Be Exalted, O God, Above the Heavens

Berean Baptist on September 19, 2016

Psalm 57:11

Many of the David’s psalms were born out of his pleadings to God for relief from oppression. I can imagine that when David was first anointed by Samuel to be the king of Israel there must have been at least a small swelling of pride that he was God’s choice. This meant in due time he would enjoy the privileges of royalty. However, it wasn’t long before he discovered God’s favor would cause him to be the scorn of his enemies. Certainly, Saul was none too pleased to learn his family would never become a dynasty, which made David the target of Saul’s wrath. Thus we have this psalm as David plead with God to deliver him from Saul’s intense anger.

David, God’s choice for king, did not write these words from a gilded room in a palace. Rather, he was in a dark, dirty cave where he was hiding while fleeing for his life. David had climbed the rocky cliffs of En Gedi many times in fear for his safety, but though the situation seemed bleak, he knew God had chosen him and he knew his heart was right. Because of this, he fully expected protection from his Lord until he should be brought to his time to occupy the throne.

As I read this psalm, I am reminded of two very special objects of God’s divine choice and protection. The first is the Lord Jesus Christ who was ordained by the Father to bear the reproach of the cross in order to make atonement for our sins. He too was specifically chosen, and yet His path to glory took the same turn as David’s. The exaltation of the throne was to come later until He was made perfect through suffering (Heb. 2:10). In the meantime, the enemy was everywhere trying to take His life before the time. The difficulty of the cross was never a deterrent to Him. He knew what the Father promised. As He prayed in John 17, He knew the Father would restore Him to the glory He had before stepping down to come in human flesh (John 17:5). For this reason, Hebrews says He went to the cross for the joy that was set before Him (Heb. 12:2). With His death, He would bring millions to worship the Father before the throne.

The second object of God’s divine choice is me. If you are a believer, you can substitute your name for what I am about to say next. Before I was born, God chose me to a crown of glory (1 Pet. 5:4), and to sit in heavenly places in Christ (Eph. 1:3-4; 2:6). However, there is a meantime just as there was with David and Christ. The meantime is this life in which God’s people often find themselves at odds with a God rejecting world. Because the world hated Christ, it also hates us which often leaves us the objects of ridicule (John 15:18).

As neither David nor Jesus were greatly discouraged, so we should not be discouraged. We have the same promise given to them. We shall not be left to the destruction of Satan, but as David wrote in verse 3, “He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth.”

God’s choice is the same as God’s salvation. The first infallibly leads to the second. I hope you can relate this great truth to the message today as I speak on the eternal election of God. Those whom God chooses He does not fail to bring to glory (Rom. 8:29-30). So, take heart in times of trouble. You were always in the eternal purpose of God. He is able to see you through. “Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: let thy glory be above all the earth.”

Pastor V. Mark Smith

Fairest Lord Jesus

Berean Baptist on June 4, 2016

Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever. (Psalms 45:2)

When Jesus gave His disciples the model prayer, He first ascribed honor to God by saying, “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.”  This was His address to teach us that before we begin to speak to God, we must acknowledge His name is holy and He stands above all the creation. This address to the Father is preparation for the cry that should be on the lips of all God’s creatures. Jesus taught us to say, “Thy kingdom come.”

Our congregational reading today is from Psalm 45 which is one of the most outstanding of the psalms concerning the King of this great kingdom. A plea for the kingdom to come is not just for a change in the corruption that now exists in the world; it is not just for the lifting of the curse and the desire for our lives to be better. It is a joyful longing to see the King Himself. “Thy kingdom come,” is the plea for Heaven’s beautiful sovereign to come in splendor and glory, to be present with us, and to shine His radiance about us.

As the psalmist began this psalm, such sublime thoughts were the attitude of his heart. He picked up his pen and praises began to flow effortlessly as the ink went down on the parchment. He thought about the King and with enraptured thoughts he began to describe Him: “Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips…” Doesn’t this sound like John who in the gospel account wrote: “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth” (John 1:14)? No one who has seen Christ by faith has any other view of Him. The psalmist wrote his words by faith for he had not seen Christ. How would he know what to expect? This is what the Holy Spirit does for all who have come to Christ by faith. The Holy Spirit inspired the psalmist as He spoke to his mind the beauties of Christ. He superintended the writing of the psalm. We are not inspired to write scripture but we are inspired with the meaning of it. The Holy Spirit teaches us and when we read these words we feel the same way. The Christ that we have not seen with natural eyes is met through eyes illuminated with faith. We see what we could never see before—in Him is hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3).

Notice how the psalmist says in verse seven that Christ has been anointed with the oil of gladness. Surely we wonder if he knew the full implications of what he wrote. This King is different from all others because combined in Him are two offices. He is both priest and King which was a combination unknown to Israel. These two offices are separate, always separate. And yet, the King is anointed with the oil of gladness which refers to the anointing oil by which priests were consecrated in their office. The combined kingship and priesthood of Christ is pictured in Melchizedek in the days of Abraham, and David mentions Melchizedek in Psalm 110, but not until we get to Hebrews in the New Testament do we understand the full significance of this mysterious Bible story. Is it not the Holy Spirit who blessed the psalmist’s pen with this thought?

And then we notice verse six in which Christ is declared to be God: “Thy throne, O God, is forever.” Again in Hebrews (1:8), we are told this scripture refers to Christ. Without question He is God, so we need not back down from those who say the Bible declares Jesus to be nothing more than a good man.

This psalm has so many wonderful lessons that like the psalmist it is easy to write and keep on writing. Unfortunately, bulletin articles are not good for endless thoughts. Even the great apostle John knew he could not write forever. He concluded the gospel story by saying the world cannot contain the books that could be written about Christ.

Read this psalm over and over and see if you do not feel the same. Thy Kingdom Come! Pray for it because it is this King that is fairer than the children of men who brings it.

Pastor V. Mark Smith