WEBVTT 00:00:00.800 --> 00:00:12.500 God, thank you for gathering us this Friday evening so that we could hear from you and speak to you from your word, through your word, and in our prayers. 00:00:13.200 --> 00:00:20.679 We pray that you would meet with us and lead us, guide our prayers, and answer them, Lord. 00:00:21.740 --> 00:00:23.519 Help us to pray according to your will. 00:00:23.519 --> 00:00:32.519 And remind us, Lord, of your steadfast love, which is the basis for our salvation. 00:00:33.539 --> 00:00:35.820 In Psalm 85, in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. 00:00:37.039 --> 00:00:39.380 Psalm 85 is a short psalm. 00:00:39.659 --> 00:00:44.079 It's a subtitle that says, To the Choir Master, a Psalm of the Sons of Korah. 00:00:44.480 --> 00:00:47.960 So I'll just read it out loud and we'll look into it briefly. 00:00:47.960 --> 00:00:54.560 Lord, you are favorable to your land. 00:00:54.980 --> 00:00:57.140 You restored the fortunes of Jacob. 00:00:57.820 --> 00:00:59.840 You forgave the iniquity of your people. 00:01:00.020 --> 00:01:01.840 You covered all their sins, Selah. 00:01:02.399 --> 00:01:04.299 You withdrew all your wrath. 00:01:04.439 --> 00:01:05.840 You turned from your hot anger. 00:01:06.740 --> 00:01:11.840 Restore us again, O God of our salvation, and put away your indignation toward us. 00:01:12.460 --> 00:01:14.000 Will you be angry with us forever? 00:01:14.680 --> 00:01:16.980 Will you prolong your anger to all generations? 00:01:16.980 --> 00:01:21.480 Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you? 00:01:22.219 --> 00:01:26.320 Show us your steadfast love, O Lord, and grant us your salvation. 00:01:28.100 --> 00:01:30.540 Let me hear what God the Lord will speak. 00:01:31.079 --> 00:01:36.100 For he will speak peace to his people, to his saints, but let them not turn back to folly. 00:01:37.219 --> 00:01:41.740 Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him, that glory may dwell in our land. 00:01:41.739 --> 00:01:45.239 Steadfast love and faithfulness meet. 00:01:46.500 --> 00:01:48.699 Righteousness and peace kiss each other. 00:01:49.659 --> 00:01:55.159 Faithfulness springs up from the ground, and righteousness looks down from the sky. 00:01:55.859 --> 00:02:00.579 Yes, the Lord will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase. 00:02:00.579 --> 00:02:04.980 Righteousness will go before him and make his footsteps away. 00:02:04.980 --> 00:02:14.120 Regret, right, is what we feel when we're sorry for something we've done and wish to turn the clock back, but we are helpless to do so. 00:02:14.219 --> 00:02:16.800 We can't repair it or restore it. 00:02:17.420 --> 00:02:22.740 But repentance is when we feel sorry for something we have done, but we actually turn back. 00:02:23.099 --> 00:02:23.159 Right? 00:02:23.340 --> 00:02:26.140 We seek to restore the wrong we have done. 00:02:26.139 --> 00:02:31.500 And unfortunately, all of our lives and as we grow, I think we have more and more regrets. 00:02:32.619 --> 00:02:40.039 But fortunately, when it comes to the most important thing about life, our relationship with God, there's always a chance for repentance. 00:02:41.119 --> 00:02:46.859 And Psalm 85, really the main point, is that we should repent and return to the God who restores us. 00:02:46.860 --> 00:02:51.900 And in verses 1 to 7, we find an appeal to God's steadfast love. 00:02:52.440 --> 00:02:56.400 And then in verses 8 to 13, we find an affirmation of God's steadfast love. 00:02:56.880 --> 00:03:02.000 So the psalmist is clearly writing from a place of distress and suffering. 00:03:02.260 --> 00:03:06.720 Because he says, restore us again, O God of our salvation, right, in verse 4. 00:03:07.200 --> 00:03:15.460 And he sees this, we can tell from the context, that the psalmist thinks that this suffering is a direct result of God's anger. 00:03:15.460 --> 00:03:15.820 Right? 00:03:15.879 --> 00:03:17.219 His indignation with them. 00:03:18.000 --> 00:03:24.860 While this obviously isn't true for all of our suffering and the evil we experience, because we... 00:03:24.860 --> 00:03:27.520 But some sins really are... 00:03:27.520 --> 00:03:31.000 I mean, some suffering that we experience really are due to our sins. 00:03:31.620 --> 00:03:36.000 So it's like John 5, 14, for example, Jesus tells an invalid that he just healed. 00:03:36.180 --> 00:03:39.319 He tells him, sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you. 00:03:39.439 --> 00:03:39.600 Right? 00:03:39.659 --> 00:03:43.939 Clearly implying that his disability really stemmed from his sin. 00:03:43.939 --> 00:03:49.819 But then again, in John 9, 3, same book, Jesus says of a man blind from birth, 00:03:50.259 --> 00:03:55.099 it was not that this man sinned or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. 00:03:55.280 --> 00:03:55.419 Right? 00:03:55.479 --> 00:03:59.659 So we can't simplistically say that all suffering is a form of divine punishment. 00:03:59.879 --> 00:04:02.079 But it is true that sin has consequences. 00:04:02.620 --> 00:04:08.840 And in this case, the psalmist knows that the suffering of his nation was directly connected to the sins, 00:04:08.840 --> 00:04:10.280 to their sins against God. 00:04:12.140 --> 00:04:16.079 And so even though we don't know the exact setting, historical setting behind this, 00:04:16.160 --> 00:04:21.519 really the kind of the generic nature of the psalm and the distress that the psalmist is writing from 00:04:21.519 --> 00:04:26.519 really helps us to apply to all situations and any circumstance and suffering that we may be going through. 00:04:26.519 --> 00:04:31.079 And so Thomas is praying to God, restore us again. 00:04:31.599 --> 00:04:40.419 And as he does that, what's really helpful is that he doesn't appeal to the nation's worthiness to be saved. 00:04:41.419 --> 00:04:47.539 He doesn't appeal to their deservingness, but to God's stephest love. 00:04:47.540 --> 00:04:53.939 So first, in verses 1 to 3, he starts by remembering, recalling how God delivered them in the past. 00:04:54.600 --> 00:04:56.540 Lord, you are favorable to your land. 00:04:56.840 --> 00:04:58.420 You restored the fortunes of Jacob. 00:04:58.660 --> 00:05:00.360 You forgave the iniquity of your people. 00:05:00.500 --> 00:05:01.860 You covered all their sin. 00:05:02.280 --> 00:05:02.640 Selah. 00:05:02.780 --> 00:05:04.320 You withdrew all your wrath. 00:05:04.680 --> 00:05:06.660 You turned from your hot anger. 00:05:07.540 --> 00:05:10.939 So, you see, this wasn't the first time that Israel had sinned against God. 00:05:11.020 --> 00:05:13.660 But formerly, when they had sinned against him, God forgave them. 00:05:13.759 --> 00:05:14.740 He restored them. 00:05:14.740 --> 00:05:18.000 He covered their sin and turned from his hot anger. 00:05:18.180 --> 00:05:22.920 So, based on that past experience, then the psalmist appeals to God's stephest love. 00:05:23.540 --> 00:05:27.340 And he asks him to save them again in verses 47. 00:05:27.980 --> 00:05:33.879 Restore us again, O God of our salvation, and put away your indignation toward us. 00:05:34.340 --> 00:05:36.019 Will you be angry with us forever? 00:05:36.319 --> 00:05:38.780 Will you prolong your anger to all generations? 00:05:39.340 --> 00:05:43.120 Will you not revive us again that your people may rejoice in you? 00:05:43.120 --> 00:05:47.040 Show us your steadfast love, O Lord, and grant us your salvation. 00:05:47.819 --> 00:05:51.780 The word restore in verses 1 and 4. 00:05:52.180 --> 00:05:54.439 And the word turn from in verse 3. 00:05:54.920 --> 00:05:57.800 And the word revive us again in verse 6. 00:05:57.899 --> 00:06:00.660 They're all different translations of the same Hebrew word. 00:06:01.220 --> 00:06:04.439 And so, they convey the idea of returning and restoring. 00:06:04.439 --> 00:06:11.560 And so, the psalmist is basically appealing to God's character as described in Psalm 30, verse 5. 00:06:12.040 --> 00:06:15.399 For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. 00:06:15.600 --> 00:06:21.379 Though God is presently angry with them, they're appealing to the fact that God's not going to remain angry forever. 00:06:21.600 --> 00:06:26.759 He's appealing to the fact that God's gracious, that he will turn back again to his people, restore them again. 00:06:26.759 --> 00:06:31.779 And it's based on that confidence in God's character that the psalmist now appeals for a deliverance. 00:06:32.420 --> 00:06:40.139 And this is really helpful because when we sin against God, I don't know how your tendency to respond is to God. 00:06:40.279 --> 00:06:45.740 And sometimes, for me, I can feel like, oh, no, I definitely can't go to God to pray right now. 00:06:45.740 --> 00:06:52.259 You know, I can't seek his face sometimes, you know, because I need to clean up my act a little bit, you know, before I can go back to him. 00:06:52.519 --> 00:06:58.519 You know, or you could feel like, oh, God's definitely unhappy with me right now because, you know, he's probably exasperated. 00:06:58.819 --> 00:07:00.519 Like, can you sin in the same way? 00:07:00.639 --> 00:07:04.840 I've told you, confronted you again and again, yet you do it again and again. 00:07:05.000 --> 00:07:06.840 And he's fed up with me. 00:07:06.960 --> 00:07:10.620 You know, that sometimes we could feel that way because, and that's really kind of, 00:07:10.620 --> 00:07:17.100 then we're expecting our worthiness, really, to be the basis for our appealing to God, right? 00:07:17.579 --> 00:07:21.100 First of all, but the psalm teaches that that's not the case, right? 00:07:21.480 --> 00:07:24.160 It's not too late for God to help us. 00:07:25.340 --> 00:07:32.680 That God turns back to us not because we deserve it, not because we've cleaned up our act sufficiently, 00:07:32.959 --> 00:07:34.579 but because of his steadfast love. 00:07:34.579 --> 00:07:41.439 And we have been fickle and unfaithful to him, but he is faithful and steadfast in his love toward us. 00:07:41.839 --> 00:07:45.839 And it's because of his steadfast love that we can turn back to God. 00:07:45.919 --> 00:07:46.599 That's the basis. 00:07:48.360 --> 00:07:55.120 And so having appealed to God's steadfast love, the psalmist then affirms God's steadfast love in the following verses. 00:07:56.740 --> 00:07:57.500 He says, 00:07:57.500 --> 00:08:03.519 Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints. 00:08:03.519 --> 00:08:05.859 But let them not turn back to folly. 00:08:06.599 --> 00:08:11.879 So he's expressing the faith, right, that he has to the rest of the worshippers gathered with him, 00:08:12.379 --> 00:08:14.919 that God will speak peace to his people, to his saints. 00:08:15.539 --> 00:08:21.319 And because of God's steadfast love and how he turns back to them again and again out of his steadfast love, 00:08:21.799 --> 00:08:25.180 it's all the more important that these people not turn back to folly. 00:08:25.279 --> 00:08:27.419 Again, this is the same word that was repeated before. 00:08:27.420 --> 00:08:37.960 So if God restores his people, it would be the height of wickedness and foolishness for them to turn back again from God after he has turned back to them. 00:08:39.019 --> 00:08:40.600 And so in verse 9 it says, 00:08:40.600 --> 00:08:45.560 Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him, that glory may dwell in our land. 00:08:46.580 --> 00:08:50.080 The word salvation is a key word in this psalm, and it's repeated three times. 00:08:50.080 --> 00:08:54.759 And in verse 4 God's described as the God of our salvation. 00:08:55.320 --> 00:08:56.240 And verse 7 says, 00:08:56.360 --> 00:08:58.120 Grant us your salvation. 00:08:58.680 --> 00:08:59.879 And verse 9 it says, 00:09:00.000 --> 00:09:02.860 Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him. 00:09:02.920 --> 00:09:09.820 And I think these descriptions are helpful because they always associate salvation exclusively and uniquely with God. 00:09:09.940 --> 00:09:11.259 Salvation belongs to the Lord. 00:09:11.620 --> 00:09:13.139 There's no one else that can save. 00:09:13.139 --> 00:09:20.559 And because God's the one that was basically, whose wrath was incurred through their sin, 00:09:20.919 --> 00:09:26.159 it's only God who can rescue them and forgive them and pardon them and restore them to peace. 00:09:27.179 --> 00:09:33.600 And so because the psalmist expects this, that salvation will come from the Lord, 00:09:34.159 --> 00:09:39.360 and when the Lord is near to them, his glory will dwell in the land, 00:09:39.360 --> 00:09:42.120 because glory is really a summary of all of God's attributes. 00:09:43.139 --> 00:09:48.299 Then in verses 10 to 11, he unpacks what God's glory consists of. 00:09:48.539 --> 00:09:48.899 He says, 00:09:49.720 --> 00:09:52.000 Steadfast love and faithfulness meet. 00:09:53.080 --> 00:09:55.179 Righteousness and peace kiss each other. 00:09:55.819 --> 00:10:00.039 Faithfulness springs up from the ground, and righteousness looks down from the sky. 00:10:00.740 --> 00:10:07.220 These are really the most fundamental attributes of God described in two pairs of words that are in apparent tension with each other. 00:10:07.779 --> 00:10:12.600 So steadfast love conveys the idea of being magnanimous and gracious to someone. 00:10:13.139 --> 00:10:16.779 Even when that love is undeserved or unexpected. 00:10:17.799 --> 00:10:22.799 It's the idea that's captured by one of our favorite Christian words, right? 00:10:22.860 --> 00:10:23.279 Grace. 00:10:23.539 --> 00:10:23.679 Right? 00:10:23.759 --> 00:10:24.199 Mercy. 00:10:24.980 --> 00:10:27.019 But God's not merely gracious and loving. 00:10:27.120 --> 00:10:28.779 He is also faithful, right? 00:10:28.779 --> 00:10:34.039 And when we use the word faithful, we usually mean being faithful to someone or something else. 00:10:34.659 --> 00:10:37.399 But in Hebrew, it's the same word that means truth. 00:10:37.579 --> 00:10:40.819 And it's sometimes translated as stability or firmness. 00:10:41.339 --> 00:10:45.480 And when used of God, it refers to the fact that God is always true to his character. 00:10:45.939 --> 00:10:47.299 He's true to himself. 00:10:47.299 --> 00:10:50.359 So then the question is raised. 00:10:50.479 --> 00:10:52.599 And the word meet can also mean confront. 00:10:52.779 --> 00:10:53.819 It's the same word that means that. 00:10:53.899 --> 00:10:56.139 So it's kind of playing on that polarity. 00:10:57.059 --> 00:11:05.479 And so how can God be both true to his holy character and just standards, and at the same time be gracious to a sinful people? 00:11:05.480 --> 00:11:09.379 How can God, how can steadfast love and faithfulness meet? 00:11:10.940 --> 00:11:14.440 Obviously, there would be no disharmony if we weren't for people to sin. 00:11:14.539 --> 00:11:18.820 But when the people, his object of love are sinful, how can steadfast love and faithfulness meet? 00:11:19.539 --> 00:11:22.840 And a similar contrast is seen in the pair of righteousness and peace, right? 00:11:22.840 --> 00:11:29.300 Righteousness is often translated as justice and points to the reality that God defines what is right. 00:11:29.620 --> 00:11:33.440 He is just, and he is the one that executes justice on the earth. 00:11:34.120 --> 00:11:39.259 Peace, on the other hand, conveys the idea of right relationship with God and one another and the whole world, right? 00:11:39.259 --> 00:11:45.080 It doesn't refer to an absence of conflict as such, but to a state of being whole, being made right, 00:11:45.240 --> 00:11:48.580 and in right order with God and his design for creation. 00:11:48.580 --> 00:11:53.060 And there can only be peace, right, in a world that is made right. 00:11:53.680 --> 00:12:00.940 So when people that he loves are unrighteous, when they are unjust, how can God grant them peace? 00:12:01.500 --> 00:12:03.680 Because there can be no peace when there is no righteousness. 00:12:04.700 --> 00:12:10.160 And so when will come a day, as it says in verse 11, when righteousness that looks down from heaven 00:12:10.160 --> 00:12:13.580 will find faithfulness looking back up from the earth? 00:12:13.640 --> 00:12:14.840 When will that day come? 00:12:14.840 --> 00:12:21.420 And these tensions are not ultimately resolved in this psalm, but they point to and are ultimately fulfilled in Jesus. 00:12:22.379 --> 00:12:30.100 Because John 1.14, Apostle John describes the glory of Jesus as the glory as of the only Son from the Father, 00:12:30.560 --> 00:12:32.980 full of grace and truth. 00:12:33.879 --> 00:12:40.600 The words grace and truth being John's translation, the Greek equivalent of steadfast love and faithfulness. 00:12:40.600 --> 00:12:50.580 And likewise in Hebrews 7.2, Jesus is described both as the king of righteousness and the king of peace. 00:12:51.399 --> 00:12:57.019 In Jesus, the divine attributes of God that are in tension, seemingly because of the sinful people, 00:12:57.560 --> 00:12:59.960 are fulfilled and fully displayed. 00:13:00.779 --> 00:13:06.580 And this is because God's steadfast love towards sinners and his faithfulness to his character, 00:13:06.580 --> 00:13:10.740 for his holiness and justice, they collide on the cross, right? 00:13:10.780 --> 00:13:12.920 Where Jesus dies for the sins of his people. 00:13:13.580 --> 00:13:18.040 Because God's holy, he can't excuse our sins, yet because he's merciful and gracious, 00:13:18.220 --> 00:13:23.920 he bears the punishment himself instead of punishing us for the sins that we have committed. 00:13:24.660 --> 00:13:26.780 And by dying on the cross and rising again, 00:13:26.779 --> 00:13:30.919 Jesus makes righteousness and peace, yes. 00:13:30.919 --> 00:13:35.959 That he makes his steadfast love and truth meet. 00:13:37.480 --> 00:13:40.740 And so then for us, in order for us to experience that peace, 00:13:40.919 --> 00:13:42.720 to have rightly ordered relationship with God, 00:13:42.799 --> 00:13:45.199 for our lives and our world to be characterized by righteousness, 00:13:45.779 --> 00:13:51.120 we must cling to Christ and his gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ. 00:13:51.679 --> 00:13:54.480 Because there's salvation in no other name than his name. 00:13:54.480 --> 00:14:01.019 And when we are in him, then that tension that existed is removed. 00:14:01.600 --> 00:14:05.779 And now in perfect harmony, steadfast love and faithfulness coexists together. 00:14:06.720 --> 00:14:12.600 Let's pray together that that and sing together about that steadfast love and faithfulness of God.