PSALMS LESSON 102

     We will begin this lesson in Psalms 103:11 "For as the heaven is
high above the earth, [so] great is his mercy toward them that fear
him."

     This is saying that the mercies of God toward man are so great
there is no way we can measure them. We do know the scientists have
not been able to find the end of the universe, so that makes this
Scripture doubly beautiful. It means we will never be able to find the
end of God's mercies either.

     Psalms 103:12 "As far as the east is from the west, [so] far hath
he removed our transgressions from us."

     How wonderful it is to know that our sins are so far away that we
can not get there from here. This means, if we started looking for
them, they would always be as far as the east is from the west. I
heard a lady say, in her testimony, that she did not know how far the
east is from the west, but she knew she could not get there from here.
Not only have they been removed from us, but they have been done away
with. Our sins {forgiven ones} died on the cross.

     Psalms 103:13 "Like as a father pitieth [his] children, [so] the
LORD pitieth them that fear him."

     The pity shown here is so much greater than that of man for man.
The pity mentioned here is the pity that a Father has for His son. We
are sons of the Father, if we accept Jesus Christ as our Saviour.
Romans 8:15 "For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to
fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry,
Abba, Father." John 1:12 "But as many as received him, to them gave he
power to become the sons of God, [even] to them that believe on his
name:" These 2 Scriptures above leave no doubt at all, that those who
fear God are His children. There is no wonder that He pities us as His
children, we are His children.

     Psalms 103:14 "For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we
[are] dust."

     Since we are His creation, He would know exactly how we were
constructed. In the creation act, He made man from the dust of the
earth. He is very well aware of our earthliness. Genesis 2:7 "And the
LORD God formed man [of] the dust of the ground, and breathed into his
nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul."  Perhaps,
one of the reasons for God being so patient with mankind is because
God realizes man's connection with the dust of the earth. In the flesh
man is not much, it is only when God gave us new life in Jesus Christ
that man became something. Through Adam and Eve, we were all flesh and
headed for an eternity in hell. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, we
received a birth in our spirit. This gave us new life in Jesus.
I Corinthians 15:45 "And so it is written, The first man Adam was made
a living soul; the last Adam [was made] a quickening spirit."

     Psalms 103:15 "[As for] man, his days [are] as grass: as a flower
of the field, so he flourisheth."

     This life, on this earth, is like a vapor, here today and gone
tomorrow. It has been likened to smoke, which vanishes away. Psalms
90:10 "The days of our years [are] threescore years and ten; and if by
reason of strength [they be] fourscore years, yet [is] their strength
labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away." We are
very much like a flower that buds in the spring, blooms in the summer
and dies in the fall. The season of man on this earth is very short.
Grass is like the flower. It sprouts up in spring, blooms and then is
cut down and dies. If this life were all there is to life, it would be
of no real pleasure. The day we are born, we begin the dying process.

     Psalms 103:16 "For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and
the place thereof shall know it no more."

     The place that we once lived is soon taken over by another and we
are soon forgotten. Once the body of man has returned to the dust it
can be blown away with just a small wind. Life is like that. We only
pass this way once, we must do the very best with our life while we
are here. It is too soon gone. I hear so many people say, I wish I had
done more with my life while I had the chance. Tomorrow is too late.

     Psalms 103:17 "But the mercy of the LORD [is] from everlasting to
everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto
children's children;"

     Even though the Lord does not have grandchildren, He does bless
the children of His children. We know that Abraham was the father of
Isaac, and Isaac was the father of Jacob. God looks kindly upon the
children of those who follow Him. One of the best examples of that in
the entire Bible, is the fact that Noahs's 3 sons were spared, because
Noah found grace in the sight of the LORD. I suppose one reason the
blessing goes down from one generation to the other is, because the
righteous teach their children and grandchildren the ways of God.

     Psalms 103:18 "To such as keep his covenant, and to those that
remember his commandments to do them."

     Deuteronomy 7:9 "Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he [is]
God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that
love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;"  This
is speaking of the Abrahamic covenant. There is no end to the
blessings that are received by those of all ages who make Him Saviour
and Lord. Galatians 3:29 "And if ye [be] Christ's, then are ye
Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." The promise,
here, is the same as the Abrahamic covenant. We must continue to walk
in the salvation that Jesus provided for each of us. To be Christ's,
means that we are totally His. He is our Lord. We keep His covenant,
because it is our desire to please Him. This does not just mean the
ten commandments. It means that our total desire is to please Him in
all that we do.

     Psalms 103:19 "The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens;
and his kingdom ruleth over all."

     The word that was translated prepared here, means to set up.
Jesus, even now, is seated in heavenly places at the right hand of the
Father. He is at the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2 "Looking unto Jesus
the author and finisher of [our] faith; who for the joy that was set
before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at
the right hand of the throne of God." Acts 7:49 "Heaven [is] my
throne, and earth [is] my footstool: what house will ye build me?
saith the Lord: or what [is] the place of my rest?" We have gone into
the fact, over and over, that the LORD Jesus Christ was the Creator of
all the heavens, as well as the earth and everything and everyone.
This kingdom, spoken of here, has been set up from the foundation of
the earth. He is not just Lord of the earth, but the heavens as well.
Philippians 2:9 "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given
him a name which is above every name:" Philippians 2:10 "That at the
name of Jesus every knee should bow, of [things] in heaven, and
[things] in earth, and [things] under the earth;" He is even now
preparing a place for you and me in the heavenlies with Him. He has
never stopped being ruler over all of His creation. He is, and was,
Supreme ruler of His creation. In John chapter 1 it tells us exactly
what His creation was. John 1:3 "All things were made by him; and
without him was not any thing made that was made."

     Psalms 103:20 "Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in
strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his
word."

     Angels are ministering spirits. They do not minister what they
choose. They are sent on special assignments by the LORD. They serve
Him day and night. Part of their job is to continually praise Him.
Angels have much more strength than mankind. In the book of
Revelation, the letters to the 7 churches were addressed to the angel
of the church. The point I am making is the important thing to being a
ministering spirit in service of the Lord is in the statement, {that
do His commandments}. Even the minister in a specific church cannot be
effective for the Lord unless the Spirit ministers through him or her.
The Spirit will minister through them, if they {do His commandments}.
In our weakness, He is strong. Allow the Spirit of God to minister
through you. DO HIS COMMANDMENTS.

     Psalms 103:21 "Bless ye the LORD, all [ye] his hosts; [ye]
ministers of his, that do his pleasure."

     Notice the possessive word {His}. The hosts are His. Even the
earth and the stars staying in perfect orbit, is because He commanded
them to do that. If we do not His pleasure, we are not His ministers.
Especially the ministers of this world and the angels in heaven should
spend their time blessing Him, for He has done great things. The more
I study His Word {Bible}, the more I realize how He deserves our
praise.

     Psalms 103:22 "Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his
dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul."

     It seems so shallow to say, bless the LORD. How can man of so
lowly estate, bless the LORD? It is a particular pleasure to bless the
LORD with everything that is within us. Just the act of blessing the
LORD does something very special to the condition of our own soul. Not
that we can give Him any thing. It is the fact that we desire to give
Him everything. Even the trees in the forest lift their branches up in
praise. All of God's creation glorifies Him in some way. Let
everything within us bless His Holy Name.












































                             Questions 102

1.  The mercies of God to man are so great ______ __ ___ ___ ____ ___.
2.  What does the author think is doubly beautiful about the
    comparison in verse 11?
3.  He has removed our transgressions how far away?
4.  How does the LORD pity those who fear Him?
5.  Quote Romans chapter 8 verse 15.
6.  Quote John chapter 1 verse 12.
7.  Why does He pity us as His children?
8.  What did the Lord God form man out of?
9.  In the flesh man is not much, when does he become something?
10. The first Adam was a living soul, what was the last Adam?
11. What are the days of man compared to in verse 15?
12. We are like a flower that ____ in the spring, _______ in the
    summer, and ______ in the fall.
13. When do we begin to die?
14. What will happen to the place we live now, after we die?
15. Do you have regrets about the way you have spent your life up
    until now?
16. What are you going to do about it?
17. The mercy of the Lord is from _________ to ___________.
18. His righteousness extends unto ___________ ___________.
19. Who is a very good example of the Lord blessing the children of
    one who followed Him?
20. What is a good logical reason why the blessings of God go down
    from one generation to another?
21. Who is the Lord God careful to keep covenant with?
22. What covenant is He speaking of?
23. Quote Deuteronomy chapter 7 verse 9.
24. Quote Galations chapter 3 verse 29.
25. Who prepared the Lord's throne in heaven?
26. When was it prepared?
27. Quote Hebrews chapter 12 verse 2.
28. Heaven is His _______, and earth is His _________.
29. Quote John chapter 1 verse 3.
30. Who will bow to Jesus?
31. What are angels?
32. Who sends angels on special assignments?
33. Who were the letters to the seven churches addressed to in
    Revelation?
34. What 3 words in verse 20 determine whether you are ministering
    what the Lord would have you to or not?
35. What possessive word is prominent in verse 21?
36. Let everything within us _____ His Holy Name.