Psalms 53
How refreshing that God is so open and clear about opinions and positions held among mankind. If there is anything I hate it is being lied to or being deceived. Society says there is no God. Society says that you can believe what you want as long as it doesn't hurt others. Society says a loving God won't judge people. Society says we have no reason to fear a loving God. These are all lies according to Psalm 53. So when God makes something absolutely clear and it flies in the face of commonly held views of society today, I know not to believe those lies.
My heart wants to go after the people with such ideas but my spirit says focus on what God reveals about Himself here first. My pride wants to point fingers (other times it may want to defend people against such accusations as are found here). But I am looking for Jesus in the Psalms. I am looking for the teachings of Jesus and the previews of Jesus.
MAIN POINT: There is a God who is seeking people who want to know Him, and He is moved by the evil of those who don't seek him, but He will send Jesus to judge.
There is a God. v.2
You don’t need to argue this point or try to prove it. The Bible is replete with self-evident declarations of God’s existence and all humans knowing that it is true. That is why it is foolish for anyone to say otherwise, because they know they are lying to themselves.
(Ask me for the Bible verses to teach you this truth if you don’t already know these passages yourself or copy the reference to passages teaching this in the Bible Reading Group )
(https://chat.whatsapp.com/InMoxzDbs7g0uZfMuuMhgW)
God is in heaven above the whole human race. v.2
God is above, He is in a position to observe and see all.
God is above in heaven, He is in a position to judge all things and determine all truth.
God (wants, expects) is seeking those who are seeking Him.
“He looks to see if anyone is truly wise, if anyone seeks God.”v.2
God is moved and disturbed (disappointed, upset, angered) by evil people.v.4
Especially those who harm God’s people.
Here I would love to branch out once again and show and affirm that this very statement and question is taken up by Paul and Jesus while referencing this Psalm. And the conclusion of the question, “Who are God’s people?” is clear. ONLY those who trust God’s Son Jesus are God’s people. Those are God’s people. Get digging if you want to learn. The interpretation of Galatians 6:16 is part of this great discussion. But Jesus didn’t mince words over it Matthew 3:9 and Luke 3:8)
Maybe here is a place to further say that God warns us that atheism leads to persecuting and hurting God’s people. (please read the passage at the end of this lesson)
God responds and He does not necessarily respond like you want Him to or for the same reason you might want him to. v.5
(Be careful or you’ll get yourself swept up in the judgement you desire to be called down.)
Terror will grip them v.5 (from God)
God will scatter the bones of your enemies. v.5
God has rejected them. v.5
“for our God is a consuming fire.” Hebrews 12:29
“It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” Hebrews 10:31
God sends Jesus
Look how the writer of Hebrews ties Psalm 53 to Jesus.
Conclusion:
God sees everything and knows every heart. He has sent Jesus to rescue people from His wrath and judgement against the evil that naturally flows from ignoring God.
Romans 1:18-32
18 But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. 19 They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. 20For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.
21 Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. 22 Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. 23 And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.
24 So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. 25 They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. 26 That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. 27 And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved.
28Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. 29Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. 30They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. 31They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. 32They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.
 |
| Handwritten Psalm 53 |
Comments
Post a Comment