February 2008 - Posts

• Psalms Week 14

  Psalm 137                      An Imprecatory Psalm  •         Imprecatory Means To Curse •         Prayers for God to Avenge the Persecuted •         How Do We Reconcile This With the NT? •         Historical Background •         They Reflect God’s Own Character; Justice •         They Reflect the Prophetic Nature of the Psalms •         The rivers of Babylon-Man-Made Canals Between the Tigris & Euphrates Rivers •         We wept, when we remembered Zion-Grief Over Their Homeland and Life •         Harps-Citherns •         Hanged-Rather Than Use Them to Profane Their Songs to Idols •         For there-At the Canal Side •         They that carried us away captive-The Oppressors-The Babylonians •         Required of us-Demanded Roughly and Rudely •         A song-The Lord’s Song •         Required of us mirth- A Joyous Song •         Sing us one of the songs of Zion-A Psalm •         Mock Their Worship and Ridicule Jehovah •         How shall we sing?-Denial is Humbly Put in the Form of a Question •         If I –Every Man Has to Pledge This For Himself •         O Jerusalem-Their Life Was Connected With Worship •         Let my right hand forget-Imprecation; A Vow or Curse Upon Themselves •         Cunning-Dexterity in Playing as a Musician •         Let my-Vow or Curse of the Singers •         Tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth-So That It is Inoperable •         These Are Self Judgments & Self Imposed Vows (Ps 66:13) •         The Babylonian Guards Were Taunting the Jewish Exiles •         This Was Not a Personal Attack, But An Issue Between Two Nations •         The Law God Gave to Israel Is Based on Retaliation (Deut 19:16-21) •         Although Babylon Was God’s Chosen Instrument to Discipline the Jews •         They Went Too Far & Treated the Jews with Brutality (Is 47:1-7; 51:22-23) •         Jerusalem Had Fallen to the Babylonians in 587 BC; Called Here the day of Jerusalem  •         Who Were the Edomites? •         Esau, Father of the Edomites, was Jacob’s Brother (Gen 25:30) •         Esau Promised to Prevent God’s Plan by Murdering Jacob (Gen 27:41) •         Remember, O LORD-Edom’s Assault Was Not Aimed At Man, But Against God •         The Psalmist Knew From the Prophets That God Would Judge Edom and Babylon •         He Prayed to the Lord to Keep His Promises (Jer 51:56; Rom 12:19) •         Rase it…even to the foundation thereof-Lay Bare; Defenseless; Removing the Contents •         Jerusalem’s Foundations, However, Were God’s Foundations •         Daughter-Capital City the Daughter of an Empire •         To be destroyed-The Psalmist Knew Babylon to Be Already Destroyed •         Happy-Set Right •         This Must Be Viewed As A Prophecy •         Fulfilled Through the Medes & Cyrus    Posted Feb 24 2008, 02:02 PM by jbarch with no comments

• Psalms Week 13

  Psalm 23: 4-6                The Great Shepherd  •         Why Are the Sheep Taken through the valley? •         Gentle Grades •         Well Watered •         Richest Forage •         Spiritually, We Have to Go Through the Valleys to Reach the Mountain Tops •         Walk-A Quiet Acceptance of Adversity Recognizing Who is in Control •         Through-Not In •         Shadow of death-Any Difficult Experience of Life that Makes Us Afraid •         Who is Afraid of a Shadow? •         I will fear no evil-Calamity, Adversity or Distress •         For thou art with me-Alongside •         Rod-A Young Sapling With a Wider End •         The Sheep Took Comfort in the Rod as a Sign of Protection •         The Sheep Also Knew the Rod as a Sign of Examination •         Staff-Symbol of Concern, Compassion, & Comfort •         The Shepherd Uses the Staff for: •         Drawing a Lamb to Its Mother •         Guiding a Sheep •         Rescuing Them From Brambles & Gullies •         These Activities Are Types of the Holy Spirit •         He Draws Us to Christ (Jn 6:44) •         He Guides Us in the Word (Jn 16:13) •         He Rescues Us From Hell (Ps 40:2) •         Comfort-Means Even Breathing •         Preparest-Put in Order for a Particular Task or Purpose •         Table-Table Land; Literally, Something Spread Out •         Before me-In Advance of the Sheep Arriving •         Presence of mine enemies-In the Sight of Predators •         Spiritual Application: •         Walk Close to the Shepherd •         He Has Gone Before in Every Temptation •         He Has Prepared the Way •         He Has Made Provision for Us   •         Anointest-Literally, To Make Fat or Prosper •         My head with oil-For Healing & Protection •         Spiritually, Most of Our Contamination Comes Through Our Minds •         My cup runneth over-More Good Days Than Bad •         Mostly Due to the Care of the Shepherd •         There is in Every Life a Cup of Suffering| •         When We Empty Our Cup of Self, Then Our Cup Overflows with Blessings From His Cup •         Surely-Not Perhaps, but Certainly •         Goodness and mercy-Double Blessing •         Some Good Will Come of Life’s Difficulties (Jer 29:11) •         Follow-Pursue •         We Should Have a Legacy of Goodness & Mercy •         All the days of my life-Long Lasting Coverage •         Dwell in the house of the LORD forever-Satisfied in the Lord’s Flock •         Under the Old Covenant, the Sheep Died for the Shepherd •         Under the New Covenant, the Shepherd Died for the Sheep    Posted Feb 17 2008, 02:19 PM by jbarch with no comments

• Psalms Week 12

  Psalm 23 :1-3                The Great Shepherd •         The LORD is-Jehovah, Present Tense •         My-Personal Ownership •         Shepherds Make A Mark On Their Sheep •         Shepherd-Translated Feed (75x), Shepherd (63x) & Pastor (8x) •         Want-Lack or Not To Have Enough of What is Needed •         Four Requirements For Sheep to lie down: •         Free of All Fear (2 Tim 1:7) •         Free From Friction With Others in the Flock (Ezek 20:20-23) •         Free of Pests •         Free From Hunger •         Green-New Tender Vegetation •         What Are These Green Pastures? •         The Truth of Scripture •         Leadeth-Means to Lead Gently •         He Leads, We Follow •         Still Waters-Quiet Flow or Stilled •         Water is Essential to the Body •         The Body is About 70% Water •         Lack Leads to Dehydration & Weakness •         Must Be Replenished From A Source Outside the Body •         The Shepherd Knows Where to Find the Water •         Spiritually, A Type of the Word of God •         Water Can Come From Several Sources for the Sheep: •         Temporary Dam of a Stream •         Deep Well •         Dew •         Spiritually, Still Waters Are the Holy Spirit Using the Word •         Restoreth-Return Back to a Previous Status •         Why the Need for Restoration in Sheep? •         A Sheep That is Cast Down Will Die •         Why Do Sheep Get Cast Down? •         Comfort •         Weighted Down With Its Own Wool •         Too Fat •         Spiritually, Be Careful in Prosperity •         Paths of righteousness-Well Worn Paths or Ruts •         Sheep Are Creatures of Habit •         Spiritually, We Must Have Good Habits & Follow the Shepherd & His Word   Posted Feb 10 2008, 01:37 PM by jbarch with no comments

• Psalms Week 11

  Psalm 23 Introduction     •         Psalm 22, 23, & 24 Are In A Deliberate Order •         The Psalms Are A Trilogy About the Messiah •         The Psalms Picture Christ in Different Aspects •         Psalm 22            Psalm 23           Psalm 24 •         Savior (13-15)   Shepherd (1)      Sovereign (10) •         Dying (15)         Living (6)          Coming (7) •         Grace (24)         Guidance (1)     Glory (9) •         Sword (20)        Staff (4)            Scepter (8) •         Mt. Calvary       Pastures            Mt. Zion •         Past                  Present              Future  •         Psalm 23 is Called the Shepherds Psalm & is Written From the Vantage Point of the Sheep •         Spiritual Man & Sheep Have Much in Common •         Totally Dependent (Eph. 2:1) •         No Sense of Direction (Judg 17:6; Is 53:6; Jn 14:6) •         Dumb (Prov 14:12) •         Near Sighted (Lk 12:19-21; Rom 2:10-12) •         Disposition to Disease (Matt 26:41; Rom 13:14; Rom 1:32) •         No Means of Defense (Rom 3:23) •         Cannot Cleanse Themselves (Rom 3:20) •         Obey the Call of the Shepherd (Jn 10:3-5)  •         Psalm 23 is a Reflection of the Compound Names of God in the OT •         There Are 16 Names, 8 Meanings Referenced in the Psalm •         LORD-Jehovah, The Covenant Making God •         My shepherd-Jehovah-Rohi, The Lord My Shepherd (Ps 23:1) •         I shall not want-Jehovah-Jireh, The Lord Will Provide (Gen 22:14) •         Still waters-Jehovah-Shalom, The Lord is Peace (Judg 6:24) •         Restoreth my soul-Jehovah-Rapha, The Lord Our Healer (Ex 16:26) •         Paths of righteousness-Jehovah-Tsidkenu, The Lord Our Righteousness (Jer 23:6) •         Thou art with me-Jehovah-Shammah, The Lord Who is Present (Ezek. 48:35) •         Presence of mine enemies-Jehovah-Nissi, The Lord Our Banner (Ex 17:15) •         Anointest my head-Jehovah-Maccaddeshem, The Lord Thy Sanctifier (Ex 31:13) •         Theme •         The Great Shepherd Who Cares For His Sheep and Equips Them for Ministry •         Not Just a Psalm for Funerals •         Written Later in David’s Life and Not As A Boy •         The Message is For Mature Christians •         Many Shepherds in Scripture •         Abel, the 1st Martyr, Was A Shepherd •         The Patriarchs of Israel Were Shepherds •         Moses Spent 40 yrs. Caring for His Father-in-laws Sheep •         David, Israel’s Greatest King, Served His Father as a Shepherd •         The Image of God is As Israel’s ShepherdGen 48:15; 49:24;Pss. 28:9; 80:1; 95:7; 100:3; Isa. 40:11; 49:10; Jer. 31:10; Ezek. 34:11–15; Matt. 10:6; 15:24; Mark 6:34). •         The Promised Messiah Was Also Seen As A Shepherd(Ezek. 34:16, 23; Mic. 5:4; Zech. 13:7; Matt. 2:6; 26:3; Mark 14:27; John 10).    Posted Feb 03 2008, 01:27 PM by jbarch with no comments