Psalm 33
The Word of the Lord
Intro
√ The word of the Lord
"For You have magnified Your word above all Your name." - Psalm 138:2
In our study this evening we find the psalmist calling our attention to God's Word and His Word finds a place in our life.
God's Word in worship (vs. 1-5)
Ps. 33:1 Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous! For praise from the upright is beautiful.
Ps. 33:2 Praise the LORD with the harp; Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings.
Ps. 33:3 Sing to Him a new song; Play skillfully with a shout of joy.
Ps. 33:4 For the word of the LORD is right, And all His work is done in truth.
Ps. 33:5 He loves righteousness and justice; The earth is full of the goodness of the LORD.
√ A call to worship!
In these verses we find the psalmist calling us to worship the Lord!
For what reason does he call us to worship?
"For the word of the LORD is right" - vs. 4
We're reminded that it is God's Word that reveals His Nature to Mankind.
The Creation speaks to us of God's existence
Our conscience speaks to us of God's morality
But it's God's Word that contains the full revelation of God's…
Nature
Work
Righteousness
Holiness
Goodness
Mercy
Grace
Thus we find that when God made Himself fully known to Man it was in the Person of His Son Jesus Christ…
"the word made flesh"! - John 1:14
So, in light of what God's Word reveals to us about Him we are called to worship the Lord!
√ Worship in spirit and in truth!
This scripture is also good reminder that true worship is born from a true relationship with God.
As we come to know God through the revelation of
His Word, we come to know Him in truth.
To worship God without truth is miss the mark and fail to worship God!
Ex. The woman at the well
She was a Samaritan who desired to worship God, but failed in her attempt because she was still worshipping according to the false traditions established by Jeroboam!
Note Jesus' instruction regarding true worship of God.
John 4:20 “Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.”
John 4:21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father.
John 4:22 “You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews.
John 4:23 “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.
John 4:24 “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
There's a great deal of emphasis today in the Church on worship.
Contemporary music vs. traditional
Use of instruments vs. no instruments
Congregational vs. choir
The FORM of worship – missed the mark.
God’s interested in the HEART.
In some cases people have replaced the teaching of God's Word with worship.
However, I would suggest that true worship is born out the understanding of Truth as revealed in God's Word.
That is to say, true spiritual worship comes from the heart of a person to whom the Word of God has made known some quality of God's character.
Ex. The psalms - worship centered around the Person of God
We must be careful that we don't mistake our emotions for the move of the Holy Spirit.
My experience has been that people can emulate all of the emotions some would call "the Holy Spirit" at a secular rock concert.
In my Christian experience I've done both, the stirring of emotions, and the stirring of the Holy Spirit. There's a real difference!
One pleases God
The other does not
It's like the woman of Samaria
"You worship what you do not know"
Ap. The better we know God's Word - the better we'll praise Him!
Col. 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
Get into His Word and you'll find yourself worshipping Him!
So, God's Word should
bring us to worship Him.
God's Word in Creation (vs. 6-9)
Ps. 33:6 By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.
Ps. 33:7 He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He lays up the deep in storehouses.
Ps. 33:8 Let all the earth fear the LORD; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.
Ps. 33:9 For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.
√ His Word is law!
In the days of the Roman Empire the word of Caesar was law…
"So let it be written, so let it be done!"
…men feared the word of the king because it held life and death!
But even the king's word is nothing when compared to the Word of God! The psalmist declares that by His Word God…
Made the heavens (100 billion stars in the Milky Way, and as many as 100 million galaxies like the Milky Way!)
Gathers the seas into a heap and puts them where He wants them.
He speaks, and it is done!
God's word alone is invested with the power and authority to accomplish His will and by it He created all that we see in the universe.
√ His Word as it is written in creation is intelligible
That is to say, His Word as seen in His Creation is organized and not random.
Ex. SETI - Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence
The foundational supposition of the project is that spoken communication is not random.
Rather, all spoken (or written for that matter), communication has a distinct pattern.
Therefore, if one finds a distinct repeated pattern in the millions of radio signals in space…
…then one has proof of intelligent life somewhere out there in space.
Ap. "God is there and He is not silent"
Great title of a great book (Francis Schaffer), but it is also the truth that we find here in this psalm.
While the engineers are busy listening for non-random repeating patterns at the SETI project…
…I would suggest that all they have to do is "listen" to the testimony of the Creation itself to discover that there is in fact a very intelligent life source out there!
The physical universe and the laws which govern it's function are all a testimony of God's existence. What we find in the Creation are non-random, repeating patterns in every field of science.
I'd say that we have in the Creation the evidence of God's voice reminding us that He spoke the world's into existence!
So, we find God's
Word in Creation.
God's Word in History (vs. 10-17)
Ps. 33:10 The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect.
Ps. 33:11 The counsel of the LORD stands forever, The plans of His heart to all generations.
Ps. 33:12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, The people He has chosen as His own inheritance.
Ps. 33:13 The LORD looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men.
Ps. 33:14 From the place of His dwelling He looks On all the inhabitants of the earth;
Ps. 33:15 He fashions their hearts individually; He considers all their works.
Ps. 33:16 No king is saved by the multitude of an army; A mighty man is not delivered by great strength.
Ps. 33:17 A horse is a vain hope for safety; Neither shall it deliver any by its great strength.
√ God's word prevails
Throughout history men have boasted great things.
Adolph Hitler…
"I will build a empire that will last a thousand years."
Voltaire
"In 20 years Christianity will be no more. My single hand shall destroy the edifice it took twelve apostles to rear".
These boasts would be comical if those who made them weren't serious! But they were, and time has proven them wrong and that the words of men cannot prevail against the Word of God.
The psalmist here reminds us that regardless of what individual people may say, and what nations may plan…
…all of it will come to nothing if their words stand against God's Word and His plan for this world.
Throughout history we have seen that despite the best efforts of people to exalt their word and will above God's…
…it is God's Word that we see active in history.
Think of the many kings, emperors and dictators throughout history that have raised huge armies, forged weapons, and surrounded themselves with all the power of they could muster so that they might bring their own word to pass…
…only to find that which they placed their trust in was not sufficient to overcome God's Word.
So, God's Word
prevails in history.
God's Word in Your life! (vs. 18-22)
Ps. 33:18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, On those who hope in His mercy,
Ps. 33:19 To deliver their soul from death, And to keep them alive in famine.
Ps. 33:20 Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield.
Ps. 33:21 For our heart shall rejoice in Him, Because we have trusted in His holy name.
Ps. 33:22 Let Your mercy, O LORD, be upon us, Just as we hope in You.
√ Trust in the Lord
Remember, the Word which created and controls the universe can also control your life!
You will find that when you place your trust in God's Word and obey it…
…things just seem to work out!
Conversely, if you abandon God's Word and go against it…
…you will find that everything will be set against you!
All of God's Creation is designed to be in harmony with His Word. When we chose to live by His word we are choosing to live in harmony with His Creation.
Ex. Make God the priority in your life
Jesus said…
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." - Matt. 6:33
When we choose to actually put God first in our lives we find that we…
Have what we need to live and enjoy life
We lead a fulfilled and satisfying life
We tend to be healthier and happier
…all because we've trusted in His Word.
Unfortunately many of us have at some point in our lives decided that God's Word can't really be trusted and that if we want the things that God has promised…
…we're going to have to word hard to get them!
Ex. Our first house and the 4 hour commute!
While I got the house I always wanted, I also got what I didn’t want!
150 miles commute (4 hours a day)
Fear of death (driving through 0/0 fog)
Lost time with my family
In the end, we got $28 profit when we sold our house.
Conversely, we now have a nicer home in a nicer community, with more time and peace.
So, the psalmist
reminds us that God's Word works in our lives too!
Close
√ God's word
The more you get to know His Word the more you'll find yourself…
Worshipping Him
Recognizing His hand in Creation & human history
Trusting His Word for all that you need in life
…remember God said…
"For You have magnified Your word above all Your name." - Psalm 138:2