Trust In The Lord

Psalms 11:1-7

Today we will begin a 6 month study in the Book of Psalms.

Psalms are “praise hymns”.

In fact the Psalms were lyrical songs that were to be sung to a musical instruments.

The Book of Psalms serves as the songbook to Israel in their worship of God.

The Psalms are God’s Inspired Hymnbook!

In these “Inspired Songs” we will find the works of God.

We will find the wisdom of God along with the thoughts of God.

We will find the prophecies of God along with the prophecies of the Son of God, as a babe and of His return.

We will read the personal thoughts and the confessions of many of the writers such as King David.

We will even read where many requested to see God’s wrath upon His enemies and our enemies.

We have in the Book of the Psalms, songs from Moses and from many other writers such as David, Haggai, Ezra, Zechariah and there were others.

The Bible is a collection of many books written by 40 different writers across at least 3 continents over a period of more that 4000 years.

The one Book of Psalms is a collection of Spiritual Songs that span more than 1000 years.

All the books of the Bible have one thing in common, they will all lead you to Jesus Christ but also of importance they are all in harmony from the beginning of Genesis to the last written Word of God, in the Book of Revelation.

It is believed that it was Ezra who gathered all these songs into one book, which we call the Book of Psalms.

King David is known as the sweet psalmist of Israel because he wrote at least 73 of the Psalms in this book and by some estimates, many of the others.

The Book of Psalms is the largest book in the Bible and contains 2453 verses.

Psalms 119 is the longest book of the Bible with 176 verses.

Psalms 117 is the shortest book of the Bible with only 2 verses but is not short in importance:

Psa 117:1 O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people.
Psa 117:2 For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. Praise ye the LORD.

Psalms 118:8 is the middle chapter in the Bible and the very middle of the Bible verse 8 clearly states the central them of the entire Bible.

Psa 118:8 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.

It is far better to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ than to place your confidence in anything in this world!

There is no greater truth in the Bible than these words!

There is no created being that is greater than our self-existing Lord.

The New Testament is full of quotes from the Old Testament with 283 direct quotes but 116 of those quotes are from the Book of Psalms.

Jesus said we could not know everything about Him unless we included a study of the Book of Psalms.

Luk 24:44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, “and in the psalms, concerning me”.

This Book of Psalms has been a great comfort to God’s people and this great book of the Bible still brings great comfort to those who read it today.

To many people this is their most favorite book of the Bible.

Even after we have spent 2 lesson quarters in the Psalms we will still have only touched parts of this book so we need to learn that word so often seen which is the word “Selah” which is seen 71 times in the Book of Psalms and means “stop and think on that”.

As we study the Psalms, “we need to stop and think on them and their message”!

We should also make note that the Psalms were sung accompanied by musical instruments.

1Ch 13:8 And David and all Israel played before God with all their might, and with singing, and with harps, and with psalteries, and with timbrels, and with cymbals, and with trumpets.

Musical instruments and singing have been a big part in the worship of the Lord for several thousand years. Worship is not to be dull and boring but full of spirit and praise, for we serve a Mighty God.

The style of music may vary from church to church but all music within the church should be to praise the Lord, touch the hearts of the believer, and uplift the worship service!

Gospel music by it’s title means to proclaim the “Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ”!

The church is never to be a place of entertainment, but only a place to worship God but still according to the scriptures.

Church music and church songs must be scriptural!

Our first lesson is titled “Trust In The Lord”.

What do we mean by the word “trust”? It can mean confidence. It can mean to care. It can mean to believe. It can mean depend on or to rely on.

The Bible teaches us to place our trust in the Lord because we simply cannot trust ourselves nor any other human being in our walk with the Lord Jesus.

Pro 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
Pro 3:6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

There are only two ways to go through this life.

1) We go through life with God believing on things we cannot see.

2) Or, we go through life without God believing on the things of this world.

Most of those in this world will fail because they cannot see past the end of their own life span!

So lets begin:

*****Psa 11:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. In the LORD put I my trust: how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain?

Throughout the Bible we are told that the chapters and verses were separated by ancient Bible scholars but that is not the case of the Psalms.

The verses themselves maybe have been labeled but the chapters are basically the individual songs of those that wrote them.

That phrase “to the chief musician” refers to the choir director or the music conductor.

We see that this was a Psalm of David and David wrote more than half of the Psalms, therefore we get this scripture.

2Sa 23:1 Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and “the sweet psalmist of Israel”, said,
2Sa 23:2 The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue.

David was remembered for many things but God made sure for us to know that this mighty man of war who had shed much blood was also the “sweet psalmist of Israel”.

We next see the title LORD in all capitol letters.

There should be no doubt in our minds that it is the Lord who is our refuge at all times but especially in times of trouble!

When we see the title LORD in all capitol letters, the Bible is speaking of Jehovah, the Almighty God.

The Jews would write this title as YHWH or JHVH or with vowels added Yah-weh or Jehovah.

When we see the title Lord with just the first letter capitalized in the Bible it usually refers to Adonai or the Supreme Master.

When we this title written lord with all small letters it means someone with absolute control or a ruler over others such as slaves.

The Bible records that the Philistines had five such lordships.

The Palestinians along with many others still allow men to be lords over them in our day.

But many of the Jews even in our day hold the name Jehovah in such high regard they will not pronounce it aloud for fear of using God’s name in vain.

And just to throw this in, Allah is not Jehovah.

Allah is the god of the Muslim.

“Allah” comes from the Arabic word “elah”, which is any god or some thing that is worshiped.

This word (elah) can be made plural (gods), as in “aleha” and it can be male or female just as the word “god” in English can be “goddess.”

“Allah” comes from “elaha” but it needs more clarification and understanding.

Allah = Has no gender (not male and not female”He” is used only out of respect and dignity – not for gender)

**********(Jehovah is always male in gender, It is Our Father who is in Heaven)

Allah = Is always singular – Never plural *”We” is used only as the “Royal WE” just as in English for royalty.

*********(Jehovah is always plural and consist of Our Father who is God, The Holy Spirit who is God, The Son, The Lord Jesus Christ who is God, The Tri-Une God not three Gods but One God in three persons, Elohim)

Allah = Means “The Only One to be Worshipped”

*****(Jehovah is the True God who only deserves our worship)

There is a move by so called religious groups to convince the world that The Muslim, The Jew, And Christianity all worship the same God.

This is a lie of Satan.

There are many who will try to convince you that Allah and Jehovah are the same but that cannot be true because to the Christian, Jesus the Christ is LORD and the Living God.

The Muslim do not accept that there is a Son of God and they refuse the Godship of the Lord Jesus.

Jesus Christ is not Allah and Allah is not Jesus Christ!

The Jews are still blind(according to the Bible) to the fact of The Messiah, The Lord Jesus Christ.

Rom 11:8 (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.

All others including the Muslim are blinded by Satan.

2Co 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

The Bible is very specific on this issue!

1Jn 1:3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, “and with his Son Jesus Christ”.

1Jn 2:22 Who is a liar but “he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ”? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
1Jn 2:23 Whosoever denieth the Son, “the same hath not the Father”: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.

The Jew are still looking for the Messiah to come.

The Muslim are still looking for some messiah to come.

The Christian know the truth that the Messiah has come and He was Jesus the Christ!

We simply should not be deceived as there are many today trying to link Christianity, Jewish, and Muslim under one and the same God and this is simply a lie just as the Apostle John says it is.

We either trust all the Word of God or we trust none of it!

It is in the Lord Jesus Christ we must place our trust!

And it is this the only Lord who can and who will be with us in all our troubles just as He promises us!

Isa 41:10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

And just as a fugitive runs for the hills, or a soldier seeks safety from the enemy, every child of God should seek the Lord as the place for protection!

The Lord is our only refuge!

When we know the Lord Jesus Christ as our personal Savior there is no need to flee like a bird to some mountain to hide, we must flee to the LORD.

Psa 91:9 Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;
Psa 91:10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.

But evil will always be the enemy of God’s people.

*****Psa 11:2 For, lo, the wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart.

The wicked of this world are always ready for action against the Children of God!

If you haven’t figured it out already, the world looks upon a righteous man or woman as someone to take advantage of!

They slander them with their bows in their hand.

Bows were a weapon of war in the time of David but this bow is referring to deceptive and destructive words.

Psa 57:4 My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, “whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword”.

That word “for” means because we trust in the Lord and not in the ways of evil men.

That word “privily” means “in darkness”. Our enemies will be treacherous in all their actions but they always try to hide behind the ways of the world.

That word “shoot” means they have no fear of God and are morally wrong. They are wicked to the core and they know what they are doing, they just refuse to see the truth of God.

The blindness of all those who remain lost will end in their own destruction.

Pro 4:19 The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.

*****Psa 11:3 If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?

There are four obvious foundations that every human being can build onto which will guarantee the best possible life we can have.

1) There is the foundation of “faith”.

“Trust” in the Old Testament relates to “Faith” in the New Testament.

Rom 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

When we allow the foundation of “faith” to be destroyed, those that do right will loose hope.

We cannot please God without faith.

Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

2) There is the foundation of “honesty”.

Honesty is conforming to justice. Remember the just shall live by “faith”.

Honesty is fairness, in all transactions, upright in all decisions and conforms to justice.

Rom 12:17 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.
Rom 12:18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.

3) There is the foundation of “Moral Integrity”.

It is the laws of God that must be the basis for our morals.

We simply cannot allow the world to dictate the morals for society!

Integrity is wholeness!

Integrity is pureness!

Integrity is genuine!

Integrity is a sound mind, moral soundness, and incorruptible by God’s standards!

1Co 6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
1Co 6:10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
1Co 6:11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

4) There is the foundation of “truth”.

Truth is conforming to the facts.

Truth is conforming to reality.

Truth is in accordance with that which is, that which has been, and that which shall be!

Jesus said:

Rev 1:8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

Jesus also said:

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

And Jesus said all these things are of God:

Joh 17:7 Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee.

If your life is not what you want it to be, then you have weak foundations.

All four of the foundations we have discussed are things that each of us can do!

In fact these are things that we must do!

We can build a strong working faith in God by examining the evidence for His existence.

This wicked world continues to attack these foundations with worldly wisdom that is not from God.

The evidence of God begins with His Creation and God created all things by Jesus Christ!

Col 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
Col 1:17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

We already know that without “faith” we cannot please God.

The truth of Creation is recorded for us in the Book of Genesis. This is the foundation for the rest of the Word of God, and the faith and the practices of each Christian.

While the world keeps up the attack on God’s people, the ungodly world is trying to systematically destroy the truth of Creation by the “Design Of God”.

Evolution has dug it’s way deep into society and even as this false theory is defeated over and over again with the truth, the Evolutionists have gotten control of the education systems of this world and are teaching a false science that goes against the Word of God.

Col 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
Col 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

If we allow these foundations to be destroyed within ourselves then it is certain there will be no place for the righteous!

But it is the Lord who sits on the throne in Heaven and will not allow this to happen.

*****Psa 11:4 The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD’S throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men.

Unless you are having that rare perfect day in your life, all you see around you are problems.

I don’t know if at any other time in history that the world seemed to have as many problems as we see today.

The one thing we cannot see in our world is the answer to these problems.

So where do we look? We Look Up!

When we have trusted the Lord, the place to look for answers is up because Our Lord sits in His Holy Temple.

The Bible teaches us with these words.

1Ti 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
1Ti 2:6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

From His position in Heaven, Our Mediator can see everything!

And this holy temple is the same place where the Lord went to prepare us a place.

Jesus said:

Joh 14:2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
This holy temple is none other than the Father’s House!

It is in the Father’s house where we find the throne of God.

Psa 103:19 The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.

**It is Jehovah God who is the final authority of our world!

It is the Lord who is able to control all the events that are happening on this world!

When things happen on this world it is because the Lord has allowed them to happen.

The Lord Jesus is “omnipotent”! God is all powerful and can do anything that is consistent with His own nature. God will never go against His Own Word, but His Word will be fulfilled just as He states it!

Mat 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

**It is Jehovah God who has all knowledge. Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven in His glorified body so it is His eyes that can behold all things.

The Lord Jesus is “omnipresent”! God is everywhere present in All Power, in His totality at all times.

In His humanity Jesus is localized in Heaven but in His deity Jesus is present everywhere.

Joh 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

Col 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

**It is Jehovah God who can feel the things that we feel. It is His eyelids that try the children of men.

The Lord Jesus is “omniscient”! God knows all things that can happen and all things that will happen, past, present, or future.

Jesus knows whats in the heart of every man and the Lord will test each man’s faith.

*****Psa 11:5 The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.

Why would the Lord put trials on the ones He has saved?

The Lord tries each of us so He may do us good in the latter end.

God provides opportunities for us to show our faith!

Deu 8:16 Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, “to do thee good at thy latter end”;

1Pe 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

God goes beyond to furnish us with everything we need to survive this cruel world and along the way He will send some trouble so we can be fine tuned for the tasks that lie before us.

God never wants us to fail and we cannot fail in His eyes, we can only fail ourselves in our own eyes!

The trials of our faith are only temporary and even the worst of them will only last a short period of time.

But this is not so for the wicked!

This not so for those that love violence!

The wicked are all those that are morally wrong.

Those that love violence are all those that love to be cruel. These are all those that would be bullies!

The world is more full of bullies who would have things their way, than it is full of racist.

Our government is more full of bullies than it is racist!

As the Holy Ghost led David to write these things we get to see how God will deal with the wicked and violent people who reject the Word of God and have made themselves gods.

*****Psa 11:6 Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.

1) God will rain down fire and brimstone upon them.

Where do we find some examples?

Gen 19:24 Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven;
Gen 19:25 And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.

Isa 30:33 For Tophet is ordained of old; yea, for the king it is prepared; he hath made it deep and large: the pile thereof is fire and much wood; the breath of the LORD, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it.

Rev 9:17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.

2) There will be a terrible storm upon them.

Where do we find examples?

Psa 18:7 Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth.

What is a Simoom?

This is a very hot, dry, suffocating and dust-laden wind that blasts across the African deserts, notably in Arabia, Syria, and neighboring countries generated by the extreme heat of the parched deserts or sandy plains. It can form into whirlwinds. It is one of the briefest winds and lasts only 20 minutes but can carry mounds of dust and sand that it has scooped from the desert floor. This is one of the winds that reshapes the desert and the sand dunes.

3) They will drink of the cup of God’s wrath.

Where do we find examples?

Psa 75:8 For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup, and the wine is red; it is full of mixture; and he poureth out of the same: but the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them.

Rev 14:10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
Rev 14:11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

If we could a picture all these things happening at the same time we should know that the “day of the Lord” will not be a good day for all those that have rejected the Word of God.

But God has better plans for those who love Him.

*****Psa 11:7 For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright.

C. H. Spurgeon wrote “Upon the roses of grace grow the thorns of justice”

Justice is God’s plum line!

If you walk on the wrong side of God’s plum line you will see judgment.

If you walk on the right side of God’s plum line you will have justice.

Isa 28:17 “Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet”: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.

Our righteous Lord could not be righteous in “Justice” if He were not also righteous in “Judgment”!

The plum line that God uses is His Written Word He has given to us!

What does God have planned for those who choose the right side?

The righteous shall see the face of God!

For God to turn His face away is to reject us but to look upon us with delight is to receive His blessings!

Mat 25:32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
Mat 25:33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

Because Our Lord Jesus is also the Creator it is only He that has the absolute right to decide “Justice”.

Pro 29:26 Many seek the ruler’s favour; but every man’s judgment cometh from the LORD.
Pro 29:27 An unjust man is an abomination to the just: and he that is upright in the way is abomination to the wicked.

Jesus said we will all suffer persecution at some level.

Jesus said the world we live in will only grow worse not better.

We must see these threats for what they are and the only place to flee is the mountain of comfort which is the Lord Jesus Christ!

Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ must be our foundation in this life!

Questions?

Let’s Pray!