The Proper Perspective

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Asaph, one of the musicians in King David’s court, writes a beautiful psalm–Psalm 73. It is a wonderful psalm. It is a psalm that brings its reader into his realm. His thoughts are deep and they are telling. They tell us how we, too, can fall into the same trap that Asaph almost fell into. He points out two thoughts that I think are very relevant for each of us today. First, he lets us know that sometimes we look upon the wrong people. Second, he tells us how we ought to fix ourselves upon our Savior.

We sometimes look upon the wrong people. 73:1-14

Asaph first acknowledges who God is. His character is that of goodness. Everything that God is and does is good. There is never a time when He is not good and Asaph knows this to be true. God is good to those who are pure in heart. Who are the pure in heart? They are the ones who are free from being in a state of sin and guilt. The reason for this freedom is because of the goodness of God who has shown His grace, His mercy, and His willingness to save His people. Those who are pure in heart are not pure based on what they have done, but it is purely based on the One who is good, and that is God alone.

Even though Asaph knows this goodness of God, he admits to almost falling into temptation. He says that he did not allow himself to stumble but came close to it–he caught himself before he fell. His self-control was waning because he began to lose sight of the goodness of God that he knew. What was the temptation? To look and admire those who were boasting and prideful in themselves and the wealth they enjoyed. Jealousy began to swell inside of him and he asks God this question: “Why should the people who oppose God be better off than those who trust Him?” It is an age-old question that many have asked. Sometimes this question is asked this way: “Why do good things happen to bad people and bad things happen to good people?”

As Asaph looks on these arrogant ones, his thoughts digress to the point that the believes they do not even feel pain when they die as others do. They do not struggle like mortals who are suffering and being afflicted all day long. And what seems even more disconcerting to Asaph is the attitude of these boasters–the wicked. He thinks they should at least–to some degree–show a smidgen of gratitude and a dash of humility for all the blessings they have. But this is not the case. Rather than boasting in God who has blessed them, they boast in themselves using words that destroy, being violent and malicious, and even brandishing their pride as though their pride was a chain around their necks. Instead of being grateful, they turn their wicked words against heaven, meaning they turn their wickedness toward God asking of Him, “Does God even know what we are doing?” And in the ease of their wealth, these boasters pay no attention to God who has given them the ability to create, expand, and build wealth.

Asaph is conflicted. He’s conflicted within his soul because of the propserity of the wicked and the adversity of the righteous. He gives way to his melancholy cry of despair. He is at the lowest point of his thoughts. While the wicked drink all day from a full cup that never appears to run out, Asaph feels as if he is plagued and afflicted all day long. He would be satisfied if he had been able to see the people of God doing as well as the wicked, but to no avail. His eyes were turned toward the wicked, the boasters, the arrogant, those who waged war against God.

We need to fix ourselves on our Savior. 73:15-28

He quickly changes his tune. Asaph overcomes his doubts by considering the very destiny that these boasters will inherit. It is not wealth they inherit, but rather it is misery. Asaph acknowledges his former thoughts and concludes how they and his words, had his own people heard him speaking in this way, would have damaged them and would have pulled them away from God. He realizes the pain it could have caused his people so he is now pained with his own thoughts of wanting to be like the wicked. And this pain is intensified as he considers their end. He comes into the sanctuary and right away he realizes the end of the wicked is the judgment of God against them. God will set them in dangerous places where they will stumble and fall, and they will come to a place of ruin and suddently be destroyed. The judgment bringing them to waste will come in a moment and destroy them, bringing sudden terror to them. When God finally sets things right, the wicked will be like fantasies, like dreams, counterfeits of reality. This is the negative aspect of the solution to Asaph’s temptation: he understands the destiny and judgment of the wicked and wants no part in it.

He now becomes convicted of his own glorious destiny. He confesses his perspective had been dulled by his own bitterness. It pierced his spirit deeply and grieved him. It was as if stinging pains had infiltrated his soul and he was pained by the sourness of his thoughts. He admits he became senseless toward God and did not realize just how his feelings were affecting his thoughts. He feels stupid for looking upon the wrong people and feels as if he becomes animal like by wanting what they have instead of remembering the goodness of God.

Asaph now recognizes his true position before God. He is always with the Lord because the Lord has a firm hold of his right hand. He will never be let go even in the midst of the struggles he faces with feelings and false thinking. God brings Asaph with Him and leads him in the right way. He leads him all the way into glory and good favor with Him. He convicts Asaph of the temptation and almost allowing himself to fall into sin. God loves His people and shows them His goodness so they do not rely upon themselves but upon Him. Asaph acknowledges that God is his only possession in heaven and earth. There is none like Him and he desires no other. He knows that his strength comes from God who cares deeply for him even when he is weak.

He then closes this psalm with chilling words. As a reminder to his readers, Asaph speaks of those who are far from God. What will happen to them? They will perish. These are the wicked–the boasters, the arrogant–who betray or desert anything having to do with God. These wicked will cease to exist as we know them and will be silenced. As they continue to prostitute themselves through idolatry of the wealth they have, the violence with which they have clothed themselves, with the pride hanging around their necks, God will surely come upon them in fierce, quick judgment.

But Asaph’s confession, confidence, and reassurance is that God is keeping him secure. Nearness to God always helps believers maintain a balanced perspective on material things and even on the wicked. The nearness of God is good because God is good in perfection without limitation. Asaph has made the Lord his refuge, his shelter from the dangers of becoming a boasting, arrogant, wicked person. As his shelter, he turns to others and speaks of God’s wonderous works: His work of creation; His work of giving life; and, His work of redemption.

What does God’s work of redemption look like today? It works in the same way that it always has. His good work of salvation comes through the Person and Work of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He died according to the Scriptures, was buried, and was raised again according to the Scriptures. All who turn to Jesus Christ, seeking the forgiveness of sins, who believe in their heart that God raised Him from the dead, and who confess with their mouths that Jesus is Lord, shall be saved! This is what the Bible teaches us. This salvation is the good work of God. This salvation is the shelter form danger for all who believe. This salvation is the nearness of God in every believer’s life.

Asaph knew that looking upon the wrong people would bring him down to ruin, but when he fixed himself upon his Savior, he ended up having the proper perspective.

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Our Judge: O Give Thanks!

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See the God Who Judges All – Psalm 50:1-6

Psalm 50, a psalm written by Asaph, a choir director and music composer in King David’s day, speaks of who God is as Judge. He gives us six very distinguished attributes of this Judge. First, God is the Almighty One. This exordium of names for God: Elohim, El, YHWH or Yehovah, speaks of who God is. Elohim means “Almighty” and is the same word used in Genesis 1:1. El means “revered One” and He is the only One for whom we should show absolute reverence. YHWH or Yehovah means “Being” and His being is sure and true. This points to the One who is perfect and just to be Judge of all.

Second, God is the beauty of Zion. God is the glorious One who is the bright spot from whence the brighteness of the Divine manifestation spreads forth like the rising sun. Wherever God is, beauty resides. He is the most aesthetically pleasing beauty there is or ever will be. Yes, we see beauty in nature, in people, in crreation, but no beauty like the One who is the Creator of all of these.

Third, God is a consuming fire. God’s glory goes before Him. Fire and storm are harbingers of the Lawgiver of Sinai who now appears as Judge. As His glory goes before Him, fire threatens to consume the evildoers and the storm threatens to drive them away like chaff. His glory shows the consuming power He holds within Himself.

Fourth, God is above all as Sovereign. God summons all people from everywhere, both the good and the evil, the righteous and the unrighteous, and all of the heavenly hosts to come and witness His judgment. He is going to judge His people along with those who do not belong to Him.

Fifth, God gathers His covenant people to Himself. God has made a covenant with His people and they have honored Him by keeping the covenant through the sacrificial laws of the Old Testament. However, He must punish, and first by words in order to warn them against the punishment by deeds. They are gathered before Him–the accused, His godly ones–to answer this Divine tribunal. They are named as His “godly ones.” And He is going to express to them His reproof and His testimony against them.

Sixth, God’s righteousness is exalted by the heavens. Now, while the accused are gethered  to Him, the poet hears the heavens solmenly acknowledge the righteousness of God the Judge. They cry out the praises of their Maker while reiterating the difference between man and God. God is righteous and man suffers with unrighteousness in their hearts. Therefore, God is now sitting in judgment, the heavens declaring that He is the Righteous One who is Judge. Nothing further is now wanting to the completeness of the judgment scene; the action now begins.

See Who God Judges – Psalm 50:7-21

God judges His people first. God is the One who speaks and testifies against His own people. He commands His people to listen to Him speak, and when God speaks, He commands, Hear! In other words, He says, You better pay attention! He has this right to call His people to listen to Him and to stand face to face with them. He has given them all things as Elohim, God Almighty! He is God of His people and there is no other.

But God does not judge them for their sacrifices. They are following through with their duty to continually offer burnt sacrifices thereby making atonement for their sin. They continually, without intermission, give sacrifices. God, however, does not have need of animals. He is never hungry like man is hungry. He has no carnal desires as we do. Rather, what God desires is for His people to see Him and to worship Him with their whole heart! What He desires is not mere animal sacrifices, but a sacrifice of thankfulness. The burnt offerings are an outward expression of what the inward expression of thankfulness should be. His people are merely going through the motions and this is the indictment that God is making against His people.

God desires for His people to call out to Him in their time of trouble. They are going through the motions, and therefore, He says that He is willing to rescue them if they repent of their sinfulness. And when we call out to Him, He does rescue! We in turn then glorify Him and bring thankfulness to Him for His rescuing.

God judges the wicked. God does not just look to the sinfulness of His own people, but He also knows the hearts of the wicked. He has summoned all peoples–righteous and unrighteous–so now the wicked are also in His courtroom. They have no desire for discipline or instruction. They are religious perhaps, but nothing concerns them when it comes to a right relationship with God. Rather then live immorally and thievery is a part of their lives. They use words to cut and frame deceit. They delight in adultery and speaking gossip and immoral things about and to others. They even go against their own families by bringing reproach to them. And why is this? Because they first cast behind them the word of God, thereby casting God away from themselves. They are far away from Him. They may be religious, but their piety means nothing as even with His own people. The difference is that the wicked are evildoers and they are not God’s people–His godly ones, His faithful ones. They are sinners who are far away from God.

Yet, these evildoers believe that God is just like them. They project on God what they believe He is like. They believe He is like them and therefore dismiss their sin as if God delights in them and in their deeds. They never give mind to the reality that He is nothing like them. They are unrighteous, He is righteous. They think they are sovereign over their own lives while God is Sovereign over all. They delight when others join them in their sin while He takes no delight in fools to sin against Him. And in thinking that God is like them, this allows them to do under the cloak of their dead knowledge whatever they believe. For just as a man is in himself, such is his conception also of his God. But God does not nor will He ever encourage this foolishness, this idea. God will set before the eyes of the evildoers, who practically and also in theory deny the Divine holiness, the real state of his heart and life, so that he shall be terrified at the indictment just handed to them by Almighty God.

See How God Judges According to Thankfulness – Psalm 50:22, 23

The wicked will not be delivered from the judgment of God. Those who forget God rely upon outward works. They forget God and sink into licentiousness. They are warned of the final execution of the sentence which they deserve. They think their works will earn them points with Holy God, but it does not. However, their works are as dead as their faith. James 2:17, 22, 24, 26 says, Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself…You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected…You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone…For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead. This means that the dead knowledge that produces dead works comes from a dead faith. This is the way of the evildoer. Conversely, living knowledge of the godly ones, God’s people, produce good works that come from a righteous faith by the grace of God.

The righteous will be delivered and will be shown salvation. God delights in our thanksgiving. He loves when we give honor to Him. His desire is for His people to live their lives in righteousness. And when we live for His honor and for His glory, then He give the full reality of His salvation to us and to all who believe! He delights in Himself and delights in us delighting in Him. He expects our hearts, not just our actions. Our actions–our outward expressions–come from hearts of thankfulness–the inward expression. This is God’s delight, this is God’s desire.

Have you called out to God to rescue you from your sin? Have you called out to Him to take you from the troubles of your sin? When you call out to Him, believing that Jesus Christ died according to the Scriptures, was buried, and was raised again accorind to the Scriptures, then the Bible tells us that He shall certainly save us.

What you godly ones: Have you given thanks to God for the salvation He has given you? He has given us His salvation which is the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16). We have believe, therefore, from our hearts, let us give thanks continually for all that He has done, what He is doing, and what He intends to do.

The Wrath Against Jesus

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Wrath is defined as “strong, stern, or fierce anger; deeply resentful indignation; ire.” I am sure that some have faced wrath. It comes in waves at times by people who may hate you or despise you. It comes when something that you’ve done causes such grief for the other person that sometimes they will be wrathful toward you–holding deep resentful indignation at your very presence. However, the wrath that we face is nothing compared to the wrath that Jesus Christ faced. He faced the wrath of people from all walks of life and even to this day faces the wrath of people who claim to not believe He is the only way to get to heaven. Not only does He face the wrath of people, but Jesus also faced the wrath of His Heavenly Father.

The Wrath of Men

See first how the guards mocked Jesus Christ after they nailed Him to the Cross. Luke writes in his gospel, The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, and saying, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself!” (Luke 23:36, 37) They were jeering at Him, making fun of him, being sarcastic toward Him. After He had been so weakened by the beating He endured, they nailed His hands and His feet to the Cross–a cruel form of death devised by the evil men of Rome. After crucifying Him, placing His Cross at the placed called Golgotha (which means Place of the Skull), these same guards offered Him wine mixed with gall to drink (Matthew 27:34). The gall would have sedative properties and sometimes would be given as a poison for the one being crucified. But Jesus refused to drink of this bitter cup. They then proceeded to divide His clothes by throwing dice. That is, they were placing bets as to who would win Jesus’ blood soaked clothes. He knew that His death was necessary even in the face of mockery from the guards.

See next how two thieves were crucified next to Jesus and how they showed their wrath toward Him. One was on the right and the other on the left of Him. Luke 23:40 records the words of one of the criminals: Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!” He was saying these words in mocking way. The text in the Greek language indicates that this thief was being sarcasting, unbelieving as to whom he was speaking. He in essence was denying the very Person of the Lord Jesus Christ with his jeering. These outlaws were against Jesus, and yet Jesus knew that His death was necessary even in the face of the wrath he faced from the one theif. At least one of them asked Jesus to remember him that day. In other words, he was believing Jesus Christ to be his Savior. And what Jesus’ response? Luke 23:43 says, I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.

See how the crowds of people raged against Jesus Christ while He was crucified. They defamed Him and shook their heads at Him (Matthew 27:38). They misinterpreted His saying that the temple could be destroyed and in three days He would rebuild it. They sneered at Him saying, You who can destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you’re God’s Son, come down from the cross!” Notice the enticement to prove Himself as the Son of God when they said if you’re God’s Son. It sounds very much like the devil in Matthew 4:3, 6 when he tempted Jesus to turn the stones into bread because He had been fasting for forty days and nights. Then the devil tried to have Him prove to him and others that Jesus was truly God’s Son by throwing Himself off a cliff and having angels act as His parachute to bring Him to a soft landing. This would certainly prove to people all over that He truly is God’s Son. But Jesus would have none of the enticements from the devil or even the people who were wrathful toward Him. Rather, He knew that were He to take Himself off the Cross, although He could save Himself, He would then not be able to save anyone else–even those who were mocking Him, jeering at Him, sneering at Him, hurling insults and beating Him. Jesus knew that His death was necessary even in the face of these who did not believe Him.

See how the chief priests and scribes were revealing their wrath toward Jesus Christ. First, they were wrathful because He claimed to be the king of the Jews (Matthew 27:11). Second, they were wrathful toward Jesus Christ because He claimed to be God’s Son (Matthew 27:43). The idea in the Greek text is that they were bullying Him, making fun of Him while He was dying on the Cross. They were looking at Him, pointing at Him, and denying His Lordship, His Kingship, His dominion over everything. After all, how could this One who claimed to be a king die on the Cross? How could this blasphemer not be put to death by claiming His Sonship of God? In their estimation, Jesus Christ deserved death. And it Jesus knew that His death was necessary even for the religious leaders of His day.

The wrath of man toward Jesus Christ even wags its ugly head today–jeering, sneering, mocking, and denying.

The Wrath of God

Then we see how God the Father poured out His wrath on His only begotten Son. Jesus cries out with a loud voice, Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” Translated from the Aramaic, My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46) Jesus Christ, after taking our sin upon Himself, became sin on our behalf (2 Corinthians 5:21). It was by Jesus Christ’s shedding of His own blood that sins are forgiven (Ephesians 1:7). It is His willing obedience to go to the Cross (Philippians 2:5-8). All the while He was doing what His Heavenly Father had planned for Him to do accoridng to His good pleasure and for His glory (Ephesians 1:6, 9, 12, 14). At the moment that Jesus Christ took the sins of the world upon Himself, this is when He faced something that He had never faced before: the forsaking of His Father. The One with whom Jesus had perfect fellowship for eternity was now being abandoned to die on the Cross. But think not that this was something He disdained; rather, Hebrews 12:2 says that this is the joy set out for Him  that he endured the Cross, disregarding the shame, and now has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:3 then says, Think of Him who endured such opposition against Himself by sinners, so that you may not grow weary in your souls and give up. He willingly gave Himself to die on the Cross in obedience to His Father so that He could save us from our sin.

The wrath of God toward Jesus Christ He endured was no smal feat. For the death that He died was the wages of sin (Romans 6:23). There was no other way for these wages to be paid. John 3:16 says, For this is the way God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. God the Father gave His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, so those who believe will ahve eternal life. We would not have eternal life had Jesus Christ saved His own life. We would not have eternal life had Jesus Christ not willingly had given His life as a payment for our sins.

Jesus Christ endured the wrath of man (and still does, although He died for all), and certainly endured the wrath of His Heavenly Father on our behalf. Of course the story does not end here. We still have the truth of His resurrection from the dead.

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