9am – noon), as the burnt offering, and during at night, as the sin offering (in the darkness, noon to 3pm, Amos 8:9, Joel 2:31, Acts 2:20). During this whole time, He called on God in faith to help Him. The physical pains did not cause Him to roar v1 in agony, for He only did this in the dark, when He experienced God’s wrath on our sin & the spiritual darkness of total separation from His Presence, as predicted by v1-2, fulfilled in Matt 27:45. We discuss the secular evidence for the darkness & prove it was indeed a night (v2, Gen1:5,14-18), and how this solves the paradox of the 3 days & 3 nights between His death & resurrection, and how it confirms He died in AD 33. In v3-5 Christ moves from His 1st Lament to a faith-declaration: “BUT You are HOLY”, showing He knew the answer to his question in v1. When he became sin, God’s holiness required Him to pour His wrath on him, and separate Himself from him. Thus, he praised God & vindicated His righteousness. Then he fortified his faith by remembering past experiences of God’s faithfulness to His people. Whenever they praised Him, He was enthroned in their praises and took the leadership in their situations (v3). Whenever they trusted Him & cried to Him, He delivered & exalted them (v4-5). Thus, he expressed His confidence in his unchanging God, that He’d respond to his praises & cries to help, for he trusted Him. Likewise, after lamenting to God, we should praise Him, remember His proven faithfulness and declare our faith that He'll hear our cry & help us.

Psalm 95:6-7: “Come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand. Today, if you will HEAR His VOICE” (quoted in Heb 3:7,15, 4:7). God is speaking today! *I. God is BROADCASTING (Ps 95:7b). Clearly God is speaking. He spoke from the beginning (Gen 1:3) and He is speaking now. He has a voice and He speaks with a purpose, for He wants to be heard. Yet, not everybody is hearing what He is saying to them: “IF you will HEAR His VOICE.” Let's have confidence God is talking today. The question is: “Will we hear Him?” His voice comes to us in many different ways. That’s how much He wants to be heard! He talks to us through His Creation (Rom 1:20, Ps 19:1). He also speaks directly with us through dreams, visions and angels. And He speaks through the still, small voice. He speaks with us very personally. He desires to communicate with us. Built into us is a desire to communicate with Him. God is broadcasting constantly, but are we in a position to receive what He is saying? *II. We have a RECEIVER (Ps 95:7a). God is broadcasting, and we have a built-in RECEIVER to hear from God! He made us in His image for fellowship with Himself. He made us to hear His voice. When we are born again, with our spirits made new - we are in a position to receive what God is broadcasting. Even if you are not a Christian, He is reaching out to reveal Himself to you all the time. Those signals are emanating from Him continually, reaching out to our hearts. Why do we know we can hear His voice? Ps 95:7: “He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand” – this speaks of a personal relationship! (also Ps 23:1-2: “The Lord is my Shepherd...He leads me beside the still waters.” Notice how personal this is! He is not hiding Himself from us; He hides Himself FOR us (Matt 7:7). It does not say: “Today, IF God is speaking to me.” No! it says: “Today, IF I will hear His voice.” God IS speaking to us today! The problem is not with Heaven’s radio station, but with my receiver! Perhaps we are waiting for God to speak to us in some extravagant, external way, but instead He has a better way to communicate with us – quietly, within our hearts. How often do we mistake what God is saying to us for our own thoughts? Sometimes we miss God's speech, as it comes to us so simply & gently. So often, God speaks to us, but we miss what He is saying, as we are not TUNED IN to His wavelength. The enemy lies to us that God is silent, distant, unconcerned with the details of our lives. But the truth is that He is intimately concerned with every detail of our lives, which is why He is so willing to speak to us at all times and circumstances. He is speaking to us, but are we receiving His voice? Are we hearing God, or are we so tense, nervous and agitated, that we can’t hear from God? There’s too much static! In John 10, Jesus uses this image of the sheep and the true Shepherd, who cares for His sheep. We are His sheep (Ps 95:7), and “His sheep hear His voice” (John 10:3a). Don’t doubt that. We DO hear Him. "and He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out. And when He brings out His own sheep, He goes before them; and the sheep follow Him, for they know His voice” (v3b-4). It’s so personal. He is leading us by His voice. Are we tuned in to His voice? We have a receiver in us, for the Holy Spirit lives inside us. He is built in to the centre of our being! v5: “they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” The devil likes to imitate God’s voice, but the more we are in God’s Word, we can be sure we know His voice, as we are familiar with it. His voice is in His Word! As we familiarize ourselves with His Word, we can build that confidence that we hear His voice. John 10:27: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me." *III. Let’s turn the DIAL (Ps 95:6). God is BROADCASTING, and I have a RECEIVER. I am His sheep and I hear His voice. So why am I not hearing it? It may just be a question of TUNING! Fine tune the dial. Find the right wavelength and exclude the wrong wavelength. After all the activity of Ps 95:1-2, we come to v6: “Oh come, let us worship and BOW DOWN; let us KNEEL before the Lord our Maker.” In this moment, our bodies and flesh are IMMOBILISED. This agrees with Rom 12:1. As we do that, we are ruling out all that static that gets in the way and interferes with us hearing from God. We can just be still and know that He is God (Ps 46:10). So, God is BROADCASTING, and we can RECEIVE and hear His voice. Let’s TUNE OUT all the other voices & noises, and let’s hear from Him. Let’s trust Him! How do we do that? Let’s just bow before Him, and be quiet before Him. He is speaking. We can hear Him. Let’s not doubt that!

Psalm 21 is the celebration of the accomplished victory prayed for in Ps 20. The kind of language used means it's a Messianic Psalm, for only Christ can fully fulfil these words, although it was fulfilled in measure by David. The ancient Rabbis interpreted it as speaking of King Messiah (v1), but the later Rabbis dropped this view, to try & prevent Christians from showing how Jesus perfectly fulfils it. v1: “The KING (Messiah) shall have joy in Your strength (invisible power), O LORD; and in Your salvation (manifested victory) how greatly shall he rejoice!” This describes God's mighty power that raised Christ from the dead, bringing Him into manifested victory & glory. Likewise, we should thank God for the invisible power of His Spirit (the blessing), as well as the manifested blessings brought forth by His grace. This verse is the answer to the prayers in Ps 20:2,5,8. v2: “You have given him his heart’s desire, and have not withheld the request (desire) of his lips. Selah.” This corresponds to Ps 20:4. His desire is our salvation, through His victory over enemy powers (Heb 12:2). Note the poetic parallelism – He did not just desire our salvation & victory, but prays for us (Jas 4:2, Heb 7:25). You were on His mind when He went to the Cross and ever since! Also notice God works through our desires, but only when our heart is submitted to God (Ps 37:4, Phil 2:12-13). v3: “For You meet (welcome) him with the blessings of goodness (abundant rich blessings); You set a crown of pure gold on his head.” Here the image changes from celebrating a Conquest to a Coronation - both were fulfilled by Christ in His Ascension. Having won His great victory, He ascended to Heaven and was crowned as Lord of all. Also as our representative He received every blessing of the New Covenant on our behalf, so that every blessing is now ours in Christ (Eph 1:3), for we are joints heirs with Him (Rom 8:17). This blessing includes abundant & eternal life, salvation, glory, authority (v4-5). The fact He shares this blessing with us is stated in v6a: “For You have made him most blessed forever (literally, ‘you have made Him blessings forever’).” This means He was made to the source of blessing to us forever (blessed to be a blessing). This blessing includes joy, which only comes from God's Presence: “You have made him exceedingly glad (‘joyful with gladness’) with Your Presence” (see Ps 16:11). God’s Presence is the key to happiness. Thus, holiness comes before happiness (Heb 1:9, Ps 45:7). The basis for Christ (and us) to receive God’s blessing is faith in the Lord and His covenant love: “For the KING trusts in the Lord, and through the mercy (covenant love and faithfulness) of the Most High, he shall not be moved (shaken)” (v7). He shall be established forever in God’s grace. Whereas Part 1 looks back Christ’s decisive victory at His 1st Coming (v1-7), Part 2 looks forward to His future victory at His 2nd Coming, when He'll judge all His enemies and establish His Kingdom on earth (v8-13). Thus, after Christ's initial victory, this predicts His enemies will still be in the field, which is the case. But at His 2nd Coming He will search out and then seize all His enemies with His mighty right hand (v8, Ex 15:6). He'll then throw them into His fiery furnace: “You (the KING) shall make them as a fiery oven in the time of Your anger (lit: ‘face, presence’), the LORD shall swallow them up in His wrath, and the fire shall devour them” (v9). This will happen when they meet Him face to face for judgment. The parallelism shows the close relationship between KING (Messiah) and the LORD. Christ is the Lord’s representative & channel of both the Lord’s salvation for His people (v6) and His wrath on His enemies (v9). This judgment is in 2 stages: (1) At the 2nd Coming (or death) the souls of the wicked are thrown into the fire of Hades, and then at the end of time, they'll be resurrected and stand before the Great White Throne, and then be thrown body & soul into the Lake of Fire. All they've produced (the fruit of their lives) will be destroyed, as well as their spiritual sons, who partook of their nature and followed in their ways (v10). They'll get their just desserts for they planned evil against God, but were always bound to fail (v11), for God resists the proud (Jas 4:6), and you can't defeat God. This reveals the futility of the godless life (any success is temporary). At a time of His choosing, He'll confront all rebels and cause them to want to flee, but there'll be no escape. God is seen as the Divine Warrior, who has already prepared His arrows of judgment, placed them on His bow, pulled back the strings, and pointed His arrows toward their faces - a picture of imminent judgment (v12). Ps 21 concludes with God’s people praising Him for manifesting His power, not only in accomplishing salvation for them, but also for judging His enemies (v13). This judgment is a necessary part of establishing His Kingdom (Rev 11:15-18, 19:1-6).

Heaven's Coronation, is inspired by the recent coronation of King Charles III. In this country we have a long history of crowning kings and queens, in splendid ceremonies. Yet none compare to the vision seen by Daniel, when King Jesus ascended into Heaven to receive an everlasting Kingdom from His Father, the Ancient of Days (Daniel 7:13-14, see also Philippians 2:9-11). Peter's message looks at this glorious event and the bright hope it brings for all God's people.

Ps 20 describes Israel’s spiritual preparation before an impending battle, a day of trouble (v1). It is a model for how to prepare ourselves in prayer, to walk in victory in our spiritual battles & days of trouble. It twins with Ps 21, describing the celebration after the victory (c.f 20:2,5 & 21:1; 20:4 & 21:2). The central character is the anointed king (v6), leading his people into battle. It finds its ultimate fulfilment in Christ, who leads His people to victory (battles of the Lord are pictures of His ultimate battle, when Christ personally overcomes all His enemies). Thus Ps 20 is messianic like Ps 21). The setting shows God’s people gathering before Him before battle, dedicating their lives to God, and calling on the covenant-keeping God to go with them to battle & give them victory. Their trust in & submission to God was expressed thru the sacrifice the king offered up on behalf of the nation (v3, 1Sam 7:7-12). The efficacy of their prayers was based on the merits of the sacrifice, representing the Sacrifice of Christ. Likewise, we come to God on the basis of Christ's righteousness, given us thru His Sacrifice, and dedicate ourselves to God to do His will (Rom 12:1), acknowledging the battle belongs to Him & we fight in His Name, under His authority, for His glory & will to be done. Thru this dedication, His Presence comes on us transforming us into mighty warriors (Ro 12:2), for He gives grace to the humble. At this point the priests encouraged the army to fear not, even if the enemy seems superior, for God goes with them into the battle to fight for them (Deut 20:1-4). So, in our battles, we don’t fight in our own strength, but daily come to God with a sacrifice of praise, dedicating ourselves for His will to be done thru us, and drawing on His grace. In v1-5, the people (‘we’ in v5) pray for the anointed king (David), who speaks in v6. They are one with their king, so his victory is theirs. “May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble; may the Name (revealed nature) of the God of Jacob defend you (set you on high)” (v1). They call on God to manifest His Name on behalf of His people. “May He send you help from the Sanctuary (the Place of God’s Presence) and strengthen you out of Zion” (v2). The key to victory is His Presence, so to receive help from God, we must draw near to Him, so His Presence fills us. The 1st key in spiritual warfare is to look to & submit to God, calling on Him to fill us with His Presence. “May He remember all your offerings and accept your burnt sacrifice. Selah” (v3). They offered their prayers on the foundation of the sacrifice. Likewise, when we pray, we trust in Christ's Sacrifice for God to accept our dedication & for our prayer to be answered. “May He grant you according to your heart’s desire (the saving of his people, victory over God’s enemies & God's glory) and fulfil all your purpose” (v4). Their prayer ends with assurance of victory, and readiness to go into battle under His Banner, as He goes with them to give them victory (Ex 17:15): “We will rejoice in your salvation (victory), and in the Name of our God, we will set up our banners! May the Lord fulfil all your petitions” (v5). Thus, true dedication to God brings assurance of God’s Presence, which we confess with our lips, that God is with us. In response, the king declares his faith, that God’s mighty right hand will give him the victory: “Now I know that the Lord saves (gives victory) to His anointed; He will answer him from His holy Heaven with the saving strength of His right hand” (v6). Then the people also declare their faith is in God, not in the strength of their forces. They focus on & make mention of (confess) His Name, His faithfulness to the covenant (v7), and, by faith they confess the final outcome of victory, before battle begins (v8). Again, we see it's important to confess our faith (Rom 10:8-10, 2Cor 4:13), as part of our spiritual preparation for battle. The concluding prayer in v8 is best translated: “O Lord, save (give victory to) the king, answer us in the day of our calling” (the origin of 'God save the king'). This is another link to Ps 21 (v1), v2 of which records the answer to this prayer. We show how Ps 20 was fulfilled by Christ, on His day of trouble, after which He was lifted up on high (v1), by God in Heaven (v2), who accepted His perfect Sacrifice (v3). God granted Jesus His heart’s desire (our salvation, the defeat of all His enemies & the fulfilment of His purpose to establish His Kingdom over all, v4). God gave victory to His Anointed by raising Him from death by His mighty power (v6). His people call on the exalted King, who is also Lord, for salvation (v9, Rom 10:13). They now rejoice in His salvation, for He won the victory for us, and now ever-lives to make intercession for us (v5). They now trust in His Name, rather than their own resources (v7), and are assured of the final downfall of the wicked and their own future resurrection to life (v8).

There are many kinds of PRAYER. One kind is INTERCESSION or TRAVAILING in prayer: “My little children, for whom I LABOUR in birth again until Christ is formed in you” (Galatians 4:19). We need to YIELD to the HOLY SPIRIT, for Him to pray through us as He wants. We want to yield our hearts & bodies to Him, to pray God's will into people’s lives: “It is not by (human) might, and not by (human) power, but by My SPIRIT, says the Lord” (Zechariah 4:6). We need to let God fill us with His love, so that we pray from a heart of love. Everywhere Jesus went, He was MOVED with COMPASSION to meet the needs of people, and God’s POWER was manifested through Him (Matthew 9:36, 14:14, 15:32, 20:34, Mark 1:41, 6:34, 8:2, 9:22, Luke 7:13). Romans 5:5: “The LOVE of God has been SHED ABROAD in OUR HEARTS by the HOLY SPIRIT, who was GIVEN to us.” Thus, the same compassion (love) that moved Jesus is in us. But we have to learn to yield to it. When we are moved with COMPASSION, we not only recognise their need and feel for the one who is suffering, but God also EMPOWERS us to MEET their NEED. One way to do this is to PRAY in the SPIRIT for them (Romans 8:26-27). We also need to pray in faith. Faith does not depend on fickle feelings. It is a matter of believing God and His Word, and then we need to exercise our faith by obeying His Word, acting as if it is true. We become STRONG in FAITH by (1) MEDITATING in God’s WORD, and (2) EXERCISING our FAITH, by corresponding actions. We build up our FAITH MUSCLES, when we EXERCISE our FAITH (put it into action). All prayer, when prayed in faith to God the Father in the Name of Jesus, is powerful. One area where you can BUILD up your FAITH by EXERCISE is in the area of PRAYER, especially PRAYING in TONGUES. If you never exercise your faith by praying in tongues, trusting the Holy Spirit to give you the utterance (Acts 2:4), then your faith in that area will never grow! When you receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, you automatically receive the ability to pray in tongues. But you must exercise this gift to activate it, so it is fruitful in your life. It's the same way with God’s LOVE. He has already given us His LOVE (Romans 5:5). We must believe this truth and put His love into action in our lives, by walking in love. God wants us to agree with His Word, that He has already given us His love – and start exercising it! He says to you: “I have shed My love abroad in your heart by the Holy Spirit” (Romans 5:5). You are a love child of a love God. We still have the flesh, but God’s love in our heart is more powerful than our flesh. God has given us free-will, so we can choose to love or not to love. If you are born again, you are His child, and so you have His nature in your spirit, you have His LOVE in you, but by not exercising His love, you are allowing your flesh to take control of your life. But if you do EXERCISE the LOVE of God in you by faith (not feelings), for example by PRAYING for someone when you do not feel like it, then His love will fill you, and flow through you, and you will grow in love and become a lover of mankind, full of mercy and compassion. You become a person MOVED with COMPASSION to DO something, for example, YIELDING to the SPIRIT, asking Him to take control of your lips, to PRAY through you God’s perfect will for that person. Matthew 9:36-38: “When He saw the multitudes, He was MOVED with COMPASSION for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep with no shepherd. Then He SAID to His disciples: “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the labourers are few. Therefore, PRAY the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into His harvest.” Jesus was moved with COMPASSION, and His next thought is to PRAY. Therefore, there is a linking together of LOVE and PRAYER. When you have COMPASSION for someone, you want to reach God on their behalf. Today, God is calling His people to lay down our lives and PRAY. In the days to come, IF we will lay down our lives and PRAY, we will be entering into God's call for our life, and we will begin to become unselfish. The nature of GOD is to GIVE (John 3:16). The greatest joy in the world is for us to love others, for example, to help someone in trouble. Jesus wants us to be known for our LOVE (John 13:34-35). Standing in the gap for someone else is an act of love. INTERCESSORY PRAYER is an ACT of LOVE. As you sow to the Spirit by doing good, such as interceding for others, you will REAP everlasting LIFE (Galatians 6:7-9). YIELD your tongue to the HOLY SPIRIT, and pray in unknown tongues, trusting in the Spirit to give you the words (Acts 2:4): “for he who speaks in an unknown tongue does not SPEAK to men but TO GOD, for no one understands him; however, IN the SPIRIT he speaks MYSTERIES” (1Corinthians 14:2).

Ps 19 transitions from God's general revelation in Creation (v1-6), to His special revelation in His written Word, which is more comprehensive, detailed, clearer & personal. Men can misunderstand God’s nature, when they see evil in the world, as nature is corrupted by the curse, so sends mixed signals. So, we need a clearer revelation of God - His perfect Word, without error & extolled in v7-11. v7-9 lists 6 descriptions of His Word (its nature), followed by 6 things it does if we receive it (its power). (1) “The LAW of the LORD is PERFECT (inerrant, complete & sufficient revelation of God & His will for us, 2Pet 1:3-4, 2Tim 3:16-17), converting (restoring, reviving) the soul.” (2) “The TESTIMONY (His witness to Himself) of the LORD is SURE (dependable, Ps 119:89), making wise the simple (imparting wisdom for life to the humble).” (3) “The STATUTES (instructions) of the LORD are RIGHT (morally right, not crooked), rejoicing (giving satisfaction to) the heart.” (4) “The COMMANDMENT (not suggestion) of the LORD is PURE (lit: 'radiant') enlightening the eyes (illumination for life).” (5) “The FEAR of the LORD (it reveals His majesty, authority & holiness, producing in us the fear of God - Deut 4:10), is CLEAN (free from impurity, making us clean, by imparting the fear of God to us), enduring forever (enabling us to endure forever - 1Pet 1:23-25, 1Jn 2:17).” (6) The JUDGMENTS (verdicts) of the LORD are true and righteous altogether (guiding us to think & act right). In view of its origin, nature & transforming power, we should value & embrace it above all earthly things, for it’s both (1) desirable & (2) enjoyable: “(1) More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold (Prov 3:13-18), (2) sweeter also than honey & the honeycomb” (v10). It imparts (1) spiritual riches & (2) the sweet grace of God. How much we value matters, for where our treasure is, so is our heart (Luke 12:34), and the measure of attention we give His Word determines the blessing we receive (Mark 4:24). It can accomplish all things in v7-10, as it’s the Word 'of the Lord' (repeated x6), revealing the Lord of the Word. Thru His Word we find, meet & know God personally. We come into union with Him by faith, and so receive His life, wisdom, blessing, light, strength & cleansing (Jn 5:39-40). The Lord Himself imparts Himself to us thru His Word, and works wonder in our lives. So, if you desire God, desire His Word, not just for its +ve impartation of blessing (v10), but also as it reveals & warns us of our sin, bringing repentance & cleansing, for sin separates us from God & His life: “Moreover, by them (God's words) Your servant is warned (of folly, sin & dangers), and in keeping them there is great reward” (v11) God's purpose in revealing Himself thru His Word, is for us to know Him as our Redeemer & Rock (Strength). Thus, the 3rd Part describes our right response to His revelation (v12-14). His Word reveals His perfection & by contrast our sin. He also reveals Himself as our Redeemer from sin & Strength empowering us to walk in righteousness (v14). Sin impedes our fellowship with God, so we must turn from it, asking for cleansing (v12,13), & surrender to God, for Him to fill us with His Spirit & strengthen us to do His will (v14). There are 2 kinds of sin (1) of ignorance & (2) deliberate sin. 1st, he prays about 2 kinds of sins of which he’s unaware: “(1) Who can understand his errors? (2) Cleanse me from secret faults” (v12). Though hidden to us, they darken our soul. He asks God to (1) reveal his errors of thinking & (2) cleanse sins done in ignorance. He opens his heart to God's light, inviting His cleansing (1Jn 1:7). Then he prays about his wilful sins (1Jn 1:9): “Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous (wilful) sins; let them not have dominion over me. Then (1) I shall be blameless, & (2) be innocent of great transgression” (v13). When we yield to our sin-nature, we become enslaved to that sin, so it becomes habitual, increasingly ruling us & forming our character, resulting in much sin. Only God can (1) cleanse us of hidden faults (v12) & (2) empower us to overcome deliberate sinning (v13). It ends with a prayer of surrender & trust: “Let the words of my mouth and meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord my STRENGTH (ROCK) and my REDEEMER” (v14). A plea for purity, knowing only God can make us holy, using the language ('acceptable') of an offering to God (Ro 12:1). Real godliness is not just about our actions, but originates in the thoughts of our heart, expressed in words (Matt 12:33-37), so we should meditate on His works & words. He offers his heart-meditations & words to God, inviting His consuming fire to purify him. He ends by confessing God as his (1) Redeemer & (2) Rock of Strength, firm Foundation, upholding him with His righteousness, imparting His power for living right. As we pray v12-14, God purifies our hearts.

Psalm 19 is Messianic. It’s in 3 Parts: (1) God’s General Revelation in Creation (v1-6), (2) God’s Special Revelation in His written Word (v7-11), & (3) God's Purpose in revealing Himself & our right response (v12-14). In Part 1 the Divine Name is EL, and in Part 2, YAHWEH (x7), His personal Covenant Name. v1-6 describe His message thru the heavens: “The heavens declare the glory (splendour) of God, and the firmament (expanse) shows His handiwork” (v1). Creation is designed to be a revelation of God (Rom 1:20). His general revelation is continuous & abundant: “Day unto day utters (pours forth) speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge” (v2), like a spring pouring forth waters of revelation, both day & night. By day, the sun shines, so we can see His handiwork on earth. At night, the stars reveal His immensity & proclaim the Gospel. This revelation is universal: “There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their line (sound - LXX) has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world” (v3-4a). The Bible teaches God used the stars & constellations to preach the Gospel to ancient man, before His written Word was available. In Rom 10:16-18, Paul quoted from Ps 19, describing His revelation in the heavens, & applied it to the Gospel. So, the Gospel is in the Stars, as confirmed in Gen 15:5-6: “Look now toward heaven, and count (tell, declare) the stars if you are able to number (tell, declare) them.” He said to him: “So shall your descendants (SEED) be.” And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.” The word 'count' means to tell, to give an account. So, God asked him to tell the story in the stars. It’s the same word translated ‘declare’ in Ps 19:1. Thus, he was to declare the message the stars were declaring - the Gospel of Messiah. When he did this, God preached the Gospel to him (Gal 3:8), saying: “so shall your SEED (Christ) be” - Christ will come as Abraham’s Seed. So, he was justified by faith by believing the Gospel, not that would give him children (absurd!) God revealed the Gospel of Christ to Adam & Eve (Gen 3:15,21), and taught them the need for sacrifice, which they passeon to their seed. He also designed the stars as signs pointing to His truth (Gen 1:14), named them & revealed their names to man (Isa 40:26, Ps 147:4). He named the constellations to reveal His truth (Job 26:13, 9:8-9, 38:31-33, Amos 5:6-8). The signs of the zodiac (the sun's path thru the constellations) have an ancient origin as a divine revelation, which explains why, when men fell into idolatry, they worshipped the stars & practiced astrology (Deut 4:19, Isa 47:13-14). Over time, God's story in the stars was corrupted into pagan myths, but we can reconstruct much of the original Gospel story in the heavens from the constellation & star names. When God gave an His written Word (v7-11), His star-message became less important. We look at this star story, which starts with VIRGO (the Virgin), giving birth to the promised Seed, and finishes with LEO, the Lion of Judah, pouncing on the head of HYDRA, the fleeing Serpent (2nd Coming). We see how SCORPIO & its associated constellations perfectly tell the story of Gen 3:15. There are many pictures of Christ, as a mighty Man & Bridegroom, in conflict with the Devil (represented by a serpent, scorpion, dragon & other monsters), as well as pictures of the redeemed. Thus, the heavens declare the GLORY (manifestation) of GOD = JESUS (2Cor 4:6, Heb 1:3, Col 1:15). v4b-6 give more detail of this revelation: “In them (the heavens) He has set a tabernacle (a dwelling place) for the SUN (a picture of the glorious Christ, Mal 4:2, for all life depends on the sun), which is like a BRIDEGROOM coming out of his Chamber, and rejoices like a STRONG MAN (Champion) to run its (His) race (to win His Bride). Its rising is from one end of heaven, and its circuit to the other end; and there is nothing hidden from its heat.” This gives a spiritual interpretation of the sun & its motion. It typifies the Bridegroom going forth for His Bride, a Mighty Man, coming forth from His chamber to run His course & fulfil His mission, a picture of Jesus, the Sun of Righteousness, our mighty Champion who left His place in Heaven to run His course, conquer Satan & redeem His Bride. He completes the circuit & fulfils His mission, bringing His Bride back to His Chamber to be with Him forever. This is represented by its annual circuit through the heavens, the 12 signs of the Zodiac (way by steps), the tabernacle for the sun (v4). These are 12 stages of its journey & 12 mansions it dwells in. The sun represents His majestic PERSON. The constellations picture the different aspects & stages of His WORK. So, as the sun passes through the different signs, it pictures Him accomplishing, step-by-step, the things revealed by these pictures. So, as each year the sun completes a circuit, it proclaims Christ, the Light of the world, fulfilling His mission.

Jesus said in John 14:1,27: “Do not let your HEART be TROUBLED; believe in God, believe also in Me ... Peace I leave with you, My Peace I give to you... Do not let your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” *(I) The TROUBLED HEART: “Do not let your HEART be TROUBLED” (John 14:1a). The Greek verb used here for ‘troubled’ is tarassō: to stir up, agitate or roil, as of the sea (Matthew 2:3). It is used x3 of Jesus in John 11:33, 12:27, 13:21, before He said in John 14:1: “Let not your HEART be TROUBLED; believe (trust) in God, believe (trust) also in Me.” Jesus tells us to not allow the core of our being to be moved from its centre in God. Proverbs 4:23: “GUARD your HEART with all diligence, for out of it (your heart) spring (flow) the issues of life.” *(II) The TRUSTING HEART: John 14:1: “Let not your heart be troubled; BELIEVE (trust) in God, BELIEVE (trust) also in Me.” Having commanded us not to have a troubled heart, He then tells us what to do instead: BELIEVE! Instead of being TROUBLED, let us TRUST in Him. This is not talking about a vague belief in God, but Jesus commands us to TRUST in Him, to have a trusting heart. We can TRUST Him in times of TROUBLE, because He has given us certain PROMISES in John 14. These promises are like anchors for us, when we are tempted to have a troubled heart. *PROMISE (1): “In My Father’s House (Heaven) are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to PREPARE a PLACE for YOU (in Heaven). And if I go and PREPARE a PLACE for YOU, I will COME again and RECEIVE you to MYSELF; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go (Heaven) you know, and the way you know” (John 14:2-4). *PROMISE (2): “Whatever you ASK in My NAME, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ASK anything in My NAME, I will do it” (John 14:13-14). *PROMISE (3): “I will not leave you orphans; I will COME to YOU (through the Holy Spirit)” (John 14:18). “I will pray the Father, and He will give you another HELPER, that He may abide with you forever, the SPIRIT of TRUTH, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He DWELLS with you and will be IN YOU” (John 14:16-17). See also 1John 4:4. Jesus says: “BELIEVE in ME, when I say I am going away to prepare a place for you and will come again to receive you to Myself” (John 14:1-3). Jesus says: “BELIEVE in ME, when I say I am leaving you My NAME, and you can ask whatever you need, and I will do it” (John 14:1,13-14). Jesus says: “BELIEVE in ME, when I say I will not leave you on your own, but I will give you the Presence of the HOLY SPIRIT, to live inside you and be available to help, strengthen and lead you” (John 14:1,16-18). Proverbs 3:5: “TRUST in the Lord with all your HEART, and lean not on your own understanding.” This trust in Jesus, centred and fixed on Him, brings us to a place of peace in the middle of trouble. Isaiah 26:3: “You will keep him in PERFECT PEACE, whose mind is stayed (fixed, leaning, resting) on You, because he TRUSTS in You.” *(III) The TOWERING HEART: After He promised to us the PRESENCE and HELP of the HOLY SPIRIT, Jesus also promised to give us His PEACE: “the HELPER, the HOLY SPIRIT, whom the Father will send in My Name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. PEACE, I leave with you, MY PEACE I give to you” (John 14:26-27). Jesus has left the HOLY SPIRIT with us, who is the GOD of PEACE (Philippians 4:9). In Judges 6:24, God reveals Himself to Gideon as Jehovah SHALOM - the Lord is our PEACE. PEACE is not just the ABSENCE of conflict, but God’s PRESENCE in our heart in the midst of turmoil. John 14:27: ”PEACE, I leave with you, MY PEACE I give to you (in your heart), not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not LET your HEART be TROUBLED (John 14:1), neither let it be afraid (don’t be cowardly)." Philippians 4:7: “The PEACE of God, which passes all understanding, will GUARD (protect) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” His PEACE is like the WALLS of a castle, towering around our hearts. Romans 5:1: “We have PEACE with God through our Lord Jesus Christ”, because: “Jesus is our PEACE” (Ephesians 2:14). He has given us His PEACE. That PEACE is already ours, because of His Sacrifice on the Cross. For this reason, instead of having a TROUBLED HEART, we can have a TRUSTING HEART. Moreover, we can have a TOWERING HEART, that towers over and above the trouble, by abiding in His PEACE. Proverbs 18:10: “The NAME of the LORD (Jehovah Shalom) is a STRONG TOWER; the righteous run into it and they are SAFE.” We can TRUST in JESUS and stand in the STRONG TOWER of His PEACE, no matter what’s going on in the world around us. He is our JEHOVAH SHALOM - the LORD our PEACE (Judges 6:24).