Second Sunday In Lent (B C P). Series

Psalm 25:14-22, Jeremiah 17:5-10, 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8, Matthew 15:21-28.

A). THE SECRET OF THE LORD.

Psalm 25:14-22.

“The secret of the LORD” (PSALM 25:14a). This speaks of the friendship, the intimate fellowship that the believer has with the LORD. It is as if we were seated upon our couch ‘in heavenly places in Christ Jesus’ (cf. Ephesians 2:6), listening to Him tell the “secret” of our redemption, the hitherto hidden ‘mystery of godliness’ (cf. 1 Timothy 3:16). A “secret” now revealed.

“is with them that fear Him” (PSALM 25:14b). This is not a craven fear, as if the LORD were about to condemn us for our sins. It is a fear of respect, a fear of love arising from a solemn consideration of what God has done for us in Christ (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:19).

“and He will show them His covenant” (PSALM 25:14c). The LORD is pleased to reveal to us the mystery of His covenant of grace, and our own part in it. We come to know God as our Father, His Son as our Saviour, and the Holy Spirit assures us of our salvation.

Seeing God as our LORD and Saviour, our “eyes are ever toward the LORD” in faithful confidence that “He shall pluck me out of” whatever “net” the devil may have set for us (PSALM 25:15).

Yet even as we resolutely turn towards the LORD, we may fear that He has turned from us, and feel the need to appeal anew unto His “mercy” (PSALM 25:16).

Our “heart” becomes troubled: but we look only to Him to “bring me out of my distresses” (PSALM 25:17).

In the midst of our “affliction and pain” we remember our “sins” and plead again for forgiveness (PSALM 25:18).

David asked the LORD to “Consider” - to look upon - his haters (PSALM 25:19; cf. Exodus 14:24). The “enemies” of the believer are “many” and “cruel.” We are as sheep in the midst of wolves (cf. Matthew 10:16).

“O keep my soul, and deliver me” (PSALM 25:20a). ‘Lead us not into temptation (hard testing), but deliver us from evil (or from the hands of the evil one)’ (cf. Matthew 6:13).

“let me not be ashamed; for I put my trust in thee” (PSALM 25:20b; cf. Psalm 25:2).

“Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on thee” (PSALM 25:21). Not our own (cf. Psalm 25:11), but the LORD’s (cf. Psalm 40:11).

“Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles” (PSALM 25:22). Sometimes we can be so wrapped up in our own trouble that we forget that we are not the only ones in need of prayer. Whatever our troubles are, let us look together unto Jesus as our Redeemer - not only from all sin, but also from all troubles.

B). A TREE PLANTED BY THE WATERS.

Jeremiah 17:5-10.

The prophet Jeremiah’s response to the political and international situation of his day was, “Thus says the LORD” (Jeremiah 17:5). And what does the LORD say? He says, in effect, that there are two states of being, and two ways of life: and according to our relationship to either of these, we shall be counted “cursed” (Jeremiah 17:5), or we shall be counted “blessed” (Jeremiah 17:7).

First, the Cursed man is described in terms of mind, will and heart (Jeremiah 17:5). In his mind, he trusts in man. In his will, he makes flesh his strength. In his heart he departs from the LORD.

At the instigation of the enemy of our souls, (‘Hath God said…?’), man thinks he can make it on his own. Even Israel made the mistake of thinking that they could trust in the arm of flesh, looking to Egypt, to chariots, to horsemen to defend them, rather than to the Holy One of Israel (Isaiah 31:1). Man outside of Christ would sooner trust in his own resources than trust in the LORD.

By way of illustration, the Cursed man is like a shrub in the desert (Jeremiah 17:6). Such a person is described as all but rootless, ‘tossed to-and-fro with every wind of doctrine’ (cf. Ephesians 4:14). This man’s life is pointless, following every teaching and none with no set purpose; it is aimless, flapping around in the dry and arid land of unbelief but never finding a place to settle.

Second, the Blessed man is described in a twofold, almost repetitive way (Jeremiah 17:7). This man is described as the one who TRUSTS in the LORD, and whose hope IS the LORD. In contrast to the Cursed man, who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength (cf. Jeremiah 17:5).

Trusting in the LORD can sound somewhat utilitarian. In the Book of Judges, Israel would wander from God, have a crisis and (perhaps) cry out to Him; He would raise up a ‘Judge’ (or ‘Saviour’) to deliver them; they might sing and celebrate: but then they would wander from God all over again. People tend to treat God this way: He is ‘there’ when they need Him; but, when all is going well, they will hardly spare a thought for Him.