PSALM 68 1:1-13 TEXT: v6 GOD SETTETH THE SOLITARY IN FAMILIES
God setteth
the solitary in families: he bringeth out those which are bound with
chains: but the rebellious dwell in a dry land.
The Bible has a thousand ways of conveying to us our need to be saved
In typical Eastern fashion, it makes good use of the picture/graphic to convey its message to us
In our text, it uses no less than two different pictures:
[i] The setting of the solitary in families
[ii] The releasing of the slave or the prisoner from his chains
While it is vital that we classify all the truth of the Bible into
various doctrinal prepositions etc., for the purposes/clarity, yet the
Bible would be a dull Book if it did not use the picture to convey its
various truths
CH Spurgeon once said to the effect that messages without such
illustrations are like rooms without windows, while he said that
messages that were all illustrations were like windows without rooms
So in the Bible, while we have the straight doctrinal portions
(Epistles) yet we also have the picture books to illuminate those same
truths
When you get it in picture form, it tends to linger in your mind
It touches the heart - it evokes a response which often the straight theological preposition fails to do
We are taking the first/two pictures in our verse for our text:
God setteth the solitary in families
What a lovely picture of God's salvation
We have only 6 words in the English language and yet they are full of truth that every sinner needs to hear
3 main thoughts:
1) THE LONELINESS OF THE SINNER: The solitary
A/ Perhaps you have never really experienced loneliness in this life
You have been always surrounded by family and friends
That's a lot to be thankful for
We are social creatures -the "loner" is the exception to the rule
We might think of those who are separated from friends/loved ones and who feel it dearly
When we refer to the loneliness of the sinner - a spiritual loneliness
Loneliness of the soul outside of Jesus Christ
B/ The first thing sin does is separate the soul from God
The soul is ever yearning for God: Cannot be satisfied outside of Christ
The flesh can and is as it feeds on the flesh pots of this world
When you think of the works of the flesh: Adultery, fornication,
uncleanness, lasciviousness etc., you can see how the soul (created in
the image of God) cannot be satisfied with such things
But sin separates the soul from God
It is out of fellowship with God (1 John 1:7)
And that leaves the soul empty and forsaken
The soul will not accept any substitute which the sinner forces upon it
It always remains hungry/barren/unsatisfied and yearning after God
This truth may be learned from Ecclesiastes 2 where Solomon lists all
the fleshly things (some good…some not so good) with which he
tried to feed/satisfy his soul -
End result: Then I looked on all the
works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured
to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there
was no profit under the sun. (v11)
Perhaps one says: But I do not feel this loneliness - surrounded by my friends and family and caring people
Ans:- That may be so, as far as outward circumstances are concerned,
but the soul, if still in sin, is separated/God and therefore in
loneliness
C/ Consider the various words which flow from the original Hebrew: AV - only 6, darling 2, only child 1, only son 1, desolate 1, solitary 1;
The word "desolate" best capturing the idea we've been opening up
D/ Loneliness/sinner is seen especially when death knocks at his door
Again, outward circumstances may be all that could be desired
But his entry into the valley/shadow/death is marked by a lonely walk
He must leave all his friends/family behind
He will leave all the gospel influences that he has long rejected
behind and begin the lonely walk into the unending ages/God's eternity
E/ Eternity itself is marked by a loneliness unheard of in this world
Judas went to his own place (Acts 1:25)
Many explanations of this phrase, surely this one can claim a place
Although hell is populated by many people, yet there is no friendship
in hell…no helping hand…no benevolence even among those
sent there
It is an extremely lonely place where a man is shut up for eternity to the unending fury of the wrath of Almighty God
This must answer that most glib of responses to the gospel
"I will be in hell with my friends"
That might be so…they will not be your friends in that day
The loneliness of sin - aggravated by its broken promises
Aggravated by memory of its alternatives which may have been had
Aggravated by the fact that such were consciously rejected
2) THE FAMILY OF GOD: He setteth the solitary in families [Hebrew: In a house]
A/ The literal Hebrew is certainly a better translation
AV - house 1881, household 54, home 25,
The word "house" means "household" or family (Not a mere building)
B/ In salvation, God deals with the sin issue: Separates/soul from Him
This is why He sent the Lord Jesus Christ who is distinctly called: Friend of sinners (Luke 7:34)
Here is God's hand of friendship/reconciliation stretched out to guilty
This is why the Lord Jesus died and rose again - to make atonement
He put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself: Well and good
But He has done more - He brings the sinner out of his estate of sin and bondage to the devil into His own family
C/ Christians are distinctly said to be in the family of God:
For this cause I bow my knees unto
the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven
and earth is named, (Ephesians 3:14-15)
Bible abounds with much allusion to this fact
[i] In this family, we have a Father, even the God/Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ: We are begotten of Him into this family (See last point)
[ii] We have in this family an Elder Brother: Lord Jesus Christ
I accept that some folk are not happy with this designation
I remind you that some orthodox men have used it (McCheyne etc.,)
Must remember that our relationship with Him is not the same as our relationship to one another, but still:
He is not ashamed to call us brethren (Hebrews 2:11)
He was the brother born for adversity (Proverbs 17:17)
[iii] We have other brethren and sisters in this family (Christians)
How we are required to love one another!
Yet we have our little spats and (sadly) even splits, but we are still family - our Father/Elder Brother will not disown us
[iv] In this family, the Father undertakes and cares for His children
Like as a father pitieth his
children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth
our frame; he remembereth that we are dust. (Psalm 103:13-14)
He protects them (Luke 21:18)
He feeds them (1 Peter 2:2)
He educates them (John 6:45)
He chastens them (Hebrews 13:8)
He gives them an inheritance: (1 Peter 1:4)
[v] In this family, the Father is greatly respected and feared:
A son honoureth his father, and a
servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if
I be a master, where is my fear? (Malachi 1:6)
In this we follow the great example of our Elder Brother:
Who did always the things that pleased the Father (John 8:29)
Who was prepared to contend earnestly for the Father's cause (John 2:14-17)
Is this not a million times better than being in sin as a solitary person?
What answer do you think you will give 100 years from now?
What regrets do you think the lonely Judas has?
That although numbered/identified with this family, he forsook them and that for 30 miserable pieces of silver
Or the Young Ruler who with all his riches felt his loneliness before God "What lack I yet?" and yet clung to it instead of coming/God's family
3) THE ACTION OF GOD IN BRINGING THE SINNER INTO HIS FAMILY
Note where the emphasis is: "God setteth"
A/ God asks a (rhetorical) question: How shall I put thee among the children, and give thee a pleasant land…? (Jeremiah 3:19)
B/ Man will not bring himself into God's family
Can even say "Man cannot" but we must be careful of giving the
impression that something other than the sinner himself bars the way
When we say "Sin holds men back" it is sin that man eagerly serves
Those not in God's family have only themselves to blame
We should not step outside of the Bible emphasis - carefully maintained
C/ The sinner is brought into God's family through the new birth
Two sides to the new birth:
The cause of the New Birth: Power of God the Holy Spirit (John 3:3-5)
The evidence of the New Birth: Faith in Jesus Christ (John 1:12)
Again: We must ever put the emphasis in a gospel meeting unto sinners
Are you willing to be brought into God's family?
God's children are a holy people - they bear the image of their Father
and Elder Brother - they desire to live apart from the world (Not in
the ascetic sense) but to abide by a different set/rules which God
Himself has given - Often mocked and many are persecuted and some are
killed
But it is the best family and the longest lasting family
Not one of this family will be missing in action - but all return home
Again: Are you willing?
D/ Another similitude employed which runs parallel to the New Birth i.e. adoption:
Having predestinated us unto the
adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good
pleasure of his will, (Ephesians 1:5)
Why adoption if the new birth covers the means of entry
Answer: Another picture - it has a legal aspect to it - but still has the same idea:
Entrance into the family/God with all its rights/privileges
Refusal to come leaves you in the Devil's family
…the tares are the children of the wicked one; (Matthew 13:38)
What a rough family to be born into - what madness to stay in it!
THE END