THE LORD GOD LOVES HIS HOLY CITY AND HIS HOLY TEMPLES

Proclamation:

“He has founded His city on the holy mountain.  The Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the other dwellings of Jacob.”  Psalm 87:1-2 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written by the sons of Korah under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  The sons of Korah were descendants of Levi, the grandfather of Moses.  They were the gate-keepers and musicians in the temple at Jerusalem.  The holy mountains refer to the mountains of Zion and Moriah where the temple of God stood.  The foundation of the holy mountains, the temple, the church, and all believers is Jesus, The Christ.  The Lord God loves all of Zion, the church, and He dwells in the hearts of his people.  He loves the hearts of His people more than any of the physical structures where His people reside.  The city of Jerusalem is God’s chosen worship center and its gates represent access for the potential worshiper into a special worshiping relationship with God.

Application:

Believers know that Zion is a special spiritual place.  However, one does not have to travel to Jerusalem to get there.  All of the structures where The Lord God is worshiped are referred to as the house of God and His presence can fill any temple.  Believers also know that The Holy Spirit of God dwells within each of us. (John 14:17)  Therefore our bodies are also temples of God and we should be very careful regarding how we treat God’s house.  We should each be “centers” for, and vessels of, praise and worship.

TEACH ME YOUR WAY LORD AND GIVE ME AN UNDIVIDED HEART

Proclamation:

“Teach me Your way, Lord, that I may rely on Your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear Your name.  I will praise You, Lord my God, with all my heart, I will glorify Your name forever.”  Psalm 86:11-12 (NIV)

Explanation:

This psalm was written by King David under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  This psalm is another one of the many prayers which David spoke to The Lord when he was in distress. (Psalm 86:1 and 6-7)  He acknowledged who The Lord God was and how great His deeds were. (Psalm 86:8-10)  Then he asked God to teach him and show him the way.  He had been blessed with knowledge before, but he wanted more instruction. (Psalm 25:4)  One cannot truly love The Lord with a heart that is divided between the love of God and the love of the world.  A unified and undivided heart is a gift from the Lord so that His people would love and fear Him. (Jeremiah 32:39)  He wanted to praise God with his whole heart and with all that was within him. (Psalm 103:1)

Application:

The only way for us to walk God’s way is for Him to show us the way. (Psalm 119:105)  He must teach us, lead us, and guide us in order for us to walk His way.  Only with the single-mindedness of a single-hearted loyalty to The Lord God can we truly love Him with all of our heart, mind and soul. (Deuteronomy 11:13 and Joshua 22:5)  Jesus, The Christ, said, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” (John 14:15)  We cannot love Him if we do not follow His Holy Word.  We cannot love Him if we confess a sin and then continue to repeat that sin.  That is proof that we love the sin more than we love Him. (John 3:19)  Our lifestyle is a reflection of our beliefs.  Believers are not perfect, but we follow God’s way.  If you continually follow the sinful path, you are not walking God’s way.  You must turn from your wicked sinful ways and seek Him if you want The Lord God to hear and answer your prayers. (2 Chronicles 7:14)

I WILL LISTEN TO WHAT THE LORD GOD SAYS

Proclamation:
“I will listen to what God The Lord says; He promises peace to His people, His faithful servants, but let them not turn to folly.”  Psalm 85:8 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were thought to be written by the three sons of Korah, Asir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  They were descendants of Levi and thought to be the gate-keepers and musicians in the temple at Jerusalem.  The psalmist begins telling The Lord God that He had forgiven the people of their iniquity and sin in the past, and he asks that The Lord would restore them again. (Psalm 85:4)  He offers a petition to The Lord on behalf of the people, whom he represents, stating that even though they did not listen in the past, they would listen to Him now.  The psalmist knows that God’s Word is the gospel of peace.  Then he prayed that the people would not return to their sinful ways of idolatry, immoral living, self-righteousness, or blatant neglect of Christ and The Word of God.

Application:

Believers know that The Lord God speaks to us through His Word.  His Holy Spirit brings to our mind the remembrance of the things which we read and heard preached from The Word of God. (John 14:26)  The promises that He made to us are contained within His Holy Word.  The problem is with our lack of willingness to read The Word of God and to be obedient to it.  Some people hear the gospel preached but it “goes in one ear and out of the other” without the benefit of affecting anything in their brain as it passed through.  However, hearing and believing The Word of God will change an individual and transform their mind. (Romans 12:2 and 2 Corinthians 5:17)  Then they will no longer want to do all of the sinful things that they used to do.  They will not become perfect, but they will change.  The more we listen to what The Word of God says, the more Christ-like we will become, and the more likely we will become a good and faithful servant.

BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE HEARTS ARE SET ON THE JOURNEY TO HEAVEN

Proclamation:

“Blessed are those who dwell in Your house; they are ever praising You.  Blessed are those whose strength is in You, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.”  “Lord Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in You.”  Psalm 84:4-5 and 12 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were thought to be written by the three sons of Korah, Asir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  They were descendants of Levi and thought to be the gate-keepers and musicians in the temple at Jerusalem.  The psalmist begins by stating how “lovely” is the dwelling place of The Lord, and how he longs to be there. (Psalm 84:1-2)  Then he states that those who have died and gone to heaven are blessed to be with The Lord, and to be continually praising Him. (Psalm 84:4)  He follows that by stating that those of us who believe in Him, are pilgrims still on this earthly journey heading to heaven, are also blessed. (Psalm 84:5)  In the middle of this psalm he makes the statement that every usher knows, “… I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of the wicked.” (Psalm 84:10)  He concludes it by saying that those who trust in The Lord are blessed. (Psalm 84:12)

Application:

All believers know that this world is not our home.  We are in this world but not of it, just as Christ was. (John 8:23)  We are pilgrims in this barren wicked land on our way to our home in heaven.  We know that one day with The Lord is better than a thousand days anywhere else. (Psalm 84:10)  We miss those loved ones who have gone on to glory before us, however, I am sure that none of them want to come back here.  None of them would trade the blessings that they enjoy in heaven for the blessing which we receive while we are on the journey to get there.  We just have to trust in The Lord and know that all that we are going through will work towards our benefit. (Romans 8:28)  The Lord will bestow honor, and favor, and blessings upon those who walk His way. (Psalm 84:11)

THE LORD GOD IS IN CONTROL OVER ALL OF THE EARTH

Proclamation:

“Let them know that You, whose name is The Lord, that You alone are The Most High over all the earth.”  Psalm 83:18 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by Asaph, the director of music during the time of King David, who was also a seer who was said to prophesy. (2 Chronicles 29:30)  This is the last of the psalms to be written by this psalmist.  It was written under a prophetic spirit and foretold of the enemies of Israel joining forces and conspiring against God’s people. (Psalm 83:2-5)  It includes a request that The Lord God would destroy them. (Psalm 83:9-14)  It ends with a request to let their enemies, and the whole world, know that The Lord God is The Most High God, and that He alone is in control of all of the earth.

Application:

The Lord God is the only true and living God. (Jeremiah 10:10)  He is self-existent and eternal.  He was, is, and is to come, and always will be. (Revelation 1:4)  He is all powerful, (Mathew 28:18 and Revelation 19:6) all knowing, (1 John 3:20) and everywhere all at the same time. (Matthew 28:20)   There will come a time when the nations will join forces against Israel and The Lord God will destroy them. (Ezekiel 38:18-23 and Revelation 20:8-9)  This will be done so that all men will know that The Lord God alone is The Sovereign Ruler over all of the earth.  Unto Him every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that He is Lord. (Romans 14:11)  For in the end He shall judge every man according to what they have said and done. (Revelation 20:12-15)

ALL LEADERS MUST GIVE AN ACCOUNT FOR THEIR USE OF AUTHORITY

Proclamation:

“God presides in the great assembly; He renders judgment among the ‘gods’… The ‘gods’ know nothing, they understand nothing.  They walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken.”  Psalm 82:1 and 5 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by Asaph, the director of music during the time of King David, who was also a seer who was said to prophesy. (2 Chronicles 29:30)  This psalm is thought to be written by the psalmist, under a prophetic spirit, who foresaw the great corruption of the judges, rulers, kings, princes, and civil magistrates who abused their power.  They are called ‘gods’ because they see themselves as such.  Their perversion of justice causes the cities, states, countries, and kingdoms to be thrown into disorder and confusion.  The Lord God will preside over “the great assembly”, a gathering of all of the leaders and rulers who will have to give an account for the way they used or abused their authority. (Psalm 82:1)  They will pay for their corruption, they will fall from power and die like the mere mortals that they are. (Psalm 82:6)

Application:

All too often we find ourselves under the leadership of individuals who do not understand that they were put in positions of authority by The Lord God, and they will have to give an account to Him.  The wicked and corrupt leaders, civil and religious, will be cut down like grass and wither away. (Psalm 37:2)  Believers need not worry about them.  They will be judged, and punished for their abuse and misuse of their authority.  There is a righteous God to whom we have recourse, and on whom we may depend, when we have been mistreated by unjust leaders.  When we pray for relief from corrupt and abusive leaders, our prayers are heard and will be answered.  By the wrath of God He will avenge us and repay those who abuse us or cause us harm or suffering. (Romans 12:19 and Hebrews 10:30)

PRAISE THE LORD WITH SINGING AND WITH A LOUD VOICE

Proclamation:

“Sing for joy to God our strength; shout aloud to The God of Jacob!”  Psalm 81:1 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by Asaph, the director of music appointed by King David, who was also a seer who was said to prophesy. (2 Chronicles 29:30)  This psalm is a song which was to be sung at their celebration feasts.  Here the people are encouraged to make a joyful noise unto The Lord (Psalm 81:1-3) as they are in several other psalms. (Psalms 100 and 150)  It is a song about the strength of The Lord God, regarding what He had done for them and what He would do.  The psalm was written from the perspective of God with the majority of it lamenting because the people would not listen to Him. (Psalm 81:8-16)

Application:

We are encouraged to sing, and shout, and generally make a joyful noise as we praise The Lord.  He has done great things.  We do not want to displease Him by ignoring Him or by taking Him for granted. (Psalm 81:8, 11 and 13)  We do not want to miss out on blessings (Psalm 81:16) or cause Him to punish us. (Psalm 81:12)  So, let us praise The Lord, and do it often and with a loud voice.  His praise should continually be in our mouth. (Psalm 34:1, 71:6, and Hebrews 13:15)