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SCRIPTURE REFERENCES FOR THIS SERMON:
Psalm 19:1-22:31
19:1 For the music director, a psalm of David.
The heavens declare the glory of God;
the sky displays his handiwork.
2 Day after day it speaks out;
night after night it reveals his greatness.
3 There is no actual speech or word,
nor is its voice literally heard.
4 Yet its voice echoes throughout the earth;
its words carry to the distant horizon.
In the sky he has pitched a tent for the sun.
5 Like a bridegroom it emerges from its chamber;
like a strong man it enjoys running its course.
6 It emerges from the distant horizon,
and goes from one end of the sky to the other;
nothing can escape its heat.
7 The law of the Lord is perfect
and preserves one’s life.
The rules set down by the Lord are reliable
and impart wisdom to the inexperienced.
8 The Lord’s precepts are fair
and make one joyful.
The Lord’s commands are pure
and give insight for life.
9 The commands to fear the Lord are right
and endure forever.
The judgments given by the Lord are trustworthy
and absolutely just.
10 They are of greater value than gold,
than even a great amount of pure gold;
they bring greater delight than honey,
than even the sweetest honey from a honeycomb.
11 Yes, your servant finds moral guidance there;
those who obey them receive a rich reward.
12 Who can know all his errors?
Please do not punish me for sins I am unaware of.
13 Moreover, keep me from committing flagrant sins;
do not allow such sins to control me.
Then I will be blameless
and innocent of blatant rebellion.
14 May my words and my thoughts
be acceptable in your sight,
O Lord, my sheltering rock and my redeemer.
20:1 For the music director, a psalm of David.
May the Lord answer you when you are in trouble;
may the God of Jacob make you secure.
2 May he send you help from his temple;
from Zion may he give you support.
3 May he take notice of all your offerings;
may he accept your burnt sacrifice. (Selah)
4 May he grant your heart’s desire;
may he bring all your plans to pass.
5 Then we will shout for joy over your victory;
we will rejoice in the name of our God.
May the Lord grant all your requests.
6 Now I am sure that the Lord will deliver his chosen king;
he will intervene for him from his holy, heavenly temple,
and display his mighty ability to deliver.
7 Some trust in chariots and others in horses,
but we depend on the Lord our God.
8 They will fall down,
but we will stand firm.
9 The Lord will deliver the king;
he will answer us when we call to him for help!
21:1 For the music director, a psalm of David.
O Lord, the king rejoices in the strength you give;
he takes great delight in the deliverance you provide.
2 You grant him his heart’s desire;
you do not refuse his request. (Selah)
3 For you bring him rich blessings;
you place a golden crown on his head.
4 He asked you to sustain his life,
and you have granted him long life and an enduring dynasty.
5 Your deliverance brings him great honor;
you give him majestic splendor.
6 For you grant him lasting blessings;
you give him great joy by allowing him into your presence.
7 For the king trusts in the Lord,
and because of the Most High’s faithfulness he is not shaken.
8 You prevail over all your enemies;
your power is too great for those who hate you.
9 You burn them up like a fiery furnace when you appear.
The Lord angrily devours them;
the fire consumes them.
10 You destroy their offspring from the earth,
their descendants from among the human race.
11 Yes, they intend to do you harm;
they dream up a scheme, but they do not succeed.
12 For you make them retreat
when you aim your arrows at them.
13 Rise up, O Lord, in strength!
We will sing and praise your power.
22:1 For the music director, according to the tune “Morning Doe”; a psalm of David.
My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
I groan in prayer, but help seems far away.
2 My God, I cry out during the day,
but you do not answer,
and during the night my prayers do not let up.
3 You are holy;
you sit as king receiving the praises of Israel.
4 In you our ancestors trusted;
they trusted in you and you rescued them.
5 To you they cried out, and they were saved;
in you they trusted and they were not disappointed.
6 But I am a worm, not a man;
people insult me and despise me.
7 All who see me taunt me;
they mock me and shake their heads.
8 They say,
“Commit yourself to the Lord!
Let the Lord rescue him!
Let the Lord deliver him, for he delights in him.”
9 Yes, you are the one who brought me out from the womb
and made me feel secure on my mother’s breasts.
10 I have been dependent on you since birth;
from the time I came out of my mother’s womb you have been my God.
11 Do not remain far away from me,
for trouble is near and I have no one to help me.
12 Many bulls surround me;
powerful bulls of Bashan hem me in.
13 They open their mouths to devour me
like a roaring lion that rips its prey.
14 My strength drains away like water;
all my bones are dislocated.
My heart is like wax;
it melts away inside me.
15 The roof of my mouth is as dry as a piece of pottery;
my tongue sticks to my gums.
You set me in the dust of death.
16 Yes, wild dogs surround me—
a gang of evil men crowd around me;
like a lion they pin my hands and feet.
17 I can count all my bones;
my enemies are gloating over me in triumph.
18 They are dividing up my clothes among themselves;
they are rolling dice for my garments.
19 But you, O Lord, do not remain far away.
You are my source of strength. Hurry and help me!
20 Deliver me from the sword.
Save my life from the claws of the wild dogs.
21 Rescue me from the mouth of the lion
and from the horns of the wild oxen.
You have answered me.
22 I will declare your name to my countrymen.
In the middle of the assembly I will praise you.
23 You loyal followers of the Lord, praise him.
All you descendants of Jacob, honor him.
All you descendants of Israel, stand in awe of him.
24 For he did not despise or detest the suffering of the oppressed.
He did not ignore him;
when he cried out to him, he responded.
25 You are the reason I offer praise in the great assembly;
I will fulfill my promises before the Lord’s loyal followers.
26 Let the oppressed eat and be filled.
Let those who seek his help praise the Lord.
May you live forever!
27 Let all the people of the earth acknowledge the Lord and turn to him.
Let all the nations worship you.
28 For the Lord is king
and rules over the nations.
29 All the thriving people of the earth will join the celebration and worship;
all those who are descending into the grave will bow before him,
including those who cannot preserve their lives.
30 A whole generation will serve him;
they will tell the next generation about the Lord.
31 They will come and tell about his saving deeds;
they will tell a future generation what he has accomplished.