This message is primarily for those who call on the name of Jesus Christ as their own Lord and Savior from sin, and serve as a Chaplain or a gospel minister in a jail, prison or a follow-up ministry such as a rescue mission – in the United States.
All Scripture quotes are usually taken from the New King James Version (NKJV) of the Bible, copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. When quoting a text, any deviation from the NKJV text is placed within parenthesis signs (). These usually occur as direct translations from the original languages, or as notes from the original setting to help apply the text to today’s culture.
ALL CAPITAL LETTERS are sometimes used to emphasize words in a text, or to make a comment about a biblical text, or emphasize a statement.
Do you know what time it is? It’s time for Christian pastors, chaplains and teachers to GET BACK TO THE BASICS! As you evangelize and disciple people, one of the first things you need to teach them is to worship God rightly. This is one of the basics of Christian living.
Acceptable and right worship of the true God requires at least three things; cleansing from sin, a correct understanding of who God is and a true heart of humble gratitude for all He has done. Worship involves understanding the worthiness of God to have our full attention and heartfelt praise.
One of many great places to teach your inmates or residents about worship is Psalm 33, BECAUSE it majors on a BASIC understanding of God.
This song called PSALM 33 is very instructional, and theological. Structurally, this psalm has four stanzas (vv.1-5; vv 6-12; vv. 13-17 and vv. 18-22). The last part of the first two stanzas make a transition to the next stanza as you shall see.
In verses 1-3 of the first stanza, believers are called to praise and thank the LORD.
1 Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous (ones)! For praise from the upright is beautiful.
2 Praise (a different word for praise than in v.1 – this word includes giving thanks to) the LORD with the harp; make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings.
3 Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully with a (loud) shout of joy.
The verbs "Rejoice" in verse1; "Praise, or give thanks", in verse 2; and "Sing" in verse 3; ARE ALL IMPERATIVES. That means they are commands. In verses 20-22 we will see the obedience of some including the Psalmist himself.
Verse 4 then gives reasons for commanding such praise and thanks. Here we find some wonderful theological statements.
4 For the WORD of the LORD is right (correct), and all His WORK is done in truth (trustworthiness).
Everything the LORD does is consistent with who He is. His work is faithful to His character. We can ALWAYS count on the true God to act as He has always acted. We can truly count on His faithfulness.
Such a One ought to be constantly thanked and praised for these two truths mentioned in verse 4. His word is always correct and His doings are always consistently faithful to His good and holy nature. He is not capricious, subject to whim or unpredictable! Already, verse 4 has spoken of two of God’s great attributes.
First, He is a communicative, Self-Revealing God. He reveals Himself to us. He did this through His inspired written word and through the incarnation of His Son. Second, He is a God that is involved with us by faithfully doing things for the crown of His creation, mankind. Most people unfortunately take that for granted, yet in His goodness He makes His sun to shine and His rain to fall on both the evil and the good (Matt. 5:45, 1 Tim. 4:10).
As the first stanza closes, verse 5 touches on three more attributes of God and transitions us to the main instructive portion of the whole Psalm. Verse 5 alludes to God’s righteousness, justice and love. Note it:
5 He loves righteousness and justice; the earth (our planet) is full of the goodness of the LORD.
The sense of this verse is that God loves righteousness and justice shown by men. BUT, He loves that BECAUSE HE IS THE SUM OF ALL THAT IS RIGHTEOUS AND JUST.
Righteousness is what is morally right. Justice is what is a fair and proper response to any situation. The third attribute hinted at in this verse is God’s love. 1 John 4:8,16 says “God IS love.” When in Ps. 33:5, the NKJV speaks of the “goodness"of the LORD, it is the Hebrew word “Chesed.” That word is so full of meaning it is impossible to translate by one single English word.
This word right here in Ps. 33:5, is translated differently by the following good, word for word English translations:
KJV – ‘goodness,’ NASB – ‘lovingkindness,’ Holman Christian Standard – ‘unfailing love,’ ESV – ‘steadfast love.’ The Contemporary English Version even renders the last part of verse 5, “He is … kind to everyone everywhere on earth.” My NKJV translates this same word "Chesed" as "mercy" in verses 18 and 22. All of those concepts - are part of the word “Chesed.“
Now we come to the main teaching section of this wonderful Psalm. It is in the next two stanzas, in verses 6-17.
Here we are taught, and in turn you ought to teach inmates and residents that THE GOD REVEALED IN THE BIBLE (even the Lord, Jesus Christ) IS THE CREATOR OF EVERYTHING AND THEREFORE IS SOVEREIGN OVER EVERYONE.
Look at verse 5 again. "He loves righteousness and justice; The EARTH (our planet) is full of the goodness of the LORD." The reference to "the earth" is transitional to the next stanza which speaks of ITS CREATOR.
6 By the word of the LORD the heavens (that word ‘heavens’ includes the entire universe!) were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.
Verses 7-9 then speaks on a smaller scale about our Earth) -
7 He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He lays up the deep in storehouses.
8 Let all THE EARTH fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.
9 For He spoke, and it (the Earth) was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.
The Holman Christian Standard Bible translates the Hebrew of verses 8-9 even more dramatically. Note it:
8 Let the whole earth tremble before the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.
9 For He spoke, and it came into being; He commanded, and it came into existence.
The Bible teaches us our God, even the one who became the historical Jesus, created the world out of NOTHING! There was nothing, then He spoke - and in obedience to His Sovereign Creative Voice, the world was! And when He created it - it was perfect and complete.
Note Hebrews 11:3 - "By faith we understand that the worlds were framed (note the plural – worlds) BY THE WORD OF GOD, so that the things which are seen were NOT MADE OF THINGS WHICH ARE VISIBLE.” (in other words, they were made from the invisible)
The invisible was the nothing. He spoke and things appeared - OUT OF NOTHING. He didn't start with matter and make something out of it. He made all matter out of nothing.
Note also 2 Peter 3:5 - "BY THE WORD OF GOD the heavens were of old, and the earth (land, or ground) standing out of water and in the water ..."
These are more than great astonishing theological statements. They MEAN SOMETHING TO US. Since God is the Master Designer and Maker of everything, He has AUTHORITY OVER IT ALL. That means mankind has no final say!
Inmates need to know this truth. They need to give up their habit of scheming and surrender everything about their future to the Lord Jesus Christ. He – not they themselves in control. He is the only true and final Sovereign.
Proud human beings cannot ultimately make anything happen outside of what God as Complete and Total Sovereign, allows or plans. That is exactly what the next two verses, are teaching.
10 The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect.
11 The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations.
One translation even says: “The LORD frustrates the counsel of the nations; He thwarts the plans of the peoples.” I like that. This second stanza ends and trasitions to the third with the following words:
12 Blessed is THE NATION whose God is the LORD, the people He has chosen as His own inheritance.
The fact that He chose them, also stresses His sovereignty. They did nothing to cause Him to set His love on them and choose them. He did so SIMPLY BECAUSE HE SOVEREIGNLY WANTED TO.
To Israel God said, "The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; but because the LORD loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers,..." (Deut. 7:7,8)
The reference to "the Nation...The people (of Israel) He has chosen," in Psalm 33:12, is as I said, transitional to the next stanza in verses 13-17, which emphasizes God's involvement with ALL NATIONS, AND ALL PEOPLES.
13 The LORD looks from heaven; He sees (observes) ALL THE SONS OF MEN.
14 From the place of His dwelling He looks (literally, He gazes) on ALL THE INHABITANTS OF THE EARTH;
15 He fashions (this word refers to God’s creative crafting) their hearts individually;
Again, since the LORD God makes each person’s physical body, even their key organs, He alone has the right to observe and judge them. He knows what each of us thinks and has done. He even knows WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO. Note it at the end of verse 15.
15 … He considers (lit. understands) all their works.
Therefore, how foolish is it to think like the humanists teach us, that we can save ourselves from anything, especially our biggest problems – sin and death.
Submission to God’s sovereignty means repenting from the thought that we can save ourselves (humanism). Believing in God and His control is the opposite of trusting in man-made answers to our dilemmas.
Note and teach inmates and staff about God’s rebuke against humanism in verses 16-17. As you show them these verses have them to think of politics and military might 3,000 years ago.
16 No king is saved by the multitude of an army; a mighty man is not delivered by great strength.
17 A horse is a vain hope for safety; neither shall it deliver any by its great strength.
The whole world system including governmental answers to crime normally seeks man-made answers. But WE BELIEVE GOD. Therefore, we believe there is no rehabilitation of criminals without a God wrought regeneration. Which is to say, the biblical gospel of Jesus Christ is the only real solution to crime.
DO YOU BELIEVE THAT? If so, then don’t ever get caught up in trusting the system’s best answers. That would be like the ancient kings that trusted in large armies and powerful cavalry instead of relying upon the LORD.
The final stanza of the Psalmist’s song, in verses 18-22, is in contrast to hoping and trusting in man. Rather, the people that are the subject of this passage, submit to the sovereign Creator, therefore they hope and trust in Him alone.
18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, On those who hope in His mercy, ( His ‘chesed’, His - lovingkindness, faithful love, pity, goodness and kindness)
When verse 18 it says “the eye of the LORD is on those that fear Him” - it does not mean simply to observe their sin and feeble self trust, like in verses 13-15.
Rather, because of the near context we know it means He looks on them (that is those that fear Him) with favor to deliver, save, help and protect them. The hope in the LORD’S ‘chesed,’ is part of what it means to fear Him.
The hoping here and in verse 22 means to wait for His loving deliverance in the future. Those that fear the LORD, in hope wait for Him : (verse 19)
19 To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.
These righteous ones (compare to verse 1) close the Psalm by speaking to us and to their LORD in verses 20-22 . They say to us:
20 Our soul waits for the LORD; He (not man, - implied by context and in contrast to verses 16-17) is our help and our shield.
21 For our heart shall rejoice in Him, because we have trusted in His holy name.
Then these worshipers say to the LORD:
22 Let Your mercy (again, ‘chesed’) O LORD, be upon us, just as we hope (we wait expectantly) in You.
The Amplified Bible renders verse 22: “Let Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, be upon us, IN PROPORTION TO our waiting and hoping for You.”
Believers in the LORD believe what He has revealed. Namely, He is Maker and Master of everything and His loving-kindness has provided and will provide for their greatest need through His love gift - the Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior and Deliverer.
They will not look to any other! They worship HIM ALONE.
Rich Hines - Minister to Chaplains
Aurora Ministries.
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