The Lord Reigns

Lesson 3

The Lord Reigns

(Psalms 8, 75, 105 & 119)

Copr. 2024, Bruce N. Cameron, J.D. Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Suggested answers are found within parentheses. If you normally receive this lesson by e-mail, but it is lost one week, you can find it by clicking on this link: http://www.GoBible.org. Pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit as you study.

Introduction: What does it mean, as a practical matter, to believe in a sovereign God? What would your world view and your actions be like if you truly believed in an all powerful, living God? First, you would believe what He says. If God says He created everything, and you see things (for example yourself) that you cannot adequately explain, then you should believe Him. If God says that as Creator He has a plan for better living, then we should not only believe, we should follow His plan. If God says that His rules are important for the continued existence of humans, and that He will bring judgment on those who rebel against Him, we should believe Him and try to obey and not rebel. All of these points are made in our study of the Psalms this week. Let’s dive in and learn more!

1. Creator God
   
   1. Read Psalm 8:3-4. Who created the heavens? (God!)
      1. What does that suggest about God’s love for us? (As verse four asks, why would such a powerful figure, who has all sorts of creations, be concerned about His one creation?)
      2. Years ago I bought a car that my son and I found while taking a walk. I paid $200 for it. What a deal! Later, I heard about a lady in church who needed a car. Reluctantly, I decided that I must pass my great deal on to her. Her reaction reflects verse 4: she did not want my lowly car, and she wanted to know why a lawyer would buy such a car? I drove that humble car to work for many years thereafter. Does this suggest an answer to why God is concerned about us? (I had little in that car, Jesus invested everything in us. The real question is, “Why would He?” The answer is that He loves us. I love deals!)
   2. Read Psalm 8:5-8. What has our Creator God decided with regard to the ruling order of His creation? (Not only does God care about us, but He has made us rulers over His creation. Specifically, He made us to rule over the earth and the animals.)
   3. Read Psalm 100:3-4. What other reactions should we have to our Creator God? (“We are His people.” We have a sense of belonging. We should have a sense of gratitude and thankfulness.)
2. Covenant God
   
   1. Read Psalm 105:7-10. What is the covenant made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? (Read Psalms 105:11. God gave them Canaan.)
      1. What does that say about those who today wish to destroy Israel?
   2. Read Galatians 3:27-29. Who is the beneficiary of this ancient covenant? (Everyone who is “baptized into Christ.”)
      1. Does that mean we get land? That Canaan is ours, too? (Let’s continue reading in Psalm 105.)
   3. Read Psalm 105:16-19. How are a famine and Joseph being enslaved part of the covenant? (Read Psalm 105:20-24. We begin to see the picture that having land is just part of the covenant with God. God creates a way to protect His people from a famine.)
      1. What would you say about the covenant if you were Joseph? (Psalm 105:19 says that God tested Joseph. The end of this was that Joseph became the “ruler of all [Pharaoh’s] possessions.”)
      2. If you know the story, do you think it is fair to say that “God tested” Joseph? Is it fair to say that God brought the famine? (Read Genesis 37:26-28. Satan tempting the brothers to do evil is the reason for Joseph’s test. The proper way to look at this is that God permitted Joseph to be mistreated for a while to work out an answer to the famine. God turned into a triumph what Satan planned for evil.)

2. 4. Read Psalm 119:97-100. What else does God’s covenant provide? (It makes us wiser than those who pay no attention to God’s law.)
   5. Read Psalm 119:101-105. When the psalmist says that God’s word “is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path,” what does that mean as a practical matter? (God’s word helps us avoid pitfalls and problems in life. It helps us to avoid being shamed.)
   6. Read Psalm 119:114. Is this like God giving His people their own country? (He makes them safe in the face of trouble.)
   7. Read Psalms 119:173-176. The psalmist delights in God’s law. Why is that? (He knows that keeping God’s rules helps him.)
      1. Does this knowledge of the blessings of God’s law cause the psalmist to perfectly keep the law? (Not all the time for he admits to having “gone astray.”)
      2. What does the psalmist say God will do when he goes astray? (God will “seek” His servant.)
   8. How would you summarize the advantages of keeping God’s law? Of entering into covenant with Him?
   1. When we speak of keeping God’s laws are we talking about the key to salvation? (Read Psalms 51:1-2, and Psalms 51:7-10. This Psalm speaks clearly about God’s grace.)
   10. Read Psalms 103:1-6, Psalms 103:13-14, and Psalms 103:17-19. What picture of God’s righteousness for us comes out of these verses?
   11. Read Ephesians 2:8-10. What does this tell us about salvation by grace alone? (The Psalms are not as clear about grace as are the writings of Paul. That is to be expected because of the timing of the Old and New Testaments.)
3. God of Judgment
   
   1. Read Psalm 75:1-3. God says that He will judge “with equity” at the time that He selects. Why do you think that God next discusses the instability of the world? (The impression I get is that God intervenes to make things right. God steadies things.)
   2. Read Psalms 75:4-7. What two systems of power are compared here? (On the one hand are the proud and powerful who are against God. “Your horn” represents power - as in the animal world. On the other hand is the judgment of God who promotes one and demotes another.)
      1. Is judgment good? (We don’t want the arrogant and powerful to rule for there is no moral standard. Instead, God tells us that He will execute judgment in accord with how things should be.)
   3. Read Psalms 75:8. What is in store for the wicked? (God makes them drink “foaming wine ... down to the dregs.”)
      1. Is that a good thing? (One reading of this is “boiling” wine. It is not a good thing.)
      2. Notice that the wine is “well-mixed.” What do you think that means? (I think the judgment is calibrated to meet the evil done by the individual who is lost. This is another argument against eternal burning for all who are lost. Do you think any crime committed by a human would justify eternal burning? I do not.)
      3. When the text says the boiling wine is drunk to the dregs, what does that mean? (Full judgment. They get what they deserve.)
   4. Read Psalms 75:9-10. What does all of this horn re-arrangement mean? (The wicked lose their power and the righteous are now in power.)
   5. Look again at Psalms 75:9. This is all great news for the saved who are being abused by the wicked! Does this show God’s love? (It shows His love for those who choose Him and God’s love for justice.)
   6. Read Psalms 25:15. What do you think it means to be plucked out of a net? (You are saved from something that has caught you.)
   7. Read Psalms 25:16-18. What is available to the wicked that shows God’s great love in view of the coming judgment? (God will forgive us of all our sins. God gives us a way out of judgment.
   8. Read Psalms 25:19-22. Bad people hate God’s people. What should we do about that? (We ask God to preserve us while we wait for Him.)
   1. Friend, this is great news! Our Creator God reigns! He will not only be with us, but He will give us victory and rule in favor of us in His judgment. In the meantime, will you give this good news to those who may not know?

4. Next week: The Lord Hears and Delivers.