The Covenant Of Grace Series

Psalms 100 “The Covenant of Grace”

When you know the truth about something even when lies are prevalent around you there is a certain confidence you walk in. People can make up all kinds of things to get you to think or act a certain way, but when you know the truth there is a freedom you live in because at the end of the day you stand on what is solid and unshakeable. There is a gift of Grace we are given. As a result of that Gift, we respond with adoration to the Giver. This grace is not something that we have earned because we have been so good but the grace we’ve received is because as the Psalmist indicates He alone is good.

100 number of Psalms is a very familiar passage that I grew up hearing as a young boy in my grandfather’s small Baptist church in Watts. He was a deacon in the church and head of the deacon board. Every Wednesday I would go to prayer meeting with him while I was still in elementary school. The one thing I remember about prayer meetings were that they would sing and they would pray all night long. I don’t remember a message being preached I don’t even remember the pastor being present during that time but what I do remember is the church showing up for prayer meetings that were lead by the deacons of the church. In that prayer meeting my grandfather would open up the service with a scripture and every Wednesday it was the same one. Psalms 100 which is the text we are talking about this morning.

As I think about it now it was probably because my grandfather didn’t have past a 3rd grade education as the son of a slave in Mississippi back in 1933 when he had to leave school at age 8 to work on the farm. So in God’s infinite wisdom he would know that my grandfather would be preparing me for such a time as this to preach this morning from Psalms 100. It was necessary for them who had migrated from the segregated south out here to California to gather on Wednesdays to repeat the Psalms each week because they understand this covenant of grace. After he read the text they would starting singing some of them old negro spirituals like

“Guide me over oh Great Jehovah.”

In the text this morning I’d like to walk backwards into the truth of scripture. I want to start at the last verse where the writer says, “For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”

This language that is expressed here is covenant language. His love endures, his faithfulness continues through all generations is an indication for the hearers to be confident in the truth of God’s agreement with them as a people. This agreement was established in with Abraham when God promised that all that nations would be blessed through him. He said in Genesis 12:1-3 “Now mthe Lord said1 to Abram, “Go from your country2 and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 nAnd I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 oI will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and pin you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”3

It was continued with Moses and the children of Israel at Sanai. In particular, the exodus proves that the Mosaic covenant is rooted in the covenant of grace. God is clear that nothing in the Israelites themselves moved Him to choose the nation and deliver it from Egypt. Instead, the Lord chose Israel simply out of His good pleasure and love, the same pleasure and love by which He swore oaths to the patriarchs. Such is God’s electing grace at work.

In other words, God chose us. While we were yet sinners Christ died. He didn’t wait for us to get it together he delivered us out of Egypt and through the Red Sea and then established the law. So when the Psalmist writes this 100 number of Psalms I’m inclined to believe this was a reflection of God’s enduring love for them as His people. This covenant of Grace is not predicated on whether or not I can keep up my end of the bargain. It was established on Cavalry when Christ died and sealed it with his blood. Luke 22:20 while Jesus was breaking bread and drinking wine with them having the first communion service he said, “In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.”