Sermon


"When There is Moral Confusion on the Journey" Psalm 125

Posted: July 31, 2008

“WHEN THERE IS MORAL CONFUSION ON THE JOURNEY”

Psalm 125

July 6, 2008

SERIES: “SONGS FOR THE JOURNEY”

No doubt about it – the old absolutes are collapsing. There seem to be no standards anymore. Everything is relative. But as Allan Bloom wrote in his book, The Closing of the American Mind, when you look into the mind of a relativist, you discover that nothing is there. An “open mind” is an empty mind, and it makes us vulnerable. People today are easy prey for evil, and evil is always close at hand. Today, as we continue to look, in these Psalms of Ascent, at things that threaten and for which we need God’s aid and protection, we look at the cultural, human evil which is all around us and tempts us. Old Testament theologian and professor Walter Kaiser writes:

“Regardless of how secure many of us feel, there come to all of us times when we are suddenly left with a real or imagined sense of insecurity. When the strong suddenly become weak, when the trusted suddenly become untrustworthy, when the healthy suddenly become ill in either body or mind, the issue of security looms high on our list of priorities.”

In this day and age of moral confusion, how to we make our way through the landmines? How do we put an end to our own moral confusion, because there seems to be a lot of it in the church. We are defending things that the Bible clearly says are sins – abortion on demand, active homosexual practice, living together without marriage, greed and consumerism, violence, political corruption, dishonesty, and much more. This Psalm gives us some help with three actions that can help us to end our own moral confusion. The first thing we can do is this:

TRUSTING IN GOD’S CHARACTER CLEARS UP MORAL CON FUSION.

God is compared to many things in Scripture. Here, he is compared to mountains, specifically, the mountains that surrounded Jerusalem. When I think f God as a mountain, I think of two qualities.

First, I think of STABILITY. See verse 2. This Psalmist, as a little boy, had seen these mountains. Then, as he grew into a young man and made the pilgrimage with his family to one of the feasts, he saw them again. Now he was older, and they were still there. And they are still there today! And like these mountains, God is stable, dependable. Remember the words of James, the apostle and half-brother of our Lord? Every good and perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. (James 1:17, New King James Version) God is tea me yesterday, today, and forever. We never need to be afraid that his standards will change, or that his love will change, or that his righteousness will change. What was sin then is still sin now, and no amount of “scientific enlightenment” can change that. God is still our surest reference point when it comes to understanding right and wrong, and knowing what pleases him and what does not.

But along with stability, when I think of a mountain, I also think of SECURITY. Look at verse 2. “As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people…” Jerusalem really was an impregnable fortress with its great walls and the mountains on any side. And pilgrims who arrived for the feasts felt safe at the end of their arduous and, at times, dangerous journey. This does not mean that we are always insulated or spared from troubles. But it does mean we have a refuge to run to in those troubles. We may not be untouchable – but we can be unshakeable.

I love the story from the life of the prophet Elisha, found in 2 Kings 6. He and his servant were in the little town of Dothan, where the Syrian army had pursued them without their knowledge. Early in the morning, the servant went outside the place where they were staying and saw that they were surrounded by Syrian armies of horses and chariots. He called Elisha in terror. “Oh. My Lord, what shall we do?” What happened next?

Elisha answered, “Don’t be afraid. We have more forces on our side than they have on theirs.” Then Elisha prayed, “Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” The Lord opened the servant’s eyes and let him see. The mountain around Elisha was full of fiery horses and chariots. (2 Kings 6:16-17, God’s Word Translation)

God still surrounds us today with security and protection. The fact that we don’t see it does not diminish the reality of its presence. When you commit to the true God, the God who does not change his standards, and the God who stands with you in the moral confusion, you become secure in him, and this clears your moral vision. Then see what happens, according to verse 1? Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion…” WE become like a mountain, stable and secure in our moral clarity, so we can stand strong against the onslaught of ideas, temptations, ridicule that may occur when our moral stands become known.

I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. (Psalm 16:8, New International Version)

For the king trusts in the Lord, and through the steadfast love of the Most High, he shall not be moved. (Psalm 21:7, New Revised Standard Version)

He alone is my Rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken. (Psalm 62:6, New Living Translation)

The idea carries over into the New Testament as well. Paul said this to the elders at Ephesus, before he left them for his journey to Jerusalem where he would face arrest, various trials, imprisonment, shipwreck, and more: But none of these things moves me, nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. (Acts 20:24, New King James Version)

The New Testament says that we stand in grace, we stand in freedom, we stand on his Word, we stand in his will, and therefore, we can be steadfast and immovable, abounding in the work of the Lord. God is unchanging, and he will stand beside us to help us to stand. When we understand his character, we can clear up moral confusion. Secondly…

SUBMITTING TO GOD’S RULE CLEARS UP MORAL CONFUSION.

Verse 3 says, “The scepter of he wicked will not remain over the land allotted to the righteous, for then the righteous might use their hands to do evil.” When evil is allowed to have dominion (“the scepter of the wicked”), to be prevalent, it becomes easier for all to sin. Surely, that is the age in which we live. We read more and more about evil in many forms, and it keeps getting worse and more bizarre – and the worst part is, God’s people get sucked into it. How many statistics have we seen over the past 5-10 years showing how Christians are not noticeably different in their lifestyles and priorities than are pagans. But the New Testament continually urges us to live up to our calling, to our position in Christ. We have BEEN MADE holy, so we should BE holy. But so often we are not. We are not different. We are not showing a better way of living. This is primarily because we have forgotten what has happened to us.

He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves. (Colossians 1:13, Holman Christian Standard Bible)

When we truly come out from under the dominion of evil and come instead under the rule of God, the moral fog starts to lift. The promise is that the oppressors will never finally win. But the eventual defeat of evil begins as God’s people come to truly know and trust God, and therefore, submit to his scepter. Warren Wiersbe puts it this way: ”God has made you safe (verses 1-2) that you might be submitted, and your submission should lead to separated living.” We will not, in the end, change this country through legislation. Our Savior does not come from the White House or from the halls of Congress, or from the Supreme Court, no matter which parties they represent. Abortion and activist homosexuality, and broken homes, and violence will end as people’s hearts are changed, one by one, as we show persons the way out of the dominion of the kingdom of evil and into and under the rule of the kingdom of God. It will happen through our witness in both word and deed.

But don’t despair. This Psalm says that there will always be people of faith, who trust and obey in bad times and who receive good from the Father. So we are motivated to keep our eyes on the Lord, to rest on his promises, and to do right. Just keep on keeping on. And so, based on the assurance of verses 1-3, the Psalmist prays in verse 4. “Lord, do good to those who are good, to those who are upright in heart.” Remember, the promises of God’s Word do not eliminate the need for prayer, but they teach us what to pray for. The term “upright in heart” means to be fully devoted. Jesus said it this way in the Sermon on the Mount: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” (Matthew 5:8, New International Version) Among other things, this says that we will see God at work in our lives right now and be increasingly blessed by God’s goodness. But it begins as we come daily to the Lord and place our lives on his altar as living sacrifices, taking up our cross and following him. As we faithfully follow, he will show us more and more what his perfect will is – and we will have a greater desire to lead others into the same life-changing decision. There is one more key here to clearing up our moral vision.

FOCUSING ON GOD’S FUTURE CLEARS UP MORAL VISION.

People of faith know that God will one day make everything right, no matter how much they seem to get away with. It’s not easy to walk the narrow way, but it is this way that leads to life. It is the broad and easy way that leads to destruction. That’s what Jesus said. Verse 5 says, “But those who turn to crooked ways the Lord will banish with the evildoers.” Look with me for a moment at another Psalm that says the same thing in a more detailed way – Psalm 73. I won’t read it all, because it is long, but I want to pull out some significant verses. Turn there with me.

Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. They are free from common human burdens; they are not plagued by human ills. Therefore pride is their necklace; they clothe themselves with violence. From their callous hearts comes iniquity; the evil conceits of their minds know no limits. They scoff, they speak with malice; with arrogance they threaten oppression. Their mouths lay claim to heaven, and their tongues take possession of the earth … They say, “How would God know? Does the Most High know anything?” This is what the wicked are like – always free of care, they go on amassing wealth. Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure and have washed my hands in innocence.

Now drop to verse 16.

When I tried to understand all this, it troubled me deeply till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny. Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down in ruin. How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors! They are like a dream when one awakes; when you arise, Lord, you will despise them as fantasies. (Psalm 73:1-13, 16-20, Today’s NIV)

Make no mistake. God is still sovereign. The Psalm ends with a blessing of peace, of shalom, of well-bring on Israel. And the only true peace anyone will ever know is the peace that has been made with God through the cross, and the peace that comes from God for our daily living.

Things can be clear in a confused age. When we trust the Lord, we will become secure in his love so we can stand strong, knowing he will keep us. Then we will desire to come under his rule and truly experience his kingdom in our hearts, receiving a steady supply of his goodness, rather than living under the kingdom of darkness with its moral confusion and compromise. Those who refuse this will eventually be judged. When we know these things, we will stay centered on what is good and beautiful and true – and we will have peace. The life of faith is not easy, but the life of unbelief is much harder – both now and in the life to come. Let’s close again with the words that Isaac Watts used as he made this Psalm into a hymn.

Unshaken as the sacred hill and firm as mountains be,

Firm as a rock the soul shall rest that leans, O Lord, on thee.

Not walls or hills could guard so well old Salem’s happy ground.

As those eternal arms of love that every saint surround.

While tyrants are a smarting scourge to drive them near to God,

Divine compassion does allay the fury of the rod.

Deal gently, Lord, with souls of thine, and lead them safely on

To the bright gate of Paradise where Christ their Lord has gone.

But if we trace those crooked ways that the old serpent drew,

The wrath that drove him first to hell shall smite his followers, too.

Let’s close in prayer.