LESSON 2, VERSE 2:
We are about to
read one of the greatest of all "arguments" to use in our
prayers!
If you object to the word
"argument," just remember that I am using Bible terminology. As
the great Patriarch Job prayed he said:
"Oh that I knew where I might find him! that I might come
even to his seat! I would order my cause before
Him, and fill my mouth with arguments." Job 23:3-4
But Psalm 115
expresses this nugget of godly persuasion more succinctly.
"Wherefore should the heathen say, Where
is now their God?" Psalm 115:2
In other words ...
Lord, work in might! Glorify Thy Name! Make bare thy mighty arm!
Answer the prayers of Thy people ... lest the filthy nations of
the world say, "The God of Israel is ineffective, not hearing
the prayers of His children!"
Do you see the
point?
God, do something
mighty in this case ... if not, You are not going to look very
glorious in the eyes of multitudes! Answer for Thy Name's Sake,
O Lord!
"Wherefore should
the heathen say, Where is now their God?"
By the "heathen,"
in Hebrew "goy," is meant the Gentiles or the non-Jewish nations
of earth.
The verb "say" is
"amar" and means in this case "to speak" incessantly! On-going
conversation!
God is being
criticized and belittled it seems!
Such talks grieves
the Psalmist.
He is zealous for
the Honor and Reputation of God!
The word used for
"where," precisely "ayeh" is a particle of interrogation. It is
here being used by the world of lost mankind, used negatively
towards the dear Lord too.
And "now," in
Hebrew "na," is an interjection. It often implies entreaty too.
"Where, we pray, is now their God?"
The Bible here is
literally quoting the world of lost humanity, who obviously are
demeaning the Lord Himself! And the goal of this context is
apparently to persuade God to respond in some notable manner!
A prayer
"argument" reverently directed toward Almighty God!
Here's another
instance of this wicked smart-aleck attitude of the world:
"They continually say unto me, Where is
thy God?" Psalm 42:3 records these words of lament.
Here's part of
Psalm 79:10 too: "Wherefore should the
heathen say, Where is their God? Let Him be known among
the heathen ...."
Here is the
Prophet Joel using this very line of reasoning with the Lord!
"Let the priests, the ministers of the
LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say,
Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to
reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore
should they say among the people, Where is their God?"
Joel 2:17
Moses presented
this strategy to God also, back when God was about to destroy
all Israel, due to their idolatry at the "golden calf" incident.
"Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and
say, For mischief did He bring them out, to slay them in the
mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn
from Thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against Thy
people." And God answered favorably! Exodus 32:12
Talk about
presenting one's case before the Lord! And it's still Moses, the
meekest man who ever lived! "Now if
Thou shalt kill all this people as one man, then the
nations which have heard the fame of Thee will speak, saying,
because the LORD was not able to bring this people into the land
which He sware unto them, therefore He hath slain them in the
wilderness." Numbers 14:15-16
And on this matter
of God getting Glory, even from the heathen, remember the Lord's
Prayer! It's very first request: "Hallowed
be Thy Name." Matthew 6:9
When one prays for
God's Glory, he or she touches a major cord in the heart of the
Almighty! Even Jesus, God the Son, not long before the Cross
prayed: "Now is My soul troubled; and what
shall I say? Father, save Me from this hour: but for this cause
came I unto this hour. Father, glorify Thy Name. Then came there
a Voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it,
and will glorify it again." John 12:27-28
Concern for the
reputation of God!
That's powerful
praying!
I mean this
respectfully.
Try it!
God answers
prayer!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 3, VERSE 3:
The expression
"our God" should be a "hint" really.
As it is found in Psalm 115 I
mean, verse 3.
Logically we are being given
the answer to a previous question.
The context is "built" by the
Holy Spirit in this fashion: "Wherefore
should the heathen say, Where is now their God?"
The answer:
"But our God is in
the heavens: He hath done whatsoever He hath pleased."
Far from allowing
the "heathen" to belittle Elohim God, implying that He cannot be
found anywhere, that He has not been doing much lately ... the
115th Psalm boldly declares God's whereabouts! And His activity
too!
"Our God," both
words, are to be found in the single proper noun "Elohiym." This
is God's Name of strength and power, with an additional accent
on His Triune Being also. Frankly, the word is plural!
The enemies of
God's Word suggest to us that this name for God is merely on
"loan" to the Israelites from the gentile world around them.
That hundreds of gods used this name and "our God" is just one
more in the heap! But those enemies are wrong! This is the
precise Name of God used early in Scripture. How early?
"In the beginning God created the heaven
and the earth." That early, as "God" here is "Elohiym"
too, Genesis 1:1.
The noun for
"heavens" is "shamayim" and is derived from a root stem meaning
"lofty." That sounds appropriate! The plural number is
interesting too. Paul later will talk about the "third" heaven
in 2nd Corinthians 12:2. Using that terminology, God is in all
the heavens; where the birds and planes fly, where the stars
twinkle, and where the departed saints live!
The verb "hath
done" is "asah" and is usually said to mean "to do or to fashion
or to accomplish" something. The time action of this verb is
"complete," not continuous. The Psalmist might have some recent
outstanding act of God in mind, or perhaps even creation itself.
"Whatsoever" is
interesting too. It incorporates two words, "kol" and "aher."
Blending them, one gets something like "the whole thing!"
Literally, it is "all the that" or "all the which" or "all the
when" or "all the where" too! Sounds inclusive! Nothing is
omitted!
Then "hath
pleased" translates "chaphetzs." It means whatever God is
"inclined" to do! Whatever brings Him delight! This is again a
"perfect" verb, its action completed!
We are being told
that God is Almighty, higher than the highest, no one telling
Him what to do!
Now back to where
I think this Psalm is going. "Our God" surely implies that
Elohiym is about to be compared to "their god" or "their gods."
And if so, I sure
do pity those other gods!
They are in for a
rough Psalm!
Come back tomorrow
for more!
Meanwhile, do
remember:
"But our God is in the heavens: He
hath done whatsoever He hath pleased."
This truth, when
appropriated personally, will encourage you today.
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
VERSE 4, LESSON 4:
Psalm 115 has a
lot to say about the "idols" of the wicked.
Verse 4 addresses the subject
generally, then the Psalm subsequently studies those idols
specifically.
"Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands."
The men of earth make their own
idols. The noun "work" is "maaseh" and means something
manufactured. The word can indicate things made via skilled
labor.
Man's "hands" here build his
own gods, false gods too! The noun "hands" is "yad" in Hebrew.
The Holy Spirit takes this root word, "yad," and creates another
word, "yadah." And "yadah" means praise! Yes, the Hebrew word
"hand" is the stem that gives us the Hebrew word "praise!" Man's
hands are given him to praise the Lord! But in this verse,
instead of using his hands to worship God ... rebellious people
choose to use those hands to build idols, the very opposite of
praising God!
The noun "idols" is spelled "atzsab"
and means an idolatrous "image." It is derived from a verb that
means "to carve or fashion" an object. So we here have graven
images!
But these idols are not wooden
ones, not here!
They are "silver," in Hebrew "keseph,"
meaning originally "to be pale!" Apparently so called from
silver's natural color! In the Old Testament 112 times this word
is translated as "money." Mankind today still transforms his
money into his god!
And "gold" is "zahab" and comes
from a verb that means "to shimmer." Only once out of its 389
appearances in Scripture does this word mean anything but "gold"
or "golden." In Job 37:22 "zahab" is rendered as "fair weather."
Expensive little gods these
are, but useless!
For a minute let's contrast the
gods of verse 4 to the real Lord God Almighty.
"Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands."
We Christians did not make our
God as did these heathen. In fact, our God made us! We are His
workmanship!
Silver, the Bible metal of
redemption, is not the material out of which our God is made. He
is Spirit and eternal and invisible and abides in the Heavens,
God the Father I mean. But there is something our God does that
is related to redemption! He sent His only Begotten Son to die
on the Cross, shedding His precious Blood, that we might be
saved.
And gold, so important to these
idols, giving them their worth, is not all that significant to
our great God! Gold to Him is rather abundant. He owns it all
anyway! In reality, God has paved the street of the coming
Heavenly City with gold! "And the street
of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass."
Revelation 21:21
Today we all ought to tell our
God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, how very much we love Him!
How we appreciate His power and might and creative ability! How
thankful we are for the provisions of life! How we look forward
to that city of gold ... because we have been redeemed with
something far more valuable than mere silver! That is, the Blood
of Jesus Christ!
Amen!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 5, VERSE 5:
Idols!
What are they?
The Bible takes two views, each
emphasizing a vital aspect of idolatry.
Idols are often pictured as
little gods with demonic forces behind them!
At other times idols are mere
empty pieces of metal or wood or stone, meaningless and useless
and powerless.
In Psalm 115 idols are
subjected to ridicule, godly sarcasm really!
Listen,
"They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they
see not." Psalm 115:5
The words of this verse are all
common and have simple meanings. One might quip, "They mean just
what they say."
Most idols of the Gentiles,
many of which have been unearthed by archaeologists, indeed do
have mouths. Painted on themselves!
But they can't talk!
But our great God can talk!
Listen to Him:
"Come unto me, all ye that labour
and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Matthew
11:28
Or,
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and
believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall
not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life."
John 5:24
Or again,
"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish,
neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My
Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no
man is able to pluck them out of my Father's
hand." John 10:27-29
Furthermore, most
of the ancient idols discovered so far have eyes! Holes gouged
out of their heads or, more simply, just painted on their wooden
carcasses!
Yet
the devil could not even see
the danger lurking for himself at Calvary! He plowed right into
Golgotha, thinking he was ruining the Son of God ... and all the
while Satan was executing his own death warrant!
Again ... the implication is
that the idols of the heathen have eyes, but cannot see ... as
opposed to our God, the Lord God Almighty, the God of Abraham
and Isaac and Jacob Who has eyes and can see!
"The eyes
of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and
the good." Proverbs 15:3
Listen to the Lord here, in
Ezekiel 16:6: "And when I passed by thee,
and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee
when thou wast in thy blood, Live; yea, I said unto thee
when thou wast in thy blood, Live." This is the story
of all us old ex-sinners!
And God sees those who love Him
too! "For the eyes of the LORD run to and
fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the
behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.
Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou
shalt have wars." 2nd Chronicles 16:9
Psalm 115:5 is so true. Why
does mankind yet to this day follow the senseless idols of the
world? "They have mouths, but they speak
not: eyes have they, but they see not."
Especially when the Lord of
Life speaks and sees ... in love!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 6, VERSE 6:
For several days we have been
studying Psalm 115. It is a major Bible Text on the subject of
idols.
There, in verse 6, we learn
something else about those little false gods.
"They have ears, but they hear not: noses
have they, but they smell not."
And, as always, what we've just
been taught from the Scriptures is true, absolutely so!
Archaeologists through the
years have found countless idols such as these being described.
And thousands of them do have
ears and noses! Carved right into the rock or wood or fashioned
into the silver or bronze of the idols themselves!
Ears ... but no hearing?
Yes, and that verb "hear" is "shama"
as a Qal imperfect. That means it is in the active voice with a
sense of time that suggests incomplete action. These idols did
not hear the day they were made ... nor have they heard anything
since!
Why would one desire to pray to
an idol, and that's the whole reason for having one, an idol
that cannot hear?
But, hallelujah, I know a God
Who can hear!
Let Israel now testify about
God's ears! "And when we cried unto the
LORD God of our fathers,
the LORD heard our voice, and looked on our affliction,
and our labour, and our oppression: and the LORD brought us
forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched
arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with
wonders: and he hath brought us into this place, and hath given
us this land, even a land that floweth with milk and
honey." Deuteronomy 26:7
Now any saint of God can say:
"This poor man cried,
and the LORD heard him,
and saved him out of all his troubles." Psalm 34:6
Jesus too recognized this great
truth, at Lazarus' grave no less! "Then
they took away the stone from the place where the dead
was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said,
Father, I thank thee
that thou hast heard me." John 11:41
But we're also told that idols
have noses, "but they smell not!" The noun for "noses" is "aph,"
derived from a key verb that means "to breathe hard!" This
action often in the Old Testament typifies anger or wrath, 216
times to be exact! But 12 times in the King James Text it is
"nose" or "noses." Is Scripture telling us that these idols,
chunks of wood or whatever, are angry more than they are loving
and kind?
And the verb "smell" is
unusual. "Ruach" is the same word as "spirit" in the Old
Testament. This word literally means "to blow" or "to breathe"
but was occasionally called into service to mean "smell" too. To
inhale!
And thousands of found idols do
have, either affixed or engraved or drawn into place, noses of
various sizes and shapes. But to no avail!
But, Preacher Bagwell, can God
smell?
Yes, He can!
Many of the Offerings of the
Bible, the sacrifices given to our great God, are said to be
"sweet smelling!" The Burnt Offering, for example, was "of a
sweet savour" according to Leviticus 1:9. Jesus' Death was too!
"And walk in love, as Christ also hath
loved us, and hath given Himself for us an offering and a
sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour." Ephesians
5:2
Why else would the Tabernacle
and Temple of the Old Testament be filled with incense? God can
smell, and those odors are symbols of our "prayers" according to
Revelation 5:8. Jesus our great High Priest's prayers to God ...
on our behalf mind you, are here implied too!
And the word for "abomination"
in Scripture carries the idea of something that is foul or
bad-smelling! God can sense that immediately!
God can smell, good and bad
things apparently!
He also can hear in a positive
or negative sense. He can listen to our prayers and praises, but
also understands our grumbling and complaining!
"And when the people complained, it
displeased the LORD: and
the LORD heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the
fire of the LORD burnt among them, and consumed them that
were in the uttermost parts of the camp." Numbers
11:1
But, not to close on a negative
note, God also hears our cries, our pain and suffering! At least
He did in Hagar's case! "And the angel of
the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and
shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael;
because the LORD hath
heard thy affliction." The name "Ishmael" means
"God will hear!" Genesis 16:11
Well, once again, for the ten
billionth time, an understatement too, God has overpowered those
idols!
First Kings 8:23 is right!
"LORD God of Israel, there is no
God like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath."
Amen!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 7, VERSE 7:
They have had a rough time, the
idols about which the Psalmist is writing!
He has torn them to shreds!
And today's verse, Psalm 115:7,
is no exception!
"They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they
walk not: neither speak they through their throat."
These little miniature gods of
the heathen indeed have hands! Of course some of them are not so
small! Nebuchadnezzar's image in Daniel chapter 3 was ninety
feet high! But what can a dead idol do with his or her hands?
Yes, many of them were goddesses.
The Hebrew noun for "hands" is
spelled "yad." This is the root for the word "yadad," or praise!
But again, what kind of praising can a god do, one who is made
of wood or stone or even gold?
And certainly such dead hands
can not touch anything, not to "handle" it! "Mush," this Hebrew
verb, means "to feel" as well as "handle."
And furthermore an idol, when
built as a complete entity, has feet too! I learned last week
that the priests of these dead creatures actually attended them
every day! They even dressed them, including shoes for their
feet! Talk about a pair of shoes lasting a while! These things
never took a step! The noun used here for feet, "regel," can
also mean legs or even toes! It's used all three ways in the
King James Bible.
And what good are feet than
cannot "walk?" The verb "halak" means "to go" or "to come,"
walking in that sense. I guess one could say these idols don't
know if they're "coming" or "going!" I personally think they're
"going!"
And now an interesting clause,
"neither speak they through their throat!"
I say so because the Psalmist, two verses earlier, has already
said they "have mouths, but speak not!" Why the seeming
repetition?
The verbs differ though!
Earlier the verb "speak" is "dabar," intelligent conversation.
Now it is "hagah," to growl or moan or mutter! This thought adds
a new dimension to these idols! They were believed to be able to
make sounds! And occasionally a demon could apparently speak
through one! Isaiah the Prophet spoke against "the wizards that
peep, and that mutter," or "chirp and growl by definition!" But,
even when that happens, it's not the dumb idols that speak! It's
the devils or demons in them!
There is a philosophy, maybe
even a valid one at times, that suggests silence about these
idols. The less they are mentioned, the better! And God does
forbid learning about them in any detail! In fact, the
Israelites were absolutely commanded to stay away from them!
Deuteronomy 7:25 warns: "The graven images
of their gods shall ye burn with fire: thou shalt not desire the
silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto
thee, lest thou be snared therein: for it is an
abomination to the LORD thy God. Neither shalt thou bring an
abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like
it: but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt
utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed thing."
But here in Psalm 115 the Holy
Spirit is in the attack mode! These idols are in His sight! He
decimates them!
And all I can do as He speaks
is say "Amen!"
"They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they
see not: they have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but
they smell not: they have hands, but they handle not: feet have
they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their
throat."
Psalm 115:5-7
Yet to our great God:
"Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and
thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto
our God for ever and ever. Amen." These are the words of
Heaven! John the Apostle said so in Revelation 7:12
Our God lives!
Eternally so!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
P. S. --- Christian friend,
aren't you glad your God has Hands ... Hands that can "handle"
things! Listen to Isaiah, he is quoting the Lord too:
"Behold,
I have graven thee upon the palms of
my hands; thy
walls are continually before me." And Jesus adds:
"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them,
and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they
shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out
of my hand. My
Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no
man is able to pluck them out of
my Father's hand.
I and my Father are one." What Hands!
And our God can
walk too! He did so back in the Garden of Eden!
"And they heard the voice of the LORD God
walking in the
garden in the cool of the day." Still later,
"And Enoch walked with God: and he was
not; for God took him." And for you and me, as said
David long ago: "Yea, though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil:
for thou art with me." What feet our dear Lord
has! Now they are pierced feet, but then, when He returns again,
"His Feet" will be
"like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace."
Revelation 1:15
But when it comes to
"muttering" or "growling," the verb "hagah" in Hebrew, God does
not participate! Not once in the whole Bible is God said to make
noise in this "hagah" sense!
No! No! No!
Our Lord "speaks" to His
people, communicating intelligibly! Through His precious Word!
Praise His Name!
LESSON 8, VERSE 8:
Here is a Bible Truth that is
often overlooked: "Eventually one will become like the God or
god he worships!"
That statement needs
qualification of course, but it is still accurate.
It is not claiming that an old
ex-sinner, like you or me, once having been saved, will some day
be sovereign or omnipotent or a member of the Trinity!
Christian friends, that would
make us all little "Gods" and there is but One Lord God
Almighty! None other exists.
But we will some day be
transformed into the image of Jesus Christ ... like unto Him in
character! But we shall still be human beings, saved by Grace
and glorified by the precious Holy Spirit of God!
The verse that prompted this
kind of thinking is found in Psalm 115. It, talking specifically
about idols and their adherents, just says:
"They that make them are like unto them; so is every one
that trusteth in them."
See that?
A man or woman becomes "like"
the "idol" he or she "makes!"
Of course that leads a Preacher
all sorts of directions! If a persons builds and worships a
"dumb" idol, as the Bible calls such a thing, does that mean the
individual becomes "dumb?" Like his god, dumb? Both Paul and
Habakkuk use the term "dumb idols." In Habakkuk 2:18 "dumb"
means "mute, silent or unable to speak," spelled "illem" in
Hebrew. And Paul's word, from 1st Corinthians 12:2, is
"voiceless," or "aphonos" in Greek.
"They
that make them are like unto them; so is every one that
trusteth in them."
The verb "make" is "asah" and
means to build something from existing materials. It is not "bara,"
to create something out of nothing! "Asah" is here a simple
active participle, the "making" is a continual process! Maybe
the builder never quite "finishes" constructing his god, a
life-long process!
The preposition "like" is
spelled "kemo" and means "similar" or "comparative," not
identical in essence.
The idol maker does not turn
into wood or stone, whatever the case may be!
Still, to be "like" a hunk of
rock or even silver or gold isn't much of a complement!
Also notice that the pronouns
are plural, "them" and "them" and "them" again! Again Psalm
115:8, "They that make them are
like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in
them." It is automatically assumed that a man or
woman will need more than one, more than one god! That's because
they are fake! Useless! Vain!
"Every one" translates "kol"
and leaves no room for exceptions to our God's axiom here. The
"whole" crowd, no one is omitted!
Then the verb "trust," which is
"batach" in Hebrew, suggests one "running and hiding in a place
of refuge!"
Just think of that!
An individual actually
depending upon a wooden, recently-constructed, freshly painted
god for safety and provision!
But metaphorically this rule is
true too.
The idols of the heathen were
immoral. So were their followers.
The God of Christianity is
pure, so must His devotees be!
Here's 1st Peter 1:16, quoting
the Lord Himself: "Because
it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy."
Surely that's the
essence of today's verse!
Think about it!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 9, VERSES 9-11:
For eight verses the Psalm has
been doing battle!
Exposing the futility of idol
worship, Psalm 115 also derides those little gods a bit too!
Holy sarcasm one might call it!
Look!
"Their
idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands. They
have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see
not: they have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but
they smell not: they have hands, but they handle not: feet have
they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their
throat." Psalm 115:4-7
But, suddenly, the Psalm opens
into a chorus of praise!
Praise to the Lord God
Almighty!
"O
Israel, trust thou in the LORD: he is their help and
their shield. O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD: he is
their help and their shield. Ye that fear the LORD, trust in the
LORD: he is their help and their shield." Psalm
115:9-11
Three groups are addressed. Two
are named, one isn't.
Israel is a Nation.
Aaron and his sons are a
family.
Those who "fear the Lord" are
unnamed, but the Lord knows who are His!
"Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this
seal, The Lord knoweth them that are His." Paul wrote
these words in 2nd Timothy 2:19.
Israel means something like
"God is my Prince!" Or as one Preacher said, "Princed by God."
That means "ruled by God!"
Aaron means "light bringer!"
His "house" includes his sons, each of whom would be priests in
Israel for generations!
To "fear" the Lord, using
"yare" as the verb, is to be reverent and respectful and filled
with adoration!
Nations!
Preachers! Or maybe families!
Then, everyone who is saved,
all ye His saints! "O love the LORD, all
ye his saints: for the LORD preserveth the faithful."
Psalm 31:23
Now to the verb, "trust." It is
critical. "Batach" means "to flee for refuge." In Psalm 115:8,
one verse earlier, the heathen trust in their idols! But now,
God's people trust in Him! He is their Fortress!
"O
Israel, trust thou in the LORD: he is their help and
their shield. O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD: he is
their help and their shield. Ye that fear the LORD, trust in the
LORD: he is their help and their shield." Psalm
115:9-11
Then the two
nouns, "help" and "shield."
"Help" is "ezer"
and means "protection" or "aid" or the old word, succour." It
all comes from a root verb meaning "to surround" someone to keep
them safe! What a God we have!
Then "shield" is
spelled "magen" and means "buckler." But what is a buckler? It's
the smaller of two shields available to the soldiers in the
Israelite army. It was primarily used in hand-to-hand combat!
Close fighting! God comes and personally engages the enemy ...
especially when he come close! It's root, "ganan," means "to
hedge about." That's one step more secure than even surrounding
one's charge! The hedge in question, at least in Bible days,
would have been a hedge of thorns!
Nations, some day
you all will praise God for His Help!
Families and
Preachers too, the Lord is your Protector! Glorify Him as such!
Finally, everyone
who names the Name of Jesus, flee to Him for all you need! In
fact, run to Him for the sweet blessing of Fellowship! With the
Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit!
Oh yes, one more
thing.
The verb "trust,"
used three times in our Text today, each time as "batach," is in
the imperative mood. Three commands!
Really just one
command, repeated three times to different groups of people!
Trust the Lord!
It's a
requirement!
Mandatory!
But just to help
us, an an incentive to this "trust," remember Gods great "help"
every time you were in need!
And remember His
shield too, it can still quench the fiery darts of the wicked
one!
Compare that to
idols; anywhere, anytime, in front of anyone!
Amen!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 10, VERSES 12-15:
Psalm 115 began
by attacking the false gods of this world!
Then the Lord chose three
groups of people and asked for their trust; the Israelites, the
Priests, Aaron's sons, then the God fearers of the Land.
Here's the Text:
"O Israel, trust thou in the LORD: he
is their help and their shield. O house of Aaron, trust in
the LORD: he is their help and their shield. Ye that fear
the LORD, trust in the LORD: he is their help and their
shield." Psalm 115:9-11
It seems that "trusting" God,
leaning on Him with all one's heart and soul, brings all kinds
of benefits!
Trust spawns God's "help."
And protection, the Almighty
becoming our Shield.
And the Lord's help and safety
are visible! Note the third person construction of the threefold
"He is their Help and their Shield" above! Somebody else is
observing these benefits!
But, there's more!
"The LORD
hath been mindful of us: he will bless us; he will bless
the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron. He will
bless them that fear the LORD, both small and great. The
LORD shall increase you more and more, you and your children. Ye
are blessed of the LORD which made heaven and earth."
This is today's Passage, Psalm 115:12-15
To be "mindful," translating "zakar,"
means to mark something or someone for future purposes,
specifically for recognition!
And for God to "bless" us,
using a verb that appears five times in our short Textual
paragraph, is just overwhelming! "Barak" means "to kneel" to
someone, always a Superior coming down to an inferior!
This reminds me of the
Incarnation and Virgin Birth of Jesus! God became man! He left
the splendor of Heaven and came to this pig-pen earth! To die on
the Cross for sinners!
What a blessing!
But think of the other millions
of times God has come and helped His trusting children in times
of need!
Now it appears that this list
of "recipients" is not only threefold, but also is one of
descending prestige. Israel first, Preachers next, and the
God-fearers, even Gentiles likely being among them, last!
So, to the outcast, the
half-breeds, God adds one more promise! He will bless them that
fear the Lord, "both great and small." The word "qatan" means
the least in size of any given matter, but also it can mean the
youngest!
And "gaqol," the greatest,
means anything from loudest to highest to oldest! "Great in
magnitude and extent," we are told.
The manifold blessings that
flow from "trusting" the Lord continue.
He will "increase more and
more" the faithful! This verb, "yasaph," the name Joseph in
English, means "to add, exceed or continue!" God's increase is
always the best too!
You make God look Big and He
will "add" to you as well! He is a big God too!
The blessings of trusting God
reach not only yourself, sir, but your wife and children too!
The noun "children" is "ben." It comes from the verb "banah,"
meaning "to build" a building! With those little boys and girls
Daddy, you are building a household, a dynasty, generations of
potential Believers in Jesus!
And just in case anyone wonders
how these great verses, promise laden as they are, got into this
Psalm ... they still are reflecting God's attitude toward those
dumb idols earlier in the Passage.
Idols cannot see with their
eyes or speak with their mouths or touch with their hands or
walk with their feet!
But our great God ... made
heaven and earth! In six short days too!
Glory to His Name!
Yes, if you are saved ... you
are blessed!
Indeed!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 11, VERSE 16:
The gods of this world are
nothing, especially when compared to the Lord God Almighty!
Psalm 115 balances those two
themes, idols on the one hand ... and Jehovah on the other!
Yet here is perhaps the key
difference between the two. Concerning the idols, man made his
own gods! But concerning the true God, our Lord, He Himself is
the Creator of mankind, all humanity!
Psalm 115:15 mentions the fact
that God is ... "The Lord Which made
heaven and earth." The verb "made" here is "asah" and
means "to fashion, to fabricate or shape or produce." It's not
the verb that means to make something out of nothing, "bara" in
Hebrew.
With materials He had already
called into existence, God "created" as an artist paints a
masterpiece or a poet writes a sonnet or a composer finishes his
symphony!
And this great God, still
according to Psalm 115:15, has "blessed" us!
"Ye are blessed of the LORD which
made heaven and earth."
No idol can do that!
Furthermore, in verse 16 we
find these words: "The heaven, even
the heavens, are the LORD'S: but the earth hath he given
to the children of men."
The Lord, unlike wooden or
stone or golden gods, owns the very Heavens! He is lofty and
majestic and glorious! As Owner of the heavens, He can count and
name the stars! As Owner of the heavens He can sense the falling
of one little bird, a sparrow. As Owner of the heavens He can
make "signs" of the sun and moon, the two greater lights of
earth! See Genesis 1:14.
And God, Who in reality owns
the earth also, has "given" it to the children of men. "Nathan"
means "to give or grant or bestow" but here in a "completed"
action sense. From Adam onward man has possessed the earth, a
gift from God. And by the way, the Giver is greater than the
gift!
God gave us the earth!
Yet man-made idols wish to take
from us the earth! They claim control over every acre of land,
every flash of lightning, every mile of river, every city of
importance and every star in their zodiac!
What a contrast between the
True and the false!
God gave us the earth ... with
which to glorify Him!
And just last night I drove
over 200 miles on roads and highways and Interstates, went
through rain shower after rain shower, entered a Church
building, stood behind a wooden pulpit and preached God's
precious Word!
Using earth's resources, I
sought to magnify and adore and worship God, encouraging His
people to love Him more and more!
That's why God gave us the
earth ... and why the devils and idols and adversaries want to
take it away, seizing it from us!
As one would expect, in the
rather uneven war of God versus idols, there is a Victor!
And Jesus is His Name!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 12, VERSE 17:
There are some wonderful things
the New Testament reveals in glorious fullness, things that the
Old Testament does not seem to discuss.
The Church is an example, often
called the "New Testament" Church, for a reason too!
Today's verse from Psalm 115
also helps make the point.
"The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into
silence."
Psalm 115:17
The word "dead" is spelled "muth"
and indicates those who have expired naturally or been murdered
or even executed.
"Praise" is "halel," the
standard Hebrew word for exalting or boasting or uplifting a
person whom one admires!
"Lord" here is God's Name
"Yah," a shortened form of Jehovah.
To "go down" or "yarad" is "to
descend or sink down" into some low place. Obviously the grave
is implied in this context, at least. More probably is the
descent into the heart of the earth, the Old Testament location
for either Hell with its torment or Abraham's Bosom with its
delight.
"Silence," the Hebrew noun "dumah,"
means dumbness, not talking! It is only used twice in the whole
Old Testament and both times is rendered "silence."
But now, since the New
Testament has been given us, we know that to be absent from the
body, death having come our way, is for the saint to be present
with the Lord ... eternally so! Second Corinthians 5:8 teaches
us this.
And we furthermore know now
that even though our bodies are in the grave, our spirits in
Heaven ... with the ascended Lord Jesus ... do praise His Name!
Multitudes right now in Glory are saying ... "with a loud voice,
Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches,
and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing."
This is according to Revelation 5:12.
See what I mean?
The New Testament gloriously
adds the details we need to encourage us in our Christian lives!
But, still, the truth of Psalm
115:17, must be acknowledged.
The context of its eighteen
verses, Psalm 115, is that the idols of this world are nothing!
Dumb pieces of wood or rock or metal!
But our God, Jehovah, the God
of Abraham and the Patriarchs, is powerful and loving and
protective and merciful!
And when the two are compared,
dead gods verses Almighty God ... praise is due our Creator and
Saviour and Deliverer and Redeemer!
And that praise should be given
now, today, this minute!
Because death is coming ... and
at least our earthly opportunities to praise Him will be over!
Praise ye the Lord!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 13, VERSE 18:
The Psalms are filled with praise. Yet that element of praise is not
merely an arbitrary quality. There is a reason behind the
praise! A divine logic pervades the whole matter!
We are not simply commanded to praise the Lord irrationally!
And it is captivating to study the "why" of praise as it is given in
Psalm after Psalm.
In fact, the Psalm we have been studying lately, Psalm 115, gives a
classic example.
Primarily written to combat idolatry, skillfully belittling the gods of
this world, Psalm 115 contrasts these false images with the True
God.
The idols can do nothing. They are dead; speechless, sightless, deaf and
generally handicapped!
But Jehovah God ... helps and protects and remembers and blesses His
followers!
Therefore the Psalm concludes: "But we will
bless the LORD from this time forth and for evermore. Praise the
LORD." Psalm 115:18
The verb "bless" here is critical. "Barak" means literally "to kneel"
before someone, "to bow down" in their presence. This "blessing"
our great God is thus a form of worship!
Also "barak" is here framed as a Piel stem verb. This means that the
action being depicted is energetic and intense! And as an
"imperfect" verb, this blessing of God goes on and on! The
action was not complete when the Psalmist penned these great
words! Truly God's children are still blessing him, three
thousand years later!
But that's exactly what verse eighteen says,
"From this time forth and for evermore."
The Hebrew Text reads like this: "min attah ad olam." It grammatically
says "out of now ... even unto the vanishing point!" Or ... now
and forever!
Here is resolve!
This Psalmist now exists to praise the Lord!
Then comes the last exhortation of the Passage,
"Praise the Lord."
This is actually a command. The verb "praise" is spelled "halal" and
basically means "to shine!" Maybe we are being taught that as we
praise God, His very Being impacts us, His Glory! We shine and
smile and exult with joy and gladness and praise!
Furthermore "halel" here is a plural verb, partly meaning that praise is
best offered in congregation! In a group! With others who are
saved and share your values!
But Whom are we to praise?
"The Lord."
Our King James punctuation is clear here, Lord being printed LORD in the
Text. This is the translator's way of telling us that Jehovah
God is intended. Usually spelled "yehovah," He is here presented
as "yah!" That's just a shortened form of The Same Name. "Yah"
is Jehovah. It means "the One Who is!" The Existing One! Hence,
the eternal One! Better yet, God identified Himself as "I AM
THAT I AM."
But look at the Hebrew again. This is amazing. That last line reads:
Halel Yah.
Yes!
Halel Yah.
Say it rapidly.
Hallel Yah!
It is our very word "hallelujah!"
The next time you say it in Church or wherever, "Hallelujah," just
remember that you are quoting the last sentence of Psalm 115,
literally!
Poor little idols, gods with a little "g."
They all will burn with fire some day!
But God, the living God, will be praised for evermore!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 14,
CONCLUSION:
Scripture teaches us in 1st
John 4:19 that "We love Him because He
first loved us." How true that is!
But in Psalm 115 we are taught
yet another great reciprocal principle. I will state it
succinctly ... then show you the verses that lead to this
conclusion.
Here it is.
"We bless Him because He first blessed
us!"
I've never heard it stated just
like that ... but it's true!
After pronouncing a scathing
denunciation on the false gods of this world, mere idols they
are, Psalm 115 begins to eloquently exalt the True God, God the
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! The Triune God! The God of
Abraham and Isaac and Jacob! The God of the living, not the
dead!
Remember, those idols are
indeed dead! They can't hear or speak or touch or anything else!
"Their idols are silver and gold,
the work of men's hands. They have mouths, but they speak not:
eyes have they, but they see not: They have ears, but they hear
not: noses have they, but they smell not: They have hands, but
they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither
speak they through their throat." Psalm 115:4-7
But, according to Psalm
115:9-11 ... "O Israel, trust thou in the
LORD: he is their help and their shield. O house of
Aaron, trust in the LORD: he is their help and their
shield. Ye that fear the LORD, trust in the LORD: he is
their help and their shield." A God Who is one's "Help"
and "Shield" is Mighty! He can see and hear and walk and speak
and touch! In fact, as Genesis 18:14 asks:
"Is any thing too hard for the LORD?"
Now we come to today's main
point. This great God, this Living Saviour, will never forget
us! Using a verb spelled "zakar," the Holy Spirit here says that
God will place His "mark" upon us, His believing sons and
daughters, and hold us in His Memory! "The
LORD hath been mindful of us," it says!
I would say so! Think of the
Exodus, the Passover Lamb, the death Angel, the drowning of
Pharaoh and his army!
Ponder the manna, the fiery
pillar of cloud, the giving of God's Law, the water that flowed
from rock, the divine direction day by day!
The conquest of Canaan, the
leadership of Joshua and Samuel and David and Hezekiah and
ultimately ... the Virgin Born arrival of the Lord Jesus Christ,
God's Very Son!
I would say God has remembered
His own little children!
But, here it comes.
Count the times "bless" or "blessed" is used!
"The LORD hath been
mindful of us: he will bless us; he will bless
the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron. He
will bless them that fear the LORD, both small and
great. The LORD shall increase you more and more, you and your
children. Ye are blessed of the LORD which made
heaven and earth." Psalm 115:12-15 says this. One, two,
three, four, then ... five! That's the number of grace, by the
way!
How blessed of God
we are!
The only "issue"
to be resolved is this. The meaning of "bless" or "barak" in
Hebrew is unusual for this context. It means "to kneel" or "bend
down!" Now since God is great and we are nothing in His sight
... this "kneeling down or bending down" is an act of sheer
Grace! God condescending to our level!
Is that not
exactly what happened when God the Son came to earth? Leaving
Heaven and living down here in this wicked place for 33 years,
dying on the Cross to save us from our sin! Yes, He "came down"
to our level, remaining sinless of course, He took our sin upon
Himself, dying in our stead on Calvary!
That's the "apex"
of God's blessing upon all mankind!
Yes, God
blessed us!
God blessed us
FIRST!
Therefore, we
"bless" Him in return!
Not as "payback,"
but out of love and adoration!
The Psalm puts it
this way: "We will bless the LORD
from this time forth and for evermore. Praise the LORD."
That's how it
ends!
It's the last
verse: "But we will bless the LORD
from this time forth and for evermore. Praise the LORD."
I say it again.
We bless the Lord
... because He first blessed us!
Plug that "kneel
down" definition back into "bless" now. Let us kneel before Him
today! Physically if we can, but spiritually if one's back or
knees can't bend! God sees the heart anyway.
"We
bless Thy Name, dear Lord!"
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
