January 15, 2017

When God Leaves Us Speechless

Sunday School Lesson Topic: Good and Plenty

Sunday School Lesson Scripture Text: Psalm 65: 1-2, 9-13

Key Scripture Passage: Psalm 65:1-2,9-13

Introduction

So much of what is labeled as praise and worship is really nothing more than music that is “enjoyed” because of its style or an affinity toward a particular artist. It is of little wonder that God instructed His people to worship Him the way that David did. David’s love affair with God was so intimate that his music and lyrics poured from his heart in ways that were quite expressive. Spurgeon called this particular psalm “a charming psalm,” for indeed it is. Being a shepherd himself and familiar with nature, David had an inspired and gifted way of expressing his love for God in very descriptive terms. While reading the psalm, one can feel the heart of David throbbing with a view of God that left him speechless. He encouraged a level of participation that he believed would do the same for anyone who experiences God the way that he did.

Points

  1. Anticipated Praise (verse 1a)

The silence spoken of here was not a sullen muteness of those who sought to be so because they felt that it “doesn’t take all of that.” Rather, it is the selfmuzzling of what the Amplified Bible calls “the submissive wonder of reverence which bursts forth into praise.” It is an anticipated praise; a pre-paid praise. The silence represented the weakness of words to express the praise that was in the heart of the psalmist.

  1. Adoration Leads to Personal Pledge (verse 1b)

True adoration is always personal. It can never be by proxy because it is birthed in the heart. David’s faith helped him to see the transcendence of God; and because of that, he pledged his personal obedience. There was no pondering or procrastination with David—only passionate and privileged assent to the commands of the true and living God. This was not burdensome for David, and will not be for anyone who adores the Father.

  1. Answered Prayer (verse 2)

The seventeenth-century Puritan pastor David Clarkson once wrote, “You may as well doubt that He is God, as doubt that He will not reward, not hear prayer.”1 The psalmist did not fantasize about having some elitist-type relationship with God. His testimony was that everybody could have what he had (all flesh can come). This kind of confidence is attractive and worthy of emulation. His acknowledgment that all flesh could come was his invitation to come.

  1. Awesome Providential Provisions (verses 9-13)

Drawing upon anthropological analogies, David presented God as The Great Earth Visitor (verse 9), providing water for all plant life, and providing food for human consumption and even for that which grew in not-so-ideal places (verses 10-11). These provisions were so awesome that the psalmist invited all of nature to join him in praise to the God who provided them. There were planters and there were harvesters; but David knew God as the one who made it all possible.

Conclusion

In our corporate worship experiences, we are often encouraged and exhorted to be notably and noticeably vocal in our responses, and rightfully so. The psalmist would have us know, however, that there are times when God leaves us speechless. Even though this psalm is an expression of David’s own individual experience, it does not have to be relegated to just individuals. As a matter of fact, if there were more individual experiences like the one expressed by David, much of the disarray in our churches could be done away with, because this kind of reaction is evident of a submissive spirit that has been captured and captivated by God Himself. When hearts are captured by God, it makes obedience a delightful obligation rather than a dutiful option. Today more than ever, the church needs to be filled with joy-filled saints who are carrying out the mandates of Scripture.