Psalm 82: God, the Almighty Judge! Psalm 82:1-8

Text: “God standeth in the congregation of the mighty He judgeth (judges, and continually judges) among the gods (small g.)”

Psalm 82:1.

          “Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the Heaven and in the earth is Thine; Thine is the Kingdom, O Lord, and Thou art exalted as Head above all.”

1 Chronicles 29:11.

Good morning, well-judged Christian! In Christ Jesus, you and I have been Spiritually awakened by the Lord God to know ourselves to be gross sinners on our way to a lost Eternity in Hell; an Eternity of perpetual torment after that, in the Lake of Fire Created to punish Satan and his fallen, disobedient angels, but which shall also house all sinful souls that knew not Christ as their own and personal Saviour from sin.

“And the angels which kept not their first estate (a state of obedience to the Lord God), but left their own habitation, He hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgement of the great day.  Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh (homosexuality), are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of Eternal fire.”  (Jude 6-7)

“And the Devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever…And whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:10-15)

On the other hand, having, by God’s Sovereign grace and enablement, judged ourselves to be lost; and having been blessed with God’s gift of faith to believe and trust in Christ’s Salvation – we have been born-again, regenerated by God the Spirit to be new creatures in Christ, never to be judged by God again or condemned for sins – past, present, and future sins – committed.  Hallelujah! (John 3:3-8)

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:1-2)

Having been justified by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and declared ‘not guilty of sin’ by our Father in Heaven as a consequence – we are clearly instructed by God’s Word not to ever ‘…accept the persons of the wicked.’  We are not to ‘judge’ the words and actions of others according to their social or legal positions in society, but according to the laws of the Living Lord God, as written clearly in our KJV Bibles. Wrong can never ever be judged right! The Lord God grants us Holy discernment, to judge what is wrong and right.

God Judges the judges: “God standeth in the congregation of the mighty He judgeth (judges, and continually judges) among the gods (small g.)”  (Psalm 82:1)

Verse 3. “Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. It is said of Francis the First, of France, that when a woman kneeled to him to beg justice, he bade her stand up; for, said he, ‘Woman, it is justice that I owe thee, and justice thou shalt have; if thou beg anything of me, let it be mercy.’” (William Price,1642)

Nations which have been founded on the Ten Commandments of God, and the Divine wisdom of the King James Version Bible, have for centuries been characterized by a high sense of justice and mercy shown to their peoples, and especially to those that have become prisoners within a Sovereign territory.

“Prisoners are judged by courts and put into prison AS a punishment, not FOR punishment. Loss of liberty IS the punishment!” (C.K. McClinton 1947 -?)

Verse 4. Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked. It is a brave thing when a judge can liberate a victim like a fly from the spider’s web, and a horrible case when magistrate and plunderer are in league.  Law has too often been an instrument for vengeance in the hand of unscrupulous men, an instrument as deadly as poison or the dagger.  It is for the judge to prevent such villainy.”  (C.H. Spurgeon, Treasury of David, page 353)

The Lord God Jehovah is an absolutely Holy Lord God, Creator of all things; Sovereign in all issues pertaining to what He has Created.  All that He has Created was perfect, until Adam and Eve sinned the sin of disobedience in Eden’s Garden. 

All since then has been polluted by mankind’s sin.  All mankind since that Fall into sin, are NOT Created by God, but born of sinful man and woman, in Adam’s Fallen image and likeness, with a nature that is at all times very prone to sin.  (Genesis 5:3)

This is why the Lord Jesus Christ taught us, “Ye must be born again!”  We must be Spiritually regenerated, made Spiritually alive, and forgiven of all our sin; redeemed from sin, by the precious, sinless, shed Blood of the Saviour Lord, Jesus Christ.  Praise His Holy Name!  We are made to be Holy by the imputation (putting to our personal account) of the righteousness of Christ Jesus Himself.  Hallelujah!  What a Saviour!            (John 3:3-8)

“For He (God the Father) hath made Him (Jesus Christ, God the Son) to be sin for us, Who knew no sin; that we (God’s elect people) might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)

When God, the righteous Judge of all the earth, looks upon those of us that have been, by His grace and faith, born again in Christ – all He causes Himself to see IS His Son, Jesus Christ, and thus, we are passed over for destruction, Hell, and the Lake of Fire. Wow! Glory to God.

“You hath He quickened (made Spiritually alive), who were dead in trespasses and sins…even when we were dead (Spiritually dead) in sins, hath quickened (made Spiritually alive) us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved.)” (Ephesians 2:1-5)

In Christ Jesus we are judged to be totally innocent from all our catalogues of vile sins!

“But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the Blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from ALL SIN.”       (1 John 1:7)

“I, even I, am He that blotteth out thy transgressions for Mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.” (Isaiah 43:25)

“I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto Me; for I have redeemed thee.” (Isaiah 44:22)

Thought: God, the Almighty Judge declares ‘His people’, not guilty of sins! Hallelujah!

Psalm 81: Closed Ears, Closed Hearts, Open Hell! Psalm 81:11-16

Text: “But My people (the Jewish Nation) would not hearken to My voice; and Israel would none of Me. So, I gave them up unto their own hearts’ lust: and they walked in their own counsels.”

Psalm 81:11-12.

“Verily (truly) I say unto you, All these things (punishments) shall come upon this generation. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!  Behold, (look, and fully understand) your house is left unto you desolate (empty).”

Matthew 23:36-38. 

Good morning, amazed Christian!  You are amazed at the level of Sovereign grace the Living Lord God has poured out upon you, and wretches such as the author too – in the saving of our never-dying souls, through the quickening power of God the Spirit; through the Sovereign election, in Eternity, of God the Father; through the full victorious Atonement Sacrifice of Christ Jesus, our Redeemer, on Calvary’s Cross.  Wow! Full amazement indeed!

“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was LOST.” (Luke 19:10)

“And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.  I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”  (Luke 5:31-32)

Calvinist Verses Arminian Doctrine: Some people, even mature Christian people, just will not accept the Scriptural fact that it is the Lord God Himself Who has chosen which sinner to save, and which sinner to pass over in Salvation.  The Calvinist verses the Arminian views of Eternal Salvation have been debated since ever the church of the risen Christ Jesus was called into existence by God. (If the Reader has no clue as to what debate I am referring, he/she needs to study Calvinist verses Arminian points of doctrine, and especially look at the findings of the Synod of Dort held in 1618 where Calvinist doctrine was proclaimed as Scriptural in its teaching.)

The Canons of Dort

Main article: Canons of Dort

The Synod concluded with a rejection of the Arminian views, and set forth the Reformed doctrine on each point, namely: total depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement (arguing that Christ's atoning work was intended only for the elect and not for the rest of the world), irresistible (or irrevocable) grace, and the perseverance of the saints.

These are sometimes referred to as the Five points of Calvinism. The nomenclature never inferred that all of Calvinism could be reduced to a mere five points, but that TULIP—the acronym that was later developed for the teachings of Dort in the English-speaking world—summarized the Calvinist position regarding the doctrine of the Sovereignty of God in salvation. It is The Decision of the Synod of Dort on the Five Main Points of Doctrine in Dispute in the Netherlands, popularly known as the Canons of Dort, its the explanation of the judicial decision of the Synod.  In the original preface, the Decision is called: a judgment, in which both, the true view agreeing with God's word concerning the aforesaid five points of doctrine is explained and, the false view disagreeing with God's Word is rejected. (Wikipedia online)

Calvinist Doctrine, as it is commonly referred to, was judged to be the true interpretation of Bible Doctrine, doctrine that we now refer to as Reformed Doctrine: the fully Scriptural and authorised doctrinal stance of the Reformation.

“Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in My Name, He may give it you.”  (John 15:16)

If God be Sovereign in His choice of souls to grant Salvation, and I believe He is, then it follows that it is the Lord God Himself that grants faith, repentance – and opens the ears of our hearts to receive the Salvation He alone has graciously granted us.  He grants us Spiritual ears (Spiritual quickening) to hear the Gospel of Salvation in Christ Jesus alone, and faith to believe (trust) in this truth. (Ephesians 2:1;5)

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that (faith) not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works (good deeds), lest any man/woman should boast.”    (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Eternally Closed Ears: Those souls that are not included in God’s Sovereign choice for Eternal Salvation, will always have closed ears as to what the Gospel teaches on sin, Christ’s righteousness, and the fearful judgement to come. Such talk is ‘foolishness’ unto them.

“But the natural man (the reprobate, those passed over by God for Salvation) receiveth NOT the things of the Spirit of God: for they are FOOLISHNESS unto him/her: neither can he/she know them, because they are Spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2:14)

Isaiah’s Prophecy: The prophet Isaiah foretold the fate of the reprobate: “And He (the Lord) said, Go and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart (inner essence of being) of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.”  (Isaiah 6:9-10) (Matthew 13:13-15)

If “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God…”, then it follows that God must first open the ears of our hearts to Spiritually ‘hear’ His effectual call to Salvation.  If the Lord God chooses not to grant such a Spiritual awakening to hear and receive faith to trust in Christ for Salvation, then that soul passed over will never hear and receive faith to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ’s Sacrifice for elected sinners. (Romans 10:17) They have closed ears.  Closed ears mean Spiritually closed hearts.  Closed hearts open Hell’s doors.

“Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.”  (Matthew 13:9) “He that hath an ear (a Spiritual ear), let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” (Revelation 2:29) Are we listening?

Thought:  Verse 11. “My people would not hearken to My voice; and Israel would none of Me. Know, sinner, that if at last thou missest Heaven which, God forbid, the Lord can wash His hands over your head and clear Himself of your blood: thy damnation will be laid at thine own door: it will then appear there was no cheat in the promise, no sophistry in the Gospel, but thou didst voluntarily put Eternal life from thee, whatever lying lips uttered to the contrary: ‘My people would have none of Me.’ So that, when the jury shall sit on thy murdered soul…thou wilt be found guilty of thy own damnation. No one loseth God, but he/she that is willing to part with Him.” (William Gurnall, 1671-1679)

Psalm 81: Open Ears, Opens Hearts for Salvation! Psalm 81:8-10

Text: “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. But I say, Have they not heard?”

Romans 10:17-18.

          “He that hath an ear, let him/her hear what the Spirit (capital S., God!) saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death (Hell, and the Lake of Fire).”

Revelation 2:11.

Good morning, open-eared Christian!  You and I have that ‘new song’ to sing, a song of deliverance; a song of joyful worship unto the Living Lord God Jehovah, in Christ Jesus, because, once we were lost in our sins, and now we are found in God’s family to worship the Lamb forever.  Hallelujah!  Can you resist shouting it from the rooftops?  I can’t.  Glory…

“And He hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.”  (Psalm 40:3)

The Lord God gave me this verse from Psalm 40:3 the day He saved me – in cell 9, H Block 6, at the maximum-security Maze Prison for political prisoners, here in Northern Ireland, on August 12^th, 1979.

I had been an Ulster Freedom Fighter terrorist, in the early and mid-1970s, and had been rightly incarcerated for my vile terrorist actions, and placed on solitary-confinement.  In my profound rebellion and sin, I had refused to wear the prison uniform of a common criminal, and was protesting on what was called ‘The Loyalist Blanket Protest’ with other political activists, for political recognition status, having been engaged in politically motivated offences.

My rebellion knew no limits, as I engaged in ‘gross personal violence on prison staff’, and was called ‘that maniac McClinton’ by the prison guards. ‘My name is legion…’ (Mark 5:)

Left alone in solitary-confinement cells for over two years, there was nothing to stimulate the mind, but a King James Version Bible had to be in every cell of the British Prison System – and so I began to read this old dog-eared prison edition to pass the long days.

 “So, then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.”  (Romans 10:17)

In God’s Sovereign grace, praise His Name, He ‘quickened’ me as I read the Gospel truths; granted me the faith absolutely necessary to believe; granted me true repentance from my gross life of violence; and saved me from my vile sins. Thanks be to His Holy Name!

That was when the Lord God gave me Psalm 40: verse 3, as a promise for the future as His servant. “And He hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.”  (Psalm 40:3)

The Lord has fulfilled that promise to me in wonderful ways for the past 47 years since.  Hallelujah!  I have seen with my own eyes, many precious souls saved, redeemed by Christ’s precious Blood, through being ‘quickened’ by my preaching of God’s Word and the Gospel of Christ Crucified for our sins. I have been enabled to strengthen the hearts and hands of many young Christians, and many not so young have benefited by my ministry in the Word.

All praise, honour, glory and thanks be to the Lord God.  We can do nothing without Him!  (John 15:5)

Verse 8. “Hear, O My people, and I will testify unto thee: O Israel, IF thou wilt hearken unto Me. Hurried reading is of little benefit; to sit down a while and meditate is very profitable.”  (C.H. Spurgeon, Treasury of David, page 350)

If the Lord God, via the universal call of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, is speaking to the hearts and souls of sinners – it is of vital, Eternal, importance to sit down quietly and seriously mediate on what is being read or heard with the eyes and the ears of those on their way to Hell. 

If true saving faith cometh by hearing – and it does – then sinners need desperately to open their ears to hear.  By God’s Sovereign grace and will, He will then ‘quicken’ (make alive) dead spirits, to not only hear and receive Christ’s Salvation, but also to have the very heart of their being to be opened to receive all the wonderful blessing of a truly gracious Lord God.

Verse 10: “I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt. Egypt is often a type of ‘the world of the unsaved’ when reading Holy Scriptures.  God’s people, Israel, were enslaved in Egypt, and labouring under a terrible burden – and the Lord God brought them out by the hand of Moses.  You and I were enslaved by Satan and our sins, unsaved, and wallowing in a world on its way to a Christ-rejecter’s Hell, when God the Spirit ‘quickened’ us as we heard/read God’s message of deliverance and Eternal Salvation.

“And you hath He quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins…Even when we were dead in sins (Spiritually dead, unsaved), hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace are ye saved;)” (Ephesians 2:1-5)

Verse 10: “…Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. Open thy mouth wide, then, O Christian; stretch out thy desires to the uttermost, grasp Heaven and earth in thy boundless wishes, and believe there is enough in God to afford thee full satisfaction. Not only come, but come with boldness to the throne of grace: it is erected for sinners, even the chief of sinners.  Come to it then, and wait at it, till you obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Those who expect most from God are likely to receive the most. The desire of the righteous, let it be ever so extensive, shall be granted.”  (Benjamin Beddome, 1717-1795)

Verse 10: “…Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. This is also God’s promise, especially to preachers, Sunday-school teachers, Bible Teachers – we should never doubt if we are going to be enabled to present a sound Gospel message, the Lord shall fill our mouths.

Thought: Open ears to God’s Word, produces open hearts and mouths for Christ.