531 Going Home, Going to Church, Going to Worship Psalm 122

0623 - Going Home, Going to Church, Going to Worship

Psalm 122: 1-9

There is a surge of happiness at the sight of Jerusalem.

            V. 1 I was glad when they said to me, * "Let us go to the house of the Lord.

             Last year I took a week and went back to Southern California to visit where I was raised. It was nice to see the old places and the High School along with the memories. I mentioned Thomas Wolf’s novel, “You Can’t Go Home Again.'' That it is hard to go back home to your family, your childhood - to your dreams of glory & fame, to the country, to the old forms & systems of the things which one thought at the time were everlasting but are actually changing all the time - you can’t go back home to the escapes of time & memory”. 

            This year, December, we’re heading back to Panama, for me it is a missionary journey to see my old Christian friends and the church that has been built in La Paz de Chame on Demetrio Gaitan’s original home. So I can say, I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go to the house of the Lord.

            But our Psalm is speaking of Jerusalem. Of the pilgrimages the people made to attend the holy feasts they were required to attend.

             It was in David's time that Jerusalem was first chosen to be the city where God would record his name. The psalm sings of The joy with which they were to go up to Jerusalem (v. 1, 2). The great esteem they were to have of Jerusalem; 3-5. The great concern they were to have for Jerusalem, and the prayers they were to put up for its welfare 6-9.

            We see the pleasure David and the Israelite's took in approaching to and attending upon God in public ordinances,  David was glad, and would have every Israelite to say that he was glad to go to the house of the Lord.

            It’s God’s will that we all should worship Him in concert. We should worship Him in our houses, but also in the house of the Lord, the building where  we assemble not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching Heb 10:25.

            We shouldn’t only agree with one another, but motivate one another to go to worship God in public. Let’s all go. Like the platoon Sgt. That motivates all 40 men when he says “let’s go”.

            We shouldn’t say, "Do you go and pray for us, and we will stay at home;" but as Zechariah says in 8:20-2,  thus says the LORD of hosts: Peoples shall yet come, even the inhabitants of many cities. 21 The inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, 'Let us go at once to entreat the favor of the LORD and to seek the LORD of hosts; I myself am going.' 22 Many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the LORD. Not, "Go ahead and I’ll be along a little later; or, "We will go first, and you shall come after us;" but, Let’s all go together, for the honour of God and we can all be edified and encouraged. We’re all slow and backward, and others too, so we should all quicken and sharpen one another to that which is good, as iron sharpens iron, Proverbs 27:17.

            We know that no building can contain God in all His glory and greatness. Acts 7:48-49,  Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made by hands, as the prophet says, 49 "'Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord, or what is the place of my rest? 2 Cor. 5:1-4; As Paul explains to us in 1 Cor. 3:16-17, Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.

            David at the house of the LORD he could focus his thoughts, prayers, worship, and receiving of God’s word in the community of God’s people in a special way,  

            The believer also, when attending church, is bringing the temple of God to the building making it also the house of the Lord.

            It is good and important for us to gather with God’s people for prayers, worship, and receiving of God’s word. The gathering should be formal and ordered enough so that it is regarded as a gathering of God’s house – not everyone doing their own thing, but God’s people coming together for His glory and their benefit in His house.

            Coming to the house of the Lord should be a glad thing. This isn’t the same as saying it should be entertaining, especially in an age when entertainment is a dangerous idol. Not everything that happens at the house of the LORD must be fun, but it should all be good, both welcoming to the not-yet-believer and good for those who are believers in Jesus.

            V 3. Jerusalem is built as a city * that is at unity with itself;

            Jerusalem was not large, but it was not a disordered collection of tents and shacks. It was built, and built together in an orderly way (compact together). It was a real city. The expression ‘unity with itself’ some translations have ‘bound firmly together’ [compact together] uses…the same verb as is found in the instructions for making the tent of worship: ‘couple the tent together that it may be one whole’ (Exod. 26:11). Such was the blueprint; such will be the ultimate reality,  And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God,  (Rev. 21:10ff.)

            Charles Spurgeon comments,“A church should be one in creed and one in heart, one in testimony and one in service, one in aspiration and one in sympathy. They greatly injure our Jerusalem who would build dividing walls within her; she needs compacting, not dividing.”

            “The unity of the city reflected the unity of the tribes on these special occasions. The Israelite tribes came together for the purpose of praising ‘the name of the Lord’. It was an act of loyalty, as the Lord had commanded them to present themselves before him.” (VanGemeren)

            Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: "May they prosper who love you. 7 Peace be within your walls and quietness within your towers. 8 For my brethren and companions' sake, I pray for your prosperity.

            Internal peace is one of the main ingredients of success in a church: Strife, suspicion, party-spirit, division, – are deadly things. Spurgeon comments that those who break the peace of the church deserve to suffer, and those who sustain it win a great blessing.”

            There are, unfortunately, churches in our area that are going through a lot of disunity. Even among other Christian denominations and the heretical progressive Emergent Church movement in the world today.  Even within the SBC churches not following the Baptist Faith & Message.

            We, as David prayed for the peace and prosperity of Jerusalem, we must pray for blessings of the church, for those who love and pray for the church.

            9. Because of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek to do you good.

            Under the New Covenant the church, for us, is the house of the LORD, with Jesus the Head and Son of the house   Moses was faithful in all God's house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, 6 but Christ is faithful over God's house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope (Hebrews 3:5-6), since we have a great priest over the house of God, (Hebrews 10:21); you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.  (1 Peter 2:5);  For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?(1 Peter 4:17).

What makes the church special is that it is God’s habitation, His house. His presence, which is you, makes it special. 

530 Day of Infamy for Millions part 20 11/12/2023

Since the Oct. 7th attack of Hamas into Israel there has been a resurgence of “Antisemitism” throughout the world. The word antisemitism is just a cover for hate against the Jews. Is this resurgence just a passing thing or a sign of things to come?

Sermon this Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023.. "He Who Has an Ear Let Him Hear what the Spirit Says To the Churches"

526 National Confession, Psalm 106:1-6 10/15/2023

525 Heavens Are Telling Be Careful that You Don't Blaspheme God - Psalm 19:1 Oct.08, 2023

519 Seeking God's Face 9/03/2023

517 Psalm 67:1-3 The Shining Face of God 8/20/2023

516.1 Get out of the Boat Matt.14

508 A Bruised Reed

0145 - Communion, A New Covenant

"A Bruised Reed He Will not Break, and A Dimly Burning Wick He Will Not Quench"

Isaiah 42:1-3; Psalm 145: 8-9

Quacco Baptist Church

215 Quacco Road, Savannah GA

Mar. 26, 2023

 

Introduction -                              

        Today we celebrate the Lord’s Supper as He commanded us to do. I want to first mention what led to this meal by going back to the creation and fall which we find in Gen. 1:26-31; 2:4-22a; and 3:1-15.

        In a nut shell these verse cover the creation of the universe, the earth, man, human race, and the fall of man, the human race. Gen. 1:26-31.

        When one reads the first two chapters of Genesis one can come away with the impression that these are two different accounts; what is called a gap theory.  That does not the discussion issue.

          Genesis 1 describes the “six days of creation” (and a seventh day of rest); Genesis 2 covers only one day of that creation week—the sixth day—and there is no contradiction as some claim.

        In Genesis 2, the author steps back in the sequence to focus on the sixth day, when God made mankind. In the first chapter, the author of Genesis presents the creation of man on the sixth day as the culmination or high point of creation. Then, in the second chapter, the author gives greater detail regarding the creation of man and woman.

        Considering the two creation accounts individually and then reconciling them, we see that God describes the sequence of creation in Genesis 1, then clarifies its most important details, especially of the sixth day, in Genesis 2. There is no contradiction here, merely a common literary device describing an event from the general to the specific.

        In Genesis 3:2 did Eve receive the command not to eat from the tree of knowledge of good & evil directly from God or through Adam? 15 Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to tend and keep it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

        Well, In Genesis 2 it would seem the man was alone” when he was given the command because in the next verses after the command God expresses the loneliness of the man, but in Genesis 3 when Eve was having a discourse with the serpent she uses the word We which is inclusive of her & the man as having received the command directly from God, how can we understand the above texts. That’s argumentative, maybe, but it’s not that important to the issue.

        Adam and Eve were made in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26-27; 9:6). However, we are also in the image and likeness of Adam, Gen. 5:3:  When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.. Therefore when Adam fell into sin, the result was every one of his descendants also being “infected” with sin. David lamented this fact in one of his Psalms: “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me” Psalm 51:5. This does not mean that his mother bore him illegitimately; rather, his mother had inherited a sin nature from her parents, and they from their parents, and so on. David inherited sin from his parents, just as we all do. Even if we live the best life possible, we are still sinners as a result of inherited sin.

       

 

           

        But we know; we’ve been told in the word of God that from before the beginning before God created all things—including us, for Himself. He is glorified in His creation. “From him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen” (Romans 11:36).

How could Adam and Eve’s falling into sin bring glory to God. In fact, some might even wonder why, if God knew ahead of time all the trouble they would cause, He made them in the first place.

Scripture can be divided into three sections or narratives: a) paradise; b) paradise lost; c) paradise regained. We can come to the conclusions when reading Scripture that: a) The fall of man was foreknown to God; b) The crucifixion, atonement for God’s elect was foreordained by God; c) All people will one day glorify God (Psalm 86:9), and God purposes “to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ” (Ephesians 1:10).

        Paul writes as we read in Romans 5:12-21, that as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: … as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

        God’s purpose was to create a world in which His glory could be manifest in all its fullness. The glory of God is the overarching goal of creation. In fact, it is the overarching goal of everything He does. The universe was created to display God’s glory (Psalm 19:1), and the wrath of God is revealed against those who fail to glorify God (Romans 1:18–25). The world that best displays the glory of God is the world we have—a world that was allowed to fall, a world that was redeemed, a world that will be restored to its original perfection.

        God’s wrath and God’s mercy display the riches of His glory, but we cannot see either without the fall of mankind. We would never know grace if we had never needed grace. Therefore, all of God’s plan—including the fall, election, redemption, and atonement of mankind—serves the purpose of glorifying God. When man fell into sin, God’s mercy was immediately displayed in God’s not killing him on the spot. God’s grace was immediately evident in the covering He provided for their shame (Genesis 3:21). God’s patience and forbearance were displayed as mankind fell deeper and deeper into sin. God’s justice and wrath were on display when He sent the flood, and God’s mercy and grace were again demonstrated when He saved Noah and his family. God’s holy wrath and perfect justice will be seen in the future when He deals with Satan once and for all (Revelation 20:7–10).

        God’s glory is revealed in His love (1 John 4:16). Had God decided not to create Adam and Eve, based on His knowledge of their fall—or had He made them automatons with no volition—we would never have truly known what love is. Our knowledge of God’s love comes from the Person and saving work of Jesus Christ in this fallen world. “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him” (1 John 4:9).

        His One and Only Son – That brings us to Isaiah 42:1-4:

        "Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one [in whom] My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations. 2 "He will not cry out or raise [His voice,] Nor make His voice heard in the street. 3 "A bruised reed He will not break And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish; He will faithfully bring forth justice. 4 "He will not be disheartened or crushed Until He has established justice in the earth; And the coastlands will wait expectantly for His law."  Isaiah 42:1-4

        Jewish commentators claim that the Servant makes reference to the nation of Israel. They point back to Is. 41:9 You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, And called from its remotest parts And said to you, 'You are My servant, I have chosen you and not rejected you. They reject the claims of Christians that these verses in Chapter 42 refer to Jesus, claiming that it is only the nation that is the servant of Jehovah. 

        Matthew quotes this prophecy from Isaiah as being fulfilled in Jesus by His compassion, mercy, and healing of all who were ill.

        Jesus, God incarnate who so loved His creation, took on Himself the sin of the world to not break a bruised reed or quench a smoldering flame; calling all those bruised and smoldering, to come to Him. All those who are weary and heavy-laden, and He will give you rest. Take His yoke upon you and learn from Him, for He’s gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. His yoke is easy and His burden is light.”

        We are going to gather together this morning to prepare and partake of Holy Communion and sing our communion hymn – Here is love, vast as the ocean -

 

        

The Solid Rock

504 Under Indictment Psalm 50:1-15 June, 11, 2023

503 Indescribable Majesty of God Psalm 8:1, 3-5 --June 4, 2023

501 Day of Infamy for Millions Part 19 A Galilean Wedding

0604.2 ¿Dios se deleita en todo lo que hace? Salmo 104:31; 135:6

0604.2 ¿Dios se deleita en todo lo que hace? Salmo 104:31; 135:6

30 de abril de 2023

Introducción

Sea la gloria de Jehová para siempre; que el Señor se regocije en sus obras, (Salmo 104:31); Todo lo que Jehová quiere, él lo hace, en el cielo y en la tierra, en los mares y en todos los abismos. [Sal 135:6 NVI].

El teólogo escocés Henry Scougal escribió: El valor y la excelencia de un alma se mide por el objeto de su amor.

Ok, si aplicas eso a Dios, puedes contemplar el valor, la excelencia de Dios. Esa es la grandeza de Dios registrada en Sus disfrutes, las cosas en las que Él se deleita.

Cuando ustedes, nosotros, ponemos nuestra atención en la gloria de Dios, poco a poco nosotros, los creyentes, somos transformados a su semejanza. Mire 2 Corintios 3:18 – nosotros todos, a cara descubierta, mirando la gloria del Señor, somos transformados en la misma imagen de un grado de gloria a otro…

Al ver Su gloria, podemos elevarnos un paso a la vez a su semejanza; para que en el hogar, el trabajo y la escuela, la gente vea tus buenas obras y dé gloria a tu Padre que está en los cielos.

Retratar sus placeres en la predicación proclamando la Palabra. He aquí su gloria en la escucha. Acércate a su semejanza en la meditación. Mostrar su valor en el mundo.

Dios siempre ha sido feliz, exuberantemente

Nunca ha estado solo, se ha regocijado en la gloria de su Hijo desde toda la eternidad que ha sido el panorama de sus perfecciones.

Él no está restringido por nada fuera de sí mismo para hacer cualquier cosa que Él quiera hacer o no hacer. Está gozosamente desenfrenado y desbordante de entusiasmo en la comunión de la Trinidad.

Sus obras son el desbordamiento de Su alegría - Todo lo que hace es sin coerción. Se nos dice en Filipenses 2:13 y Efesios. 1:11…Dios que obra en vosotros tanto el querer como el hacer, por su buena voluntad. …hemos obtenido herencia, habiendo sido predestinados según el propósito de aquel que hace todas las cosas conforme al consejo de su voluntad,

 

Dios hace lo que le place, lo que le deleita

El Salmo 135 comienza diciendo ¡Alabado sea el Señor! Alabad el nombre del SEÑOR, alabad, oh siervos del SEÑOR, luego en los siguientes 6 versículos se nos dan las razones por las que le alabamos. El v6 nos dice: Todo lo que Jehová quiere, él lo hace, en el cielo y en la tierra, en los mares y en todos los abismos. Salmo 115:3 dice lo mismo: Nuestro Dios está en los cielos; hace lo que le place.

Esto nos dice que cada vez que Dios actúa, actúa de una manera que le agrada. Nunca se ha acorralado en una esquina cuando tiene que hacer o hacer algo que odia hacer. Él hace lo que le place. Y por lo tanto, en cierto sentido, tiene placer en todo lo que hace. Isaías usa la misma palabra hebrea (como sustantivo) en Isaías 46:9-10 donde dice el Señor: Yo soy Dios, y no hay otro; Yo soy Dios, y no hay ninguno como yo, que declaro el fin desde el principio y desde  tiempos antiguos cosas aún no hechas, diciendo: 'Mi consejo permanecerá, y cumpliré todo mi propósito,'...

En esto, todos debemos inclinarnos ante Dios y alabar Su libertad soberana: Él actúa en Su beneplácito.

Pero entonces, ¿qué hacemos con Ezequiel 18:23 y 32? ¿Se complace en todo lo que hace? Versículo 23, ¿Acaso me complace la muerte del impío, declara el Señor DIOS, y no que se aparte de su camino y viva? . V 32 No tengo placer en la muerte de nadie, declara el Señor…

¿Cómo puede decir que no se complace en ninguna persona impenitente? …….. Bueno, Él está hablando con Israel aquí, diciéndoles que los va a juzgar, es inminente y los está instando a que se arrepientan; v30, Yo os juzgaré, oh casa de Israel, a cada uno según sus caminos, dice el Señor DIOS. Arrepentíos y volveos de todas vuestras transgresiones, para que la iniquidad no sea vuestra ruina. V31b ¿Por qué morirás? … Luego en el v32 Él les dice, No tengo placer en la muerte de nadie,

Estos parecen diferentes a los que vimos en el Salmo 135, donde Dios hace lo que le place. Aquí parece estar acorralado. Parece que se ve obligado a juzgarlos cuando realmente no quiere hacerlo. Parece estar a punto de hacer algo que no le agrada hacer. ¿Va a lograr todo su placer o no?

¿Su libertad soberana tiene sus límites? ¿Puede hacer lo que le plazca hasta cierto punto, y luego, después de eso, se ve acorralado para hacer cosas que solo le apena hacer?

Si Dios controla el viento y lo hace soplar cuando y donde le place —lo cual es ciertamente cierto (recordemos el "¡Paz! ¡Estad quietos!") de Jesús—, entonces Dios es responsable de la destrucción de miles de vidas al ahogarse a causa de las tormentas y huracanes y tornados y monzones y tifones que Dios ha sacado de sus almacenes a lo largo de los siglos. Cuando la Escritura dice que el Señor hace lo que le place, tiene que incluir el quitar la vida personal en el mar a través del viento que solo él controla.

En los versículos 8–11 del salmo 135 dice que la libertad soberana de Dios se mostró más vívidamente en el Éxodo de Egipto: “Él fue quien hirió a los primogénitos de Egipto, así de hombres como de animales. . . que hirió a muchas naciones y mató a reyes poderosos. . .”

  Así que en Ezequiel dice que Dios no está complacido con la muerte de las personas que no se arrepienten, y en el Salmo 135 dice que Dios hace lo que le place, incluso matar a las personas que no se arrepienten. Y el mismo verbo hebreo se usa en el Salmo 135:6 ("él agrada") y Ezequiel 18:32 ("él tiene placer").

Si tienes la idea de que a Dios no le preocupa que lo acorralen para que haga cosas que no quiere hacer, bueno, el Salmo 135 en realidad no dice que Dios se deleita en destruir a los egipcios.

  “hacer lo que le plazca” en el Salmo 135:6 es solo una forma de hablar y no tiene el sentido de placer o deleite. Y así dirían que Dios sólo se entristece cuando debe juzgar a los pecadores no arrepentidos, y no hay ningún sentido en el que esté haciendo lo que le place hacer.

Pero que la misma palabra que se usa en el Salmo 135:6 Dios está "complacido" se usa en Ezequiel 18:32 para Dios no está "complacido". Luego dirigiría la atención a Deuteronomio 28:63 donde Moisés advierte del juicio venidero sobre el impenitente Israel. Pero esta vez dice algo sorprendentemente diferente de Ezequiel 18:32, Y así como el Señor se deleitó en haceros bien y en multiplicaros, así se deleitará el Señor en traeros ruina y destruiros. (Véase también Proverbios 1:24–26; Apocalipsis 18:20; Ezequiel 5:13).

Así que volvemos al hecho de que en cierto sentido Dios no se deleita en la muerte de los impíos (ese es el mensaje de Ezequiel 18), y en cierto sentido sí lo hace (ese es el mensaje del Salmo 135:6-11 y Deuteronomio 28:63).

¿Qué tal si la muerte y la miseria de los que no se arrepienten en sí mismas no deleitan a Dios? Dios no es un sádico. No es malicioso ni sanguinario. En cambio, cuando se juzga a una persona rebelde, mala e incrédula, Dios se deleita en la vindicación de la verdad y la bondad y de su propio honor y gloria.

Moisés advierte a Israel que el Señor se deleitará en arruinarlos y destruirlos si no se arrepienten, quiere decir que aquellos que se han rebelado contra el Señor y se han movido más allá del arrepentimiento no podrán regodearse de haber hecho al Todopoderoso. miserable. Todo lo contrario. Moisés dice que cuando sean juzgados, sin darse cuenta darán una oportunidad para que Dios se regocije en la demostración de su justicia y su poder y el valor infinito de su gloria.

Mira, de Dios nadie se burla. No está atrapado, acorralado o coaccionado. Incluso en el camino al Calvario tenía legiones a su disposición. “Nadie me quita la vida; lo pongo por mi propia voluntad” — por mi propia voluntad, por el gozo que se me presenta (ver Juan 10:18; Hebreos 12:2). En el único punto de la historia del universo en el que Dios parecía atrapado, estaba totalmente a cargo de hacer precisamente lo que le placía: morir para justificar a los impíos como tú y como yo.

Esto me trae a la mente a Jimmy Swaggert, Jim Bakker, John Hagee y, incluiré a todos los demás, y leeré desde el principio: 1 Corintios 6: 1-11 pero permítanme leer el versículo 9, ¿no saben que los injustos no heredar el reino de Dios? No os dejéis engañar: ni los fornicarios, ni los idólatras, ni los adúlteros, ni los homosexuales, 10 ni los ladrones, ni los avaros, ni los borrachos, ni los maldicientes, ni los estafadores heredarán el reino de Dios. 11 Y esto erais algunos de vosotros. Pero ustedes fueron lavados, fueron santificados, fueron justificados en el nombre del Señor Jesucristo y por el Espíritu de nuestro Dios.

Y luego Gálatas 6:1-5 – si alguno fuere sorprendido en alguna transgresión, vosotros que sois espirituales, restauradle con espíritu de mansedumbre. Cuídate a ti mismo, no sea que tú también seas tentado. 2 Sobrellevad las cargas los unos de los otros, y así cumplid la ley de Cristo. 3 Porque si alguno se cree algo, cuando no es nada, se engaña a sí mismo. Deberíamos asombrarnos y preguntarnos esta mañana: “Nuestro Dios está en los cielos; él hace lo que le place.” Amén.

Dios Todopoderoso y Padre Misericordioso, te alabamos porque eres un Dios infinitamente gozoso y desenfrenado; que se satisface con tus propias perfecciones reflejadas en el resplandor de tu Hijo. Y te alabamos porque eres libre y soberano en tu propia autosuficiencia y no puedes ser sobornado o coaccionado por alguna deficiencia o anhelo en tu corazón. Te alabamos porque tu plan y tu consejo no se rigen por nuestra voluntad sino por tu beneplácito.

0600 " We're surrounded. That simplifies things" Psalm 46

 0600 " We're surrounded. That simplifies things" said Gen. Lewis 'Chesty' Puller. --- 
              God says, "Chill Out, Know that I Am, God"
 Psalm 46

Quacco Baptist Church

November 30, 2022

Introduction 

Marines of the 1st Marine Division not only avoided being captured by the Chinese Communist Forces while other units disintegrated to their left and right, but actually re-attacked in a different direction. In the process, these Marines destroyed 7 Chinese Divisions! Few ever ask about the quality of officer and Staff NCO leadership in those frozen mountain passes because they don’t need to: It’s simply “Who We Are” as U.S. Marines, right? Former Army officer, T. R. Fehrenbach, would describe it this way after the Korean War: 

“In 1950 a Marine Corps officer was still an officer, and a sergeant behaved the way good sergeants had behaved since the time of Caesar, expecting no nonsense, allowing none. And Marine leaders had never lost sight of their primary – their only – mission, which was to fight... Marine human material was not one whit better than that of the human society from which it came. But it had been hammered into form in a different forge, hardened in a different fire. The Marines were the closest thing to legions the nation had. They would follow their colors from the shores of home to the sea coasts of Bohemia, and fight well in either place.”

Did Marines perform heroically at the Frozen Chosin because of their ethos, their core values, and “Who We Are” as an organization, or is there more to it? Is the “Frozen Chosin” just another chapter in the long narrative of “Marine Exceptionalism,” or is it all this and a valuable lesson on the importance of “Leadership, Commandership?

Leadership in the 1st Marine Division at that time, you’ll find many of the names who have achieved legendary status in the Corps: Chesty Puller, Raymond Murray, Homer Litzenberg, and Ray Davis. Raymond G. Davies was the 3rd Mar. Div. Commanding General in Vietnam and  I believe as I’ve mentioned before, I had the honor of working for him personally and going every other day to the field for the three months I was assigned. 

Well, in Korea, did the 1st Marine Division really perform so well against overwhelming odds because it was stacked with talented commanders? At the center of the action at Chosin a humble, highly intelligent, even-keeled division commander. 

– Major General Oliver P. Smith. His leadership is a lesson in “Commandership.”

Smith’s intellect, moral courage, character, wisdom, and quiet but forceful leadership created what would amount to an impenetrable force-field around his Marines and his Division: his moral courage truly engendered combat power and physical courage on the battlefield, shaping not only the actions of his Marines but also the context in which those actions occurred. Just how was he able to do this? 

Colonel Lewis B. “Chesty” Puller, Commander, 1st Marine Regiment.

According to Smith, “Colonel Puller is picturesque. He is what might be termed a ‘character.’ He was always a good copy. His men loved him for it. No one who associated with him could help loving him. With all his rough, tough exterior he had a very warm heart. He was an avid reader of biography and history. Tactically he believes in direct action. But he did not sacrifice his men uselessly. His command post was always well forward. Often his command post was in fact his observation post. He had a tendency to get all his battalions in the fight. Often it was necessary to discourage this tendency by putting strings on one of his battalions. 

Lieutenant Colonel Ray Davis, Commander, 1st Battalion, 7th Marines. Davis was 35 years old when he was a Battalion Commander in Korea, but by that time he had already amassed an impressive combat record. He was a man of few words, I can attest to that, he didn’t rely on tough talk nor gruffness to inspire his Marines, but rather on his uncanny ability to retain his composure while at the center of any fray – no matter how tough. His reputation as a “ferocious battalion commander” had been well-earned by the time of Chosin. Davis grew up in Atlanta, Georgia and graduated from Georgia Tech University in 1938.

            Maj. Gen. Davis, during Korea was a Lt. Col. He was awarded the Medal Of Honor and I want to just briefly share part of the citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as commanding officer of the 1st Battalion, in action against enemy aggressor forces….keenly aware that the operation involved breaking through a surrounding enemy and advancing eight miles along primitive icy trails in the bitter cold with every passage disputed by a savage and determined foe, Lt. Col. Davis boldly led his battalion into the attack in a daring attempt to relieve a beleaguered rifle company and to seize, hold, and defend a vital mountain pass controlling the only route available for two marine regiments in danger of being cut off by numerically superior hostile forces during their redeployment to the port of Hungnam.

They … encountered strong opposition from entrenched enemy forces commanding high ground in the path of the advance, he promptly spearheaded his unit in a fierce attack up the steep, ice-covered slopes in the face of withering fire and, personally leading the assault groups in a hand-to-hand encounter, … Always in the thick of the fighting, Lt. Col. Davis led his battalion over three successive ridges in the deep snow in continuous attacks against the enemy and, constantly inspiring and encouraging his men throughout the night,....  knocked to the ground when a shell fragment struck his helmet and two bullets pierced his clothing, he arose and fought his way forward at the head of his men until he reached the isolated marines…. he bravely led his battalion in securing the vital mountain pass from a strongly entrenched and numerically superior hostile force, carrying all his wounded with him, including 22 litter cases and numerous ambulatory patients. Despite repeated savage and heavy assaults by the enemy, he stubbornly held the vital terrain …  on the morning of 4 December, led his battalion into Hagaru-ri intact. By his superb leadership, outstanding courage, and brilliant tactical ability, Lt. Col. Davis was directly instrumental in saving the beleaguered rifle company from complete annihilation and enabled the two marine regiments to escape possible destruction. His valiant devotion to duty and unyielding fighting spirit in the face of almost insurmountable odds enhance and sustain the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service…. They were up against 7 Chinese Divisions…… 

As a side, that’s where the saying from Chesty Puller originates…. “We're surrounded. That simplifies things” He also said, no matter what direction we shoot, we’ll kill the Chinese..

            What had the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir have to do with Psalm 46? You would probably say nothing at all. Or when Army Gen. Anthony McAuliffe, commander of the 101st Airborne at Bastogne, replied “nuts” to the Germans when asked to surrender.

Well, I don’t know … But in 701 BC during the reign of Hezekiah, Sennacherib marched on Jerusalem and besieged her. The Assyrians drew up in battle array; Lord Byron caught the beat & the march of the event in his poem, 

              The Destruction of Sennacherib –

The Assyrian came down like the wolf on the fold,

And his cohorts were gleaming in purple and gold;

And the sheen of their spears was like stars on the sea,

When the blue wave rolls nightly on deep Galilee.

 

Seems I’ve been all over the map here. Hezekiah offered to pay tribute to Sennacherib if only he would withdraw his armies from Judah (2 Kings 18:13-). The king of Assyria received Hezekiah’s tribute but continued to Jerusalem to besiege it. Hezekiah sent his ambassadors after Sennacherib summoned him but Sennacherib’s chief of staff insulted the king of Judah and belittled his army. 

His ambassadors asked the Assyrian chief of staff to speak to them in Aramaic instead of Hebrew because they did not want to frighten the people. But Sennacherib’s chief of staff refused because he wanted the people to hear about what the Assyrian army will do to them if they will not surrender and made an example out of the people of Samaria.

Hezekiah relayed the Assyrian chief of staff’s message to the prophet Isaiah. But the prophet told the king not to worry about Sennacherib’s threats and foretold the Assyrian king’s death by the sword. Sennacherib besieged the town of Libnah and left to meet the attack of Taharqa, king of Egypt. Sennacherib sent a message to Hezekiah demanding for his surrender before leaving. Hezekiah despaired and Isaiah, once again, sent him a prophecy reassuring him of Judah’s safety and Assyria’s defeat.

2 Kings 19:35 tells that 185,000 Assyrian soldiers were killed by an angel that night and Sennacherib returned to Nineveh. He was later killed by his own sons. His youngest son, Esarhaddon, succeeded him as king of Assyria.

The mighty army of Assyria was no more. To commemorate this victory, this hymn of praise was penned by Hezekiah or possibly Isaiah or perhaps by some unknown Aureate of Judah. There is no doubt that it was written to immortalize the triumph of the angel sent by God over the mighty army of the enemy. Because of the great & glorious victory and marvelous deliverance that both, Christians & Jews turn by instinct to Psalm 46 when disaster strikes and all else seems to be lost.

This psalm gives us the assurance that God can and will handle, in His own time and way, and in His will, things which seem like total disasters to us.

Therefore I want to look at verses 10 - 11: "Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!" 11 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. 

When we, individuals, and also as a nation, in particular this day and age, come to grips with our problems, the words of these two verses should be written indelibly in our souls. The cynical person, of which I may include myself, may see very little hope of this nation as a whole doing so; as far as it has and continues to drive a wedge between the Lord and the nation.

Be that as it may. Psalm 46 was our responsive reading this morning. We are told of the greatness of God, His power to deliver us from things that are beyond our abilities. We are to understand, it doesn’t matter what we face in life, God is greater. The greater things that we face in life, the less we’ll be able to deal with them. We’re to stop fighting in our strength and allow God to take His rightful place as Savior and deliverer.

Verse 10 Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!" is a command from God to stop our futile efforts in dealing with things that are His domain. He asks us to put down our weapons of war and stand in awe of Him and His mighty power. As God, He is sovereign, faithful, omnipotent and unfailing. When all nations of the world see the power of God, they will exalt and honor Him as the one true God. We are to stop fighting in our strength and surrender to Him who will help us fight our battles. Our human strength cannot match God’s, and it is futile to fight when we would rather leave the matter in God’s hands.

When we fight battles in our own effort and grow weary and give in to defeat. This happens because we are fighting a battle that requires God's intervention. He is the one who is undefeated and can conquer any enemy or threat to His people. 

When you, when we as a nation, when the whole world acknowledges that only God has the power to save them from the dangers and disasters they face, they will honor Him. As God, He is involved in the affairs of mankind because He never intended for us to operate without Him. 

In the world, we face things that are insurmountable without God. We are to keep our eyes on Him who can miraculously deal with the things we are trying to solve in our strength. When you surrender to God, He can take charge of the situation. He is your refuge in times of trouble and the one who can subdue your enemies who rise against you. Be still and know He is God !

Then verse 11, The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Think of this, The LORD of Hosts is with us. Who are the ‘hosts’? They are the heavenly armies. Elisha asked God to open the eyes of his servant, 2 Kings 6:16-18, “Do not be afraid,” Elisha answered, “for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17Then Elisha prayed, “O LORD,please open his eyes that he may see.” And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw that the hills were full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 18As the Arameans came down against him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, “Please strike these people with blindness.” So He struck them with blindness, according to the word of Elisha … Jesus when arrested He said to Peter 2“Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him. “For all who draw the sword will die by the sword. 53Are you not aware that I can call on My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?…Matt. 26:52-53. A legion was about 5,000 soldiers, so twelve legions would be about 60,000 angels. Just think that one angel did away with about 185,000 of Sennacherib’s host.

All the angels of God are mustered around His throne, they do His bidding, they are sent to minister to who are heirs of salvation. But better still, look at what it says, The LORD of hosts is with us. God Himself is with us, He is at the head of the army, the hosts. Can we believe that? With all that occupies His mind all the vast universe, can He be with you, in your car, at your work, in your kitchen, in your financial bind, in your loneliness and weakness, despite your failings? 

He is the God of Jacob, our refuge! God who took Jacob in his backslidings & failures; took that deceitful conniving shepherd into His embrace and changed his name to Israel. That God, the God of Jacob is our refuge. If Sennacherib would have known this he would have kept his armies at home. 

God, the Almighty, can be your refuge. In His love, He sent His only one of a kind Son that whoever will believe that He died, was buried, and rose from the dead shall have everlasting life. Today, right now, is the day of salvation. No one can have eternal life with the Father but through Jesus Christ. He is the only way to the Father. There are no other ways. Not through Buddha, not through Mohamed, not the Quran, not through Joel Olsteen, not through Mary, through no one except Christ. Scripture says in John 14:6, Jesus said, ““I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Come to God, through Jesus Christ, believe and be saved, allow God the Father to be your refuge……..

Let’s pray—

Heavenly Father, we pray that we may immerse ourselves in the words of this wonderful Psalm we thank you for this revelation, written not merely with pen and ink, but with blood and sweat and tears, heartache and sorrow, happiness and joy -- in the lives of men and women like ourselves. In Jesus’ name. Amen.