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4-16-2023 Sunday Sermon Message

Meditations of the Week: Psalm 91:1-16

Text: Psalm 11:1-7

Speech title: God tries the righteous but hates the wicked

       David prophesied and testified about who God is in the Holy Spirit:

The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth. Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup. (Psalm 11:5-6 KJV)

       Regarding who is righteous in God’s eyes, it is necessary to divide the dispensation into before and during the Old Testament times, then the New Testament times. God classified Abel as the righteous and Cain as the wicked. Before he gave the law, he considered people like Noah and Job righteous. During the age of the law, he considered those who kept the law to be righteous. We can all know through the Bible that those whom God calls righteous are those who have been called according to God’s purpose (Rom 8:28).

       I hope we can all realise the message given to us today By focusing on what sort of trials God allowed unto some of the represenatative people in the Bible who lived before and after the New testament era. For example: people such as Abraham, Joseph, Moses, David, Daniel, Ezekiel, etc. who lived before the New Testament era, and the apostles Paul and John of the New Testament era.

       The Apostle Paul’s testimony of those who were justified in New Testament times:

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. ¶ For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. (Romans 8:28-30 KJV)

       Throughout all generations, God has fulfilled His will by causing righteous people who love Him to go through all sorts of trials to fulfill His purpose.

        God called Abram out of Babylon. And he led them to the land of Canaan, where the Israelites would live through his grandson Jacob. When he believed the word of God, it was counted to him as righteousness (Genesis 15:5-6). When the Lord called him, he blessed him and promised that in him all nations would be blessed (Gen. 12: 1-3). Before God gave him his seed, he went through extreme trials for 25 years. Even though He and his wife Sarah were far too old conceive a child, she gave birth to her child by faith. Therefore, because of this dying “one man” many people were birthed as countless stars in the sky and like immeasurable amound of sand on the seashore (Hebrews 11:11-12). Not only that, when Isaac grew up, God tested and tried Abraham’s heart by commanding Isaac to be offered as a burnt offering, but when he obeyed and tried to kill him, God said: … for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. (Genesis 22:12 KJV)  Through trials and refinement of one man Abraham and his wife Sarah, God provided salvation through grace to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ in the New Testament era and become Abraham’s offspring (Galatians 3:7).

       In order to fulfill His will, God called one man, Abraham, and through refinement He called His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, as his descendant to fulfill His purpose of saving the world.

       Another example is Joseph. He, too, was a righteous man who loved God. God showed him his purpose through his dream and gave him tremendous refinement to achieve it. The psalmist testified about this:

Moreover he called for a famine upon the land: he brake the whole staff of bread. He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant: Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron: Until the time that his word came: the word of the LORD tried him. The king sent and loosed him; even the ruler of the people, and let him go free. He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his substance: To bind his princes at his pleasure; and teach his senators wisdom. Israel also came into Egypt; and Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham. And he increased his people greatly; and made them stronger than their enemies. ¶ He turned their heart to hate his people, to deal subtilly with his servants. (Psalm 105:16-25 KJV)

         God calls Moses, whom he sent to Egypt in advance to fulfill another purpose of his own. God tried Moses to fulfill the promise he made to his ancestor Abraham. 40 years in the palace and 40 years in the wilderness, God lead Moses and His people to the promised land of Canaan. He spent 40 years tending his father-in-law’s sheep in the wilderness as a trial. The apostle Paul testified about him to the Hebrews:

By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible. Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them. By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned. (Hebrews 11:24-29 KJV)

      God chooses David, a man after his own heart. In order to give him the eternal throne in the millennial kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ to rules over Israel, God allowed the constant sufferings and trial of going throught the valley of death chased by the devil-like King Saul, andhis own sons. We can see how much trial he received through his prayers:

¶ How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me? Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death; Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved. But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me. (Psalm 13:1-6 KJV)

        God’s trial of prophet Daniel to enter the lion’s den was allowed, for he was called for the purpose of prophesying the end time events. The prophet Ezekiel was called for the purpose of prophesying the Israelites’ suffering during the Tribulation, the building of future temple in the millennial kingdom, and the restored life of the Israelites after receiving the distribution of the Promised land. Extreme trials of numerous prophets, including the prophet Jeremiah and the prophet Isaiah, prophesied God’s judgment in the last days. The Holy Spirit gave a detailed testimony about the people of faith in Hebrews:

        Entering the New Testament era, God specifically tried the Apostle Paul, Apostle John, Peter James, and his disciples, and was pleased to receive them as sacrifices of martyrdom as they laid the foundation of world missions. In particular, by trial of Apostle John, God had him write the book of Revelation on the isle of Patmos and prophesy about the purpose of fulfilling God’s will through the final judgment. We get a clear picture of what sort of suffering and trials the apostles went through the testimony of the apostle Paul:

¶ Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I. Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. (2 Corinthians 11:22-27 KJV) Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. (2 Corinthians 12:10 KJV)

        The happiest people while living on this earth are those who are called and tried according to the purpose of the Lord Jesus Christ and rejoice in the hope they will enjoy in heaven. The Apostle Paul testified thus:

¶ Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; (Romans 5:1-3 KJV)

Amen! Hallelujah!