1
00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:02,640
Want to welcome you back to 
Christ Community Church and our 

2
00:00:02,640 --> 00:00:05,040
summer of Psalms. 
And I think even though it's 

3
00:00:05,040 --> 00:00:07,560
still May, summer has finally 
arrived, isn't it? 

4
00:00:08,440 --> 00:00:10,520
Tonight we're going to look at 
Psalm 44. 

5
00:00:10,640 --> 00:00:13,240
You want to turn there? 
Psalm 44 and the title of 

6
00:00:13,240 --> 00:00:15,880
today's message, I hope you have
an outline, is When good 

7
00:00:15,880 --> 00:00:19,720
Christians Suffer. 
Last week I took about 3 or 4 

8
00:00:19,720 --> 00:00:22,800
minutes to talk about Argentina.
Tonight I want to talk about 

9
00:00:22,880 --> 00:00:25,560
Myanmar or some of the old 
folks. 

10
00:00:25,560 --> 00:00:29,080
Remember Burma? 
That's where Ping and I last 

11
00:00:29,080 --> 00:00:32,040
served. 
We came home at the end of 2019 

12
00:00:32,439 --> 00:00:36,280
and the plan was for me to go 
back 3-4 times a year to teach 

13
00:00:36,280 --> 00:00:39,000
at the Bible school there. 
But you know what happened? 

14
00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:41,160
COVID happened and then a civil 
war. 

15
00:00:41,680 --> 00:00:44,080
The civil war there's really 
been going on for almost 80 

16
00:00:44,080 --> 00:00:49,400
years, but it totally exploded 
in 2021 because the government 

17
00:00:49,400 --> 00:00:51,680
had allowed democracy to come 
in. 

18
00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:57,440
But in 2021, the Burmese army 
overthrew the democratic elected

19
00:00:57,440 --> 00:01:02,480
government and all, the, all the
Christian tribes, Buddhist 

20
00:01:02,480 --> 00:01:05,680
tribe, Muslim tribes revolted. 
And they're, they're winning the

21
00:01:05,680 --> 00:01:08,320
war right now. 
But we haven't been able to go 

22
00:01:08,320 --> 00:01:09,720
back. 
But the reason we haven't been 

23
00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:12,680
able to go back is because 
there's a group of pastors that 

24
00:01:12,680 --> 00:01:15,000
Christ Community Church 
committed to train with a four 

25
00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:17,280
year Bible school. 
They're called the Nagas. 

26
00:01:17,280 --> 00:01:18,800
You may have heard of the Nagas 
in India. 

27
00:01:19,320 --> 00:01:23,480
There's 29 not a tribes in India
that most of them have come to 

28
00:01:23,480 --> 00:01:26,240
Christ, one of the great 
missionary movements in the past

29
00:01:26,240 --> 00:01:28,440
century. 
But over in Burma, there's one 

30
00:01:28,440 --> 00:01:32,320
tribe, the Tangsha Nagas, and 
nobody's working with them. 

31
00:01:32,320 --> 00:01:35,760
They live in the most remote 
area of Burma, no Wi-Fi, we 

32
00:01:35,760 --> 00:01:40,480
can't zoom with them. 
So for I think 6-7 times we took

33
00:01:40,480 --> 00:01:44,040
them out of their area. 
They would come sometimes on bus

34
00:01:44,600 --> 00:01:47,200
to Yangon. 
We even flew them in. 

35
00:01:47,520 --> 00:01:51,000
But they can't travel now 
because if they travel, they'll 

36
00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:54,680
get conscripted by the Burmese 
army or the rebel army. 

37
00:01:54,920 --> 00:01:59,640
Last time they they got to the 
airport and they were stopped by

38
00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:02,560
the rebel army and they have 
letters that show their pastors 

39
00:02:02,560 --> 00:02:06,040
and they weren't conscripted. 
But both sides are so desperate 

40
00:02:06,040 --> 00:02:09,160
for soldiers, they wood forest 
them in so they won't travel. 

41
00:02:09,160 --> 00:02:12,600
So I don't think October I can 
go and teach. 

42
00:02:12,600 --> 00:02:18,600
We just have one more, one more,
one more, three courses in one 

43
00:02:18,600 --> 00:02:20,400
time we could do in two weeks 
and finish. 

44
00:02:20,400 --> 00:02:22,080
Then we'd be done and they could
graduate. 

45
00:02:22,080 --> 00:02:25,680
But we're waiting. 
But some of you asked about how 

46
00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:27,120
the situation is with the 
earthquake. 

47
00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:31,280
The the Bible school that I 
taught out is now an official, 

48
00:02:31,280 --> 00:02:33,040
the Masters Academy 
International. 

49
00:02:33,160 --> 00:02:37,120
I think they have about 16 TMAI 
academies around the world and 

50
00:02:37,920 --> 00:02:40,680
Myanmar is an official one now. 
It wasn't when I was there. 

51
00:02:41,160 --> 00:02:43,080
But the school in Yonggun is 
safe. 

52
00:02:43,800 --> 00:02:46,760
All my friends are safe. 
Tom Jin will be here next 

53
00:02:46,760 --> 00:02:48,680
Sunday. 
He's coming to study for two 

54
00:02:48,680 --> 00:02:51,680
weeks at the Masters Seminary. 
So you'll see a month next 

55
00:02:51,680 --> 00:02:53,840
Sunday. 
But everybody's safe in Yonggu. 

56
00:02:53,880 --> 00:02:58,080
But up north, it's Mandalay is 
the second largest city in 

57
00:02:58,280 --> 00:03:00,600
Myanmar. 
And it is just devastating. 

58
00:03:00,600 --> 00:03:03,760
You don't see a lot of the news 
for most people don't care about

59
00:03:03,760 --> 00:03:06,040
Myanmar. 
They care about Ukraine, Russia 

60
00:03:06,040 --> 00:03:09,400
or Israel, Hamas. 
But they also the army doesn't 

61
00:03:09,400 --> 00:03:11,320
allow reporters in there, 
especially Americans. 

62
00:03:11,320 --> 00:03:14,600
So yesterday I was looking at a 
video from from Doctors Without 

63
00:03:14,600 --> 00:03:18,640
Borders and it was that in Lee 
Lake, beautiful lake and all the

64
00:03:18,640 --> 00:03:22,600
houses are on stilts but 
virtually every house was 

65
00:03:22,600 --> 00:03:26,920
knocked down. 
And in Mandalay 70 to 90% of the

66
00:03:26,920 --> 00:03:30,520
houses are destroyed and they 
don't have a lot of skyscrapers.

67
00:03:30,640 --> 00:03:33,400
Most of the houses 3-4 stories 
would be the high. 

68
00:03:33,840 --> 00:03:38,520
But it is it's horrible there. 
But I was thinking at, because 

69
00:03:38,520 --> 00:03:42,160
you see the temples, the 
monasteries and those stupas, 

70
00:03:42,160 --> 00:03:45,800
you know, that a stupas, this 
large cylinder thing that they 

71
00:03:45,800 --> 00:03:48,600
claim that there's a piece of 
Buddha's body and like a hair or

72
00:03:48,600 --> 00:03:51,120
a fingernail and there's 
millions of them, that's 

73
00:03:51,120 --> 00:03:53,400
impossible. 
But they're all destroyed. 

74
00:03:53,480 --> 00:03:57,680
They're sitting on their sides. 
And Isaiah 55, seven says, God 

75
00:03:57,680 --> 00:04:00,440
says I create calamity. 
And that is the epicenter of 

76
00:04:00,440 --> 00:04:03,880
Buddhism, not just in Burma, but
almost that whole area of Asia. 

77
00:04:04,240 --> 00:04:08,880
For example, Thailand, the boys 
will be monks for maybe two 

78
00:04:08,880 --> 00:04:10,800
weeks. 
To honor their family, they have

79
00:04:10,800 --> 00:04:12,720
to be a monk. 
So they'll shave their head 

80
00:04:12,920 --> 00:04:14,400
going to the monastery for two 
weeks. 

81
00:04:14,520 --> 00:04:17,600
They don't want to be a monk. 
So over half the monks in 

82
00:04:17,600 --> 00:04:21,000
Thailand that live full time in 
the monasteries are from Burma. 

83
00:04:21,640 --> 00:04:25,160
So I believe God sent a message 
to them that he is, he is the 

84
00:04:25,160 --> 00:04:26,640
one true God of the heavens and 
the earth. 

85
00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:29,800
And they need to repent. 
But, but the Bible school in 

86
00:04:29,800 --> 00:04:33,560
Yangon is safe and doing well. 
But up north, it's it's terrible

87
00:04:33,560 --> 00:04:37,600
that people are there. 
And I talk about Myanmar because

88
00:04:37,600 --> 00:04:40,120
I want to talk about the first 
American missionary went to 

89
00:04:40,120 --> 00:04:41,520
Myanmar. 
And I've talked about it many 

90
00:04:41,520 --> 00:04:44,280
times here. 
And that is a drone around 

91
00:04:44,280 --> 00:04:48,720
Judson. 
And last year I recommended that

92
00:04:48,840 --> 00:04:52,320
you're teenagers or maybe you 
need to read probably the most 

93
00:04:52,320 --> 00:04:55,200
powerful missionary biography 
that's out there. 

94
00:04:55,600 --> 00:04:59,080
And it's called To the Golden 
Shore, The life of a drone and 

95
00:04:59,080 --> 00:05:02,680
Ram Judson. 
And when we talk about our title

96
00:05:02,680 --> 00:05:05,440
tonight, When Good Christians 
Suffer, I'm just going to give 

97
00:05:05,440 --> 00:05:09,080
you one paragraph. 
A donor, Ram Judson, lived from 

98
00:05:09,080 --> 00:05:13,680
1788 to 1850, and he stepped 
onto Burmese soil. 

99
00:05:13,840 --> 00:05:16,400
Originally he wanted to go to 
India, but he arrived in the 

100
00:05:16,400 --> 00:05:20,480
year 1812 and India was in a war
with America, so he wasn't 

101
00:05:20,480 --> 00:05:22,120
allowed. 
To stay in India. 

102
00:05:22,120 --> 00:05:24,800
So he went to Burma. 
But he arrived on the Burmese 

103
00:05:24,800 --> 00:05:27,400
soil with no applause, but with 
anguish. 

104
00:05:27,880 --> 00:05:31,960
For seven long years he preached
without a single convert, 

105
00:05:32,640 --> 00:05:36,120
digging into the language like a
miner seeking the gold beneath 

106
00:05:36,120 --> 00:05:39,120
stone. 
He buried his first child in 

107
00:05:39,120 --> 00:05:43,160
foreign soil and watched his 
beloved wife and waste away from

108
00:05:43,160 --> 00:05:47,040
disease. 
And then he spent two years in 

109
00:05:47,040 --> 00:05:51,720
brutal imprisonment, Chain Star 
suspended by his feet in a 

110
00:05:51,720 --> 00:05:55,160
filthy Burmese death Cam. 
Yet even in the darkness of the 

111
00:05:55,160 --> 00:05:59,080
dungeon, he whispered prayers in
Burmese and in scraps of 

112
00:05:59,080 --> 00:06:03,320
translated scripture under his 
thin mat, knowing that someday 

113
00:06:03,680 --> 00:06:07,760
someone would read them. 
When Judson died in 1850, he 

114
00:06:07,760 --> 00:06:11,320
died on a ship and was buried at
sea after nearly 4. 

115
00:06:12,200 --> 00:06:14,720
I'm sorry. 
After nearly 4 decades of toil, 

116
00:06:15,360 --> 00:06:19,800
there were over 7000 baptized 
Burmese believers and more than 

117
00:06:19,800 --> 00:06:24,520
60 churches have been planted 
and a fully translated Bible in 

118
00:06:24,520 --> 00:06:27,400
the Burmese language. 
That Bible today is still used 

119
00:06:27,560 --> 00:06:30,880
after 200 years. 
His body was committed to the 

120
00:06:30,880 --> 00:06:34,160
sea, but his legacy lives on the
hearts of people who once knew 

121
00:06:34,160 --> 00:06:36,920
nothing of Christ. 
Today if you go to Kitchen 

122
00:06:36,920 --> 00:06:39,840
State, there might be 2,000,000 
Christians. 

123
00:06:39,840 --> 00:06:43,280
Now I would say a lot of those 
are nominal Christians because 

124
00:06:43,280 --> 00:06:45,880
the largest seminary there, the 
president doesn't even believe 

125
00:06:45,880 --> 00:06:48,120
the Bible. 
But there are a lot of born 

126
00:06:48,120 --> 00:06:51,000
again believers. 
When Judson sowed in sorrow, 

127
00:06:51,040 --> 00:06:53,400
heaven reaped in joy and listen 
to what he wrote here. 

128
00:06:54,360 --> 00:06:59,280
If I had not felt certain that 
every additional trial was 

129
00:06:59,280 --> 00:07:04,160
ordered by an infinite love and 
mercy, I could not have survived

130
00:07:04,320 --> 00:07:08,920
my accumulated sufferings. 
Such words were not poetry, they

131
00:07:08,920 --> 00:07:12,720
were scars made in the praise. 
Let's read Psalm 44. 

132
00:07:13,320 --> 00:07:17,480
Psalm 44 has a superscription 
that says to the choirmaster a 

133
00:07:17,480 --> 00:07:20,320
mass skill of the sons of kora, 
and I'll talk about that in a 

134
00:07:20,320 --> 00:07:23,200
little bit. 
Oh God, we have heard with our 

135
00:07:23,200 --> 00:07:27,080
ears, our fathers have told us 
what deeds you performed in 

136
00:07:27,080 --> 00:07:32,160
their days, in the days of old 
with you, with your own hand 

137
00:07:32,320 --> 00:07:35,640
drove out the nation's. 
But them you planted, you 

138
00:07:35,640 --> 00:07:38,080
afflicted the peoples, but them 
you set free. 

139
00:07:38,640 --> 00:07:42,600
For not by their own sword did 
they win the land, nor did their

140
00:07:42,600 --> 00:07:46,960
own arms save them, but your 
right hand, and your arm and the

141
00:07:46,960 --> 00:07:49,480
light of your face. 
For you delighted in them. 

142
00:07:50,040 --> 00:07:52,680
You are my king. 
Oh, God ordains salvation for 

143
00:07:52,680 --> 00:07:55,160
Jacob. 
Through you we push down our 

144
00:07:55,160 --> 00:07:59,480
foes. 
Through your name we we tread 

145
00:07:59,480 --> 00:08:01,440
down those who rise up against 
us. 

146
00:08:01,760 --> 00:08:05,120
For not in my bow do I trust, 
nor can my sword save me. 

147
00:08:05,320 --> 00:08:08,960
But you have saved us from our 
foes, and are put to shame those

148
00:08:08,960 --> 00:08:11,000
who hate us. 
In God we have boasted 

149
00:08:11,000 --> 00:08:14,680
continually, and we will give 
thanks to your name forever, 

150
00:08:14,840 --> 00:08:18,200
Sila. 
But you have rejected us and 

151
00:08:18,200 --> 00:08:21,320
disgraced us, and have not gone 
out with our armies. 

152
00:08:21,640 --> 00:08:24,840
You have made us turn back from 
the foe, and those who hate us 

153
00:08:25,000 --> 00:08:27,800
have gotten spoiled. 
You have made us like sheep for 

154
00:08:27,800 --> 00:08:30,680
the slaughter, and have 
scattered us among the nations. 

155
00:08:30,920 --> 00:08:34,360
You have sold your people for A 
trifle, demanding no high price 

156
00:08:34,360 --> 00:08:36,400
for them. 
You have made us the taunt of 

157
00:08:36,400 --> 00:08:39,520
our neighbors, the derision and 
scorn of those around us. 

158
00:08:39,840 --> 00:08:43,120
You have made us a byword among 
the nations, a laughing stock 

159
00:08:43,120 --> 00:08:45,920
among the peoples. 
All day long my disgrace is 

160
00:08:45,920 --> 00:08:49,680
before me, and shame is covered 
my face at the sound of the 

161
00:08:49,680 --> 00:08:52,760
taunter and reveler, and the 
sight of the enemy and the 

162
00:08:52,760 --> 00:08:55,280
avenger. 
All this has come upon us, 

163
00:08:55,600 --> 00:08:58,600
though we have not forgotten 
you, and we have not been false 

164
00:08:58,600 --> 00:09:00,920
to Your covenant. 
Our heart is not turned back, 

165
00:09:01,200 --> 00:09:04,000
nor have our steps departed from
your way. 

166
00:09:04,480 --> 00:09:07,800
Yet You have broken us into 
place of jackals, and covered us

167
00:09:07,800 --> 00:09:11,040
with the shadow of death. 
If we had forgotten the name of 

168
00:09:11,040 --> 00:09:15,040
our God, or spread out our hands
to a foreign God, would not God 

169
00:09:15,040 --> 00:09:17,440
discover this? 
For He knows the secrets of the 

170
00:09:17,440 --> 00:09:19,680
heart. 
Yet for your sake, we are 

171
00:09:19,680 --> 00:09:22,160
killed. 
All day long we are regarded as 

172
00:09:22,160 --> 00:09:26,480
sheep to be slaughtered awake. 
Why are you sleeping? 

173
00:09:26,480 --> 00:09:29,920
O Lord, rouse yourself. 
Do not reject us forever. 

174
00:09:30,080 --> 00:09:33,360
Why do you hide your face? 
Why do you forget our affliction

175
00:09:33,560 --> 00:09:36,560
and oppression? 
For our soul is bowed down to 

176
00:09:36,560 --> 00:09:39,040
the dust. 
Our belly clings to the ground. 

177
00:09:39,440 --> 00:09:42,480
Rise up, come to our help. 
Redeem us. 

178
00:09:42,680 --> 00:09:45,920
For the sake of your steadfast 
love, let's pray. 

179
00:09:46,640 --> 00:09:49,040
Father, tonight perhaps in our 
audience there are people who 

180
00:09:49,040 --> 00:09:53,400
are suffering, wondering why. 
May this Psalm tonight help them

181
00:09:53,640 --> 00:09:57,200
to understand Your sovereignty, 
Your Providence, Your love, and 

182
00:09:57,200 --> 00:09:59,280
Your mercy. 
And sometimes we'll never know 

183
00:09:59,280 --> 00:10:02,720
why till we get to heaven in 
Jesus name, Amen. 

184
00:10:04,200 --> 00:10:09,480
James Johnston wrote that our 
natural instinct is to think 

185
00:10:09,480 --> 00:10:12,560
that if we obey God and do what 
is right. 

186
00:10:13,160 --> 00:10:16,280
Things will go well. 
Our church will grow. 

187
00:10:16,840 --> 00:10:20,200
Our kids will do well. 
My business will succeed. 

188
00:10:20,880 --> 00:10:24,200
But God allows obedient 
Christians to go through deep 

189
00:10:24,200 --> 00:10:26,720
trouble. 
Sometimes we suffer because 

190
00:10:26,720 --> 00:10:29,920
we're disobedient. 
Israel was defeated at a high 

191
00:10:30,120 --> 00:10:33,440
because Eakins sinned. 
He kept some of the spoil from 

192
00:10:33,440 --> 00:10:37,280
Jericho. 
Ananias and Sapphira died 

193
00:10:37,280 --> 00:10:41,480
because they lied to God. 
The writer of Hebrews 12 said 

194
00:10:41,720 --> 00:10:45,280
God disciplines us when we sin 
and His purpose is to make us 

195
00:10:45,280 --> 00:10:48,920
holy. 
But sometimes God allows us to 

196
00:10:48,920 --> 00:10:54,000
go through hard times even when 
we are obedient and walking 

197
00:10:54,120 --> 00:10:58,680
closely with Him. 
Job suffered pricely precisely 

198
00:10:58,680 --> 00:11:00,640
because he honored God. 
Job 18. 

199
00:11:01,120 --> 00:11:04,960
Joseph went to prison precisely 
because he honored God. 

200
00:11:05,440 --> 00:11:08,880
Paul had a thorn in the flesh 
precisely because his ministry 

201
00:11:09,080 --> 00:11:12,680
was so successful. 
This can be hard to understand. 

202
00:11:13,440 --> 00:11:16,080
We understand when God 
disciplines us with hardships, 

203
00:11:16,240 --> 00:11:20,240
when we have disobeyed Him. 
But why do trouble and tragedy 

204
00:11:20,240 --> 00:11:23,640
come into our lives when we've 
been following God faithfully? 

205
00:11:24,120 --> 00:11:27,480
This is the exact situation of 
Psalm 44. 

206
00:11:28,280 --> 00:11:30,360
Let me talk a little bit about 
the type of Psalm. 

207
00:11:30,360 --> 00:11:33,880
It's a lament. 
Of course, the the the author is

208
00:11:33,880 --> 00:11:37,120
crying out, and probably half 
the Psalms are laments. 

209
00:11:37,640 --> 00:11:41,480
But usually Psalms are written 
to praise the Lord for military 

210
00:11:41,480 --> 00:11:44,840
victories, right? 
But here's Psalm 44. 

211
00:11:45,120 --> 00:11:49,760
The worship leader in the temple
is crying out for some unknown 

212
00:11:49,760 --> 00:11:52,480
military defeat. 
We don't know when this is. 

213
00:11:52,480 --> 00:11:55,760
I'll talk a little bit about it.
But whatever war battle it was, 

214
00:11:55,760 --> 00:11:58,680
it was catastrophic. 
The Israel army had been 

215
00:11:58,680 --> 00:12:02,640
defeated, many were taken 
slaves, and the situation was 

216
00:12:02,640 --> 00:12:05,480
terrible. 
Sometime when you read Psalm 44,

217
00:12:05,480 --> 00:12:09,480
make sure you read Psalm 4243 
and 44 together. 

218
00:12:09,920 --> 00:12:11,800
They share many of the same 
themes. 

219
00:12:12,200 --> 00:12:15,680
In Psalms 42, you know that's 
the as the deer pants Psalm. 

220
00:12:16,400 --> 00:12:20,480
In Psalm 43, the king feels like
God has forgotten and rejected 

221
00:12:20,480 --> 00:12:23,760
him. 
In Psalm 44, the king speaks for

222
00:12:23,760 --> 00:12:27,640
a nation that feels like God has
forgotten and rejected them. 

223
00:12:28,720 --> 00:12:30,720
We have a. 
Nice superscription here. 

224
00:12:30,720 --> 00:12:33,440
It just says to the choirmaster 
A maskiel. 

225
00:12:33,760 --> 00:12:39,480
A maskiel is a wise saying or 
and some type of instruction put

226
00:12:39,480 --> 00:12:41,680
to music. 
And this one is written by the 

227
00:12:41,680 --> 00:12:44,320
sons of Kora. 
We've looked at Psalm 5 and 

228
00:12:44,320 --> 00:12:46,840
we've looked at Psalm 27. 
Both of those were written by 

229
00:12:47,040 --> 00:12:49,120
King David. 
Tonight we have a different 

230
00:12:49,120 --> 00:12:52,120
writer in Psalms. 
And the sons of Kora were the 

231
00:12:52,120 --> 00:12:55,920
worship leaders in the temple. 
So we don't know if it's one guy

232
00:12:55,920 --> 00:12:58,560
who wrote the 11 of them, 
there's eleven of them or 

233
00:12:58,560 --> 00:13:01,520
different ones. 
The sons of Kora, though, 

234
00:13:01,520 --> 00:13:06,520
demonstrated in awe of God's 
holiness and power as expressed 

235
00:13:06,520 --> 00:13:09,960
in their service to the Lord of 
the temple and the style of 

236
00:13:09,960 --> 00:13:14,160
poetry they use in their psalms.
Remember they wrote Psalms 42 

237
00:13:14,160 --> 00:13:16,400
one. 
Remember that as the deer pants 

238
00:13:16,400 --> 00:13:19,360
for the streams of water, so my 
soul pants for you. 

239
00:13:19,920 --> 00:13:22,960
They also wrote Psalms 46 verses
one and two. 

240
00:13:23,200 --> 00:13:27,080
God is our refuge and strength, 
a very present help and trouble.

241
00:13:27,200 --> 00:13:30,000
Therefore we will not fear 
though the earth gives way. 

242
00:13:30,600 --> 00:13:33,960
They wrote Psalms 47. 
Clap your hands all you peoples 

243
00:13:34,080 --> 00:13:36,600
shout to God with voices of 
triumph. 

244
00:13:37,160 --> 00:13:40,320
They wrote Psalm 48. 
Great is our Lord and greatly to

245
00:13:40,320 --> 00:13:43,480
be praised. 
They wrote Psalm 49 verse 20, 

246
00:13:43,480 --> 00:13:47,680
which says man in his pomp, yet 
without understanding is like 

247
00:13:47,680 --> 00:13:50,280
the beasts of the field. 
And then of course that 

248
00:13:50,280 --> 00:13:54,960
wonderful Psalm 84 and you know 
verse 10 says for a day in your 

249
00:13:54,960 --> 00:13:57,840
courts is a better than 1000 
elsewhere. 

250
00:13:58,360 --> 00:14:00,600
I would rather be a doorkeeper 
in the house. 

251
00:14:00,600 --> 00:14:03,120
Oh my God, then dwell in the 
tents of the wicked. 

252
00:14:03,680 --> 00:14:06,720
They also wrote Psalms 87, which
we'll look at probably four or 

253
00:14:06,720 --> 00:14:11,360
five weeks from now, which says 
glorious things of you are 

254
00:14:11,360 --> 00:14:16,600
spoken, O city of God. 
They also wrote Psalms 444585 

255
00:14:16,600 --> 00:14:22,000
and 8811 Psalms all together. 
So the their poetry, the Hebrew 

256
00:14:22,000 --> 00:14:25,400
poetry, which we've translated 
in English is really beautiful. 

257
00:14:25,880 --> 00:14:27,360
Let's look at your outline 
tonight. 

258
00:14:27,880 --> 00:14:32,880
We have #1A prosperous past, 
verses 1/8 #2A painful present, 

259
00:14:32,880 --> 00:14:38,440
verses 9 to 22, and a positive 
future, verses 23 to 26. 

260
00:14:38,760 --> 00:14:41,080
There are some outlines if you 
in the back, if you didn't pick 

261
00:14:41,080 --> 00:14:42,760
one up, try to leave one every 
week. 

262
00:14:43,160 --> 00:14:45,680
Let's start with a prosperous 
past verses one day. 

263
00:14:46,400 --> 00:14:51,200
So God is Israel's king here on 
the basis of past experiences. 

264
00:14:51,920 --> 00:14:57,080
You know, if you read Psalm 42 
and Psalm 43, you see the words 

265
00:14:57,280 --> 00:15:01,080
hoping God, hoping God, hoping 
God three times. 

266
00:15:01,520 --> 00:15:04,880
The psalmist is going to do that
in verses 1 to 8 year, 

267
00:15:05,200 --> 00:15:09,880
remembering the prosperous, the 
glorious past that Israel had 

268
00:15:10,360 --> 00:15:12,680
got. 2 sub points there. 
They have been planted in the 

269
00:15:12,680 --> 00:15:14,200
land. 
And let's look at that. 

270
00:15:14,200 --> 00:15:16,040
Number one, they've been planted
in the land. 

271
00:15:16,400 --> 00:15:20,720
So First off, we're going to 
have God brought them, God built

272
00:15:20,720 --> 00:15:23,400
them. 
I think that's the only two sub 

273
00:15:23,400 --> 00:15:24,040
points. 
Yeah. 

274
00:15:24,280 --> 00:15:28,360
So let's talk about God. 
God brought them verses one to 

275
00:15:28,360 --> 00:15:31,040
two. 
OK, the psalmist says. 

276
00:15:31,320 --> 00:15:34,720
We have heard with our ears. 
They didn't have the Bible like 

277
00:15:34,720 --> 00:15:36,480
we do. 
They weren't able to read the 

278
00:15:36,480 --> 00:15:38,720
word of God. 
But they would tell stories, 

279
00:15:39,120 --> 00:15:42,320
grandfathers to fathers to 
children, would tell the stories

280
00:15:42,320 --> 00:15:45,080
of the exodus from Egypt, the 
conquest of Canaan. 

281
00:15:45,600 --> 00:15:49,600
Five times here in verses 1/8, 
it says you, you, you. 

282
00:15:50,080 --> 00:15:54,920
Actually in my translation, 21 
times in the Psalms, it says 

283
00:15:54,920 --> 00:15:57,520
you, you, you, you, of course, 
is God. 

284
00:15:57,880 --> 00:16:00,400
God did it. 
All of it was from God. 

285
00:16:00,680 --> 00:16:02,760
God gave the people his great 
victories. 

286
00:16:03,080 --> 00:16:06,800
If you'd like to turn to Joshua 
24 with me, Joshua, and this is 

287
00:16:06,800 --> 00:16:10,400
the last chapter in the book of 
Joshua, He reminds the people, 

288
00:16:10,880 --> 00:16:14,560
the children of Israel in the 
last chapter, who was 

289
00:16:14,560 --> 00:16:16,560
responsible for the conquest of 
Canaan. 

290
00:16:17,040 --> 00:16:21,400
And in Joshua 24, I'll read 
verses 6 to 8 and then I'll jump

291
00:16:21,400 --> 00:16:26,160
to 10 to 13. 
But in Joshua 24 it says, then I

292
00:16:26,600 --> 00:16:30,200
brought your father's out of 
Egypt and you came to the sea, 

293
00:16:30,560 --> 00:16:33,840
and the Egyptians pursued your 
father's with Chariots and 

294
00:16:33,840 --> 00:16:37,800
horsemen to the Red Sea, and 
then they cried to the Lord. 

295
00:16:37,960 --> 00:16:41,160
He put darkness between you and 
the Egyptians and made the sea 

296
00:16:41,160 --> 00:16:46,520
come upon them and cover them. 
And your eyes saw what I did in 

297
00:16:46,520 --> 00:16:48,480
Egypt. 
And you lived in the wilderness 

298
00:16:48,480 --> 00:16:50,600
a long time. 
Verse 8. 

299
00:16:50,840 --> 00:16:54,200
Then I brought you into the land
of the Amorites, who lived on 

300
00:16:54,200 --> 00:16:57,840
the other side of the Jordan. 
They fought with you, and I gave

301
00:16:57,840 --> 00:17:00,840
them into your hand, and you 
took possession of their land, 

302
00:17:01,040 --> 00:17:05,359
and I destroyed them before you.
Then Balak son, is a poor king 

303
00:17:05,359 --> 00:17:08,040
of Moab. 
Rose, rose and fought against 

304
00:17:08,040 --> 00:17:11,880
Israel, and he sent invited 
Balaam, son of the OR to curse 

305
00:17:11,880 --> 00:17:14,000
you. 
But I would not listen to 

306
00:17:14,000 --> 00:17:15,680
Balaam. 
Indeed he blessed you. 

307
00:17:15,960 --> 00:17:18,560
So I delivered you out of his 
hand. 

308
00:17:19,160 --> 00:17:22,760
And then if you go to verse 11 
and you went over to the Jordan 

309
00:17:22,760 --> 00:17:25,440
and came to Jericho, and the 
leaders of Jericho fought 

310
00:17:25,440 --> 00:17:28,600
against you, and also the 
Amorites, the Perzites, the 

311
00:17:28,600 --> 00:17:31,480
Canaanites, the Hittites, the 
Girgosites, the Hittites and 

312
00:17:31,480 --> 00:17:35,000
Jebusites. 
And I gave them your hand, and I

313
00:17:35,000 --> 00:17:38,400
sent the Hornet before you, 
which drove them out before you.

314
00:17:38,760 --> 00:17:41,880
2 kings of the Amorites. 
He was not by your sword or your

315
00:17:41,880 --> 00:17:46,400
bow I gave them. 
I gave you a land on which you 

316
00:17:46,400 --> 00:17:49,640
had not labored and cities that 
you had not built. 

317
00:17:49,960 --> 00:17:52,640
And you dwell in them. 
You eat the fruit of vineyards 

318
00:17:52,760 --> 00:17:57,400
and all of orchards that you did
not plant. 10 times there he 

319
00:17:57,400 --> 00:18:00,720
says aye, aye aye. 
God brought them out. 

320
00:18:01,480 --> 00:18:04,520
Sub point to God built them up 
in verse 3. 

321
00:18:05,280 --> 00:18:08,440
OK, he says it was not by their 
own sword did they win the land 

322
00:18:08,680 --> 00:18:10,280
nor did their own army save 
them. 

323
00:18:10,680 --> 00:18:13,120
But your right hand, your arm 
and the light of your face 

324
00:18:13,120 --> 00:18:15,600
delighted them. 
It wasn't by their own sword. 

325
00:18:15,600 --> 00:18:19,440
We just read Joshua 24 that says
God did it 10 times. 

326
00:18:20,040 --> 00:18:22,440
You know one of my favorite 
passages in Joshua. 

327
00:18:22,440 --> 00:18:25,000
I love the book of Joshua 
because it's war and you know, 

328
00:18:25,000 --> 00:18:28,360
if you like war movies like 
Saving Private Ryan like that, 

329
00:18:28,440 --> 00:18:31,640
like me, Joshua is one of my 
favorite chapters in the Bible. 

330
00:18:31,640 --> 00:18:35,800
In Joshua 10, we have this 
battle where there's 5 kings led

331
00:18:35,800 --> 00:18:40,400
by Adenizaetic and he's the king
of Jerusalem and he went to 

332
00:18:40,400 --> 00:18:43,840
attack Gibeon. 
And remember the Gibeonites in 

333
00:18:43,840 --> 00:18:47,720
the previous chapter, Chapter 9 
had tricked Joshua. 

334
00:18:47,720 --> 00:18:50,000
Joshua didn't pray. 
Probably the one time in the 

335
00:18:50,000 --> 00:18:53,160
book of Joshua that Joshua 
didn't seek the God's advice. 

336
00:18:53,600 --> 00:18:56,640
So the Gibbeonites had deceived 
Israel, but now the Gibbeonites 

337
00:18:56,640 --> 00:18:58,800
are being attacked and they cry 
out to Israel to help them. 

338
00:18:59,360 --> 00:19:04,520
And in Joshua 10, I'm sorry, 
Joshua 10, it says in verse 11, 

339
00:19:05,080 --> 00:19:08,320
as they fled before the Lord, 
while they were going down the 

340
00:19:08,320 --> 00:19:12,320
ascent of Beth Warren, the Lord 
threw down large stones from 

341
00:19:12,320 --> 00:19:16,000
heaven on them as far as he's 
at, and they died. 

342
00:19:16,000 --> 00:19:17,280
And this is, this is what I 
love. 

343
00:19:18,040 --> 00:19:21,920
There were more who died because
of the hailstones than the sons 

344
00:19:21,920 --> 00:19:25,720
of Israel killed with the sword 
time and time again. 

345
00:19:25,920 --> 00:19:29,480
Battle and battle. 
God won the war, not their 

346
00:19:29,480 --> 00:19:31,400
armies. 
And notice here in verse three 

347
00:19:31,400 --> 00:19:34,600
that we have 3 metaphors. 
We have the right hand of God, 

348
00:19:34,840 --> 00:19:37,560
the arm of God, and the light of
his face. 

349
00:19:38,080 --> 00:19:40,120
So he says by your right right 
arm. 

350
00:19:40,120 --> 00:19:44,880
OK, that is used 40 times in 
psalms. 

351
00:19:45,160 --> 00:19:48,880
It signifies power, signifies 
the omnipotence of an almighty 

352
00:19:48,880 --> 00:19:50,360
God. 
It's you. 

353
00:19:50,360 --> 00:19:54,880
Psalms 26 says Now I know that 
Yahweh saves his anointed, He 

354
00:19:54,880 --> 00:19:58,360
will answer him from his holy 
heaven with the saving might of 

355
00:19:58,360 --> 00:20:02,120
his right hand. 
Psalms 110 that great messianic 

356
00:20:02,120 --> 00:20:07,600
Psalm verse one says Yahweh says
to my Lord, sit at my right hand

357
00:20:07,840 --> 00:20:10,920
until I put your enemies as a 
footstool for your feet. 

358
00:20:11,280 --> 00:20:13,760
Then he just says your arm, your
arm. 

359
00:20:14,120 --> 00:20:16,600
Another anthropomorphism. 
Anthropomorphisms are when. 

360
00:20:17,000 --> 00:20:20,560
The the writers of the Bible 
ascribe human characteristics to

361
00:20:20,560 --> 00:20:22,680
a God. 
God doesn't have an arm, doesn't

362
00:20:22,680 --> 00:20:25,480
have eyes, He's a spirit. 
But we have to describe them. 

363
00:20:25,480 --> 00:20:27,720
So we use these 
anthropomorphisms. 

364
00:20:28,120 --> 00:20:32,400
And the second one he just says,
and your arm and Psalms 10/12 

365
00:20:32,400 --> 00:20:35,360
says arise, O Lord, O God, lift 
up your hand. 

366
00:20:36,040 --> 00:20:40,760
The third is, and the light of 
your face, that just means God's

367
00:20:40,760 --> 00:20:45,400
gracious favor when God sheds 
His light for his face and you 

368
00:20:45,400 --> 00:20:47,720
look at Deuteronomy 9, you don't
have to turn there, I'll read 

369
00:20:47,720 --> 00:20:52,200
it, but Deuteronomy 9, four to 
six, God reminds the children of

370
00:20:52,200 --> 00:20:54,760
Israel. 
Do not say in your heart after 

371
00:20:54,760 --> 00:20:56,800
the Lord your God has thrust 
them out before you. 

372
00:20:57,480 --> 00:20:59,600
It is because of my 
righteousness that the Lord has 

373
00:20:59,600 --> 00:21:01,800
brought me in to possess this 
land. 

374
00:21:02,440 --> 00:21:05,800
Whereas it is because of the 
wickedness of these nations that

375
00:21:05,800 --> 00:21:07,560
the Lord is driving them out 
before you. 

376
00:21:08,200 --> 00:21:10,680
Not because of your 
righteousness or uprightness of 

377
00:21:10,680 --> 00:21:14,960
your heart are you going in to 
possess their land, but because 

378
00:21:14,960 --> 00:21:18,560
of the wickedness of those 
nations, the Lord God is driving

379
00:21:18,560 --> 00:21:23,040
them out before you. 
And that He may confirm the word

380
00:21:23,040 --> 00:21:26,200
that the Lord swore to your 
father's, to Abraham, Isaac, and

381
00:21:26,200 --> 00:21:29,000
a Jacob. 
So they had been planted in the 

382
00:21:29,000 --> 00:21:30,560
land. 
They had been built. 

383
00:21:30,920 --> 00:21:32,920
They've been brought into the 
land and they've been built up 

384
00:21:32,920 --> 00:21:34,280
in the land. 
Let's look at. 

385
00:21:34,280 --> 00:21:38,000
Subpoint number B. 
They have been protected in the 

386
00:21:38,000 --> 00:21:41,440
land, and here God decrees the 
victories. 

387
00:21:41,920 --> 00:21:45,520
God defeats the foes and God 
delivers them. 

388
00:21:45,720 --> 00:21:47,680
So First off, God decreed the 
victories. 

389
00:21:47,680 --> 00:21:50,280
Verse four, he just says you are
my king. 

390
00:21:50,280 --> 00:21:55,040
O God ordained salvation for 
Jacob last week we said in 

391
00:21:55,040 --> 00:21:59,600
Psalms 27 in Psalms when you see
the word salvation, it's the Old

392
00:21:59,600 --> 00:22:02,000
Testament. 
It means a victory or 

393
00:22:02,000 --> 00:22:05,800
deliverance granting salvation. 
It's not the salvation of a born

394
00:22:05,800 --> 00:22:07,120
again Christian of the New 
Testament. 

395
00:22:07,280 --> 00:22:11,000
We said last week, but it's 
crying out for deliverance and 

396
00:22:12,000 --> 00:22:16,800
Deuteronomy 4 verse 37 to 38 and
it says and because he loved 

397
00:22:16,800 --> 00:22:20,720
your father's and chose their 
offspring after them and brought

398
00:22:20,720 --> 00:22:23,800
you out of Egypt with his own 
presence and great power, 

399
00:22:24,200 --> 00:22:28,160
driving out nations greater and 
mightier than you to bring you 

400
00:22:28,160 --> 00:22:32,080
in to give their land as an 
inheritance as it is to this 

401
00:22:32,080 --> 00:22:34,120
day. 
So God decreed the victories. 

402
00:22:34,360 --> 00:22:37,000
Sometime if you do it you'll if 
you're reading your Old 

403
00:22:37,000 --> 00:22:38,240
Testament, obviously you'll get 
it. 

404
00:22:38,640 --> 00:22:43,840
But when you get to Joshua 12, 
31 battles, it says victory won 

405
00:22:44,160 --> 00:22:46,440
31 times. 
God ordained victory. 

406
00:22:46,440 --> 00:22:48,800
So God decreed the victories in 
verse 4. 

407
00:22:49,440 --> 00:22:52,320
In verses 5 to 6, God defeated 
the foes. 

408
00:22:52,760 --> 00:22:57,920
OK, Now notice in verse 5 it 
says though you through you we 

409
00:22:57,920 --> 00:23:00,840
push down our foes. 
So most commentators think that 

410
00:23:01,080 --> 00:23:04,880
the people answer the king in 
verse 5 saying we, and then in 

411
00:23:04,880 --> 00:23:07,960
verse 6 we'll talk about that 
second. 

412
00:23:07,960 --> 00:23:11,080
So the people answer the king in
verse 5 in the plural, saying 

413
00:23:11,080 --> 00:23:13,400
we. 
For many years the Lord had been

414
00:23:13,400 --> 00:23:17,200
the invisible warrior who went 
before the Jewish armies and LED

415
00:23:17,200 --> 00:23:22,360
them to victory. 
Joshua 5 verse 13 to 14 says 

416
00:23:22,560 --> 00:23:26,720
when Joshua was by Jericho, he 
lifted up his eyes and look, and

417
00:23:26,720 --> 00:23:29,600
behold, a man was standing 
before him with his drawn sword 

418
00:23:29,600 --> 00:23:33,120
in his hand. 
And Joshua said to him, Joshua 

419
00:23:33,120 --> 00:23:35,400
went to him and said to him, are
for you. 

420
00:23:35,480 --> 00:23:38,000
Are you for us or for 
adversaries. 

421
00:23:38,600 --> 00:23:43,680
And verse 14 and he said, no, I 
am the commander of the army of 

422
00:23:43,680 --> 00:23:46,480
the Lord. 
Now I have come believe that is 

423
00:23:46,480 --> 00:23:51,440
the pre Incarnate risen Christ. 
So God defeated their foes. 

424
00:23:52,240 --> 00:23:55,560
And then Point C there verses 5 
and eight God delivered them. 

425
00:23:56,120 --> 00:24:00,040
OK, so here, now the king is 
going to speak in plural again 

426
00:24:00,040 --> 00:24:03,720
in verse 7 when he says you and 
then the people are going to 

427
00:24:03,720 --> 00:24:08,080
answer in plural, we in verse 8.
And God delivered them. 

428
00:24:08,640 --> 00:24:12,080
I'll talk a little bit in a 
minute about Psalm 60 and Psalm 

429
00:24:12,080 --> 00:24:17,520
44 are very closely aligned. 
And Psalm 60 says, O grant us 

430
00:24:17,520 --> 00:24:21,280
help against the foe, for vain 
is the salvation of man. 

431
00:24:21,680 --> 00:24:25,680
With God we shall do valiantly, 
for it is he who will tread down

432
00:24:25,680 --> 00:24:27,440
our foes. 
God delivered him. 

433
00:24:28,000 --> 00:24:31,080
Verse 8 ends with Selah, and I 
haven't talked a lot in the last

434
00:24:31,080 --> 00:24:33,080
four or five years about the 
selas. 

435
00:24:33,320 --> 00:24:37,200
OK, There's about 73 of them in 
the Psalms and commentators 

436
00:24:37,200 --> 00:24:39,720
argue about them. 
So I'll just tell briefly that 

437
00:24:39,720 --> 00:24:42,520
this first paragraph ends with 
the word Selah. 

438
00:24:42,640 --> 00:24:46,960
You'll notice the next paragraph
begins with yet or but now Selah

439
00:24:46,960 --> 00:24:50,840
is probably some type of music 
reflection where you pause. 

440
00:24:50,880 --> 00:24:56,200
Maybe it's verses 18 or 1111 
chorus in the next. 

441
00:24:56,520 --> 00:24:59,600
Some people think it's a pause 
for a vocal instrument or an 

442
00:24:59,600 --> 00:25:02,680
interlude like a flourish. 
So what do we learn for these 

443
00:25:02,680 --> 00:25:06,800
first 8 verses? 
Maybe Israel had a glorious 

444
00:25:06,800 --> 00:25:09,360
past, right? 
And maybe you've had a glorious 

445
00:25:09,360 --> 00:25:11,760
past. 
Maybe you serve the Lord 

446
00:25:11,760 --> 00:25:13,880
faithfully. 
Maybe you've attended church 

447
00:25:13,880 --> 00:25:16,160
faithfully. 
Maybe you've given your ties. 

448
00:25:16,440 --> 00:25:19,520
Maybe everything's great. 
But you got to be careful 

449
00:25:19,520 --> 00:25:20,880
because we come to the next 
point. 

450
00:25:21,440 --> 00:25:24,680
In times of trouble, believers 
need to rebuild their confidence

451
00:25:24,680 --> 00:25:28,440
in God by recalling the great 
deeds that he did in the past, 

452
00:25:28,600 --> 00:25:30,840
in their lifetime. 
That's what the psalmist did. 

453
00:25:31,080 --> 00:25:35,480
Before he gets to point #2 let's
look at point #2 the painful 

454
00:25:35,480 --> 00:25:38,640
present. 
So as the psalmist is writing 

455
00:25:38,640 --> 00:25:42,200
this, there's a sad plight of 
Israel at the present as he's 

456
00:25:42,200 --> 00:25:46,000
writing it, verses 9 to 22. 
And you have two sub points 

457
00:25:46,000 --> 00:25:48,480
there. 
Their military disaster is real.

458
00:25:48,920 --> 00:25:53,320
And the moral dilemma is really 
so let's look at the military 

459
00:25:53,320 --> 00:25:57,400
disaster is real 4 little sub 
points here. 

460
00:25:57,400 --> 00:26:01,960
They were defeated, they were 
deported, they were despised and

461
00:26:01,960 --> 00:26:04,960
they were disgraced, defeated, 
departed, despised and 

462
00:26:04,960 --> 00:26:07,200
disgraced. 
So verses 9 to 10 they were 

463
00:26:07,200 --> 00:26:10,160
defeated. 
So it begins verses 1 to 8. 

464
00:26:10,840 --> 00:26:14,080
We have the triumphs of the past
and if it ended there, this 

465
00:26:14,080 --> 00:26:17,080
would be a victory Psalm like 
many of the psalms that we have.

466
00:26:17,760 --> 00:26:22,240
But verse 9 begins with the 
board, but and in in in maybe 

467
00:26:22,240 --> 00:26:25,040
you're, I think the LSB and the 
NASB say yet. 

468
00:26:25,560 --> 00:26:30,720
But you notice that it changes 
right now in verses 9 to 16, we 

469
00:26:30,720 --> 00:26:34,600
have sadness. 
We have defeat six times. 

470
00:26:34,840 --> 00:26:38,520
In verses 9 to 16, the psalmist 
says you, you, you. 

471
00:26:38,880 --> 00:26:44,960
My translation says 21 times in 
26 verse it says you the you is 

472
00:26:44,960 --> 00:26:47,600
God. 
And now it seems that God is 

473
00:26:47,600 --> 00:26:50,720
forsaken Israel. 
He's forsaking his people. 

474
00:26:50,720 --> 00:26:53,360
He's abandoned them. 
The army of Israel has been 

475
00:26:53,360 --> 00:26:57,560
defeated and the enemy has 
gotten much spoil and slaves 

476
00:26:57,560 --> 00:27:00,000
have been taken captain, so 
they've been defeated. 

477
00:27:00,920 --> 00:27:03,480
Next they've been deported. 
Verses 11 to 12. 

478
00:27:03,600 --> 00:27:06,880
Not only has the army of Israel 
been defeated, but God has 

479
00:27:06,880 --> 00:27:10,360
allowed many to be killed, 
others scattered, and God has 

480
00:27:10,360 --> 00:27:13,600
allowed slaves to be taken for 
no great price. 

481
00:27:14,120 --> 00:27:17,560
When was the defeat? 
Well, when most people read 

482
00:27:17,560 --> 00:27:21,560
verse 11, they automatically 
say, aha, this is the Babylonian

483
00:27:21,560 --> 00:27:26,200
captivity that is recorded when 
Israel was finally destroyed and

484
00:27:26,320 --> 00:27:29,800
and Nebuchadnezzar took back. 
But that's not what Psalm 44 is 

485
00:27:29,800 --> 00:27:32,720
about. 
Commentators other there have 

486
00:27:32,720 --> 00:27:36,280
been other deportations. 
If you read we won't turn there,

487
00:27:36,280 --> 00:27:42,120
but read Amos verse one 6 to 9. 
It talks about Edomites. 

488
00:27:42,160 --> 00:27:45,520
Edom and Moab had deported some 
Israelites. 

489
00:27:45,520 --> 00:27:49,760
So there have been some, but 
turn with me to Psalm 60 and I 

490
00:27:49,760 --> 00:27:53,320
mentioned they're very similar 
and I'm not going to take a lot 

491
00:27:53,320 --> 00:27:57,040
of time tonight because we got 
26 verses to cover, but. 

492
00:27:57,160 --> 00:28:03,680
Psalm 60 and Psalm 44 are like 
companion Psalms you can see. 

493
00:28:03,680 --> 00:28:06,920
Psalm 60 verse one. 
Oh God, you have rejected us. 

494
00:28:07,200 --> 00:28:09,680
You've broken our defenses. 
You've been angry with us. 

495
00:28:09,920 --> 00:28:12,960
You made the land, the quake all
through this Psalm. 

496
00:28:13,280 --> 00:28:16,720
It's not as long as the other 
Psalm 12 verses, but I want you 

497
00:28:16,720 --> 00:28:19,320
to look at the superscription. 
Everybody see the dot there? 

498
00:28:19,640 --> 00:28:22,880
This is the longest 
superscription of the 100 and 

499
00:28:23,520 --> 00:28:27,000
114 superscriptions that we have
on the 150 psalms. 

500
00:28:27,320 --> 00:28:30,920
And it says there to the 
choirmaster, according to the 

501
00:28:31,440 --> 00:28:37,600
Shushan Edith, a victim of David
for instruction when he strove 

502
00:28:37,840 --> 00:28:42,920
with a ram Naram and with a 
ramzo Bob when Joab on his 

503
00:28:42,920 --> 00:28:46,640
return struck down 12,000 of 
Edom in the valley of salt. 

504
00:28:47,240 --> 00:28:50,200
So some commentators and I would
lean toward this, believe that 

505
00:28:50,200 --> 00:28:54,600
when he says when he strove. 
So it's possible that Israel had

506
00:28:54,600 --> 00:28:58,880
some military defeats, probably 
in Second Samuel chapters 8-9 

507
00:28:58,880 --> 00:29:02,440
and 10 that we that God has not 
recorded it. 

508
00:29:02,440 --> 00:29:04,920
Remember the secret things 
belong to God, the revealed 

509
00:29:04,920 --> 00:29:09,200
things belong to us. 
So if Psalms 44 and Psalm 60 are

510
00:29:09,200 --> 00:29:12,560
about some military defeat that 
God has not told us. 

511
00:29:12,760 --> 00:29:15,840
And so we just assumed David won
every battle, David won every 

512
00:29:15,840 --> 00:29:18,320
war, but there might have been 
some battles that maybe he 

513
00:29:18,320 --> 00:29:20,760
wasn't there. 
They made maybe joy lost. 

514
00:29:21,040 --> 00:29:24,080
So that's what I think there 
that it is. 

515
00:29:24,080 --> 00:29:28,080
So remember that I don't, I 
don't believe it's about the 

516
00:29:28,080 --> 00:29:30,800
Babylonian captivity, but it's 
an unknown military defeat, 

517
00:29:31,280 --> 00:29:36,120
possibly linking with Psalm 60. 
But remember, it's a reminder 

518
00:29:36,120 --> 00:29:40,520
that the righteous can suffer. 
OK, Daniel was taken captive to 

519
00:29:40,520 --> 00:29:42,880
Babylon. 
Ezekiel was taken captive to 

520
00:29:42,880 --> 00:29:44,720
Babylon. 
They were made slaves there. 

521
00:29:45,120 --> 00:29:48,440
The righteous can suffer when 
God punishes the nation of 

522
00:29:48,440 --> 00:29:50,760
Israel. 
Let's look at #3 They were 

523
00:29:50,760 --> 00:29:53,960
despised. 
Verses 13 to 14. 

524
00:29:54,880 --> 00:29:58,440
Not only were they defeated, not
only were they deported, they 

525
00:29:58,440 --> 00:30:01,440
were despised. 
The enemy nations surrounding 

526
00:30:01,440 --> 00:30:04,840
Israel were rejoicing that 
Israel had been humiliated. 

527
00:30:05,120 --> 00:30:09,040
They were taunting Israel. 
So the sons of Kora here writing

528
00:30:09,280 --> 00:30:12,680
could not understand. 
What the Lord was doing and why 

529
00:30:12,680 --> 00:30:18,080
he was doing it, Psalms 4210 
says as a deadly wound in my 

530
00:30:18,080 --> 00:30:22,680
bones, my adversaries taunt me, 
while they say to me all day 

531
00:30:22,680 --> 00:30:27,200
long, where is your God? 
Remember when, when in in this 

532
00:30:27,200 --> 00:30:29,560
time ancient times when a 
country won, when the 

533
00:30:29,560 --> 00:30:31,800
Philistines won the battle, 
they, they. 

534
00:30:31,800 --> 00:30:35,400
Attributed to their gods. 
So when Israel lost the war the 

535
00:30:35,480 --> 00:30:38,480
the the enemies would taunt 
Israel saying where's your God? 

536
00:30:38,840 --> 00:30:41,680
And our verse, it says verse 14 
he's saying. 

537
00:30:41,680 --> 00:30:45,240
You, God, have made us a 
laughingstock among the nations.

538
00:30:45,720 --> 00:30:51,040
It reminds us of Psalm 137. 
One Psalm 137 Remember that by 

539
00:30:51,080 --> 00:30:54,640
the waters of Babylon, there we 
sat down and wept when we 

540
00:30:54,640 --> 00:30:59,200
remembered Zion on the willows 
there we hung our harps, for our

541
00:30:59,200 --> 00:31:04,320
captors required us songs, and 
our tormentors MERS saying, sing

542
00:31:04,320 --> 00:31:07,520
us the songs of Zion. 
So that tells us when they were 

543
00:31:07,560 --> 00:31:11,240
slaves on the way to Babylon 
they were tortured and forced to

544
00:31:11,520 --> 00:31:15,560
to sing songs. 
So not only were they, they were

545
00:31:15,560 --> 00:31:17,840
despised. 
Verses 15 to 16, they were 

546
00:31:17,840 --> 00:31:21,480
disgraced. 
He says all day long my disgrace

547
00:31:21,480 --> 00:31:25,120
is before me. 
Shame is covered my face at the 

548
00:31:25,120 --> 00:31:28,080
taunt of the tauntner and 
reveler at the side of the enemy

549
00:31:28,080 --> 00:31:31,160
and the avenger. 
The psalmist was ashamed because

550
00:31:31,160 --> 00:31:34,040
the enemies are giving glory to 
their false gods. 

551
00:31:34,440 --> 00:31:38,360
And he's wondering where is the 
one true God who gave us those 

552
00:31:38,360 --> 00:31:41,920
victories before? 
Let's look at sub point B. 

553
00:31:42,120 --> 00:31:45,960
The moral dilemma is reeling. 
And here they were. 

554
00:31:46,240 --> 00:31:50,400
They were dedicated. 
They were defeated and they were

555
00:31:50,400 --> 00:31:55,000
disillusioned. 
So normally whenever there was 

556
00:31:55,000 --> 00:31:58,120
trouble in Israel, it was 
assumed it was because somebody 

557
00:31:58,120 --> 00:32:02,320
sinned, Right When Israel was 
defeated at a high, 36 Israeli 

558
00:32:02,320 --> 00:32:05,600
soldiers were killed. 
It was because of Aiken's sin. 

559
00:32:05,720 --> 00:32:08,360
That's the only battle that 
Joshua lost, right? 

560
00:32:09,240 --> 00:32:12,720
When there was a three-year 
famine in David's time, Second 

561
00:32:12,720 --> 00:32:16,920
Samuel 21, it was because Saul 
had slaughtered to give me 

562
00:32:16,920 --> 00:32:20,120
nights and God had had put this 
famine. 

563
00:32:20,720 --> 00:32:24,120
And then when David numbered the
people of Israel in Second 

564
00:32:24,120 --> 00:32:28,600
Samuel 21 / 70,000, Israelites 
would die because of David's 

565
00:32:28,600 --> 00:32:32,080
sin. 
So usually it's because there's 

566
00:32:32,080 --> 00:32:35,760
some sin. 
But here the psalmist doesn't 

567
00:32:35,760 --> 00:32:39,800
know of any sin to be confessed.
Here we have the problem of this

568
00:32:39,800 --> 00:32:42,960
Psalm. 
Israel had remained faithful. 

569
00:32:43,480 --> 00:32:46,800
Israel is not, they're not 
claiming to be sinless now, but 

570
00:32:46,800 --> 00:32:49,640
they don't know why God has 
punished them, why God has 

571
00:32:49,640 --> 00:32:53,080
defeated their army, why God has
let slaves be sold and the 

572
00:32:53,080 --> 00:32:55,560
enemies win. 
And he says in our Psalm here, 

573
00:32:55,680 --> 00:32:59,040
in these verses here, they had 
not forgotten God. 

574
00:32:59,720 --> 00:33:01,920
They had not been false to his 
covenant. 

575
00:33:02,080 --> 00:33:03,800
They've been loyal to God's 
covenant. 

576
00:33:04,120 --> 00:33:05,920
They had not turned away from 
God. 

577
00:33:06,240 --> 00:33:08,440
They had not departed from his 
way. 

578
00:33:08,880 --> 00:33:12,560
See verse 20 there OK, they knew
God's search. 

579
00:33:12,720 --> 00:33:16,240
There's they said God, you 
search the hearts of men and if 

580
00:33:16,240 --> 00:33:19,160
there was any treachery, you 
would discover it God. 

581
00:33:19,320 --> 00:33:24,160
So they're saying what Psalms 
139 verse 23 and 24 says, search

582
00:33:24,160 --> 00:33:26,640
me, O Lord, know my heart, test 
me God. 

583
00:33:26,640 --> 00:33:28,760
That's what they're saying, God 
test us. 

584
00:33:28,840 --> 00:33:31,000
We don't know of any evil sin 
that we've done. 

585
00:33:31,120 --> 00:33:33,320
We don't know why you let us 
lose this war. 

586
00:33:34,000 --> 00:33:38,320
One commentator says this Psalm 
is perhaps the clearest example.

587
00:33:38,880 --> 00:33:43,720
Of a search for some other cause
of natural disaster than guilt 

588
00:33:44,000 --> 00:33:47,560
and punishment. 
So let's look at then defeated 

589
00:33:47,560 --> 00:33:51,240
in verse 19. 
The psalmist uses darkness here.

590
00:33:51,240 --> 00:33:55,600
He says you have broken us in 
the place of jackals and covered

591
00:33:55,600 --> 00:33:59,480
us with the shadow of death. 
Remember that shadow of death? 

592
00:33:59,480 --> 00:34:03,640
Does that sound familiar? 
Psalms 23 verse 4 quoted it last

593
00:34:03,640 --> 00:34:05,520
week. 
Even though I walk through the 

594
00:34:05,520 --> 00:34:09,000
valley of the shadow of death, I
will fear no evil. 

595
00:34:09,199 --> 00:34:13,520
But here the psalmist uses 
darkness to depict desperate, 

596
00:34:13,639 --> 00:34:17,880
threatening circumstances. 
God has crushed them and covered

597
00:34:17,880 --> 00:34:21,960
them with a shadow of death and 
they are in fear and then 

598
00:34:21,960 --> 00:34:26,000
they're disillusioned. 
In verses 20 to 22, you know, in

599
00:34:26,000 --> 00:34:30,560
times of suffering, people 
evaluate their lives in attempt 

600
00:34:30,560 --> 00:34:32,360
to see, is this suffering from 
God? 

601
00:34:32,360 --> 00:34:35,320
Did I do some sin? 
And God is discipline. 

602
00:34:35,920 --> 00:34:39,280
But the people in Psalm. 
Had done that and they found 

603
00:34:39,280 --> 00:34:44,280
nothing warranted the calamity. 
They go so far to say God 

604
00:34:44,280 --> 00:34:47,320
wouldn't accuse them. 
You know so far God wouldn't. 

605
00:34:47,320 --> 00:34:49,800
Accuse them or send a prophet to
tell them what they did wrong. 

606
00:34:50,199 --> 00:34:57,760
OK, he says there, for he knows 
the secrets of the heart their. 

607
00:34:57,760 --> 00:35:00,120
Strength was based on the fact 
that God sees. 

608
00:35:00,120 --> 00:35:02,560
They know God's omniscient. 
They know God would see. 

609
00:35:03,160 --> 00:35:08,480
Yet verse 22, verse 22 says, Yet
for your sake we are killed all 

610
00:35:08,480 --> 00:35:10,960
day long. 
We are regarded as sheep to be 

611
00:35:10,960 --> 00:35:12,760
slaughtered. 
Does that verse sound familiar? 

612
00:35:14,040 --> 00:35:19,760
Paul quotes this verse in Romans
chapter 8, verse 36, that great 

613
00:35:20,040 --> 00:35:23,640
chapter in Romans 8. 
So Paul takes this verse from 

614
00:35:23,800 --> 00:35:30,000
verse 22 of Psalm 44 to tell the
Romans that, hey, some of you 

615
00:35:30,000 --> 00:35:35,080
may die, some of you may die, 
you may face death in your 

616
00:35:35,080 --> 00:35:37,400
trials. 
You know, last week I said that 

617
00:35:37,400 --> 00:35:41,200
God doesn't have many of us. 
None of us here are probably 

618
00:35:41,200 --> 00:35:43,600
going to be martyr unless 
something drastically changes. 

619
00:35:43,800 --> 00:35:45,280
God just asked us to live for 
him. 

620
00:35:45,560 --> 00:35:49,000
But there are countries, there 
are places in the world that, 

621
00:35:49,000 --> 00:35:51,800
that, that there are many 
Christian martyrs, Nigeria and 

622
00:35:51,800 --> 00:35:54,080
India and China and places like 
that. 

623
00:35:55,880 --> 00:35:58,920
It was in, you know, I said God 
doesn't ask many of us to be 

624
00:35:58,920 --> 00:36:02,920
martyrs, but he asks for all of 
us to live for him. 

625
00:36:03,520 --> 00:36:09,200
But it was on January 8th, 1956,
five American missionaries were 

626
00:36:09,200 --> 00:36:12,200
killed in Ecuador. 
They were attempting to 

627
00:36:12,200 --> 00:36:15,360
evangelize a tribe called the 
the war Irani people. 

628
00:36:15,720 --> 00:36:19,400
And you probably know the story.
Jim Elliott, Nate St. 

629
00:36:19,600 --> 00:36:23,960
Ed McCauley, Peter Fleming, 
Rodger Yoderin were attacked and

630
00:36:23,960 --> 00:36:27,080
they were literally speared or 
bows and arrows were killed him 

631
00:36:27,640 --> 00:36:29,560
and many people thought it was 
such a waste. 

632
00:36:29,920 --> 00:36:31,520
It looked like a terrible 
defeat. 

633
00:36:32,120 --> 00:36:36,160
It was on the cover of Life 
magazine and it was a huge story

634
00:36:36,160 --> 00:36:38,760
all around the world. 
Today, if a missionary dies in 

635
00:36:38,760 --> 00:36:40,160
the world. 
You know nobody. 

636
00:36:40,160 --> 00:36:43,720
'S going to cover it, right? 
But it looked like a defeat. 

637
00:36:43,840 --> 00:36:46,200
It looked like a waste of five 
young men. 

638
00:36:47,000 --> 00:36:51,240
But that caused thousands of 
missionaries to take up the 

639
00:36:51,240 --> 00:36:54,280
mantle to go out and spread the 
gospel. 

640
00:36:54,560 --> 00:36:58,040
The the the incident known as 
Operation Akua gain worldwide 

641
00:36:58,040 --> 00:37:00,720
attention and was covered by 
Life magazine. 

642
00:37:00,960 --> 00:37:04,920
The missionary's death led to a 
significant media coverage and 

643
00:37:04,920 --> 00:37:08,720
feel missionary interest and 
help send missionaries all over 

644
00:37:08,720 --> 00:37:11,560
the world. 
God is responsible for the 

645
00:37:11,560 --> 00:37:14,440
disaster here. 
God was responsible for that 

646
00:37:14,440 --> 00:37:19,000
disaster there and allowed it. 
But remember, the U21 times in 

647
00:37:19,000 --> 00:37:22,440
the Psalm also means that God is
in control. 

648
00:37:23,600 --> 00:37:25,480
He allows the disasters to 
happen. 

649
00:37:25,720 --> 00:37:30,240
I quoted Isaiah 45 seven. 
God creates darkness and causes 

650
00:37:30,240 --> 00:37:33,880
disasters. 
The same God who gave Israel the

651
00:37:33,880 --> 00:37:38,280
victories in the past is the 
same God who allows suffering in

652
00:37:38,280 --> 00:37:41,720
the present. 
In times of trouble, believers 

653
00:37:41,720 --> 00:37:44,960
must pour out their complaint to
God alone because their 

654
00:37:44,960 --> 00:37:48,120
affliction can bring a reproach 
to them and to the faith. 

655
00:37:48,760 --> 00:37:52,360
Let's look at, at the last 
point, the positive future. 

656
00:37:52,640 --> 00:37:58,680
And here's a prayer, just a 
simple 232424 verse prayer about

657
00:37:58,680 --> 00:38:02,040
the future and two sub points. 
The psalmist is saying, God, 

658
00:38:02,040 --> 00:38:05,040
rouse yourself and #2 God redeem
us. 

659
00:38:05,640 --> 00:38:09,160
And notice in verse 23 in rapid 
fire, the psalmist has three 

660
00:38:09,160 --> 00:38:11,600
questions. 
Awake while you're sleeping. 

661
00:38:11,600 --> 00:38:13,600
O Lord, why do you hide your 
face? 

662
00:38:13,800 --> 00:38:16,000
Why do you forget our affliction
and oppression? 

663
00:38:16,640 --> 00:38:18,920
Well, he says awake while you're
sleeping. 

664
00:38:18,920 --> 00:38:22,680
O Lord, the psalmist knows God 
isn't sleeping, but God is just 

665
00:38:22,680 --> 00:38:26,440
silent, right? 
Psalms 121 says He will not let 

666
00:38:26,440 --> 00:38:29,080
your foot be moved. 
He who keeps you will not 

667
00:38:29,080 --> 00:38:32,240
slumber. 
Behold, he who keeps Israel will

668
00:38:32,240 --> 00:38:35,480
neither slumber nor sleep. 
We all know that God. 

669
00:38:35,480 --> 00:38:38,240
Doesn't sleep. 
God doesn't tire out like us. 

670
00:38:38,440 --> 00:38:42,080
He's just been silent here, but 
he's crying out to God to ask 

671
00:38:42,080 --> 00:38:44,760
for help. 
He says why do you hide your 

672
00:38:44,760 --> 00:38:48,440
face? 
Usually the psalmist ask God to 

673
00:38:48,520 --> 00:38:51,120
let your let your face shine 
upon us. 

674
00:38:51,320 --> 00:38:57,040
Psalms 80 verse 3 Psalms 80 
verse 7 Psalms 80 verse 19 three

675
00:38:57,040 --> 00:39:01,640
times it says restore us. 
O God, let your face shine upon 

676
00:39:01,640 --> 00:39:06,720
us that we might be saved. 
So usually they cry out to let 

677
00:39:06,760 --> 00:39:10,000
the face of God shine on them, 
but here they don't. 

678
00:39:10,040 --> 00:39:12,880
They're not feeling the light of
God's face, so they're crying 

679
00:39:12,880 --> 00:39:15,600
out to God. 
It seems that God is sleeping, 

680
00:39:15,960 --> 00:39:20,000
God is hiding his face. 
So the psalmist asked God, rouse

681
00:39:20,000 --> 00:39:23,040
yourself and no longer ignore 
your people. 

682
00:39:23,040 --> 00:39:25,560
God, we are crushed, we are 
despised. 

683
00:39:25,800 --> 00:39:28,720
Help us. 
The third question, he says, why

684
00:39:28,720 --> 00:39:30,960
do you forget our affliction and
oppression? 

685
00:39:31,280 --> 00:39:35,400
Of course God doesn't forget. 
Not God is silent, but he knows 

686
00:39:35,520 --> 00:39:39,360
exactly what's going on. 
The psalmist is saying, God, you

687
00:39:39,360 --> 00:39:42,360
helped. 
Us in the past, you must help us

688
00:39:42,360 --> 00:39:46,640
now, but you're not helping us 
even though we have done nothing

689
00:39:46,640 --> 00:39:52,040
to prohibit you from helping us.
So help us when commentator said

690
00:39:52,040 --> 00:39:55,720
the last hope. 
Of a faithful people is the 

691
00:39:55,720 --> 00:39:59,960
faithfulness of God. 
So they're crying out to God to 

692
00:40:00,040 --> 00:40:03,960
to to wake up to help them and 
then some point be God redeem 

693
00:40:03,960 --> 00:40:05,720
us. 
The last two verses of the 

694
00:40:05,720 --> 00:40:11,240
Psalm, he, he says that our soul
is bowed down the dust, our 

695
00:40:11,240 --> 00:40:13,560
belly clings to the ground, 
they're saying. 

696
00:40:13,560 --> 00:40:16,360
We don't have any power. 
We don't have any strength. 

697
00:40:17,280 --> 00:40:19,440
But some are people. 
We've been killed, some are 

698
00:40:19,440 --> 00:40:22,680
people and taking captive OK, We
have no power. 

699
00:40:23,120 --> 00:40:27,440
But then he says in verse 26, 
rise up because you God have the

700
00:40:27,440 --> 00:40:29,880
power. 
You God need to rise up. 

701
00:40:30,080 --> 00:40:33,040
You need to come to our help. 
You need to redeem us. 

702
00:40:33,440 --> 00:40:37,200
And he says, for the sake of 
your steadfast love. 

703
00:40:37,680 --> 00:40:42,120
So he's crying out, calling upon
the character of God, the one 

704
00:40:42,120 --> 00:40:45,960
attribute that he says, maybe 
your translation says mercies, 

705
00:40:45,960 --> 00:40:48,760
but I think the better 
translation is steadfast love, 

706
00:40:49,520 --> 00:40:51,440
James Boyce says about this 
verse. 

707
00:40:51,920 --> 00:40:56,960
The love of God is of such a 
quality that even in terrible 

708
00:40:56,960 --> 00:41:01,320
defeats of the precise moment 
are not without a purpose. 

709
00:41:01,680 --> 00:41:06,080
And will not even in the worst 
extremity sever the believing 

710
00:41:06,080 --> 00:41:08,920
one from God. 
What he's saying and what the 

711
00:41:08,920 --> 00:41:12,000
psalmist is doing here, he's 
crying out for the God. 

712
00:41:12,000 --> 00:41:15,040
Be true to your character. 
You're a God of love. 

713
00:41:15,280 --> 00:41:17,320
That's one of your greatest 
attributes. 

714
00:41:17,520 --> 00:41:20,000
Remember us. 
And for the sake of your love, 

715
00:41:20,320 --> 00:41:25,240
come help us Romans 8 which I 
mentioned earlier, Paul quotes 

716
00:41:25,240 --> 00:41:27,040
it. 
And if you want to turn the 

717
00:41:27,040 --> 00:41:33,520
Romans 8 verse 36, Paul quotes 
Psalm 42 verse 22 and he says. 

718
00:41:33,520 --> 00:41:36,200
As it is written, that's Psalm 
4222. 

719
00:41:36,960 --> 00:41:39,440
For your sake, we are being 
killed all day long. 

720
00:41:39,880 --> 00:41:42,520
We are regarded as sheep to be 
slaughtered. 

721
00:41:42,520 --> 00:41:45,520
So there were some in the Roman 
church who are being persecuted,

722
00:41:45,680 --> 00:41:48,840
some who are being killed, some 
being jailed, some being chased 

723
00:41:48,840 --> 00:41:51,360
out. 
But then he says those great 

724
00:41:51,480 --> 00:41:56,200
words that in Psalm 8 know in 
all things we are more than 

725
00:41:56,200 --> 00:41:57,920
conquerors through Him who loved
us. 

726
00:41:58,560 --> 00:42:01,960
For I am sure that neither death
nor life, neither angels nor 

727
00:42:01,960 --> 00:42:06,560
rulers, nor things present, nor 
things to come, not powers, not 

728
00:42:06,560 --> 00:42:11,480
height nor depth, nor anything 
else in all of creation, will be

729
00:42:11,480 --> 00:42:14,920
able to separate us from the 
love of God in Christ Jesus our 

730
00:42:14,920 --> 00:42:18,000
Lord. 
So some of these Israelites may 

731
00:42:18,000 --> 00:42:22,720
die in Psalm 44 and in Rome 8 
some of them died. 

732
00:42:22,760 --> 00:42:27,320
And today in Nigeria, today in 
India, Today in China, today in 

733
00:42:27,320 --> 00:42:31,440
some countries around the world,
God may allow some Christians 

734
00:42:31,560 --> 00:42:34,480
some. 
Good Christians to die not 

735
00:42:34,480 --> 00:42:37,040
because of any sin in their 
life, but it's just part of His 

736
00:42:37,040 --> 00:42:38,920
sovereignty, part of his 
Providence. 

737
00:42:39,160 --> 00:42:43,000
But nothing, not even death, 
will separate them from the love

738
00:42:43,000 --> 00:42:46,560
of God. 
So if you're suffering. 

739
00:42:47,440 --> 00:42:50,920
If you think God isn't 
answering, remember the love of 

740
00:42:50,920 --> 00:42:53,880
God. 
It's all right to say Lord, I 

741
00:42:53,880 --> 00:42:57,120
don't understand it, but I will 
trust you anyway. 

742
00:42:57,920 --> 00:43:00,880
It's better to say thank you, 
Lord, for letting the suffering 

743
00:43:00,880 --> 00:43:05,400
come into my life because I know
you're using it to conform me to

744
00:43:05,400 --> 00:43:09,080
the image of your Son and to 
make me more efficient and more 

745
00:43:09,080 --> 00:43:12,560
effective servant. 
You know the Bible tells us that

746
00:43:12,560 --> 00:43:15,680
we are to receive suffering and 
joy with Thanksgiving. 

747
00:43:16,280 --> 00:43:19,920
Not that it's easy, right? 
James, 11 and two, says, count 

748
00:43:19,920 --> 00:43:22,680
it all. 
Joy, my brothers, when you meet 

749
00:43:22,680 --> 00:43:26,120
trials of various kinds, for you
know that the testing of your 

750
00:43:26,120 --> 00:43:29,000
faith produces steadfastness 
and. 

751
00:43:29,000 --> 00:43:32,480
Let the steadfastness have its 
full effect on you, that you may

752
00:43:32,480 --> 00:43:36,400
be perfect, complete, lacking in
nothing, and one more verse. 

753
00:43:36,760 --> 00:43:42,000
Second Corinthians 417 says for 
this light momentary affliction,

754
00:43:42,200 --> 00:43:46,240
and you may say, well, it's not 
the cancer, the divorce or loss 

755
00:43:46,240 --> 00:43:49,640
of job is not a light momentary 
affliction. 

756
00:43:50,160 --> 00:43:52,480
Yes, it is. 
Because someday, when you're in 

757
00:43:52,480 --> 00:43:54,240
heaven, you're. 
Going to look back at that 

758
00:43:54,240 --> 00:43:58,120
momentary affliction and the 
last part of it says that 

759
00:43:58,120 --> 00:44:02,040
momentary light affliction is 
preparing for us and eternal 

760
00:44:02,040 --> 00:44:05,240
weight of glory beyond all 
comparison. 

761
00:44:05,480 --> 00:44:09,160
Somebody in heaven you will look
back at that trial that you 

762
00:44:09,160 --> 00:44:11,120
didn't understand. 
It'll be that small. 

763
00:44:11,800 --> 00:44:15,800
So tonight in just a few minutes
we have left when good 

764
00:44:15,800 --> 00:44:18,040
Christians suffer what should we
do? 

765
00:44:18,680 --> 00:44:21,760
Psalms 44 doesn't. 
Actually give us the answers, 

766
00:44:21,760 --> 00:44:23,560
does it? 
But it tells. 

767
00:44:23,760 --> 00:44:26,120
But it does teach us that we 
just need to trust God. 

768
00:44:26,640 --> 00:44:29,040
Cry out for His love. 
Cry out for His help. 

769
00:44:29,680 --> 00:44:33,360
So I'm going to give you 7 quick
things that you need to do when 

770
00:44:33,360 --> 00:44:38,960
good Christians suffer. 
OK number one, examine to see if

771
00:44:38,960 --> 00:44:42,200
you're in the faith. 
Examine to see if you have Jesus

772
00:44:42,200 --> 00:44:45,840
Christ in your heart. 
OK Second, that's second 

773
00:44:45,840 --> 00:44:48,760
Corinthians 13. 
Five says examine to see if 

774
00:44:48,760 --> 00:44:49,480
you're in the. 
Faith. 

775
00:44:50,440 --> 00:44:55,200
Is my trial, is my my suffering 
because I'm not even a 

776
00:44:55,200 --> 00:44:57,920
Christian. 
We have a president who is not a

777
00:44:57,920 --> 00:45:01,720
Christian, and he has a false 
teacher named Paula White who is

778
00:45:01,720 --> 00:45:04,600
his spiritual advisor. 
And I pray every day that 

779
00:45:04,600 --> 00:45:07,160
somehow Trump will come to the 
Lord, and especially that 

780
00:45:07,160 --> 00:45:10,840
somehow Christians around 
America could tell him to dump 

781
00:45:10,840 --> 00:45:14,040
that Paula White because she is 
a charlatan, a false teacher. 

782
00:45:14,480 --> 00:45:19,720
But there are millions of people
in America and even more so 

783
00:45:19,720 --> 00:45:23,560
around the world who follow 
these false teachers and they're

784
00:45:23,560 --> 00:45:25,920
not believers. 
They don't know the Lord their, 

785
00:45:26,000 --> 00:45:27,600
their promise, their kids will 
be healed. 

786
00:45:27,600 --> 00:45:30,880
The promise they get money. 
So they're following God like a 

787
00:45:30,880 --> 00:45:34,000
genie and they don't know 
salvation through faith alone. 

788
00:45:34,000 --> 00:45:37,840
So number one, I trust everybody
here tonight has Jesus Christ in

789
00:45:37,840 --> 00:45:40,080
your heart. 
But examine yourself to see if 

790
00:45:40,080 --> 00:45:44,880
you're in the faith #2 examine 
yourself to see is there any sin

791
00:45:44,880 --> 00:45:48,120
in my life? 
And I mentioned the Psalm 139, 

792
00:45:48,320 --> 00:45:51,440
verses 23 to 24. 
The psalmist says search me. 

793
00:45:51,440 --> 00:45:54,960
O Lord, when you confess your 
sins, are you willing to say 

794
00:45:54,960 --> 00:45:57,680
search me? 
O Lord, did I sin today? 

795
00:45:58,160 --> 00:46:00,800
Did I do something today to my 
wife or get mad? 

796
00:46:00,800 --> 00:46:04,520
Or did I have a road rage or 
search me, O Lord God, you know 

797
00:46:04,520 --> 00:46:07,640
my heart, try me. 
No, because you know my 

798
00:46:07,640 --> 00:46:11,520
thoughts. 
And verse 24 says, see if 

799
00:46:11,520 --> 00:46:14,360
there's any grievous way in me 
and lead me in the way 

800
00:46:14,360 --> 00:46:17,320
everlasting. 
So ask God, is there any sin in 

801
00:46:17,320 --> 00:46:19,760
my life? 
You I need, you need to expose 

802
00:46:19,760 --> 00:46:23,240
to me. 
Remember in Numbers 12, Aaron 

803
00:46:23,520 --> 00:46:27,720
and Miriam sinned against God 
and God judged and gave Miriam 

804
00:46:27,720 --> 00:46:29,840
leprosy. 
Remember in First Corinthians 

805
00:46:29,840 --> 00:46:33,440
11, the Corinthian believers 
were were getting drunk and they

806
00:46:33,440 --> 00:46:35,720
were not sharing the food with 
the poor, and God struck some. 

807
00:46:35,720 --> 00:46:38,240
Of them down, that was for sin. 
And remember in Second 

808
00:46:38,240 --> 00:46:42,840
Chronicles 26, Uzziah went into 
the temple to offer incense. 

809
00:46:42,840 --> 00:46:45,120
He's not allowed to and God 
struck him with leprosy. 

810
00:46:45,400 --> 00:46:48,000
So God can cause some suffering 
because of. 

811
00:46:48,000 --> 00:46:52,960
Sin or lie? 
#3 chastening, chastening 

812
00:46:53,320 --> 00:46:56,280
Hebrews 12 And I won't go there 
time 'cause I don't have the 

813
00:46:56,280 --> 00:46:59,800
time. 
But Hebrews 12 verses 5 to 12 

814
00:46:59,800 --> 00:47:04,000
basically says the Lord 
disciplines those He loves. 

815
00:47:04,960 --> 00:47:08,560
So maybe you're not reading your
Bible like you should be. 

816
00:47:08,760 --> 00:47:11,320
Maybe you're not praying like 
Psalm 5. 

817
00:47:11,600 --> 00:47:14,920
OK, God can chasten you. 
How's your walk with the Lord? 

818
00:47:15,160 --> 00:47:19,040
God can chasten you, which 
causes you to go back to Him. 

819
00:47:19,320 --> 00:47:23,000
And we all know that, you know, 
sometimes divorce causes women 

820
00:47:23,000 --> 00:47:25,360
or men to go back to the Lord 
when they weren't walking with 

821
00:47:25,360 --> 00:47:27,840
the Lord. 
So God can chasten those He 

822
00:47:27,840 --> 00:47:34,280
loves to draw us closer to Him. 
And similar #4 strengthening, 

823
00:47:34,720 --> 00:47:39,080
OK, God may permit suffering as 
a means of purifying or 

824
00:47:39,080 --> 00:47:41,000
strengthening the soul and 
godliness. 

825
00:47:41,360 --> 00:47:45,320
You know, the Second Corinthians
chapter 12 verses 8. 

826
00:47:45,320 --> 00:47:48,720
I won't do the whole story, but 
three times Paul pleaded with 

827
00:47:48,720 --> 00:47:54,000
the Lord to take away, take this
trial away from me, Lord, and 

828
00:47:54,080 --> 00:47:56,720
that should leave me. 
But what did God say to, to Paul

829
00:47:56,720 --> 00:47:58,760
in verse nine of Second 
Corinthians 12? 

830
00:47:59,400 --> 00:48:04,480
My grace is sufficient for you. 
For my power is made perfect in 

831
00:48:04,480 --> 00:48:06,800
weakness. 
Therefore I will boast all the 

832
00:48:06,800 --> 00:48:10,160
more gladly about my weaknesses,
so that the power of Christ may 

833
00:48:10,160 --> 00:48:12,960
rest upon me for the sake of 
Christ. 

834
00:48:12,960 --> 00:48:17,640
And I am content in weaknesses, 
insults, hardships, 

835
00:48:17,920 --> 00:48:21,840
persecutions, calamities. 
For and I'm weak and I'm strong.

836
00:48:22,120 --> 00:48:23,880
God did not answer Paul's 
prayer. 

837
00:48:24,160 --> 00:48:26,160
So Paul had to, just had to 
suffer. 

838
00:48:26,320 --> 00:48:27,800
But it's strengthening him, 
right? 

839
00:48:28,680 --> 00:48:33,800
And #5 Remember the Titans? 
Not that football movie which I 

840
00:48:33,800 --> 00:48:36,440
saw a couple months ago, but the
Titans. 

841
00:48:36,440 --> 00:48:41,240
Who are the Titans? 
Job, Elijah, Paul and I could go

842
00:48:41,240 --> 00:48:43,240
on about Daniel, Moses, 
Jeremiah. 

843
00:48:44,120 --> 00:48:47,720
So if you're suffering, the last
thing you cannot do is neglect. 

844
00:48:47,720 --> 00:48:52,200
Reading your Bible. 
So Job nobody will ever suffer 

845
00:48:52,200 --> 00:48:54,440
like Joe. 
We had a wonderful study 30 

846
00:48:54,440 --> 00:48:57,560
messages by Job and you can get 
the cassettes or listen to him 

847
00:48:57,560 --> 00:48:59,760
online. 
But remember Job and I quoted 

848
00:48:59,760 --> 00:49:05,360
last week Job 2310, Job says. 
But he knows the way that I take

849
00:49:05,960 --> 00:49:09,120
and when he has tried me, that's
God I. 

850
00:49:09,120 --> 00:49:12,720
Shall come out like gold. 
We need to remember Job came out

851
00:49:12,720 --> 00:49:15,120
like gold and you will come out 
like gold. 

852
00:49:15,280 --> 00:49:18,800
If you just trust the Lord even 
though you don't know why and 

853
00:49:18,800 --> 00:49:21,480
how it's happening. 
And remember the other Titan, 

854
00:49:21,480 --> 00:49:26,680
Elijah in first Kings 19, he 
says, Oh Lord, take my life. 

855
00:49:27,160 --> 00:49:29,240
I'm no better than my father's. 
I just want to die. 

856
00:49:29,920 --> 00:49:31,800
And God doesn't really answer 
him. 

857
00:49:31,800 --> 00:49:33,960
He tells him, hey, you're not 
the only one. 

858
00:49:34,120 --> 00:49:37,240
I have 7000 who have not bowed 
the need the ball. 

859
00:49:37,560 --> 00:49:41,200
And then he, you know, doesn't 
really he says, Elijah, I got 

860
00:49:41,200 --> 00:49:43,160
more work for you. 
Go do this three things. 

861
00:49:43,160 --> 00:49:44,680
Go do this, go do this, go do 
this. 

862
00:49:45,120 --> 00:49:49,040
OK, And then remember Paul in 
Second Corinthians chapter one, 

863
00:49:49,040 --> 00:49:52,920
verse 8, it's Paul says, for we 
don't want you to be unaware, 

864
00:49:52,920 --> 00:49:57,920
brothers, of the affliction we 
experienced in Asia, for we were

865
00:49:57,920 --> 00:50:02,760
utterly burdened beyond our 
strength, that we despaired of 

866
00:50:02,760 --> 00:50:05,400
life itself. 
I don't know what happened, but 

867
00:50:05,400 --> 00:50:08,800
Paul wanted to die in 2nd 
Corinthians 1 to 8 because 

868
00:50:08,800 --> 00:50:12,720
affliction was so great. 
He says in verse 9, indeed, we 

869
00:50:12,720 --> 00:50:15,640
felt like we had received a 
sentence of death, whatever was 

870
00:50:15,640 --> 00:50:20,920
going on, but that was to make 
us rely not on ourselves, but on

871
00:50:20,920 --> 00:50:24,880
God who can raise the dead. 
He delivered us from such a 

872
00:50:24,880 --> 00:50:28,280
dilatedly peril and he will 
deliver us on him. 

873
00:50:28,280 --> 00:50:31,080
We have set our hope that he 
will deliver us again. 

874
00:50:31,400 --> 00:50:35,720
So remember the Titans, remember
Job, remember Elijah, remember 

875
00:50:35,720 --> 00:50:39,640
Paul, how God let them suffer, 
but God used them in a mighty 

876
00:50:39,640 --> 00:50:43,880
way and he will use you. 
And number six, just real 

877
00:50:43,880 --> 00:50:50,240
simple, God is worthy of our 
love even apart from the 

878
00:50:50,240 --> 00:50:54,120
blessings he bestows. 
That's one you need to write 

879
00:50:54,120 --> 00:50:58,480
down, meditate upon. 
God is worthy of love. 

880
00:50:58,680 --> 00:51:01,720
We need to love God not because 
of what he gives us. 

881
00:51:02,040 --> 00:51:05,400
That would be a genie like 
giving you free wishes, right? 

882
00:51:05,720 --> 00:51:10,800
We need to love God just simply 
because who he is, OK, and not 

883
00:51:10,880 --> 00:51:14,600
because of what he gives us, OK?
They're Christians around the 

884
00:51:14,600 --> 00:51:17,560
world who will accept Christ 
today and could be murdered 

885
00:51:17,560 --> 00:51:20,920
tomorrow. 
So God is worthy of love even 

886
00:51:20,920 --> 00:51:22,720
apart from the blessing he 
bestows. 

887
00:51:23,240 --> 00:51:29,800
And then #7 God's thoughts and 
ways are moved by considerations

888
00:51:30,680 --> 00:51:34,720
too vast for our puny mind to 
understand. 

889
00:51:35,320 --> 00:51:38,840
And you know the verse Isaiah 
55, eight and nine for my 

890
00:51:38,840 --> 00:51:40,920
thought. 
This is God saying for my 

891
00:51:40,920 --> 00:51:44,760
thoughts are not your thoughts. 
Neither are your ways my ways, 

892
00:51:45,040 --> 00:51:48,200
declares the Lord. 
For as the heavens are higher 

893
00:51:48,200 --> 00:51:52,440
than the earth, so are my ways 
higher than your ways, and my 

894
00:51:52,440 --> 00:51:56,400
thoughts than your thoughts. 
We can't understand what God's 

895
00:51:56,400 --> 00:51:59,800
doing sometimes in our world, in
our lives, in our church, in our

896
00:51:59,800 --> 00:52:02,360
neighborhoods, in our country, 
what he's doing the state of 

897
00:52:02,360 --> 00:52:05,600
California with our politicians 
and sometimes. 

898
00:52:05,800 --> 00:52:08,080
We got to just give it up to the
sovereignty of God. 

899
00:52:08,720 --> 00:52:11,520
Last week, if you were here, I 
finished Psalm 27. 

900
00:52:12,040 --> 00:52:15,680
Quoting the hymn by Stuart 
Hamlin and a bunch of you looked

901
00:52:15,680 --> 00:52:20,040
it up this week. 
But I just love that verse 4 

902
00:52:20,040 --> 00:52:26,040
says, I know not what the future
holds, but I know who holds the 

903
00:52:26,040 --> 00:52:28,120
future. 
God's in charge. 

904
00:52:28,320 --> 00:52:30,960
He's in control. 
So those are just seven things. 

905
00:52:30,960 --> 00:52:34,520
If you're going, if you say God,
why am I suffering? 

906
00:52:34,640 --> 00:52:37,560
Please review that. 
You know when good Christians 

907
00:52:37,560 --> 00:52:40,040
suffer. 
There was a British Methodist 

908
00:52:40,040 --> 00:52:43,440
preacher named William Sangster,
and I've used this illustration 

909
00:52:43,440 --> 00:52:46,840
before because I have this on my
phone and I read it periodically

910
00:52:46,840 --> 00:52:48,760
because most of you know I have 
a 13 year. 

911
00:52:48,760 --> 00:52:51,960
Old daughter who has special 
needs and this has been one 

912
00:52:51,960 --> 00:52:54,160
thing that's helped me in times 
of trouble. 

913
00:52:54,160 --> 00:52:57,480
What this man said. 
But this this preacher found out

914
00:52:57,480 --> 00:53:01,440
that he had muscular atrophy. 
And he knew he was going to die.

915
00:53:01,440 --> 00:53:05,680
He was not going to get well. 
So he made 4 resolutions and it 

916
00:53:05,680 --> 00:53:07,120
says that he kept them to the 
end. 

917
00:53:07,360 --> 00:53:10,360
And I wrote I keep these in my 
and I memorize it. 

918
00:53:10,360 --> 00:53:13,240
He says #1 I will never 
complain. 

919
00:53:14,000 --> 00:53:17,480
I will never complain. 
I'm not going to cry about it. 

920
00:53:17,640 --> 00:53:21,320
I'm not going to complain about.
It. #2 I will keep the home 

921
00:53:21,320 --> 00:53:26,280
bright and I love that because I
know I have a great wife and I'm

922
00:53:26,280 --> 00:53:27,640
not going to sit around and 
complain. 

923
00:53:27,920 --> 00:53:31,720
I'm not going to say poor me I 
know someday my daughter will 

924
00:53:31,720 --> 00:53:35,960
sing, someday she'll run in 
heaven #3 I will count my 

925
00:53:35,960 --> 00:53:39,720
blessings. 
Today Ping and I went to a House

926
00:53:39,720 --> 00:53:43,120
of another special needs family 
and their boy has cystic 

927
00:53:43,120 --> 00:53:46,000
fibrosis and they have feeding 
tubes. 

928
00:53:46,200 --> 00:53:48,040
They have to get up every two 
hours. 

929
00:53:48,040 --> 00:53:51,120
They, you know, we test is 
pretty healthy most of the time.

930
00:53:51,400 --> 00:53:54,600
So I count my blessings. 
So number one, I will never 

931
00:53:54,600 --> 00:53:59,160
complain #2 I'll keep the home 
right and #2 I will count my 

932
00:53:59,160 --> 00:54:03,240
blessings and #4 I will try to 
turn. 

933
00:54:03,680 --> 00:54:06,520
The suffering, I will try to 
turn it the game. 

934
00:54:07,160 --> 00:54:10,240
Talked to somebody this week 
that went through a, a tragedy, 

935
00:54:10,240 --> 00:54:12,640
a horrible tragedy several years
ago. 

936
00:54:13,000 --> 00:54:17,080
And this week, last week, they 
got to share with somebody who 

937
00:54:17,080 --> 00:54:19,240
had a similar tragedy. 
God, man. 

938
00:54:19,360 --> 00:54:20,720
And those people were not 
believers. 

939
00:54:20,800 --> 00:54:22,960
It's the same thing. 
The house that I was at today, 

940
00:54:22,960 --> 00:54:26,280
the people are 7th Day Adventist
and we've had conversations. 

941
00:54:26,480 --> 00:54:29,400
They are not born again. 
And so Ping and I have tried 

942
00:54:29,400 --> 00:54:33,960
repeatedly to talk to them. 
And in this week, because I'm 

943
00:54:33,960 --> 00:54:38,000
going to a special league 
conference this week, it's 

944
00:54:38,000 --> 00:54:39,840
called like a retreat at John 
MacArthur's church. 

945
00:54:39,840 --> 00:54:42,600
They're willing to go visit John
MacArthur's church even though 

946
00:54:42,600 --> 00:54:45,080
they're 7th Day Adventists. 
So we're trying to win them 

947
00:54:45,080 --> 00:54:46,440
over. 
So number one, I'll never 

948
00:54:46,440 --> 00:54:50,480
complain #2 I'll keep the home 
right #3 I will count my 

949
00:54:50,480 --> 00:54:53,400
blessings and #4 I will try to 
turn it to game. 

950
00:54:53,720 --> 00:54:57,880
I will try to use my daughter's 
special needs to see if we can 

951
00:54:57,880 --> 00:55:00,560
reach other people for the Lord 
and use it for gain. 

952
00:55:01,680 --> 00:55:03,560
On the back of your outline if 
you have an outline. 

953
00:55:03,560 --> 00:55:05,960
If you don't have it, there's a 
chart. 

954
00:55:06,680 --> 00:55:08,880
This I did not write this. 
This is from the life 

955
00:55:08,920 --> 00:55:12,800
application Bible, popular Bible
many 20 years ago. 

956
00:55:13,160 --> 00:55:16,440
And I've I've looked at this 
sometimes and I and I have it 

957
00:55:16,440 --> 00:55:19,520
printed out so I can look at it 
and maybe it'll help you. 

958
00:55:19,840 --> 00:55:22,840
There's just somewhere to get 
help in the book of Psalms when 

959
00:55:22,840 --> 00:55:28,000
you feel afraid alone, OK, when 
you're facing, you know, 

960
00:55:28,000 --> 00:55:31,840
criticism, danger or death, when
you want acceptance. 

961
00:55:31,840 --> 00:55:36,280
So I hope that maybe you can 
keep this sometimes and read the

962
00:55:36,280 --> 00:55:39,640
Psalms that might help you 
through your trial, through your

963
00:55:39,640 --> 00:55:40,960
suffering. 
Let's pray. 

964
00:55:41,800 --> 00:55:44,560
Father in heaven, thank you for 
letting us look at this Psalm 

965
00:55:44,560 --> 00:55:46,560
44. 
And Father, I believe this Psalm

966
00:55:47,200 --> 00:55:51,040
that Israel was defeated by some
unknown military defeat. 

967
00:55:51,520 --> 00:55:55,120
And I believe it was not because
they were sinning, not because 

968
00:55:55,120 --> 00:55:58,840
they had broken their covenant, 
but because you did something 

969
00:55:58,840 --> 00:56:00,840
far beyond what they can 
understand. 

970
00:56:01,400 --> 00:56:05,160
And Father, sometimes we 
Christians, we, we, we're, we're

971
00:56:05,160 --> 00:56:07,680
loyal to you, Father, we're 
attending church faithfully, 

972
00:56:07,680 --> 00:56:10,320
we're tithing, we're serving, 
we're using our gifts. 

973
00:56:10,680 --> 00:56:13,240
And yet sometimes we suffer and 
we don't understand it. 

974
00:56:13,680 --> 00:56:15,400
Father, may this Psalm teach us 
that. 

975
00:56:15,720 --> 00:56:18,840
We may never understand till 
that great day when you call us 

976
00:56:18,840 --> 00:56:21,360
home to be with you or when the 
rapture comes. 

977
00:56:21,640 --> 00:56:23,640
But Father, help us to trust 
you. 

978
00:56:24,280 --> 00:56:28,600
Help us to endure the trial. 
Help us to persevere and help us

979
00:56:28,600 --> 00:56:32,160
not to complain. 
Help us to, to to turn it, to 

980
00:56:32,160 --> 00:56:34,360
gain. 
Help us to count the blessings 

981
00:56:34,360 --> 00:56:38,360
that we have. 
We ask this in Jesus name, Amen.