The night He was arrested and the day before He died the Lord sang this psalm.

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1 Explore the Bible Lesson Preview November 22, 2009 "Give Thanks" Background & Lesson: Psalm 116:1-19 Motivation: J. Vernon McGee (Thru the Bible, vol. 2, p. 841 provides this introduction): This is one of the great psalms in Scripture. Some expositors place it next to Psalm 23 in greatness. It is a psalm of thanksgiving. Man is in distress and calls upon God, and God hears in mercy. It is a love song. It is a Hallel psalm. It is a simple psalm that speaks of the past sufferings of Christ in the presence of death. The night He was arrested and the day before He died the Lord sang this psalm. I wish I could have heard Him sing it! Some folk say they wish they could have heard our Lord speak; I would love to have heard Him sing! It was "...for the joy that was set before him [that He] endured the cross..." (Heb. 12:2) and He sang that last night with great joy! It is a psalm that speaks of the future, of the deliverance of the faithful remnant during the Great Tribulation period. Also it speaks of the present and has a message for modern man, for the believer in this hour in which we live. This is what God wants us to know. It is a gracious word for those in distress and trouble. IT will relieve your anxiety and dispel your doubts. 1 / 7

2 The Lord Jesus sang this psalm the night before He was crucified. In verses 1-5, God hears. In verses 6-13, God helps. In verses 14-19, God is holy. Examination: I. Praying to God (1-4) A. Expressing Love "I love the Lord..." (1) We often think of God's love for us (John 3:16; Romans 5:8); but, how often do we express our love for God? 1 John 4:19 says "We love Him because He first loved us." B. Experiencing Access "He has heard My voice and my supplication, because He has inclined His ear to me." (1b-2a) Our access to God comes through the work of Christ (Hebrews 4:15-16) and the intercession of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:26). C. Establishing Communication "Therefore I will call upon Him" (2b) "Then I called upon the name of the Lord..." (4) Repeatedly in the God's Word, we see examples of the people of God crying out to Him as well as commands and promises related to prayer. 2 / 7

3 There is no issue with God's availability, His power, or His interest in us; the only real roadblock to communicating with the Almighty is prayerlessness. D. Explaining Pain "The pains of death surrounded me, and the pangs of Sheol laid hold of me; I found trouble and sorrow." (3) God understands our pain and welcomes our sharing. Too often, though, we try to hide it deep in our hearts and refuse to share it with anyone. As mentioned earlier, Dr. McGee believes Christ sang this psalm the night before He died. II. Resting in God (5-8) A. His Grace "Gracious is the Lord" (5a) Many look at God in the Old Testament in one dimensional terms; harsh, unapproachable, judgmental. However, balanced against His holiness is His grace. In the New Testament, grace is God's Riches at Christ's Expense. B. His Righteousness "righteous" (5a) J. Vernon McGee (p. 842): "God is merciful, but God is righteous. He cannot just arbitrarily forgive sin. He has to be right when He does it. God is the moral Ruler of this universe. He has to be right; He has to be holy; He has to be just, but He also wants to be merciful. The only way was to pay the penalty for the sin of man. Now He says, Come on, I can receive you.'" 3 / 7

4 C. His Mercy "merciful" It's interesting that "righteous" is sandwiched between grace and mercy. We don't want to get what we deserve for "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). Our only hope is to be counted righteous because of Jesus' sacrifice of grace and mercy. "The Lord preserves the simple" is not an admonition to preachers; rather, it serves as an example of God's mercy. The testimony of every believer could be "I was brought low, and He saved me" (6b). D. His Deliverance "Return to your rest, O my soul, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you. For You have delivered my soul from death, My eyes from tears, and my feet from falling." (7-8) Augustine famously said "I had no rest until I found rest in Thee." In His mercy and grace, God: 1) "delivered my soul from death" - Salvation (Eph. 2:8-9) 2) "My eyes from tears" - Comfort (2 Cor. 1:3-5) 3) "My feet from falling" - Strength (1 Cor. 10:13) III. Walking with God (9-11) "I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living" (9) 4 / 7

5 A. Pleasing God The Psalmist commitment is to live a God-pleasing life while he is on this earth (land of the living). Walking before the Lord involves conduct you would feel comfortable doing "to God's face." B. Believing God "I believed, therefore I spoke, I am greatly afflicted'" (10) The sense of the statement is I believed even when I said I was greatly afflicted.' Even when outward circumstances seem to be against us, we still trust God. C. Trusting God "All men are liars." (11) One might think the psalmist is female. However, the contrast is drawn between the untrustworthiness of humanity against the faithfulness of God. IV. Worshipping God (12-19) "What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits toward me?" (12) A. Accept His Salvation "I will take up the cup of salvation" (11a) B. Call Upon His Name "And call upon the name of the Lord" (11b, 17b) C. Keep Your Commitments "I will pay my vows to the Lord" (14a, 18a) D. Serve Him "O Lord, truly I am Your Servant..." (16a) E. Thanks Him "I will offer you the sacrifice of thanksgiving" (17a) 5 / 7

6 F. Spend Eternity with Him "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints" (15) Believer's Study Bible, p. 821: 116:15 "This is one of the most beautiful verses in the Bible on the death of God's child. Technically speaking, physical death is the separation of the soul from the body and is to be distinguished from both spiritual death, i.e., the separation of the soul from God here in this life (cf. Eph. 2:1), and the second death, i.e., the ultimate banishment from God and the final misery of the wicked in hell (cf. Rev. 2:11; 20:14; 21:8). For the child of God, physical death becomes the entrance into the larger and more abundant life. At the time of physical death the body of the believer is carried to the cemetery to await the bodily resurrection of Christians, which occurs at the time of the Rapture (1 Cor. 15:52; 1 Thess. 4:15-17). Also at physical death, the soul of the believer goes to be with the Lord in Paradise ("Abraham's Bosom"; cf. Luke 16:22; 23-43) Christ, at the time of the rapture, will bring with Him the soul of the believer for a reuniting with his body (cf. 1 Thess. 4:14). The time period between physical death and the bodily resurrection is known as the intermediate state, a state much to be preferred to life upon the earth, as far as the Christian is concerned (cf. 2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23). The Scriptures avow that even through the righteous do not receive their eternal, glorified bodies at the time of death, departed believers are truly alive and conscious in a state of blessedness (cf. Matt. 22:32; Luke 16:25; 23:43; 1 Thess. 5:10; Rev. 6:9-11; 14:13)." Application: 1. We give thanks to God for His relationship with us. 2. We give thanks to God for His deliverance of us. 3. We give thanks to God for His benefits to us. 6 / 7

7 Leader Pack Item 17: Poster: "Lesson Outline"; Item 18: Handout: Time to Give Thanks Illustrator: no article this week Notes: **You may access David's Lesson Preview in MP3 format at: y.org/ ; Dates: 8/26-11/18 - Fall Midlink; 9/8-11/17 - LivingProof Bible Study; 11/15 - Christmas Store Gift Collection Day; 11/20 - FBA Grandparents & Friends Day; 11/29 - Thanksgiving Weekend - (No SBS) - normal worship sched.; 12/5 - Christmas Store; 12/10 - FBA Christmas Fine Arts Festival; 12/ Christmas Celebration; 12/17 - FBA Primary & Lower School Christmas Plays; 12/19 - Candycane Lane; 12/24 - Christmas Eve Services - 5:00 & 11:00; 12/27 - Christmas Weekend (No SBS) - normal worship Schedule. 7 / 7