Listen to this encouraging message about revival in Hezekiah's days and about what God did in Manasseh's days. Sermon starts around 33 minutes.
When you look around you and see all that is going on, do you just shake your head? Do you think God must have surely turned his back on us already? Is it too late for revival in America, or in any other nation? Is there still any hope? Listen to this encouraging message about revival in Hezekiah's days and about what God did in Manasseh's days. Sermon starts around 33 minutes.
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Psalm 136 is the Psalm that ends every verse with “his mercy endureth for ever.” The first three verses of this Psalm describe a great God. They tell who God is. They tell that He is above all the gods and rulers of this world, yet His mercy endureth forever. “1) O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. 2) O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever. 3) O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever.” (Psalm 136:1-3) Give thanks unto the LORD O give thanks unto the God of gods. The LORD is great above all gods. All the gods of the heathen, all the gods that people trust in other than the one true God, they are nothing. The God that made the heaven and earth, he is the God of gods. O give thanks to the Lord of lords. God is Lord over all. There is none greater in authority than He. The kings of this earth may think that they are able to rule themselves. They may think that they can break God’s bands asunder and rule their kingdoms without acknowledging God. But, if they do so, there will be a price to pay. Nations that forget God will suffer His judgment and wrath. Psalm 2:1-3 says, “1) Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? 2) The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, 3) Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.” The nations of the earth think that they can rule themselves. They think that they can be stronger than God. They think they can just cast away His restraints and then they will be happy and everything will be OK. What happens when a nation tries to reject God and His restraints? The nations cannot fight against God, they have no power against Him. God says, “Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing.” (Isaiah 40:15) When the nations reject God and think that they can get out from under His control, the Bible says, “4) He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. 5) Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.” (Psalm 2:4,5) God laughs and derides because He knows that the efforts of those who reject Him are in vain. The nations have no power to get out from under His control. God also sends His wrath upon them and vexes them with His sore displeasure. God does not enjoy judging people, but He cannot tolerate sin. Sin must be dealt with. However, even God’s judgment is carried out mixed with His mercy. Lamentations 3:31-33 gives this assurances, “31) For the Lord will not cast off for ever: 32) But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies. 33) For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men.” There is a remedy for the judgment and affliction that God brings. That remedy is to turn to God, trust in Him, fear the Lord, and serve Him. “10) Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. 11) Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. 12) Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.” (Psalm 2:10-12) Psalm 128 told of the blessings received by everyone who fears the Lord. Among those blessings were that the person who feared the Lord would see the good of Jerusalem and peace upon Israel. Blessing would come to that person out of Zion.
Psalm 129 tells what happens to those who oppose Israel. A man who fears the Lord and walks in His ways will want to see Israel prosper and do well. Those who are wicked oppose Israel and want to see Israel afflicted and oppressed. They will not be blessed. They will be judged. Israel had some enemies that had opposed them since they were a very young nation. Yet, these enemies could not prevail against them. They brought much affliction against Israel, but they could not destroy them. “Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth, may Israel now say: 2) Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth: yet they have not prevailed against me. 3) The plowers plowed upon my back: they made long their furrows.” (Psalm 129:1-3) What will happen to those who oppose Israel? Verses four and five say, “4) The LORD is righteous: he hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked. 5) Let them all be confounded and turned back that hate Zion.” God will cut their cords asunder. He cuts the cords that are attached to their plow. In other words, He removes their source of power. They will all be confounded, or frustrated in their efforts, ashamed. God will turn them back. Israel’s enemies cannot prevail against them. A further judgment upon those who oppose Israel will be that they will no longer be prosperous. They will just wither away like mown grass. The blessing of the Lord will be taken from them. This judgment is described in the last three verses of the Psalm, “6) Let them be as the grass upon the housetops, which withereth afore it groweth up: 7) Wherewith the mower filleth not his hand; nor he that bindeth sheaves his bosom. 8) Neither do they which go by say, The blessing of the LORD be upon you: we bless you in the name of the LORD.” (verses 6-8) So, let us seek the good if Israel all our days so that blessing may be upon us and we will not be judged. The promise of blessing and warning of a curse goes all the way back to the time of Abram from whom the Jewish people descended. God told Abram, “I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” (Genesis 12:3) That promise of blessing and warning of the curse still stands today. We can be blessed if we bless God’s chosen people. |
AuthorI am a concerned citizen of the United States of America. And I am a Christian who believes in salvation by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. I pray this blog will honor the Lord.
My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them: for the spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to err, and they have gone a whoring from under their God. Hosea 4:12
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