Introduction
We’ve been working our way through the psalms on Wednesday evenings, though I preached on some of the psalms on Sundays during the Covid-19 lockdown. But we’ve been studying most of the psalms on Wednesday evenings at the midweek. Today’s psalm, however, is a psalm for the Sabbath day. That’s what the title tells us. The title says that this is a psalm. And it’s a song. And it’s for the Sabbath day. So, it’s a song for singing on the Sabbath day.
As you’ll know, in Old Testament times, the Sabbath was on the seventh day of the week. And God commanded his people to remember the Sabbath day each week by keeping it holy. That is to say, they were to treat is differently from all the other days in the week. Whereas the other days were for work, the Sabbath day was for rest.
And it was held on the seventh day of the week, because the Lord himself rested from the work of creation on the seventh day of the first week. And so, since the Lord rested from his work on the seventh day, his people likewise rested from their work on the seventh day.
However, after the Lord’s resurrection’s from the dead, which took place on the first day of the week, God appointed the first day of the week to be the weekly sabbath from that time on. And so, we now rest from our work on Sundays.
Someone was talking to me recently about how Sundays were always a busy day for them when they were children, because there were so many meetings to attend. And at the end of the day they were exhausted. And I explained that in the beginning God gave his people the Sabbath day to be a blessing. So, think of the Israelites when they were slaves in Egypt. The Egyptians were cruel and made them work hard and they gave the Israelites no rest or relief. Every day they were to be out in the fields and on the building sites, working from morning to evening for the Egyptians. But then the Lord saw their misery and he rescued them. And he brought them to Mount Sinai and gave them his commandments. And one of the commandments was the command to rest. Whereas the Egyptians made them work every day, the Lord provided them with a weekly day of rest. It was his gift to them. And it was marvellous: a whole day to rest from their work. And so, no matter how hard they had to work each week, they could always look forward to the coming day of rest.
And the Lord has given this weekly day of rest to us as well so that we don’t have to work or shop or to do any of the other things which take up our time and energy during the week, but we can rest our bodies.
And of course, not only do we rest on the Sabbath day, but we also remember. We gather together to remember what God has done for us and to remember his promises to us. We remember that he has given us our life. We remember that he has provided for us and that he cares for us. We remember that he sent his only begotten Son to be our Saviour. We remember that he gave us his Spirit to enable us to repent and believe. And we remember that he has promised to remember our sins no more. And we remember that he has promised to raise us from the dead and to give us everlasting life in his presence. Every week we rest from our work and from every other activity and we meet together to remember what God has done for us and to remember his promises to us. We remember and we give thanks to him. And as well as remembering and giving thanks, we look forward to our eternal rest in the presence of God in the new and better world to come.
Verses 1 to 8
And we can imagine God’s people in Old Testament times, when this psalm was first written, gathering together in the temple in Jerusalem and singing together the words of verses 1 to 3:
It is good to praise the Lord
and make music to your name, O Most High,
to proclaim your love in the morning
and your faithfulness at night,
to the sound of the ten-stringed lyre
and the melody of the harp.
It’s good to praise the Lord. It’s good, because it’s the right thing to do. It’s fitting. It’s appropriate. It’s right to praise the Lord, because he deserves our praise. He deserves our thanksgiving.
I often look at the people I pass in my car as I drive to church on Sundays. When the sun is shining, lots of people are out and about. They’ve got boots on their feet and bags on their back and they’re heading up Cave Hill. Or they’re walking the dog. Or they’re out for a cycle or a run. They’re heading to the golf course. They’re out and about, with the sun on their face and life is good. And so, they’re enjoying God’s good creation and his gifts to them. And I’m glad that they’re able to enjoy God’s good creation and his gifts. But it saddens me that they don’t appear to realise that it has all come from God and that he deserves their thanks and praise. You see, it’s good to praise the Lord, because it’s the right thing to do. It’s what we ought to do. It’s what we should do. In fact, it’s what we were made to do. But so many people don’t realise it.
The psalmist refers to God as the LORD in capital letters. And he also refers to him as the Most High. LORD in capital letters is God’s special covenant name. It speaks to us of his commitment to his people. He has bound himself to his people with a promise to be their God and to care for them always. And believers today still call him LORD, because he’s bound himself to us. And because of his commitment to us and to all his people, he sent his Son to die for us and to pay for our sins with his life and to establish peace between us for ever.
And’s he’s also the Most High. In other words, there’s no one over him or greater than him. He doesn’t answer to anyone. He’s not accountable to anyone. We all have someone over us. There’s someone we answer to. For children, it’s their parents and teachers. For adults, it’s usually their boss. Even those people who are their own boss have to answer to the tax man and they can’t do whatever they like, but they must adhere to the law. There’s always someone over us. And over all of us is God, because he’s the Most High God. There’s no one greater than him.
And so, it’s good to praise him, because he’s our Lord, who has bound himself to us with a promise and who is committed to us. And it’s good to praise him, because he’s the One who is over all. He’s highly exalted.
The psalm also says that it’s good to praise God’s love in the morning and his faithfulness at night. It’s possible that when he refers to the morning and the night, he means that it’s good to praise God all the time: from morning to night. However, it’s more likely that he’s thinking about how the Lord commanded his people in Old Testament times to offer sacrifices to him in the morning and in the evening. And many Christians devote time every morning and every evening to private devotions. Some of you may be familiar with Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening daily devotional, with readings for the morning and the evening. And, of course, on the weekly Sabbath, we have our morning service of worship and our evening service of worship. Why should we gather to praise God on Sunday mornings and evenings? Because it’s good to praise God in the morning and in the evening. It’s fitting. It’s appropriate. It’s the right thing to do, because he deserves our praise.
And the psalmist refers specifically to God’s love and faithfulness. When he refers to God’s love, he’s using the Hebrew word hesed which is God’s covenant love or his never-ending love towards his people. God, who does not change, and who always keeps his promises, has promised to love his people for ever. And so, the psalmist is referring to God’s faithful love: his love for his people which is from everlasting to everlasting. And since his love for us will never end, it’s fitting that our praise for him will never end.
And the psalm also refers to musical instruments. John Calvin, in his commentary on the psalms, says that using musical instruments was necessary for God’s people in Old Testament times because they were spiritual infants. But now that Christ has come and his church has reached adulthood, instruments are now unnecessary. Calvin said that the Spirit living inside us helps us to praise God without the aid of instruments. Calvin was not alone in thinking this, but most Christians believe that the use of instruments can help us to sing God’s praises.
And so, we can imagine the Lord’s people gathering today in the temple and singing together the words of verses 1 to 3. And in verses 4 to 7, the psalmist goes on to explain that God has made him glad. God has made him glad, or God has made him rejoice, by his deeds. And so, the psalmist says that he will sing for joy at the work of God’s hands.
On the Sabbath day we set aside our work in order to remember God’s work: all that he has done for us in his acts of creation and providence and redemption. He made us and everything else. He provides for us and cares for us every day. And he redeems us. That is to say, he delivers us. In Old Testament times, God delivered his people from their captivity in Egypt and he rescued them from their enemies. Again and again, he saved them from the hands of the Philistines. But most of all he delivers his people from our sin and misery by his Son our Saviour. And remembering that he has delivered us makes us glad, doesn’t it? At least, it will make us glad so long as we also remember our own sinfulness. If we think we’re okay, if we think we’re not too bad, if we tell ourselves that we’re not as bad as others, then what God has done in Christ Jesus will not move us in the same way as when we realise how bad we really are. But once we realise how bad we really are, and that our best deeds are spoiled by our sin, then we’ll be glad whenever we remember what God has done for us in Christ Jesus, because Christ’s love for us and his willingness to take the blame for us will truly amaze us. It will astound us and it will make us glad.
‘How great are your works, O Lord, how profound your thoughts.’ The psalmist is amazed when he thinks about what God has done. And it seems to the psalmist that God’s thoughts, or God’s plans, are unfathomable. They are deep. They are profound. They are beyond our understanding. And this is true, isn’t it? People are always talking to me about the state of Christianity today and how it seems that so many people have turned away from the Lord. And they talk to me about the state of the church and how small and weak we are. Everywhere we look, churches are closing. People seem hardened to the gospel. They’re not interested. Though God has promised to bless the preaching of his word and to use the foolishness of preaching Christ crucified to convince and converts sinners, it seems that it’s not having any effect on people today. ‘What’s going on?’ people wonder. Why won’t God do something? Why won’t he act? Why won’t he act powerfully to convert unbelievers and bring them into the church? What’s going on?
We can’t answer that question, can we? We can’t answer it, because none of us are God and none of us thinks the way God thinks. His thoughts, his plans, are profound. They are too deep for us. They are beyond our understanding. And all we can do is to keep praising him, because the things he has already done in the world are great. The things he has already done in the world are great. And we have to keep believing that what he’s currently doing in the world is also great, even though we may not understand it.
And the psalmist goes on to mention another thing that people sometimes struggle to understand. And it’s the prosperity of the wicked. So, he refers in verse 6 to the senseless man. The fool. This is the person who tries to make sense of the world without relying on God’s revelation for understanding. And he looks at the world and he wonders why the Lord allows the wicked to spring up and flourish. Why does God not stop them? Why does he let evil people succeed and do well? What is God thinking?
But the psalmist understands. He understands that yes, the wicked may spring up, but they spring up like grass. And grass comes and goes, doesn’t it? In hot climates, grass springs up in the morning, but it withers by night. It does not last. And so, the wicked spring up like grass. They prosper. They do well. God lets them flourish for a time. But God will not let them flourish for ever. And if they continue in their wickedness, without turning from it and without turning to the Lord for forgiveness, then in the end they will be destroyed. And they will be destroyed for ever. So, they may enjoy themselves for a time; but their destruction is for ever.
And right in the middle of the psalm, in verse 8, the psalmist declares to God that he is exalted for ever. That is, he is on high for ever. He is the Most High God for ever. So, the wicked may spring up and flourish. But they will not last. But God lasts for ever. God reigns for ever. He rules all over things and over all people in heaven and on earth for ever. And since that’s the case, then it’s good for us to praise the Lord and to declare his love in the morning and his faithfulness at night. Instead of going off with the wicked, and becoming wicked like them, it’s good and right and proper for us to continue to meet together Sunday by Sunday to worship the Lord and to praise him, because he is the Most High God for ever and for ever.
Verses 9 to 15
And since God is the Most High God for ever, then his enemies will surely perish and all evildoers will be scattered. We’re to think of a battlefield, and the enemy army has been defeated and their dead bodies are scattered over the battlefield. They will perish like this, because the Lord is the Most High God. And so, who can stand up to him and succeed?
On the other hand, the Lord has exalted the horn of the psalmist. Do you see that in verse 10? God has exalted his horn and fine oils have been poured on him. When he says that God has exalted his horn, he means that God has given him victory. Two wild animals will lock horns in battle. And after the fight is over, the victor will lift his head and horn up high and shake his head and horn in triumph. And so, the psalmist is saying that God will give him the victory over his enemies. God will enable him to lift up his head in triumph, instead of having to bow his head in submission. Think of the victories God gave to David and to his people over the years and how God exalted David over his enemies.
The image of oil being poured over his head causes some commentators to think of how kings were anointed with oil. And so, perhaps the psalmist is saying that God has made the psalmist king over his people. So, God has given him victory over his enemies and crowned him as king. However, it’s perhaps more likely that he’s using the image of oil being poured over his head to convey the idea that God has poured his blessings on him. God has poured his blessings on him by enabling him to see and to hear the defeat of his enemies. And it’s not that the psalmist is being bloodthirsty and that he wants to see his enemies suffer. He wants to hear and see the defeat of his enemies because the defeat of his enemies brings relief. The battle is finally over and the psalmist can now rest and relax.
God’s enemies will perish. But God’s people — the righteous — will flourish like a tree. So, God’s enemies flourished like grass, which quickly withers, whereas God’s people flourish like a tree, which lasts. A tree is solid. It’s firm. It’s long-lasting. And it bears fruit. And the psalmist likens God’s people to a tree that is planted in the house of the Lord and which will flourish in the temple courts of the Lord. And so, we’re to picture God’s people, standing in the presence of the Lord like trees. And they are full of life and vitality and fruitfulness. Old age will not affect them in any way. Their fruitfulness will not diminish over the years. They will be like evergreen trees which remain fresh and green for ever. And in the presence of the Lord they proclaim that the Lord is upright; and he is my Rock, my place of safety and security; and there is no wickedness or unrighteousness or impurity in him, because he is good and righteous for ever and for ever.
Conclusion
And so, the psalm begins and ends with praise. It is good to praise the Lord and to make music to his name, to proclaim his love in the morning and his faithfulness at night. That’s how the psalm begins. And then, it ends with God’s people, praising his name for ever in his presence.
And the end of the psalm points us to the hope of eternal life in the presence of God. The day is coming when God will judge the world by his Son and he will condemn his enemies and send them away to be punished for ever. As the psalmist says, ‘surely your enemies will perish; all evildoers will be scattered’. But God will also bring his people into his presence in the life to come, where all of God’s people will stand in the courts of the Lord and we will flourish in his presence for ever and for ever so that though we are there for a thousand years, a million years, a billion years, we will not diminish or fade in any way, because God has given us the free gift of eternal life.
And when we stand in the courts of the Lord, we will join together to praise the Lord and to make music to the Most High God, proclaiming his love and faithfulness morning by morning and night by night for ever and for ever. And he will make us glad for ever and he will make us sing for joy always.
And the reason we will be there in the presence of the Lord, and not cast away into the darkness, which is what we deserve for a lifetime of disobedience, is because of Christ our Saviour, who loved us and who gave up his life for us. The only reason we will be there in the courts of the Lord, is because the Son of God made peace for us with God by becoming one of us and by living a perfect life of obedience on our behalf, and by taking the blame for all that we have done wrong. And because he has made peace for us with God, then we can look forward to coming into the presence of God and standing in his courts. If it were not for Christ, we would all be sent away into the darkness to be punished forever for all our shortcomings and sins. But because of Christ, we’ll stand in the presence of God and we’ll do what we were made to do, which is to glorify God and enjoy his presence for ever.
And so on Sunday, as we take and eat the bread, which speaks to us of his broken body, as we take and drink from the cup, which speaks to us of his shed blood, let us rejoice and give thanks to God for Jesus Christ who sacrificed himself on the cross to make peace for us with God, so that we can enter the eternal Sabbath and join with all of God’s people to praise the Lord for ever and for ever and for ever.
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