INTRODUCTION

1. The Book of Psalms

a) Praise

b) Prayers

c) Meditations

2. Many subjects in the Book of Psalms

a) The Person of God

b) Things that bring Joy

c) The problem of Wickedness

3. Many Psalms were written by King David

a) Struggling with Wickedness

b) Praying strongly against wicked people

4. Significance of Psalm 36

a) David took a different approach

b) A Challenge to focus on the Lord and His many

glorious attributes instead of dwelling on the wicked

 

HOW BIBLICAL DOCTRINES ARE FORMULATED

1. Revealed Theology

a) God reveals

b) He manifests Himself

c) This truth is repeated

d) It is then theologically formulated

2. What Biblical Doctrine is not

a) Not Philosophical Debate

b) Not ideal Imagination

3. A Historical Context

a) Truth is seen

b) It is demonstrated

c) It is proven

 

AN IMPORTANT HISTORICAL CONTEXT

1. Delivered from Slavery

a) Israel was redeemed from bondage in Egypt

b) The nation had crossed the Red Sea dry shod

c) God had miraculously provided for the nation (food and drink)

d) He had allowed the nation to hear His voice Exodus 19-20

e) He had given Israel His Ten Commandments

f) He had given a Covenant to Israel Exodus 24

2. Called to appear before God

a) To receive the Commandments Exodus 24:16-18

b) To receive further instruction/ training

c) He was only there for 40 days and nights

 

TURNING TO IDOLATRY

1. Moses was sent back down the mountain

a) Israel had begun to worship a golden calf

b) Moses was all but forgotten

c) God and all that He had done was set aside

2. Israel was in grave danger

a) The Commandment of not making a graven image was broken

b) Israel faced certain judgment

 

MOSES THE INTERCESSOR

1. Moses pleaded for forgiveness

2. He begged the Lord to turn away His wrath

3. So much was at stake

4. Intercession was all that was left

 

THE MERCY OF THE LORD

1. The Response of the Lord was carefully recorded

⁵ Now the Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. ⁶ And the Lord passed before him

and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, ⁷ keeping mercy for

thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children

and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.” Exodus 34:5-7

2. A Proclamation of who God is was given by the Lord Himself

a) Merciful

b) Gracious

c) Longsuffering

d) Abounding in goodness and truth

3. A strong Theology of the Person of God

a) This is consistently taught

b) This is proven to be true

 

YOUR MERCY IS IN THE HEAVENS

1. The Quantity of God’s Mercy

a) Immeasurable

b) How wide are the heavens? So is God’s mercy!

2. The challenge to focus on the Lord and His attributes

a) Rather than to dwell on Wickedness

b) Rather than to be overwhelmed by fear and foreboding

c) Focusing on the Lord would be a good challenge as the New Year commences

 

CHALLENGES FOR THE NEW YEAR

1. Increase our Knowledge of God

2. Cultivate a stronger faith in the Lord

3. Focus on applying our knowledge and faith in God in our life