In faith Daniel preached the crown rights of Yahweh in the courts of emperors. His wisdom and prophecy arrested the attention of kings whose greatness was not eclipsed until the fulfillment of his prophecy on Christmas Day in a Bethlehem manger. The events surrounding his ministry foreshadowed the incarnation, coronation, and ascension of the King of Kings Jesus Christ. Early in his tenure as a court official for Nebuchadnezzar, God gave the king and Daniel the same dream and he gave Daniel the interpretation. The composite statue of gold, silver, bronze, iron and clay represented a series of kingdoms counting down to Christmas when a kingdom would overpower them all and reign forever. Taking Daniel’s ‘song’ of pre-incarnation worship in verses 20-23 of chapter 2 as our outline, we find this occasion confirming his confession of God’s grace & greatness in its prophetic revelation and the response of a earthly king.

The last 5 songs in the Psalter beginning with our text today, all open and close with the refrain & adjuration: “Praise the Lord!”.  If the entire book were one great song, these last five chapters could be the chorus.  All the notes of remembrance, lament, repentance, consolation, victory, wisdom, providence, redemption, judgement, prophecy, revelation, and more reach a crescendo in this final set of hymns in history’s preeminent song book. As the author(s) reprise themes recurring throughout the Psalms, they find their resolution in the proclamation of Yahweh’s absolute sovereignty.  The shape of the book proclaims to all humanity in audience the majesty and authority the one true God even as it assures the sincere singer of his unbreakable covenant bonds with that same Lord of all.  The book of Psalms is a universal call to worship and the response to this call will resound for all of history and eternity on the lips and in the hearts of the redeemed…
    NOTE context & application: Psalm 146 doubles as a profound advent song— to prepare hearts in anticipation of Messiah’s arrival, and with Him, the fulfillment of prophecy and the hope of His people.

Paul understood that the various issues and problems present in the Corinthian church ultimately shared the same root. After addressing several situations case by case, he focuses his attention in these chapters on the essence of the church, the source of its vitality, and the kingdom expanding potential of the body of Christ. Understanding our connection to one another in and through Jesus Christ, is key to a functional and fruitful church. Our next chapter will proceed expounding and endorsing ‘love’ as the cardinal virtue of the Christian life. With this framework and this foundation, the church of Jesus Christ will survive & thrive unto His return.

Proverbs 14:24 says: “the crown of the wise is their wealth”. Our working definition of a crown in this sense is: ‘an adorning confirmation of dignity, rank, ability, and reputation’. This conceptual understanding of royal authority helps to clarify the context of our text in this chapter. Solomon’s teaching is universal in this sense. Would you sacrifice your better judgment, integrity, or reputation for riches…? Those who do so wear a fool’s crown. Mortgaging virtue in the quest for fortune, power, or position will crown you with folly. A parallel text might be: Prov 22:1 “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold.” Consider the example of Solomon at the height of his powers and splendor visited regularly by royal entourages of surrounding nations. His crown at this time was resplendent, polished by wisdom. As an example of folly’s crown remember the demise of king Herod eaten by worms in Acts 12:20-24. This passage also draws a stark contrast as verse 24 goes on to say: … “But the word of God increased and multiplied.”

Looking closely at the structure of Proverbs chap 14:1-14, something of a pattern emerges.  Verses 1, 4, 7 and 11 are roughly parallel referring to the foundation of a household.  These verses are followed by others that scrutinize progress to that end in verses 2, 3, 8 and 12. The remaining verses predict the future of life directions set by either wisdom vs. folly. In context here, the featured agent of wisdom to illustrate these truths is the wife and homemaker.  The book of Proverbs is no respecter of persons when it comes to application of principle.  Here wives and mothers are encouraged to order their affairs, govern their souls, and live their lives, according to the timeless law of God, just as their husbands and children are likewise commanded.

The crescendo of the Psalter begins with Psalm 145 and continues to build with each of the remaining songs! This is the last titled song of David in the book and is a profound and powerful contribution to the grand finale of histories’s greatest album. This is The 7th of the acrostic psalms (each parallel line beginning with a consecutive letter of the Hebrew alphabet).  This form of poetry conveys a glorious and comprehensive beauty, symmetry, & order.   Verse 4 reveals a purpose for writing this song that is key to understanding, in part, the intent of Biblical poetry.  This verse could well serve as a vision statement for the entire Psalter. Let the writers compose, the musicians play, and the people sing, that one generation might commend God's works to another and declare His mighty acts! These are songs of praise immortalizing a generational testimony of the greatness of Yahweh —-Furthermore, this song provides a template for proclaiming the deeds of the Lord.

The Apostle Paul’s emphasis on unity in the true church of Jesus Christ is a theme pervasive in I Corinthians. According to I Corinthians 12:1-13, to be a Christian is to behold and believe the revelation of Christ by means of the Spirit.  To be a functional church of Jesus Christ is to discern and deploy the gifts, service, and activities of the Spirt for the mutual benefit of the believers in the community where God has planted you as He empowers and appoints. To be the church of Jesus Christ in essence is to be unified in Christ with members of His body by the power of The Spirit transcending personal experience, culture, history, and the grave!  The language of Paul’s epistle has the power to grasp our clouded souls by the hand and lift us up on gospel heights to behold our situation from heaven’s perspective.

Cultural history and folklore celebrate the tenacity and resilience of their heroes. These legacies are celebrated for their faithfulness. The critical analysis Solomon endorses in the book of Proverbs would ask: “faithfulness to what?”. No so-called ‘hero’ will pass the true test of greatness if his efforts were dedicated in service of idols. Family, honor, patriotism, philanthropy, public service, courage, scientific genius, etc. are not virtues ends unto themselves but are sanctified only in the service of righteousness & the glory of God. Those who dedicate their lives in sacrificial faithfulness to anything less than this are not heroes in truth. Don’t be deceived Solomon adjures the student of wisdom —the object of our devotion separates the wise from the fool, the righteous from the wicked, the good man from the sinner.

Note the list of metaphors Solomon weaves into his instruction in this section…each one a telling picture: Light/Lamp (9), Tree (12), & Fountain (14).   Each is a picture of source and effect.   A lamp filled with oil provides light by which the blindness of the dark is cured.   A tree firmly rooted in fertile and irrigated soil produces life sustaining fruit. (The olive tree was the classic example in ancient times highly valued for its multi-functional and nutritious fruit). Thirdly, a fountain fed by springs provides an ever-new supply of water to quench the thirst of land and creatures who rely on this basic natural resource.   For Solomon, this relationship between source and effect is mirrored in the spiritual realm of life as well.   According to Proverbs, the sovereignly revealed wisdom of God is the vital source of human flourishing for the soul.   The Word of God is the lamp, the tree, and the fountain for the wise.

The concept of a ‘new song’ in the scriptures is usually with reference to extraordinary occasions worthy of thankful praise include celebration and commemoration of the grace & glory of God upon securing victory for His people despite existential threats and peril.  Think of the songs on the lips of those who were the first to receive immanent news of the incarnation… Many, Zechariah, Simeon wrote the first Christmas Carols as ‘new songs’ praising God & welcoming their messiah.  Today’s psalm is not one of these precisely, rather it contains a vow to write such a song upon answers to David’s plea for the salvation of himself and his people.  Languishing under the threat of his enemies David longs for the day his deliverance will occasion further music.  In the meantime therefore, Psalm 144 is a new song song written in supplication for such a time. 

Toward the aim of increasing reverence for the Lord’s table and all that it entails, Paul emphasizes the necessity of discerning the body.  In I Corinthians 11:17-34, we see this applies in three senses. We must have a devotional understanding of the church, of the ordinance of communion, and of ourselves.  Having considered already the necessity of discerning the church body and the symbolic body, we now turn to Paul’s instructions to examine ourselves (27-34). Today’s sermon is an expanded analysis of the third application of Paul’s instruction regarding the supper, taking the occasion of communion as opportunity to examine our personal relationship with the Lord.  As it relates to our souls, may a proper understanding of what the Lord’s table commemorates and proclaims yield the fruit of conviction, reverence, humility, and obedience.

Much is made of generational characteristics these days.  We have identified and categorized ourselves by causes and effects of history that shape the identity of Americans born in different eras.  World War II defined the coming of age for those of my grandparent’s generation for instance.  Rising to the occasion of their time earned them the title of: “The Greatest Generation”.  Those born in their looming shadow were largely overlooked & thus dubbed: “The Silent Generation” followed by the “Baby Boomers” known for their prolific numbers. This generation was followed by: “Generation X” exploring unconventional influences for their identity…and so on.  Modern scholars have proffered the theory that the cyclical nature of generational types is virtually inevitable as if we are slaves to the social influences defining an era.  Solomon disagrees.  He outlines a framework for multi-generational legacy building that takes action rather than surrender to the default settings of culture.  Parents and children heed these words.  Proverbs is a handbook for breaking generational curses and building generational righteousness

Psalm 143 is the last of the so called “Penitential” Psalms.  This song joins Psalms 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, & 130 in a set identified through church history by themes of soul searching repentance, unrestrained confession, and exclusive hope in the Lord of the Covenant. However, while it is one thing to have the self awareness and honesty to rightly understand your troubled situation…it’s quite another to be rescued from the consequences of that condition.  David understands that deliverance is possible because of WHO God is… therefore he grounds his request & appeal on the faithfulness (1), righteousness (1,2,11), & steadfast love (8,12) of His Lord & Master. The occasion for this song certainly parallels Psalm 142.  Perhaps both songs were written from the cave in Adullam.

Discernment in this context entails proper understanding bearing fruit of conviction, reverence, humility, and obedience. We can relate to, and learn from, the risks and rewards of frequent communion Paul addresses in this letter. As in all of life, we must approach the communion table walking in the Spirit, not the flesh. While we recognize that familiarity & mere repetition often foster a casual irreverence, it remains true that the very things we must remember in order to repent of our callous hearts are pictured and proclaimed at THE LORD’S TABLE. A good prayer to prepare for communion might be… Lord, may my often-weary soul ever cherish and never despise the living water and bread of heaven which sustains me unto glory… As we noted in Old Covenant parallels proclaimed in Chap 10 of this epistle last week, communion is New Covenant provision for the believer in the wilderness of life…. Let us therefore nurture an acquired taste for all the means of grace that we might drink deeply and be satisfied with water from our Rock Jesus Christ.

As in the Days of Moses, Baptism commemorates a miracle, seals a covenant, and identifies a people. Today we look at the symbols of baptism in the scriptures, their substance fulfilled in Christ, and the application of these truths for this service and these baptizees today… Paul reminds us in our primary text today of the exodus moment when Moses stretched his hand over the Red Sea. Baptism signifies that our Messiah has stretched out his hands upon the cross parting the seas of death for us.  Baptism testifies to the sovereign grace of God breathing eternal life into the believer just as He did over creation, into Adam, over the judgement waters of the great flood, and across the Red Sea thus saving His people! When the baptism waters are parted, they signify our cleansing and the drowning of our greatest enemies (sin & death). Through the waters of baptism we symbolically cross over unto promised land inheritance of glorious reconciliation with God Almighty by virtue of union with our Messiah and federal head, Jesus Christ. Through baptism the door of communion at the Lord’s table is thrown open wide to welcome us as the people of God, the church of Jesus Christ!

Having considered the house of the righteous according to Solomon in proverbs 12 verses 1-7 and the dominion of the righteous in verses 8-15 we now turned to the witness of the righteous in versus 16-24. Consider the prayer of humble consecration offered by King David at the anointing ceremony of his son to rule the nation of Israel (Worship text: 1 Chronicles 29:11-14).  The anointing of Solomon as king signaled David’s dynasty would continue on the throne of Israel for another generation. Most in his position would seize the opportunity of this moment for broadcasting the glories of his kingdom with great pomp & circumstance.  David did not share this impulse because of his faith in & worship of YAHWEH.  No doubt moments like this served as inspiration and instruction for his son who would go on to rule this prosperous nation and write this chapter of Proverbs identifying virtues worthy of the godly for the benefit of his own son’s instruction and ours.

A comprehensive analysis of any area of human life should prioritize the question: “what is the ordering principle of this domain?”. The answer to this question is key to assessing sanctity, durability, and fruitfulness. It gets to the heart of what something is and why it exists (essence & purpose).  The book of Proverbs is all about ordering principles.  Solomon teaches the student of wisdom to discern the present order of things as he engages in life. He proclaims what the ordering principles of life ought to be, for example: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” He equips disciples to take dominion in their respective callings according to God’s Word.  Proverbs 12 makes application for family and vocation according to the ordering principle of righteousness.

We are familiar with the designation of nobility or gentlemen classes, vs. lower or servant class distinctions in film or literature depictions of European monarch culture which developed over the centuries and lingered for quite some time in these societies. These dynamics seem foreign and wrong to us given our modern egalitarian sensibilities. Proverbs stands, indeed, as a correction of presumptions of social order from this time, but for different reasons than we might think.  An observation worthy of critique in this era was the arbitrary and often ironic nature of these class structures.  Whether or not one was truly a gentleman in character often had no bearing on whether or not he was a gentleman by social class.  Likewise a noble servant trustworthy and faithful may never attain the title of nobleman as far as society was concerned.  Proverbs teaches us that while there is to be rank order in areas of life & society, our classifications and incentive structures ought to be based on the criteria of Biblical wisdom, not the arbitrary whims of any given culture.  Verse one sets the tone of the chapter which is followed by knowledge that those who embrace discipline will appreciate.

Again revealed in the title, Psalm 57 was also written in hiding during David’s fugitive wanderings.  This occasion served to inspired David to seek the assurance of divine protection far greater than the refuge the cave in Adullam could ever provide him. I Sam 22:1-2 documents the first congregation to ever sing this song. There were gathered to him and his family in this hideout, a motley crew of those in distress, debt, and bitter of soul about 400 strong. We can imagine David singing softly with pen in hand accompanied by a waning candle, his voice and the flickering light reflecting off of ancient stone cavern walls.  Some distance away at the cave’s entrance, several of his men stand guard with watchful eyes probing the distance for the dust of enemy horsemen. After repeating his new chorus several times, the cave begins to echo with hundreds of outcast voices singing: “…With my voice I cry out to the LORD; with my voice I plead for mercy to the LORD.