WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:13.280 So today we're going to look at the first five verses of Psalm 27 from verse 1 to 5. 00:00:13.280 --> 00:00:15.599 And let me read this. 00:00:15.599 --> 00:00:22.480 The Lord is my light and my salvation. 00:00:22.480 --> 00:00:24.120 Whom shall I fear? 00:00:24.120 --> 00:00:26.679 The Lord is the stronghold of my life. 00:00:26.679 --> 00:00:29.179 Of whom shall I be afraid? 00:00:29.179 --> 00:00:32.679 And able doers sale me to eat up my flesh? 00:00:32.679 --> 00:00:38.039 Thank you. 00:00:38.039 --> 00:00:43.560 My enemies, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall. 00:00:43.560 --> 00:00:51.760 Though an arming camp against me, my heart shall not fear the war arise against me, 00:00:51.760 --> 00:00:54.960 yet I will be confident. 00:00:54.960 --> 00:01:05.040 One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house 00:01:05.040 --> 00:01:12.560 of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire 00:01:12.560 --> 00:01:18.000 in his temple, for he will hide me in his shelter. 00:01:18.000 --> 00:01:25.280 In the day of trouble, he will conceal me under the cover of his tent. 00:01:25.280 --> 00:01:29.879 He will leave me hide upon a rock. 00:01:29.879 --> 00:01:36.480 This is God's word. 00:01:36.480 --> 00:01:47.879 So today I want to preach about the best place and the best answer for the worst moment. 00:01:47.879 --> 00:01:53.920 The best place and the best answer for the worst moment. 00:01:53.920 --> 00:02:03.039 Here we can read that, for he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble. 00:02:03.039 --> 00:02:07.399 In other words, in the worst moment. 00:02:07.399 --> 00:02:12.599 All we know that the times we are living could be considered as one of the most challenging 00:02:12.599 --> 00:02:14.800 times. 00:02:14.800 --> 00:02:20.080 We know that we are living hard times right now, regarding health issues. 00:02:20.080 --> 00:02:24.320 The whole war has been choked by COVID-19. 00:02:24.320 --> 00:02:27.680 We are living maybe on certain days. 00:02:27.680 --> 00:02:33.439 We don't know what's going to happen in the next couple of days. 00:02:33.439 --> 00:02:41.800 On the other hand, politically and socially, we see that things are not going very well. 00:02:41.800 --> 00:02:48.360 Even worse, it seems that our lives are running around anxieties. 00:02:48.360 --> 00:02:51.800 Our hearts and minds are full of anxieties. 00:02:51.800 --> 00:03:01.400 However, some situations are not like a mere general problem, but a serious problem. 00:03:01.400 --> 00:03:04.160 A personal problem. 00:03:04.160 --> 00:03:09.800 Not just something outside of us, but in the very inside of our hearts. 00:03:09.800 --> 00:03:12.240 A deep pain maybe. 00:03:12.240 --> 00:03:18.480 An endless frustration about our lives. 00:03:18.480 --> 00:03:24.439 Frustration for being defeated by our very worst enemies. 00:03:24.439 --> 00:03:34.400 In this case, as we will see, our sin or the desires of a fallen world and even Satan. 00:03:34.400 --> 00:03:40.400 We are so frustrated and we think that every day is going to be worse because we are being 00:03:40.400 --> 00:03:44.000 defeated by our enemies. 00:03:44.000 --> 00:03:52.080 So why does God allow us to experience this bitter taste of difficult moments? 00:03:52.080 --> 00:03:54.360 Why? 00:03:54.360 --> 00:03:59.280 And what should be your answer for the worst moment? 00:03:59.280 --> 00:04:01.640 Worst God in those moments? 00:04:01.639 --> 00:04:10.839 Worst God when we can read here that the one army encamp against me, an army, an army of 00:04:10.839 --> 00:04:21.560 temptations, an army of sins, an army of depression and anxieties in life. 00:04:21.560 --> 00:04:26.159 Worst God in those moments. 00:04:26.160 --> 00:04:33.400 And these questions we will answer considering the next following three points or three heads. 00:04:33.400 --> 00:04:41.240 The first one I want to share with you is the worst moment and that is the enemy's war. 00:04:41.240 --> 00:04:45.960 The second point is the best answer for this moment. 00:04:45.960 --> 00:04:50.840 And here is choose to dwell in the house of the Lord. 00:04:50.839 --> 00:05:00.039 And finally the best place for the best answer and it is God dwelling, God himself dwelling 00:05:00.039 --> 00:05:02.599 in his house. 00:05:02.599 --> 00:05:10.039 So the first point, the worst moment and that is the enemy's war. 00:05:10.039 --> 00:05:15.159 The psalm begins declaring who God is first. 00:05:15.160 --> 00:05:24.240 The Lord is my light and my salvation and the Lord is the strength of my life. 00:05:24.240 --> 00:05:35.080 So when the author of this psalm considers who God is, then he asks, whom shall I fear? 00:05:35.080 --> 00:05:39.760 Of whom shall I be afraid? 00:05:39.760 --> 00:05:43.620 So first of all we can see here something that is certain. 00:05:43.620 --> 00:05:51.439 We can see here an assurance, something that is real and brings security. 00:05:51.439 --> 00:05:56.280 As I said before, we are living in times where people, we are unsure. 00:05:56.280 --> 00:05:58.280 These are uncertain times. 00:05:58.280 --> 00:06:02.439 But here there is something that is secure, that there is something real, but at the same 00:06:02.439 --> 00:06:06.079 time secure for the psalmist. 00:06:06.079 --> 00:06:07.079 What is? 00:06:07.079 --> 00:06:10.280 It is that the Lord is my light and my salvation. 00:06:10.279 --> 00:06:15.639 And because of that, because of that he asks, of whom shall I be afraid? 00:06:15.639 --> 00:06:18.039 Whom shall I fear? 00:06:18.039 --> 00:06:26.959 So when David talks about fear, we see that there is something that could cause intense 00:06:26.959 --> 00:06:31.279 fear in David's heart. 00:06:31.279 --> 00:06:37.919 The word here for the original word for to be afraid is just this like intense, like 00:06:37.920 --> 00:06:44.040 a horror when you are trembled for something that is, you are very afraid of that. 00:06:44.040 --> 00:06:51.800 So the question is, what's that that can make our life tremble? 00:06:51.800 --> 00:06:55.600 Something that we know that oppose us, oppose to us. 00:06:55.600 --> 00:06:58.040 Something bigger than us. 00:06:58.040 --> 00:07:03.400 Something that we know that can hurt and defeat us. 00:07:03.399 --> 00:07:11.359 In other words, the enemies are those who can provoke terror in us. 00:07:11.359 --> 00:07:17.479 But David here describes the nature and work of these enemies. 00:07:17.479 --> 00:07:27.159 They are evildoers, someone who consciously does hurtful actions against himself and against 00:07:27.159 --> 00:07:28.159 others. 00:07:28.160 --> 00:07:35.920 At different moments of his life, David was faced with enemies and we know that. 00:07:35.920 --> 00:07:44.200 However, the enemies described here are not far away from him, but close to him. 00:07:44.200 --> 00:07:49.320 We can read here, they came against me, assailed me. 00:07:49.319 --> 00:07:57.719 The same happens with the worst enemy of every Christian or worse enemy is not outside of 00:07:57.719 --> 00:08:05.040 us, but is in our heart or sin. 00:08:05.040 --> 00:08:09.839 It is not a distant enemy. 00:08:09.839 --> 00:08:15.719 It is not that something that it is not something that is like in the next person who is next 00:08:15.720 --> 00:08:22.960 to you, but is within us and we fight against that. 00:08:22.960 --> 00:08:25.800 It is in the very deep of our hearts. 00:08:25.800 --> 00:08:33.120 Sadly, our worst enemy is within us. 00:08:33.120 --> 00:08:35.800 And as I said, it is sin. 00:08:35.800 --> 00:08:37.480 But what is sin? 00:08:37.480 --> 00:08:41.360 We talk about sin, but how can we describe sin? 00:08:41.360 --> 00:08:47.320 I really like the answer of the Westminster Shorter Catechism, question 14. 00:08:47.320 --> 00:08:55.919 Sin is anyone of conformity unto or transgression of the law of God. 00:08:55.919 --> 00:09:06.600 Again, sin is anyone of conformity unto or transgression of the law of God. 00:09:06.600 --> 00:09:14.399 In other words, sin, in this answer, we know that sin we can describe it when we are not 00:09:14.399 --> 00:09:17.920 satisfied with God's holy law. 00:09:17.920 --> 00:09:20.360 We're not satisfied with that. 00:09:20.360 --> 00:09:27.600 We're not satisfied and we try to think that we can create another law. 00:09:27.600 --> 00:09:29.759 So we are not conformed with this. 00:09:29.759 --> 00:09:33.920 We tend to think that this is not enough or I don't like it. 00:09:33.919 --> 00:09:41.360 So that's the reason why we break this law and what is God's law? 00:09:41.360 --> 00:09:45.519 In one word, it's love. 00:09:45.519 --> 00:09:47.919 Love God and love your neighbor. 00:09:47.919 --> 00:09:53.439 So the root of God's law in one word is love. 00:09:53.439 --> 00:10:01.319 So we break that law and we race up against the will of God and that is our worst enemy. 00:10:01.320 --> 00:10:11.400 That's our sin and the enemy, we know that doesn't come to play with us or have fun with 00:10:11.400 --> 00:10:12.400 us. 00:10:12.400 --> 00:10:18.800 An enemy come to, according to the enemy, according to Jesus, come to steal, according 00:10:18.800 --> 00:10:28.240 to John 10, come to steal, hurt, kill, sorry, and destroy it. 00:10:28.240 --> 00:10:29.880 So the enemy is not satisfied. 00:10:29.879 --> 00:10:31.600 My sin is not satisfied. 00:10:31.600 --> 00:10:39.519 We just steal something from our families, from our heart, but sin or every enemy of 00:10:39.519 --> 00:10:48.000 the church wants to steal, but not only that, he wants to kill, but not only that, he wants 00:10:48.000 --> 00:10:55.879 to destroy your life, my life, your family, my family. 00:10:55.879 --> 00:11:03.439 In David's words, they come to eat up the flesh. 00:11:03.439 --> 00:11:09.200 When Abel Doers sailed me to eat up my flesh. 00:11:09.200 --> 00:11:16.039 So how are we dealing with our sins? 00:11:16.039 --> 00:11:19.039 Are we playing with it? 00:11:19.039 --> 00:11:26.679 Or what kind of temptations are leading us to stumble and fall down? 00:11:26.679 --> 00:11:39.759 However, if you are in Christ, let me tell you this, you definitely will not fall down, 00:11:39.759 --> 00:11:46.719 but your enemies, your enemies will surely stumble and fall. 00:11:46.720 --> 00:11:50.399 They will fall, those who are in Christ not. 00:11:50.399 --> 00:11:51.600 Why? 00:11:51.600 --> 00:11:52.600 Because of you? 00:11:52.600 --> 00:11:56.160 No, because of who God is. 00:11:56.160 --> 00:12:04.820 So David's thoughts, affections, and will are directed and centered in who God is. 00:12:04.820 --> 00:12:13.960 Even when an army, an army of enemies are ready to attack and to kill his life, his eyes 00:12:13.960 --> 00:12:24.280 are not fixed on them, on these enemies, but on God. 00:12:24.280 --> 00:12:30.400 But not just on God, but on his God. 00:12:30.400 --> 00:12:35.280 There is something that is intimate here and personal in his speech. 00:12:35.280 --> 00:12:42.040 It is not about a mere head knowledge about God, but it's a heartfelt knowledge of the 00:12:42.039 --> 00:12:47.759 God of the Bible, of the God revealing the Bible, the God who is here. 00:12:47.759 --> 00:12:56.480 It is also in his heart, because it's not only God, but it's my God. 00:12:56.480 --> 00:13:04.439 In this way, David can say the Lord is, it is not the Lord's light or the Lord's salvation. 00:13:04.439 --> 00:13:10.959 David can declare the Lord's my light and the Lord is my salvation. 00:13:10.960 --> 00:13:18.280 So why does David use this word my? 00:13:18.280 --> 00:13:24.960 Because he, in this Psalm, he describes a God that is personal, the real God that is 00:13:24.960 --> 00:13:26.240 personal. 00:13:26.240 --> 00:13:34.680 He describes God with his covenantal name, Yahweh, the Lord, the immutable God of the 00:13:34.680 --> 00:13:36.560 covenant. 00:13:36.559 --> 00:13:45.079 The Lord is my light and my salvation, Yahweh, the Lord of the covenant, the faithful God, 00:13:45.079 --> 00:13:50.279 the immutable God who is faithful to his promises. 00:13:50.279 --> 00:13:53.079 It's my light and it's my salvation. 00:13:53.079 --> 00:14:04.759 It's my God, the faithful God, the God who shows his favor, his light, the same God that 00:14:04.759 --> 00:14:12.399 redeemed Israel from slavery in Egypt, is the same God that redeemed David. 00:14:12.399 --> 00:14:20.480 And it is the same God, is the same God who is here this night to redeem our hearts, to 00:14:20.480 --> 00:14:25.840 redeem our families, to defeat your enemies. 00:14:25.840 --> 00:14:33.200 That God is our God, is your God. 00:14:33.200 --> 00:14:37.240 You belong to him. 00:14:37.240 --> 00:14:44.100 That's your only comfort, both in life and death, that we are not ours. 00:14:44.100 --> 00:14:51.900 But we belong to Christ, we belong to God, to the faithful God. 00:14:51.900 --> 00:15:01.320 So with this in mind, David asks something that reflects the best answer in the worst 00:15:01.320 --> 00:15:02.580 moment. 00:15:02.580 --> 00:15:11.759 When enemies are against him, when an army of enemies are ready to destroy his life, 00:15:11.759 --> 00:15:13.639 he can declare this. 00:15:13.639 --> 00:15:20.759 The second point, the best answer, choose to dwell in the house of the Lord. 00:15:20.759 --> 00:15:32.840 So when David considered who his enemies are and who God is, he asked for only one thing, 00:15:32.840 --> 00:15:38.480 only one thing in the very worst moment. 00:15:38.480 --> 00:15:43.240 And what he asked here, it is not only a deep desire. 00:15:43.240 --> 00:15:47.559 Here he said, verse four, one thing have I asked of the Lord. 00:15:47.559 --> 00:15:57.039 That word asked, it is a desire, it's an intense desire that David really wants. 00:15:57.039 --> 00:16:02.059 When we were a child at Christmastime, we were desiring something. 00:16:02.059 --> 00:16:07.719 I don't know, in your case, or in the 1064, maybe that's pretty old, but something that 00:16:07.719 --> 00:16:10.519 you really desire when you were a child. 00:16:10.519 --> 00:16:12.839 Or maybe now, I don't know. 00:16:12.839 --> 00:16:16.679 But here we can see something that he really wants. 00:16:16.679 --> 00:16:21.639 The enemies are ready to kill him, and he wants only one thing. 00:16:21.639 --> 00:16:27.439 One thing have I asked of the Lord. 00:16:27.439 --> 00:16:34.799 But at the same time, it is not only a deep desire, but an action as well. 00:16:34.799 --> 00:16:41.240 Verse four again, that I, that will I seek after. 00:16:41.240 --> 00:16:49.279 So this action stands out for this intensity, that is, there is a great effort to reach 00:16:49.279 --> 00:16:52.560 this objective. 00:16:52.560 --> 00:16:58.960 His whole person is involving this, in this desire, in this action. 00:16:58.960 --> 00:17:05.839 Again, in the day of trouble, what do we want? 00:17:05.839 --> 00:17:08.480 Here we can see the answer. 00:17:08.480 --> 00:17:14.599 And we seek with intensity something that we really want, that we really desire, that 00:17:14.599 --> 00:17:16.839 we really need. 00:17:16.839 --> 00:17:28.440 So it is in the midst of the war that David asked one thing to dwell in the house of the 00:17:28.440 --> 00:17:31.039 Lord. 00:17:31.039 --> 00:17:38.039 He chooses to dwell in the house of the Lord of the Covenant. 00:17:38.039 --> 00:17:43.879 This is David's desire, desire and action. 00:17:43.879 --> 00:17:51.960 Not only when things are going well or bad, but every day, again, that I made the well 00:17:51.960 --> 00:18:00.399 in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, in days of victory or in bad days, in 00:18:00.399 --> 00:18:02.639 the day of trouble. 00:18:02.640 --> 00:18:12.520 He wants only one thing, and it is to live, to dwell in the house of the Lord. 00:18:12.520 --> 00:18:18.360 Good or bad days, on good days and bad days, he wants to be in the house of the Lord, and 00:18:18.360 --> 00:18:24.400 that is, he wants to have communion or fellowship with God. 00:18:24.400 --> 00:18:27.360 So what can we learn from this verse? 00:18:27.359 --> 00:18:36.639 Is that in the very worst moment when we are suffering, it is the best time to have fellowship, 00:18:36.639 --> 00:18:47.139 a sweet fellowship, to really enjoy God's presence, God's covenantal presence in our 00:18:47.139 --> 00:18:51.319 lives, in our families, in the midst of our temptations. 00:18:51.319 --> 00:18:57.759 When you are maybe ready to fall in that ugly temptation, God is there, the faithful God 00:18:57.759 --> 00:19:04.439 is there to have communion with God. 00:19:04.439 --> 00:19:12.799 And the motive behind this desire, this desire, sorry, speaks to the main end or purpose of 00:19:12.799 --> 00:19:15.319 this man. 00:19:15.319 --> 00:19:21.439 And it is important to consider this because some people want to be in the house of the 00:19:21.439 --> 00:19:26.480 Lord for their own benefits, for wrong reasons. 00:19:26.480 --> 00:19:31.759 In John chapter 2 or in the Gospels, we can see that the sellers or the money changers 00:19:31.759 --> 00:19:34.200 are sitting in the temple. 00:19:34.200 --> 00:19:38.639 They are near of this house of the Lord. 00:19:38.640 --> 00:19:48.759 We can see the Pharisees talking about this, praying near to the temple, but their motivations 00:19:48.759 --> 00:19:53.520 are the wrong motivations. 00:19:53.520 --> 00:20:06.400 So here with David, we see that his motive, his desire, it is not about to get a benefit, 00:20:06.400 --> 00:20:09.440 that selfish benefit. 00:20:09.440 --> 00:20:12.320 Far from that. 00:20:12.320 --> 00:20:15.400 This is not the case in this Psalm. 00:20:15.400 --> 00:20:20.840 The focus of the Psalm, it is not the Psalmist here, it is not David. 00:20:20.840 --> 00:20:24.360 The focus of the Psalm is not the enemies. 00:20:24.360 --> 00:20:30.120 The focus of the Psalm is not how the things are so bad outside. 00:20:30.119 --> 00:20:37.599 The focus of the Psalm, the beginning and the end of the Psalm, of the Bible, is the 00:20:37.599 --> 00:20:42.079 God of the Covenant, is Yahweh, is the Lord. 00:20:42.079 --> 00:20:49.359 The motive behind this desire speaks about man's chief end. 00:20:49.359 --> 00:20:57.199 And let me ask you this, church, what's the chief end of man? 00:20:57.200 --> 00:21:05.000 And will you reply? 00:21:05.000 --> 00:21:08.319 You can say in Spanish if you want. 00:21:08.319 --> 00:21:16.960 The main purpose of your life and my life, the main purpose at the end of this year or 00:21:16.960 --> 00:21:24.120 for the next year, the main purpose of everything, of your marriage or your singleness, of your 00:21:24.119 --> 00:21:30.199 bad moments, good days of everything, is to glorify God. 00:21:30.199 --> 00:21:42.119 It is to see the glory of God and enjoy Him for five minutes, for two minutes, forever, 00:21:42.119 --> 00:21:43.919 forever. 00:21:43.919 --> 00:21:46.959 And I know that it's hard. 00:21:46.959 --> 00:21:48.000 Difficult times are really hard. 00:21:48.000 --> 00:21:50.359 So how can we glorify God? 00:21:50.359 --> 00:21:51.639 So what's the desire? 00:21:51.639 --> 00:21:52.839 What's the motive? 00:21:52.839 --> 00:22:02.879 The motivation behind this desire, it is this verse, the end of verse four. 00:22:02.879 --> 00:22:08.000 We know that sometimes David can ask, oh God, please, we can ask, and that's fine, we can 00:22:08.000 --> 00:22:15.439 ask, oh God, please destroy my enemies, destroy the sin, and we have to pray in that way. 00:22:15.439 --> 00:22:18.839 We have to kill our sins, to modify our sins. 00:22:18.839 --> 00:22:24.199 But in this case, how can we really modify our sins? 00:22:24.199 --> 00:22:26.879 This is the answer. 00:22:26.879 --> 00:22:32.319 To gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in His temple. 00:22:32.319 --> 00:22:37.679 You see, the Pharisees just praying for their own glory. 00:22:37.679 --> 00:22:41.720 We have people near of the temple, near to the temple, like the sellers. 00:22:41.720 --> 00:22:44.839 They are there, but their motivation is not to glorify God. 00:22:44.839 --> 00:22:47.599 It is not to seek the pardon of their sins. 00:22:47.599 --> 00:22:52.199 It is just to sell and, I don't know, what else? 00:22:52.199 --> 00:22:57.599 Wrong motivations, and they are there, they are near to the temple. 00:22:57.599 --> 00:23:04.079 But here, the motive behind this desire is only one thing. 00:23:04.079 --> 00:23:10.839 It is to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in His temple, to gaze. 00:23:10.839 --> 00:23:13.439 That is to, it is to behold. 00:23:13.440 --> 00:23:19.920 It is to perceive with attention something that we desire. 00:23:19.920 --> 00:23:24.200 His gaze is fixed on the beauty of Yahweh. 00:23:24.200 --> 00:23:27.680 It is not a quick look. 00:23:27.680 --> 00:23:34.480 When you see a beautiful picture, if you go to ETS, to the Free Church College, and you 00:23:34.480 --> 00:23:42.240 see this beautiful painting of the disruption, and you see the details, it's beautiful. 00:23:42.240 --> 00:23:51.720 Or if you see any picture or whatever, whatever, and when you see that, and you like it, what 00:23:51.720 --> 00:23:52.720 do you want to do? 00:23:52.720 --> 00:23:56.279 Do you want to see the details of that? 00:23:56.279 --> 00:24:01.599 If you see a beautiful house and you love that, oh, wow, this is a beautiful house, what do 00:24:01.599 --> 00:24:02.599 you want to do? 00:24:02.599 --> 00:24:06.359 Is to see the details, right? 00:24:06.359 --> 00:24:08.120 You want to spend time with that. 00:24:08.119 --> 00:24:14.239 It is not something, oh, just a news or something, oh, that's beautiful, and that's okay. 00:24:14.239 --> 00:24:15.239 No. 00:24:15.239 --> 00:24:21.439 Your affection, your mind, your everything, it's just, you are just saying, wow, this 00:24:21.439 --> 00:24:25.599 is absolutely beautiful because of this, this, and this. 00:24:25.599 --> 00:24:29.159 So you spend time just describing that beautiful thing. 00:24:29.159 --> 00:24:33.759 And not only that, you see that picture, and you want to communicate the beauty of that 00:24:33.759 --> 00:24:36.159 to others. 00:24:36.160 --> 00:24:40.600 And sometimes you get angry when sometimes it doesn't value that beautiful thing that 00:24:40.600 --> 00:24:43.480 is in front of you. 00:24:43.480 --> 00:24:48.240 So we are not talking here about a beautiful picture. 00:24:48.240 --> 00:24:53.440 We are not talking here about a beautiful landscape. 00:24:53.440 --> 00:25:03.240 We are talking about the beauty, the beauty of God, God himself, and not just the Almighty 00:25:03.240 --> 00:25:06.359 God, El or Elohim. 00:25:06.359 --> 00:25:09.039 We are talking about Yahweh. 00:25:09.039 --> 00:25:11.960 We are talking about the Lord of the Covenant. 00:25:11.960 --> 00:25:20.960 And he wants to just behold the beauty of his God again in the midst of a war, in the 00:25:20.960 --> 00:25:22.620 day of trouble. 00:25:22.620 --> 00:25:26.640 He wants to just gaze upon the beauty of the Lord. 00:25:26.640 --> 00:25:29.440 Again, this is not a picture. 00:25:29.440 --> 00:25:30.839 This is the beauty of the Lord. 00:25:30.839 --> 00:25:33.879 It's about his glory. 00:25:33.879 --> 00:25:40.799 And let me quote here an old theologian. 00:25:40.799 --> 00:25:45.159 Maybe you recognize his surname, Hermam, boving. 00:25:45.159 --> 00:25:55.480 And he says, the glory of the Lord is the splendor and brilliance that is inseparably 00:25:55.480 --> 00:26:05.079 associated with all of God's attributes and self-revelation in nature and grace. 00:26:05.079 --> 00:26:06.839 So think about it. 00:26:06.839 --> 00:26:16.120 The glory of the Lord is the beauty of the Lord associated with all of God's attributes, 00:26:16.119 --> 00:26:29.000 with his self-revelation, in his works of nature and grace, in his works of nature. 00:26:29.000 --> 00:26:36.759 If you see Scottish landscapes again, if you see the beauty of the universe, this only 00:26:36.759 --> 00:26:43.439 just the universe is so beautiful just to say that is nothing compared with the beauty 00:26:43.439 --> 00:26:45.919 of the Creator. 00:26:45.920 --> 00:26:52.240 This is so beautiful just to tell you that is nothing compared with the beauty of the 00:26:52.240 --> 00:26:55.320 Creator. 00:26:55.320 --> 00:27:04.320 But here we see more of God's, of this beauty in God's work of grace in your salvation, 00:27:04.320 --> 00:27:09.000 a salvation that talks about communion with God. 00:27:09.000 --> 00:27:18.799 And you see the beauty of the Lord when you just fell down into temptation and you feel 00:27:18.799 --> 00:27:27.200 so guilty because of that, because of your unfaithfulness. 00:27:27.200 --> 00:27:39.519 But God is there to tell you that he is your God, that he is your Father, and if you are 00:27:39.519 --> 00:27:51.319 unfaithful, you have to be, you have to just rejoice that he is the faithful God forever 00:27:51.319 --> 00:27:54.720 because he is the God of the covenant. 00:27:54.720 --> 00:27:59.759 Can you see the beauty of the Lord there in the worst moment? 00:27:59.759 --> 00:28:08.279 Can you see the beauty of God there when things are going bad? 00:28:08.279 --> 00:28:13.600 So the question is right now, are we desiring? 00:28:13.600 --> 00:28:18.920 Are we wishing to dwell in the house of the Lord? 00:28:18.920 --> 00:28:27.400 Are we growing in knowing more about God's beauty and glory? 00:28:27.400 --> 00:28:35.000 And let me tell you this, this is the important of solid, of solid, sorry, of solid and living 00:28:35.000 --> 00:28:36.000 doctrine. 00:28:36.000 --> 00:28:45.120 It is important to know more about God's attributes, to worship him, to rejoice in him. 00:28:45.119 --> 00:28:51.639 Are we spending some time that maybe during the Lord's day to know more about God's holiness? 00:28:51.639 --> 00:28:53.239 What's the meaning of that? 00:28:53.239 --> 00:29:00.759 What's the importance to know more about, for example, that God is a triune God? 00:29:00.759 --> 00:29:04.599 We are talking right now about covenant, covenant, but what's the meaning of that? 00:29:04.599 --> 00:29:14.159 What's the meaning of the covenant of grace for your life, for your family, for the church, 00:29:14.160 --> 00:29:19.560 for society, for who God is? 00:29:19.560 --> 00:29:26.000 When things are going bad, David wants to have an experiential, that is a life-changing 00:29:26.000 --> 00:29:29.000 knowledge of God. 00:29:29.000 --> 00:29:33.759 So theology is very important, it's super helpful here. 00:29:33.759 --> 00:29:40.840 Let me quote another old man, William Plummer, commenting on the psalm, a Presbyterian pastor, 00:29:40.840 --> 00:29:41.840 theologian. 00:29:41.839 --> 00:29:50.720 He said, one of the best ways to dispel doubts and fears is to summon to our aid the very 00:29:50.720 --> 00:29:57.199 strongest doctrines and highest truth of religion. 00:29:57.199 --> 00:30:04.240 Weak doctrines will not be a match for powerful temptations. 00:30:04.240 --> 00:30:09.439 Do you want to defeat your temptations? 00:30:09.440 --> 00:30:15.840 If we only focus on our temptations, in our sins, and saying, oh, I don't want to sin, 00:30:15.840 --> 00:30:22.680 I don't want to sin, I don't want to sin, and then you fall into temptation. 00:30:22.680 --> 00:30:26.960 But what about if we focus more on who God is? 00:30:26.960 --> 00:30:34.640 What about if we focus more on God's holiness, his attributes, and you spend time praying 00:30:34.640 --> 00:30:35.840 that direction? 00:30:35.839 --> 00:30:44.919 What about if you take just only a section of the Westminster Confession of Faith in one 00:30:44.919 --> 00:30:51.759 of the chapters described God's attribute, and you pray according to those attributes 00:30:51.759 --> 00:30:58.599 about God's almighty power, about his holiness? 00:30:58.599 --> 00:31:06.559 What could be the result of spending more time thinking about, meditating about God's 00:31:06.559 --> 00:31:13.519 holiness, for example? 00:31:13.519 --> 00:31:18.839 So let me finish with this. 00:31:18.839 --> 00:31:24.319 What about the adoption of the incarnation that we are thinking about in this season, 00:31:24.319 --> 00:31:29.759 the Tabernacle of God as the best place to do well in bad moments? 00:31:29.759 --> 00:31:39.639 So finally, here we see that what gives foundation to David's desires, it is the grace of God. 00:31:39.639 --> 00:31:41.599 It is the grace of God. 00:31:41.599 --> 00:31:47.599 Here we see three things that God does. 00:31:47.599 --> 00:31:50.879 It is God who hides him. 00:31:50.880 --> 00:31:57.600 It is God who conceals him, and it is God who lifts him high upon a rock. 00:31:57.600 --> 00:32:01.600 It is God's work in David's life. 00:32:01.600 --> 00:32:10.520 So when the enemies come, God hides him in his Tabernacle, the place where God's presence 00:32:10.520 --> 00:32:13.400 and glory dwells. 00:32:13.400 --> 00:32:22.360 God chooses to do well in the same way that his people in the Old Testament dwell in a 00:32:22.360 --> 00:32:23.759 tent. 00:32:23.759 --> 00:32:30.160 Herman Baving had a friend who was called Gerhardus Vos, and this guy said this, that 00:32:30.160 --> 00:32:37.800 the willing with his people, it is to satisfy God's desire to have a mutual identification 00:32:37.800 --> 00:32:42.519 of God between himself and them. 00:32:42.519 --> 00:32:53.319 So in that place, in that tent, in the Tabernacle or in the temple, in that place, God brings 00:32:53.319 --> 00:32:57.079 to that place, God brings David. 00:32:57.079 --> 00:33:07.720 However, David cannot enter to the Holy of Holies, but in Christ we can, because he is 00:33:07.720 --> 00:33:10.440 a true temple. 00:33:10.440 --> 00:33:16.080 Christ is the true Tabernacle, the Tabernacle of God among men. 00:33:16.080 --> 00:33:19.799 Now we have access to God. 00:33:19.799 --> 00:33:27.840 When Christ died, the veil, the curtain of the temple, was torn into two. 00:33:27.840 --> 00:33:31.519 Now in Christ we have true fellowship with God. 00:33:31.519 --> 00:33:38.840 Now in Christ we see God's beauty and glory. 00:33:38.839 --> 00:33:44.359 So are you having a bad day, or do you have a bad year maybe? 00:33:44.359 --> 00:33:47.959 Or are you experiencing right now a bad moment? 00:33:47.959 --> 00:33:50.599 And you are really tired of that. 00:33:50.599 --> 00:33:52.799 Let me tell you this. 00:33:52.799 --> 00:33:56.199 This is the best moment. 00:33:56.199 --> 00:34:03.759 This is the best moment to enjoy and to experience the faithfulness, the faithfulness, sorry, 00:34:03.759 --> 00:34:11.039 of your God, of my God, of the God of this church, of the God of your family. 00:34:11.039 --> 00:34:16.360 For the worst moment, the best answer, the best answer is just to say, God, this is the 00:34:16.360 --> 00:34:18.559 only thing that I want. 00:34:18.559 --> 00:34:22.960 This is the only thing that I want for this day, because we don't know if we are going 00:34:22.960 --> 00:34:25.320 to live tomorrow or for the next year. 00:34:25.320 --> 00:34:30.119 This is the only thing that I want for this, for my family. 00:34:30.119 --> 00:34:34.920 This is only one thing, oh Lord, that I want to do well in the house of the Lord. 00:34:34.920 --> 00:34:36.559 I want to live there. 00:34:36.559 --> 00:34:41.679 I want to live near to God. 00:34:41.679 --> 00:34:51.599 I want to live near of the heart of Christ as the beloved disciple used to rest upon 00:34:51.599 --> 00:34:53.359 Jesus' bosom. 00:34:53.360 --> 00:35:01.280 To be there near to the heart of Christ, of the beating heart of Christ, now in heaven, 00:35:01.280 --> 00:35:05.760 praying for us. 00:35:05.760 --> 00:35:08.120 Are you having a bad moment? 00:35:08.120 --> 00:35:16.000 So this is the best moment to have this resolution and say, I want to have communion with God. 00:35:16.000 --> 00:35:19.920 I want to know God, because this is the eternal life. 00:35:19.920 --> 00:35:22.000 It is to know God. 00:35:22.000 --> 00:35:25.880 It is to know God. 00:35:25.880 --> 00:35:32.159 The part of me, I never knew you. 00:35:32.159 --> 00:35:41.400 Everything is about to have a real, deep, living knowledge of the living God. 00:35:41.400 --> 00:35:44.400 That's the only thing that matters. 00:35:44.400 --> 00:35:47.880 That's the only secure thing, and it's yours. 00:35:47.880 --> 00:35:52.160 Our only duty, it is to enjoy this. 00:35:52.160 --> 00:36:01.119 It is to pray, and to pray, and to worship God, because He is the beautiful, faithful 00:36:01.119 --> 00:36:06.559 God of the covenant in Christ. 00:36:06.559 --> 00:36:16.599 Let's pray together. 00:36:16.599 --> 00:36:26.559 Oh God, there's an army against us. 00:36:26.559 --> 00:36:36.360 There's an army racing up against us just to destroy our lives, our families. 00:36:36.360 --> 00:36:41.599 There's an army of temptation. 00:36:41.599 --> 00:36:50.599 There's an army of secret, ugly sins within us, and we are desperate. 00:36:50.599 --> 00:36:57.039 We are tired. 00:36:57.039 --> 00:37:03.119 We are living in a day of trouble. 00:37:03.119 --> 00:37:17.359 That is in this context, in a dark context, in a dark day, that we want to say with David, 00:37:17.359 --> 00:37:25.880 the Lord Yahweh is my God, is my salvation. 00:37:25.880 --> 00:37:37.039 There is true redemption in Christ, in our triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 00:37:37.039 --> 00:37:44.280 So there's only one thing that we want to ask in this night, and we pray together as 00:37:44.280 --> 00:37:46.200 one body. 00:37:46.200 --> 00:37:55.800 We pray together as one body, and please, oh God, please help us to every day have a 00:37:55.800 --> 00:38:08.720 deep desire to seek Your face, to have this desire to spend more time knowing who You 00:38:08.720 --> 00:38:19.400 are, knowing more about You, about Your faithfulness, about Your attributes, and how can we, because 00:38:19.400 --> 00:38:28.519 of that, live in that way, and apply and live according to Your promises, and help us, oh 00:38:28.519 --> 00:38:46.880 God, in this day of trouble, to gaze upon Your beauty, the beauty of Christ, the beauty 00:38:46.880 --> 00:38:50.760 of Christ, in every moment. 00:38:50.760 --> 00:38:54.280 In Your precious name we pray. 00:38:54.280 --> 00:38:55.280 Amen. 00:38:55.280 --> 00:39:16.660 O Lord, prophet, amen.