Psalm 83 Pt 12

0:01 All right, Psalm eighty three, Maybe we'll finish. I don't know. I'm gonna just really focus on one major point, I think, but we'll see Psalm eighty three. We've been working on this now forever. It all started because of a sermon series for our Sermon's two point oh app Sermon Challenge, And next thing, you know, that series went to thirty something messages and I don't think they ever dealt with Saw eighty three. But uh so, you know, you can criticize, or you can then try to turn a criticism into something positive. So anytime I do a sermon review and I don't like it, what I almost inevitably do is turn it into something positive. Because it's easy to criticize, it's much more difficult to do what We'll then take the text and actually work through it, right, So that's what we're doing. So I'm I'm just gonna start reading in verse one and we'll just do some basic review here, as basic as I can. We've covered so much in this that if you missed it all, there's no way I can catch you up, right, Psaw maybe three. Starting in verse one, do not keep silent, Oh God, do not hold your peace, and do not be still, Oh God.

1:11 This established in my mind that it was a lament because it's a sum of Asaph. If you see they're in the heading. We know Asaph is like the worship leader during the time of David, maybe at the beginning of Solomon. Then we refer to this as a communal lament. A communal lament is where the psawmist and says, takes the emotions and the feelings of the people and cry out to God. And they are crying out to God. And there seem to be pretty upset, do they not? Depending on your translation, at least the New King James, it has it this way, do not keep silent, Oh God, exclamation mark, right, do not hold your peace and do not be still, Oh God, exclamation mark. What they're trying to demonstrate is that's to communicate what great emotion crying out to God. And it seems to imply what that they feel like God has been silent, that God has held his peace, and that God has been still. They need God to do something, so they're going, it's crying out to God. It's a lament, right. They're they're very bothered, and they're very concerned and then it says in verse two for behold your enemies, and then please note make a tumult. Do you see the word make? All right?

2:34 What is significant about that? Does not say will make, doesn't say had made, but has made. It's a present situation. So we've we've we established Psaw eighty three is a lament lamenting something that was happening at that time. Remember the original series said that this was prophetic of some coming Middle East war, and we reject that. Others try to take it back to second chronicles and we reject that. And they even tried to say Asaf was there, and we realized that he was dead. Like, I don't know what preachers do sometimes sometimes I'm baffled by what happens.

3:16 And what's crazy is when you're listening to the sermons and you hear the people in the pew saying amen, and you're like, what are you amening? You're amening absolutely fraudileent information. Okay, but it just demonstrates you have to check everything. So our feelings some many three is a lament lamenting situations that were present at that time and what were they dealing with? Well, we get an idea verse two for Behold, your enemies make a tumult, and those who hate you have lifted up their head. They have taken crafty counsel against your people. So the enemies are they identified as the enemies of God. But these enemies of God have come against whom Israel? And why would they come against Israel? While philologically we could argue because they are God's chosen people. If you hate God, you hate Israel. Okay, everybody can understand that. So these enemies are coming after them, right, and we can read a little bit more here. They have taken crafty counsel against your people. They've consulted together against your sheltered ones.

4:25 They have said, come, let us cut them off from being a nation that the name of Israel may be remembered no more. All right, These enemies are not just people who hate them. These are enemies who want to do what wipe them off the face of the earth. All right. Now, Remember we looked at the characteristics of these enemies and said that these characteristics of these enemies are the characteristics of the enemies of God's people, and there is similarity there, and we talked about all of that. But they're facing a very dire, dire situation. Right, This is just not like, oh, we're having a few problems. They've got a confederacy of nations to destroy them. That's why they're crying out to God. All right, everybody see that and remember that, all right. And it says for they have consulted together with one consent, they form a confederacy against you, the tints of Edom and the Ishmaelites Moab.

5:15 The hagwrites gieball emmon Emelek Felistia with the inhabitants of tire Syria also has joined with them. They have helped the children of Lot, and we went through all of these enemies. They enlist them, right, So from a and even though some commentators say, no, those are just symbolic, there's nothing there and tells us it's a symbolic, right, those are actual nations who actually came together, that actually came against Israel during the time most likely of David, but at least while Asaf was alive. All right, it's a real historical situation, all right. Then verse nine, we have like three words. What are the three words in verse nine? Do unto them or deal with them? In the New King James, everybody see that now immediately. This is where we took a slight detour, but it was very worth our time. Deal with them? Is them is asaf and the people crying out to God basically in prayer to do what to do something about the situation.

6:22 And I said that anyone who is a decent Bible student should immediately go. That makes absolutely no sense. Prayer makes absolutely no sense. Why does prayer make no sense? Because we pray to a God whom we cannot see to intervene and to deal with circumstances which we can see. But at the very least, the God whom we cannot see knew these circumstances would happen and had done nothing to prevent them. So why are you praying to the God who knew and did nothing to stop it. That seems foolish. And at the at most, the God whom we cannot see did more than just know it and not do anything about it. He decreed it and directing it.

7:20 So praying God to do something about it would seem utterly ridiculous. And what did we establish, if we're honest, What motivates and guides our prayer has nothing to do with theology it's superstition, it's our motions, it's our will, it's everything about us. So we looked at the different theological perspectives to prayer. The reform view says, we don't pray God, we don't pray to God to do what. The reform perspective we do not pray to God to do what, to change anything. We pray to God demonstrating our submission. Two the situation. Now you say that even to people you know who are reformed, they will lose their mind on you. But that's because their belief in prayer has nothing to do with their theology. The non reform view becomes very problematic, right, because then there's like we're changing God. But then that almost leads to what open theism. It almost leads to as God doesn't know what's going on, he's not in control of what's going on.

8:26 And that's major earlier because if God is not in control and knows what's going on, then once again you're left with one question, why pray to him? Right? And if you believe that God has to constantly protect everyone's free will and can never act upon someone's will, there's no point in praying because almost every prayer inevitably would have God acting upon someone's will in some way, shape or form, would it not? They know, crazy, the non reform people like pray for so and so salvation? Why am I praying for it? You believe in free will. God can't do anything, So stop prayer. Wait our prayers. I will argue. If you want to know the most philologically heretical hour of any church, go to a church that has a prayer meeting, because everything in that prayer meeting is piologically inaccurate. I know that's not going to be very popular, but it just is because all the prayers are just so like, what are you talking about?

9:32 What are you doing? You're asking God to change it. He can't change it. If he is the one who decreed it. You're literally praying against his will, which would put your prayer as being rebellious. Nobody wants to acknowledge. So we talked about that because that's some difficult stuff to do within the Psalm? Is it not? Because you're like, well, why are you praying to God? Hey, Asaf, He's the one who's decreeing it to happen. Now, what did we conclude? Ah Israel and the Old Testament, Israel could pray to God in a way that we cannot, because they could pray God to intervene, to prevent, protect, and to provide on the basis of the covenants God had made with Israel.

10:27 Then you look, well, that makes perfect sense. They're not praying for God to go against his will. They're praying for God to fulfill the very will that he established. Now for us, we can pray all the things promised to us spiritually, right, so we don't have the same promises. God's will for Israel is clearly outlined. His will for us is only outlined for our future, and his will for us to pursue holiness. That but even that can be complicated, right because if I pray for God to stop me from sinning and make me holy, we know he's not going to do that, is he, Because if he did, he would just remove ours in nature. So we already know that they're for us. Weren't a much more complicated. So just remember Israel's prayers when you read it.

11:24 Because everyone goes to the Old Testament and then takes lessons from prayer based on what they read in the Old Testament. That is foolish unless you are a Jew, and you're praying on the basis of those covenants. I can't pray on the basis of those covenants because I'm not a part of those covenant, only the New Covenant, only being grafted in. And what do I read from the New Covenant The spiritual benefit, not the national benefit. I know people will lose their minds hearing that, But look, nothing, the Bible doesn't make any he says. If you don't separate those, it turns into a mess, or at least in my brain, it turns into a mess. So Louie, So he says, deal with them. Then verse nine, ten, eleven, and twelve, let's read it. Deal with them as with Midian, as with Cicera, as with Jabin at the brook of Kishon, who perished at Indoor, who became as refuse on the earth.

12:18 Make their nobles like Areb and like zeb Yeah, all the princes, like Zeba and Zalmuna, who said, let us take for ourselves the pastures of God for our for a possession. Now, please note a couple of things we'll see here, just that we didn't cover this, But that phrase at the end of verse twelve. Every translation is going to be different, all right, They said, take for ourselves what the King James says, the Houses of God. The other translation says pastures of God. Okay, so we have two options. If it's the pastures of God, what is it a reference to land? They want the land to belong to Israel. If it's the houses of God, that's a little confusing. If it's plural, right, so then it would be like their sacred spaces. You would think it would refer to the Temple. But if it uses plural, maybe it's a reference to the Tabernacle. I don't know that.

13:17 Pastures of God is much easier for me to wrap my mind around. Right. They want to take possession of the land, which would make sense, correct, right, So either way, these are the enemies. Now what did we learn? We went into great detail last week about all of these enemies, that God intervened in these situations and what in some ways very miraculous, other ways not as miraculous. Even though we had a little back and forth with artificial intelligence, we felt that even in the passages where God is not explicitly mentioned, he's still mentioned enough to demonstrate what God was guiding and directing all of these interventions. But all of these interventions God is doing on the basis of what his covenants. We can't take from that and say God is going to intervene in the same way for us. This is the major problem within churches. We constantly go to the Bible say, well, God did this, He'll do it for me. No, you don't have a covenant given to you like they had, right, And remember, the covenant is very specific, right, especially if you look at the land covenant, right, the land covenant is God's gonna protect, provide, defeat your enemies, do all of this stuff. Now, that land covenant is conditional, right, And it's only conditional as far as them what maintaining the land, But it is not conditional on them ultimately getting the land, because

14:50 the land goes all the way back to the Abrahamtt Covenant and it appears again in the New Covenant. All right, So there, but there contanning the land was conditional. But whenever they were facing problems, they could pray to God to do the things he said he would do, and that promise. All right, everybody makes sense of all of that. Now that brings us today to wear Verses thirteen and following. Okay, now I'm going to start reading here. I'm gonna I think I went through all of those notes that I wanted to cover really quick. Let's go see here. Where do we want to go? Here? Here we go? You ready starting a verse thirteen, asaf pray specifically, Oh my God, make them? Who is the them? All the enemies listed in verse six, seven and eight. Everybody got that. Make them like the whirling dust, like the chaff before the wind, as the fire burns the woods, as the flame sets the mountains on fire. So pursue them with your tail and frighten them with your storm. Fill their faces with shame.

16:05 All right? Let them be confounded, all right, and you get you get the basic idea, be dismayed forever. Let them be put to shame and perish. See that in verse seventeen. All right, now, when we look at this section, what would this usually be referenced as that within this communal lament, we have a section that would be classified. Sarah was the first one to identify it way back when we started and precatory prayer. Within this lament, there's an imprecatory section. And whenever we think of in precatory prayer. What are we thinking? It's a prayer for what ultimately the destruction of your enemies? All right? Everybody got that?

16:55 And precatory prayer is a call for the destruction and removal of your enemies. Now, as a New Testament Christian, we have some struggles with this, right? Why do we have struggles with in precatory prayer? As a New Testament Christian, I can go to the Sermon on the Mount and Jesus says, love your enemy, turn the other cheek, resist not evil, Bless them that would persecute you or use you. Right that in Romans thirteen that we are to submit to the authorities over us. Paul goes on to say, do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good a complan. There's nowhere in the New Testament that calls for us to offer up an imprecatory prayer, not one.

17:51 Even though that is the case, pastors, churches and Christians inevitable call on in precatory prayer, always for what purpose the destruction or death of a president or political parties, typically conservative Christians calling for the death. While they did it for Obama multiple times, they did it for Biden and I always go after the conservative churches. And I say this all the time. Why do I go after the conservative churches and not the liberal churches. Why do I always go after the conservative churches even though it ticks everyone off? Why? Because liberal churches their issue is not their political stance. Liberal churches already left Christianity. You go to liberal churches, what do they ultimately deny? Almost always the deity of Christ, the infallibility and the inspiration of Scripture. They deny substitutionary atonement. In many cases, they deny the bodily resurrection of Christ. They've already abandoned Christianity.

19:08 So what should I expect from them? I shouldn't expect Christianity, right, So for that, So that's why I don't. I don't. He said, well, what about I always get the emails? What about progressive Christianity? What about philological liberal churches? Why are you worried about them? They already loved Christianity. Conservative churches. The reason I go hard after them is because they're confessions of faith. Sound like Christianity. They believe in the deity of Christ, they believe in substitutionary toomey, at least on paper. They say they believe in solvation by grace alone, to faith alone because of Christ. They say they believe all of that, But what have they done, And evitably they've prostituted themselves to a political party in order to try to then push Christianity upon an unbelieving world. And politics is not the way Christianity advances. The early Church did not advance and through Christianity had advanced opposed to Christianity.

20:08 In fact, you could argue Christianity was its most pure when it was opposed by the political leaders. But once the political leaders were in support of it, what inevitably happened. The Church and state merged and Christianity became corrupted. All right, So let me state it again. Christianity was its most pure when it's opposed by the government, not when the government becomes its friend, because then we seek fleshly means, the set of spiritual means. We rely on the arm of the government instead of relying on the arm of God. This is why I say it all the time, and I know people lose their mind, so everyone remain common, don't throw anything. The best thing that could ever happen to the Church would be that every Republican. I don't care.

20:58 From the city, to the state to the federal government, all of them are voted out of office and there is no Republicans left on earth. That would be the best thing that's ever happened to Christianity. Why we wouldn't have anything except God, So what would we have to rely on? Prayer, fasting, preaching. Now I say that everybody loses their mind because everybody wants Christianity imposed upon the world.

21:38 The world doesn't need Christianity imposed upon them, they need Christianity presented to them. All right, Now, I can say all this because you know, we got a force cell sign in front of the church, so it doesn't matter anymore. Okay, Before if I would have said that, I guarantee what we have had people never come back. I guarantee you we have people never come back. But I mean, at this point, I don't care. I mean, but I've stated it on the podcast. I've always tried to keep that out of the pulpit as much as possible, but it's just inevitable here because when you get to have precatory psalms, I remember over and over those things being offered up against Obama, and I was an utter shock, Like, why would you say that that's a father, he has kids and you want him dead because you disagree with this politics.

22:23 And you tell me you're a Christian. There's nothing Christian about that. You don't do agree with this policies. You know what, the man dead, what should you want salvation if he does not have it? That's ridiculous. That's the poison of politics. Politics poisons Christianity and precatory psalms are not for you to use. So you can have people die because you don't agree with their political party. And if that's the what do you think then your issue is not political. You've got a spiritual problem far worse than I can even comprehend, because you're supposed to be loving your enemy. So then how do we under So then that raises the question, then how do we understand the imprecatory psalms? Why is there a contradiction between the Old Testament and the New Testament? Okay, I'm going to I'm going to estell. I'm gonna throw out an idea.

23:31 I want you to write these words down. Theocratic monarchy. Theocratic monarchy. Now, I know Christian nationalists want a theocratic monarchy which is frightening and scares me to death. Okay, all right, they want a theocratic monarchy with Donald Trump is ahead of the theocratic monarchy, which scares me to death because I just read an interview of Donald Trump who says, if I'm a good person, I'll go to heaven. That's not a Christianity, all right. The man has no concept of what Christianity is. So you want the person in charge of a theocretic monarchy to be someone who doesn't understand the basic elements of the Gospel. I don't want to theocratic monarchy because what did we see throughout church history? Whenever you try to establish something like that, people die because what happens theocratic monarchy now takes religion and theology and can now make that punishable by death under a civil code. And we saw that right, and so the church could wash its hands go. We didn't kill anyone. No, you just st are the ones who declared who was a heretic? Then the civil government killed them in your behalf. Your hands are still covered in blood.

24:50 And I don't want anyone dying. I guess what, Sometimes when the church can be very wrong and who it declares who to be a heretic. If you would like, just save up some money, go to Salem and go to the Salem Witch Museum, and you'll see the names of the people who died because the stinking Puritans accused people who were innocent of witchcraft and killed them. And most likely they did it because I'm a church split or a church division. The people in the church were fighting each other. What's a good way to get rid of the people in the church. Accuse him of being a witch and have them dead. Then they can't argue with you in church. Oh, because that's how great Christianity is.

25:33 That stuff drives me crazy about That's why I love Salem. But every time I leave there, I'm like, I get so furious at everything that happened there. It tells me why I do not want Christian nationalism. People died. It's insane. A man accusing his wife of being a witch. Okay, get you what, Hey, I'm sick of your bad cooking. Okay, she's a witch. And then they use spectral evidence, which is crazy, right because they could be like, well, Bobby was nowhere near your house, but his spectral image, his his ghost, his spirit appeared, so even though Bobby would be nowhere around, I could accuse Bobby of tormenting me or doing something to me because you were using witchcraft to do it. Well, they according to the Puritans, they weren't supposed to be using that kind of evidence, and they used even the right The whole thing was insane. Okay, don't give me a whole start on that whole thing.

26:27 Everything about it was ridiculous, right, but it shows what happens. Well, this case, theocratic monarchy explains the imprecatory prayers because they are operating under a governmental system which we were not operating under in the New Testament. And did Jesus ever call or Paul call for imprecatory prayers against the Roman leadership. I wonder why, because guess what system? They were not involved in a theocratic monarchy. So this was my theory because I've never heard the imprecatory prayers, looked at it from this case. So I immediately started arguing with Ai over this because I was like, can someone agree with me on this subject? All right? So here's some things AI had to say. And precatory prayers which invoke curses or judgments on enemies can indeed seem inconsistent with the New Testament teaching about loving one's enemies and the New Testament teaching such as love your enemies Matthew five and example is Jesus praying for forgiveness for those who crucified him, emphasizing a message of love, forgiveness and reconciliation. Some scholars and theologians argue that a precatory prayers were more aligned with the context of the Old Testament theocracy and theocratic monarchy.

27:56 I was like, I love Aii. Always agrees with me. I love Ahi, but I was shocked to see that it came up with that idea. I had the idea, so I just said, well, how do we reconcile this contradiction? Right? Well, they admitted there was a contradiction because there would appear to be a contradiction, and immediately its first solution, or at least according to them some theologians, of course, it has to say that, because when it pulls from all the information, it immediately finds there's no agreed upon. So I know not everyone will agree with me, but I think that you are in a completely different world in SSAW eighty three, a completely different world right now, how would does theocrotic monarchy work? Well? Okay, theocracy and theocretic monarchy where Israel as a nation faced external threats and enemies in that historical and cultural setting, and precatory prayers may have been a way for the people to express their trust in God's justice and protection. Because what did God say and his promises to Israel he would do to their enemies. So if God says he will destroy your enemy, then it would not be wrong for you to pray for their destruction because you are under what kind of a system? A theocratic monarchy? How do we what do we mean by theocratic monarchy? God and an earthly king together so that the king is being directed

29:29 by God? Right, and we see that right, we have in many cases God literally leaning or goiding or directing or speaking to one of the kings for them to do something right, and in many cases that may mean destruction of enemies. Did God not direct specifically for them to go into the land and do what I don't understand it, I don't like it. But he told them to wipe everyone off the face of the earth basically right now that it's horrifying from our perspective. But that's God doing it. Now. This is another reason why I completely reject God speaking to anyone outside of the Bible, because if you believe God is speaking to you outside of the Bible, we've seen this happen. Parent will kill their child telling them that God told them to do it right, horrible things. God only speaks to us in the Bible. We have to draw a distinction between the Theocretic monarchy and what we live under. We live under what the New Testament lived under, which is what not a theocratic monarchy. And there's nowhere in the New Testament calls for a re establishment of a theocretic monarchy, but it does describe the re establishment of a theocracy. But that establishment of the theocracy occurs where Revelation chapter nineteen, where who comes back Christ on a horse with a sword, and then what begins to occur the killing of all the enemies, and then he establishes the throne. We are

31:00 not called to do that. We're not called to storm the capital or kill people. What we are called to do is submit and trust God. Right, but under this system, it would make perfect sense for them to call that. As Christianity developed the emphasis shifted towards love, mercy, and forgiveness as a central tenet of the faith. While there may be instances where invoking divine justice is appropriate, the overall message of the New Testament encourages believers to respond to adversaries with love and to seek reconciliation rather than vengeance. And here's what I would say, whenever you decide to invoke divine justice against anyone, you better then go ahead and ask for God to invoke divine justice on you, because anyone you want to die, they're no more ungodly than you. From a philological perspective, I understand. In a practical perspective, right, but because they do thiseically doesn't make you better than them, because you're not doing that politically because you have your own sin? Does that make sense? Therefore, some Christians view in precatory prayers as being belonging to a different era and context in the Old Testament, while emphasizing the importance of embodying the love and forgiveness taught by Jesus in the New Testament. All right, so here's some of the lessons AI suggested from a precatory prayers.

32:32 Here's some of their things. Number one a trust in God's justice. The psalmist plea for the destruction of the enemies reflects a deep trust in God's justice and righteousness. It teaches us the importance of relying on God to deal with adversaries and injustices, rather than taking matters into our own hands. This lesson encourages us to have the faith that God will ultimately bring about justice and his perfect timing. So what can we take from inmprecatory prayers that we trust God to make things right? And what does the New Testament says? Are we to take vengeance binges of the Lord? So we trust God to bring about justice in his time, and we see him bringing out that justice where Revelation chapter nineteen. Revelation Chapter nineteen, I'm going to go there over and over and over.

33:19 God now comes and he does what he brings justice. Then he establishes a kingdom where he will rule and reign, and at the end of the thousand years, then he wipes out everything, and then the rule continues throughout eternity where there is no more pain, suffering, or death, and justice reigns. But so our trust is in that ultimate justice. Right we rely on God right, So we need to learn to trust in God's justice. Second, as we recognize God's sovereignty. By acknowledging God is the ultimate authority and power over all nations, the Sama symphasizes the sovereignty of God. This lesson reminds us to respect and honor God's supremacy in our lives and in the world. Us to submit to His will and trust is his plan, even with facing opposition or challenges. It's just a God. You're a sovereign.

34:08 You know the situation. I would like you to do things differently than you're doing. It's okay to state that. It's perfectly okay. Here's what I would choose, but not my will, that will be done. I mean, Jesus expressed what he wanted from him and his humanity. He wanted what not to drink the cop It's perfectly okay to express that. You can even express your anger at the situation. It's perfectly okay to go to God and go I hate what they're doing. I despise what they're doing. I am angry. And it's even okay to tell God I hate them. Because you are acknowledging the reality of what you feel. God can handle that reality. Now, are you going to God to justify it? No, You're going to God to admit right. So I can scream out in a sense and imprecatory prayer to God and has expressing my emotion. But I am not I'm not well. One, I don't go post it on social media, okay. Second, because I'm expressed. It's a private matter where I'm expressing to God what I feel inside, and what I feel inside is not always very good. All right? Everyone should say amen to that, because what's inside of you doesn't always feel very good, right, all right? So, but where should we express it to God? If we would all learn that lesson, we'd all be better off. Right, express it to God, not to anybody else, and God can

35:39 handle hearing it. But while by expressing it, you're also acknowledging what He's sovereign. Does that make sense? All right? Protection of God's people the Samist so number one trust in God's justice. Number two recognition of God's sovereignty. Protection of God's people. The Samist prayer for the enemies to be scattered and terrified serves as a plea for the protection of God's people. This lesson highlights the importance of seeking God's intervention and deliverance during times of trouble and conflict. It teaches us to turn to God for refuge and safety, knowing that He is our ultimate defender and shield. Now, when it comes to protection of God's people, it makes more sense for Israel to pray it because God did promise protection for us. What can I pray? I know that I'm ultimately protected in what way? Eternally? I have no guarantee of God's protection now? Zero? All right? I know Christians, well, they typically go to the Old Testament.

36:37 He's my shield, He's my protector. Those are israel promises. I know, oh man, how many people would be mad at me for saying that. But it's just true, because what do I know? In our lives. Churches get burnt to the ground, churches get destroyed in storms. Christian families, people break into their home and kill them. Horrible things happened to Christians just like they happened to Look if it was if it was, if it was true that we're always protected, it would there would be news stories, Hey, this group of people, they never get affected by anything, what's up with this? And then we would be like, well, because God protects us well, then like, sign me up.

37:19 Wouldn't everyone want to be a Christian? If we had supernatural protection? Everybody would want it. Forget insurance. I don't need insurance. I've got God. But we but inevitably, we know the reality. That's why churches have in many cases security teams with armed guards because they alter even though they preached differently, they themselves know that God's not standing guard at their front door, right, I mean, come on, we know that. I wish, look, I wish it was the case that God would always protect me. Right. Look.

38:04 I remember being a Christian teenager and I wanted to take the teenagers to the Taylor County Coliseum on a Friday night because the band Poison was playing, and I wanted to hand out tracks to the teenagers there because that was back in the days with general admission. They got there five hours early. They had nowhere to go, so you could just walk up to each one. They had nowhere to go, right there, was like they was simple, right, and guess what the parents said, not my kid. That could be dangerous. Now, at that time, I was I kind of believed in the idea of God's protection. But because that's what been preached. So I'm like, well, so now you're scared for your kid. Don't you trust God?

38:48 A bunch of cowards? So I went didn't have any problem now, not because I'm saying God protect me. Because the people I'd been to nine million concerts from the time I was first concert was kissed, was in kindergarten. I mean I saw everyone, so I was used to the concert crowd. I wouldn't even concern, So I had no problem, witness had no problem. Everything was great. K Texas News showed up and thought we were protesting. I'm like, I'm not protesting music. Okay, if it was up to me, i'd be inside listening. But I'm out here doing this only because I feel this is important. But I would prefer to be inside. But I didn't have money for a ticket, okay, but I had money to buy some tracks. Okay, so not even I'm not even God. I'm like, don't put me on the news, because then that would be what it's self serving. It'd be self served. So I wouldn't allow them to put me on the news. And it was a big deal. But the point was the parents talked a big game until their little Johnny, her little Susie could be put in possible danger. And then they were like, no, I'm like, well I think you believed it good, I could protect and gool, I hear your prayer meeting where you talk about you don't believe it at all because deep down we know, oh that's not the way it works. We want it to be that way, right, So when it comes to God's protection, Israel could pray away different than I can. Now. I know God is sovereign that he can protect, but there's no guarantee that he will because I've not been given those promises like they were given no covenant that includes

40:22 those things, right, not for us, not for us? All right? And then well there's a lot more here, but I'll skip some of that, all right. So so when to me the imprecatory prayers can be understood? And what liked that it happened because of a theocratic monarchy, which would make some sense, and second the covenant. But there's a third possibility here, right, there's a third possibility here. The third possibility is that the language at least in Saw eighty three and this imprecatory prayer, that this we are misunderstanding the language in our minds to believe that he wants them destroyed. But that's not how to understand the way the Jews used language. All right, this is the argument.

41:16 Are you ready. I'm going to read this so that you can hear how this argument is. All right? All right? The language of destruction or being put to shame and the context of ancient Hebrew, does not always mean literal annihilation. Instead, it can refer to being brought low, defeated, or humiliated. The Psamus is asking that God would defeat these enemies in such a way that their pride and false sense of security are stripped away, leading them to recognize the power and sovereignty of the true God. Now look at Psalm eighty three, look at that entire precatory section and see if there is any language that would possibly support this idea that they're not actually asking for the enemies to be killed. Okay, what does verse eighteen say, man may know that now his name alone is true? Okay, he asked these things that sound like destruction, but then he says that they may No, you don't know anything if you are dead. What else does it go on to say for sixteen? Is it saying that they seek that. Okay, they may seek you, they may know you. Anything else in that section we have sinkh No, is there anything else?

42:51 Let's identify those all again with everyone, or a look at verse sixteen. Fill their faces with a shame that they may seek everybody see that your name, Lord, Let them be confounded and dismayed forever. Yet let them be put to shame and perish, that they may know that you, whose name alone is the Lord. So the fact that he wants them to seek and know means they're not destroyed. So the argument is that demonstrates that they're using a typical Hebrew linguistic technique, which is basically what how would we classify this kind of language? Poetic? I like another word.

43:32 I use it all the time. Hyperbole. It's hyperbolic. It's exaggerated, right, it's exaggerated. Right, I don't know what. Now. Some of you may all be good parents, but there are times for me being a parent, and I may not always been good. You know, if you're in the car and they're in the backseat driving, stop it, I'm gonna go there and kill you. Okay, Well, you don't actually mean you're going to kill them, right, you probably have, says something like, maybe you have it, okay, but I probably have Okay, all right, So there probably times I let my language be very exaggerated, but I never any intention of beating them to death or killing them or what other words you would use. Now, they when they're older, they hold it against you and say, you said you were going to kill me, and you're yet here, you are alive, So clearly I didn't. All right, So all right, The point is it's exaggerated language, and that would seem to kind of indicate it, right, right, So basically, so basically we have the idea that the language here, we should just understand that it's using very possibly hyperbolic language.

44:48 But even if we don't believe in hyperbolic language, what can we believe? We can believe that it clearly the language itself is demonstrating what that. Hey, he doesn't want them destroyed. He wants them to come to know God and do what seek God? All right? Does everybody see that? Now there's another possible thing to understand about this language. This seems to once again support this teaching, all right, that there's a common biblical theme that judgment leads to repentance. By bringing about their downfall, God might lead these enemies to abandon their rebellion and acknowledge Him as Lord. The prayer and visions that through their defeat, they would be driven to a place of humility where they might seek God genuinely. All right? Does that make sense? All right?

45:39 There's a lot more we can say. But when it comes to the imprecatory section, what are some of the things that we can derive from that? The imprecatory probably fits under the section or the idea of a philologic a theocratic monarchy. Right, everybody got that. Secondly under God's covenant, and third possibly using hyperbolic language to ultimately ask for what that the people would seek God and no God, he does want them defeated, He does want them brought whoa. He does want something done, but he wants it to be done in such a way that they can seek God and know God. Everybody got that? All right? Now that leaves us with what That leaves us with just a very little part. Now, I'm gonna try to finish this, all right. I'm gonna try to finish this, hopefully I can.

46:33 All Right, for just a second, there I almost thought I was going down to have a seizure. So I came over here and grabbed the pew because I thought I was going down. Okay. Then I came over here and grabbed the pulpit, thought I was going down. So I'm gonna try to finish this because we got to finish this, right, We're so close. So if I go down, just do what. Just Just let me lay there, okay, Just let me lay there and seeze. Okay, But I think I can finish this, okay, because we only have a couple of parts left. I gotta finish this, right, I mean next week would be a mess. Okay, So here we go. I'm gonna do this. You're ready, all right, So what do we have left? If I sit down, just let me sit Okay, all right, here we go. You're ready. Fill their faces with shame that they may seek, they may seek your name, O Lord, Let them be confounded and be dismayed, Let them be put to shame, that they may know that you, whose name alone is the Lord. All right? Everybody got that? All right? So we're just gonna take some of these phrases and look at some of these. Okay, all right, First, that they may know. Everybody see that phrase. I know I'm not these in proper order, but I'm not gonna. I'm just gonna try to get through my notes and not worry about order, right now, Okay? All right? That they may know, the phrase indicates that the purpose behind God's actions and the context of judgment and deliverance as revelatory. God's intention is not merely punit, but it's a desire that his actions lead to a greater knowledge of himself. In other words,

48:05 the psalmist wants them by saying that they may know he wants the actions to bring about the revelation of who God is. All right, everybody got that? So that they may know. It's a it's the significance there, so the judgement the lesson. Here, God's judgment and actions and history are designed to reveal his character and to bring people to a recognition of his sovereignty. We learn that God's ultimate goal is not destruction, but the revelation of his truth, aiming to lead people to acknowledge him. So judgment is supposed to lead to in a sense of revelation. If they face the judgment and the destruction, hopefully that will humble them and they will do what know who God is? Right? Does that make sense? Okay? All right?

48:47 Next phrase, find the phrase whose name alone is the Lord? Everybody see that phrase or something similar that they may know? Okay? How does that say it? Your name alone is the Lord? Or Jehovah? All right? Everybody got that. The use of name and Hebrew, though it's closely associated with one's character and identity. Here the Lord or now we can get into discussion is it Jehovah? Is it Yahweh? Because remember they didn't write all the letters of the name, Okay, so there's always that argument over it. Okay. Is emphasized as the unique and singular name, indicating exclusivity in God's identity as the covenant God of Israel. This is a declaration of monotheism. There is no other God besides the Lord.

49:34 So that phrase appears where that they may know that you whose name alone is the Lord? What do they want them to know? That there is only one God and that one God is the God of Israel? All right? This teaches us about the exclusivity and uniqueness of God. He is not one among many gods, but the only true God. All right. Then it has the idea of the Lord that which is or yahweh. We can get into discussion there, talks. It doesn't say something about the most High? Okay, whose name alone is the Lord? Are the most High? Over all the earth? Most High would signify what his supreme supremacy, his sovereignty, all of that, right, and then over all the earth, just that his control is everywhere? All right? So the bottom line is is what does he ultimately want to happen? Hey, God, defeat them.

50:30 You may even use language like to destroy them, but it's really to destroy their pride, their arrogance, and their faith in their false gods, that they may be brought to understanding the true God. All right, everybody got that? All right? That I'm gonna say that concludes saw maybe three. I have a whole lot more in my notes, but I'm not gonna make it. Okay, all right? Are we good? There is that good? Did Did I say anything too ridiculous? I hope I didn't. I hope it didn't. Okay, Yeah, okay, yeah, so it's not yet that that's not very confident. All right, I'm gonna stop there, all right,