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Big Apple Chapel is a New Testament based church in New York City, modeled after the pattern of the early church, with a strong emphasis on following Christ as a community of His disciples.

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  • Sunday - 10:30 am
  • 520 8th Ave, 16th floor
    New York, NY
  • phone: +1 (973) 837-1041
 

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Psalm 9: Praising the Righteous Judge and Fortress

2017-07-30

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Psalms 9 Praising the Righteous Judge and Fortress 

© 2017 WF Cobb Truthbase.neDailyTruthbase.blogspot

I. Biblical worship requires a wholehearted (cognitive/volitional/emotional/physical) Response to Revelation of God (name=person/acts Ps 8)

1 I will praise You, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will tell of all Your marvelous works.

2 I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.  (rep of character, purpose, wisdom, power, glory)

Dawkins Delusion quote   UKBS WP 8-15 50% -A&E -N -J  27+super 33+HP 54+HG 

II. Reason: God righteously judges the right and wicked,  justly vindicating the upright in His uprightness (Ps 11)

3 When my enemies turn back, they shall fall and perish at Your presence. 4 For You have maintained my right and my cause; You sat on the throne judging in righteousness. 5 You have rebuked the nations, You have destroyed the wicked; You have blotted out their name forever and ever. 6 Endless ruin has overtaken my enemies! NIV And You have destroyed their cities/gods; even their memory has perished

7 But the LORD shall endure forever; He has prepared His throne for judgment.  Cf Heb 4 throne; need both mercy and grace

8 He shall judge the world in righteousness, and He shall administer judgment for the peoples in uprightness.

God: all the attributes in 1-8=righteous powerful judge who watches out for the righteous, and is a fortress for the faithful whom He  never forsakes (despite appearances). He is thus totally trustworthy to save from every predicament (which He allows to happen to us).

APP: Praising Him for His past works helps us understand how He works, and leads us to trust Him in present/future distress.(track record)

III. Man: We must purpose to Know, Trust, and Seek God, and then sing His praises and declare His deeds, to fulfill our purpose on earth Ps 8

9 The LORD also will be a refuge 62:6 for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble

=

10 And those who a) know Your name will put their b) trust in You; for You, LORD, have not forsaken those who c) seek You.

11 Sing praises to the LORD, who dwells in Zion! Declare His deedS among the people.

12 When He avenges blood, He remembers them; He does not forget the cry of the humble.

a) Know 1Chron 28:9 know God...and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for LORD searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thots. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever.

Hos 6:3 the we shall know, if we press on/pursue to know LORD    1Jn 2:3 by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His...4 liar

b) Trust Nahum 1:2 God is jealous, and LORD avenges; LORD avenges and is furious. LORD will take vengeance on His adversaries, and He reserves wrath for His enemies; 3 LORD is slow to anger and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked. 6  Who can stand before His indignation? And who can endure the fierceness of His anger? His fury is poured out like fire, And the rocks are thrown down by Him. 7 The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him.

Ps 62:5 My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him. 6 He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense/refuge; I shall not be moved. 7 In God is my salvation and my glory; The rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.

c) Seek Dt 4:29 from there you will seek LORD, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. 30 in distress...turn to LORD...obey His voice 31 (for the LORD your God is a merciful God), He will not forsake you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant. Ps 27:8 When You said, "Seek My face," My heart said to You, "Your face, LORD, I will seek." Jer 20:13

APP: How do you know v16 God, for what do you trust Him, and how do you seek God (as well as His blessing/favor(s)/help?

IV. Plea: God lets the wicked oppress, and the righteous suffer trouble, so He can eventually reveal His character and justice (glory)

13 Have mercy on me, O LORD! Consider my trouble from those who hate me, You who lift me up from the gates of death,

14 That I may tell of all Your praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion. I will rejoice in Your salvation.

15 The nations have sunk down in the pit which they made; in the net which they hid, their own foot is caught.

16 The LORD is known by the judgment He executes; the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Meditation. Selah

17 The wicked shall be turned (back) into hell/grave/Sheol, and all the nations that forget God.

18 For the needy shall not always be forgotten; The expectation of the poor/oppressed shall not perish forever.

19 Arise, O LORD, do not let man prevail; let the nations be judged in Your sight.

20 Put them in fear, O LORD, that the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah

APP: Embracing God as our Just Creator and Judge, enables to hope-fully trust despite discomforting disconcerting circumstances.

Questions for Reflection/Discussion/Response:

1. If we're not getting our view of God from the Scriptures, where do we get our understanding of Him? (World under satan's control -calf)

2. What is God's purpose in allowing difficulties and then judging and saving us? Do your difficulties catch Him by surprise?

3. Why do we sometimes not trust God, nor seek Him wholeheartedly? Define “seeking Him”.  What helps us seek and trust Him? 

4. Why are we content to just thank God for His help, yet fail to cultivate a rlshp with Him? How do you seek His face?

Dawkins “God Delusion”: "The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully."