JESUS CHRIST IN THE BOOK OF PSALMS II (Psalms 10-19)
PSALMS 10-19
JESUS CHRIST IN THE BOOK OF PSALMS II
Pastor Carolyn Sissom
Last week we concluded our study with Psalm nine.
9-15 together reveal the Godly and the Wicked One. The Spirit of Christ and the Spirit of Antichrist. As our time on earth is speeding faster into the latter days of the revealing of the Antichrist, it is the church’s responsibility to reveal him through the prophetic scripture.
As we know the spirit of antichrist has been here since the fall of Lucifer and is continually amongst us with the intent of building his kingdom for the great end-time battle with Jesus Christ, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Captain of the Hosts of Angel Armies along side his Bride, the Overcoming Church.
PSALMS 9-10 Twenty-two sins of the wicked:
1. Full of pride.
2. Persecutes the poor.
3. Sets snares for the just.
4. Imagines evil against righteous.
5. Boasts of his great plans.
6. Blesses the covetous.
7. Rejects God.
8. Dismisses Christianity.
9. Travails to bring forth sin.
10. Blind to God’s judgments
11. Puffs at his enemies.
12. Boasts of getting what he wants.
13. Blasphemes.
14. Deceives others.
15. Cheats others.
16. Speaks mischief and vanity.
17. Plots against neighbors.
18. Murders the innocent.
19. Takes advantage of the weak.
20. Plots against the poor.
21. Manifests cruelty.
22. Lives secure in his sins.10:11 he has said in his heart, God has forgotten, he hides his face; he will never see it.
I we can apply all of the above to the evil of Hamas in Gaza: We can decree:
Ps. 10: 14-18:
But You have seen, for You observe trouble and grief, to repay it by your hand. The helpless commits himself to YOU. You are the helper of the Fatherless. Break the arm of the wicked and the evil man. Seek out his wickedness until You find none. The LORD is King forever and ever. The nations have perished out of His land. LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble. You will prepare their heart. You will cause Your ear to hear. To do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed; that the man of the earth may oppress no more.
The man of the earth is the man of sin, the son of perdition. This is the Beast system and the Antichrist (with his humanistic alternatives to the anointing (2 Thess. 2-4.) This is the Jacob nature, the Ishmael nature, the carnal mind that is not controlled by the mind of Christ with the Holy Spirit. This is the image of Jealousy (Ezek. 8). This self-image is a Vail that must be rent if we are to truly see the Man in the Mirror (2 Co. 3:18, Jas. 1:23) which is the NEW MAN, and the GLORY OF GOD revealed in the Face of Jesus.
PSALM 11 – In the LORD, I put my trust…
This is the song of the steadfast, revealing the resources of FAITH for the day of Trouble (the Day of the Lord), when every foundation is shaken.
David is in danger of his life; fearful and faint-hearted counselors would fain to persuade him to seek safety and preservation by flight. But, full of unshaken faith in God. He rejects their counsels, believing that Jehovah the righteous King, though he tries His servants, does not forsake them. It is the wicked who need to fear.
11:5-6: The LORD tests the righteous, but the wicked and the one who loves violence, His soul hates. Upon the wicked He will rain coals; fire and brimstone and a burning wind shall be the portion of their cup.
PSALM 12- HELP LORD!
Out of the consciousness of the terrible evil of his time, David cries to Jehovah for help.
This Psalm is on the use and abuse of WORDS. There are two kinds of words and thus two kinds of men.
Verses 12: 1-4 describe the power of propaganda. We deal with this with the media and politicians: They speak idly everyone with his neighbor, with flattering lips and a double heart they speak. May the LORD cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaks proud things.
The words of God are the sons of God.
Psa. 12:6-7: The words of the LORD are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. You shall keep them O LORD. You shall preserve them from this generation forever.
The seven times purification parallels many truths: The 7 spirits of God, the 7 horns and the 7 eyes, the 7 colors of the rainbow, the 7 lambs of the Feast of Pentecost. (Isa. 11, Rev. 1-5).
PSALM 13: HOW LONG, O LORD?
This Psalm of Petition begins with a cry of despair. Foes are oppressing the men of faith. There seems to be no comfort. Yet the Psalm ends with a song of triumph, yet it is a song of faith, for deliverance not yet realized. Born of memory of past deliverances, a new confidence is born and results in song.
13:5-6: But I have trusted in Your mercy. My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. I will sing to the LORD because He has dealt bountifully with me.
PSALM 14:2: THE LORD LOOKS DOWN FROM HEAVEN
to see if there are any who understand, who seek God.
David gives his own interpretation of godlessness and it is folly. “There is none who does good, No, not one.” The Psalm describes the Serpent’s Brood in two ways. 1. flouting God’s Law (1-3) and 2. Oppressing God’s people.
The cry for a Savior makes it a Messianic Psalm:
14:7: Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion! When the LORD brings back the captivity of His people.
PSALM 15 - LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your Holy Hill?
This Psalm of the True Citizens of Zion describes the PERFECT MAN – the LORD JESUS CHRIST, and all those who are conformed to His image. This Psalm is similar to Psalm 24. There, we note the ascent into Zion, the throne of God. Here, we note the abiding in Zion. Many have entered the Most Holy Place. We are before the throne (Ps. 24), but not fully in the throne as revealed in Psalm 15. Which prophetically points ahead to the LORD JESUS CHRIST, who has entered into that which is within the Veil as a forerunner after the order of Melchisedec. He has obtained that More Excellent Ministry as our great High Priest. He is now dwelling in the Holy Hill and beckons us to the top of the MOUNTAIN.
15:1: God as man’s host.
15:2-5: Man as God’s guest.
This Psalm declares the terms (Covenant between Jehovah and the Man who is His FRIEND.) (The Lord has only spoken to me about one man who He walked with as his friend- Brother Jefferson). I have asked the LORD to be his FRIEND. In general terms, the Friend of God is One whose general deportment is perfect, whose activity is right, whose inner thoughts are pure. The test of all this is in a man’s attitude to his fellow man, which is described. The man fulfilling these conditions is never moved from his residence on the Holy Hill nor excluded from the hospitality of the tent of Jehovah. Friendship with Jehovah flows into that with man. 15:5b: He who does these things shall never be moved.
This is a Kingdom man (Mt. 7:24-27). This pictures the Overcomer who is a pillar established in the Temple of God (Rev. 3:12).
This perfect man describes Jesus Christ.
PSALM 16 – “(A Michtam of David) Preserve me O God, for in You I put my trust.
O my soul, you have said to the LORD,
‘You are my Lord,
My goodness is nothing apart from you.’
‘As for the saints who are on the earth,
They are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.’” (Ps. 16: 1-3) NKJV
The Hebrew word Michtam has many variations of translations. The major ones are golden, graven, a permanent writing, precious, hidden, or jewel. The Septuagint renders this, “a sculptured writing of gold.” Perhaps the most accepted translation of Michtam is “engraved in gold.” This speaks of the divine nature engraved into our hearts by the Word. A new humanity, the one new man, is now stamped with God-life engraved in his golden glory.
I have a sermon on Psalm 16, wrote 11/25/18 after a visit to Missouri for my mother’s 98th birthday. I will pull a few paragraphs from it, for it was also Thanksgiving 2018 and I had just returned from Kerrville visiting Shanna and Trey at Thanksgiving.
Excerpt from sermon: “On my return from Missouri, I made my way by car through the Texas Prairie via San Antonio to the Texas Hill Country of Kerrville, Texas. It is truly one of my happy places at this juncture of my life. Despite the damp and cold mist, Shanna lit the bon fire. The countryside was ablaze is red, gold, and orange foliage mixed in the dark green Cedar trees.
Friday morning was crisp and bright. As I was packing for my return to Houston, the sun was shining and dancing on the ripples of the creek. I joined my soul with the song of creation thanking God for his goodness to me at this stage of my life.
Lord, I have chosen you alone as my inheritance.
You are my prize, my pleasure, and my portion.
I leave my destiny and its timing in your hands.
Your pleasant path leads me to pleasant places.
I’m overwhelmed by the privileges,
That comes with following you,
For you have given me the best!
(Ps. 16: 5-6) – Passion Translation
“O LORD, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup.
You maintain my lot.
The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places,
Yes, I have a good inheritance.
(Ps. 16: 5-6) NKJV
I learned early in life to overcome fear of lack and insecurity through faith in God’s promises. “My God shall supply all my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Now unto God and our Father be glory for ever and ever.” (Phl. 4:19)
In my young adult years and mid-life my husband and I faced all of life’s challenges with this faith. As I stood by that stream of water watching the sunlight dance over the song of the creek, I told the LORD whatever my latter days looked like, my cup was full this day, and the joy of the present is enough to sustain my joy and peace for my journey
on earth. O LORD, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup. I have chosen you. I am overwhelmed by the privileges that comes with following you and serving you. Thank you for the blessing of Eastgate Church family and the blessing of my great family. For you have given me the best.
The purpose of God is to engrave humanity with His own divine nature and image. The goodness, mercies, one’s securities, welfare, associates, worship, and ambitions have been engraved into our soul through the blessings of the goodly heritage (which is God Himself!) Any good thing you find in me comes from you.
Ps. 16:8: Because you are close to me and always available, my confidence will never be shaken, for I experience your wrap-around presence every moment. (Passion Translation)
Ps. 16:8: I have set the LORD always before me; because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved. (NKJV)
Verses 8-11 of Psalm 16 were quoted by Peter in his first sermon, (after the pouring out of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost). He tells us expressly that David is prophesying concerning Christ and his resurrection. Yes, these verses in Psalm 16 are applied to all good Christians as well as to David’s personal holy elevations and revelations towards God and heaven. David was carried by the spirit of prophecy quite beyond the consideration of himself and his own life to foretell the glory of the Messiah. Yet, today, these same verses carry, guide, and animate Christians to experience the golden secret of Heaven while on earth because of the death and resurrection of Christ.
16: 9-10: My heart and soul explode with joy-full of glory! Even my body will rest confident and secure. You will not abandon me to the realm of death, nor will you allow your Holy One to experience corruption. For you bring me a continual revelation of resurrection life, the path to the bliss that brings me face to face with you. (Passion)
16: 9-10: My heart is glad, and my glory rejoices. My flesh also will rest in hope. You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will you allow Your Holy One to see corruption. You will show me the path of life; in your presence is fullness of joy. At your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
This is the Golden Secret engraved in the hearts of all mankind who received Jesus Christ as their LORD AND SAVIOR. The path of life is that course of life which enables the godly to fulfill his destiny. Jesus Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father. We are “in Christ.” Therefore, we are seated with Him in Glory.
PSALM 17 – HEAR A JUST CAUSE O LORD, ATTEND TO MY CRY.
This is a prayer of David. This is most fitting because Psalm 16 outlined the death (“my flesh shall rest in hope”).
16:9: The RESURRECTION “You shall not leave my soul in Hell.”
16:10: The ASCENSION “You will show me the path of life.”
16:11: of the LORD JESUS CHRIST. The 16th Psalm concludes as he is seated at the “Right Hand!” And the 17th opens with the prayers of intercession not only for David, but for mankind, even the prayer of the Heavenly David, who sits at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. (Ro. 8:34) (Heb. 7:25).
David was a man of PRAYER. He was ever “before the LORD.’ The is a Psalm of appeal to Jehovah for protection. As noted, it is to be closely linked with Psalm 16. In each case, David declares his abstention from complicity wit ungodly men. In both Psalms god is appealed to, with the final hope of the fullness of communion with Him. The exercises of priesthood are exemplified. In psalm 16, the sacrifice of praise is seen. In Psalm 17, the petitions of need are presented. After a description of the immediate peril, the song ends with the expression of assured blessing and the declaration of the one and only satisfaction: to be resurrected in His likeness.
17:16: As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness. I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.
PSALM 18 – I WILL LOVE You, O LORD, my strength.
This song looks onward and backward, to victories God has already given to His people, and to victories yet to come. The Psalm is prophetic and looks beyond the sufferings and triumphs of David to David’s greater son and Lord, Jesus Christ, as well as Christ’s church.
This is a Psalm I have used to decree blessings over my family and church family. It deserves its own book.
Psalm 18: 50b (T.P.T.) …The favor will be forever seen upon your loving servant, David, and to all my true seed, every heir of this promise!
Psalm 18:50 (K.J.V.): He gives great deliverance to his king; and shows mercy to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore.
He is the tower of salvation for his king: and shows mercy to his anointed, unto David, and to his seed for evermore.
Psalm 18:1: A Psalm of David the servant of the LORD, who spoke to the LORD the words of this song on the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. And he said:
I will love You, O LORD, my strength.
David is here called the servant of the Lord, as Moses was. David declares his love to His Lord.
This Psalm is a perfect pattern of praise, thanksgiving, and a great revelation of the method, might, and mercy of God as he revealed himself to David:
Psa. 18:2: The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
My God, my strength, in whom I will trust;
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
The song if placed in narrative in 2 Samuel at the end of David’s life. Although commentaries do not know the date for certain when David wrote the song.
Psa. 18: 9-15: T.P.T.: I cried out to you in my distress, the delivering God, and from your temple-throne you heard my troubled cry. My sobs came right into your heart and you turned your face to rescue me…You stretched heaven’s curtain open and came to my defense. Swiftly you rode to earth as the stormy sky was lowered. You rode a chariot of thunderclouds amidst thick darkness, a cherub, your steed, as you swooped down soaring on the wings of spirit-wind. Wrapped and hidden in the thick-cloud darkness, your thunder-tabernacle surrounded you. You hid yourself in mystery-darkness; the dense rain clouds were your garments. Suddenly the brilliance of your presence broke through with lightning bolts and with a mighty storm from heaven---like a tempest dropping coals of fire. The Lord thundered, the great God above every god spoke with his thunder-voice from the skies. What fearsome hailstones and flashes of fire were before him! He released his lightning-arrows and routed my foes. See how they ran and scattered in fear! Then with your mighty roar, you laid bare the foundations of the earth, uncovering the secret source of the sea. The hidden depths of land and sea were exposed by the hurricane-blast of your hot-breath.
In King James, verse 18 read: He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.
Verses 16-19 tell of the resulting deliverance of this visitation of the LORD:
“He then reached down from heaven, all the way from the sky to the sea. He reached down into my darkness to rescue me! He took me out of my calamity and chaos and drew me to himself, taking me from the depths of my despair. Even though I was helpless in the hands of my hateful strong enemy, you were good to deliver me. When I was at my weakest, my enemies attacked, but the Lord held on to me. His love broke open the way and he brought me into a beautiful broad place. He rescued me---because his delight is in me!”
These verses are prophecy applying to Jesus Christ: The sorrow of death surrounded him. In his distress he prayed for himself and for us. God made the earth to shake and tremble, and the rocks to cleave. God brought him out in his resurrection into a large place because he delighted in him.
“The sorrows of hell and the snares of death are part of the dealings that come upon a son of God” (Heb. 12: 5-11 – Kelly Varner).
Verses 20-30. David sees his deliverance as an act of vindication: evidence that Yahweh always deals righteously and faithfully with those who trust and obey Him. David praises the faithfulness of God in keeping his covenant promises.
Only Jesus Christ fulfilled the next verses, but because He did fulfill the righteousness of God on earth as it is in heaven, you and I can walk in the victory.
Psalm 18: 20-29: The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness;
According to the cleanness of my hands
He has recompensed me. For I have kept the ways of the LORD,
And have not wickedly departed from my God. For all His judgments were before me. I did not put away His statutes from me.
I was also blameless before Him. I kept myself from my iniquity.
Therefore. the LORD has recompensed me according to my righteousness,
According to the cleanness of my hands in His sight.
With the merciful You will show Yourself merciful;
With a blameless man You will show Yourself blameless; with the pure You will show Yourself pure; with the devious You will show Yourself shrewd. For You will save the humble people but will bring down haughty looks.
For You will light my lamp; the L my God will enlighten my darkness. For by You I can run against a troop, by my God I can leap over a wall.
The second part of the Psalm consists of a celebration of the triumphant career of an anointed king who has the backing of Yahweh. It is the victory of Jesus Christ and His anointed.
We should decree this over our President, our nation, our families, and church family.
18: 31-45: For who is God, except the LORD? Who is a rock, except our God?
It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of deer and sets me on my high places. He teaches my hands to make war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You have also given me the shield of Your salvation; Your right hand has held me up. Your gentleness has made me great. You enlarged my path under me, so my feet did not slip. I have pursued my enemies and overtaken them.
We have been set in the heavenlies by Christ Jesus. We are to flow from the throne of God in the righteousness of Jesus Christ. God’s way is perfect. Our hands can war in praise breaking through the stubbornest resistance.
Verses 46-50 breaks forth in high Praises and declares a blessing over the House of David, his seed, Jesus Christ, and the Church of Jesus Christ forever more.
PSALM 19 – THE HEAVENS DECLARE THE GLORY OF GOD and the firmament shows His handiwork.
This has to be one of my favorite Psalms and the one we will close with today. I had hoped to get through Psalm 72, but I blessed myself in these Psalms and lingered for a while.
Psalm 19:1: “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day to day utters speech, and night to night shows knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through al the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them has He set a tabernacle for the sun. This is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoices as a strong man to run a race. His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit to the ends of it; and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.”
The Psalm declares a two-fold revelation of the Lord which are written for the instruction and edification for the children of men. He has revealed himself in the eloquence of nature and the clarity of scripture.
In the first six verses, the name of God (or El) appears once and Jehovah not at all. In the last eight verses, which speak of the Law, the name Jehovah appears seven times. There is a seven-fold description of the Word of God. It is perfect, sure, right, pure, clean, true, and righteous. (seven adjectives). There are six nouns describing the Word of God. It is the law, testimony, statutes, commandment, fear, and judgments of the Lord. The Word will convert, make wise and rejoice the heart and enlighten the eyes.
The following excerpts are from “Declaring the Glory” by: Rev. Lyn Gitchel
19:1: “The heavens declare the glory of God.”
The word “declare” here means to “continually rehearse” and implies constant repetition for a definite reason. It is the picture of a drama that is acted out nightly on the stage of the heavens against a backdrop of the galaxies.
19:2: “Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night shows knowledge.”
The word “uttered” is found other places in the scriptures, sometimes connected with prophecy. It means “constantly telling forth” in the same way that prophecy goes forth and declares a message.
19:3: “Their line is gone out through all of the earth…”
Again. we have the thought of a drama acted out day after day, night after night. “Their line” means the “spoken phrase” that is used over and over in this drama. In a play, there are set lines and phrases for each actor to say. He must not deviate from these, he must speak the line, or lines, allotted to him by the writer of the drama time after time, until the drama is discontinued. This is the meaning of this phrase “their line is gone out through all of the earth.”
19:4: “…their words to the end of the world.”
“Words” here in the Hebrew “millah” and is used mostly in the Bible book of Job and is different from the word generally translated “words”. It means “teachings,” words that instruct. These words are there to teach us something.
Thus we might paraphrase these verses like this:
“The heavens continually rehearse the glory of God, and the firmament shows His handwork. Day unto day is constantly giving a teaching and night unto nigh supplies the knowledge we need to understand it. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their spoken phrase is rendered daily and nightly on the stage of the heavens, and their teachings give instruction to the whole of the world.”
In these two verses we see several different voices that are speaking:
1. The heavens
2. The firmament
3. Days
4. Nights
The connect together. The heavens and the firmament go together, and so do days and nights. Each is saying something different and has a completely different message. Here again we have the picture of a drama.
So, let’s look at what each act of this drama covers and what it is saying:
Act 1: The heavens…declare…the glory.
Act 2 The firmament…His handiwork.
The first act of this drama displayed in the heavens is about the glory of God and how it affects his creation, his handiwork. It is showing us something God is doing and how he is doing it.
Act 2: Day after Day…is speaking prophecy.
Night after night…is giving knowledge or information, poetical language. We can assume that the information being given by the night after night drama is needed to explain the prophetic speech of the Day.
And so, to summarize what we see here, we learn that the heavens and the firmament are telling us that the glory of God will somehow be revealed through his creation, God’s handiwork, and that the day and night routine that goes on continually throughout our existence is teaching us the method God will use to achieve it and when.
19: 4-6: “In them has he put a tabernacle for the sun…”
God’s purpose for this tabernacle, he said, was that he might “dwell among them” (Ex. 25:8) and therein lies the key. It was to be a dwelling place for the presence of God.
It has always been God’s intention to dwell with his people. From the days of Adam and Eve he made that clear. It has been man’s choice to remain separate from God, not God’s choice. We are now the tabernacle of God through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
Psalm 19 speaks of a “tabernacle for the sun” which is said to shine clearly, so clearly that it is conspicuous from a distance.
We have learned that the secret to our own lives is in actually “housing” the Son---actually being a dwelling place for him.
Lyn quotes this chorus as her favorite:
“For I was born to be His dwelling place.
A home for the presence of the Lord
So, let my life now be consecrated unto Thee,
That I may be what I was born to be.
We were born to be his dwelling place, in our own selves to house the Lord. It is only as God fully and completely fills our lives that we will be what he intended for us to be from the start.
The picture of the sun, the greater light, which is the fullness of the glory, symbolizes Christ our heavenly bridegroom. The bridegroom is seen coming out of his chamber, his bedroom, only it is not any chamber. The word used is the Hebrew word “chuppah” and is the bridal chamber…
Redemption does not finish with the marriage of the Lamb to his bride. The marriage is but a step along the way…The intimate relationship of Christ to his bride is to produce in us duplicates of himself, his image and likeness. We, of course, are not speaking of biological sons, but about the nature and likeness of Christ. Ephesians 4:13: “till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.”
When that image is “birthed” in and through us, we will be fully reflecting his glory.
Gal. 4:19: My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you.”
19:4-5: “…as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber and rejoices as a strong man to run a race.”
…The picture here is one of joy, of exhilaration, a picture of a man giving a joyous whoop and raising his arms in the excitement of accomplishment. One of the hardest things to understand about the love relationship of Christ to his bride is the intensity of the love that he has for each of us…
Christ actually takes joy in our company and is exhilarated by our time spent with him…
Ps. 19:6: His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit to the ends of it; and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.
There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. God’s glory appears to all mankind in the speech of creation. All people may hear these natural immortal preachers speak to them in their own tongue the wonderful works of God.
Carolyn Sissom, Pastor
Eastgate ministries Church. 10115 West Hidden Lakes Lane, Richmond, TX
Scripture from K.J.V. I entered into the labors of Declaring The Glory by: Rev. Lyn Gitchel; Principles of Present Truth from Psalms by: Kelly Varner; Comments and conclusions are my own and not meant to reflect the views of those from who I entered into their labors. I hope you will order the book by Lyn Gitchel. It beautifully describes how the Lord is taking us from glory to glory to reflect the Glory of Jesus Christ.