Psalm 119:17,18

    It is a good thing that we have traffic laws and that they must be kept.  If each one could drive on whatever side of the road he wanted, and at the speed he preferred, the death rate would far exceed what it is today. There is something good about laws.

    There, is something even more wonderful that the psalmist tells us in Psalm 119:17, 18 about God's law; and he prays that God will enable him to see those wonderful things in that law. He writes, "Deal bountifully with Thy servant, that I may live, and keep Thy word. Open Thou my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy law."

    What is so wonderful about that law is first of all that it teaches us why we were created, namely to love God and live for His glory. Another wonderful thing is that we learn why the curse is upon this earth. It shows us why the death penalty rests upon the human race, and how we must behave, if we are going to live, It shows the folly of thinking that medicine, chemotherapy, and the like are going to remove the curse from mankind. It teaches us the need for the cross of Christ, if we are going to be delivered from God's holy wrath.

    That is why the psalmist prays that God will deal bountifully with him so that he may be weaned away from breaking God's law. That our versification  states in these words:

    Thy servant, blest by Thee,
    Shall live and keep Thy law with awe;
    Lord, open Thou my eyes to see
    The wonders of Thy law.

    By nature we do not see that in God's law. It does not look wonderful to us, but looks horrible, When we see that law fulfilled by Christ for us, we see the wonder of wonders. We see that the God against Whom we sinned has in His Son suffered our punishment. And now we live for Him in a love unto Him that enables us and moves us to keep His law with awe and gladness.

Read: Psalm 119:17-32 
Psalter versification: #323:1

Meditations on the Heidelberg Catechism

Through the Bible in One Year
Read today:
I Samuel 18:5-30 
I Samuel 19 
John 8:31-59 
Psalm 112 
Proverbs 15:12-14

****
Quote for Reflection:

“It must also be observed, that the power and office of illuminating is not confined to the personal presence of Christ; for though he is far removed from us with respect to his body, yet he daily sheds his light upon us, by the doctrine of the Gospel, and by the secret power of his Spirit. Yet we have not a full definition of this light, unless we learn that we are illuminated by the Gospel and by the Spirit of Christ, that we may know that the fountain of all knowledge and wisdom is hidden in him."  John Calvin on John 8:12

Psalm 87:7

    There is a fountain of life. No, it is not the one the world seeks and wants. But in Psalm 87:7 we read of it.  The psalmist declares, "As well the singers as the players on instruments shall be there: all my springs are in thee." The word here translated as springs is often translated as fountains. And "shall be there'' refers to Zion, the city of God, where there shall be these people from all those outside of Israel. In Zion shall be people from all nations, tongues, and tribes.

    But what we ought to note today is that all in that city of God, both the singers and players on instruments, have their fountain of life in God. Our versification expresses it thus (PRC Psalter):

    When the Lord shall count the nations,
    Sons and daughters he shall see
    Born to endless life in Zion,
    And their joyful song shall be,
    "Blessed Zion 
    All our fountains arc in thee."

    Out of Christ flows all our spiritual life. From Him, as from a deep well that will never run dry, comes a life that will cause us to praise God, some of us with singing and others to enrich the music with instruments. What we saw two days ago is true, namely, glorious things are spoken of that city. But we must not overlook the fact that these glorious things are spoken by the citizens of the new Jerusalem.

    What we begin to sing now, and will sing perfectly when Christ brings us with body and soul into this city of God is that all our blessedness comes from God. He, in Christ, is the fountain, and therefore our song shall be everlasting praise to God. There in that new Jerusalem will Isaiah 43:2 be fulfilled:  "This people have I formed for Myself; they shall show forth My praise."

    What a beautiful everlasting day it is of harmonious singing of such a beautiful melody of praise to God, by a holy choir and holy players on instruments, and composed of people out of every nation, tongue, and tribe, selected by God, so that glorious things are spoken of Him and to Him. For it is the city of God, the city He built through His Son.

Read: Revelation 4 
Psalter versification: #238:3

Meditations on the Heidelberg Catechism

Through the Bible in One Year
Read today:
I Samuel 17 
I Samuel 18:1-4 
John 8:21-30 
Psalm 111 
Proverbs 15:11

****
Quote for Reflection:

 “…Vain thoughts will be more ready with us, unless the Word dwell richly in our hearts….The mind works upon what it finds in itself, as a mill grinds whatever is put into it—chaff or corn. Therefore, if we would prevent evil thoughts and musings of vanity all the day long, we must hide the Word in our hearts.”  --Thomas Manton

Psalm 87:4

    The glorious city of God called Zion in Psalm 87:2 and 5, and declared in verse 3 to be a city of which glorious things are spoken, has in it people who might seem to belong outside of it and far from it. Psalm 87:4 states,"I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to them that know me behold Philistia and Tyre with Ethiopia; this man was born there." Another name for Rahab is Egypt. Thus here we have listed some of the nations that were the fiercest enemies of the kingdom of Israel, the unbelieving nations round about the land of Canaan where the church stood until the day of Pentecost. Yet we read that many from these Gentile nations were born in Zion.

    Egypt was to the west and south of Canaan, Babylon was to the east, Tyre to the north, and Ethiopia to the far south, while the inhabitants of Philistia lived right there in Canaan; and Israel had to take their land away. Yet in the wonder of God's grace — and we can see that clearly today -- God brought into the church people from other nations than the seed of Abraham. He has a universal church with people from every nation, tongue, and tribe. In fact, today there are more members in Christ's church from people outside of the Jewish race than in it.

    Sovereignly, that is, with a perfect right, and a power that cannot be challenged, God eternally chose who would be citizens in Zion. As our versification has it: (PRC Psalter)

     Heathen lands and hostile people
    Soon shall come the Lord to know;
    Nations born again in Zion
    Shall the Lord's salvation know:
    God almighty shall on Zion strength bestow.

    Did you note that the text ascribes it all to God? In evey sense the church from Adam onward is the city of God, the city He brought forth. The city is glorious because glorious things are spoken of God Who designed it and brought it into being in His Son.

Read: Revelation 5 
Psalter versification: #238:2

Meditations on the Heidelberg Catechism

Through the Bible in One Year
Read today:
I Samuel 15 
I Samuel 16 
John 8:1-20 
Psalm 110 
Proverbs 15:8-10

****
Quote for Reflection:

 “One Christian conversing with another is a means to confirm him. As the stones in an arch help to strengthen one another, so one Christian by imparting his experience, heats and quickens another. " Let us provoke one another to love, and to good works " (Heb. 10:24). How does grace flourish by holy conference! A Christian by good discourse drops that oil upon another, which makes the lamp of his faith burn the brighter.”  --Thomas Watson

Psalm 87:1-3

    Yes, there are holy mountains. There were holy mountains in the Old Testament times, and there are holy mountains today. In the Old Testament days two of the hills on which Jerusalem was built were called holy:  Mt. Moriah, where the temple, God's dwelling place, was built, and Mt. Zion where the kings of the kingdom of Judah had their throne. That is why we read in Psalm 87:1-3, "His foundation is in the holy mountains. The Lord loveth the gates of Zion, more than all the dwellings of Jacob.  Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God."

    Indeed, glorious things were spoken of Jerusalem, often called Zion because of that one hill. For God surely had His foundation there on Mt. Moriah, where Christ was typically in the high priest and in the bloody sacrifices. And on Mt. Zion the kings ruled as types of Christ now sitting at God's right hand and ruling all creation, in order to bring in the new Jerusalem, the glorious city of God.

    There in that coming city of God the new Jerusalem, we will find our merciful High Priest, God's only begotten Son, Who in His cross laid the foundation of that city where we will live with God in covenant fellowship unceasingly and in a glorious life.

    This foundation, the basis for all our salvation, is in Christ Whose work was pictured on Mt. Moriah and on Mt.Zion. No wonder glorious things are spoken of that new Jerusalem. We should speak it also as in our versification (PRC Psalter):

    Zion founded on the mountains,
    God, thy maker, loves thee well.
    He has chosen thee most precious,
    He delights in thee to dwell;
    God's own city, 
    Who can all Thy glory tell?

    We will do that, and we will be glorious in that city, because Christ is there and is the foundation of that city.

Read: Psalm 67 
Psalter versification: #238:1

Meditations on the Heidelberg Catechism

Through the Bible in One Year
Read today:
I Samuel 14 
John 7:31-53 
Psalm 109 
Proverbs 15:5-7

****
Quote for Reflection:

     Worldly Conformity: “The course of rebellion against God may be very gradual, but it increases in rapidity as you progress in it; and if you begin to run down the hill, the ever-increasing impetus will send you down faster and faster to destruction. You Christians ought to watch against the beginning of worldly conformity. I do believe that the growth of worldliness is like strife, which is as the letting out of water. Once you begin, there is no knowing where you will stop. I sometimes get this question put to me, concerning certain worldly amusements, “May I do so-and-so?” I am very sorry whenever anyone asks me that question, because it shows that there is something wrong, or it would not be raised at all. If a person’s conscience lets him say, “Well, I can go to A,” he will very soon go on to B, C, D, E, and through all the letters of the alphabet… When Satan cannot catch us with a big sin, he will try a little one. It does not matter to him as long as he catches his fish, what bait he uses. Beware of the beginning of evil, for many, who bade fair to go right, have turned aside and perished amongst the dark mountains in the wide field of sin.”  -- Charles Spurgeon