Friday, October 8, 2010

WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An international Sunday school lesson commentary

For Sunday October 10, 2010
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GOD’S CREATION AND LAW SUSTAINS US
(GOD’s natural & specific revelations prompt self-examination)
(Psalms 19)

The Book of Psalms contains 150 lyric poems that deeply enrich our understanding of our own humanity, and, our own personal relationship with the GOD WHO created us. The wonderful messages of this timeless book exposes how deeply GOD cares about the sinful circumstances of our life experiences, and how those circumstances manifest themselves in our emotional reactions to those life experiences.
In the Hebrew, the word used for “psalm” is “mismowr” (miz-more), and it is simply a poem that has been set to music. From the beginning this beautiful collection of poetry has played an important role in worship, and during David’s reign, these psalms were regularly sang by believers while they were in Jerusalem attending the major festivals, and, during daily worship services, both private and corporate.
Revelation, is primarily “the giving and reception of information that is helpful and beneficial to one physically, spiritual, or mentally”. Man never seeks knowledge just for knowledge sake, but rather, for what that knowledge can do to make his life more worth living. It has also been GOD’s message to man, that, obedience to HIM, and life through HIM, is the only life worth living.
Psalm 19 shows how GOD, as THE CREATOR, reveals HIMSELF to us naturally, through the works of HIS hands here on earth (Vs. 1-6), and how HE, as THE LAWGIVER, reveals HIMSELF to us specifically, through HIS divine laws, morals, and principals, that HE has given us to live by (Vs. 7-11).
In verses 1-6, we see how the heavenly creation, the sun, the moon, and the stars reveal to us, the glory and power of GOD without saying a single word. They continue to speak volumes, by way of their very presence, to all mankind, all over the world, every single minute of every single day, and their message is equally intelligible to all.
In verses 7-11 the efficacious nature of GOD’s law is described by David. In other words, David lends a description of how obedience to GOD’s law produces a desirable effect in the lives of those who choose to follow it. GOD wants us, as believers, to be able to prove to the world of lost humanity through our behavior, that Christianity really does produce the best men and women.
In the biblical Hebrew, the word used for “law” is “torah”, and it stands for all written revelation of GOD to man. However, in this passage, David celebrates the specific statutes, precepts, commands, and ordinances that instruct us in living GODly lives.
And finally, in verses 12-14 we see a self examination by David. Only through a careful, constant study of GOD’s word, and a faithful keeping of GOD’s law, with help from the HOLY SPIRIT, can we keep away from sin. We can’t possibly know all of the sin that lurks in the human heart, but GOD does. HE can cleanse us from those hidden sins, and, HE can also keep us from deliberate sins, while, at one and the same time, keeping them from controlling us.
It is not until a person falls in love with goodness, that wrong things, will no longer fascinate, and have power over us. A right relationship with GOD is a Christian’s greatest asset. The person who loses their heart to the things of this world is the person most vulnerable to satan.
The end of all things is near, for each of us, personally. For, that is the warning in the messages that the ancient prophets, and New Testament writers and thinkers all leave us with. And those warnings are as valid today as they ever were, and so, the fact that we Christians cast everything over to GOD does not give us a right to sit back and do nothing. We still must get to know GOD as well as we can, so that we can defend the Gospel of CHRIST, and be able to perform successfully, the one job that CHRIST JESUS has given us to do, and that is, to personally and collectively, spread the good news of the Gospel to the uttermost parts of the world. And our faith must be like a solid rock, that resists the temptations of satan, and causes him to retreat, through our power in CHRIST JESUS our LORD (Matthew 28:19-20).

A Sunday school lesson by,
Larry D. Alexander


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