Psalms

767. “Delight in the Law of the Lord”

August 9, 2020 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

In the first Psalm, we see one of many writings referring to the law that the writers were under. They make a declaration that one who avoids wickedness finds delight in the law of the Lord, while meditating on it "every once in a while in their free time." Actually no, it states they needed to meditate day and night … and by doing so, they would prosper.

On this side of the cross, we now know that law which Israel was under couldn’t deliver the right-standing with God that they were seeking. Prosperity came only by an element of grace because nobody ever met the requirement of the law. Today, we don’t meditate on that law which has been declared obsolete, weak and useless when it comes to attaining life or sanctification. We aren’t under it and Israel was freed from it! They’ll even try to interchange the word “Word” by substituting it for what the Scripture calls “law.” So be on the lookout when the pulpit tries to twist the context.

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766. God Withholds No Good Thing – If You Walk Uprightly (And Now the Bad News…)

August 2, 2020 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

Some specific Bible verses seem to be consistently more popular among the Christian sermon circuit. And yet on many occasions, the verses are plucked out of context and contorted in order to appear as though they should be applied to the life of a believer within the New Covenant of Jesus Christ.

But what if the message turns out to be a misapplied myth or fable that isn’t really compatible with the gospel of grace? We look at once such example this week from Psalms 84:11 … where a conditional promise was announced for those under the Mosaic law who walked uprightly. The problem? Nobody ever accomplished it. But God provided another solution that wasn’t based on our walk.

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God’s Advice to the Nations

August 9, 2018 by Dudley Hall

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The second Psalm is often quoted by the writers of the New Testament. It contains, in a very short form, the best advice ever given to the nations of the world. It captures the turmoil of the nations trying to find a way to make life work. There is hostility, tyranny, scheming, and endless debate. It sure sounds a lot like our times. Take time to read it:

Why do the nations rage and the people plot in vain?

and the kings of the earth set themselves,

and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his anointed, saying,

"Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us." -Psalms 2:1-3

Nations Can Honor God Without Violating the Liberty of Conscience.

The lie of secularism is that to ensure personal freedom of choice, God and all standards of order that have been recognized by religion must be eliminated. The truth is that order has been evident well before religion recognized it. It is not necessary for everyone to personally ascribe to religious doctrines for social structures to operate by the laws of order. It has been plain since the beginning:

For what can be know about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. -Romans 1:19-20

The idea that everything contained in religion must be jettisoned for there to be objectivity, is silly. It makes God laugh.

He who sits in the heavens laughs;

The Lord holds them in derision. -Psalms 2:4

Godless Leaders Scheme, Based on Speculations From Impaired Thoughts

All sane people recognize that there is some problem with humanity. Different religions have different diagnoses, but all agree that there needs to be a solution for whatever ails mankind. The God of the Bible, the Lord of Israel, the Father of Jesus, the Judge of the whole earth, says that humans are fallen.

Given the choice to trust God explicitly or lean in to the serpent's lie, the first pair fell from their exalted state and became alienated from God. Filled with fear and shame, they hid from God, and the race has been trying to find a way back to the peace and prosperity of Eden ever since.

In the unredeemed state, humans are self-obsessed and often illogical. Having rejected the "logos" (word) of God, which enables us to think logically, they constantly contradict themselves and think illogically to false conclusions. They propose that we can free ourselves by casting off the boundaries of divine design, blind to the fact that it is slavery to sin's deception which drives such thinking. The freedom they fantasize about is nothing short of anarchy and chaos.

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With no restraints, human depravity destroys the dreams of everyone. Ideologues plot ways to categorize people to control them. Identity politics is just the latest iteration of that failed scheme. When the various categories are vying for first place in the victimization race, hostility produces a revolutionary temper.

Persistent Presumption Brings Destruction

When all transcendent restraints are mocked, chaos is the only possible result. Historically, the solution has been tyranny. Some would-be savior steps in to bring order, and subjugates people to his or her whims.

At first there is relief, but it soon turns to disillusionment. Remember that many thought the communism first proposed by Russia would be the way of the future. Then we saw its deception bring death to millions. It is a terrible judgment when the Lord of creation gives fallen man what he demands.

Then he will speak to them in is wrath and terrify them in his fury, saying, "As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill." -Psalms 2:5-6

God Has Acted to Establish a Nation of True Liberty

The human problem was solved by God becoming a human and doing whatever was necessary to reconcile humans to himself. His Son is established as king over all. He paid the price to restore humanity to its original intent. He, the Son of man, is now ruling from the right hand of the Father.

Those who "kiss the Son" are bowing in reverence to him, submitting to his order and finding the liberty the human heart has desired since that fatal fall in Eden. It is foolish to neglect or reject the king whom God set in place to rule the nations. It is freeing to know that we can again be partners with him in ruling the earth.

Now therefore, O kings, be wise;

Be warned, O rulers of the earth.

Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.

Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you perish in the way,

for his wrath is quickly kindled.

Blessed are all who take refuge in him. -Psalms 2:10-12

Good advice!

642. Summarizing the Scripture (Part 13): The Law, the Prophets & the Psalms Are Fulfilled

March 11, 2018 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

The Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian church: “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.” Paul wasn’t referring to the four books known as the gospels, but the passages from the law which came through Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms. The Old Testament is filled with many hundreds of references to Jesus Christ, subtly pointing the Jewish people to a coming Messiah who would provide an eternal deliverance for the world. Jesus revealed to His disciples what all of the old Scriptures meant, as they referenced Him and His mission.

Luke 24:44: “Then he said to them, ‘These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.’”

Jesus Christ fulfilled the Scriptures, including the law, on our behalf.

641. Summarizing the Scripture (Part 12): The Psalms: They’re More About Jesus

March 4, 2018 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

It can change the way we see everything. Reading Old Testament passages from a New Covenant perspective, through the eyes of grace. There were those who recognized Jesus as the Messiah because of what they knew to look for in the Mosaic law, the Psalms, and the Prophets. After Jesus was resurrected, He opened the minds of the disciples to understand the (Old Testament) Scriptures, by revealing what they said about Him. “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled” (Luke 24:44). Christians often see verses out of context when they are seeking a special Word from God within the Psalms for application in their personal life situation. While this can certainly occur, in reality, quite often it may be written from the perspective of someone who was trapped under the curse of the law, or looking forward to something better (Christ). We don’t live under that heavy requirement of those commands, but now abide in Christ. Instead of relying on some of these passages to figure out where we are supposed to go, we can look back and begin to see them as a road map that brought us to where we already are… in Jesus. That’s where we find wisdom, peace and comfort - while being led by the Spirit.

640. Summarizing the Scripture (Part 11): The Psalms: Beware of Old Covenant “Law Talk”

February 25, 2018 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

It’s common for Christians to seek comfort and direction when reading the Bible, and the Psalms and Proverbs are often one of the first places people will turn for guidance. However, it is frequently assumed that everything within the Psalms is pointing us towards precepts and principles that are not necessarily meant to be applied for us who are in Christ, living in a New Covenant. We’ll find all kinds of passages written from a very different perspective from those who were under the burden of the impossible law… something from which people have been delivered from since the cross.

630. Summarizing the Scripture (Part 2)

December 17, 2017 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

We continue to lay the foundation for our series, as we look at some key parts of the Bible that led from Adam to Jesus, and then to the New Covenant. Is everything written specifically to us today or was it simply given as a reference point to help us see the redemptive plan God had for man all along? What motivated Adam to make the wrong choice? Why did God give Moses the law, and why did the Israelites agree to the (old) covenant? Are the Psalms and Prophets telling us how to seek comfort in our lives, or were they more about pointing Israel to the Messiah, who had not yet appeared? What was is it about the Old Testament that had convinced some of the Jews that Jesus was that Messiah? What was the purpose of Jesus’ ministry and when did the New Covenant begin? We’ll be covering some of this and more in future programs, after this week’s second half of our introduction.

629. Summarizing the Scripture (Part 1)

December 10, 2017 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

This will be the first program in a series where we will focus on key points in the Scripture with the goal of helping us to see the bigger picture when it comes to the Bible. Our primary stops on the route will include Adam, Abraham, Moses and the law, the Psalms and the Prophets, and also Jesus and the New Covenant. The idea is to step back from the many trees (verses) that are often taken out of context in order to gain a better view of the forest and help summarize the Biblical map. Ultimately, our hope with this series is to gain an improved understanding of the gospel and God’s Word as a whole.