Thursday, March 1, 2012

Psalm 5 in the Light of The Messiah

"Give ear to my words, O Lord, Consider my groaning. Heed the sound of my cry for help, my King and my God, For to You I pray." (v1-2)
We never need to beg God to hear us. While God doesn't always answer us in the time frame we desire God does answer our prayers. Jesus and the Spirit are always participating in and contributing to our lives (Hebrews 7:25, Romans 8:26).

I recommend that you write a letter to God once a year telling Him your desires for your life. Look back on it 6-12 months later and see how God has answered your prayers. I did this once and I couldn't have imagined at the time of writing the letter how God would answer my prayer but He did and I am still amazed.

"You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness." (v4)
God is never pleased with wickedness (harmful behavior). On the cross God separated the wickedness from each person. Jesus took away the sins of the world (John 1:29, 1 John 3:5). That means His eye is on persons not deeds. He doesn't take sins into consideration when looking at anyone (2 Corinthians 5:19). His displeasure & anger towards all sinful deeds (wickedness) was taken out on the body of Jesus on the cross. He now relates to people as people. He sees us as persons to be loved that He wants to help.

How blessed we are that God predicted our debts & paid them before we were even born! In this life everyone's sin account starts out blank and stays that way unless they ultimately reject Jesus. When we are saved God closes our sin accounts forever so we have no need to fear punishment from God in the afterlife.

"No evil dwells with You God." (v4)
Those who dwell with God are the ones who know Him. God has given those who know Him perfect, righteous, and holy spirits. Truly no evil dwells with God because God removes the evil and possibility of evil from His children at birth. This doesn't mean their behavior is perfect but that God identifies & relates to them by their true identity which is their spirit. It is like a father of an ex-con calling his son "son" rather "thief" because the debt is paid and forgiveness has been received.

"You hate all who do iniquity. The Lord abhors the man of bloodshed and deceit." (v5-6)
As shown above God no longer hates people and His hatred has been expended for iniquity, deceit, & bloodshed by the bloodshed of Jesus. He took all sins for all time into the body of Jesus and condemned them there. God was so serious about sin that He took care of it as a barrier between He and us. God still loves compassion and wants to help the abused and to turn the abusers to loving ways.

"For it is You who blesses the righteous man, O Lord, You surround him with favor as with a shield." (v12)
Favor is the literal meaning of "grace" in the New Testament. It means "a predisposed disposition of love and kindness towards someone." All Christians are righteous because of Jesus so all Christians are surrounded with God's favor. We are protected by His love!

"You always hear me Lord. You comfort me, watch over me, and help me. You despised wickedness so you agreed with your Son to take your anger for sin out on Him to remove the barrier of sin from the world. You purify those who choose to dwell with you. You help the abused and seek to turn abusers to your loving ways. By your abundant lovingkindness you have made me your home. I am now your holy temple and I bow my heart in awestruck reverence for you. O Lord, lead me in your just ways. Make me aware of how your Son is always with me.

Your forgiveness & love turns liars into honest men. You, by your blood do not hold them as guilty. Instead of letting them fall you lift them up & pull them close. You capture the hearts of rebels so they choose to be your companions. All who put their security in you are glad, you let them sing forever because of joy. You shelter them. Those who love your nature rejoice in you. For it is you who blesses the righteous man, O Lord, you surround him with gracious favor as with a shield."

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