Sermon Tone Analysis
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Belcher - Messiah in the Psalms “This Psalm contains some of the strongest affirmations of confidence in God’s deliverance and protection in all the scriptures.
In fact, one wonders if this Psalm does not promise too much … Does God promise too much here?
What happens when these promises are not fulfilled?
Should early death through illness or the tragedies of life shake our confidence in God’s power to protect?”
Thus the dilema when we come to
Because Life isnt easy … there is death and bereavement, and illness, and betrayal, and financial ruin ...
No matter how well planned we are … or how successful or powerful we are there is no way of stopping these things
It’s like what Shakespeare wrote:
“Each new morn
new widows howl, new orphans cry, new sorrows
strike heaven on the face”
William Shakespeare
How can we find peace … and worship with Confidence?
The Psalm begins with a promise …
The Promise
(ESV)
My Refuge and My Fortress
91 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
Don’t Misunderstand
2 I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his pinions,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
Look at Names/Titles of God
Most High - El Elyon - Cuts everything else down to size
Genesis 14:
Almighty - El Shaddai - The Powerful Sustainer
Lord = Yahweh - Divine Name - Covenant God - I am
My God … It is personal - Intimate -
God described
Shelter - A Covering; Place to hide
Shade - A Place of Protection from the desert sun
Refuge - Protection from Danger
Fortress - A Mountain Stronghold (Ever been to Masada?)
A Mother Bird -
Pinion = Feathers
Under His Wings = A Place of Refuge
His Faithfulness is a
Shield - A Large Standing Shield - Covered whole body
Buckler - Another metaphor for protection … it was a defensive shield.
As for God’s care, it combines the warm protectiveness of a parent bird (4; cf.
Deut.
32:11; Matt.
23:37) with the hard, unyielding strength of armour (4b).
Shield and buckler gave respectively the cover that was large and static, and small and mobile.
Lets look at the Image of the Mother Bird covering her chicks to protect them … Rich Biblical Image (Over and over God is likened to a mother bird protecting her young
Boaz to Ruth
I saw this bird in Oahu, Hawaii … I took the far away pic … then moved closer and zoomed in
She was protecting her babies
God protects …
He is my refuge and fortress My God in whom I trust … This is covenant language
God says you will be my people … I will be your God … This is Covenant
If You trust God … His promise is to Protect you … There it is … Thats The claim
How do we understand that?
Don’t Misunderstand
The Psalm in the middle seems to go on and say that if you trust God you wont have any hardships …
No Fear … violence … disease … or disaster - 5-7
But you will see the wicked judged for their actions
No evil will befall you BECAUSE you are trusting in God
No Plague - v:10
You won’t even stub your toe - vv:11-12 (And angels will help you here)
You won’t even be in danger from animal attacks - v:12 (Poisonous snakes; Lions … no problem … just stomp on them)
It sounds as though what this is saying is that if you really trust God nothing bad is ever going to happen to you.
If you really trust God your life will Go smoothly and you won’t really suffer
The opposite would also be implied … If your life is not going smoothly, or if you are suffering, or if you are facing hardship … Your really not trusting God.
It is the logical conclusion!!!!
Is that the way to read these verses?
Do these verses mean that everything will Go well for you is you really trust God and if things are not going well for you it means your not trusting God
Let me give you a few reasons NOT to understand these verses this way!
This understanding flies in the face of reality (and the rest of the Bible … and Jesus)
(NIV)
32 Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering.
33 Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated.
34 You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions.
35 So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.
because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions.
35 So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.
2. One word … Job
Remember Job (Start study before Easter)
Job faces disaster, disease and death in his family
He experiences Violence, harm and pestilence -
All the things you would consider out of place if you interpret as a magic amulet that frees us from suffering if we trust God
In fact God’s testimony about Job is that He does trust Him
Job
God is saying this …
Job has three friends who come to him … They have an interesting premise … Here it is ...
Job, if you trust in God, he will not let bad things happen to you.
(Premise 1)
Bad things are happening to you Job (Premise 2)
Therefore, Job you must not be trusting God (Conclusion)
Great friends wouldn't you say?
Job refers to these friends in 13:4 as “Worthless Physicians” and in 16:2 as “Miserable Comforters”
He states in 12:2 that “Wisdom dies” with them
Now hear God’s assessment of their interpretation of Job’s suffering …
Job
3. Satan wants us to read these verses this way
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