PSALM FIFTY THREE PANDEMIC SICKNESS. This Psalm is so much like Psalm 14 that there are many commentaries which have no separate comment on it. They put them both together. But there is a difference. There are certain variations. In this psalm there are stronger expressions. The Psalmist was of course older, and the older one grows the stronger certain convictions become. So in this psalms David's expressions are stronger and his convictions are greater. Three great themes are outlined in this psalm. The first is THE CONDITION OF THIS WORLD. There are, of course, arguments about the word 'world'. Our Lord Jesus Christ tells us very clearly that friendship with the world is enmity with God. People try to compromise on the word WORLD, but it literally means everything and anything about us that does not please God - it is worldly. In this day and age we water it down to mean anything but WORLDLINESS is that which does not please God. There is of course OTHER-WORLDLINESS - when we please God, and live in His presence. When David described the condition of this world, he was not only describing the condition of the world as it was then, but also what its condition would be in the future. The words were inspired by the Spirit of God. We are aware that conditions have become worse, and men's hearts have become worse. That is the progress of this world. The second great theme in the psalm is THE QUEST OF THE ALMIGHTY. The amazing thing is that God still looks for men and women. "God looked down from heaven to see if there were any that did understand." Daniel the prophet, at the end of his prophecy says, "I saw, but I understood not." The most important thing is not listening to the Bible being preached, or even reading the Bible for yourself - BUT hearing, reading and UNDERSTANDING. When Philip the Evangelist met the Ethiopian Eunuch travelling through the desert in his chariot reading a scroll of Scripture, he said to him, "Understandest thou what thou readest?". There are some people who boast how many times they have read the Bible through. That exercise does not mean a thing if they do not understand what they have been reading. It only profits you to the degree in which you understand it. The Quest of the Almighty is clear. He is looking for men and women who UNDERSTAND! For in understanding there is great enlightenment - a great blessing from God. Consider it in your own life, when something in the Word of God lights itself up to you, you are really blessed, JUST BECAUSE YOU UNDERSTAND. The third great theme in the psalm is THE CONQUERING SAVIOUR. "O THAT THE SALVATION OF ISRAEL WERE COME OUT OF ZION!" No matter what the condition of this old world, there is SOMEONE coming to put it right. His name is Jesus Christ the Lord. Now, let us consider these three great themes. FIRST. THE CONDITION OF THE WORLD. There is a Pandemic Sickness upon the world. It has always been there from the beginning. Some have cried in fear about the disease of AIDS ravaging mankind. We would reply, "There has been a disease ravaging mankind since Adam was put out of the garden. THAT DISEASE IS SIN, and it destroys body, soul and spirit. Throughout the world there is a sickness upon mankind. It is the sickness of sin, and this pandemic sickness has THREE SYMPTOMS. THE FIRST SYMPTOM IS AN AMAZING FOLLY. The psalmist puts it, "There is a foolishness in the heart of the wise - the fool hath said in his heart, 'There is no god!'" It is an astonishing thing that very intelligent and clever people can ignore the fact that there is a God: when they see the world that God has made, with all its glories and wonders. Some of them spend their days examining the intricacies and miracles of living things. Yet they fail to see that there is an intelligence behind it all. Our world problems could be solved by the acceptance of one simple truth - THERE IS A GOD. In the heart of man there resides an amazing folly, he refuses to believe that there is a God. This madness of man is pandemic. The world over this madness resides - THERE IS NO GOD. Even when man in his folly substitutes gods of his own making - he refuses the one and only True God. THE SECOND SYMPTOM IS AN ABOMINABLE FILTHINESS. Whichever way you look at it, sin has always been filthy. In the sight of God it is abominable. Sin is an abomination to God. Today, men trade filth on our high streets, and make a fortune by it. They put it on video and destroy the minds of children before they can grow up to think for themselves. It is a terrible thing when parents feel that they can opt out of looking after their children by letting them have the money to but any video, and the kids are viewing them while their parents are not at home. Those parents do not even vet what their children are watching, and there is an awful lot of filth being peddled today. It is the symptom of our age; the evidence of our sickness. The whole world is caught up in it. Every city in the world is smeared with the filth of sin. The condition of the world is symptomatic of the madness which is upon mankind. THE THIRD SYMPTOM IS AN ASTONISHING FEAR. "There were they in great fear where no fear was." They are afraid, but they do not know what they are afraid of. There is a fear in the heart of man. Today we have plenty of evidence of a world-wide fear. One half of the globe are shouting, "Ban the Bomb", and the other half replies "No! Make the Bomb. We will only keep peace whilst we have its power!" The evidence is still before us by the continued testing of Atomic explosions. So mankind builds up a source of destruction which holds the world in fetters of fear. The Bible declares, "Perfect LOVE casteth out all fear." When we come to love God, it is the end of all fear. Yet this madness is upon all humanity. It is the cry of hearts filled with fear. The amazing thing is this, and we have to face it, when men cease to fear God, they then fear fear. Today there is an awesome, astonishing fear upon mankind. One only has to talk to people in the street to discover they are afraid of "SOMETHING." "Something is going to happen," they say. They do not know what that something is, but the fear of it dwells in the depths of their hearts. If only they would look into God's Book, they would find that a great Day of Tribulation has been foretold by God Himself. The shadow of it is already upon the hearts of men, for when we cease to fear God, then we fear fear. This is the Pandemic Sickness - amazing folly upon mankind - abominable filth - and astonishing fear. SECOND. THE QUEST OF THE ALMIGHTY. Even in this age, God is still looking for something upon the earth. The Bible questions about the End Days, "Shall He find FAITH on the earth?" God is still looking for men and women that can believe Him. If we can believe God - He will work, because He is true to His Word. Yes, God is looking for something. "God looked down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there were any that DID UNDERSTAND." What is there to understand? It is revealed in God's Word. It is quite simple - that they who come to God must believe that He is, and that he is the rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. If only they understood that God is NOT A DIVINE MONITOR OF ALL THINGS, sitting up there to see what is going wrong, so that at the last Day he can punish us. THAT is NOT God's purpose in the lives of men. God is willing to bless ALL WHO WILL SEEK HIM DILIGENTLY. GOD IS THE REWARDER. If only we would grasp the Truth that we have a rewarding God. It is a great thing to understand! . ALL have "gone back" and "erred." We have all made mistakes. The corruption is complete. "All have sinned and come short of the Glory of God." That is how I was when God found me. GOD IS STILL LOOKING AND FINDING MILLIONS TODAY. Every person you meet has made mistakes in their lives. Most of them would willingly go back and start again. This is what God offers us when we are BORN AGAIN - a new life to live in a new way. GOD STILL LOOKS DOWN FROM HEAVEN. THIRD: THE CONQUEST BY THE SAVIOUR. This is the third truth encapsuled in this psalm. Martin Luther commented:- "This Psalm at its close gives a Prophetic declaration concerning the Gospel and Kingdom of Christ." When God brings back the Captivity of His People, Jacob shall rejoice and Israel will be glad. The Church of Jesus Christ will also rejoice and all mankind will be made glad. As you read the psalm, note the phrase - "Salvation out of Zion." Here we have salvation in the plural - SALVATIONS. There is an old hymn which runs - "Jesus saves me now, Jesus saves me now, Jesus saves me all of the time, and Jesus saves me now!" There is deliverance in EACH DAY; there is deliverance in each hour; there is deliverance in each minute; by our wonderful, continuing, serving, Redeemer. Since the whole Psalm refers to the ruin of mankind, this last verse refers to the Spiritual Deliverance of mankind. Satan has ruined mankind - Christ has delivered mankind. The victory of Calvary has brought back the captivity of His People. Christ, by His sacrifice has brought back to us more than Adam ever lost. He has given WISDOM to replace our FOLLY - Holiness to replace our Filth - Joy to replace our Fear. Let us trust Him and escape from the Pandemic Sickness. Copyright (c) 1996, Hedley Palmer. All rights reserved. ---------------------------------------------------- file: /pub/resources/text/hpalmer/psalms: ps-053.txt .