Psalm 1: Two Ways of Life

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Some Thoughts on Psalm 1

Its Place as First in the Psalter

The various Psalms which now comprise the book of Psalms were written over a period of 1000 years by various authors. It has been generally recognized that the Psalms can be broken down into 5 general groupings or books on the basis of “seam” psalms: 1) 3-41; 2) 42-72; 3) 73-89; 4) 90-106; 5) 107-150. It is possible that the “seam” psalms (i.e., 41, 72, 89, 106) suggest that the purpose for the organization of the material (i.e., all 150 psalms) centers on David and the Davidic covenant, as well as how people respond to Israel’s national disasters in light of the covenant God made with David.¹

Psalms 1-2, which are obviously not in our list here as part of the five books proper, stand at the front of the Psalter as an introduction to Israel's worship songs. It seems that there is some evidence from both Jewish and Christian sources to indicate that Psalm 1 and 2, though distinct compositions in their own right, were at some time in the past joined together, and stood as the first psalm of the Psalter.² In any case, they make a fitting entrance to this material. Psalm 1, a wisdom psalm, demonstrates that the way to happiness is through a life well lived according to the guidelines set down by the Lord, and the way to destruction is to lead an evil, lawless life—a life in disregard of Torah. King David was the perfect example of the righteous person envisioned in Psalm 1. Psalm 2 speaks about God’s enthronement of his king and the futility of the nations to thwart it. Obedience is required. So Psalm 1 focuses on obedience no matter what is happening all around one (a wisdom approach to life), and Psalm 2 focuses on trusting God to fulfill his promises of justice on the earth some day by installing his king (a prophetic approach to life). David was the perfect example of God’s king. Christ is the ultimate example, par excellence, of what this psalm envisions (cf. Acts 13:33) and the final fulfillment as well.³

Now, let’s turn our attention to a more detailed look at Psalm 1. Mortimer J. Adler, in Ten Philosophical Mistakes, makes the astute observation that “people generally espouse the mistake made by most modern philosophers—that happiness is a psychological state rather than an ethical state, i.e., the quality of a morally good life.”⁴ Psalm 1, in its presentation of an ethically upright lifestyle, has much to say about the nature of true happiness.

Its Structure

The psalm can be broken down into three distinct yet related parts: 1) the way of the righteous (1-3); 2) the way of the wicked (4-5); 3) the final word on the two lifestyles (6). There is also the possibility that there may be a deeper chiastic structure (AB-B’A’): A = 1-2, B = 3/ B’= 4, A’ = 5. Further, the final verse seems to be structured chiastically as well: A = “the Lord watches over,” B = “the way of the righteous/ B’ = “the way of the wicked,” A’ = “will perish.” In this structure “to perish” means not to have “the Lord watching over.”

Comment on the Psalm

I. The Way of the Righteous (1-3)

1:1 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, who does not stand in the place of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers.

The psalmist says that a person is blessed if he does not do one kind of thing, but instead does another. The person who wants to be blessed must not walk the road of those who rebel against God, have no fear of him, and constantly consider themselves above Him and his Law. No, instead a person who wants to be blessed must live wisely in his relationship with YHWH, delighting in and meditating on the Torah (i.e., obeying it). The person who follows the way of the wicked will experience God’s judgment, while God watches over and preserves the righteous man.

“Blessed” or “blessed is the man” is a formulaic statement/pronouncement found on numerous occasions in the psalms and three times in Proverbs (3:13; 8:34; 20:7; 28:14). It is always used in connection with people and not God. This is the kind of blessing one experiences as he/she lives a righteous life in the context of his/her relationship with God, not the priestly blessing. Four passages in the psalms use the term/phrase in ways similar to Psalm 1:

Psalm 89:15 says: “Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O Lord. Psalm 94:12 speaks about blessing and obedience to the Law: “Blessed is the man you discipline, O Lord, the man you teach from your law.” The same idea is found in Psalm 112:1: “Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who finds great delight in his commands.” Finally, Psalm 128:1 also connects the idea of blessing with one’s “walk”: “Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in his ways.” The bottom line, then, in each of these passages and in Psalm 1, is that blessing is for those who live a certain way. They are happy, not as the result of feeling a certain feeling (which may refer more to contentment), but because they have lived life well, that is, according to Biblical truth.

The reference to does not walk, does not stand, and does not sit is probably not a reference to increasing sinfulness, per se, since the lines are synonymously parallel, but is intended instead to cover some of the various possible scenarios in life wherein one can be tempted to follow sinful people in their attitudes and actions.⁵ These are the kind of people who take counsel with themselves in the abundance of their own wisdom and scoff at the word of God and have no place for those who live according to it.

1:2 But in the Torah of Yahweh is his delight and on his Torah he meditates day and night.

The psalmist now gets to the positive quality and action of one who is blessed. This person delights in the Torah and meditates on it day and night.

The reference to the Torah of YHWH could refer to just the Mosaic Law or to the Pentateuch (Genesis-Deuteronomy). At a later time it came to refer to the entire Old Testament. It is probable here, though, in the context of the psalmist’s discussion of the ethics of the wicked and the righteous, that what he has in mind is any and all instruction given by God to benefit men by guiding him in the proper course of life. It is a law that has certain demands, i.e., one cannot live like sinners, but it is also very freeing for it arouses pleasure and delight in the one who meditates on it.

The term delight occurs some 126 times in the Old Testament with several slightly different nuances. It can indicate something as precious or valuable, as for example in the case of the stones for the walls of the future Zion predicted by Isaiah (54:12); they will be precious stones established by the Lord himself. The land of Israel is said to be a delightful land as a result of the rich and exorbitant blessing of God in Malachi 3:12. It can also refer to a person’s longings and desires: 2 Samuel 23:5 provides an interesting parallel to our passage in Psalm 1. David is giving his last words before his death and he contrasts himself with wicked men. He says that God has made an everlasting covenant with him which He will fulfill in every detail, but wicked men will be set aside. He says that God will bring to fruition his salvation and grant him his every desire. The term can also refer to YHWH’s delight, good pleasure, purpose, or will (Is 46:10). Further, it can also refer to a person’s business or work (cf. Prov 31:13). In the context of Psalm 1 the term has the obvious connotations of “delighting and enjoying” God’s law so much that the person meditates on it day and night. This is not so much something that the psalmist feels he has to do as much as it is something he loves to do. He has chosen not to go down the path of the wicked, but instead to go down the path of meditation on God’s truth.

The term meditates in our culture often conjures up the idea, associated with eastern mysticism, of some kind of dreamy revelry or incantation. This is not the point at all, but rather meditation means to think about the instruction God has given for life with a view to understanding it and allowing it to shape one’s thoughts and actions. It is hard thinking about God and his ways and what he desires of us. It may well involve the process of reciting the portion being meditated upon until one knows it by heart so as not to forget it. A good illustration of the principle of meditation can be seen in Joshua 1:8. God says to Joshua to meditate (same Hebrew word as used in Psalm 1) on the book of the Law so that he might be careful to do everything written in it (cf. James 1:22). And this, of course, is the same point that the psalmist is making; think on God’s words, understand them, remember them, and live by them. Meditation, the writer says, is to be done day and night. That is, it is never to cease. The sect of the Jews living at Qumran felt that incessant meditation on Torah was very important, as the following words make plain:

(6) And in the place where the ten are, let there not lack a man who studies the Law night and day, (7) continually, concerning the duties of each towards the other. And let the Many watch in common for a third of the all the nights of the year, to read the Book and study the law (8) and bless in common⁶ (1QS 6:6-8a).

How are we doing in our meditation on God’s word? It is difficult, but here are a few suggestions: 1) start with a psalm or a paragraph of scripture; 2) read through the passage repeatedly until you can basically work your way through it from memory, i.e., without looking at the passage in the Bible; 3) summarize the main point of the psalm and try to fit each verse into that main point; 4) summarize principles from the psalm; 5) think through how the various truths in the psalm might apply to you; 6) ask God to help you apply a particular truth to your life; 7) apply the truth to your life and watch the difference God can make!!!

1:3 But he shall be like a tree transplanted near streams of water—a tree which gives its fruit in its season and whose leaves do not wither. All that he does prospers.

For the one who takes delight in the Torah of YHWH, who meditates day and night on it and shapes his/her life by what is found, there is prosperity, here envisioned as a tree which yields its fruit in season. Jeremiah used a similar expression in his discussion of the blessed man (see Jeremiah 17:7-8). The reference to the idea of a tree which is transplanted, rather than just “planted” may indicate divine favor in the bringing of the person from a place of barrenness to a place of blessing. The streams of water probably refers to artificial irrigation channels which secured a continuous source of water for vegetation. A tree deliberately placed near this water source would as a matter of course produce fruit. It is inevitable that it should prosper. As Craigie correctly points out, the simile of the tree and the righteous man makes clear that the blessing on the righteous is not a reward, but is part and parcel of living a life within the revealed will of God.⁷ The person who is blessed will bring forth fruit in season—not necessarily immediately upon being planted—and when circumstances get difficult (as many of the psalms indicate that they do) they will not perish and wither away. The blessing in their experience is evidenced not necessarily monetarily or externally, but by the strong character of their lives and the presence of God.

The point of the simile, then, is to give a picture of the blessedness of the person who turns away from ungodly counsel and lifestyles and turns instead to a life with God based on the Torah. All that he does prospers in the sense that God blesses his life as a life directed by Torah.

II. The Way of the Wicked (4-5)

1:4 Not so the wicked who are like chaff that the wind blows away.

In contrast to the blessed state and strong character of the righteous stands the character and plight of the wicked. The Hebrew term for wicked here, myuvr probably refers to those who live their lives outside of covenant relationship with YHWH and evidence this in their animosity toward God and his people (e.g., Num 16:26; Ps 12:8). It involves the distinction between those who serve God and those who think that such a lot in life is futile: God, speaking through Malachi, says: “And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.” Finally, the term can refer to gross acts of sin and wickedness or simply to a life characterized by wanton disregard for God and his law.

The wicked are like chaff that the wind blows away. The psalmist has in mind the practice of winnowing grain which is tossed into the air; the chaff is blown away in the evening wind and the grain is left to fall to the threshing floor and gathered. Chaff pictures the light and useless character of the wicked and the fact that God will deal with them easily.⁸ This is clearly brought out in the following verse. We must be careful to think seriously about the nature of wickedness and wicked people and what their outcome will be. This will be a theme developed at length in the rest of the Psalter and one that deserves serious consideration.

1:5 Therefore the wicked will not rise up in judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

One of the biggest interpretive problems in this verse concerns the meaning of judgment. Craigie suggests that the term refers to the “important areas of human society. . . the pursuit of justice and government.” In these areas, he says, the wicked will not be recognized.⁹ This would mean, of course, that there is no future aspect to the term in Psalm 1 and that the judgment is purely human, involving societal affairs. Others, such as A. A. Anderson understand the term to refer to God’s judgment, including both present manifestations of it, as well as its future consummation when the wicked will be fully and completely dealt with.¹⁰ Because the writer says (i.e., in verse 6) that the way of the wicked will perish, not just the wicked themselves, and because wicked people do corrupt government and society, we understand the latter interpretation to be much more likely with an emphasis on the eschatological aspect of God’s judgment. The statement, then, that the wicked will not rise up or stand means that they will not endure God’s judgment in the end. But it is a judgment that YHWH has already begun, for the psalmist can already see God separating the wicked from the righteous like chaff from wheat (v. 4).

The reference to nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous indicates that just as sinners will not endure God’s judgment so they will not ultimately be found in community with the righteous. God is in the process of separating between the righteous and the wicked now and will some day completely judge all the wicked and remove them from among the righteous. In the context of the Psalter as a whole the final righteous community will be Messiah’s community where all unrighteousness will be quickly and permanently done away with (cf. Ps 2).

There is only one way to be a part of the righteous community of Messiah and that is by attaching oneself to Messiah. The New Testament writers unequivocally referred to Jesus as the promised Messiah and that there is salvation in him and no one else (see John 14:6; Acts 4:11) and that it comes through faith in him (John 5:24; 1 John 5:11-13). Have you trusted Christ as your Savior?

III. The Contrast Completed (6)

1:6 For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of sinners will perish.

How is it that God can ensure the presence of a community of righteous people who know the “Torah” and keep it, and who separate themselves from those who have refused to obey YHWH? The answer is because he knows the way of the righteous, but the way of sinners will perish.

How is it that the psalmist can say that God knows the way of the righteous and seem to imply, at the same time, that he does not know the way of the wicked? Obviously, for the psalmist, God knows everything, so that what he means by knowing entails more than just mental assent to a fact. In that case he knows both the way of the righteous and the wicked. What the psalmist means, however, is that God is involved in caring for the righteous and enabling them to obey him and bear fruit. We saw that in the case of the tree in verse 3 which was deliberately transplanted and placed near a fresh water source. In a similar way, Jesus said God was a gardener who helped his children bear fruit (15:1-11; see also Phil 2:12-13). So God knows the way of the righteous in that he promotes their lives in accordance with his revealed will. This he does not do for the wicked.

Concerning the wicked, Anderson says:

Since the godless have no regard for the Law of God, God cannot have a real regard for their way, because the Law is the God-given guide to his people, and consequently those who reject that guidance also repudiate God’s concern for them, and thereby they cut the very ground from under their own feet.¹¹

Conclusion

Several principles for life can be garnered from this portion of God’s word. First, the psalmist says that there is a place where one can live where there is blessing. We do not all have to live without the sense of spiritual well being in our lives. Unfortunately, most of us do not really believe this to be true. Either we demand more from God than he has promised us in the present life (we want heaven now, immediately) or we ask him for nothing, believing all the time that our lot in life is to endure this present existence. But, if we sought to obey him we would find a sense of his presence hitherto unknown in our experience (cf. John 14:21).

Second, there is a place of blessing and spiritual vitality, but it does not come without a cost. If Jesus had to pay a cost to walk with God in this world, then so will we (cf. e.g., Heb 5:7-8). He said, “take up your cross daily and follow me (Luke 9:23). The cross was an instrument of suffering and death. The cost in this psalm involves turning from sin and those who lure us into it. This may lead to our being ridiculed at some level, whether it be only mild on the one hand, or sometimes even intense on the other. Persecution may result, but it is the price of blessing and walking with God according to his revealed will. Paul said that “everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12).

There is also the cost of not doing what we want, but when there is a conflict, doing what He commands instead. While there is a sense in which his commands are not burdensome for those with the Holy Spirit (1 John 5:3), they are nonetheless demands, that we struggle with at times—commands which involve our dying to ourselves so that others may live (cf. John 12:24). We do this in emulation of our savior who did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45; 2 Cor 4:5). The more our society is committed to the preservation of self, the more difficult it is to convince ourselves that God’s will, not our own, is the way to blessing. God help us.

Third, as Christians we need to be meditating on the truth of God as often as we can, day and night if you will (cf. Col. 3:16). Again, scripture memory is exceedingly helpful in this regard. The more we meditate on God’s truth the more we delight in it. The less we do so, the less we enjoy it. We are not just referring here to knowing a lot about the Bible. Such a goal is rather easy to accomplish. We are, instead, talking about thinking hard about the truth of God and how it applies to my life. The goal of meditation is to know God better and to apply his word to our lives. This reaches well beyond just knowing facts about the Bible. It calls us to trust the God of the Bible.

Fourth, growth in character and righteousness takes time. The psalmist says that the tree will bear fruit in its season, perhaps not right away. We have to be patient and continue to maintain an honest and pure heart as well as commit ourselves to doing what is right. Paul said it this way: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” The harvest Paul is referring to is a harvest of righteousness.

Fifth, there is a cost at the present time for those who engage in wickedness and there will be a cost to pay in the future as well. At the present time men and women do experience the wrath of God as Paul discussed in Romans 1:18-32. In the future men and women who have not trusted Christ as savior will be permanently separated from God. The good news in the book of Romans and indeed the entire NT is that God’s wrath has been completely satiated by the sacrifice of Christ and anyone who trusts in Christ can be forgiven for his/her sin and moved out from under the judgment of God into the sphere of his blessing.

Finally, for those who love the Lord and want to live a life pleasing to him, they need to know that God is the one who will keep them to the end and present them in his presence blameless and free from accusation (Jude 24-25). Jesus said, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:28). We know that “the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.”

1 For more information on the structure, background, purpose, etc. of the Psalms, see Andrew E. Hill and John H. Walton, A Survey of the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1991), 274-285.

2 Peter C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50, Word Biblical Commentary, ed. John D. W. Watts, vol. 19 (Waco, Texas: Word Books, Publisher, 1983), 59.

3 For further comment on the nature and placement of the first two psalms, see Leopold Sabourin, The Psalms: Their Origin and Meaning (New York: Alba House, 1974), 371-72.

4 Mortimer J. Adler, Ten Philosophical Mistakes (New York: Collier Books, 1985), 131.

5 This is not to say that there is no difference in the degree of sin outlined in the three descriptions, but only that the point has more to do with the various circumstances in which one is tempted to sin. For a different view see Sabourin, Psalms, 372.

6 A. Dupont-Sommer, The Essene Writings from Qumran, trans. G. Vermes (Gloucester, MA: Peter Smith, 1973), 85.

7 Craigie, Psalms, 61.

8 See Allen P. Ross, “Psalms,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary, ed. John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 1:791.

9 Craigie, Psalms, 61.

10 A. A. Anderson, The Book of Psalms: 1-72, The New Century Bible Commentary, ed. Ronald E. Clements, vol. 1 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1972), 62.

11 Anderson, Psalms 63.

Psalm 19

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Natural Revelation

God reveals himself through his world, through nature.
Verse 1 and 2 mentions the heavens, the day, night, etc. He says that they are telling of God's glory, but then he adds in verse 3 that they do this without actual speech.
Verse 4 shows us that natural revelation reaches every place on earth, therefore it reaches every person.
I think the imagery in verse 5 is saying that natural revelation is dominating and powerful. It cannot be ignored. You have to respond to it. Romans 1:18 echoes that. We will discuss that passage later.
Verse 6 shows us that nobody escapes the sun. Even if you are blind and cannot see it, you still feel the heat. Although it has no voice (vs 3), people still experience it. And you've got to ask the question, "How did it get there?" The story is told of a Mayan king who worshipped the sun until he realized that the sun couldn’t be god because it was sometimes hidden by the clouds. It made him wonder who was god.
Notice how Ps 19 says the heavens are telling his glory. This is present tense for us. Special revelation, Scripture, has ceased, but the natural revelation continues. We can receive natural revelation fresh, daily.

There are two ways we receive natural revelation.

1. Appreciation

The first way is appreciation for what God has made.

Illustration: There is something about getting off a ski lift in the Rockies or the Swiss Alps, turning around and experiencing the breathtaking view from what seems to be the top of the world, or walking along the beach alone early in the morning as the sun is coming up over the ocean, or scuba diving in the Caribbean with thousands of multi-colored fish swimming around you ... that causes us to say, “There’s got to be more than me -- a designer of all this variety, a designer of all this beauty, a designer of life. When we notice things like that and pause to think about them, we are experiencing natural revelation.

Application: The question we need to ask ourselves is this: "Have I received any revelation today?" You can receive and experience natural revelation first hand. Notice it said, "there is no speech nor are there words." It is all non-verbal communication. It is visual. What we need to do is to stop and smell the roses.

2. Observation

The second way we receive natural revelation is through studying what God has made. This is the human observation of natural events. Scientists do this. Psychologists do this. Rush Limbaugh does it. Average people do this. All of them are capable of making true statements to describe a phenomenon. They also make mistakes.

Illustration: If an unbeliever is at a soccer game for six year olds and he sees the coach yelling at some child, and he says “that coach shouldn’t do that.” He has just made a value judgment. Is his value judgment true? Yes. Is it biblical? Yes. Did he get it from the Bible? No.

Application: What we must do is integrate our observations and the observations of others with Scripture. When a scientist announces a discovery or hypothesis, we must check it against Scripture. Just this week I heard that an anthropologist uncovered the missing link which proves that we evolved from African apes. I don’t believe him because Scripture says God created man.

When a psychologist makes a statement about human behavior, we don’t automatically accept it because he is a psychologist. In fact, many Christians would be likely to discount it automatically because he is a psychologist. I’ve been reading a book lately that bashes several popular Christian psychologists. The authors of the book are of the opinion that if a psychologist added 2+2 he would be incapable of ever coming up with the answer “4.” But that is not fair. Psychologists can discover truth. Not because of their system of psychology, but because they spend years observing people and discussing their problems. They are bound to begin recognizing certain patterns of behavior, styles of relating, etc. What we must do is check what the psychologist says against Scripture.

Spurgeon says, "We have a Bible which is large enough to be a perfect library, and which is also so compact that we can carry it about with us wherever we go." He is right. And I guarantee that you could find the same answer in Scripture that a Christian psychologist like James Dobson or Larry Crabb might give (assuming they are giving correct answers). But the Scriptures speak in condensed language. They do not speak exhaustively on everything.

For example: When God says in Jeremiah 2:13, “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.” That is a condensed, word picture of what is really going on. It is true. But does it describes me? Have I forsaken God? Larry Crabb has written that broken cisterns can be a person’s style of relating that he has developed to try to make life work. It might be manipulating people, or anger, or illegitimate relationships, or any number of things. If a Christian psychologist writes a book that describes all the “broken cisterns” that he has observed over the course of several years of counseling, it can be very helpful to recognizing sinful patterns in my own life. He has discovered truth. And I can benefit from his research.

“All truth is God’s truth” is a statement we have to understand. If something is true, it is true. We must check it against the special revelation of God to see if it is. That brings us to the next part of the Psalm.

Special Revelation
(19:7-9)

God reveals himself through his word. The psalmist gives six descriptions of the word of God. He mentions the law, the testimony of the Lord, the precepts, commandments, fear of the lord and the judgments of the lord.

The Law of the Lord (7a)

When he says “the law of the Lord” he may be referring just to the Mosaic law, which to the Jew was the central part of Scripture, or this could refer to all of Scripture. It is probably the latter. The Word of God is perfect because it is directed toward the well-being of man. It gives us comfort and encouragement. The law was not given to keep us from having fun. It was given for our own good. Sometimes, we don’t act like we believe that. But God loves people and what He has told us in His word is what is best for us. Satan on the other hand hates people. He wants to destroy them.

The Testimony of the Lord (7b)

Making wise the simple means it gives man a solid foundation and stability so that he is not easily led astray.

The Precepts of the Lord (8a)

The Commandment of the Lord (8b)

The precepts and the commandments refer to the precision and authority with which God addresses us. (Kidner)

They revive and refresh us, encourage us, etc. And just like nothing is hidden from the sun in God’s natural revelation, God’s Word enlightens us and reveals evil.

The Fear of the Lord (9a)

Ryrie says this is reverential trust in his footnotes. Kidner says it is the human response to God’s word. But Ross says it is a synonym for the law. (BKCOT) Keil and Delitsch say it is “the revealed way in which God is to be feared” - i.e. it is the religion of Yahweh. That is similar to what Ross says. I tend to agree with Ross because all the other items mentioned are about the law of the Lord. David is listing the attributes of the word of God. Isaiah 40:8 says, “The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand forever.” I don’t know if we can say that about subjective and fickle human emotions. And I think the response to the law starts in verse 10.¹

The Judgments of the Lord (9b)

God is fair. We often think that life is not fair. There is much injustice in the world, but it is a comfort to know that God is fair and will work it all out in the end.

Application
(19: 10-14)

The Response (10)

In verse 10 we see that the Scriptures are very valuable to David. Why is it, if David spent six verses talking about natural revelation and two verses talking about special revelation, that his response focuses on the special revelation? I think that is because natural revelation is designed to bring you to the recognition of the need for special revelation. Special revelation is more important. It is where our focus should be. We should look at the rest of the world through the lens of Scripture. If I can piggy-back on my previous illustration: It is ok to read someone like Larry Crabb sometimes, but don’t major on him. Major on the Scriptures.

David recognizes that God’s word is good for him. It is more desirable than gold because gold does not satisfy. You always think you need a little more. But through Scripture we can know God and have relationship with Him and that does satisfy.

The Reason (11)

Because the Word warns him of evil (11a)

In verse 11 David says, "by them (the precepts and commandments) is Thy servant warned."

Scripture warns us of our inherent evil - our sinfulness.
Scripture warns us of our condemnation and destination without God. It tells us what is coming in the future - judgment.
Scripture warns us of specific temptations and sins. It tells us what not to do.
Scripture warns us of our obligations. It tells us what we should do.

Because obeying the Word brings great reward (11b)

There is peace and pleasure in obedience.

No guilty conscience. When your conscience is bothering you, there is no place to hide and you are miserable. But if you have done right, then you can be at peace no matter what the circumstances.

Illustration: I read in one of Spurgeon's sermons of a martyr who was about to be burned at the stake. The sheriff who was to execute him expressed sorrow that he should persevere in his opinions, and compel him to set fire to the pile. The martyr answered, "Do not trouble yourself, for I am not troubling myself. Come and lay your hand upon my heart, and see if it does not beat quietly." His request was complied with, and he was found to be quite calm. "Now," said he, "lay your hand on your own heart and see if you are not more troubled than I am; and instead of pitying me, pity yourself."

I am also reminded of Stephen when he was being stoned. He knew he was right. He knew he was obeying God, and he was able to face death quietly.

There is benefit to your soul.

Spurgeon says, "it is the most healthful exercise to your spirit." Obeying the law means you love God and love people. The law is not designed just to be a list of rules. That is what many make it out to be. That is what the Pharisees turned it into, and that is why Jesus told parables about Good Samaritans, unforgiving servants, etc. When you love God and love people you have healthy relationships.

There is increase in divine knowledge.

John 7:17 says that we can't know the teaching of God if we aren't committed to doing his will. Christ challenged the Pharisees for not obeying the law and then condemning His teaching. Learning the Word is not an academic exercise. It is a matter of the heart.

There is reward in heaven.

Jesus mentions rewards nine times in the sermon on the mount. The parables of the talents and minas show that there will be rewards in heaven for faithful service. Paul talks about eternal rewards in 1Co 3 and Col 3.

Summary: The Word keeps us and we keep the Word.

The Request (12-13)

Acquit me of my hidden faults (12)

I think David is asking God to reveal those things about him that he does not recognize as sinful. I think that because his next request is for cleansing from presumptuous sins.

Spurgeon thought secret sins referred to those sins David committed in private that no one else saw. Spurgeon’s category seems fairly presumptuous to me. Spurgeon preached a sermon against secret sins in which he gave four characteristics which I will summarize:

The folly of secret sins is that God sees them.
The solemn guilt of secret sin is that you are a practical atheist. You are acting like God doesn’t exist.
The misery of secret sins is you live the miserable life of a hypocrite. A man who says, I am evil and doesn’t care has more peace than one who carries on secret affairs.
The danger of secret sin is that it is either discovered or it snowballs out of control. You can’t keep them secret.

The illustration he gave was of a person who said, “I’m just going to get drunk on Friday night at home where nobody can see me...” The problem is: God will see. You will feel guilty. and you may start drinking too much on other nights of the week.

Keep me from presumptious sins (13)

This is the attitude that I am above the laws of God. They don’t apply to me. I don’t care what the Bible says. Nothing bad will happen to me. We may not say it out loud, but our actions say it loudly. I think Spurgeon’s secret sins fit better into this category.

In the law there was provision for sins committed in ignorance, but not for willful sins. There was no sacrifice available. One could repent - like David did in Ps. 51 and plead for God’s mercy, but you couldn’t commit a sin on purpose, then go down and offer a sacrifice and have a clean slate. Therefore, David wanted God to restrain him from committing such sins.

It is interesting that this is exactly what the Catholic church was doing in Martin Luther’s day. They were selling indulgences (forgiveness papers) so that a person could go sin (on purpose) and then cash in his coupon and be forgiven. That was what started the Protestant reformation.

The Result (14)

David’s response should be my response. When he takes in the beauty of creation and understands the message of the special revelation, he is humbled and wants to:

Let the words of my mouth they echo vss 7-9 special revelation

and the meditation of my heart - that focuses on the natural revelation

be acceptable in Thy sight

My rock (something relating to natural revelation)

and my redeemer (something we can only have through special revelation)

See the consistency of thought throughout this poem. What a summary statement.

Message statement: Moved by the observation that the heavens, under the domination influence of the sun, declare the splendor of God's handiwork, the psalmist (by comparison) describes the dominating influence of the efficacious law of Yahweh which enlightens him, and then prays for complete cleansing so that his life will be acceptable before Yahweh.²

Psalm 19 describes
The communication process between God and man.³

God speaks to us on the left side of the diagram through his world and his word. We have called this natural revelation and special revelation.

We speak to God on the right side of the diagram. Our prayer is a response to His word, His special revelation. Our praise is a response to his world, His natural revelation. Of course we can also praise him for things we learned about Him from Hs word, but most of the praise in the Psalms is about God's work in creation.

Christ is central to this whole process. He is the Final revelation. He is our intercessor. We go to God through Him. We pray in Jesus' name. John 1: says that the light came into the world and was the light of men.... Jesus was the creator and has enlightened every man through creation (natural revelation) and he came in person (special revelation).

When Satan wants to attack this process and keep us from worshipping God, where does he start? Does he come into the church and have demons disrupt the service? Not usually. That would more than likely motivate Christians to stand strong against him. He is more subtle than that. Instead, he works on destroying the left side of the circle.

How has Satan attacked natural revelation? special revelation? Christ? God?

Evolution which attacks the general revelation. It says, God didn't make the world.
Rationalism, which says, God didn't write the Word. The Bible is not the truth. There is no truth. Relativism is closely related.
Liberalism, which says, Christ is not God.
Existentialism which goes so far as to say God is dead.

Satan knows that if he can cut off the left side of the diagram, he makes the right side ineffective because we have nothing to respond to. Proverbs 28:9 says, “When one will not listen to the law, even one's prayers are an abomination.” If I'm not listening to the left side, my prayer is an abomination to Him. If we aren’t taking in the Word, we won’t even pray except when we want something. Our prayer is to be a dialogue, not a monologue of requests. So, if we aren't taking it in, there is static on the line. That is the connection between the Word and prayer.

What is the connection between the world and praise?

Romans1:18-21 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of those who by their wickedness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made. So they are without excuse; for though they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their senseless minds were darkened. (NRSV)

Romans 1:18f shows us the connection and what happened. They weren't thankful. Why? They took God out of his position and they had no one to left to honor or praise.

That is why Satan has been so subtle by working on the left side of the diagram. He has given men a theory to hold to that is very popular and gives them a way to deny God's existence and their ultimate responsibility to Him.

If we take away the left side of the diagram but continue with the right side, if we continue with the prayer and praise, we end up with religion. All we have is ritual and manufactured worship. If there is no revelation, then all you have is religion. Man trying to reach God by his own method.

Illustration of religion:

Catholics using the rosary and repeating ‘Hail, Marys.’
Denominations where people don’t typically take their bibles to church, they just promote a social gospel. What is important to them is doing good things for people. They have homosexuals come to talk to the youth group about aids and deny belief in Jesus.

If you take away the left side of the diagram, you end up inventing your own praise and praying however you think best. How do you know that God listens? If you're not following God's plan and praying in response to the word of God, then that is like saying you don't care what God says, but you still want Him to listen to what you say. God is not just a tape recorder in which you record your prayers.

Summary

Appreciation for God’s creation should lead to praise, worship, etc.
We can learn truth outside of Scripture through the observation of God’ creation. But we must check it against Scripture.
Scripture reveals our weaknesses and God’s glory. Our response should be that God make us clean and acceptable to Him so that we can worship and praise Him.

1 I like Kidner’s comments though, Law and testimony are the comprehensive terms for God’s revelation. Precepts and commandments indicate the precision and authority with which He addresses us, while fear, or reverence, emphasizes the human response fostered by His word. Ordinances, or judgments are the judicial decision he has recorded about various human situations. Psalms, p. 99.

2 Dave Malick’s notes.

3 Adapted from typical excursion by Mark Bailey in Gospels class.

Related Topics: Theology Proper (God), Revelation

Psalm 30

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1. The term yntyld is probably being used figuratively in Psalm 30:2, given its use in other contexts. It is used in Ex. 2:16,19 to literally refer to drawing water from a well. It is used in a figurative sense in Proverbs 20:5: it refers to a "man of understanding being able to draw out the purposes which come from the deep waters of another man's heart." The term is used in one other obscure passage (Prov. 26:7; BDB says it also occurs in Exodus 2:6, but I was unable to find it in BHS). It does seem that it literally refers to drawing water and therefore in this context it can be regarded as figuratively referring to God drawing the psalmist up out of the reach of his enemies.

Perhaps the psalmist in his use of this particular term, wanted his readers to see his enemies as waters in which he was going to drown, until God lifted him out. (This would parallel the account of Moses being drawn out of the river and delivered from his enemy, Pharaoh.)

2. I think the term is being used literally here. The psalmist seems to indicate that the result of God healing him was physical well being instead of literal death (v. 3, 9). It appears that the term is used of physical healing in other places in the Psalms as well. Psalm 6:3 seems to be a prayer that God would physically heal the psalmist for he says that "his bones are in agony" and that death is a possibility if YHWH does not intervene. Psalm 41:5, because of the mention of the "sickbed" in verse 4, seems to refer to physical healing. (The fact that the psalmist's enemies thought he had a vile disease seems to further support a literal understanding of apr in this context,
cf. v. 9). Psalm 103:3 and 107:20 seem to speak to this end as well. One of the problems in being certain about these conclusions, seems to stem from the fact that the Hebrews held the ideas of God physically healing a person and their being restored to right relation to God as almost one in the same idea (cf. Jn 9:2). From my limited study of the Old Testament and the Psalms in particular, this seems to be the case.

3. The term ydrym should be parsed as a Qal infinitive construct from dry "go down" with a 1 c. s. suffix and the prefixed preposition /m!. The NASB takes the phrase rob ydrym as a negative modal idea, i.e. "that I should not go down to the pit." (The NASB sees the 1 c.s. suffix as a subjective genitive and the negative idea as coming from the prefixed preposition.) The preposition /m! is being used to express a "negative consequence, lit. away from..., i.e. so as not to, so that not." The evidence for the infinitive reading is as follows: multi manuscripts (mlt; perhaps 20); Aquila (a v); Symmachus (s v); the Targum (); Jerome (Hier; Hieronymus) as well as (ut) the Q^er (Q).

The term yd@r=oYm should be parsed as a G active ptcp m.p. construct from dry "go down." The NASB margin translates the term as "Thou hast kept me alive...from among those who go down into the pit." The textual evidence to support the participle is as follows: the Ketib (K); the LXX; Theodotian (q v); oJ JEbrai`o" Origenis (o ebr v) and the Syriac version.

4. The NIV and NASB versions translate the term <yYj as "lifetime." Perhaps they do this to bring out the contrast between ugr and <yYj. In other words, NIV and NASB see a merism (i.e. between <yYj and ugr) and they are trying to bring the force of it out. BDB understands the word here to refer to as "life: as consisting of earthly felicity combined (often) with spiritual blessedness." The TNK and the REB translate the term as "life" as well.

There is contextual support for taking the term as physical "life." The psalmist has just said that God has lifted him out of a deadly situation (v.1 Eng.); that God had healed him (v. 2; given the likelihood that physical healing is in view here) and that God had literally kept him alive (v.3). This would tend to support the TNK and REB's understanding of the term. Because of: 1) the contextual evidence; 2) the fact that according to BDB the term means "life" in many passages in the psalms and elsewhere, and 3) the fact that BDB does not seem to say that the term <yYj refers to a length of time per se (at least not with out yn@v=), but rather qualitatively to life itself, I tend to lean toward "life" as the best translation.

5. BDB says that bru suggests the ending of the day and rqb suggests the ending of night. This literal usage would form the basis for BDB's understanding of the figurative use: "bright joy after a night of distress" (BDB lists Ps. 30:6 twice, once conforming to a literal use and once to indicate a figurative use). The point seems to be that the night symbolizes "weeping" which is a result of God's anger and the morning or dawn of a new day symbolizes "joy" which comes as a result of God's favor.

A. A. Anderson seems to think this phrase suggests the suddenness of God's help (NCBC). Craigie, following N. Airoldi, suggests that night symbolizes the experience of anger and the breaking of dawn symbolizes deliverance or salvation (p. 254). Perowne says that "just as the sun in Eastern lands, without any long prelude of twilight to announce his coming, leaps as it were in a moment above the horizon, so does the light of God's love dispel in a moment the long night and darkness of sorrow." The ideas of Both Anderson and Perowne do not seem to fit really well here. The focus is not on the speed of the sunrise, but on the fact that joy is to be equated with daytime and weeping with the night. I agree more with Craigie here, except for the idea of resurrection.

6. The term arqa should be parsed as a Qal impf 1 c.s. fr. arq "call." The term /Njta should be parsed as a Hithp. impf 1 c.s. fr. /nj "make supplication, seek favor." Verses 10 and 11 were first spoken by the psalmist at some point in the past, when there was imminent threat of death, and therefore, the imperfects should be translated as futures (i.e. in the past this is what the psalmist was going to pray in light of his problems). This line of reasoning is based primarily on the fact that v.9 is introducing vv. 10, 11 and chronologically prior to the thoughts expressed in them.

7. BDB says that ymd is figurative referring to death. They base this on the fact that ymd is parallel to tjv la ytdrb ("down to the pit," where pit=grave).

The noun rpu, according to BDB, is figurative as well referring to death (779).

8. The parallel term to hjmc is lojml ("dancing" = metonymy of effect for cause ["joy"]). Since "joy" is not a physical thing such as sack cloth, it must be being used figuratively here.

9. BDB says that dobk is equivalent here to "my honour" referring poetically to the seat of honour in the inner man, the noblest part of man. They feel that it parallels the idea of "my soul" (yvpn). In the case of Ps 30:13 the dobk of the psalmist "is called upon to sing." Grammatically BDB sees dobk as the subject of JrMzy.

The NIV is assuming the ydbk variant. BDB suggests that it be translated as "my liver." If this be taken figuratively, since according to BDB the liver is often regarded figuratively as the seat of strong emotions (p. 458; cf. also Lam. 2:11), then the psalmist would in effect be saying that his innermost being sings fervently to God (Note: ydbk as well as dbk, both masculine singular nouns would fit grammatically with the 3 m.s. imperfect JrMzy.)

Outline of the Psalm

Summary of the Psalm

The psalmist praises God who answered his cry for mercy, delivering him from death and humiliation before his enemies.

Summary of Each Major Part

I. The psalmist praises God for delivering him from death (1-3).

A. The psalmist praises God for lifting him out of the depths and not allowing his enemies to gloat over him (1).

B. The psalmist called to God for help and He answered (2).

C. God spared the life of the psalmist (3).

II. The psalmist summarizes his praise to God by calling all the saints to praise God because ( yK!, v.6 BHS) His anger is short-lived while His favor brings life (4, 5).

A. The psalmist calls upon all God's saints to praise Him (4).

B. The psalmist says that God's anger lasts only for a moment, as do tears of sorrow, but that his favor brings life and joy (5).

III. The psalmist reports on how God delivered him from his enemies when he cried out to God for mercy (6-10).

A. The psalmist states that he felt secure and impenetrable (6).

B. The psalmist claims that he felt firm when God favored him, but dismayed during his struggles (7)

C. The psalmist recounts how he cried out to God for mercy, pleading the logic of his case as one who if dead could not praise God (8-10).

IV. The psalmist returns again to praise God and acknowledge that God delivered him from such great sorrow so that he might sing praises to Him (11-12b).

A. The psalmist acknowledges that it was God who turned his mourning into joy (11).

B. The psalmist realizes that God delivered him so that he might praise Him (12a).

V. The psalmist renews a vow to give thanks to God forever (12b).

Note: Section IV and V, according to my understanding of the form of thanksgiving psalms, are usually reversed: Section IV would be a renewed vow and section V, further praise or instruction.

Applicational Idea

We should cry out to God for mercy and help when we face difficult struggles

Greg Herrick graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary with the Th.M. in 1994 and is working on his Ph.D. Greg and his wife are transplanted Canadians living with their four children in North Texas.

Related Topics: Suffering, Trials, Persecution, Comfort

In Memory of Wougger (Doug Orr)

March 15, 2002

Editor’s note: This eulogy was semi-delivered at Doug Orr’s memorial service, held at Mariner’s Church in Newport Beach, CA, on March 16, 2002. Doug was a friend of Dan Wallace’s in high school.

I was a student at CdM [Corona del Mar] my last two years of high school, transferring from cross-town rival, Harbor High. When I went out for football, I was stunned to see on the practice field this tall, awkward four-eyed kid that everybody called “Wougger.” He didn’t belong there, I thought. He was slow, uncoordinated, and lacking in both strength and attitude (football is not for nice guys). It was obvious that he had some sort of physical malady that made him the way he was. And that was enough for me to write him off. He just didn’t belong on a football field. But as we went through two-a-days, and scrimmages, and fundamentals, and runs up “the Hill,” I would often look around to see if Wougger was still there. He was. To be sure, he always brought up the rear, but he was there. I thought for sure that he’d throw in the towel any day now. But he didn’t… so I didn’t. I’ve never seen anyone with as big a heart as Wougger had. Just today I learned from John Moody that Doug Orr had been invited by Coach Holland to join the varsity team—and that this invitation turned Doug’s life around.

That was remarkable insight on Dave Holland’s part, because Doug Orr became the heart and soul of our team. If you’ve ever seen the film “Rudy” you know what I’m talking about. Wougger was the Rudy of the Sea Kings. And, like Rudy, Doug got into the game one time his senior year, and that was enough. His whole life, and our whole team—that magical bond that young men can forge with each other—was summed up in that one play. (It was the last play of a particular game; the quarterback fell back and tossed a pass, trying desperately to score. Wougger had his hands up, trying desperately to block the pass. The ball actually hit him on the helmet and bounced harmlessly away. At 6’ 4”, one can see why Wougger’s helmet blocked the pass! This was an unlikely act of heroism by an unlikely hero, but it was vintage Wougger. The team cheered, Wougger beamed; the game was over, and CdM won.) My senior year at Corona was the best season our school had had; it was the first season we ever beat an Anaheim school. And Wougger was, in a very real sense, the inspiration behind it all. He symbolized our place in life: we were the Cinderella at the ball, the unlikely candidate for glory who got it—not because of ability, but because of heart and loyalty and perseverance.

I wept when I got the news of Wougger’s death today. I had seen him only once since high school, at the 30^th anniversary of our high school graduation in August 2000. Unlike many of us, he hadn’t changed! He was the same old lovable Wougger. And it seemed like only a few days had passed since I had seen him last. I learned this week that he has been the voice of CdM football and basketball—or, as Rich Kredel called him, the Chick Hearn of the Sea Kings—for the past several years. It didn’t surprise me. Wougger loved Corona, and gave his heart and soul to the school when he was a student there. Announcing games was just an extension of this love affair.

Last night, I took a long walk with two of my boys. We talked about the implications of Jesus’ statement, “to the one whom much is given, much will be required” (Luke 12.48). I told them, “God expects you to play the cards you’ve been dealt. Some people are smart, good-looking, athletic, and capable of multitasking. Others have none of these abilities. But God expects you to be faithful.” That was Wougger; Doug was faithful to use the gifts God had given him—to the max! Frankly, I don’t know anyone who has lived up to his potential as much as Wougger did.

But more important than all his perseverance, all his positive attitude toward life, all his dogged determination, Doug embraced him who is Life. Jesus declared, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14.6). The great truth of the gospel is that there is eternal life awaiting those who trust only in Jesus Christ’s righteousness to save them from their sins. No amount of good works, of perseverance, of positive attitude, of dogged determination has any merit before the holy God who must—because of his holiness—judge all sin. But God has judged sin by sending his own Son to die in our place; he has paid the price that no man can afford. And his resurrection from the dead is God’s receipt for a bill completely paid. When Jesus cried out on the cross, “It is finished,” he used a word that was often written on business documents in the ancient world. It meant “paid in full.” My friend, Doug Orr, knows this well, because he is now basking in the presence of his Lord and Savior. There can be no doubt that the Sovereign of the Universe, that man from Galilee, has already told his child, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”

A Basic Introduction To The Day Of The Lord In The Old Testament Writing Prophets

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June 10, 2002

The following study will examine various references to the Day of the Lord in the Old Testament writing prophets, and argue that the frequent collocation¹ was elastic in nature, diverse in scope, and varied with respect to timing. This conclusion will be drawn in response to three key questions that affect the nature, scope, and timing of the Day of the Lord. With respect to its nature, did the Day of the Lord emphasize God’s judgment, blessing, or both? Regarding scope, did the Day of the Lord primarily affect Israel, the surrounding Gentile nations, or an even broader entity? In reference to timing, did the Day of the Lord refer to a past, imminent, or eschatological event, or is it possible that multiple chronologies were in view? Following an examination of these questions, the study will conclude with a summary of common characteristics that can be ascribed to the Day of the Lord.

The Nature of the Day of the Lord

The Day of the Lord is clearly characterized by a pouring out of divine wrath on God’s enemies (Joel 2:1-2; Amos 5:18-20; Zech 1:14-15). Imagery of natural disaster, devastating military conquest, and supernatural calamity is connected to Day of the Lord references.²

On the other hand, the day is also characterized by a pouring out of divine blessing upon God’s people (Isa 4:2-6; 30:26; Hos 2:18-23; Joel 3:9-21; Amos 9:11-15; Mic 4:6-8; Zeph 2:7; Zech 14:6-9). Thus, while divine judgment is certainly a prominent theme in the Day of the Lord, it is only part of the picture.³

The dual nature of the Day of the Lord is further illumined by its purposes. The writing prophets describe the Day of the Lord as coming so that people might turn from idols (Isa 2:18, 20) and turn to Yahweh (Joel 2:12-14).⁴ Those recognizing the severity of the day will cry for God’s mercy (Joel 2:17), call on the name of the Lord to be saved (Joel 2:32), and seek refuge in the Rock (Isa 2:21). All of the above purposes highlight the blessing of this day for those who have responded appropriately. Ultimately, all the nations will recognize Yahweh in that day (Joel 3:17), but then it will be too late for those destined to destruction and death (Zeph 2:12-14). The example of the nations provides a clear picture of the dark side to this same day that is a blessing for others.

In sum, an accurate presentation of the Day of the Lord requires us to recognize that the day has two sides to its nature. Sometimes one side is prominent, sometimes the other. This should not come as a surprise to those who know the nature of the God who is behind the nature of the day. If the Day of the Lord is ultimately a demonstration of God’s sovereign rule, we would expect to see both wrath and blessing simultaneously.

The Scope of the Day of the Lord

In light of the fact that the Day of the Lord has a duality to its nature and purpose, it is natural to assume that its scope will encompass the diversity of peoples affected by both the side that brings blessing and the side that brings judgment. Indeed, the Day of the Lord was connected to the judgment pronounced upon Babylon (Isa 13:1, 6, 9, 13), Edom (Isa 34:8), Egypt (Jer 46:10; Ezek 30:3), and the Philistines (Jer 47:4). Obadiah expands the individual references to peoples and announces that the Day of the Lord will bring corporate judgment to all of the nations (15). Isaiah broadens the scope of judgment even further, describing calamity that will fall upon the entire earth on the consummate Day of the Lord (13:10-13). This increasing scope suggests that judgment is not only directed toward particular peoples or even the collective nations, but toward evil in general. Thus, the Day of the Lord is properly spoken of as bringing judgment to evil wherever it may be found in fallen creation.

Since the Day of the Lord involves both judgment and blessing, we would expect to see a development of the scope of blessing in a manner similar to the scope of judgment. Indeed, references to blessing expand from David’s kingdom (Amos 9:11-15), Zion (Isa 4:2-6), and all of Judah (Zeph 2:7), to the entire earth (Zech 14:6) and its creation (Isa 11:1-10; Hos 2:18). The Day of the Lord not only has a diverse nature, but that nature accordingly affects diverse categories of God’s creation.

The Timing of the Day of the Lord

By virtue of its diversity the Day of the Lord is not properly viewed as a one-time event, and technical force should be assigned to the phrase with caution.⁵ Nevertheless, even when one recognizes multiple referents for the phrase, distinguishing a given referent’s precise timing remains difficult.

Past references to the Day of the Lord emphasized God’s sovereign judgment over the nations. Assyria was raised up to judge the northern kingdom of Israel in the eighth century BCE (Amos 5:18, 20), Babylon was raised up to judge the southern kingdom of Judah in the seventh and sixth centuries BCE (Lam 1:12; 2:1, 21-22; Ezek 7:19; 13:5; Zech 1:7-13; 2:2-3), Babylon was raised up once more to judge Egypt in the sixth century BCE (Jer 46:10; Ezek 30:3), and Medo-Persia was raised up to judge Babylon shortly thereafter (Isa 13:6, 9). Determining the fulfillment of past references to the Day of the Lord is a relatively easy task.

Future references to the Day of the Lord are not difficult to locate. However, determining whether those referents point toward an imminent or eschatological event from the vantagepoint of the writer is another matter. Some descriptions are clearly eschatological. Isaiah (2:10-22; 34:1-8), Obadiah (15), Joel (3:1-16), and Zechariah (14:1-3, 12-15) all describe judgments, which will affect the entirety of nations simultaneously. Since no such collective judgment has occurred up to the present, these references to the Day of the Lord must be yet future. On the other hand, the Day of the Lord is described with the imminent terms “near” (Isa 13:6; Ezek 30:3; Joel 1:15; 3:14; Obad 1:15; Zeph 1:7) and “coming” (Isaiah 13:9; Joel 2:1; Zeph 1:14). It would seem somewhat problematic that five different prophets spanning four different centuries would continue to refer to the Day of the Lord in such terms, especially in light of the fact that latter prophets were most certainly aware of earlier ones. In other words, how near can “near” be if the day had not arrived in over four hundred years from the time of its first mention? This very question has led some scholars to suggest that the prophets viewed the Day of the Lord with “bifocal vision,” allowing them to see both historical and eschatological fulfillments at once.⁶

Interestingly, both imminent and eschatological aspects of the Day of the Lord are found in close proximity in the Book of Joel. The phrase “Day of the Lord” was used to describe the plague of locusts that destroyed crops and resulted in famine (Joel 1:15-20), as well as the imminent invasion of powerful armies (Joel 2:1-11).⁷ However, if one reads the celestial changes in Joel 3:14-16 literally,⁸ then Joel also refers to the Day of the Lord as an eschatological event. If read in this manner, chapter three functions as a climax to Joel’s prophecy, telescoping from the immediate (and escalating) events of chapters one and two to the far, eschatological event of chapter three. Some may question the validity of telescoping from a near to a far event without regard for events in between, but prophetic telescoping may legitimately be credited to ignorance on the part of the writer. God only provided that information which was necessary for the writer to know—nothing more and nothing less.

Regardless of the reasons for prophetic telescoping, contextual evidence strongly suggests that it is a common feature of Old Testament prophecy. With respect to the Day of the Lord, its continual unfolding in biblical history combined with its clear future element sets up the former as a precursor to the latter in an “already/not yet” fashion. Past events worthy of the designation “Day of the Lord” provided a taste of things to come, and provide continued opportunity for repentance before arrival of the day.

Summary of Common Characteristics Ascribed to the Day of the Lord

Diversified use of the collocation “Day of the Lord” suggests that emphasis does not belong as much to timing⁹ as to essence. The Day of the Lord constitutes a repeated event that will find ultimate eschatological fulfillment in the future. However, the diversity found in chronology is held together by the common characteristics that each Day of the Lord possesses.

It should be remembered that the Hebrew term <oy (“day”) signaled an important event in the Jewish mindset,¹⁰ hinting at divine intervention in human history¹¹ with particular attention to God’s rule over the earth. It should be further noted that all non-eschatological references to the Day of the Lord included the use of human instruments and activity to accomplish divine purposes, and this points to a distinguishing feature of the eschatological Day of the Lord. It has been previously noted that the “already/not yet” tension seen in historical/eschatological references to the Day of Lord is building toward an ultimate, climactic fulfillment. In this respect, the consummate, eschatological Day of the Lord finds similarity with those days that have gone before, but it is decidedly different in that the hand of Messiah and not primarily human instruments carries out divine purpose.¹²

This heightening of previous themes leads to the significant theological observation that the eschatological Day of the Lord represents an event in which human hands can play no part—the ultimate and permanent undoing of evil, and the lasting transformation and redemption of that which has been ravished by sin. This day is a picture of God’s ultimate triumph, and an unmistakable declaration of his prevailing justice. The ultimate purpose of this day perfectly reflects the dual nature of the days leading up to it, with the warning for some to repent and encouragement for others to persevere (cf. 1 Cor 1:8). The Day of the Lord is certainly a terrible day of judgment for some, but for others, it is the means to purification and renewed blessing that will surely ensue once the dust has settled.

Bibliography

Burge, G.M. “Day of Christ, God, the Lord.” In Evangelical Dictionary of Theology. Edited by Walter A. Elwell. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1984.

Caird, G. B. The Language and Imagery of the Bible. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1980.

Chisholm, Robert B., Jr. From Exegesis to Exposition: A Practical Guide to Using Biblical Hebrew. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1998.

“Day of the Lord.” In Dictionary of Biblical Imagery. Edited by Leland Ryken, James C. Wilhoit, and Tremper Longman III. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1998.

Glenny, W. Edward. “The Israelite Imagery of 1 Peter 2.” In Dispensationalism, Israel and the Church: The Search for Definition. Edited by Craig A. Blaising and Darrell L. Bock. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1992.

Hiers, Richard. “Day of the Lord.” In The Anchor Bible Dictionary. 6 vols. Edited by David Noel Freedman. New York: Doubleday, 1992.

Martens, Elmer. “Day of the Lord, God, Christ, the.” In Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology. Edited by Walter A. Elwell. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1996.

Witherington, Ben, III. Jesus, Paul and the End of the World. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1992.

¹A study of the expression “Day of the Lord” should also take into account the synonymous expressions found in the Old Testament. The Hebrew collocation hw`hy+ <oy (“day of the Lord”) is easily identified fourteen times in the writing prophets (Isa 13:6, 9; Joel 1:15; 2:1, 11; 3:4; 4:14; Amos 5:18 [twice], 20; Obad 1:15; Zeph 1:7, 14 [twice]; Mal 3:23), but similar collocations such as hw`hy+ <oyB= (“on the day of the Lord”; Ezek 13:5), hw`hyl^ <oy (“the Lord has a day”; Isa 34:8; Ezek 30:3), toab*x= hw`hyl^ <oy (“the Lord of Hosts has a day”; Isa 2:12; 22:5) and hw`hy+-[a^ <oy (“the day of the anger of the Lord”; Lam 2:22) must also be considered. See Richard Hiers, “Day of the Lord,” in The Anchor Bible Dictionary, 6 vols., ed. by David Noel Freedman (New York: Doubleday, 1992) 2:83.

²It seems logical that the nature of the Day of the Lord would emerge from its conceptual origins. Though some have suggested a conceptual link with the day of divine rest following creation, cultic ritual (e.g., a king’s enthronement), or Israel’s troubled history, the use of battle imagery in connection with the phrase suggests a potential link with the conquest of Canaan (cf. Deut 1:30; 3:22; Josh 5:13-15; 6:2). This would certainly highlight the element of judgment experienced by some, but for others the outcome of battle meant newly acquired blessing.

³Ben Witherington III, Jesus, Paul and the End of the World (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1992) 148.

⁴Interestingly, Joel’s call to repentance takes the standard prophetic form of an appeal attached to a motivating argument (usually in the form of a promise or threat). Joel’s appeal in 1:12-13a is followed by a motivating argument that appeals to God’s gracious character in 1:13b, and potential mercy and blessing in 1:14. See Robert B. Chisholm, Jr., From Exegesis to Exposition: A Practical Guide to Using Biblical Hebrew (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1998) 183.

⁵G. M. Burge, “Day of Christ, God, the Lord,” in Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, ed. by Walter A. Elwell (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1984) 147.

⁶E.g., G. B. Caird, The Language and Imagery of the Bible (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1980) 259.

⁷There is some question as to whether the reference to an army in 2:11 is to be understood as a powerful military brigade or a figurative reference to the locusts of 1:15-20. Joel 2:25 makes reference once again to locusts, so some have argued that a literal swarm of locusts have been in view all along. Though the view which reads a literal swarm of locusts through all of chapters one and two finds support in curses leveled for abandoning the Mosaic covenant (cf. Deut 28:38-39), it is also true that multiple punishment is one of the curse types (cf. Lev 26:18, 21, 24, 28). In other words, it may be possible that the outbreak of locusts was the harbinger of an even greater catastrophe (i.e., military invasion) to come. Indeed, the Assyrian armies under Sennacherib in 701 BCE or the Babylonian armies under Nebuchadnezzar in the 590’s and 580’s would have carried the destructive potential depicted by Joel. Regardless of the manner in which one interprets the reference to an army in 2:11, this unmistakable sign of God’s judgment was clearly a past event worthy of the designation “Day of the Lord.”

⁸In addition, Joel’s use of imagery seems to anticipate several New Testament texts (Matt 13:41-43, 49-50; 24:37-41; 25:31-46; 2 Thess 1:9; Rev 14:17-20). Clearer allusions are found in the collocations “that day” (Matt 7:22; 1 Thess 5:4), “day of God” (2 Pet 3:12), “day of wrath” (Rom 2:5-6), and “day of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Cor 1:14; Phil 1:6, 10). In both anticipation and allusion, the same day produces a certain terror for the unbeliever and a joy for those who know the Lord behind the day.

⁹Indeed, the collocation “Day of the Lord” is used by the prophets to describe any period of time in which God intervenes to save or judge. See “Day of the Lord,” in Dictionary of Biblical Imagery, eds. Leland Ryken, James C. Wilhoit, and Tremper Longman III (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1998) 196.

¹⁰Burge, “Day of Christ, God, the Lord,” 295.

¹¹Elmer Martens, “Day of the Lord, God, Christ, the,” in Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, ed. by Walter A. Elwell (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1996) 146.

¹²This shared yet heightened theme is in keeping with general principles of typological fulfillment. W. Edward Glenny has identified three helpful guidelines for grounding typological interpretation in a careful handling of scripture: First, the type must be grounded in scripture and possess a solid historical foundation. Second, there must be a discernable pattern between the texts under consideration. Finally, a typological interpretation must manifest a heightening of meaning from the Old Testament to the New. See W. Edward Glenny, “The Israelite Imagery of 1 Peter 2,” in Dispensationalism, Israel and the Church: The Search for Definition, ed. by Craig A. Blaising and Darrell L. Bock (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1992) 158.

The Place of Greek and Hebrew in a Minister’s Education

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Editor's Note: Although the Professor's Soapbox has been up till now restricted to my own essays, when I came across this one I thought I should make an exception. Mike is one of my students, a former intern, and a good friend. His essay appeared in The Threshing Floor, a student publication of Dallas Seminary, on April 10, 1997 (the day I first learned that he had even worked on such a topic). What he has to say here could have been said by any number of students studying at one of the better seminaries in America. I say "better" because the worse seminaries have already capitulated: Greek and Hebrew are no longer part of their required curriculum. If there is to be another Reformation--and I think one is sorely needed--knowledge of and hunger for the biblical languages will again form a vital component in its formation. Rather than a reaction to the excesses of Roman Catholicism, the next Reformation will be a reaction, in part, to the anti-intellectualism that has infested and corrupted evangelical theology, evangelical ministry, and evangelical life. The few footnotes are my own addition. --Daniel B. Wallace

There is a growing tension upon the DTS campus that is affecting the whole direction of our school. It is not evident when you first arrive, but after being here for a few years the influence becomes unmistakable. It noticeably affects the attitudes of various students. The tension has even influenced whole departments and thus DTS as a whole. It is the tension between content and practice as it relates to the original languages of the Bible.

Traditionally, ministerial training in the United States was very rigorous academically. Think back to great men like Jonathan Edwards. Although obviously a highly gifted man, he was not very far from the norm. Ministers regularly knew Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, and they were trained to use their minds in the ministry as much as their hearts. However, with the advent of the second Great Awakening, the emphasis upon ministerial training began to change. The educational changes in the secular world also affected the Christian scene as traditional theories of education gave way to ideas that emphasized process and practice instead of content. Through these forces a subtle anti-intellectual emphasis entered Christianity. These changes show up today in the tension which is currently present on campus. Ministerial students everywhere as a rule no longer seek to learn the Biblical languages to the best of their ability. Instead they want to cut to the chase and learn how to do what they want to do with very little knowledge as a basis. First-hand knowledge of the Biblical text is left behind for the sake of practicality. Nowhere is this more evident at DTS than in the current tension. All Th.M. student have to take a minimum of five semesters of Greek and four semesters of Hebrew. Let’s be honest: this is hard stuff. It is not long before students are thinking to themselves that this really isn’t necessary. They devalue the content of the Greek or Hebrew language because it does not quickly or easily lead to a great sermon or flashy lesson. This conflict has even affected the required courses in various departments. In the past students had to take six semesters of Greek and five of Hebrew. The extra semesters got cut when alumni surveys stated that those extra semesters were unnecessary because no one used it anyway.¹ So even on the administrative level content has been sacrificed for practice, the “what” for the “how.”

Is the current trend toward an emphasis of practice over and against content good, especially when the content is the language in which the Bible was written? I would offer three arguments that say no: one practical, one ethical, and one theological. First, believe it or not, focusing primarily on practice when it comes to preaching, teaching, and ministering the scriptures is not good. It is recognized in almost every field of study that solid theory must undergird any type of practice. If the theory and content that is supposed to back up a discipline is not there, eventually the one that practices that discipline will fail. When a minister decides that the original languages are not important enough to study, master, and use regularly, he is cutting himself off from the best source of content and theory that he can ever get. These are the primary documents of Christian faith and practice. If the original languages are ignored, the minister destines himself for a ministry of second-hand knowledge. And that certainly is not practical. Second, as a person who professes to believe the truth of God’s word, a minister should do all he can to understand it and apprehend it. The last thing the world needs is ministers who simply preach and teach what they think they are supposed to preach and teach without knowing the accurate truth of the scripture. A minister compromises his integrity when he proclaims or teaches something he doesn’t know or understand to the best of his ability. The original languages are the primary tool by which a minister can search the scriptures and learn their truth as accurately as possible. English Bible may help us understand with 95% accuracy the truth of God’s word, but as ministers of integrity we should strive for 100% accuracy. Greek and Hebrew provide the key for that.² Third, when God made us as individuals, he made every part of us to love and serve him. We should love him with our hearts. We should love him with our strength. We should also love him with our minds. Loving God with our minds requires the full exercise of our minds in understanding and comprehending and probing the things of God. Since the Bible was originally written in Greek and Hebrew, the full exercise of our minds in his service requires the use of those languages. Most of the tension is found at this level. Students are unwilling to do the hard work necessary to use their minds as fully as they can. Yes, languages are very hard work. They demand much time and effort. However, the God who made us, loves us, and brought his Word to us deserves no less.

My plea to the students, faculty, and administration of DTS is to not sacrifice the content of our study on the altar of practicality. As ministers and people who love God with our hearts, souls, minds, and collective strength, let us be balanced in all that we do. Let us seek God’s truth through the original languages with every fiber of our being so our practice will be as effective as it can possibly be. Let us accomplish the task before us with every available tool, including Greek and Hebrew, so we will be ministers of complete integrity. Let us devote ourselves to the study of the scriptures with the languages so we will honor the God who brought them to us.

1 My reading of the alumni responses is a bit different. Admittedly, there was substantial attrition in the use of the biblical languages (especially Hebrew) among many graduates. This was implicitly viewed as a mandate to cut back on Greek and Hebrew. However, a different read on the data is more probable: there needs to be more Greek and Hebrew so that the graduates would feel comfortable in using these languages in their expository ministries.

2 I would personally set the percentages lower--for both English and the biblical languages. Even Greek and Hebrew cannot give us 100% accuracy. However, what the knowledge of the biblical languages can give is a more informed set of multiple choice options. Though this may be disillusioning to some, the alternative is uninformed ignorance.

Appendix 1: Thoughts on Ezekiel 2:8; 3:1-3, 14

Under the picture of the Word as our necessary food, these verses demonstrate the importance of God’s Word for motivation, courage and strength, and capacity for ministry. Living in and feeding on the Word, because it tunes our ear into God’s voice, produces the burden, the willingness, and the courage necessary for ministry regardless of our fears or the obstacles we face. Scripture brings us in touch with God Himself and with His heart.

In Ezekiel 2:8 and 3:1 “eat” is a fitting picture of feeding on God’s Word and filling our souls with His truth. This naturally leads to the ability to hear and follow the command.

After being told to eat, the prophet is told “go,” an apt picture of going or ministering according to the gifts and special leading of the Lord in any believer’s life. But if we aren’t feeding, we will not be listening, nor will we be in a position spiritually to follow the Lord.

Then the prophet is told, to “go to the house of Israel and speak my words to them.” This was God’s specific ministry and call for the prophet. It was God’s will for Ezekiel, but what about us both corporately and individually as believers today?

The impact of chapters 2 and 3 in Ezekiel may be lost on us because of an idea that is common in the church today, but one that is erroneous and that throws a wet blanket on the outreach of the church. Many would say this passage applies only to evangelists or pastors. The idea is that only such men have the call of God on their lives; these are the ministers of the Word. As a result, a large portion of the body of Christ excuse themselves from the ministry of evangelism or outreach.

In the church age every believer is a priest of God and called of God into full-time service of one sort or another according to their gifts. Furthermore, every believer is to do the work of evangelism, show mercy to others, help, give, and in general, do good works (Tit. 3:8, 14; 2 Tim. 4:5; 1 Peter 2:1-10; 4:10-11).

A Proper Response by Ezekiel (3:2)

“So” points us to Ezekiel’s response. In light of who is speaking and what the Scroll consists of (God’s Holy Word), the following is essential and logical—“I opened my mouth.” Revelation demands an adequate response. Opening the mouth portrays a teachable, hungry, and studious spirit.

“And He fed me …” Only God can ultimately feed us and make us understand the Word through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. But if we don’t open our mouths, if we aren’t hungry, and if we don’t make ourselves available, He can’t feed and strengthen us in the Word.

A Full Meal Deal (vs. 3)

God was telling Ezekiel to thoroughly digest and understand the message. To be a student of the Word. He was also telling him this message must saturate his life; he must become full of the message. But why?

We must know the message if we are going to be able to communicate it accurately. Recent statistics show the majority of Christians are biblically illiterate.
We must be absorbed with the Word if we are going to be willing and courageous to carry it to others and if we are going to be able to change our values, priorities, and thus, pursuits—if God’s burden is going to become ours. To be full of the Word is to be controlled by the Word, to have the mind of Christ.

Read carefully and reflectively on Ezekiel 3:3-15.

When we aren’t living in the Word and allowing it to saturate our hearts and minds, we will either fail to minister, or we will minister for the wrong reasons—and always without a sense of God’s purpose and without the joy of the Lord. Further, when we run into obstacles, and we always do, our tendency will be to run or throw in the towel. Ezekiel was given a very difficult task, but God’s Word in his heart fortified him and gave him the hardness to stand against the difficulties he faced (3:8-10).

In verse 14, we see the change that took place in the heart of Ezekiel brought about by the Word and the ministry of the Spirit of God. As he became associated with God’s message and God’s glory, he began to feel God’s righteous anger over Israel’s sin and stubborn rebellion.

Appendix 2: Exposition of Isaiah 55:1-3

The Invitation (vs. 1)

The context is that of the coming of the suffering servant of the Lord, the Messiah, and His all-sufficient work on the cross where He bore our sins in His body, where He was wounded for us, the innocent dying as a substitute for the guilty. Because of what Messiah has done, the offer of this passage can be made.

“Hey.” This particle is an emphatic way to get our attention.

“All.” This is a universal invitation. No one is exempt; it applies to all. It is available to all and all need it.

“Who are thirsty.” Thirsts indicates an intense desire, but also an intense need. It calls attention to the futility of life to really satisfy the innermost needs of man. This is an invitation to those who, experiencing the dryness of the world, are looking for something more and are open to the salvation of God.

“Come.” Three times this word is used to highlight God’s offer of salvation and of a life that is truly satisfying and meaningful. God says “come.” He says, “I have what you need and I want you to have it.”

Such an invitation first of all stresses that the needy one is not at the place of blessing or relief and he must make a decision and come to that place. Wherever he is now won’t cut it.
The nature of this invitation expresses the urgency of the matter. It is urgent because the longer a person delays, the harder it is to come and the less opportunity there is to come (see 55:6).
The invitation to come expresses the loving heart of God. God wants us to experience His love, comfort, and provision (Isa. 40:1).

“To the water.” This is emblematic of abundant blessing and of the fact that only the salvation of God as revealed in the person and work of Christ and the Word can truly satisfy the thirst and needs of man.

“You who have no money, come! Buy and eat! Come! Buy wine and milk without money and without cost!” What is this saying? How can one buy without money?

God’s offer is absolutely free. Neither money, power, position, nor prestige can purchase what God has to offer us. It is the free gift of His grace through the gift of His Son who purchased man’s redemption (Rev. 21:6; 22:17).

The word “buy” is used in the sense of acquire or get, but, as we are told, we may buy without money. The word “buy” is the Hebrew, shabar. It meant, “to break” and then, “to purchase.” It was used of grain as that which was broken in the mill, or of food which breaks hunger (compare our word breakfast for “break your fast”). So God calls us to not only to buy or acquire, but to eat. The idea here is get bread and eat.

As the next verses make clear, God is calling man to come, listen, and feed on the living Word which in turn will produce faith (Rom. 10:17). Peter, remember, tells us faith is more precious than gold which perishes (1 Pet. 1:7). Why? Because faith is the channel by which we acquire or obtain the salvation of God and its manifold blessings (Eph. 2:8, 9).

“Wine and milk.” God’s salvation and its blessings are portrayed under these two symbols. Wine was often used at special feasts and portrays the joy and exhilaration which God’s salvation brings. Milk portrays sustenance, that which nourishes and is nutritious and healthful.

The Call for Evaluation (vs. 2a)

By means of a question and through the prophet, the Lord calls upon us to see the futility of life and the efforts of people to find happiness or salvation apart from the free gift of His grace and a life lived out of the fullness of Christ through the Word where we can hear the voice of God.

“Spend.” This word literally means “weigh.” It referred to the counting out and weighing of silver or gold as the price paid for something.

“For something that will not nourish you.” Literally, the Hebrew says, “why do you weigh out money for the not-bread.” This is emphatic and dramatic. Bread is emblematic of the support of life or of whatever contributes to man’s support, happiness, and comfort. But in this regard, what man finds is really not-bread, it is futility. The Apostle Paul warns us against this same futility in a context that stresses the importance of the Word (Eph. 4:17).

The choice of the verb in Isaiah 55:2a and this negative noun, not-bread, dramatizes the difficulty and the futility of man’s ability to find or procure that which will supply his real needs apart from God and His plan (cf. Deut. 8:3).

“Why spend your hard-earned money on something that will not satisfy?” “Wages” is literally, “toil or labor.” Our wages are the result of our toil or work.

People are habitually weighing out what they have earned by toil for that which does not, in the final analysis, truly satisfy. Man, therefore, is left running on the gerbil wheel of fortune in hot pursuit of things—position, power, pleasure, possessions—looking for happiness in all the wrong places and things which are simply incapable of giving it. Is man ever satisfied with what he has? How much money is enough? More! How much pleasure? More! How much power? More!

Compare these verses: Proverbs 27:20; Ecclesiastes 1:8; 4:8; 5:10. There is a void in man which only God can fill, so we naturally have the next point in Isaiah 55.

A Call for Investigation (vss. 2b, 3a)

Verses 2b and 3a call us to an investigation of God’s Word, which, far in excess of the purest of gold, reveals and provides the real values of life.

“Listen carefully to me and eat …” Where do we listen to God? In His Word. The idea is, that by attending to God’s Word and by feeding upon its truth, men will find, without money or price, that which they were seeking at so much expense, toil, and pain. Finding and experiencing God’s truth will lead to resting in and enjoying the blessings of God’s covenant which offers salvation to all men with all its consequent blessings of life. Here and here alone is the source of real security, satisfaction, and significance in life.

Appendix 3: Preparing to Truly Hear God’s Word

“So listen carefully”
(Luke 8:18)

Introduction

We might begin by asking the question, What exactly is the Bible? Most Christians would answer that it is God’s Holy Word, His special instrument of communication to man. And they would be right. Then we need to ask another question. If we believe the Bible is God’s Word and special means of communication, do we take the Bible seriously? Do we have a holy reverence for Scripture and the time we assemble together to worship and study this Word from God?

Are we like the one God esteems or looks for in Isaiah 66:2? “I show special favor to the humble and contrite, who respect what I have to say.” Or as the KJV reads, “but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.”

God is looking for people who have a holy reverence for the Word and His plan for learning and applying it. This means truly hearing God’s voice in the Word. God is the master communicator and biblical history is not only the story of redemption but it is also the story of communication and revelation from God. He encodes and transmits, and we are to decode and receive.

Isn’t it true that one of the keys to life and good relationships is effective communication? And for effective communication to occur, there must be effective listening. This is just one of the reasons we must take the study of the Bible very seriously, whether privately or corporately. This is true not only in Bible study, but in our prayer life and in all aspects of corporate worship. Why? So we might truly listen to God through the various aspects of a worship service, and especially our time in the Word.

We need to listen to God even though He has chosen to use human instruments to communicate with us. It would be well for each of us to take to heart Paul’s praise to the believers in 1 Thessalonians 2:13: “And so we too constantly thank God that when you received God’s message that you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human message, but as it truly is, God’s message, which is at work among you who believe."

The process looks something like this:

COMMUNICATION: Listening to God
COMPREHENSION: Understanding what God says
CONFIDENCE: Trusting in what God says
CHANGE: Being transformed by what God says

Without this process of communication, there simply cannot be any real spiritual change in the life of man. Because of this, God is deeply concerned about how well we hear when we are listening.

The Importance
Scripture Places on Listening to God

Have you ever noticed how often the Bible emphasizes the idea of listening? It is a concept that is repeated over and over in a variety of ways. This is obviously not without purpose.

Illustrations:

(1) The specific clause “hear the Word of the Lord” occurs 32 times in the NIV and 28 times in the NASB.

(2) The words “hear” or “listen O Israel” are found six times in the NIV and the NASB. “Listen” is found 331 times and the majority of these passages in some way deal with listening to the Lord. “Hear” is found 347 times, and again many of these also have to do with hearing God’s Word.

(3) We also find a number of comments like “incline your ear,” “give ear” or “pay or give attention” and similar expressions used in various ways to call man, and especially God’s people, to listen intently to God.

(4) In the New Testament, the Lord warns us to consider carefully what you hear (Mark 4:24) and how you hear (Luke 8:18).

(5) The words “today, if you hear his voice,” are found three times in Hebrews and once in the Old Testament (Heb. 3:7, 15; 4:7; Ps. 95:7).

(6) Seven times, once in each of the letters to the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3 we read “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

(7) In Mark 4:9 the Lord warned, “Whoever has ears to hear had better listen!” and again in verse 23 He said “If anyone has ears to hear, he had better listen!

(8) And is it not significant that one of the titles of the Son of God is the Greek term logos which refers to some form of communication? It means “speech, word, saying, discourse.” As the Logos, Jesus Christ is the living Word of God to man. Of Him Moses wrote in Deuteronomy 18:15, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you—from your fellow Israelites; you must listen to him.”

(9) But not only is there the call to listen carefully to the Lord, there is the warning about listening to the wrong voices or influences in the world in numerous passages in both the Old and New Testaments.

The Point is Simple. God has much to say to us and because He is the all-wise and sovereign God and because of our finite humanity as well as our fallenness, it is imperative for us to listen carefully. But, as fallen people, even as fallen people now redeemed, we are ever so prone to be distracted and drawn away with other things, even with good things.

We can too easily be like Martha, who was distracted by so many things, rather than Mary who sat at the feet of the Savior to hear His Word (Luke 10:38-42).

As portrayed in the parable of the sower, the soils, and the seed, we can be like the thorny ground, full of thorns and thistles which represent the cares of the world and which choke the Word and cause it to become unfruitful in our lives (Mark 4:18-19).

Why do you suppose God created man with two eyes and two ears, but with only one mouth? That in itself ought to be a visual object lesson worth a thousand words.

Listen to these words from Proverbs 20:12: “The ear that hears and the eye that sees—the Lord has made them both.” You know, I find it significant and interesting that Solomon says nothing about the mouth. The Lord made that too, yet it seems Solomon purposely didn’t mention the mouth. He only mentions that which is a source or means of receiving instruction from the Lord.

The fact is we are all too quick to reveal our minds and too slow to listen. James reminds us of this very fact: “Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters! Let every person be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger.” (James 1:19).

With this in mind, we might note Proverbs 18:2, “A fool takes no pleasure in understanding but only in disclosing what is on his mind.” Compare also Proverbs 22:17-19.

The lesson is obvious: We are to listen so we can learn to trust the Lord. To fail to listen shows our determination to pursue life through our own resources and foolishness

The Instruction of
Scripture on Listening to God

How God communicates should teach us something about how we should listen. So how does God communicate, and how should we listen? What do we need to do to be prepared to listen attentively and effectively?

God Communicates Through the Bible

The Bible is our index or guide for all the other ways God communicates. If we are going to listen to God and discern His voice in the other avenues He uses, we must be listening to His Word, the Bible. Of course, God communicates His Word in many ways: through those who teach it formally and informally as in counseling, in personal exhortation and encouragement, through song or music, through books, tapes, film, etc. However, the primary method God has chosen, and that which is foundational to all the other ways God communicates in the church age, is the local assembly when the church is assembled together for the hearing of the Word. Other things are involved, prayer, singing, praise, the Lord’s table, but at the center is the proclamation of the Word (2 Thess. 2:13; 1 Tim. 4:11, 13; 2 Tim. 4:1-4).

God Communicates Through the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is the resident teacher whom the Father has sent through the Son to indwell every New Testament believer as God’s special anointing to teach and make the truths of the Word understood and real to the hearts and minds of believers. One of His primary ministries today is that of communicating the Word—the completed canon of Scripture.

Since the cessation of the temporary, foundational, and miraculous gifts, He does not give special or new revelation, but He works through the Word which is our index for belief and practice.

To be able to listen to God, to comprehend truth, to worship the Lord, and to be transformed by the Word through faith in God, God has given us the Holy Spirit. He is God’s special agent who takes the things of Christ and teaches them to us whether we receive them by personal study or through the human instruments who teach us the Word.

God Communicates Through Events

Through special times of worship (singing, praise, prayer, teaching, ordinances)
Through blessings that reveal His love and grace.
Through trials and irritations that become tools to get our attention and build character as we learn to rest in the promises and principles of Scripture.

God Communicates Through People

The Bible is full of illustrations of how God uses people to communicate His love, mercy, and grace. This comes in many forms: sometimes in the form of encouragement, sometimes in the form of godly example, and sometimes even in the form of rebuke. Note these passages to illustrate the point: 1 Thessalonians 5:11; Proverbs 27:5-6, 17; John 13:34-45; Malachi 3:16; Ephesians 5:19-20; 1 Timothy 5:1-2; Ephesians 6:4; Galatians 6:1-3; 1 Peter 3:1-2, 7).

Our primary focus in this short study is on how God communicates to us through the Word and the Holy Spirit especially in relation to our times of worship together.

What does this mean in terms of how we listen to God? As already pointed out, listening to God must involve God’s Word and the Holy Spirit working together in the mind and heart of the believer. Even when God uses people and circumstances, we must always consider what God is saying to us in the light of His infallible Word.

God never contradicts His Word. We must learn to examine everything in the light of the Holy Scripture. Further, this means we need to recognize that since the Spirit communicates to us through the Word of God, we need to expose ourselves to the Word privately and corporately as often as we can.

But listening to God also means something else. Listening to God—really hearing what He is seeking to say—demands spiritual preparation and active participation on the part of the listener. In order to listen to God, one must be prepared to listen. Listening to the Lord is a spiritual matter.

But any kind of learning involves preparation and active participation or concentration. Because of this, God is very concerned about how we listen and worship. He is concerned about our mental attitudes and our spiritual state when we worship corporately or sit down privately with the Bible.

The problem is that we can simply go through the motions of religious activity and deceive ourselves as James warns us in James 1. We can play church and do a kind of ‘nod to God’ routine putting in our appearance physically while we are in essence absent spiritually. The result is we don’t even come close to truly hearing the voice of God because we have removed our hearts from Him. We have become passive listeners because we aren’t really prepared physically, mentally, and spiritually to hear the Word of the Lord.

Church attendance is often simply a part of our plan to pursue life on our own terms. We attend church not to meet with God or listen in order to know, love, and serve Him, but to feel good, to have an experience, to hear beautiful music, to hear an eloquent speaker, to see people or even to be seen by people. We attend church to soothe our consciences and maybe earn a little of God’s favor. In this case, our religious activity is a kind of insurance policy—a protection we think. But we are dead wrong if we think this way because such reasons do not line up with what God says to us in His Word (read carefully Ecc. 5:1-2; Isa. 29:1,13; Eze. 33:30-32).

So, the key question is, what can we do to prepare our hearts so we are in a position where we can hear what the Lord is seeking to communicate to us, i.e., understand the message and respond with faith and obedience whether the message comes through a hymn, or a testimony, or through the teaching of the Word?

What Is Needed to Effectively Listen to God

We Need Spiritual Preparation

As has already been stated, God’s communication through the Word always involves the teaching/convicting ministry of God the Holy Spirit. This is evident in a number of passages but we will illustrate the point from Ephesians 3:16-19 and 1 Corinthians 2:9-3:3.

That God communicates the Word through the ministry of the Spirit means we must be properly adjusted to or in right relationship to this divine teacher who indwells us. This is a relationship where, believing that He is present, we consciously depend on Him for insight to God’s Word (understanding and personal application).

But as we can see from 1 Corinthians 3, carnal believers, those who are not dealing with sin in their lives, cannot and will not effectively listen or hear God’s message. Carnal believers are apathetic and simply cannot understand and respond to the things of God while in that condition.

Why is that? Because known sin in the life, things like wrong attitudes (envy, jealousy, resentment, pride, unbelief, self-centeredness), self-protective ways of living, indifference or apathy to God, preoccupation with other things, and other forms of sin grieve the Spirit’s person (Eph. 4:30) and undoubtedly stifle or quench much of His ministry like teaching and making the things of Christ real (1 Thess. 5:19). His ministry is changed from leading and teaching the believer to that of convicting him of his condition. The Lord Jesus put it this way in Mark 4:19, “but worldly cares, the seductiveness of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it produces nothing.”

Martha gives us a classic illustration of this. Though in the very presence of the Lord Jesus, Martha (in contrast to Mary) had no ears to hear what the Savior was saying because she was distracted and drawn away by other concerns (Luke 10:38-41).

Another illustration can be seen in the disciples when the Lord fed the five thousand (Mark 6:30-52). They had failed to truly listen to what the Lord was teaching them through the events of the day because they too were occupied with other things, like with who was the greatest. The result is seen in the Lord’s rebuke in verse 52, “because they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.”

An Open Heart

There needs to be a heart open to personal soul-searching examination for the purpose of seeing our motives, our sources of trust or the things we depend on for our security, i.e., the condition of our lives as they really are. This needs to be done prior to personal study or a worship service in order to prepare our hearts for hearing God. And then it needs to be maintained as other things (or thoughts) distract or hinder our listening while studying or praying, or during a worship service (Ps. 119:18; 139:23-24; 1 Cor. 11:28f).

Often this is simply not done. People arrive at church harried and upset because of something that happened at home or on the way to church. People get caught up chatting with friends and then sit down and never give any thought to their need to secure a spiritual focus and to be sure they are controlled by the Spirit.

The purpose for examination and self-revelation is honest to God confession in a spirit of repentance. While people can’t see our hearts, God can and He rejects worship that is not in spirit and truth, where the heart is kept from Him (Isa. 29:13).

Regarding confession, we are talking about a confession which seeks to go to the root causes of sin in our lives, especially our stubborn determination to run our own lives and live by our own devices for peace, security, and significance (Jer. 2:13; 17:5; Ps. 66:18; Pro. 28:13-14; 1 John 1:9; Ps. 51:5f; Jam. 4:6-10).

Both James 1:19-25 and 1 Peter 2:1-2 teach us that before there can be a proper response to the Word that leads to true spiritual deliverance through an active faith, a response where we are quick to listen, receive, and hunger as a newborn babe for the pure milk of the Word, we must honestly deal with sin. In James 1:23, “receiving the word implanted” is dependent on “putting aside all filthiness …” In 1 Peter 2:2, the command to “And yearn like newborn infants for pure, spiritual milk” is dependent on “get(ting) rid of all evil and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.”

How do we deal with sin? By personal examination and honest confession of sin. Then we will be free to listen to God’s Word and depend on the Holy Spirit to give deliverance over sin.

Active Participation

In our TV generation we have become passive listeners. I think the term is “couch potatoes.” We have become mentally lazy. We have forgotten how to think and stay actively involved in the listening process. Active listening means concentrating, searching, probing, questioning, thinking, interacting, responding and applying.

God doesn’t want pious, passive spectators. He wants actively involved listeners. We aren’t receivers who turn ourselves on, tune ourselves in, and relax. Active involved listening is spoken of frequently in Scripture.²⁴³

Note the following passage:

James 1:22-27 But be sure you live out the message and do not merely listen to it and so deceive yourselves. 23 For if someone merely listens to the message and does not live it out, he is like someone who gazes at his own face in a mirror. 24 For he gazes at himself and then goes out and immediately forgets what sort of person he was. 25 But the one who peers into the perfect law of liberty and fixes his attention there, and does not become a forgetful listener but one who lives it out—he will be blessed in what he does. 26 If someone thinks he is religious yet does not bridle his tongue, and so deceives his heart, his religion is futile. 27 Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their misfortune and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

Having challenged us to deal with any sin so we can truly receive (hear) the Word, James then warns us about the difference between superficial and substantial listening. He is warning us against unprepared, passive, and uninvolved listening. James is teaching us we need the kind of active listening that is diligent to understand and respond to God’s Word in order that its truth touch the heart so that it begins to bring change—not by our own strength, but by the power of the indwelling Spirit of God through faith. Compare 1 Corinthians 2:15.

The words “peers into” in verse 25 represent a different word for “looking” than the one used previously in this section (vss. 23-24). This is the Greek word parakuptw which refers to a very intent and concentrated look. Literally parakuptw means “to stoop down in order to have a close look.” It is used in John 20:5 and 11 of the investigation of the empty tomb by the disciples, and in 1 Peter 1:12 of the angels intense interest and study of the person and work of the Savior. So parakuptw suggests keen interest, close attention, and active investigation.

In 1 Timothy 4 Paul told Timothy to “take pains” and “be absorbed” in these things, a reference to the previous commands regarding his ministry in teaching, being an example of Christlike character, and using his gift (4:11-14). One simply cannot “take pains” and “be absorbed” and remain a passive listener. “Take pains” is the Greek word meletaw which means “cultivate, think meditate, attend to carefully.” “Be absorbed” is literally, “in these be,” and connotes the idea of “be totally enveloped, absorbed,” “give yourself totally to them.”

But note the next verse: “Be conscientious about how you live…” Bible study or hearing the Word is to be aimed at personal application for changed living from the inside out.

Passive, uninvolved listening to God is inadequate and judged by God as futile religiosity. Believers are always to be on the alert, probing for meaning and application. Lethargic, half-hearted listening just doesn’t cut it with God nor can it result in spiritual deliverance. In practical terms what does this entail?

What does this mean in terms of my listening to God? When I read and study the Word, I must put everything else aside and concentrate on what He is saying to me. I must give Him my undivided attention. I should do this on a regular basis, for that is the only way I can develop my listening skills. I should do this in a place where I have minimal distractions. I should read and meditate out loud and take notes and ask questions, for these are the kinds of things that make me an active participant.

I should observe carefully to whom God is speaking, what He is saying and why He says it. I should interpret accurately what God means I should apply these truths personally and practically in my own life.²⁴⁴

Finally, to round out our preparation, there are two more things we need so we can listen carefully.

Biblical Participation

The nobility of the Bereans refers to the fact that the Berean Jews (in contrast to Jews in Thessalonica) were teachable and open, though not gullible. They listened attentively as active participants, but they tested Paul’s teaching against the Scriptures as their index for truth—always a noble and biblical attitude. Their authority for what was truth was the Word. They sought to set aside or block out their prejudice so God’s Word could speak for itself. The result was many came to trust in the Savior.

When we attend church, God wants us to be like the Bereans—good listeners and teachable—and also biblically active participants who search the Scriptures to see whether these things are so.

Mark 7:7-13 stresses the ever present problem of prejudice and background whether religious or secular which we all bring to church and to our background. This passage shows how our background, tradition, experiences, prejudices, etc., can nullify the power and truth of the Word in our lives.

Second Timothy 3:15 teaches again the value of active participation in the words “be diligent” or “study” (KJV). But to that it adds the importance of applying sound principles of Bible study so we are truly listening to God and not the ideas of man that are so often based on man’s tradition or human experience, including our own (cf. 2 Pet. 1:17-21). We need to be precise in our hermeneutics so we truly hear what God is saying.

Why did the apostle say this? Because Timothy was faced with false teachers who were neither diligent nor accurately handling the Word. That leads to hearing man’s voice and not God’s. When we apply poor methods of Bible study and poor methods of listening, we can end up hearing man’s voice rather than God’s. There is simply no place in God’s plan for lethargic, passive listening, or listening carelessly.

Physical Preparation

In Luke 22:7-14, we find that the Lord sent Peter and John to make preparations for the Passover meal that they might observe it according to its meaning and significance. The word “prepare” is used three times in these verses (vss. 9, 12, 13). The Lord saw to it that everything needed was properly prepared so He could observe the Passover with His disciples.

Truly listening to God involves physical as well as spiritual preparation. Certainly without spiritual preparation, the best physical preparation in the world accomplishes little. But we often fail to see the need to be physically prepared to listen to God. Physical preparation should be seen as a part of the spiritual preparation needed to listen to God.

Noise, people moving around, poor lighting, and other physical conditions can be distracters which hinder our ability to concentrate.
Being physically tired from failing to get enough sleep the night before can create a major hindrance to good listening.
Those who have a part in the worship service as song leader, pianist, organist, ushers, the speaker, etc., can call attention to themselves through a lack of preparation and thus hinder people from listening to God.
Preparation needs to start at home on Saturday night by getting to bed early, getting the kids clothes ready, and by even planning breakfast. For many families, getting to church becomes a frantic, harried experience with mom and dad looking for socks and shoes, and trying to feed the family. In such circumstances, who is prepared to listen?
Preparation can include something as simple as seeing to it that the children go to the bathroom before the service.

The bottom line is that listening to God is no small issue. If we are not prepared to listen so we can respond with our hearts, let’s face it, we are simply playing church and we are withholding our hearts from the Lord. Our religious activities then become an exercise in futility and deception (Jam. 1:22).

²⁴³ Grant Howard, The Trauma of Transparency, Multnomah Press, Portland, 1979, p. 91.

²⁴⁴ Howard, p. 92.

Appendix 4: The Believer and Daily Cleansing (John 13:1-17)

Christ’s Security
(13:1-3)

It is important for us to note the fact that Jesus was completely aware of His sovereign authority, His origin, and coming destiny as He depended by faith in what the Father was doing (cf. 13:1, 18); yet He voluntarily took the place of a slave and washed the feet of His disciples. Note how His thinking and action contrast sharply with the self-seeking insecurity of the disciples (cf. Matt. 20:20-24; Mark 9:33-34; Luke 22:24-30).

Christ’s Example
(13:4-5)

His security in the Father, His love, and His confidence in the Father and future allowed Him to assume the position of a servant, an amazing example of condescension. This attitude, faith, and action portrayed His entire ministry on earth (cf. Phil. 2:5-8) and provides us with the perfect example of what He wants to do in our lives. But it also provides an example of how this is accomplished—through faith and understanding of who we are in Christ and by confidence in the eternal glories of the future.

Historical and Cultural Context: Foot washing was needed in every home in Palestine. Why? Not only were the streets dusty and dirty, but they usually contained garbage and the waste from the animals that traveled up and down the same streets. People wore sandals without socks and their feet could become very dirty. The custom was to recline around the table at the evening meal. Dirty, smelly feet could make the meal and the fellowship rather uninviting. Slaves were usually provided to wash the feet of guests, and it was a mark of honor for a host to provide a servant to wash a guest’s feet. To fail to provide a servant was a breach of hospitality (cf. 1 Sam. 25:41; Luke 7:40-50; 1 Tim. 5:10).

Since the last supper was held in a private home, and probably as a secret meeting, we can easily see why no slave was present to fulfill the task. Furthermore, since the disciples were filled with dreams of power and prestige in the coming kingdom, we can see how the Lord used this occasion to teach some very fundamental principles of the Christian life. The disciples were jealous of one another and were competing for the best place. “They were ready to fight for a throne, but not for a towel.”²⁴⁵

The situation in this passage demonstrates some serious problems among believers that we each need to deal with if we are going to be successful in properly representing the Lord Jesus to the World.

The first problem was their pride or arrogance that manifested itself in two ways:

The disciples were each seeking to find their significance by their own strategies. Any time we seek to handle life by our own methods, we are acting in arrogant independence.
There was the pride of their unwillingness to humble themselves to serve others, the very essence of the life of the Savior.

There was a second problem. As an outgrowth of all of this, there was an attempt to fellowship with the Lord and one another around the Passover table with unwashed and dirty feet. Thus, as He arose from His heavenly throne to become man to go to the cross for all of us, so the Lord arose from the supper, laid aside His garments, took the towel with which He was girded, and began to wash the feet of the disciples.

Illustration or Lesson
(13:6-11)

Washing the disciples’ feet teaches us the necessity for daily cleansing through forgiveness to have fellowship with the Lord.

Sin hinders fellowship, but love cleanses and restores fellowship (13:6-10). Except for Judas, the Lord was dealing with believers, those who had placed their faith in the Lord Jesus, but they were attempting to have fellowship with Him with unwashed feet. Unwashed feet was the equivalent of a believer trying to walk with the Lord, study the Word, pray, or serve Him with known sin in the life, like the sin of pride and selfish independence. The dialog with Peter and his reluctance to allow the Lord to wash his feet illustrates our slowness to grasp this truth.

There are two different Greek words used for the concept of washing. There is niptw which was used of washing only a part of the body, such as the hands, face, and feet. This word is translated “wash” in each occurrence in this passage. The second word is louw which meant to bathe the body. It referred to a thorough washing of the entire body. It is used in verse 10 and is translated “The one who has bathed ( louw) needs only to wash ( niptw) his feet.” When Peter refused to allow the Lord to wash ( niptw) his feet, the Lord responded, “If I do not wash ( niptw) you, you have no share (fellowship) with me.” He was not denying Peter the possibility of salvation or relationship with Him. The issue was intimate fellowship. For fellowship to occur, there must be daily cleansing through honest confession of all known sin (1 John 1:9). When we confess, He, the Lord Jesus, is faithful to forgive and cleanse us (wash our feet).

Unbelief hinders relationship, but love provides a means for relationship (13:10-11). In verse 10, the Lord made a distinction between being bathed and having one’s feet washed by the Lord. In either case, the Lord is the one who does the cleansing, we only appropriate it by faith and obedience to the issue involved.

The one who is bathed is the one who has trusted in Christ as Savior. The result is a total cleansing—one with lasting results. This is emphasized in the tense used in the Greek text. “Has bathed” is a perfect tense which looks at action completed with results going on in the present. Once we are saved, we don’t need another total bath, only the daily cleansing from the sins that occur as we walk down the dusty and dirty streets of life. The bath of the cleansing work of the cross through faith in Christ is more than sufficient for whatever life may bring (Rom. 8:31-39) and brings all believers into the new relationship of children of God (John 1:12).

The daily washing through confession is needed for the privilege of fellowship and the power of Christ through the control of the Spirit in one’s life. All but Judas, who would betray the Lord, had trusted in the Savior and all were clean in the sense of a bath of salvation from sin’s penalty. They all, however, needed—and would need throughout their lives on earth—daily cleansing to maintain fellowship.

Exhortation and Application
(13:12-17)

As Christ had cleansed and forgiven them, so they would need to do the same for one another and for all believers. All that they had seen exemplified in His life was absolutely essential in their relationship to each other and to their purpose in the world (cf. Gal. 6:1f; Eph. 4:32; John 13:35).

Summary of Spiritual Truths
Illustrated by the Foot Washing Example

(1) Knowing who we are and resting in what God is doing is vital to serving others (Rom.12:3; Eph. 1:3).

(2) We cannot fellowship with the Lord as a believer with unwashed feet, i.e., without honest and consistent confession of sin.

(3) We cannot have a relationship with the Lord apart from personal faith in Christ.

(4) When we sin, we do not need to be bathed all over again—we do not lose our salvation.

(5) With Christlike humility, we are to serve one another (Phil. 2:3-5; Mk. 10:43-45).

(6) We are to forgive others as Christ forgives us (Eph. 4:32).

(7) We are to help restore fellow believers in Christ as the Lord restores us (Gal. 6:1f).

²⁴⁵ Merrill C. Tenney, John: The Gospel of Belief, Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 1948, p. 199.

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Psalm 1: Two Ways of Life

Some Thoughts on Psalm 1

Its Place as First in the Psalter

Its Structure

Comment on the Psalm

I. The Way of the Righteous (1-3)

II. The Way of the Wicked (4-5)

III. The Contrast Completed (6)

Conclusion

Psalm 19

Natural Revelation

1. Appreciation

2. Observation

Special Revelation (19:7-9)

The Law of the Lord (7a)

The Testimony of the Lord (7b)

The Precepts of the Lord (8a)

The Commandment of the Lord (8b)

The Fear of the Lord (9a)

The Judgments of the Lord (9b)

Application (19: 10-14)

The Response (10)

The Reason (11)

Because the Word warns him of evil (11a)

Because obeying the Word brings great reward (11b)

There is peace and pleasure in obedience.

There is benefit to your soul.

There is increase in divine knowledge.

There is reward in heaven.

The Request (12-13)

Acquit me of my hidden faults (12)

Keep me from presumptious sins (13)

The Result (14)

Summary

Psalm 30

Outline of the Psalm

Summary of the Psalm

Summary of Each Major Part

Applicational Idea

In Memory of Wougger (Doug Orr)

A Basic Introduction To The Day Of The Lord In The Old Testament Writing Prophets

The Nature of the Day of the Lord

The Scope of the Day of the Lord

The Timing of the Day of the Lord

Summary of Common Characteristics Ascribed to the Day of the Lord

Bibliography

The Place of Greek and Hebrew in a Minister’s Education

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Appendix 1: Thoughts on Ezekiel 2:8; 3:1-3, 14

A Proper Response by Ezekiel (3:2)

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From the series: ABCs for Christian Growth--Laying the Foundation PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

Appendix 2: Exposition of Isaiah 55:1-3

The Invitation (vs. 1)

The Call for Evaluation (vs. 2a)

A Call for Investigation (vss. 2b, 3a)

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From the series: ABCs for Christian Growth--Laying the Foundation PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

Appendix 3: Preparing to Truly Hear God’s Word

Introduction

The Importance Scripture Places on Listening to God

The Instruction of Scripture on Listening to God

God Communicates Through the Bible

God Communicates Through the Holy Spirit

God Communicates Through Events

God Communicates Through People

What Is Needed to Effectively Listen to God

We Need Spiritual Preparation

An Open Heart

Active Participation

Biblical Participation

Physical Preparation

From the series: ABCs for Christian Growth--Laying the Foundation PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

From the series: ABCs for Christian Growth--Laying the Foundation PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

Appendix 4: The Believer and Daily Cleansing (John 13:1-17)

Christ’s Security (13:1-3)

Christ’s Example (13:4-5)

Illustration or Lesson (13:6-11)

Exhortation and Application (13:12-17)

Special Revelation
(19:7-9)

Application
(19: 10-14)

The Importance
Scripture Places on Listening to God

The Instruction of
Scripture on Listening to God

Christ’s Security
(13:1-3)

Christ’s Example
(13:4-5)

Illustration or Lesson
(13:6-11)

Exhortation and Application
(13:12-17)

Summary of Spiritual Truths
Illustrated by the Foot Washing Example