Covenant Protestant Reformed Church
83 Clarence Street, Ballymena BT43 5DR
Rev. Angus Stewart
Lord’s Day, 3 July, 2022
“I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever: with my mouth will
I make known thy faithfulness to all generations” (Ps. 89:1)
Morning Service – 11:00 AM
The Most Avoided Messianic Psalm (6)
Comfort in Trouble [youtube]
Scripture Reading: Psalm 69:1-20
Text: Psalm 69:14-19
I. Through God’s Profound Knowledge
II. Through Petitions for Deliverance
III. Through Requests for Nearness
Psalms: 18:1-7; 35:1-7; 139:1-10; 69:14-19
Evening Service – 6:00 PM
The Calling of the Fifth Commandment [youtube]
Scripture Reading: Proverbs 30:1-23
Text: Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 39
I. To Inferiors
II. To Superiors
III. To Equals
Psalms: 71:1-8; 35:8-14; 75:3-10; 131:1-3
For CDs of the sermons and DVDs of the worship services, contact Stephen Murray
If you desire a pastoral visit, please contact Rev. Stewart or the elders
CPRC Website: www.cprc.co.uk • Live Webcast: www.cprc.co.uk/live-streaming
CPRC YouTube: www.youtube.com/cprcni
CPRC Facebook: www.facebook.com/CovenantPRC
Quote to Consider
John Gill on Psalm 69:16: “… the loving kindness of God to his people, and the members of Christ, is … good: it arises from the good will and pleasure of God; it is pleasantly and delightfully good to the saints, who have tasted that the Lord is gracious, and have had his love shed abroad in their hearts; it is profitably good unto them; it has prepared and laid up good things for them, both for time and eternity, even all the blessings of grace and goodness: it has promised good things unto them in covenant, and it gives Christ, and all good things along with him; it has a good influence on the graces of the Spirit, faith, hope, and love, to encourage them; and engages believers to a cheerful obedience to all the divine commands; to which may be added the duration of it, it lasts for ever: and it is so good, that it is better than any temporal good thing without it; it is better than life, and all the comforts of it (Ps. 63:3).”
Announcements (subject to God’s will)
We welcome to our services today all our visitors who are in N. Ireland for the BRF conference which begins on Saturday.
In the foyer are boxes containing BRJs, psalms books, box sets and books which need to be taken to Castlewellan. If you are going to the conference and anticipate having room in your vehicle, please pick them up today.
The Council meets tomorrow evening at 7 PM.
With the BRF Conference beginning this Saturday, the Tuesday Bible study will not meet this week.
Prof. & Mrs. Engelsma are to arrive this Wednesday morning and will be in the Ballymena area before and after the conference until 25 July.
BRF Conference: The programme or schedule is available on the back table. If you wish to join us for lunch or dinner at Castlewellan, the cost is £8/adult per meal. Please contact Mary because the castle would like to know about a week in advance.
The Reformed Witness Hour broadcast next Lord’s day (Gospel 846 MW at 8:30 AM) by Rev. Haak is entitled, “The Separated Life” (Neh. 13:1-3).
Offerings: £1,022.69. Donations: £200 (England), £400 (England).
Translation Additions: 3 Polish and 1 Spanish.
PRC News: Hudsonville PRC called Rev. Decker (Grandville, MI). Rev. Smidstra (Holland, MI) declined calls for domestic missionary and from Hosanna PRC (Edmonton, AB). Hosanna PRC has formed a new trio of Revs. Smit (missionary to the Philippines), J. Holstege (Zion, MI) and Brummel (Calvary, IA). Rev. J. Holstege declined the call from Doon PRC.
David’s Song of Thanksgiving
Brian D. Dykstra
II Samuel 22 and Psalm 18 are much the same. Children often think that the Psalms stand alone, as though they do not have a connection with the history books of the Bible. This is a good opportunity to show our children that we can relate many Psalms with the history which the Bible records for us. Knowing the occasion for some of the Psalms can deepen our appreciation of them.
The introduction to this Psalm tells us that David wrote it after God had delivered him from the hand of all his enemies. David experienced war throughout his life, so he must have written this Psalm when he was old. David pictures Christ as the head of the church on earth, a militant church which faces many strong enemies. David faced and defeated Saul and the heathen nations around him. Christ defeats Satan and all the sinful powers which join Satan in their vain opposition to Christ’s rule.
David refers to the Lord as his rock in verse 2. A rock is steadfast, unmovable and unchanging. The Mourne Mountains have the same appearance for us as they have for many earlier generations. A rock is a natural fortress which provides safety. This confession displays David’s humility. He is not boasting of how his courage, strategy and strength brought him victory over the enemy. Many kings over the years have erected large monuments to their achievements so men would be in awe of them and reverence them. David boasts of God being his rock, deliverer and strength. A regenerated heart has no room in it for self-acclaim. God’s children recognize they owe the victory over sin to Christ and the cross.
Has David’s heart undergone a change when he writes verse twenty? “The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.” This seems boastful. We noted earlier that David wrote this Psalm near the end of his life. Had he forgotten his sin with Bathsheba and against Uriah? Now David claims to be righteous and to possess clean hands?
In his commentary on this text, John Calvin points out that David speaks here of how he became king. He did not usurp the throne by plotting against the rightful King Saul, as those who hated him claimed. David was innocent of Saul’s blood; nor was David a rebel. In that sense, David is righteous and his hands are clean. Calvin also points out that when the Bible speaks of recompense, we are not being taught that God owes us for our works. God does reward our works, and He does not separate men from their works, but He rewards our works in such a way that we see we are indebted to Him and not He to us. The righteousness in us is freely given us by God. The best of our works are not merely tainted by sin but are filthy with sin. God pardons and purges the corruption found in our works. The reward, then, is not by our merit but of His grace.
What would happen if we were to approach God with our good works held in hands of merit, claiming He now owes us some good in return? The closer we bring our works to His holy throne, and the brighter His absolute holiness shines on them, the more corruption we see in our works. The best of our works are not pure but putrid. We must put our works away from us with shame and we realize that our hands of faith must cling to the perfect obedience of Christ. Revelation 14:13 tells us, with good reason, that the believers’ works “do follow them.” Our works do not precede us, as though the way to heaven is paved by our works, but they follow us as the works which God has given us to do. Our works are the fruit of the faith He has graciously planted in our hearts by His Holy Spirit.
David also instructs us in verse 27 about the stark contrast of God’s treatment of the “afflicted” and those who display “high looks.” God saves the afflicted but He brings down the proud. We need this encouragement. God’s people, the meek, are often afflicted. The church appears very weak. Governments do not cower in fear lest they offend the church. Businesses do not worry about the effect on their bottom line should Christians decide to take their business elsewhere, perhaps for example, to a company which is not open for business on Sunday. The church is mocked and God’s word is ridiculed. These afflicted people are not whom we would expect to be saved or have the final victory. The world thinks of us as doomed to failure. I remember seeing a little sticky note left behind in the library of the Christian college from which I graduated. A fellow student with a mischievous sense of humour had written, “The meek shall inherit the earth, if that’s alright with you.”
God will bring down those who have high looks. When we consider those whom the world believes to be “successful,” they are proud. Thinking a lot of one’s ability and having confidence in one’s talents to compete in the marketplace, political arena or sports field seems to be essential to coming out on top. Have you heard the saying, “Nice guys finish last”? This can seem true spiritually as well. Think of the Pharisee whose prayer was a listing of the things which made him great and worthy of whatever God would give. Yet God will bring them low.
However, we must be patient. We must wait for the end. God does not come with deliverance as quickly as we would desire. Patience is an important aspect of our faith and hope. We as individuals, and as a church, have to pass through many afflictions. God will try us with fire to drive the dross from our hearts and He will chastise us, chipping away at our pride, so we fit in our particular place among the living stones of His church.
In verse 43, David speaks of being made “the head of the heathen: people whom I have not known shall serve me.” In the next verse, he writes of strangers submitting themselves to him. This was true for David as a type of Christ. David defeated the Philistines and other surrounding heathen nations so they could not oppress Israel any longer. David spoiled the enemy. The spoils, most notably silver and gold, were stored for Solomon’s use in the building of a (permanent) temple where God would place His name.
This is fulfilled in Christ. The gospel is not limited to being preached to the Jews. Believers are not limited to the physical seed of Abraham. God’s word of salvation continues to go out across the earth. God is able to take Gentiles and engraft them into Christ. Though there was a time when we were not God’s people, God has adopted us in Christ so now even we can be numbered among the children of God. We serve a God who is great in grace.
