Psalm 143:1-12, Exodus 24:4-8, Hebrews 9:11-15, John 8:46-59.
A). AN APPEAL FOR DELIVERANCE.
Psalm 143:1-12.
Who are we going to turn to in a time of distress? For the believer, it can only be the LORD. We know that the LORD has helped us hitherto (cf. 1 Samuel 7:12), and that He is ‘a very present help in time of trouble’ (cf. Psalm 46:1).
PSALM 143:1. David doubles his petition at the court of the LORD with a sense of dependency: “hear” my prayer; “give ear” to my supplications. We cannot ‘boldly approach the throne of grace’ (cf. Hebrews 4:16) trusting in our ‘own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith’ (cf. Philippians 3:9). The Psalmist therefore appeals to the “faithfulness” and “righteousness” of the LORD (cf. 1 John 1:9).
PSALM 143:2. This verse is foundational to the biblical doctrine of justification by faith (cf. Romans 3:20; Galatians 2:16). Before spelling out his troubles, David appeals for mercy, for forgiveness. Not because he is good but because, as the LORD’s “servant,” his faith is in the LORD.
PSALM 143:3-4. David’s need was very great. His enemy persecuted his “soul” and sought his “life,” so that David must dwell in caves and dens of the earth to escape his pursuer. “Therefore,” he admits, his “spirit” is overwhelmed within him, and his “heart” (as we might say) is broken.
PSALM 143:5. Then he “remembered” the days of old. There is plenty in Scripture, and plenty in Christian experience for us to look back upon. “I meditate on ALL thy works,” including the LORD’s works of mercy and works of preservation; “I muse on the work of thy hands,” reflecting upon the LORD’s works of creation and providence.
PSALM 143:6. When we thus think upon the LORD, what He has done hitherto, we have plenty of grounds for encouragement. We find ourselves eagerly yearning after the LORD, stretching out our hands toward Him, craving His parental embrace. We thirst for His reassurances as in a sun-parched land awaiting the rains from above.
“Selah” introduces a pause for thought. The Psalmist draws his breath, and gathers his strength for the barrage of petitions that follow.
PSALM 143:7. David pleads for a speedy answer to his prayer (cf. Isaiah 65:24), lest that, worse than the cave that he was in (cf. Psalm 143:3). his “spirit” becomes discouraged, and he becomes “like unto them that go down into the pit.” Please LORD, “hide not thy face from me.” Renew the sense of thy presence within me.
PSALM 143:8. May I awaken to a morning when I “hear thy loving kindness” anew (cf. Psalm 30:5). “In thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk” (cf. Psalm 25:4). I lift up my “soul” out of the darkness (cf. Psalm 143:3) “unto thee.”
‘The soul that trusts will rise’ (Spurgeon).
‘The night of distress and discouragement shall end in a morning of consolation and praise’ (Matthew Henry).
PSALM 143:9. Although David had found temporary refuge in a cave, it would not suffice. The “enemies,” for all he knew, might still be outside, so “I flee unto THEE to hide me.” Our ultimate refuge is in Jesus. a.k.a. ‘the right arm of (God’s) righteousness’ (cf. Isaiah 41:10).
PSALM 143:10. It is not enough just to ‘know the way’ (cf. Psalm 143:8), but we need to be taught to “do” God’s will. We cannot own the LORD as our God unless we have His good Spirit within us, to lead us and guide us “into the land of uprightness,” both present right living and the perfection of heaven. In other words, we can neither begin nor continue our Christian walk unless the LORD enables us.
PSALM 143:11. “Quicken me, O LORD.” We need the LORD to enliven us, and we pray that it may be so “for thy name’s sake,” because it will bring glory to His name. The Psalmist bases his appeal that his “soul” be brought out of trouble upon the “righteousness” of God.
PSALM 143:12. Finally, it is of the LORD’s “mercy” that we are not consumed by the “enemies” of our souls (cf. Lamentations 3:22). The imprecation at the end of the Psalm does not imply any malice on the part of David against Saul, but rather prophesies that those who “afflict the soul” of the LORD’s “servant” must ultimately be dealt with by God. “I am thy servant,” so I trust in thee.
B). THE BLOOD OF THE COVENANT.
Exodus 24:4-8.
This short passage informs us of the writing (EXODUS 24:4a) and ratification of the “Book of the Covenant” (EXODUS 24:7a). This book consists of the case laws and moral exhortations of Exodus chapters 21 to 23. Moses appears to have written these down after he had ‘told the people all the words of the LORD,’ and they had assented to them (cf. Exodus 24:3).
There are usually two parties to any covenant. Rising early the next morning, Moses built an altar, representing the LORD; and erected twelve pillars, representing the twelve tribes of Israel ((EXODUS 24:4b). Moses sent “young men” of the children of Israel, who "offered burnt offerings” signifying our total commitment to God, and “sacrificed peace offerings of oxen unto the LORD” signifying our fellowship with God (EXODUS 24:5).
Moses laid aside half of the blood for the time being. The other half he sprinkled on the altar (EXODUS 24:6). It is the LORD who needs to be satisfied, and it is the shed blood (ultimately of our Lord Jesus Christ) that purges us from our sins.
Before sprinkling the people with the rest of the blood, Moses took “the Book of the Covenant” and read it (literally) “in the ears of the people” (EXODUS 24:7a). Hereafter and forever, the people of the LORD are a people of the written word.
For a third time the people promised “All that the LORD hath said will we do” (EXODUS 24:7b; cf. Exodus 19:8; Exodus 24:3b). On this occasion they added, “and be obedient.”
Upon this promise, and to cater for man’s inability to perfectly obey the words of the LORD, Moses sprinkled the rest of the blood on the people (EXODUS 24:8a).
We read in Hebrews 9:18-22 that ‘neither was the first (covenant) dedicated without blood’ (cf. Hebrews 9:18) for, ‘without the shedding of blood there is no remission’ (cf. Hebrews 9:22).
Looking back to the old covenant, the New Testament writer emphasises that it was ratified by blood (cf. Hebrews 9:18). Moses ‘took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book and all the people’ (cf. Hebrews 9:19).
Moses’ words: “Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD has made with you concerning all these words” (EXODUS 24:8b); or ‘This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined on you’ (cf. Hebrews 9:20) anticipate the words of Jesus: ‘This is my blood of the new covenant which is shed for many for the remission of sins’ (cf. Matthew 26:28).
Furthermore, the sanctuary was sanctified with blood (cf. Hebrews 9:21). The high priest would enter the ‘Holiest of All’ (cf. Hebrews 9:3), alone, once a year (on the Day of Atonement) ‘not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people’ (cf. Hebrews 9:7).
But the endless round of sacrifices would never suffice for the remission of sins (cf. Hebrews 9:22). It needed Jesus to provide a ‘better’ sacrifice than those previously offered (cf. Hebrews 9:23).
C). A HIGH PRIEST OF GOOD THINGS TO COME.
Hebrews 9:11-15.
This short passage is the high point of the writer’s comparison between the old covenant and the new. In an argument from the lesser to the greater, the chapter commences with a demonstration of the limitations of the access to God allowed in the annual Day of Atonement (cf. Hebrews 9:6-7). There is also displayed a limit to what the Old Testament sacrifices could accomplish (cf. Hebrews 9:8-9).
Yet even in this negative side of the argument, there are already hints of the better that was to come. The way into the heavenly sanctuary was ‘not yet’ opened (cf. Hebrews 9:8). The bodily regulations were imposed only ‘until’ the time of reformation (cf. Hebrews 9:10).
All this anticipates the comparison: “But Christ…” (HEBREWS 9:11).
The writer has already proved that Jesus is superior to Aaron (cf. Hebrews 5:1-10). Now we see that the “building” in which Jesus serves is a “more perfect” tabernacle (HEBREWS 9:11).
The ‘worldly sanctuary’ (cf. Hebrews 9:1) served for a time, in both tent and Temple, but now the ‘reformation’ has been accomplished (cf. Hebrews 9:10). Jesus has ‘passed through the heavens’ to the heavenly sanctuary (cf. Hebrews 4:14), of which the earthly was only a copy (cf. Hebrews 8:5).
The sacrifice which Jesus offered was a more abiding sacrifice than that of Aaron, procuring our “eternal” redemption (HEBREWS 9:12). “Redemption” speaks of the release of slaves: the release of those who have been hitherto held in thraldom to sin, death and the devil. We are ‘redeemed by the blood of the Lamb’ (cf. 1 Peter 1:19).
Rather than merely providing temporary purification for the flesh (HEBREWS 9:13), the sacrifice of Jesus “purges our conscience” (HEBREWS 9:14).
It will never suffice for our salvation to go through even God-appointed rituals and rites, only to have to repeat them over and over again. Yet what Jesus has accomplished, “by His own blood” – and that just “once” (HEBREWS 9:12) – is the eternal “purging” of all our sins (HEBREWS 9:14). Nothing else would have sufficed.
Our consciences are set free from the guilt of sin, and our lives released from the tyranny of the law. Furthermore, our purged conscience leads us out from dead works “to serve the living God” (HEBREWS 9:14).
“For this cause, He is the mediator of the new testament” (HEBREWS 9:15). How so? By death! Jesus gave His life in death for our redemption, so that we might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
D). BEFORE ABRAHAM WAS, I AM.
John 8:46-59.
JOHN 8:46. There was nobody who could lay any charge against our spotless Saviour. So why do people refuse point blank to receive the Gospel? This is the unreasonableness of fallen mankind.
JOHN 8:47. Elsewhere Jesus says, ‘My sheep hear my voice’ (cf. John 10:27). If we love God, we will love God’s word. A person who dislikes to hear the word of God shows themselves to be “not of God.”
JOHN 8:48. They accused Him of being a Samaritan and having a devil - the two epithets tripped so readily together off their lips. To say that Jesus was “a Samaritan” was a suggestion that He was no true Jew, such as they imagined themselves to be. Jesus had already told them that if they were truly Abraham’s seed, they would not be seeking to kill Him (cf. John 8:39-40). To say that Jesus had “a devil” was to suggest that Jesus was not speaking from God, but from Satan.
JOHN 8:49. Jesus’ reply was to emphasise the opposite: that He had not a devil, and that He sought the honour of His Father. They, for their part, did dishonour Jesus, the Son (which, by inference, is to dishonour the Father also.)
JOHN 8:50. Jesus sought not His own glory, but His Father sought it, and would judge those who dishonoured Him.
JOHN 8:51. On the other hand, Jesus said, “If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.” He was referring to eternal and irreversible separation from God, which is the second death (cf. Revelation 21:8). We are all born into spiritual death under Adam, from which Christian believers are made alive at conversion (cf. Ephesians 2:4-5). Furthermore, even physical death cannot hold us as death and hell have lost their sting (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:55-57).
JOHN 8:52. Our Lord’s hearers reiterated their accusation that Jesus had a devil. They could only think of this in terms of physical death: Abraham and the prophets were dead, so how could Jesus say, “If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death?”
JOHN 8:53. The Jews further asked, “Art thou greater than our father Abraham?” The inference is that the answer to the question is 'Yes,' as Jesus affirmed in the ensuing conversation. “Whom makest thou thyself?” is an angry, ‘Who do you think you are!’
JOHN 8:54. Jesus’ reply was, “It is my Father that honoureth me.” Such honour, incidentally, is evident in all His words and works, and signs and miracles. This was the one whom they professed to believe, “of whom ye say, that He is your God.”
JOHN 8:55. Jesus suggested that they did not know God. With this He contrasts His own complete knowledge of God. It is a strong assertion to say that if Jesus were to deny that He knows God, He would be a liar like unto them. “But I know Him, and keep His saying.” Jesus does keep God’s sayings, and was fulfilling the mission for which He was commissioned.
JOHN 8:56. Abraham foresaw the day of Christ, and rejoiced. So, yes, Jesus is greater than Abraham. But what foresight on the part of Abraham! What wonderful knowledge! By faith, Abraham saw the still future day of Christ, the day of His ultimate triumph.
JOHN 8:57. Inevitably, this brought about the rejoinder, “thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?” These people were interpreting Jesus’ comment from a fleshly point of view. “Not yet fifty years old” was a way of saying, ‘not yet middle-aged.’
JOHN 8:58. “Before Abraham was,” said Jesus, “I AM.” By this statement, Jesus was both claiming to be eternal, and to be the LORD (the great “I AM”). Before even Abraham was born, Jesus already existed, without beginning and without end, as the great ever-present I AM.
JOHN 8:59. His opponents could not accept this, and picked up stones to slay Him. But they could not, and Jesus conveyed Himself away from them.
