THE RAVENS CRY
PSA. 147:9
There is was a young man by the name of Gary in fact Gary lived right over here on Goodyear Lake. Now Gary had head a tail that had been passed on through his family that his father, grandfather and great-grandfather had all walked on water on their 21st birthdays. So, on his 21st birthday, Bob headed out to the lake. "If they did it, I can too!" he insisted.
When Gary arrived at the lake, he rented a boat and began paddling. When he got to the middle of the lake, Gary stepped off of the side of the boat ... well he nearly drowned. Furious and somewhat embarrassed headed for home.
When Gary arrived back home, he asked his grandmother for an explanation. "Grandma, why can I not walk water on my 21st birthday like my father, and his father, and his father before him?"
The feeble old grandmother took Gary by the hands, looked into his eyes, and explained, "That’s because your father, grandfather, and great-grandfather were born in January. You were born in July, dear."
With that said I would like you to turn to our passage for today, which is Psa. 147:9. That would be page 546 in your pew Bible. Today we are continuing our series of messages on prayer. Now we may cover some things that we covered last week, but if you look to the Word of God one of the ways in which God teaches us things is through repetition. While they may not be presented in the same way some of the concepts that we will be looking at today, may some familiar.
Psa. 147:9 “He gives to the beast its food, And to the young ravens that cry.”
As I begin this morning I want to share with you something about ravens. It seem when young ravens are all grown up in able to fly on their own the parent raven kicks them out of the nest and sets them off to find there own food. No matter how much the young raven calls it’s parents will not bring it food, it is on it’s own. So who provides for the raven, the Word of God tells us He does. God provides food for the beast and to the young ravens that cry because they have gotten throw out of their nests.
What the Lord is telling us in this passage is that He is the provider. He provides for His creation. We see the hand of God in creation and we ought to be willing to learn from that.
This passage reminds me of what is stated in Rom. 1:20; “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,” Many of the things that we can learn about God can be learned from His creation.
The general lesson that we can learn from a raven’s cry is found in the words of our Lord in Luke 12:24 there the Lord states; “Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds?”
Following the Lord Jesus’ logic here I want us to consider the ravens as the cry. That cry out with croaking kind of sound, yet as harsh as they sound they make their needs known to the Lord and the Father hears their prayers and sends them food. They seek the favor of God and receive it.
Do you pray to seek the favor of God, and are you not much better then the raven. If God cares so for the ravens will he not care for you. If God is so willing to provide of the need of a creature such as a raven, how much more is He willing to provide for your need.
As I preach this message this morning my goal will be to encourage those who have been praying for the mercy of God, to encourage those who have been crying out to God, but perhaps have not seen and answer or have not found peace in the answer.
We must never fall for the lie of Satan that God will not hear your prayer. Whether you are praying for mercy, for strength, or even salvation God hears your prayer. There are several truths that want us to look at this morning.
First of all, Psa. 147:9 speaks of a raven that cries, and that you are much better then a raven.
We normally do not see Ravens in the wild in this area of the country. They are found north of us towards Canada, although there are found in the Appalachian mountains. But they are part of the crow family, and we are all familiar with crows. In fact ravens look very much like crows but they tend to be a little bigger. Both birds however do sound the same, their cry is the same. The reason I bring that up is that while we may not know what kind of bird the raven we all know what kind of birds crows are. We find them disgusting for the most part. They eat road kill and other carrion. We see them a lot on Fridays along Rt. 28 because that is garbage day. We see them picking through and eating trash. They are a dirty looking kind of bird.
When we see a dead crow on the road (one that was to slow getting out of the way of car as it feasted on a dead squirrel) it does not touch are hearts like seeing a dog or cat, or cute little bunny does. In fact I have been responsible for the demise of many a crow. (In NY you can hunt crow but only on Fri-Mon.). There is no outpouring of sorrow at the death of crow.
Yet that is the kind of creature which God states he provides for. He hears that cry of the raven, the cry of the crow.
My point in telling you all that is why do we think that God would hear the cry of crow yet ignore your prayer.
You see my friends are an immortal soul. When a crow dies he is gone, life is over, he exists no more. But when your present life passes you will not cease to be, but you have begun a life of eternity. When we pass from this life to the next we have just begun to live forever. Please understand that you will outlive the mountains, you will outlive the sun and the stars.
So do you think that God will here the poor bird that is here but for a moment and the blotted out of existence, yet he will not hear you an immortal soul a soul who existence will be equal to Gods. While you are unlike God in that you did not always exist you are like God in that you will always be.
Also ravens are not said to be made in the image of God. While the human race my be defiled, deformed and debased by sin, we are underneath it all made in the image of God. There is something in man that is not found in any other creature. All animals are under the subjection of man, because we are the only ones made in the image of God, we are the only ones with a living soul.
So do we think that God would hear the cry of so low a creature as a crow or a raven, yet not hear the cry of one made in His own image? It cannot be so.
Certainly God will hear our prayer when we humble ourselves before Him. It is interesting that in Psa. 147 God does not mention the hawk or falcon, which are beautiful majestic birds. He does not mention the nightingale or the Robin with their beautiful songs. But He chooses the croaking raven, a bird which most men find repulsive. They do not sing but croak, they eat carrion, and pick through our garbage spreading all over the place.
But that is the wonder of God. What kindness in that He provides food for such a vial creature.
God does not despise any work of His hands. He provides for the dove and the raven.
Let us understand that we are liken unto God as the raven is to us. While the crow is made vial to us through its picking through garbage. Think of God looks as we pick through the garbage that is sin. As unworthy as we may think the crow is to receive provisions from God, we are just as unworthy, even more so. For the crow or raven cannot sin, it cannot rebel against God, yet we can and we do.
Praise be to God that we have a Saviour to make us righteous before God. Praise be to God that we have one who as paid the price for sin, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Praise God that through Christ we know that the Lord not only hears the cry of the raven, but He will hear our cry as well.
The second truth I want to point out is that there is great deal of difference between your cry and the cry of raven. When a young raven cries it is cry of instinct. It is it’s instinct that makes it cry for food. But their cry does not express that want. The raven cannot express their wants. If you were to hear a raven cry you would not hear it say “Hey I want some food.” They have no speech, they do not utter a single word to tell of their need.
We on the other hand most of the time know what we want. We know what we desire and we are able to communicate those things to the Father above. You know that you need the mercy of God and are able to communicate that, you know that you need Jesus, His precious blood, His perfect righteousness. Now if God can discern the strange cackling of the raven, let us not think that He will not hear the rational cry of a guilty sinner who calls out, “God be merciful to me a sinner.”
Surly if the persistent cry of raven prevails with God, how much more with the cry of His people come to His ear. May our prayers not be like the croaking sound of the raven but may it be laced with praise to our God, may our prayers be full of thanksgiving, may they anointed with worship to the most High God. While the cackling of the raven may be a beautiful sound to the Lord as it cries out for its needs to be meant, thing of how more the sound of our prayer, filled with praise and worship will be to the Lord.
It can also be said however that sometimes the raven has an advantage over some who pray, for the young raven is at times more earnest about their food then some are concerning their souls. When a raven is in want of food there is no silencing it, it will cry until it gets what it desires or it will cry until it dies.
So often we give up. Often times we are not as persistent as the raven. We pray for a time then allow our unbelief to set in and we stop. We forget the words of 1 Thess 5:17; “pray without ceasing,” We forget the parable of our Lord in Luke 11 where the Lord teaches us to be persistent prayer.
We need to learn that if the Lord will hear the persistent cry of raven, He will hear our persistent cry of prayer.
The third truth I want us to learn is that the prayers of God’s people are much sweeter to His ear then the ravens cry for meat. All that the raven cries for is food. What do you cry for. Mercy, grace, forgiveness, wisdom, healing, strength.
Do we believe that God enjoys giving a crow carrion more then He would enjoy giving you mercy or grace or forgiveness. By which is God more glorified, saving a sinner, healing a broken spirit or body, or providing road kill for a crow.
I cannot believe that God does not find greater joy in giving to us those spiritual gifts, in giving to us those thing the sustain us, then in giving the young raven his meat.
If God is pleased in supplying the needs of the beasts of the field, do you not think that He would delight much more in supplying the need of His own children? Certainly God is more gracious then us. For those of you who have children of your own, do you not get greater joy in giving your children gifts then in feeding your dog. Do you not find great satisfaction in providing for the need of your children then you do for your pet. So how much more gracious and good is God then we are.
Not to say that we do not love our pets, but are not our loved ones immensely more important and precious to us. Thus it is with God, all of His creation is precious to Him, yet are not those made in His image more so?
Therefor when we call on God, when we cry out to Him let us give Him the opportunity to do that which He loves to do, that which He delights in. Micah 7:18 tells us; “Who is a God like You, Pardoning iniquity And passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in mercy.”
Let us seek the mercy of God through prayer. I also would point you the story of the prodigal son found in Luke 15. Read that parable that teaches us the God rejoices giving us mercy, He rejoices in saving sinners, He rejoices in seeing His children come to Him.
The fourth truth to look at is the fact that no where in the Bible are ravens commanded to cry. When they cry out theirs is a petition that does not have a source in any exhortation from the Lord. Yet we on the other hand are commanded to pray. If the Lord welcomes those which He has not invited, how much more will He welcome those who are invited.
This was topic that we spoke of last week. Remember our passage from last week? Jer. 33:3; “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” We have the command to call to God. The raven receives without being called, would God deny those whom He has commanded to pray.
As I stated last week there is perhaps to command that is repeated more often in all of Scripture then the command to pray. We are all commanded to pray. Whether we are saved or unsaved. To the saved the Lord commands in Psa 50:15; Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me." To the unsaved the Lord is commanding you; “For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.” That is the command that goes out to those who have never trusted in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.
So whether you are saved or unsaved you have a command to pray. And just as the Lord hears the call of the raven, He will hear your call.
The fifth truth I will point out is that the cry of the young raven is nothing more the a natural cry of a creature. It is it’s natural response to hunger. Yet if you cry out to God, and our sincere it is a result of a work of grace in your heart.
When the raven cries out for food for its belly it is nothing but the raven itself crying out. But when you cry out “God be merciful to me a sinner” it is a cry that come by the Holy Spirit of God.
It is by the Spirit of God that we cry out to our heavenly Father. The Word of God in Romans 8:15 tells us; “For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father.”
Prayer is not a natural thing like the cry of raven it is a spiritual thing. We can teach our children to say their prayers, but we cannot teach them to pray. We can make a prayer book, but we cannot place prayer in-between cardboard covers. We can read prayers, in fact I read a book of prayers as part of my quit time with the Lord, but we may read those prayers for 100 years and never pray. Prayer my friends is quite a different thing then just words.
Charles Spurgeon puts it this way. “True prayer is the trading of the heart with God, and the heart never comes into spiritual commerce with the ports of heaven until God the Holy Ghost puts wind into the sails and speeds the ship into its haven.”
If there is genuine prayer in your heart then God the Holy Spirit is there.
The final truth I want to point out this morning is that when the young raven cries it cries alone but when we pray to God we do not pray alone. For we have one who makes intercession for us. Rom. 8:34 tells us; “It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.”
We do not pray alone for we a risen Saviour who sits on the right hand of the Father praying for us, interceding on our behalf.
Heb. 7:24-25 also tells us concerning Christ; “But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.”
Christ lives to make intercession for the saints, those He is able to save to the utmost. When you pray you are not alone in your prayers. When you cry out to God there is One who is crying out with you.
While the raven may knows what sound to make whenever He is hungry there are times when we know not what to pray for. I stated earlier that most of the time we do know what are desire is, but there are those times when we are not sure what it is that we need to ask for, but again we are not alone. Romans 8:26 tells us “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”
Let us praise God that we never have to pray alone, that there is one greater then us, interceding for us, both God the Son our Lord Jesus Christ and God the Holy Spirit.
So we have seen that these quite a bit we can learn from a one of God’s creatures. My prayer is that you have been encouraged to pray. If a raven knows it’s need of God and cries out for food, I pray that you would recognize the need you have to pray to your creator.
To those of you who know the Lord as your personal Lord and Saviour I again read to you Psa. 50:15; “Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.”
To those of you who have never trusted in the Lord Jesus as Saviour to I read Romans 10:9-13: “if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame. For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”
Will you call upon the Lord today for salvation? If you have any questions regarding your salvation please speak with myself, or someone you know has a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Trust in the Lord today, cry out to Him today, and He will answer you.
LET US PRAY
