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RETURN TO SYLLABUS
PSALMS 28 AND 29
LESSON #21
HEARING THE VOICE OF GOD
MEMORY VERSE: PSALMS 29:2
PSALM 28 AND 29 GO TOGETHER. IN FACT PSALM 28 GIVES US THE BACKGROUND FOR UNDERSTANDINGPSALM 29.
READ PSA 28:1-9 A CRY IN THE TIME OF TROUBLE
PROPHETIC INTERPRETATION:
DURING THE TRIBULATION PERIOD, JEWS AND CHRISTIANS WILL BE PERSECUTED BY THE ANTI-CHRIST.THIS WILL BE THE TIME OF GREAT TROUBLE FOR GODS PEOPLE. CHRISTIANS WILL CRY TO GODFOR HELP AND DIRECTION. JEWS WILL CRY TO GOD FOR SALVATION AND TURN TO JESUS CHRIST.
READ JER 30:7
PRIMARY INTERPRETATION AND PERSONAL APPLICATION:
“OH LORD, MY ROCK” (1)
THE ROCK IS A TITLE FOR JESUS CHRIST, AND THE NAME, “ANOINTED”, IN VERSE 8, IS AREFERENCE TO JESUS CHRIST.
JESUS CHRIST IS THE ROCK OF THE OLD TESTAMENT AND THE NEW TESTAMENT.
READ EXO 17:6, NUM 20:8-12 AND 1COR 10:4
JESUS CHRIST WAS THE ROCK THAT MOSES STRUCK TO OBTAIN WATER FOR THE ISRAELITES IN THEWILDERNESS. WHEN MOSES STRUCK THE ROCK THE SECOND TIME, IT ANGERED GOD. WHY? BECAUSE JESUSCHRIST WAS CRUCIFIED (STRUCK) ONLY ONE TIME.
EVEN THE OLD TESTAMENT TELLS US THAT THE ROCK WAS THE SYMBOL FOR GOD WHO SUSTAINS HISPEOPLE.
READ DEU 32:18
IN THE NEW TESTAMENT JESUS SAID THAT THE WISE MAN BUILDS HIS HOUSE UPON A ROCK IF HE WANTSHIS HOUSE TO WITHSTAND THE STORMS OF LIFE.
DAVID HAD BUILT HIS LIFE ON THE ROCK OF JESUS CHRIST. HE WAS A WISE MAN. HE HAD A LOT OFSTORMS IN HIS LIFE, BUT GOD SUSTAINED HIM THROUGH THEM ALL SO THAT HE WAS ABLE TO STANDFIRM.
IF YOU WANT TO STAND FIRM THROUGH THE STORMS IN YOUR LIFE, YOU WILL BUILD YOUR LIFE ON THEROCK OF JESUS CHRIST.
“THEM THAT GO DOWN INTO THE PIT” (1)
THESE ARE THE NON-BELIEVERS WHO DO NOT KNOW GOD AS THEIR ROCK. THEIR LIVES ARE NOTESTABLISHED IN JESUS CHRIST. WHEN THEY DIE THEY GO TO HELL WAITING FOR THE JUDGMENT.
“THY HOLY ORACLE” (2)
THIS WAS THE MERCY SEAT WHICH WAS INSIDE THE HOLY OF HOLIES. IT WAS A LID ON TOP OF THEARK OF THE COVENANT.
(1KI 6:16, 19-23)
GODS PRESENCE WAS OVER THE ARK OF THE COVENANT BETWEEN THE TWO GOLDEN CHERUBIM.INSIDE THE ARK WAS THE TEN COMMANDMENTS OF LAW. THE MERCY SEAT WAS BETWEEN GOD AND THELAW. IT IS BECAUSE OF THE MERCY SEAT THAT MAN IS GIVEN MERCY INSTEAD OF JUSTICE FORBREAKING GODS LAW.
READ 1JOH 2:1-2 (ROM 3:24-25)
JESUS CHRIST IS OUR MERCY SEAT TODAY.
IT IS THROUGH JESUS CHRIST THAT WE CAN COME TO GOD, THE FATHER, WITH OUR PRAYERS ANDREQUESTS. IT IS THROUGH JESUS CHRIST THAT WE RECEIVE GUIDANCE IN TIME OF TROUBLE.
DAVID ASKED GOD FOR DIRECTION IN HIS TIME OF TROUBLE. (1)
WHEN THE STORM CLOUDS OF TROUBLE SURROUND US AND BECOME SO DARK, WE ARE IN DANGER OFLOSING OUR WAY. IT IS TIMES LIKE THIS THAT WE NEED DIRECTION.
DAVIDS STATEMENT OF FAITH (6-8)
NOTICE THAT AS DAVID BEGAN TO PRAISE GOD IN THE MIDDLE OF HIS TROUBLE, HIS FAITH WAS MADESTRONG.
BY FAITH HE SAYS, “I AM HELPED.” (7)
APPLICATION:
WHAT DO WE LEARN IN THIS PSALM ABOUT HEARING GODS VOICE FOR DIRECTION IN OUR LIVES?
THE PROBLEM WITH MANY CHRISTIANS IS THAT THEY UNFORTUNATELY DONT SEEK GODSDIRECTION UNTIL THEY ARE IN THE IDDLE OF THE STORM. THEN THEY ECHO DAVIDS WORDS INVERSE 1. “BE NOT SILENT TO ME; LEST IF THOU BE SILENT TO ME, I BECOME LIKE THEM THATGO DOWN INTO THE PIT”. THE SURROUNDING PROBLEM MAKES THEM BLIND AND DEAF TO GOD ASTHEY LOSE THEIR WAY SPIRITUALLY IN THE DARKNESS OF THE STORM..
IT IS DURING THE GOOD TIMES THAT WE NEED TO BUILD OUR LIVES ON CHRIST, THE ROCK. YOUDONT BUILD A HOUSE IN A STORM. YOU FIND SHELTER IN A STORM. IT IS DURING THE GOODTIMES THAT WE NEED TO SEEK GODS DIRECTION AND BECOME FAMILIAR WITH HIS VOICE. THEN,WHEN THE STORMS COME, AND THEY WILL, WE WILL BE PREPARED.
PSALM 29 THE VOICE OF GOD IN THE STORM
THIS PSALM ALSO HAS BEEN CALLED, “THE PSALM OF SEVEN THUNDERS”.
PRIMARY INTERPRETATION:
IN PSA 28 DAVID DESIRES TO HEAR GODS VOICE IN HIS TIME OF TROUBLE.
IN PSA 29 HE TELLS US WHAT GODS VOICE IS LIKE IN THE MIDDLE OF A STORM. WE SEETHE GLOOM OF THE STORM, THE ROAR OF THUNDER, THE FLASH OF LIGHTENING, THE POUNDING RAIN,AND TERROR ON ALL SIDES. IT IS A WONDERFUL DESCRIPTION OF A STORM.
READ PSA 29:1-2 DAVIDS ADMONITION BEFORE THE STORM COMES:
DAVID TELLS US TO GIVE THE LORD GLORY AND STRENGTH AND HONOR IN WORSHIP
“OH YE MIGHTY” ARE THE SAINTS OF GOD.
REMEMBER I SAID WE ARE TO PREPARE FOR THE STORM BY BUILDING OUR LIVES ON CHRIST BEFORE THESTORM COMES? THAT IS WHAT DAVID IS SAYING, TOO.
READ PSA 29:3-4 THE BEGINNING OF THE STORM:
THE STORM BEGINS IN NORTHERN ISRAEL IN THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA. (“UPON MANYWATERS”). DAVID IS IN JERUSALEM. HE CAN HEAR THE FAINT THUNDER ROLLING IN THEDISTANCE.
READ PSA 29:5 THE STORM IN LEBANON
THE CEDAR TREES IN LEBANON WERE WORLD FAMOUS AT THAT TIME. THEY WERE TALL, STRONG TREESAND COVERED THE LAND OF LEBANON. SOLOMON USED SOME OF THESE TREES TO BUILD THE TEMPLE FORGOD.
NOW THEY ARE NO MORE WHAT THEY USED TO BE.
DAVID HEARS THE STORM AS IT COMES ASHORE AND MOVES DOWN TOWARD JERUSALEM. LIGHTNING SPLITSSOME OF THE TREES.
READ PSA 29:6-7
THE STORM IS MOVING MORE QUICKLY TO THE SOUTH SKIPPING LIKE AN ANIMAL OVER HILLS ANDVALLEYS AS IT MAKES ITS WAY TOWARD JERUSALEM. THEN DAVID SEES THE LIGHTNING LIKE FIRE OVERTHE CITY.
READ PSA 29:8-9 THE STORM OVER JERUSALEM
AS THE STORM PASSES OVER THE CITY TOWARD THE SOUTHERN DESERT, THE WINDS POUND EVERYTHINGIN THEIR PATH.
THIS STORM IS AN UNUSUALLY SEVERE STORM. IT MAKES PREGNANT ANIMALS GIVE BIRTH EARLYBECAUSE OF FEAR. IT MAKES PEOPLE RUN TO THE TEMPLE TO PRAY FOR GODS MERCY.
READ PSA 29:10-11 THE END OF THE STORM
THERE WAS SO MUCH RAIN THAT THE STREETS AND HOUSES ARE FLOODED.
BUT IN THE END, GOD GIVES HIS PEOPLE PEACE.
THROUGH THIS PSALM DAVID MENTIONS THE VOICE OF THE LORD SEVEN TIMES. EVERY MANIFESTATIONOF THE VOICE OF GOD MENTIONED HERE IS MENTIONED IN GENESIS 1 REGARDING CREATION.
PERSONAL APPLICATION:
WHAT DO WE LEARN IN PSALM 29 ABOUT THE VOICE OF THE LORD?
| PSALM 29: | SIGNIFICANCE: |
| 1. THE VOICE OF THE LORD IS UPON THE WATERS…THUNDERETH (3) | 1. THE LORD SPEAKS TO YOU IN A LOUD VOICE DURING TIMES OF TROUBLE. THE CONDITIONS?
–YOU MUST KNOW HOW TO RECOGNIZE HIS VOICE. –YOU MUST LISTEN. |
| 2. THE VOICE OF THE LORD IS POWERFUL (4) | 2. GODS DIRECTION CAN OVERCOME CONFLICTING DIRECTION FROM YOUR OWN SELFISH DESIRES. |
| 3. THE VOICE OF THE LORD IS FULL OF MAJESTY (4) | 3. GODS DIRECTION IN THE STORM WILL RESULT IN GLORY TO GOD. |
| 4. THE VOICE OF THE LORD BREAKETH THE CEDARS (5) | 4. GODS DIRECTION IS STRONG ENOUGH TO BREAK THROUGH ANY DIRECTION FROM SATAN. |
| 5. THE VOICE OF THE LORD DIVIDES THE LIGHTNING (7) | 5. GODS DIRECTION WILL BE OBVIOUS (SPIRITUALLY VISIBLE) TO YOU IF YOU LOOK FOR IT. |
| 6. THE VOICE OF THE LORD SHAKES THE WILDERNESS (8) | 6. GODS DIRECTION CAN TURN UPSIDE DOWN YOUR SITUATION. |
| 7. THE VOICE OF THE LORD MAKES THE HINDS TO CALVE (9) | 7. GODS DIRECTION SHOULD CAUSE YOU TO FEAR THE LORD. YOU SHOULD HAVE SUCH AN AWESOME RESPECT FOR THE LORD THAT YOU OBEY HIS DIRECTION. |
DAVID USES A STORM TO DEPICT GODS POWERFUL PRESENCE ON THIS EARTH. IN FACT, EVERYVIOLENT ACT OF NATURE IS REPRESENTED IN THIS PSALM:
TIDAL WAVE (3) THUNDER (3) LIGHTNING (5) WHIRLWIND (6) VOLCANIC ERUPTION (7) EARTHQUAKE(8) TORNADO (9) FLOOD (10)
THEREFORE, THERE ARE SEVERAL PRINCIPLES WE CAN GAIN FROM THIS PSALM:
1. GOD IS IN CONTROL OF ALL NATURAL PHENOMENA ON THIS EARTH AND OFTEN SPEAKS THROUGH THESEEVENTS:
A. AS A WARNING
B. AS JUDGMENT
2. GOD CAN SPEAK TO YOU AND GIVE YOU GUIDANCE THROUGH ANY STORMY PROBLEM IN YOUR LIFE.
IN FACT HE CAN SPEAK LOUDER THAN THE STORM.
PROPHETIC APPLICATION:
THE STORM CAME FROM THE NORTH IN DAVIDS TIME. EARLY IN THE TRIBULATION PERIOD, ANENEMY WILL COME FROM THE NORTH TO INVADE ISRAEL. (EZE 38 AND 39). ALSO THE BATTLE OFARMAGEDDON AT THE END OF THE TRIBULATION WILL BEGIN IN THE NORTH AND SPREAD SOUTH FROMMEGIDDO TO BOZRAH. HOWEVER, GOD PROMISES TO GIVE STRENGTH AND PEACE TO HIS PEOPLE. (11)
HOMEWORK
PSALM 30
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.
APPLICATION OF PSA 28 AND 29
AT THE PRESENT TIME IN YOUR LIFE, ARE YOU IN A STORMY PROBLEM OR IS THIS ONE OF THOSE CALMTIMES?
IN EITHER CASE, WHAT SPECIFIC THINGS SHOULD YOU BE DOING TO MAKE SURE YOU COME THROUGH THESTORMY PROBLEMS OF LIFE?
PREPARATION FOR PSA 30
READ PSA 30:1-12
WHAT ENCOURAGEMENT DO YOU SEE IN THIS PSALM FOR SOMEONE WHO IS GOING THROUGH SEVEREILLNESS?
MEMORY VERSE: PSALM 30:2
