Don’t Mess with the Mighty God – Matthew 3:7-11 (Psalm 50)

 Early in the week I knew that I wanted to preach on John’s statement about Christ – “He that cometh after me is mightier than I.” But I wasn’t exactly sure how to develop the idea – partly because it is so obvious and overpowering. Should I go back to look at some of the things which we’ve already noted – should I move forward? Or can I confine myself to this statement alone? Doing some of my usual background work, I asked my computer to show me all the references to the words “mighty,” “mightier” and “mightiest.” In doing that I was eventually struck with Psalm 50 and the way that it parallels what is revealed to us here. Rather than studying Matthew 3 this afternoon, lets turn attentions to the devotions of the Psalmist.

This is the first of the twelve Psalms of someone named Asaph. There are at least three men in the Old Testament who bore this name. One was a forester who worked for Artaxerxes, and it’s unlikely that this is he. One was a recorder, or scribe, who worked under godly Hezekiah, so he is a possible reference. But then one was a special musician under King David; this is most likely our penman. There is also a scripture which speaks of Asaph as a “seer” – probably David’s Asaph. Asaph wrote these Psalms, including this Psalm, under the direction of the Holy Spirit. And in this sense, this song-writer was a “seer” – a prophet of the Lord. In this light we aren’t the least bit surprised to find that what he preached or sang, parallels what John preached, but didn’t sing.

It appears to me that this Psalm divides into four parts, and that’s how we will read it. But we will look at it expositionally, noting each verse. First, there is a summons to come and listen to the Lord. Then the Lord talks about acceptable worship and worshipers, and unworthy worship and worshipers. It ends in a couple of concluding exhortations and remarks. I wonder if John ever used this Psalm as a text from which to preach?

We begin with a summons – verses 1-6.“The mighty God, even the LORD, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof.” What were the circumstances when your mother addressed you by your full name? In my case, I was “Kenneth David Oldfield” only when I was in trouble. My parents didn’t like to use the name “Kenneth” as I’ve told you before. But today, when I am writing something important like a legal document, I use my full name. Similarly, in this verse we have three of the more important names for God. How many names and titles does the Lord have? A lot more than you and me. But here, in the original Hebrew, we have “El,” “Elohim” and “Jehovah.” Does that suggest something important? I don’t know if it does or doesn’t. But would you like to guess what English word here in Psalm 50 is translated from the word “El”? It is translated “mighty.” Could John have been thinking of “El” when he called the Saviour “the Might One?” “El,” “Elohim,” and even “Jehovah,” is calling the people of the earth from the east to the far west. He has given that summons every day since the fall of man – sometimes more loudly than at other times. He has something really important for the sinners of this planet to hear. “Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” “He that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner.”

“Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined.” Would it be an abuse if we replaced “Zion” with “Kingdom of Heaven”? Here He comes world. The Jews might have said that the Lord speaks out of Jerusalem, or through their priests, but John, God’s prophet, knew better than that. The Jews might have said that Jehovah spoke only to them, but this Psalm says otherwise. “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.” “The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

“Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him.” John talks about an axe of judgment, but then he mixes his metaphors and speaks of fire – as Asaph did. We know that our King shall come, because we have the promise that He is already on His way. The wicked may think that the Creator is dead, or too busy, or uncaring to be concerned with them. In other words. it isn’t just in the last days that scoffers shall come “walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation… The heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.”

The Lord is speaking. Sometimes He pleads and sometimes He simply speaks. But He will also pronounce judgment and condemnation. Sometimes He uses a still small voice, and at other times His voice echos up and down the Jordan valley – through men like John the Baptist. The fire shall try every work and every man, “for our God is a consuming fire.” “The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.”

“He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people.” We tend to forget that “we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses.” If we foolishly think that the court-room of the Lord will be in the American style, and if we think that the omniscient God needs witnesses to testify against us, there could be found eye-witnesses by the thousands. But not only do we have our closest loved ones to testify against us, we have our own hearts. And not only do we have the angels of Heaven to testify against us, we have the Word of God – which is settled in Heaven. Oh boy, we are in trouble, just as John was telling people in his day.

“Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.” The next judgment on the Lord’s legal docket will be the “bema” – the judgment seat of Christ. The defendants in that case will be the Lord’s saints – those truly redeemed. Fortunately for them, they are included in the covenant which the Lord made within the God-head and which was ratified by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

“The heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. Selah.” Is verse 6 speaking about the saint’s righteousness or the Lord’s? I think that this is talking about the Lord’s righteous judgment. Any righteousness which the saint might ever have, is actually the gift of God. Even the saint of the Lord possesses no righteousness of his own. And of course, the Pharisees standing before John the Baptist, had no righteousness whatsoever.

And in that condition we enter that judgment hall – verses 7-15. “Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify against thee: I am God, even thy God.” You could say that “El,” “Elohim,” “Jehovah” is the King of the Heavenly Kingdom. Look at those Pharisees strutting around leaving the impression of explicit obedience to the Lord. And then in come the Sadducees who manipulate the Word to make their evil lives look respectable. Listen up both of you. God is speaking. Have you considered the possibility that the Lord’s testimony will be against you? He is God. You had better listen.

“I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices or thy burnt offerings, to have been continually before me.” Both the Pharisees and Sadducees were scrupulous in their sacrifices. They frequently presented their offerings to the Lord. And there was nothing wrong with that, because it has been the command of God. But were they as frequent, fervent and fastidious as they should have, or could have, been? Is the Lord satisfied with a yearly day of thanksgiving? How about monthly tithes and offerings? If at breakfast we thanked the Lord for the food that he provides for the entire day, would that be good? Should our worship be merely a string of offerings? The people whom John was condemning were very proficient and consistent in their offerings, sacrifices and prayers. But the Lord was not pleased with the shallow, hollow husks of their feeble worship. In reality, shouldn’t our lives be one constant thank-offering? Shouldn’t our lives and hearts themselves be the offerings that we give to the Lord?

“I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor he goats out of thy folds.” The Lord wants our hearts, not the hooves of our herds. “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” “Bring forth fruits meet for repentance” and think not to say within yourselves that we have a good relationship with Abraham and that sacrifices and obedience are sufficient to satisfy God. All of the divinely proscribed of sacrifices and offerings were for instruction purposes only. If in our imaginations we change the instruction into the substance; if we try to make the cart into a horse, the Lord is not pleased. “Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.”

“For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine.” I believe that the Kingdom of Heaven touches upon everyone and everything – even cattle upon the hills. The word “beast” actually refers to any living animal, and the “cattle” refers primarily to domesticated animals. So even the lions and bears, along with the sheep and goats, are members of the Lord’s flock. And He knows the fowls. But it’s not that He knows about them and watches when they rise or fall. He knows them more intimately than we know ourselves.

The Pharisees’ hypocrisy and stupidity was astounding. On the one hand, some of them foolishly thought that the Lord was dependent upon their service. “If I don’t tithe,” for example, “then the Lord’s church will not survive.” But then they swing the other way and think, “if God doesn’t need my support then I’m not obligated to serve Him even with those tithes and offerings.”

“If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof, will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?” It is a ludicrous thought – that God should ever be hungry – but if, if…………….. If the Lord had a need, He certainly wouldn’t be dependent upon us to satisfy that need. But WE have a spiritual need which can only be satisfied through our relationship to the Lord.

“Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High: and call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.” Isn’t this a part of the fruits of repentance? Perhaps, the greatest glory that anyone can give to God is to know, and express, dependence upon Him. “Call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.” After the salvation has been given, don’t forget to offer God thanksgiving for the rest of your life. This is acceptable worship.

But then there is the wicked worship, which is no worship at all – verses 16-21.“Unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth?” If Smith’s dictionary is right, there were 6,000 Pharisees, all considering themselves to be saints of God. But according to John, and this was corroborated by Christ, they were not. Like so many today, they took up parts of the Word of God which appeal to them, or they linked themselves to make-believe saviours like Abraham. And they declared that they were recipients of the Lord’s covenant – when actually they were not. To them the Lord says, “What do you think you’re doing?” “Seeing thou hatest instruction, and castest my words behind thee.”

“When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentedst with him, and hast been partaker with adulterers.” Should we take the time to read Matthew 23 again, where the Lord Jesus condemned the Scribes and Pharisees for consenting with thieves – and for many other sins. Perhaps you have not been guilty of the vilest of crimes, but when you winked at them, you became a partaker with them. You “consentedst” – you gave tacit, or silent, approval of those sins. “Thou givest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit. Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mother’s son.”

“These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes.” The Lord is a very patient God, but His patience is not the same as the Pharisee’s approval of evil, because while the Lord is not judging and destroying, He is still exposing and condemning. There is nothing more ludicrous than making Christ look just like us. Is there any harm in suggesting to small black children that Christ was a black man? I think that there is. Is it right to make Jesus look like a blond, pale skinned, blue eyed man from northern Europe? It is never right, nor wise, to recreate God in our own image. “Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee.”

The conclusion:“Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver.” Towards the lost man, towards the rebel, the Lord wants to leave the image of a devouring lion – or an axe, or a fire. He is like a grizzly or a polar bear with an evil and stupid man in his jaws and claws. You who live without regard for me, will be torn to pieces in my wrath. “And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” Don’t look to your priest, or your therapist, or your mother, your bookie, or drug dealer to rescue you. There will be none to deliver you in that day of judgment.

But – “whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God.” Holy living is the evidence of saving grace – but it’s only the evidence. There is fruit which is meet or worthy proof of genuine repentance. The godly Christian is like Solomon’s temple – gold within and gold without. Proper worship is evidence of an heart that has been made proper by the grace and power of God. “Repent, for the King of the Kingdom is at hand.”