When things get complicated, simplify them!
Psalm 33 (NIV)
1 Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous;
it is fitting for the upright to praise him.
2 Praise the LORD with the harp;
make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.
3 Sing to him a new song;
play skillfully, and shout for joy.
4 For the word of the LORD is right and true;
he is faithful in all he does.
5 The LORD loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of his unfailing love (ḥěʹ·sěḏ).
6 By the word of the LORD the heavens were made,
their starry host by the breath of his mouth.
7 He gathers the waters of the sea into jars;
he puts the deep into storehouses.
8 Let all the earth fear the LORD;
let all the people of the world revere him.
9 For he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded, and it stood firm.
10 The LORD foils the plans of the nations;
he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.
11 But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever,
the purposes of his heart through all generations.
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,
the people he chose for his inheritance.
13 From heaven the LORD looks down
and sees all mankind;
14 from his dwelling place he watches
all who live on earth—
15 he who forms the hearts of all,
who considers everything they do.
16 No king is saved by the size of his army;
no warrior escapes by his great strength.
17 A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;
despite all its great strength it cannot save.
18 But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him,
on those whose hope is in his unfailing love (ḥěʹ·sěḏ),
19 to deliver them from death
and keep them alive in famine.
20 We wait in hope for the LORD;
he is our help and our shield.
21 In him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name.
22 May your unfailing love (ḥěʹ·sěḏ) be with us, LORD,
even as we put our hope in you.
Canons of Dordt
Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election
Index for Articles 1-7
Article 8 - A Single Decree of Election
This election is not of many kinds, but one and the same for all who were to be saved in the Old and the New Testament.
For Scripture declares that there is a single good pleasure, purpose, and plan of God’s will,
by which he chose us from eternity
both to grace and to glory,
both to salvation and to the way of salvation,
which God prepared in advance for us to walk in.
Summary
As we dive into the depths of understanding God's sovereignty this year, there will be times, as we've already experienced, where God doesn't answer every question we have. We'll continually need to push against the thought that God seems unfair and even uncaring towards those whom He has not elected to salvation in Christ.
Whenever theology gets complicated, make it simple again. This doesn't mean you should stop asking challenging questions (in fact, you likely need to ask even more!), but rather that you should anchor the more intricate aspects in the solid foundation of what Scripture clearly reveals about who God is. This is why it's good to read (and sing!) the Psalms often. We need continual reminders like what we read in this week's Psalm, that the LORD's word is right and true, that He loves righteousness and justice, and that His unfailing love (ḥěʹ·sěḏ) is always with us.
God's sovereignty has three aspects, and Psalm 33 showcases all three:
Sovereignty includes God's:
Control | 6 By the word of the LORD the heavens were made... 9 For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. 11 The plans of the LORD stand firm forever... |
Authority | 10 The LORD foils the plans of the nations; He thwarts the purposes of the peoples. 15 He forms the hearts of all... |
Presence | 13 From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind... 18 The eyes of the LORD are on those who fear Him... 20 We wait in hope for the LORD; He is our help and shield. |
Dig Deeper
Psalm 33 makes clear how you must respond to God's sovereign control, authority and presence.
YOU MUST PRAISE THE LORD
It's true that you can praise God in every endeavor in life - in you work, recreation, and relationships. But more than any other book in the Bible, the Psalms explain that in addition to that embedded, implicit praise, you need to join with God's people in times of exuberant, explicit, musically rich praise like today's first three verses call out for.
YOU MUST FEAR THE LORD
Certainly you need not be terrified of the LORD, afraid that He might smite you at any moment. But as you come to understand more fully that our entire universe exists simply because God spoke, and it came to be, the more you'll realize that the LORD has every right to snuff out that which does not obey His Law. That's healthy fear. YOU MUST TRUST THE LORD
Kings of this world, of course, put their trust in their army. People of this world put their hope in money and stuff. While such military & economic might often seems overwhelming, remember that despite all its great strength they cannot save. Instead, you must wait in hope for the LORD, knowing that He has fully demonstrated His unfailing love (ḥěʹ·sěḏ) in the accomplished saving work of His Son, Jesus Christ. Blessed are the people our Sovereign God chose for His inheritance!
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, in heaven, in whom we put our hope;
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that more and more you will praise, fear and trust the LORD;
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Acts 22
