Wednesday
Evening Bible Study
May 19, 2004
Psalm 132
A Song of degrees.
I wonder if this song isn’t an answer to the question, “Why are we going to
Jerusalem?”
Again, as we’ve seen, these are the songs of the pilgrims as they would
make their way up the hill to Jerusalem. Three times a year the people were required
to go to worship at the place of the “central sanctuary”, which would
eventually be Jerusalem.
(Deu 12:5 KJV) But unto the
place which the LORD your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put his
name there, even unto his habitation shall ye seek, and thither thou shalt
come:
(Deu 16:16
KJV) Three times in a year shall all thy
males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the
feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of
tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty:
The place of the “central sanctuary” changed over the years. After Joshua conquered the land, the
sanctuary was in Shiloh.
During the days of Eli, the Ark
was captured and then returned, where it sat at Kirathjearim
for awhile. David was the one who moved
the Ark to Jerusalem,
which is where the pilgrims would be going.
David had wanted to have the Ark
close to him:
(1 Chr 13:3 KJV) And let us bring again the ark of our God to
us: for we inquired not at it in the days of Saul.
David wanted to be close to the Lord.
David was living in Jerusalem,
so the Ark was brought to Jerusalem.
They were making the pilgrimage to Jerusalem
because of David.
:5 Until I find out a place for the LORD, an habitation for the mighty God
of Jacob.
We do not have any other account of this exact oath of David, but it’s
consistent with all that he did.
He not only relocated the Ark
to Jerusalem, but he wanted to
build a more permanent structure for the Ark:
(2 Sam 7:1-3 KJV) And it
came to pass, when the king sat in his house, and the LORD had given him rest
round about from all his enemies; {2} That the king said unto Nathan the prophet,
See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within
curtains. {3} And Nathan said to the king, Go, do all that is in thine heart;
for the LORD is with thee.
:6 Lo, we heard of it at Ephratah: we found it in the fields of the wood.
Ephratah – ‘Ephraath – “place of fruitfulness”; another name for Bethlehem
(Gen. 35:19)
Apparently there had been a “rumor” (“we heard of it”) about the Ark
being at Ephratah.
wood – ya‘ar – forest, wood, thicket, wooded height;
this is a word that is the base of the city named Kiriath-jearim or, “city of the forests”
Kiriath-Jearim was where the Ark
was when David decided to move it to Jerusalem. This was the place where the Ark
was “found”.
(Ps 132:6 NLT) {6} We heard that the Ark was in Ephrathah; then we found it in the distant countryside of Jaar.
:7 We will go into his tabernacles: we will worship at his footstool.
footstool – a term David used to describe the Ark:
(1 Chr 28:2 KJV) Then David the king stood up upon his feet,
and said, Hear me, my brethren, and my people: As for me, I had in mine heart
to build an house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and for the
footstool of our God, and had made ready for the building:
When God describes His footstool, He makes it a bit bigger:
(Isa 66:1 KJV) Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne,
and the earth is my footstool: where
is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?
:10 For thy servant David's sake turn not away the face of thine anointed.
thine anointed – the kings were called “anointed” ones because they
were anointed with oil. The kings of the
southern kingdom were descendants of David.
:11 Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne.
God promised David an heir (2Sam. 7:12-17)
:12 If thy children will keep my covenant and my testimony that I shall
teach them, their children shall also sit upon thy throne for evermore.
God warned Solomon that he needed to keep following the Lord (1Ki. 9:4-7)
Jesus is the fulfillment of this promise.
Jesus is a descendant of David. He
will return and rule forever.
:15 I will abundantly bless her provision: I will satisfy her poor with
bread.
(Ps 132:15 The Message) I’ll shower blessings on the pilgrims who
come here, and give supper to those who arrive hungry;
:17 There will I make the horn of David to bud: I have ordained a lamp for
mine anointed.
the horn – a symbol of strength or power. Could refer to a king.
to bud – tsamach – to sprout, spring up, grow up
Lesson
Why are we doing this?
(Deu 6:20
KJV) And when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What mean the
testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD our God hath
commanded you?
If someone were to ask you why you came to church tonight, what would you
tell them?
We want to be careful about getting into spiritual “ruts”, doing things
just out of habit and not from the heart.
(Isa 29:13 KJV) Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this
people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but
have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the
precept of men:
1. To be close to God (vs. 7)
The Ark was God’s
“footstool”. David brought the Ark
to Jerusalem to be close to God.
God wants His people to come regularly to Him, to be close to Him.
Worship at His footstool
2. To honor the King (vs. 11)
It was King David that moved the Ark
to Jerusalem.
We honor King Jesus.
3. To encourage each other
(Heb 10:23-25 KJV) Let us
hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful
that promised;) {24} And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and
to good works: {25} Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the
manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see
the day approaching.
It’s important that we get together and encourage each
other. Provoke to love and good deeds.
4. To build our faith
(Rom 10:17
KJV) So then faith cometh by hearing,
and hearing by the word of God.
That’s why we study God’s Word – to build our faith to
walk with the Lord and be used by the Lord.
Psalm 133
We looked at this on Sunday morning
Psalm 134
A Song of degrees.
This is a song that seems to be one that would be sung to the priests and
Levites who had the duty of watching over the Temple
at night.
This is the last of the psalms of “degrees”.
:1 Behold, bless ye the LORD, all ye servants of the LORD, which by night
stand in the house of the LORD.
Who is this Psalm addressed to?
Servants of the LORD – I think we qualify.
What are they commanded to do?
They are commanded to bless the Lord – to give Him praise.
When are they commanded to bless the Lord?
When they are standing at night in the house of the Lord.
We too live in some pretty dark times.
We too are to stand:
(Eph 6:13
KJV) Wherefore take unto you the whole
armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having
done all, to stand.
While we’re standing, we need to bless the Lord.
Illustration
British preacher Charles Spurgeon once vacationed at an isolated spot in England
because he had been told that many nightingales lived there. To his great disappointment, however, it
started to rain just as he arrived at the hotel. The weather turned unseasonably cold and
Spurgeon feared that the primary purpose of his trip had been spoiled. But as
he sat by his open window, he suddenly heard a delightful melody -- a
nightingale perched on a branch outside.
The only light was a dim lamp burning at the entrance to the hotel. The nightingale, oblivious to the rain and
cold, was exulting in that tiny bit of light.
Spurgeon wrote of his experience, "I do not expect to listen to
anything so sweet and thrilling again until I hear the angels sing in glory. The God of that nightingale is the same
loving Savior I serve. In spite of
darkness, storm, or thorns, He always provides some ray of light and gives a
song in the night."
:2 Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the LORD.
Lift up your hands
What do lifted hands signify?
Praise to God.
Surrender to God.
A child reaching for his Father.
:3 The LORD that made heaven and earth bless thee out of Zion.
God returns a blessing
Psalm 135
A contrast in “gods”
:1-4 Praise God
:3 sing praises unto his name; for it is pleasant.
pleasant – na‘iym – pleasant, delightful, sweet, lovely,
agreeable
:4 Israel
for his peculiar treasure.
peculiar – c@gullah – possession, property; valued
property, peculiar treasure
God calls His people, the Jews, “peculiar”
(Exo 19:5 KJV) Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice
indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is
mine:
(Deu 14:2 KJV) For thou art
an holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all
the nations that are upon the earth.
But He also calls us “peculiar” as well
(1 Pet 2:9 KJV) But ye are a
chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who
hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
“a people for God’s own possession”
Lesson
You are His treasure
He chose us before the foundations of the world.
:5-14 God is greater than all
gods
:14 For the LORD will judge his people, and he will repent himself
concerning his servants.
repent – nacham – to be sorry, console oneself, repent,
regret, comfort, be comforted
(NLT) Ps 135:14 For the LORD
will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants.
God is very real and very powerful.
He rules over creation (vs. 7)
He killed the firstborn of Egypt
(vs. 8) along with other signs and wonders (vs. 9)
He helped Israel
defeat great kings like Sihon and Og
(vs. 10-12)
:15-18 the little “gods”
:18 They that make them are like unto them
Lesson
Cheap imitations
They can’t speak, see, hear, or breath.
They certainly can’t save.
Religiousness versus a relationship with the real God
God gave His people some tests to make sure they stayed on track with Him.
1. Does it work? Does a prophecy happen?
(Deu 18:21-22 KJV) And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we
know the word which the LORD hath not spoken? {22} When a prophet speaketh in
the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the
thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it
presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.
Sometimes people will claim to speak for God, but if it
doesn’t happen, then God didn’t speak.
2. Even if there is something
amazing happening, does the person talk about the right God – the God of the Bible?
(Deu 13:1-3 KJV)
If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth
thee a sign or a wonder, {2} And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof
he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not
known, and let us serve them; {3} Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that
prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth
you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all
your soul.
Jehovah’s Witnesses
They have lots of prophecies they’ve made over the years – things which
haven’t come to pass.
Starting in 1880, they began predicting that Jesus would
come by 1914. Over and over again they
repeated this prophecy.
1894 “We see no reason for changing the figures - nor
could we change them if we would. They are, we believe, God’s dates, not ours.
But bear in mind that the end of 1914 is not the date for the beginning, but
for the end of the time of trouble.” (Watchtower July 15, 1894, p 266; p 1677
reprints)
1904 “According to our expectations the stress of the
great time of trouble will be on us soon, somewhere between 1910 and 1912,
culminating with the end of the ‘Times of the Gentiles,’ October, 1914.” (The
New Creation, Studies in the Scriptures, Vol. 6, p. 579, 1904)
1914 “Studying God’s Word, we have measured the 2520
years, the seven symbolic times, from that year 606 B.C. and have found that it
reached down to October, 1914, as nearly as we were able to reckon. We did not
say positively that this would be the year.” (Watchtower, November 1, 1914, p.
325)
1940 The Kingdom is here, the King is enthroned.
Armageddon is just ahead. The glorious reign of Christ that shall bring
blessings to the world will immediately follow. Therefore the great climax has
been reached. Tribulation has fallen upon those who stand by the Lord. (The
Messenger, Sept. 1940, p. 6)
1966 “According to this trustworthy Bible chronology six
thousand years from man’s creation will end in 1975, and the seventh period of
a thousand years of human history will begin in the fall of 1975 C.E Six
thousand years of man’s existence on earth will soon be up, yea within this
generation. The rein of Christ...to run parallel with the 7th
millennium ...” (Life Everlasting in Freedom of the Sons of God, 1966, p.
29-30)
They also teach about a “god” that is different than what the Bible says.
They do not believe Jesus is God. They believe He was a created being.
They do not believe in salvation by grace through faith –
they believe you must earn your salvation.
:19-21 Bless God
:21 Blessed be the LORD out of Zion
Praise the real God.
Psalm 136
Read antiphonally – read the first part of the verse and let the church say
together “for his mercy endureth for ever”.
:1-3 Giving thanks
:4-9 God’s power in creation
:6 To him that stretched out the earth above the waters
In the original creation, there was a canopy of water above the land and
water underneath the land. When the
flood came, the canopy of water collapsed and the ground broke open to let the
underground water come out.
(Gen 7:11
KJV) In the six hundredth year of Noah's
life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were
all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were
opened.
:10-15 Deliverance from Egypt
:16-22 Conquering enemies
:23-26 God’s provision
:26 O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Lesson
Attitude check
When Israel
was delivered out of Egypt
and brought through the promised land, they did nothing but complain:
When Moses first began to ask Pharaoh to let the people go, and the Pharaoh
increased their work – they complained.
(Exo 5:21 KJV) And they said unto them, The LORD look upon
you, and judge; because ye have made our savour to be
abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a
sword in their hand to slay us.
When they found themselves trapped at the Red Sea
with Pharaoh’s chariots closing in on them – they complained.
(Exo 14:11 KJV) And they said unto Moses, Because there were
no graves in Egypt,
hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt
thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt?
When they got through the Red Sea, they complained
that they didn’t have enough food
(Exo 16:2-3 KJV) And the whole congregation of the children of
Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness: {3} And the children
of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in
the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to
the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole
assembly with hunger.
Later they ran short of water – and complained
(Exo 17:2-3 KJV) Wherefore the people did chide with Moses,
and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide
ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the LORD? {3} And the people thirsted there
for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this
that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our
cattle with thirst?
At one point, they complained just for the sake of complaining.
(Num 11:1 KJV)
And when the people complained, it displeased the LORD: and the LORD
heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the LORD burnt among them,
and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp.
They complained about the manna – it was too bland
(Num 11:5-6 KJV)
We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt
freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the
garlic: {6} But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside
this manna, before our eyes.
They complained about the Promised Land – there were too many giants (Num.
13-14).
They complained about Moses and Aaron’s leadership (Num. 16)
They complained about water a second time (Num. 20).
The psalmist takes us through this same period of time, and instead of
crying “oh my”, he says, “your mercy endures forever”
With each of these things, you could look at them in two different ways –
you could look at them as times of horrible judgment or of tremendous mercy –
for example:
:10 A whole lot of people died – God
is too mean! or …
:10 To him that smote Egypt
in their firstborn: for his mercy endureth for ever:
:13 We were trapped between the
Egyptian army and the Red Sea – God is too mean! or …
:13 To him which divided the Red sea into parts: for
his mercy endureth for ever:
How do you look at the circumstances of your life?
(Prov 15:15 NASB) All the days of the afflicted are bad, But a
cheerful heart has a continual feast.
What will it be?
Will you choose to complain or choose to praise?