Lesson#20p2

PSALMS 65
LESSON #20/P2
A SONG OF RESTITUTION: THE GOD OF MIGHT

• MEMORY VERSE: ROM 8:23

• PSALMS 65 AND PSALMS 66 ARE SONGS OF RESTITUTION SUNG AT HARVEST TIME THAT HAVE A STRONG PROPHETIC SIGNIFICANCE.
• ALL THROUGH THE BIBLE THE PROPHETS HAVE PROMISED RESTITUTION IN THEIR PROMISES TO GOD’S PEOPLE. THE KEY QUESTION IS, WHAT IS IT THAT WILL BE SUBJECT TO RESTITUTION THAT GOD WILL RESTORE? THE ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION IS IN THESE TWO PSALMS.
• READ ACT 3:21
• THE WORD RESTITUTION HAS SEVERAL SHADES OF MEANING:
• =1= THE GIVING OF AN EQUIVALENT FOR COMPENSATION OF LOSS, DAMAGE, OR INJURY CAUSED.
• =2= THE RESTORATION OF PROPERTY OR RIGHTS PREVIOUSLY TAKEN AWAY.
• =3= THE RESOTRATION TO A FORMER OR ORIGINAL STATE OR POSITION.
• ALL THREE OF THESE MEANINGS APPLY TO GOD’S RESTITUTION IN THE BIBLE. HOWEVER, EVERYTHING IS NOT SUBJECT TO RESTORATION.
• FOR EXAMPLE, GOD WILL NOT RESTORE EVERY HUMAN EVER BORN TO AN ORIGINAL STATE OR POSITION OF SINLESSNESS. IN OTHER WORDS, GOD WILL NOT RESTORE THE WICKED DEAD…EVERY PERSON WILL NOT BE SAVED TO SPEND ETERNITY WITH GOD.
• THE PRIMARY AND THE PROPHETIC INTERPRETATION:
• READ PSA 65:1-13
• PRAISE TO GOD IN ZION FOR FULFILLING HIS VOW (1)
• OF WHAT VOW IS THIS PSALM SPEAKING?
• THE VOW REFERS TO GOD’S PROMISES THAT HE HAS MADE TO HIS PEOPLE, THE JEWS, AND SUBSEQUENTLY TO CHRISTIANS. GOD HAS VOWED TO FULFILL HIS WORD THROUGH JESUS CHRIST.
• READ HEB 6:13-20
• THE VOW REFERS TO GOD, THE FATHER’S PROMISE TO HIS SON, JESUS CHRIST, THAT EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO HIM AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL CONFESS THAT HE, JESUS CHRIST, IS LORD AND WORTHY TO RULE. (PHI 2:11 PSA 110:1-2)
• THE REFERENCE TO ZION IN VERSE 1 TELLS US WHERE AND WHEN GOD WILL MAKE RESTITUTION AND FULFILL HIS PROMISES.
• MT. ZION IS A PHYSICAL PLACE IN HEAVEN AND A PHYSICAL PLACE ON EARTH. (PSA 48:2)
• MT. ZION IN HEAVEN IS THE LOCATION OF GOD’S THRONE.
• MT. ZION ON EARTH IS LOCATED IN THE CITY OF JERUSALEM. IT IS A SMALL MOUNTAIN RANGE RUNNING THROUGH THE CITY. THE HIGHEST POINT OF MT. ZION IS WHERE JESUS WAS CRUCIFIED. WE CALL IT MT. CALVARY. THE SECOND HIGHEST POINT ON THAT MOUNTAIN RANGE IS THE TEMPLE MOUNT WHERE SOLOMON BUILT THE TEMPLE FOR GOD.
• GOD WILL MAKE RESTITUTION IN THE EARTHLY MT. ZION DURING THE MILLENNIAL REIGN OF CHRIST ON EARTH AND CONTINUE THAT RESTITUTION INTO ETERNITY.
• “…UNTO THEE SHALL ALL FLESH COME.” (2)
• GOD HAS PROMISED THAT HE WOULD RAISE ALL BELIEVERS IN THE MESSIAH, JESUS CHRIST, FROM THE DEAD. HE WILL FULFILL THIS VOW IN THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM OF CHRIST.
• AFTER THE FUTURE 7-YEAR TRIBULATION ON EARTH, CHRIST WILL RETURN TO EARTH A SECOND TIME. HE WILL BRING WITH HIM ALL RAPTURED BELIEVERS TO WHOM HE HAS GIVEN A NEW IMMORTAL BODY. (1THE 4:13-17)
• AT THE COMING OF CHRIST, HE WILL RAISE FROM THE DEAD ALL THE TRIBULATION MARTYRS WHO DIED IN THAT 7-YEAR PERIOD, AS WELL AS ALL THE DEAD OLD TESTAMENT SAINTS. THEY WILL BE GIVEN A NEW IMMORTAL BODY. (DAN 12:1-2)
• IN THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM OF CHRIST ON EARTH, ALL THESE BELIEVERS FROM ALL TIME AND HISTORY WILL COME TO JERUSALEM (MT. ZION) TO WORSHIP CHRIST. (ZEC 14:16)
• IN THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM OF CHRIST ON EARTH, ALL HUMAN BELIEVERS WHO HAVE SURVIVED THE TRIBULATION PERIOD TO ENTER THE MILLENNIUM WILL COME TO WORSHIP CHRIST IN JERUSALEM.
• “INIQUITIES PREVAIL AGAINST ME…THOU SHALT PURGE THEM AWAY.” (3)
• GOD HAS PROMISED TO WASH OUR SINS AWAY, IF WE CONFESS THEM TO HIM AND ASK FOR FORGIVENESS. (1JOH 1:9)
• DAVID KNEW HE WAS A SINNER AND NOT WORTHY OF GOD’S GRACE, BUT HE EXPERIENCED GOD’S FORGIVENESS. WE CAN, TOO! THIS IS THE GREAT MOTIVE FOR PEOPLE TO PRAISE GOD.
• GOD GRANTS IMMEDIATE FORGIVENESS. HOWEVER, WE ACCEPT BY FAITH THAT GOD HAS DONE THAT. FORGIVENESS IS NOT SOMETHING WE CAN SEE OR FEEL.
• IT IS NOT UNTIL WE ARE WITH HIM FACE TO FACE WILL WE KNOW IN FACT THAT ALL OUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN THROUGH THE SHED BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST.
• IT IS IN THE MILLENNIUM THAT WE WILL BE RESTORED TO THE PREVIOUS STATE OF SINLESSNESS EXPERIENCED BY ADAM AND EVE BEFORE THEY COMMITTED THAT FIRST HUMAN SIN. BUT EVEN BETTER THAN ADAM AND EVE, WE WILL HAVE AN IMMORTAL BODY NOT SUBJECT TO SIN ANYMORE.
• “BLESSED IS THE MAN WHOM THOU CHOOSEST…” (4)
• THE ASPECT OF GOD’S CHOOSING INDIVIDUALS TO BE WITH HIM FOR ETERNITY HAS SUFFERED MUCH MISUNDERSTANDING. IN UNDERSTANDING GOD’S CHOOSING, WE MUST MAINTAIN A BALANCE BETWEEN SEVERAL DIFFICULT CONCEPTS:
• GOD HAS GIVEN MEN FREE WILL OF WHICH GOD WILL NEVER VIOLATE.
• GOD IS AN ALL KNOWING GOD ABLE TO KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT THE FUTURE.
• GOD IS A SOVEREIGN GOD.
• THE BIBLICAL CONCEPT OF ELECTION (GOD’S CHOOSING):
• GOD GIVES MAN A CHOICE TO LOVE HIM OR NOT TO LOVE HIM. GOD NEVER FORCES MAN TO LOVE HIM, AND GOD NEVER FORSAKES A PERSON WHO DECIDES BY FREE WILL TO LOVE JESUS CHRIST.
• GOD KNOWS FROM THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD WHO WILL EVENTUALLY ACCEPT AND RECEIVE CHRIST IN HIS HEART.
• THEREFORE, BY GOD’S SOVEREIGN POWER, HE SETS APART THAT PERSON BY CHOOSING TO WORK IN THAT PERSON’S HEART AND LIFE TO BRING HIM TO THAT POINT IN TIME WHERE THE PERSON DECIDES TO INVITE JESUS INTO HIS HEART. (EPH 1:5-12)
• BY HIS SOVEREIGN POWER, GOD EVENTUALLY WILL BRING THAT PERSON INTO CHRIST’S MILLENNIAL KINGDOM ON EARTH WHERE THE BELIEVER WILL ENJOY THE GOODNESS OF GOD’S HOUSE FOR 1,000 YEARS (A MILLENNIUM). (4)
• GOD ANSWERS PRAYER
• “BY TERRIBLE THINGS IN RIGHTEOUSNESS…” (5)
• THE WORD, TERRIBLE, MEANS = AWESOME IN POWER.
• DAVID WAS CONFIDENT THAT GOD WILL ANSWER PRAYER. DAVID EXPERIENCED MANY ANSWERS TO PRAYER BY THE AWESOME POWER OF GOD.
• GOD’S POWER OVER THE EARTH (6-13)
• THE AWESOME POWER THAT WE SEE IN NATURE IS A SMALL DEMONSTRATION OF THE MIGHTY POWER OF A GOD WHO ANSWERS MAN’S SMALLEST, MOST INSIGNIFICANT PRAYER.
• THESE VERSES FROM VERSE 6 TO VERSE 13 ARE ALSO PROPHETIC IN THAT THEY TELL US THE RESULTS OF GOD’S POWER OF RESTITUTION ON EARTH DURING THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM OF CHRIST.
• AT THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST TO EARTH, A GREAT EARTHQUAKE WILL RESHAPE THE LAND AND SEA MASSES ON EARTH. (REV 16:18-20)
• NOTICE THAT VERSE 9 OF THIS PSALM SAYS THAT, “THOU VISISTEST THE EARTH…”
• CHRIST’S KINGDOM WILL REIGN OVER AN EARTH WHERE THE CURSE OF GEN 3:16-17 HAS BEEN REMOVED. THE EARTH WILL BE MORE LIKE THE ORIGINAL GARDEN OF EDEN.
• A RIVER THAT COMES FROM UNDER THE TEMPLE IN JERUSALEM WILL WATER THE EARTH. (9-10) (EZE 47:1-12)
• THE EARTH WILL PRODUCE ABUNDANTLY WITH NO HUNGER AND NO FAMINE. (11-13)
• THE ELEMENTS OF NATURE WILL NOT DAMAGE AND SPOIL THE HARVESTS. ANIMALS WILL BE AT PEACE WITH EACH OTHER.
• SUMMARY AND APPLICATION:
• IF RESTITUTION IS THE SUBJECT OF THIS PSALM, WHAT HAVE WE OBSERVED IN THIS PSALM THAT GOD SAYS HE WILL RESTORE IN THE MILLENNIUM?
• =1= PRIMARILY, GOD WILL ANSWER MAN’S PRAYER FOR FORGIVENESS AND RESTORE BELIEVERS TO A STATE OF SINLESS RIGHTEOUSNESS IN A NEW, IMMORTAL BODY. (1COR 15:51-57)
• =2= GOD WILL FULFILL HIS PROMISE TO RESTORE THE EARTH BY REMOVING THE CURSE OF GEN 3 SO AS TO PROVIDE ABUNDANCE FOR MAN DURING THE MILLENNIUM.
• READ ROM 8:17-23

HOMEWORK
PSALMS 66 AND PSALMS 67
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.

• APPLICATION OF PSALMS 65:
• IF YOU HAVE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF GOD’S PROMISE OF FORGIVENESS OF SINS, THEN GIVE HIM PRAISE FOR HIS MERCY AND GRACE THAT CHOOSE YOU TO BE PART OF HIS KINGDOM.
• IF YOU HAVE NOT TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF GOD’S PROMISE OF FORGIVENESS OF SINS AND WOULD LIKE TO DO SO, PRAY AND CONFESS TO GOD THAT YOU ARE A SINNER IN NEED OF FORGIVENESS. INVITE JESUS INTO YOUR HEART AND LIFE TO BE YOUR LORD AND SAVIOR. THEN THANK GOD FOR HIS FORGIVENESS EVEN THOUGH YOU MAY NOT FEEL ANY DIFFERENT. FORGIVENESS IS BY FAITH IN GOD’S PROMISE AND NOT BY FEELINGS.
• PREPARATION FOR PSA 66 AND PSA 67:
• READ PSA 66:1-20
• WHAT DOES GOD PROMISE TO RESTORE IN THIS PSALM?
• THERE ARE THREE SELAH’S IN THIS PSALM. WHAT THREE THINGS SHOULD WE STOP AND THINK ABOUT? (PAY ATTENTION TO THE STATEMENTS JUST PRECEEDING THE WORD, “SELAH” TO GET YOUR ANSWER)

• READ PSA 67:1-7
• WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE MAIN PURPOSE FOR MAN’S LIFE ON EARTH?
• WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE MAIN PURPOSE FOR PREACHING THE GOSPEL?

• MEMORY VERSE: PSALMS 66:16