Ninth Sunday after Trinity

We continue on in the summer series in the Psalms. This morning we're in Psalm 65.

Psalm 65 is the beginning of a mini set, Psalm 65, 6, 7, 8, and 9.

And they're Psalms of David.

This one especially is a harvest psalm.

But it's not just a harvest psalm.

It seems like there's this allusion to a victory in battle or some sort of redemption that the Lord is doing.

It's a very interesting psalm.

And in many ways it's broken up into three sections.

In many ways it seems kind of disconnected.

But it's very much a psalm that is unified in thought and in progression.

So we're going to get into Psalm 65.

If you have a Bible, please follow along with me.

There should be some Bibles.

There's no more Bibles left at the back.

That is okay.

Maybe share with a friend if you don't have a Bible and you want to follow along.

We are in the age of the influencer.

Travel, vlogs, wellness, podcasts, workout gurus, you name it.

You probably follow maybe all those categories and more on social media or YouTube.

And there's a lot of good things to glean from such sources.

However, more often than not, they're not simply advertised as tips and tricks to look and think and feel better.

But oftentimes they sell a vision of the good life, of utopia, of the key to unlocking human potential.

Full human potential.

In some ways, they take on salvific messaging.

There's a problem with this kind of thinking.

Because it promises eternal satisfaction and eternal life using the tools and resources of this temporal world.

And friends, I'll say this right off the bat.

We are people that have eternal desires and eternal hopes.

Things that can't be met in the here and now.

There's this interesting line from C.S. Lewis' book, Mere Christianity, that he wrote, I mean, decades and decades and decades ago.

And it's a Christian favorite.

If you haven't read it, I commend it to you.

It would be a great summer read.

And this is what he says.

The Christian says,

Creatures are not born with desires unless satisfaction for those desires exist.

A baby feels hunger.

Well, there is such a thing as food.

A duckling wants to swim.

Well, there is such a thing as water.

Men feel sexual desire.

Well, there is such a thing as sex.

If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy,

the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.

If none of my earthly pleasures satisfy it, that does not prove that the universe is a fraud.

Probably earthly pleasures were never meant to satisfy it, but only to arouse it, to suggest the real thing.

Our text today is, like I mentioned, a psalm of David, a song of, it's a harvest song.

But really, it's a song of praise that paints a beautiful picture of what real, eternal satisfaction, real salvation looks like.

It's, in fact, the only picture of utopia that we so desperately want but are unable to achieve.

It's something that we crave and it's ever so elusive.

In short, this text praises and extols the triune God for his loving kindness.

Another way to say it, for his grace.

That thing that God gives us that is completely undeserved,

that he gives us, not because we've curried his favor,

but because he is a kind, loving, and good God.

And it is provision for our very souls.

So we'll see God's grace described in our text in three ways.

First, how God's grace gives us our only satisfaction.

And we see that in verses 1 to 4, especially in verse 3.

The second thing we'll see is how God's grace is our only hope in this life.

And we see that in verses 5 to 8.

And finally, how God's grace is greater and more robust than we could ever have imagined or hoped for.

And we'll see that in verses 9 to 13.

Another way, if you want to go into a bit more of a deep dive into Psalm 65,

you can look at it also, the temple, the earth, and the harvest.

And we see God's grace in all three of those as well.

So let's look first at how God's grace gives us our only true satisfaction.

Let's read verses 1 to 4.

Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion.

And to you shall vows be performed.

By the way, Zion is shorthand for Jerusalem.

It's the place where God dwells, His house.

O you who hear prayer, to you shall all flesh come.

When iniquities prevail against me, you atone for our transgressions.

Blessed is the one you choose and bring near to dwell in your courts.

We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your temple.

This harvest song does not begin in the fields.

It begins in the temple or the house of God in Jerusalem, in Zion, where God's presence is.

And it is not taken for granted, David or the people of God, that they have a privileged position based on anything that they have done.

But rather, it is a means of God's grace that they can even enjoy being in His presence.

This is not the prayer of an entitled people.

God extends His loving kindness.

He extends His grace to a people that really, truly have no business being in His presence.

Yet, it is He who hears prayers.

It is He who beckons all flesh to come to Him.

It is He who knows the frailty of people and atones for their sins.

I'll just draw your attention quickly to one bit here.

Verse 2, it says,

O you who hear prayer.

It seems like an obvious thing.

But God hears what you have to say to Him.

It is not an exercise in futility where you pray to the ceiling or to the walls around you

as if God might hear it but do nothing about it.

God hears prayers in order for Him to act, to answer the prayers.

This is a means of grace from God.

And we see this in this section because what is it that the people are praying to God for?

Verse 3,

When our iniquities prevail against us, you atone for our transgressions.

It's a people that know their place.

A people that know that they don't have what it takes to stand in the presence of God

they are honest about what is happening in their lives.

That they are sinful.

That they have broken commands.

That they have hurt people.

That they have been hurt.

And they need God to intervene.

And God, He hears their prayers not to just hear but again,

so that He can answer their prayers.

To meet their needs.

To satisfy their longings and their brokenness

that gets in the way of achieving what they desire.

God hears your prayers.

It seems again so elementary to say,

but friends, God hears your prayers.

He hears your prayers.

When you pray, God hears.

Sometimes it feels like it's not the case,

but God hears your prayers.

When will He answer?

How will He answer?

That is up to Him.

But God delights when His people pray to Him.

God who is lacking nothing,

who does not need to help you

in order to fill some kind of void in His life,

as if He needs to help Daniel

because He has this desire to be a helpful person.

God hears your prayers and chooses to act

because He is a God who is loving.

That also means that God is not overwhelmed with your prayers.

When you bring things to God that overwhelm you,

I mean in verse 3,

at the very least,

these people have sins and brokenness and hang-ups,

maybe addictions,

who knows what it is.

There are many things that overwhelm them,

but nothing overwhelms God.

That's the God who hears our prayers

and acts out of love,

not out of compulsion,

not out of a desire to fill a void,

but because of His loving kindness,

because of an extension of His grace.

The guilt that troubles you,

the hang-ups that have followed you your whole life,

don't overwhelm God.

He hears them and they are not impossible

for Him to overcome.

In fact, He will.

Nothing that shakes you will shake God.

And that's a beautiful, wonderful truth.

He is able to do it.

This text also shows us that God is good

and in Him there is no evil.

He did not create us in order to squash us

or neglect us or abuse us.

There is no ill intent in His design

for you and for me.

In fact, it's the opposite.

Consider that He desires to satisfy the longings

and desires of your heart.

Not the things that you want because they're shiny,

but the things that you want that are shiny

because you want a fulfillment

that those things will never fulfill.

Those longings, those desires,

He knows them and can satisfy them.

Why?

Because He has given you,

He has created you with such longings,

such desires.

He has created you with intent

in His image and in His likeness.

And what does He satisfy us with ultimately?

It's His presence.

We see this in verse 4.

The longing of the human heart

is to know God and be known by Him.

And we, again,

alluding to my opening of the influencers,

not all of them,

but again,

this idea that

if you follow this program,

if you subscribe to this newsletter,

if you take in what I have to say,

you will somehow connect with

something that is transcendent.

You will be complete.

But because the human heart is made

to know God and be known by Him,

we can be,

we will be incomplete

until we experience that.

Until we know that.

Until God makes a way for us

to know Him.

So what does God,

what does He satisfy us with?

His self.

But also with a guilt-free,

redeemed soul.

Because that is the entryway

into His presence.

God is perfect.

And He can't have imperfection

come into His courts.

He is a good God.

He can't have evil

come into His courts.

So what does He do?

He makes a way

to deal with the evil.

He makes a way

to deal with the impurity.

He makes a way

to deal with the sin.

And we see this in verse 3.

He atones for our transgressions.

Really, this is a picture

of the sacrificial system

in the temple

where the priest,

on behalf of the people,

would sacrifice an animal.

The sin would be laid on the animal.

And the people,

by the shedding of the blood

of the animal,

would be made right before God.

Now, it was not perfect

because it had to be done

time and time and time again.

But it would ultimately point

to what Christ would do

on the cross

where He would take

the sins

and the brokenness

and the evil

and the junk

of the world

upon His shoulders

and die once and for all

in our stead

so we would be made

right in Him.

And this is what

this first section

verses 1-4

is alluding to.

Friends, the Christian life,

it may seem

like it is full of prohibitions

and doldrums

and stuffiness.

But that would be

a false view of the truth.

Because again,

verse 4,

what does it say?

Yeah, I mean,

pretty good that we get

to be in the courts of God

to be in His presence.

It says,

Blessed is the one

who you choose

and bring near

to dwell in your court

so we shall be satisfied

with the goodness

of your house,

the holiness

of your temple.

Especially the latter half

of verses 4,

we shall be satisfied

with the goodness

of your house,

the holiness

of your temple.

This speaks to

on holidays,

holy days

in ancient Israel

how there would be

sacrifices

but that people would

take and eat the meat.

It would be a time

of rejoicing,

choice drink,

choice food.

Cares would be

left in the past

and we would celebrate

and it points

to a picture

of a transcendent joy

that awaits those

who know

and fear the Lord.

A kind of joy

that accompanies

a glad heart

and a light spirit.

A kind of joy

that can transcend

the problems

in the here

and the now.

That's not

a promise

that we'll be happy

all the time.

The Christian life

can be very difficult.

It can,

you know,

it's difficult

on the very basis

that we want things,

we are selfish,

and we will kill

and steal

and lie

and destroy

to get them.

And it's hard

to fight against that.

Sometimes it feels

difficult and hard

and it's not a happy life

all the time

but it will be

a joy-filled life

because we know

that whatever

we have gone through,

whatever we will

go through,

the worst

that we have

gone through.

And it's not

the end of our story.

It's not the thing

that will come

to define us.

Rather,

eternity will.

Joy,

unspeakable

and full of glory

is our destination

as it is said

in other parts

of Holy Scripture.

When your spirit

is heavy laden

with guilt

from sin,

exhausted

with the inability

to overcome,

when you are

beaten down

by iniquities,

know that there

is a God

that hears

your prayers

and delights

in atoning

your sins

and welcoming

you into

his very presence.

That's a thing

we come to realize

in greater depths

more and more

as we walk

through the Christian life

but friends,

this is our life.

This is what

we can expect.

what

rivals

that kind of grace

of the risen Lord

Jesus Christ?

What

influencer

did you watch

yesterday

on YouTube

that offers you

what the scriptures

offer you

and guarantee

I would put forward

to you that

there isn't

anything

that holds a candle

to that.

He does

what we cannot

do

and how

do we

then respond

with trust

and praise

that expresses

itself in

obedience,

prayer,

and constantly

returning to

him when we

falter,

when we sin.

The life

of confession

is a life

of throwing

ourselves

once again

at the

kindness

and grace

of the Lord.

But God

doesn't only

extend his

kindness

to his people.

Is he

the God

of all

the cosmos

but only acts

in a regional

way?

Put it

another way,

is he the God

of the whole

world but

it's only

for Israel?

Because this

is a psalm

that was written

by King David

to the people

of Israel.

The answer is

no.

Look with me

in verses 5

and 8.

God is indeed

the creator

of the cosmos,

everything that

is created.

Therefore he

is indeed

the God

of all people.

So this next

section,

verses 5 to 8,

will help us

to see how

he is not

only our hope

as people

that put their

faith and trust

in Jesus Christ

but he's actually

the hope

of all the

nations.

Look with me,

verses 5 to 8.

By awesome deeds

you answer us

with righteousness,

O God

of our salvation,

the hope

of all the

ends of the

earth

and of the

farthest

seas,

the one

who by his

strength

established

the mountains

being girded

with might,

who stills

the roaring

of the seas,

the roaring

of their waves,

the tumult

of the peoples,

so that

those who dwell

at the ends

of the earth

are in awe

at your signs.

You make

the going

out of the

morning

and the

evening

to shout

for joy.

In this

section,

we see how

God is active

in the world

from the

farthest

seas

and the

ends of

the earth.

8b,

verse 8b,

so the second

part of verse 8,

you make

the going

out of the

morning and

the evening

to shout

for joy.

That's a

picture really

of everything

that stretches

from east

to west.

It's a picture

of the entire

world.

God is the

hope of all

people,

verse 5,

and all

people who

see the

signs of

God are

in awe

of him.

I'll just

mention something

and maybe

this is helpful

for you guys

in your own

Bible reading.

If you look

at verse 5,

the second

part of it,

it says,

O God of our

salvation,

the hope

of all,

and here it

is,

the ends

of the

earth,

and you

go down

to the

first part

of verse 8

and it says

this,

so that those

who dwell

at the

ends of

the earth

are in

awe at

your signs.

Whenever you

see the

same

sentence

or the

same set

of words

or a

title or

something like

that,

and it kind

of sandwiches

a section,

that is

something that

should draw

your attention

to the

message of

a portion.

So here,

talking about

the ends

of the

earth,

this is a

picture of

God

extending

his grace

not just

to a region

but to

everywhere.

And everything

in between

is going to

fill in

the gap.

So when you

read something

like this,

your ears

perk up and

you see the

ends of

the earth,

you see at

the end

the ends

of the

earth,

go back,

take a look

at what

it says

and see

the meaning,

what is

God getting

at when

he says

the ends

of the

earth.

It's a bit

of an

aside,

that's a

little Bible

reading tool

that's very,

very helpful.

But here,

it's just

that.

The ends

of the

earth is

God's

domain as

well.

He extends

his grace

across the

known world.

And what's

really interesting

here is that

this is actually

speaking of

us.

I mean,

we,

on one

hand,

we are

the people

of God.

Whenever we

read something

about Israel,

in many ways,

we are

Israelites

ourselves in

a spiritual

way.

We are the

people of

God.

But we

live six

time zones

away from

Jerusalem here.

We are very

far.

We are the

ends of the

earth here in

Canada.

And God

has confirmed

his word by

this very church

service this

morning.

God has

extended his

grace out

to the

ends of

the earth.

Friends,

this is the,

I mean,

it might seem

like we are

the center of

the earth,

okay?

You might

feel that

way.

You have a

complex.

You are at

the ends of

the earth.

And God

here has

extended his

grace to

the ends

of the

earth.

It is a

wonderful,

beautiful picture

of God

confirming what

the scriptures

say.

there is a

specific focus

here also on

creation.

Verses 6 and

7 speak of

God creating

the land and

bringing chaos

to order.

Both themes

that we see

in Genesis,

the opening

chapters of

Genesis.

And we see

two things

about this,

about God

being creator.

That God

has left his

fingerprints all

over creation

in terms of

the complexity

of creation.

creation.

But it also

speaks of

God's

infiniteness.

So here

we see that

especially if we

go to verse

8 where it

says that the

ends of the

earth will be

in all the

signs of

God.

That God

has created

mountains where

there weren't

any.

He has

calmed the

seas that

were raging.

He has

taken what

didn't exist

and made

something out

of it.

He is the

creator of

all things.

And just to

put it in

perspective,

how infinite

God is,

I mean,

don't fact

check me.

Maybe you

should fact

check me.

I don't

know.

But in

terms of

what we

have discovered

in the

known

universe,

if we

were to

take all

of the

universe,

sorry,

I'll say

it this

way,

if we

were to

take all

of the

universe

and kind

of equal

it to

all of our

oceans,

the size

of all

of our

oceans,

we have

discovered

the equivalent

to a 12

ounce glass

of water

compared to

the rest

of the

oceans.

Universe,

the cosmos,

what God

has created,

I mean,

does it have

an end to it?

I'm sure it

does,

but it's

mind-boggling.

It's impossible

for us to

understand.

And God

has,

he has spoke

this out

into existence.

existence.

And this

God,

who has

left his

fingerprints

all over

creation,

his

infiniteness

all over

creation,

what does

he want

to do?

He wants

to create

in his

image for

the purpose

of extending

his love

and his

kindness

and his

grace to

you.

We are,

just in terms

of matter,

like a

nothing

compared to

the infiniteness

of space.

And yet,

God

welcomes you

into his

presence.

He is making

a way for

you to

come and

enjoy his

very presence.

He has

atoned for

your sins

and he

calls us

his own.

This is the

grace of God

displayed to

the ends

of the earth.

And really,

it is the

only hope

that anybody

truly has.

The God

of our

salvation is

the hope

of all

the earth

which leads

us also

to an

uncomfortable

truth.

If the

triune

God is

the God

of salvation

and the

hope of

all the

earth,

that means

other

faiths and

other

philosophies

that offer

salvation and

claim to

satisfy our

deepest

longings,

they're

false.

Again,

that's a

very uncomfortable

take.

There's no

eternal hope

in religions

and philosophies

that cannot

atone for

sins,

that do

not look

to Christ

as the

once and

for all

sacrifice

on our

behalf.

God of

God,

very God

of very

God.

Who else

can still

the roaring

seas?

Who else

can still

the tumult

of the

peoples

in our

hearts,

our souls?

Who can

bring an

end to

all the

violence,

an end to

all the

oppression,

an end to

all the

slavery and

poverty and

idolatry

that finds

itself growing

in measures

in our

world?

And it's

the hope

of the

earth,

it's

Jesus

Christ.

And we

don't see

that end

to the

oppression and

the violence

and the

slavery and

the poverty

and the

idolatry,

but it

will come

to pass.

And this

actually leads

us to our

third and

final section,

looking at

how the

grace of

God is

greater and

bigger than

we could

ever have

imagined.

Look with

me, verses

9-13.

It says

this,

You visit

the earth

and water

it, you

greatly

enrich it.

The river

of God

is full

of water.

You provide

their grain,

for so you

have prepared

it.

You water

its furrows

abundantly,

settling its

ridges,

softening it

with showers,

blessing its

growth.

You crown

the year

with your

bounty,

your wagon

tracks overflow

with abundance.

The pastures

of the wilderness

overflow,

the hills

gird themselves

with joy,

the meadows

clothe themselves

with flocks,

the valleys

deck themselves

with grain,

the joy,

the shout,

they shout

and sing

together for

joy.

This section,

again, it might

seem kind of

out of place.

We've moved

from the house

of God to a

snapshot of God

as creator,

and now we find

ourselves in the

harvest.

So how is this

connected to the

other two sections,

and how is this

the answer

to all of

the brokenness

in the world?

All the

heartache,

all of the

evil,

all of the

pain.

It's connected

in at least

three ways.

It's connected

to the previous

section as it

tells us that

God doesn't

only create the

world, but he

sustains it.

He is actively

involved in the

ongoing life

of his creation.

God doesn't

create as a

watchmaker would

create, where he

creates all the

components, he

puts them

together, he

sets the watch

and then leaves

it, because it's

going to go on

whether he

touches it or

not.

He's not like a

watchmaker in

terms of how he

creates.

Instead, he

creates everything

and everything

has its being

held together

and has its

being in him.

He sustains

everything.

He cares for

and nourishes

all that he has

created.

He gives and

sustains life.

The second

thing that

connects this

section to the

previous section

is that Jesus

has described

the evangelization

of all people

to a harvest.

And we see

that in Matthew

Matthew 9 · chapter mention

chapter 9,

starting in

verse 35,

and it says

this,

And Jesus

went throughout

all the cities

and villages,

teaching in

their synagogues

and proclaiming

the gospel of

the kingdom,

and healing

every disease

and every

affliction.

When he saw

the crowds,

he had

compassion for

them, because

they were harassed

and helpless,

like sheep

without a shepherd.

Then he said

to his disciples,

The harvest is

plentiful, but

the laborers are

few.

Therefore, pray

earnestly to the

Lord of the harvest

to send out laborers

into the harvest.

The God, the Father,

draws all people

to his Son

through his Spirit.

He has compassion

on the crowds,

compassion on all

people.

Why?

Because they are

hopeless.

They are helpless.

They are like sheep

without a shepherd

who cannot defend

themselves, who

cannot find clean

water or lush

meadows to eat.

He desires to see

a rich and bountiful

harvest of the souls

of men and women,

young and old,

and he draws all

people from the

farthest corners

of the earth,

including Canada.

He causes grain to

grow where it ought

not to grow, which is

this beautiful picture

of God doing only

what God can do,

making the impossible

happen.

Flocks of sheep

thrive where they

ought not to.

He really, truly

does the impossible.

Finally, this section

connects to the

previous section

because what we see

here isn't just

an annual harvest,

but a picture of

the end of the age

or the eschaton

or the culmination

of all salvation.

And this is where

it answers the question

of the problem of evil

ultimately.

The river of God

that is mentioned

here, where is it?

In verse 9,

the river of God

is full of water.

Now that might seem

very much like a

redundancy.

The river of God

is full with water.

Well, of course it is.

But, it isn't a

redundancy.

It is a picture

of something that we

see elsewhere in

Scripture.

In fact, it is a

picture of the

healing and salvation

that comes to the

nations that only

can come from God

Himself.

And we see it at

the very end of

the Bible.

Revelation chapter

Revelation 22 · chapter mention

22, which is a

picture of all

things being made

right.

All evil being

overcome.

All sin being

destroyed.

Our enemy being

cast away and us

dwelling in God's

presence forever.

And this is what it

says.

Revelation chapter

Revelation 22:1–5

22, verses 1 to 5.

Then the angel

showed me the river

of the water of

life.

There it is.

bright as crystal

flowing from the

throne of God and

out of the Lamb

through the middle

of the streets of

the city.

It's the heavenly

city.

Also on either side

of the river, the

tree of life with

its twelve kinds of

fruits yielding its

fruit each month.

The leaves of the

tree were for the

healing of the

nations.

No longer will

there be anything

accursed.

But the throne of

God and of the Lamb

will be in it and

His servants will

worship Him.

They will see His

face.

That's a proximity.

Talking about our

proximity to God.

They will see His

face and His name

will be on their

foreheads and night

will be no more.

They will need no

light of lamp or

sun for the Lord

God will be their

light and they will

reign forever and

ever.

Friends, this is a

picture of abundance

and of perfection and

of true utopia and

satisfaction.

Especially verses

11 to 13 we see

this.

It has all of this

in view.

A ridiculous haul.

A bounty that

points to richness

that is overflowing.

Look in verse 11

and on.

You crown the

year with your

bounty.

And I love this

imagery.

Your wagon tracks

overflow with

abundance.

It's like a wagon

going through as

people are harvesting

fruit or grain.

It's just getting

piled on.

It can't hold

anymore.

It just falls down.

It's a harvest that

is completely

overflowing.

It's a picture of

bounty.

Something that we

could never hope

for but we

desperately need.

It continues on.

The pastures of the

wilderness overflow.

The hills gird

themselves with joy.

Meadows clothe

themselves with

flock.

Valleys deck

themselves with

grain.

They shout and

sing together for

joy.

A picture of all

things made right.

And that age to

come can only be

through Jesus

Christ.

Through the cross

of Christ.

Jesus himself is

the source of

life.

On the cross

Jesus is strung

up as a

sacrifice for us

and out of his

side, out of his

hands, feet,

brow, flow life

giving blood that

so nourishes and

feeds and grows

all them that put

their faith and

trust and hope in

Jesus.

His life poured

out so that our

life may flourish.

And that is the

good news of the

cross of Christ.

Friends, we are

saved for eternity

to enjoy the

harvest with the

Lord of the

harvest.

The life that is

offered to anyone

that would hear

his voice, forsake

their ways, and

follow after him.

Friends, this is

not a life of

lack.

It is not a

life of lack.

It is a life of

bounty and

abundance and

joy that is

hard to comprehend.

But it is ours,

in a sense, for the

taking.

It's a beautiful

extension of his

goodness, loving

kindness of his

grace that he

gives to his

people.

Father, help us

to be people that

look to you for

true satisfaction.

Lord, we are

people that so

quickly forget and

look to other

things to satisfy,

other things to

heal, other things

to atone for our

sins, to distract

from the

difficulties.

But Lord, help us

to come afresh to

you, to trust in

you, and to look

to you.

Lord, that we

would trust in the

life-giving blood

of your Son poured

out for us so that

we may have eternal

life.

Lord, we ask that

you would help us

to trust in him.

And Lord, as we

go our way this

morning, Lord, help

us also to be a

joyful people and

extend that invitation

to others around us,

to our friends and

our family, our

co-workers, our

neighbors, the

strangers that we

interact with, all

those that we may

come in contact

with.

Lord, remind us

constantly that you

are a God of

bounty.

And this is

because of Christ

Jesus we pray.

Amen.

Amen.