If we could turn to Psalm 17, I will read the whole Psalm. Psalm 17:1-15:
A prayer of David. Hear the right, O JEHOVAH, attend unto my cry, give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips. Let my sentence come forth from thy presence; let thine eyes behold the things that are equal. Thou hast proved mine heart; thou hast visited me in the night; thou hast tried me, and shalt find nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress. Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer. Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not. I have called upon thee, for thou wilt hear me, O God: incline thine ear unto me, and hear my speech. Show thy marvellous lovingkindness, O thou that savest by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them. Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings, From the wicked that oppress me, from my deadly enemies, who compass me about. They are enclosed in their own fat: with their mouth they speak proudly. They have now compassed us in our steps: they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth; Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey, and as it were a young lion lurking in secret places. Arise, O JEHOVAH, disappoint him, cast him down: deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword: From men which are thy hand, O JEHOVAH, from men of the world, which have their portion in this life, and whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure: they are full of children, and leave the rest of their substance to their babes. As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.
It used to be when I was less mature that I was never really excited by the Psalms. I saw them as simply a lot of pleading to God and a lot of praise towards God, and so forth. However, now I have come to understand that the Psalms are full of doctrine.
There are 150 Psalms. As we read of these different men of God, those whom He inspired to write these Psalms, we can hear them pleading to God for His salvation. We come to understand how salvation works as we read of the way that these men thanked God for this salvation. It was entirely by the work of God that they confessed they were sinners. They plead for victory over their enemies and they plead for God to come and finally judge their enemies.
Again, as we read these Psalms, we can examine ourselves as to whether we “be in the faith,” as we read in 2 Corinthians 13:5. We can identify with the writers of these Psalms, that we may know that we are saved, that we may grow in this salvation and understand how it works. So we will just go through some of the words in these verses.
Another thing that we find is as we study the different words in the Bible, wherever we study, we seem to come out with a deeper understanding. As we compare Scripture with Scripture, we seem to come out with a deeper understanding of God’s salvation. We learn more about ourselves, about who we are and about who God is. So we will just work through this Psalm. I do not know how far we will get, but we will look at some of these words.
This Psalm starts out by telling us that this is “A Prayer of David.” Again, I believe that this is a Messianic Psalm, in a sense. David is a very prominent picture of the Lord Jesus in the Bible, and I believe that we are to see Christ praying to His Father, and yet He is our example. We are to plead to God, the Father, the same way that Christ did: for victory and for protection and for guidance.
But he starts out in verse 1, Psalm 17:1:
Hear the right, O JEHOVAH, attend unto my cry, give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips.
He says, “Hear the right,” and that word “right” is translated as “righteousness” in other places in the Bible. If we look at verse 15 in this same Psalm, Psalm 17:15 says:
As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.
This could be Christ speaking of awakening in the resurrection, in the Atonement, and this can be speaking of a true believer in the consummation as he awakes in that final resurrection and beholds his Saviour. But when we do rise in that resurrection, we will be perfectly righteous; we will be like Him.
But here the Psalmist says in verse 1, Psalm 17:1:
Hear the right [Hear righteousness], O JEHOVAH…
As he cries out to Jehovah, he says, “Hear the righteousness of Christ in me.” Then he says:
…give ear…
And he says:
…attend unto my cry…
And that word “attend” is translated “hearken” in most places in the Bible. It simply means “listen” or “hearken to my cry.”
The Bible, especially the Psalms, speaks very much about crying out to the Lord for His salvation that we might know that we are saved. There is absolutely nothing wrong with crying out to the Lord. As a matter of fact, many of us in our salvation are completely broken by God. We come to Him in contrition, crying out for His salvation. However, many people seem to have a problem with this.
Let us look at Psalm 34. Psalm 34:4-5 says:
I sought JEHOVAH, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.
Now look at verse 6, Psalm 34:6:
This poor man cried, and JEHOVAH heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.
Or look at verse 15, Psalm 34:15:
The eyes of JEHOVAH are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.
A true believer, in contrition and in brokenness, as he sees his sin and as he understands that he cannot do anything to save himself, cries to the only One who is able to save him. We know that no one will cry out to God in truth unless it is God first working in them, yet God is not obligated to save any one of us.
I am sure that we are all familiar with a verse that we have heard many times in the last few years, as we have talked about when Jonah came to the Ninevites. We read in Jonah 3 that this Israelite man came to them and told them that in forty days they were going to be destroyed. Then we read in verse 5, Jonah 3:5-9:
So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water: But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth…
Which denotes mourning and brokenness.
…and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?
“Who can tell?” He is not obligated to save any one of us but He is the only One who can save us, and so we go to Him and cry for His mercy.
Let us look at Amos. It goes Amos, Obadiah, and then Jonah. It is two books back from Jonah. In Amos 5:14-15, it says:
Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so JEHOVAH, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken. Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that JEHOVAH God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph.
“It may be.” He is not obligated to save any one of us.
Back in Psalm 17, again, we read in verse 1, Psalm 17:1:
…attend unto my cry, give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips.
“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith.” Are you simply praying “by flatteries”? Are you praying with lips of deceit? This is what that word “feigned” actually means. Or are you coming to Him truly broken and crying for His salvation?
We read in Proverbs 14:25:
A true witness delivereth souls: but a deceitful witness…
And that is the same word.
…a deceitful witness speaketh lies.
Again, the end of Psalm 17:1 says:
…give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips.
Or lips of deceit.
Then verse 2 says, Psalm 17:2:
Let my sentence come forth from thy presence…
And that word “sentence” is usually translated as “judgment.” As a matter of fact, it is the word that is most commonly translated as “judgment.” Speaking of the judgment of God, this word is used three different ways.
Let us turn to Psalm 9, which speaks of God’s perfect justice. This Psalm speaks of the judgment of His Word and the final judgment when He comes. Psalm 9 starts out, in Psalm 9:1:
I will praise thee, O JEHOVAH, with my whole heart; I will show forth all thy marvellous works.
This is another Psalm that is just praising and thanking God for His salvation. But He says in Psalm 9:4:
For thou hast maintained my right and my cause…
And that is the word that is translated as “sentence” in Psalm 17 [note: speaker inadvertently said “judgment” instead of “sentence”]. It is speaking of equity or justice.
For thou hast maintained my right and my cause; thou satest in the throne judging right.
In verse 7, Psalm 9:7, we read:
But JEHOVAH shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment.
And in verse 16, Psalm 9:16, we read:
JEHOVAH is known by the judgment which he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands.
Again, back here in verse 2, Psalm 17:2, the Psalmist says:
Let my sentence [Let my judgment] come forth from thy presence…
Or “From Thy countenance.” It continues:
…let thine eyes behold the things that are equal.
And this word “equal” has to do with the justice of God. This word is translated “equity” in Proverbs 1:3, so let us look at Proverbs 1 because this is an excellent passage to read.
In Proverbs 1, God is really teaching us how the Bible was written and how we get all of our instruction from the Bible. The whole Bible was written in proverbs or parables. This word “proverb” is the word “parable.” We read in Matthew 13:34, “All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables,” and the whole Bible is a parable. All of these accounts and stories have a deeper spiritual meaning. The Bible is a spiritual book, and Proverbs 1 starts out, Proverbs 1:1-3:
The proverbs [parables] of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel; To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding; To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;
And that word “equity” is the same word that we read in Psalm 17:2:
…let thine eyes behold the things that are equal.
Continuing in Proverbs 1, speaking of the Word of God and how He opens the eyes of our understanding, how He reveals to us the mystery of His salvation through His Word, Proverbs 1:4-6 says:
To give subtlety to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion. A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels: To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise…
Which is the Bible.
…and their dark sayings.
That word for “dark sayings” is one Hebrew word, and it is translated “riddle” sometimes. It is the word “riddle” that is used in the book of Judges in the story of when Samson gave the Philistines that riddle. He told them that if they could “expound the riddle” within seven days and such and such that he would give them so many garments, etc. But again, that riddle was a parable. Proverbs 1:6:
…the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.
The Word of God is written in parables.
So back in Psalm 17:3, we read:
Thou hast proved mine heart; thou hast visited me in the night…
And that word “proved” means “tried” or “tested.” If we look in Psalm 26, it is the word “examine.” Psalm 26:1-2 says:
Judge me, O JEHOVAH; for I have walked in mine integrity: I have trusted also in JEHOVAH; therefore I shall not slide. Examine me, O JEHOVAH, and prove me [test me]; try my reins…
There are three words right in this one verse that speak of testing. Psalm 26:2:
EXAMINE me, O JEHOVAH, and PROVE me; TRY my reins and my heart.
Again, Psalm 17:3 says:
Thou hast proved [or tried] mine heart…
God tests all of us. The tests are for us. The tests are not for Him. He knows whether we are going to stand up or fall in His tests. We are tested in our sojourn as a true believer in this life.
Let us look at Deuteronomy 8. This speaks of the Word of God, but it also speaks of how God tested the Israelites in the wilderness. Again, we as children of God are Israelites in the wilderness. In Isaiah 14, it tells us that this world is a wilderness. Satan has “made the world as a wilderness.” As you look around, if God has opened your eyes, you can see this. Deuteronomy 8:1 starts out:
All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which JEHOVAH sware unto your fathers.
We know that the land of Canaan that they were about to enter was a representation of the Kingdom of God. And that forty-year wilderness sojourn really speaks of the church, the sojourn of the church, and of God’s people after salvation in this world.
Then He says in verse 2, Deuteronomy 8:2-3:
And thou shalt remember all the way which JEHOVAH thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee…
There is that same word as in Psalm 26.
…to prove [test/try] to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no. And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of JEHOVAH doth man live.
That manna was a picture of the Word of God, and this is where we have our life. Our life does not come from the bread of this world, but we get our life from the “word that proceedeth out of the mouth of JEHOVAH.” Our life comes from His Word, but He tests us. And that wilderness sojourn, again, was a test for the Israelites or for the true believers.
Let us turn to one more verse. Let us turn to 1 Peter 4. Every true believer is tested and tried. 1 Peter 4:12-14 says:
Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you…
We are going to be tried.
Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.
We are “partakers of Christ’s sufferings.” This is why we are tried as He was tried in this world. However, we are nowhere near tried in the way that He was tried. “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment,” we read in the book of 2 Corinthians. But God does try us and we are tried by the Word.
So, again, Psalm 17:3 says:
Thou hast proved mine heart…
Thou hast tried mine heart.
…thou hast visited me in the night…
And this is speaking of salvation. The “night” speaks of darkness, and darkness speaks of a time when there is no Gospel or no Word of God.
Let us look at Micah 3 and we will get a little bit of an understanding of how God uses the night. In Micah, as in most of the prophets, God is speaking of how He is going to bring His judgment on Israel because they have left His Word. They have left His statutes and His judgments and His precepts and His commandments. They have turned to idols. They believe that they are saved by their works. Micah 3:5 says:
Thus saith JEHOVAH concerning the prophets that make my people err, that bite with their teeth, and cry, Peace; and he that putteth not into their mouths, they even prepare war against him.
This is speaking of their false prophets. They “prepare war” against God who has not put these words in their mouths. And then He says in verse 6, Micah 3:6:
Therefore night shall be unto you, that ye shall not have a vision; and it shall be dark unto you, that ye shall not divine; and the sun shall go down over the prophets, and the day shall be dark over them.
This is a good passage to understand the way that God uses “night” in the Bible. But in Psalm 17:3, we read:
…thou hast visited me in the night…
Turn to Job 33. This is a good passage. This is the way that salvation works. God comes to us in our blindness, in our darkness. In Job 33:12-19, this is Job speaking, and it says:
Behold, in this thou art not just: I will answer thee, that God is greater than man. Why dost thou strive against him? for he giveth not account of any of his matters. For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed; Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction, That he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man. He keepeth back his soul from the pit, and his life from perishing by the sword. He is chastened also with pain upon his bed, and the multitude of his bones with strong pain:
Then verse 22, Job 33:22-24, says:
Yea, his soul draweth near unto the grave, and his life to the destroyers. If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to show unto man his uprightness:
And, certainly, this is speaking of Christ.
Then he is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom.
And look back at verse 15, Job 33:15. It says:
In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men…
This is speaking of spiritual death. “God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam,” and that is the same word. It is speaking, in the first place, of the Atonement; but it is also speaking of our spiritual death. This is when God comes to us, and it says in the next verse, Job 33:16:
Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction,
It is God who comes to us in salvation and opens the ears of our understanding and seals our instruction.
Let us look at Job 35. In Job 35 (this is speaking of “songs in the night”), this is Elihu speaking, actually, and he says to these men in Job 35:10:
But none saith, Where is God my maker, who giveth songs in the night;
Again, speaking of the darkness of this world, it is God who gives these “songs in the night.” And the “songs in the night” are the Word of God. Actually, Christ is our “song in the night.”
Psalm 119:54 says:
Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage.
It is God, our Maker, who gives us “songs in the night.” It is the Gospel of salvation, His Word.
Back here, again, in Psalm 17:3, He goes on to say:
…thou hast tried me, and shalt find nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.
This is a testimony of the true believer because we do not want to sin with our lips.
In Psalm 39:1, we read:
I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me.
And in Psalm 141:3, we read the same thing. It says:
Set a watch, O JEHOVAH, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.
In other words, we do not sin with our lips.
Back here in Psalm 17:4, we read:
Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer.
Again, this is speaking of the Word of God, “the word of thy lips.” The words of the lips of God are the Bible.
Look at Psalm 119:80:
Let my heart be sound in thy statutes; that I be not ashamed.
This is speaking of the final judgment when all unsaved mankind will be ashamed.
Again, Psalm 17:4, the second part of this verse says:
…I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer.
And this word “destroyer” is actually speaking of false teachers. It is translated as “robbers” most of the time it is used, as in Jeremiah 7:11 where God tells them that their prophets had become “a den of robbers.”
Psalm 17:5 says:
Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not.
This is a plea that God would guide us, that we do not slip, that we are not moved.
In Psalm 121:2-3, we read:
My help cometh from JEHOVAH, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved…
That is the same word as “slip.”
…he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
It is God who keeps us. We are kept by the power of God. We read in 1 Peter 1:5 that we are “kept by the power of God.” It is He who does not “suffer thy foot to be moved” or to slip. 1 Peter 1:5:
Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
Again, it is not our faith; it is the “faith of Christ,” as we would work through this verse.
Psalm 17:6-7 says:
I have called upon thee, for thou wilt hear me, O God: incline thine ear unto me, and hear my speech. Show thy marvellous lovingkindness, O thou that savest by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them.
He says, “Show thy marvellous lovingkindness,” and that word “marvellous” is actually a word that suggests being “separate” or “set apart.” In Exodus 33, God told the Israelites that they were a people separated, “So shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth.” And this word “marvellous” that is here in Psalm 17:7 speaks of His lovingkindness. It is apart from the mercy that He shows to the rest of the world. He is merciful to the whole world; however, His “marvellous lovingkindness” is the lovingkindness that He shows in salvation. Psalm 17:7:
Show thy marvellous lovingkindness…
And, again, that word “lovingkindness” speaks of the mercy of God in salvation.
Let us look at 119:64. I just want to look at one verse that uses this word “lovingkindness.” I believe that it is translated as “mercy” there. Psalm 119:64 says:
The earth, O JEHOVAH, is full of thy mercy: teach me thy statutes.
This world is full of the mercy of God. He has been merciful to all mankind. He gives us 70 or maybe 80 years of life on this earth. This is His creation. He has given us life. We should thank Him for this every day that we wake up in the morning and live and breathe, as we get out of bed and we walk and talk and see and hear and smell. This is all from God.
The earth is full of His mercy, and He is not obligated to do anything more than this. Yet over the years, I have heard pastors say that with the very breath that He gives us, we curse Him. We are so proud and selfish and arrogant, yet He shows mercy. We have all sinned in Adam and we all deserve eternal damnation. Yet in His mercy, before the foundations of the world, He decided to have a people for Himself. The earth is full of His mercy and His lovingkindness.
Again, Psalm 17:7 says:
Show thy marvellous lovingkindness, O thou that savest by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them.
“By thy right hand” speaks of the power and the will of God.
Turn to Psalm 44. Again, over and over, we see how salvation works as we read these Psalms. Psalm 44:1-3 starts out:
We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, what work thou didst in their days, in the times of old. How thou didst drive out the heathen with thy hand, and plantedst them; how thou didst afflict the people, and cast them out. For they got not the land…
This is speaking of the Israelites now and the Promised Land.
For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto them.
This is entirely by the will of God and by His choosing and by His mercy: by His right hand.
If we look at Psalm 80, it speaks of Christ, I believe, as the “man of thy right hand.” Psalm 80:14-16 says:
Return, we beseech thee, O God of hosts: look down from heaven, and behold, and visit this vine; And the vineyard which thy right hand hath planted…
In other words, His people, the Israelites.
…and the branch that thou madest strong for thyself. It is burned with fire…
Speaking of the time of tribulation now.
…it is cut down: they perish at the rebuke of thy countenance.
Because look at verse 17, Psalm 80:17:
Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, upon the son of man whom thou madest strong for thyself.
This is speaking of the Man of God’s right hand, which is speaking of God’s power and will that is manifested in the Lord Jesus.
Again, Psalm 17:7 says:
Show thy marvellous lovingkindness, O thou that savest by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them.
It sounds like we do the trusting in the first place; but if you go back to Psalm 14, it says in verse 2, Psalm 14:2:
JEHOVAH looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.
And verse 3 says, Psalm 14:3:
They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
This is repeated almost word for word in Psalm 53 and then it is repeated in Romans 3, “There is none righteous”; “There is none that seeketh after God.” We have to compare Scripture with Scripture and read everything that the Bible says about how salvation works. We do not put our trust in the Lord unless He first starts to work in us.
Psalm 17:8-10 says:
Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings, From the wicked that oppress me, from my deadly enemies, who compass me about. They are enclosed in their own fat: with their mouth they speak proudly.
I believe that this is speaking of those in the church. Most of the time when the Bible is speaking of the wicked, it is speaking of those who claim to be the people of God. This is where the most resistance to the truth comes from. “They are enclosed in their own fat,” their own riches, and they are proud, “with their mouth they speak proudly.”
And now, again, we are looking at tribulation here in verse 11. Psalm 17:11-12 says:
They have now compassed us in our steps: they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth; Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey, and as it were a young lion lurking in secret places.
And we know that Satan “as a roaring lion, walketh about.” We also know that Christ is the “Lion of the tribe of Juda.” The “lion” speaks of the judgment of God, but Satan wants to be like God and so he walks about “as a roaring lion.”
Psalm 17:13 says:
Arise, O JEHOVAH, disappoint him, cast him down: deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword:
Now the Psalmist is pleading for judgment. Again, we see this in many places in the Bible. He says:
…deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword:
This actually can be translated “by thy sword” or “with thy sword.” And the next verse is a continuation of this thought. Let me read verses 13-14 again and just change them a little bit so that we can understand what it is really saying because it is a continuation of the same thought. Psalm 17:13-14:
Arise, O JEHOVAH, disappoint him, cast him down: deliver my soul from the wicked, [with or by] thy sword: From men which are [or with or by] thy hand, O JEHOVAH, from men of the world, which have their portion in this life, and whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure: they are full of children, and leave the rest of their substance to their babes.
This is speaking of those who love this world. And, again, this is speaking of the mercy of God in how He does bless mankind with the good things of this world.
The next verse, verse 15, is a beautiful verse, as this Psalm finishes up. He says in Psalm 17:15:
As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness…
This is speaking of when we do all stand before God and when we will see Christ. We will behold Him in righteousness and we will be perfect, as it says:
…I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.
What a beautiful and comforting verse.
Let us look at 1 John 3:2. It says basically the same thing:
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
What an amazing thought, something that is incomprehensible. We are going to be like Him in that resurrection, in that consummation when He does come. Most of us here are now convicted because we have seen the proofs from many different directions that He is coming in less than two years now. Judgment is coming fast upon us; yet in His mercy, it is still the “day of salvation.” He has given us the Bible and He has shown us in His very creation that there is a God.
Psalm 19:1-2 tells us:
The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge.
We should see by the very creation that there is a God; and this Psalm tells us in parabolic language, actually, that Christ is Jehovah God. Verse 4 is likening Christ as the Sun, and then verse 5 says, Psalm 19:5-6:
Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.
In His mercy, God has shown us over and over that He is the Creator of this universe and we are accountable to Him. We have been created in His image, yet we have sinned and our sins have separated us from God.
In His mercy now He has shown us when the end will be. For years, He has been giving us the signs as to what we were to look for to see when we are close. Now, as we are very close to the end, He has given us a date and shown us by many proofs, proofs that lock in from different directions and that show that this date has to be right. We have to say that this is going to happen. Yet, in His mercy, it is still the “day of salvation” and we can cry out like the Psalmist for His salvation. He is not obligated to save any one of us, but there is no other way out. May all the glory be given to God.
Shall we pray. Heavenly Father, we come before You and say, again, could it be that what we have spoken here this morning has been faithful to You and that we have seen Your salvation in the words of the Bible. We do see this and we should see this everywhere we read in the Bible. This Book could not have been written by man. It could not have been contrived. As you open the ears and the eyes of our understanding, we just look at this marvellous Book and say that this could not have been written by man. You have put the Gospel of salvation everywhere and You have spoken of sin and of righteousness and of judgment to come. Could it be that each one here would have a heart to serve You, Father, and to continue to get this precious Gospel out into the world, knowing that You will work through it and save those whom You will save. Again, may everything that we say be to Your praise. May it all be to Your praise and to Your glory. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Guy: Does anybody have any comments or questions?
1st Question: The Bible says that we are made in the image of God. If we are going to be like Him, does that mean that we will have the same body that He has and the same lifestyle that He has?
Guy: I cannot answer that. I do not know. We are going to be like Him, which is incomprehensible right now with our minds. I do not know. We cannot understand this. It is going to be so glorious and so perfect. We cannot comprehend a perfect world nor can we comprehend not having sinful thoughts and just being perfect. I know that I cannot. It says, “We shall be like Him.” When we read that, we have to just marvel at that.
Comment: In passing out tracts at a recent parade, I ran into a few people who did not like what I was doing. Someone came up behind me and grabbed some things and ran away with them.
Guy: The truth is an offense. God tells us all through the Bible that we are going to encounter this. This is part of the trials of this life. As many tracts as you have given out, I know that you have run into this before. We just get the Gospel out there. God will work through it and save those whom He plans to save.
2nd Question: A thought came to me during your teaching of Psalm 17 and I would just like to hear what you might have to offer. You mentioned that this was a prayer of David. I have noticed that all the Psalms may have some words that are italicized right under the beginning of the Psalm and those are the words of the publisher or translators.
Guy: Some of it is and some of it is not. Some of it is inspired and some of it is not. You will need to look in the Interlinear.
2nd Question (continued): My understanding is that the italicized words are man’s added words. In Psalm 17, where it says, “A prayer of David,” that is the Word of God; it is found in the original manuscript. My question is that some say, “A prayer of David,” and others say, “A Psalm of David,” so could we say that a “prayer” is when he is pleading with God and a “psalm” is when he is extolling or praising God?
Guy: That may be. We could say that. Yes. That may be. It certainly seems that way in this Psalm. He is praying; he is asking; he is supplicating. But yet in some of the other Psalms, there is praise and the recounting of all of His marvellous works and that sort of thing. So that may be right, but I cannot say for sure.
3rd Question: I have a further question. One of the places that you referred us to was Deuteronomy 8:2. My question, with respect to the second half of that verse, where it says:
…to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart…
In your teaching, you pointed out something that I agree with because it seems obvious to me, which is that He knows our thoughts even before we have them. So my question is whether you would know if in the Hebrew, in the original manuscript, that the wording of “to know” is how we come to know?
And thou shalt remember all the way…to know what was in thine heart…
Guy: This is speaking of the Israelites and how they would know. Yes. Probably, but I would not say that for sure. But God knows. He knows whether we are going to fail a test or not. But I will look at that.
4th Question: Is God obligated to save His elect from before the foundation of the world? I thought you had said that God was not obligated to save anyone.
Guy: Yes, He is. Of the whole human race, in a sense, He is not obligated to save anyone. But then, He determined and ordained from before the foundations of the world that He would have these elect. So yes. This is the best way that I can answer that.