July 17, 2024
A Psalm of Praise #
Psalm 65:1-13
Introduction
A Psalm is literally a song. We of course do not have the music score written down for us, so we have no way of knowing how it sounded when song. If you think about it, many of our hymns speak of hardship, and how God has blessed. We are literally going through the song book of the Jewish nation as complied and largely written by David.
The Psalm tonight is not that of hardship and difficulty, but rather that of Praise to God for who He is, and what he does. I trust you will see that clearly tonight in this Psalm.
I. Way to Approach God (1-4) #
A. Praise (1) #
1. Is Definite - “waiteth for thee” #
2. Is Directed “O God” #
“Psalms 100:1 ¶ Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. 2 Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.”
B. Prayer (2) #
1. Discipline of prayer - you must be praying to be heard #
“Isaiah 59:1 ¶ Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: 2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.”
2. Day is coming: “shall all flesh come” #
“Philippians 2:9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
C. Purged (3) #
1. Discouragment of Sin “Iniquities prevail against me:” #
Is. 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
Psa. 51:2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.
1John 1:8-9 - 8 ¶ If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
D. Priesthood (4) #
1. The idea is the priest who actually gets to dedicate his life in service to God at the temple! - David looks at that with a good jealously! Oh to be that guy, who lives, and works in God’s presence! #
2. Jesus is our high priest! #
Heb 4:14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
- We live in HIS PRESENCE!
II. Wonders of God! (5-8) #
A. The Answer! (5) #
- NOTE: we think of terrible as in a bad thing, that is not the case in the Old English of the Bible. The word terrible means:
- Terrible - 2. Adapted to impress dread, terror or solemn awe and reverence. (Websters 1828)
- It is correlated with the idea of the “Fear of the LORD”
1. Saved “O God of our salvation” (5) #
2. Hope of all the earth “the confidence of all the ends of the earth” (5) #
B. The Awe of Mountains (6) #
C. The Ability (7-8) #
1. Still the Storm (7) “stilleth the noise of the seas” #
2. Silence the enemy (7) “tumult of the people.” #
3. Strike fear (8) “dwell in the uttermost parts are afraid at thy tokens” #
James 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.