Psalms 28:9
Psalms 28:9 says, Save
thy people, and bless thine inheritance: feed them also, and lift them up for
ever. In the previous verses
the strength of Christ was emphasized. Ephesians 1:18-23 says, The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye
may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of
his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power
to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought
in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand
in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and
dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in
that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to
be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fullness of
him that filleth all in all. Jesus Christ, the Almighty God, is all
powerful. He is our strength. When you think of Christ as your strength, think
of Ephesians 1:21, Far above all principality, and
power and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this
world, but also in that which is to come. When the Bible says Christ is
our strength, it means that He is stronger than anything and everything. There
is no limit to the strength of Christ. This is why Psalms 28:9 says, Save thy people. Because Christ is strong, He
will save his people. He will show the exceeding greatness of his power. Christ
showed the exceeding greatness of His power when He died on the cross for the
sins of the world and rose again. And he will show the exceeding greatness of
his power again when He gathers His children from the earth; because the child
of God has been redeemed from this world.
Salvation can refer to being saved from your
physical circumstances and it can refer to being saved from your spiritual
circumstances. Jesus said in Mark 8:36, For what
shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
The spiritual is more important than the physical. This life is temporary. Even
all the heavens and the earth are going to pass away. Eternal life comes by
grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Eventually, for those who have trusted in
Jesus for salvation there will be a complete redemption both physically and
spiritually. Ephesians 1:10-14 says, That in the
dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all
things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on the earth; even in
him: In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated
according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his
own will: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in
Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the
gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed
with that Holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until
the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
If there is anything that you should pray for
other people, it is for their salvation. Psalms 28:9, Save thy people. In the
Old Testament, the phrase, thy people primarily referred to the nation of Israel. But it also
included any of the gentiles who had faith in the one true living God, Jehovah.
Of course, we know from the New Testament that the name Jehovah is the Old
Testament equivalent to Jesus. The people
of God refers to both the nation of Israel and to all those who have repented
of their sins and trusted in Jesus Christ for salvation. God made certain
promises to Abraham because of His faith. God always keeps His promises.
Genesis 12:2-3 says, And I will make of thee a
great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be
a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth
thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. This is
why Israel as a nation has survived and always will survive as a nation. No
other nation has been given such a promise as this. When God makes a promise
both physically and spiritually, He keeps His promises.
The most important truth to understand about the
promises given to the nation of Israel have to do with salvation. Genesis 12:3
says, in thee
shall all families of the earth be blessed.
Jesus was a Jew of the lineage of Abraham of the lineage of King David. God
came to this earth in the flesh and died for the sins of the world. Through
Jesus all families of the earth have been blessed because any man who turns
from His sins to Jesus can have eternal life. Through Jesus all families of the
earth will be blessed when Christ returns at the end of the 7-year tribulation
and sets up His Millennial kingdom. During this time the nation of Israel will
become the greatest nation ever on the face of the earth. And during this time
the world will know a peace and prosperity it has never before seen: all
because Jesus Christ the Son of God keeps his promises. That is why it says
concerning Jesus and the fulfillment of these promises in Revelation 19:11-16,
And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse;
and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and true, and in righteousness he
doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were
many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And
he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word
of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses
clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp
sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a
rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty
God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written KING OF KINGS,
AND LORD OF LORDS.
Psalms 28: says, Save
thy people, and bless thine inheritance. Salvation and inheritance are
two words that go together very well. Eternal life through Jesus Christ is the
free gift of God based on His grace, based on his perfect work on the cross,
and therefore, once saved always saved. An inheritance works the same way. An
inheritance is not a reward, but it is based as well on the grace of God. Rewards
are earned. There are rewards to be earned in the service of Jesus. But the
grace of God is so great that not only does He save us from our sins when we
turn to Jesus, but he makes us a joint-heir with Christ. Ephesians 1:3 says, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.
The moment a person turns from their sins and
turns to Jesus for salvation, they become a joint-heir with Christ. In other
words as soon as a person is saved, they are guaranteed an inheritance for all
eternity. This is how great the grace of God is. Some people turn to Jesus from
their sins on their death bed. Even though such people never lived for Jesus
and never earned any rewards, they still receive the inheritance. Ephesians
2:7, That in the ages to come he might shew the
exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
This is why as a Christian it is important to hold fast your profession of
faith. There are great rewards to be earned in the service for Jesus Christ. If
you feel like you are a failure as a Christian, then simply remember how great
is the forgiveness of God. He always forgives sin because Jesus died for the
sins of the world. Romans 11:29 says, For the
gifts and calling of god are without repentance. If God has given you
an ability, use it to serve him. If you fail and waste opportunity, do not be
discouraged. A good example of this is the call to preach. Some people stop
preaching because of the sin that they fall into. But the truth is even though
they may have lost some opportunities there will always be others. God is not
going to take away their spiritual gift. Service to Christ is based on His
grace and His wonderful forgiveness for sins that He gives to us when we
repent. If at first you dont succeed, try, try again. Just by simply keeping
the faith you are accomplishing things for Jesus Christ and His glory. Just by
turning from your sins and turning to Jesus for salvation, accomplishes things
for His glory. The truth is that the children of God will never fully know just
what they are accomplishing for Christ until they get to heaven. That is why
until that time one should endure with patience.
Romans 8:16-17, The
Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so
be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. To
sum up the inheritance that will be received by the children of God Revelation
21:1-4 says, And I saw a new heaven and a new
earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was
no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God
out of Heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great
voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he
will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be
with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes;
and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall
there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. It is
good to think about the inheritance that awaits the Christian because just as
we believe in once saved, always saved, we know this also means once saved,
you have an inheritance you cannot lose.
Romans 4:13-18, For
the promise, that he should be heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his
seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if they
which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none
effect: Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no
transgression. Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end
the promise might be sure to all the seed; not that only which is of the law,
but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,
(as it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom
he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which
be not as though they were. Who against hope believed in hope, that he might
become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall
thy seed be. Even for Abraham it
was of faith. This verse in Romans 4:18 says, Who
against hope believed in hope. Our hope is not of this world because
our inheritance is not of this world. We live in the last days. In the days of
the Apostles under the power of the Roman Empire Christians suffered great
persecution. Paul the Apostle was even stoned near to death when going into a
city to preach and the next day went into the same city to preach the gospel
again. Salvation and inheritance; who against hope believe in hope. Here in the
last days as the persecution against Christians in this world increases, the
Christians should rely more on the grace of Christ and His promises. Remember
your salvation and your inheritance. And hope against hope because the hope of
the Christian is not in the things of this world but it is in the exceeding
riches of the grace of Christ that will be shown unto us in the ages to come.
Psalms 28:9 says, Save
thy people, and bless thine inheritance: feed them also, and lift them up for
ever. After inheritance is mentioned, this verse says feed them also. There is the inheritance and then
there are rewards to be earned in the service for Christ. Rewards for Christ
are earned by following His will. It is the will of God that the Children of
God do everything they can to live according to the Bible and to help spread
the truth in every way they can by both word and deed. Feed them also. Jesus said in Luke 4:4, And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, that man
shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
The message of the Bible is a message of grace
through faith in Christ. Too often we forget the power of Gods Word. Too often
we think too much of our own words instead of the words of Jesus. It is a sad
time in which we live because there are so few that feed the sheep. You do not
have to be a preacher to take part in the spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
But all Christians are responsible to use their gifts and calling to help feed
the sheep, to help spread the truth, to help remind the other believers of the
promises of God, to help their fellow Christians to walk by faith and not by
sight.
The last part of Psalms 28:9 says, Lift them up for ever. The phrase lift them up can be translated forgiveness or
pardon. The forgiveness of sins through the name of Jesus Christ is the most
important truth that any human being can know. When Jesus Christ died on the
cross of Calvary, He became sin. He took upon himself all the sins of the world
since the beginning of the world until the end of the world. He became sin. He
died. He rose again. He ascended into heaven. The forgiveness of God has no
limits because of the grace of Christ. Therefore, no matter what happens in
this life, you always have a reason to turn to Jesus and to serve Him because He can lift you up for ever. Jesus
said in John 12:32-33, And I, if I be lifted up
from the earth, will draw all men unto me. This he said, signifying what death
he should die.
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Copyright; 2012 by Charles
F. (Rick) Creech
All Rights Reserved