THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION

Psalms: Living By Faith In God

C. An All-Sufficient God For Our Vulnerabilities

(Psalm 100:1-5)

Introduction: (To show the need . . .)

From the human perspective, we are vulnerable to a wide variety of significant harms:

(1) We are vulnerable to harmful ignorance by climate scientists: “(B)efore carbon dioxide” was “the primary target of global-warming fearmongers, a major target was sulfur dioxide – a hazardous substance generated by burning fossil fuels, especially coal . . . Today, it appears likely the campaign against coal and other fossil fuels exacerbated . . . rising air and ocean temperatures. Climate scientist James Hansen, a hero of the quest to control global warming, has issued a report” that “sulfur-dioxide emissions may actually have helped keep the planet from overheating” by making “‘clouds brighter and more persistent, so they reflect more of the sun’s incoming heat . . . to space.’” (“When ‘the science’ shifts,” Republican-American, April 3, 2024, p. 8A, citing Inside Climate News)

(2) We are vulnerable to a lack of integrity and hence credibility in our state’s voting process: “Bridgeport Democratic vice chairwoman, Wanda Geter-Pataky, who was caught on camera stuffing a ballot box seven months ago, has not been charged with a crime even though the evidence she committed fraud was unambiguous enough for a court to mandate a redo of the primary she obviously compromised. But as the Connecticut Post reported . . . when the Democratic Town Committee held its officer elections,” and “(g)iven the opportunity to replace Ms. Geter-Pataky with a challenger, the 90-member committee reacted thusly: ‘Geter-Pataky was clearly among friends (March 11), with 65 of those town committee members present re-electing her, (Chairman Mario) Testa’s vice chair and some enthusiastically chanting her name.’” (Ibid., April 4, 2024, p. 12A)

(3) We are vulnerable to extensive abuses by the federal government: “The biggest threat to ‘democracy’ – if by democracy we still mean the Constitution – is when the powerful ignore limits of the state with impunity. From that perspective, Biden has been a cancer on ‘democracy.’ The Left rationalizes and often justifies his authoritarianism by noting the existence of Trump. Even if the former president were as bad as Democrats claim, there is a slew of institutions ready to stop him. Biden? Those institutions cheer on his abuses. And that alone makes him more dangerous.” (David Harsanyi, “RFK Jr. is right about President Biden,” Ibid., April 8, 2024, p. 8A)

(4) We are vulnerable to troubling ideas about Bible prophecy: “All talk leading up to” the recent “solar eclipse took a backseat . . . when the area was shaken by another rare phenomenon for these parts – an earthquake . . . For many, the coincidence . . . was a hot topic.” For example, “Jennifer Rose, executive secretary to (Waterbury) Mayor Paul K. Pernerewski Jr., said she was on the phone . . . when suddenly ‘the building began shaking . . .’ Rose said she asked her colleagues if it was an earthquake. ‘I think so,’ replied . . . a mayoral aide. That prompted Rose to shout, ‘Jesus is returning soon!’” (Steve Bigham, “No damage after 4,8 magnitude earthquake rattles the area,” Ibid., April 6, 2024, p. 1A) Her statement reflects the widespread belief that Christ’s Matthew 24:7, 29, 33 prediction of a darkened sun and moon and earthquakes, etc. signal Christ’s Second Coming, that such signs will also accompany a “great tribulation” of horrible human suffering under the antichrist as predicted by Jesus in Matthew 24:15-21.

Need: So, we ask, “In view of the vulnerability we face to various harms today, what would God want us to do?”

I. Psalm 100:1-2 and 4 called believers worldwide to give thanks to the Lord, to serve Him with gladness and to come before His presence with joyful songs of praise to His name.

II. The reason for this call is that God is their All-Sufficient God for their vulnerabilities to harm, v. 3, 5:

A. Psalm 100:3a testifies that the Lord is the Creator Who made believers, that they did not make themselves, and verse 3b asserts that believers are God’s people who are also the figurative “sheep” of His pasture.

B. Man’s great vulnerability to harm is evidenced by the psalmist’s likening God’s people to sheep, for sheep are known for getting themselves easily lost or led astray and they are helpless before their predators if they do not have a shepherd. (J. D. Douglas, ed., The New Bible Dictionary, 1973, s. v. “SHEEP”)

C. However, the All-Sufficient divine Shepherd addresses all the vulnerabilities of His “sheep,” Psalm 100:3c, 5:

1. God’s believers worldwide are under His care, for they all are “sheep of His pasture,” Psalm 100:3c.

2. Being under God’s care, believers find Him to be fully able and willing to address all of their needs, v. 5:

a. The Lord is “morally good, wholesome” (from the Hebrew adjective tob, Kittel, Bib. Heb., p. 1061; H. A. W., Theol. Wrdbk. of the O. T., 1980, v. I, p. 345-346), Psalm 100:5a: (i) God is motivated to guide and feed His people versus having no drive to do so, for His moral goodness demands such action. (ii) Since a shepherd carried a “club” (shebet, B. D. B., A Heb. and Eng. Lex. of the O. T., p. 986) to use on enemy predators and a “staff” (mish’enet, Ibid., p. 1044), a rod with a large hooked top end to rescue sheep from their getting themselves caught in thorn bushes or getting themselves stuck in a ravine (cf. Psalm 23:4b), God’s moral goodness drives Him to want to guide and to feed His people, and to protect them from harmful enemies and from the harm that they may create for themselves by their own actions!

b. The Lord’s “lovingkindness, loyal love” (hesed, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., H. A. W., p. 305-307) endures forever, Psalm 100:5b: (i) God’s lovingkindness or loyal love lasts forever, so He is committed to guiding and feeding his people tirelessly since His motive to do so cannot cease for any reason. (ii) Thus, God’s “club” will be used on His people’s enemies and His “staff” tirelessly to help His people out of their own self-inflicted problems in life since His lovingkindness or loyal love cannot cease for any reason!

c. The Lord’s “faithfulness, total dependability” (‘emuna, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., H. A. W., p. 51-52) continues to all generations, Psalm 100:5c: (i) God’ faithfulness or total dependency drives Him to guide and feed His people without interruption from one generation to the next throughout history. (ii) Thus, God’s “club” will be used on His people’s foes without interruption for each generation, and His “staff” to bail His people out of their own self-inflicted problems will be used without interruption for each generation!

Lesson: All of God’s people worldwide should thank Him, serve Him with gladness, and come before His presence with joyful songs of praise, for God is their All-Sufficient Shepherd for all of their vulnerabilities to harm.

Application: (1) May we trust in Christ Who died as our Atoning Sacrifice for sin that we might receive God's gift of eternal life, John 3:16; 1 Corinthians 15:1-11. (2) May we thank, gladly serve, and worship God, for He is our All-Sufficient Shepherd for all of our vulnerabilities to harm, be it from our enemies or from our own missteps!

Conclusion: (To illustrate the message and provide additional guidance . . .)

God as our All-Sufficient Shepherd Who meets all of our needs of vulnerability as believers has specific guidance, encouragement and hope in His Word for the issues of concern mentioned in our introduction (as follows):

(1) By way of brief review, Scriptures that address the concerns of our vulnerabilities (a) to harmful ignorance by climate scientists, (b) to a lack of integrity in our state’s voting process, and (c) to extensive abuses by the federal government, are as follows: (a’) Genesis 8:22 promises God’s preservation of the earth’s climate for man’s survival as long as the planet exists. (b’) Romans 13:1-5 promises God’s control of who arises to rule, and Proverbs 21:1 ESV shows that God controls how rulers think and act, so we need not fret about the voting process. (c’) Romans 13:1-5 and Proverbs 21:1 then also apply to extensive federal government abuses, and Proverbs 20:12 directs that God gave us eyes and ears to know empirical reality, what can help us avoid harm! [To illustrate, David Harsanyi’s complaint about President Biden’s support from “a slew of institutions” (Ibid., Harsanyi) is credible seen in how even the Left has acknowledged that Mr. Harsanyi presents “‘differing perspectives worth your time’” to cite Anna Dubenko, “Right and Left: Partisan Writing You Shouldn’t Miss,” The New York Times, May 12, 2017!]

(2) Also, since God our Shepherd is amply motivated to do what is good for us, eternally loving and loyal to act in our behalf, and fully dependable to continue to do what is best for us in each generation, we can trust Him to use His “club” on our foes and His “staff” to deliver us from our own self-made calamities, Psalm 100:1-5.

(3) On our vulnerability to troubling ideas about Bible prophecy, (a) the view that Matthew 24 predicts events in the Church era is the Amillennial view held by the Catholic Church and the Protestant Reformers that was begun by the Alexandrian school of theology that treated the Bible allegorically to deduce that the Church replaces Israel in God’s plan. (J. F. Walvoord, The Blessed Hope and the Trib., 1976, p. 12-16; C. C. Ryrie, Disp. Today, 1970, p. 44-45). (b) Yet, the consistent literal interpretation of the Bible (dispensationalism) shows the Church does not replace Israel (Ibid.), and Matthew 24:1-28 does not predict what occurs for the Church since the Church was still future in Matthew 16:18 and the Greek word for “church” (ekklesia) is first used in Acts 5:11 after Matthew’s Gospel ends (Moul. & Ged., A Conc. to the Grk. Test., 1974, p. 316). (b) In reality, Matthew 24:1-28 predicts the 70^th “week” of 7 years of Daniel 9:27 for Israel, with Matthew 24:4-14 explaining the first 3 ½ years of Daniel 9:27 and Matthew 24:15-28 explaining the last 3 ½ years of Daniel 9:27 (Ryrie St. Bib., KJV, 1978, ftn. to Matt. 24:3). (c) God takes the Church to heaven in the rapture before the entire Daniel 9:27 “week” of 7 years begins. (1 Thess. 4:13-5:11; B. K. C., N. T., p. 703-707) (d) So, unusual events like earthquakes and eclipses that occur before the rapture do not mean the antichrist is about to appear with great suffering along with Christ’s return, for all that occurs after the rapture!

May we trust in Christ Who died as our Atoning Sacrifice for sin that we might receive God’s gift of eternal life. May we then thank, serve, and worship God as our All-Sufficient Shepherd for our vulnerabilities!