Seeds and Sorrows

Berean Baptist on February 26, 2018

Psalm 126

Psalm 126 is one of the psalms written during the captivity of Judah in Babylon. It is hard for us to relate to the extreme sorrow the Judeans experienced when they saw their holy temple destroyed, the walls of their beloved city breached, and then their subsequent deportation to a foreign land. The temple and the city were the center of their lives. Everything they were was structured around the worship of the temple from their diet to their health and hygiene, to their morality and social interactions, and then finally to their spiritual welfare. The tragedy of the deportation was the realization that their lives were destroyed. Everything they were was lost—except for one thing—they were still God’s people with a promise that if they would return to Him, He would be faithful to restore them (2 Chron. 7:14).

In verse 6, the psalmist wrote: “He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.” The Reformation Heritage Study Bible helpfully explains: “The imagery suggests that the sorrows of believers are like God’s seeds by which He will produce a harvest of happiness for them.” We can relate this to the suffering of God’s people in the church age. As Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians, the experiences of Old Testament believers are for our learning. The hardships of living a Christian life and the inevitable suffering that results will at last bring joy when we enter the heavenly kingdom. Each heartache for the cause of Christ is a seed sown which will be reaped with the benefits of eternal reward.

Peter commented on this phenomenon by saying, “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.” (1 Peter 4:12-14).

These blessed words are a reminder of God’s faithfulness to us. We should never worry that in the dark night of sorrow God has abandoned us. Each sorrowful seed that is sown will someday grow up to our health and happiness in His eternal presence. It is hard to imagine the soul could be strengthened by such hard labor when at times it seems we are in such despair of trials that we are ready to die. However, true to the scriptures, no sorrowing in a life of toils lived for Christ goes unnoticed. None of the seeds fail to germinate into life everlasting.

The story this psalm tells is of the exiles going home. They realized their mistakes in turning from the living God. They repented of turning against Him, and the Lord was faithful to honor His promise by turning the hearts of kings to allow them to return home. God’s marvelous providence in changing the rulers’ hearts amazingly caused them to give financial aid and protection for the rebuilding projects of the temple and the city walls (Ezra 9:8-9). Tears welled in the eyes of the Judeans as their hearts burst for the graciousness of God in forgiving their terrible sins and restoring them to their homeland.

Relief was granted but the way was still difficult. Rebuilding took several more years as work stoppages by opposition kept them from their task. However, the leaders trusted God and were patient to work through every difficulty. Eventually, the work was done and the sorrows of hard labor and the weeping for troubles turned to the joy of being home in their beloved city.

The same is true for you, Christian. It may be hard now, but as the psalmist said in another place, “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning” (Psalm 30:5). Keep your hope through the long night of despair. The seeds of sorrow you have sown will grow and you will have the joy of knowing God never leaves you or forsakes you.

 

Pastor V. Mark Smith

God’s Works Remembered

Berean Baptist on November 6, 2017

He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered: the LORD is gracious and full of compassion.

(Psalms 111:4)

As I was thinking on the 111th psalm, verse 4 reminded me of a negative application of the same thought in 2 Peter 1:9:  But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. The psalmist said God has made His work to be remembered while Peter said the one who does not care to build on his faith by adding Christian graces will soon forget the mighty works that God has done in his life.

I think it is interesting how many times the Old Testament retells the story of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt. I have commented on this before from other psalms and scripture texts, and here we find it again in more subtle references in the 111th psalm. It seems the crowning achievement of all God’s wonderful works for His people is how God humbled the defiant Egyptian Pharaoh and brought His people out with a mighty strong arm. He brought them through the perils of the wilderness and gave them the land promised to Abraham. This is reflected in verse 6: He hath shewed his people the power of his works, that he may give them the heritage of the heathen. The scriptures continue to remind of this fact so that Israel would never lose the assurance that God was on their side and would always fulfill His promises to them.

The same is true for the Christian today. Our deliverance in the moment of our salvation when God broke through the stronghold sin had on our hearts is a grand touchstone to return to time and time again. God brought us into the marvelous light of the gospel of Christ and became the author of our eternal salvation. Like Israel’s remembrance of deliverance from Egypt, this is our place of remembrance of God’s wonderful works.

There is, however, another similarity between the 111th psalm and the quest for holiness in 2 Peter 1. Israel was taken into captivity because they forgot what God did for them. They were not careful to maintain their obedience which caused them to fall and to experience bitter chastisement. The Christian has the same propensity if he is not careful to maintain his focus on Christ. We will also fail and find ourselves back in the captivity of sin.

This is what Peter warns against in 2 Peter 1:9. The person who forgets that he was purged from his old sins will soon fall into those old sins again. We are doomed to repeat our past mistakes which is the exact problem with Israel. Old sins always yield the same results—it never changes. The loss of assurance is its fruit; when the fruit of the Christian life should be grace, peace, and the contentment of resting in God’s promises.

As I read the psalm and compared it to 2 Peter, I was also reminded how scripture says Old Testament stories were given to warn us not to fall in the same holes as Israel. We must guard ourselves and be diligent to add all spiritual graces. This is the sure method of never failing to remember God’s wonderful works. Look at the world around you and see the immensity of His power. And then, look into your heart once blackened by sin and see it cleansed by the gospel of Christ. Keep looking and you will never forget the joy of being purged from your old sins.

 

Pastor V. Mark Smith

Give Thanks and Sing Praises to the God of Jacob

Berean Baptist on January 30, 2017

Psalm 75

In this week’s commentary on the Psalms, we return to the venerable Robert Hawker who had such a pleasant way of revealing Christ in his expositions. It is fitting for this Sunday’s reading that we should begin with the first verse of the 75th psalm which reads: “Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto thee do we give thanks: for that thy name is near thy wondrous works declare.”

This verse follows upon the dire and desperate plea of Judah in Psalm 74. The 74th psalm was written soon after the destruction of the temple by the Babylonians. As we noticed last week, the most troubling aspect of the destruction was God’s refusal to come to their aid. There were many in Judah that thought the temple was indestructible which led them to flee there for what they thought was certain refuge. Their hopes were dashed because God would not stay the hand of chastisement due to Judah’s rejection of His prophets and their warnings of repentance. Israel was abandoned without a prophet (74:9) and their outlook was most dismal.

The end of the psalm saw increasing hope as they plead for God to arise and claim His people again (74:19-23). Thus we see the tone of Psalm 75 changes and thanks are given for God’s wonderful works. Notice particularly the change in speakers between verses 1 and 2. The first verse is the cry of the congregation. We might well compare this to the righteous in America that wonder if our cause is lost. Is it possible to save America from the inevitable destruction that looms (Ps. 9:17)? We have systematically destroyed the moral fiber of our people until the conscience is seared (1 Timothy 4:2).

In the second verse the speaker changes. Now, the one speaking is Christ who promises to restore just judgment. As Hawker notes, “Who but Christ supported the whole fabric of our nature, when sin had dissolved all its powers? Reader, is it not always blessed to look to Jesus?” Mark well the words of Robert Hawker. There is no hope for recovery in this country or any other except through Christ. Has it ever been any different? Was there any time we upheld ourselves? How could we when sin dissolved our powers? It is God that puts up one and takes down another (75:7). Left to ourselves, we would be as godless as the Communists of the Cold War. Government will never answer our problems. It is God that has always suppressed our forays into the worst of our depravity. Thus the psalmist speaks of the only righteous government—the government of Jesus Christ.

Today, we pause to give thanks that as Christians we live under the New Covenant. There has always been a covenant of grace, but never as fully understood as in this dispensation of the Christian church. We have the unequivocal promise of God’s favor. No matter what should happen, we are God’s people that shall never experience captivity again. We are citizens of His heavenly kingdom and have escaped the bondage of sin.

We gather to give thanks for temporal provision, but more importantly for the spiritual benefits of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. The righteous are always and only God’s people. Therefore, verse 10 says the horns of the righteous shall be exalted. What better reason to give thanks and sing praises to the God of Jacob?

 

Pastor V. Mark Smith