Gather My Saints Together, Part 2

This transcript was generated automatically. Its accuracy may vary

Short Summary
The discourse provides a detailed exposition of Psalm 50, emphasizing God’s sovereignty and judgment over both true and nominal followers, drawing parallels with ancient Israel and contemporary Christian classes. It highlights the importance of sincere, cheerful offerings and vows, the significance of thanksgiving in worship, and the ultimate gathering and testing of the faithful, concluding with a call to glorify God through righteous living and praise.

Long Summary
Detailed Summary of the Discourse on Psalm 50 (Verses 6–23) and Related Scriptures

Context and Continuation:
The discourse continues a verse-by-verse study of Psalm 50, picking up at verse 6:
*“The heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. Selah.”*
This verse emphasizes that the “heavens” here refer to the *new heavens*, not the old, since the old heavens do not declare God’s righteousness.

Heavens Declaring God’s Glory and Righteousness:
The speaker refers back to Psalm 19:1-11 to illustrate the heavens’ proclamation:
– *Psalm 19:1-4* — The heavens declare the glory of God; the firmament shows His handiwork; day and night convey knowledge without speech.
– The astronomical heavens reflect God’s immense power and glory, evident in the vastness and complexity of stars.
– Verses 7-11 describe the perfection, surety, righteousness, purity, and truth of Jehovah’s law, commandments, fear, and ordinances — the instruction given to humanity through Christ and the Church, symbolized as the “heavens.”
– The number six (of these proclamations) symbolizes man; honey (though prohibited in sacrifices) here represents the delight of human perfection in the kingdom.
– Psalm 119 (adding 100 to 19) contains 18 features of God, revealing a rich study on divine attributes.

God as Judge through Christ:
– Psalm 50:6 states God is judge, but John 5:22 clarifies that judgment is given to the Son, Jesus Christ, who judges through the Church.
– The word “Selah” signifies a pause for contemplation before continuing.

Judgment Against Nominal People (Psalm 50:7 and following):
– God testifies against His nominal people — those who claim to be His but are not truly faithful.
– The discourse explains the distinction between *true* and *nominal* Israelites, citing John 1:47 where Jesus describes Nathanael as “an Israelite indeed.”
– Today, many of Jewish descent and many nominal Christians claim the title but lack true faith and devotion.
– Four classes of Christians during the Gospel Age:
1. The Little Flock — faithful and zealous to the end (Luke 12:32).
2. Great Company — ultimately faithful but imperfect and less rewarded.
3. Second Death Class — spirit-begotten but unfaithful, willfully sinning (Hebrews 10:26).
4. Nominal Christians — name only, never spirit-begotten, false profession (Matthew 7:21-23).

Sacrifices and Offerings (Psalm 50:8-13):
– God declares He will not rebuke for sacrifices or burnt offerings but will not accept them without the right heart.
– Distinction between *required* offerings under Mosaic Law (mandatory) and *freewill* offerings (voluntary, cheerful).
– Leviticus 22:18-21 specifies freewill offerings must be perfect and unblemished — costly and sincere.
– God owns all creation (Psalm 50:9-12), so offerings are symbolic of devotion, not transactions.
– God rejects offerings given without true devotion or with nominal spirit.
– Matthew 7:22-23 condemns those who perform works in Jesus’ name but lack true relationship with Him.

Thanksgiving and Vows (Psalm 50:14-15):
– True worship involves offering thanksgiving (Hebrew *todah*) and fulfilling vows (Hebrew *nadir*).
– Thanksgiving offerings included four types of bread (Leviticus 7:11-13):
1. Unleavened cakes mingled with oil — symbolize justification and sanctification (oil representing Holy Spirit).
2. Unleavened wafers with oil — represent hope of glorification (John 3:2-3; 1 Cor. 13:12; Heb. 6:19).
3. Fried cakes mingled with oil — symbolize fiery trials that purify faith and loyalty.
4. Leavened bread — though leaven represents sin, here it means thanksgiving despite sinful flesh, acknowledging God’s grace (two wave loaves in Leviticus 23).
– Paying vows is serious and solemn (Ecclesiastes 5:4-5); vows are part of consecration covenant.
– Verse 15 promises God’s deliverance in trouble to those who call on Him faithfully (Job 5:15; Psalm 46:1).

Judgment and Rebuke of the Wicked (Psalm 50:16-22):
– The “wicked” are those who claim to know God but reject His instruction and cast His words behind them — nominal Christians and false teachers.
– They hinder truth and promote false doctrines, especially in established religious systems (“Babylon the Great”).
– Their covenant-breaking, association with thieves and adulterers, slander, and hypocrisy are condemned.
– Historical examples include persecution by church-state unions (e.g., Waldensians, reformers).
– Revelation 17 describes Babylon the Great as a harlot adorned in purple (royalty/usurpation) and scarlet (death/murder of saints), notably lacking blue (faithfulness).
– Romans 1:18 illustrates God’s wrath against suppression of truth and unrighteousness.
– Psalm 97:11 contrasts light and gladness for the upright who receive and disseminate truth.

God’s Silence and Timing of Judgment:
– God often remains silent while gathering evidence against the wicked (Psalm 50:21; Genesis 15:16; Ecclesiastes 8:11).
– This gives time for hearts to manifest fully before judgment is executed at the proper time.
– John Baker’s talk on the fourth volume of studies likened divine judgment to a court trial with phases of gathering evidence and final verdict.

Glorifying God through Thanksgiving and Righteous Living (Psalm 50:23):
– Sacrifice of thanksgiving glorifies God in at least seven ways (acknowledgment, trust, harmony, testimony, humility, generosity, delight).
– It is one of the highest forms of worship, revealing both God’s nature and the proper human response.
– Psalm 116 also emphasizes the importance of paying vows before God and His people.

Key Points and Closing Reflection:
1. Never forget Jehovah’s mightiness and sovereignty.
2. The Kingdom of God shines from heavenly Zion; believers have privilege to shine with it.
3. The gathering of saints is ongoing in various ways.
4. Consecration covenant by sacrifice is critical.
5. Thanksgiving and fulfilling vows are vital aspects of worship.
6. Judgment applies to true and nominal people alike.
7. Glorifying God through thanksgiving and righteous living is required.
– The discourse closes by referencing Psalm 150, the final psalm of praise, calling all creation to praise Jehovah with various instruments and exalting His mighty acts.

—

Selected Bible Verses Cited in the Discourse:

– Psalm 50:6 — “The heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. Selah.”
– Psalm 19:1-11 — Heavens declare God’s glory; law of Jehovah is perfect and righteous.
– John 5:22 — “For neither doth the Father judge any man, but hath given all judgment unto the Son.”
– John 1:47 — “Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile.”
– Luke 12:32 — “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you a kingdom.”
– Hebrews 10:26 — Warning about willful sin after receiving knowledge of truth.
– Matthew 7:21-23 — Not everyone who calls Jesus “Lord” will enter the kingdom, but only those who do the Father’s will.
– Leviticus 22:18-21 — Requirements for freewill offerings to be unblemished.
– Psalm 50:9-12 — All creatures belong to God.
– Job 5:15 — “He will deliver thee in six troubles: yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee.”
– Psalm 46:1 — “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
– Romans 1:18 — “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men.”
– Revelation 17:1-6 — Description of Babylon the Great.
– Ecclesiastes 5:4-5 — Importance of paying vows.
– Psalm 116:14 — “I will pay my vows unto the LORD, now in the presence of all his people.”
– Psalm 150 — Final psalm of praise to Jehovah.

—

This detailed summary captures the main theological points, scriptural references, and practical lessons from the discourse on Psalm 50 and related texts.

Transcript

Well, brethren, yesterday we began a verse by verse consideration of the 50th Psalm, and we worked all our way up to verse six, and that’s where we’re going to pick up again. Verse 6 says, the heavens shall declare his righteousness, for God is judge himself. Selah. Now, the heavens here, as we mentioned yesterday in our closing, have to be the new heavens.

Why? Well, the old heavens don’t declare the righteousness of God. In fact, quite the opposite, and when you think of the heavens declaring something, we have to go back to the 19th Psalm. Now, we went to the 19th Psalm yesterday for some verses, but we’re going to go back to verse one here and just see another declaration of what the heavens are doing.

Psalm 19. Starting in verse one, the heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth his handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor knowledge. Their voice is not heard.

Their line has gone out through all of the earth, and their words to the end of the world. I want to pause there because yesterday we went into the next part of the verses that talked about having a tabernacle for the sun and the bridegroom coming out of her chamber. That was a wonderful lesson, but a little different than what we’re talking about here. We’re talking about the heavens declaring the glory of God or declaring his righteousness, as verse 6 says. Now, I like the thought that cosmology today is a science that has been looking at the astronomical heavens and we have found wonderful and amazing things in there.

Just the stars alone is beyond our comprehension. Billions of light years away, they’re detecting stars. This just goes right back to the glory of God. Our God is a God of amazing power, and the scale upon which he operates is mind blowing. So how wonderful it is that he’s invited us to come into his family.

Well, the verses tell us that the heavens are proclaiming. What are they proclaiming? Well, we can see some of what they Proclaim in verses 7 through 11. Still reading from Psalm 19. Starting in verse 7, the law, there’s one of Jehovah is perfect, restoring the soul.

Remember, this is what the heavens are declaring. The testimony too of Jehovah is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of Jehovah are right, rejoicing the heart. The commandment four of Jehovah is pure, enlightening the eyes, the fear five of Jehovah is clean, enduring forever, and lastly six, the ordinance of Jehovah are true and righteous.

Altogether it goes a little bit further. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold, sweeter than honey, and the droppings of the cunning honeycomb. Moreover, by them is thy servant warned. In keeping them there is great reward. So clearly here the heavens are Christ and the Church.

And these verses describe the instruction that the heavens give Christ and the Church give to the race of mankind in the kingdom. Now, we saw that there’s six proclamations here in verses 7 through 11. Six is the number of man and even the mention of honey here. Remember we talked about honey yesterday. We asked that little footnote question, why is honey prohibited from sacrifices under the law?

One of the suggestions that we offered was that it represents the delights of human nature which we’ve given up. However, in the kingdom picture, here in the mediatorial picture, honey depicts the beauty and delight of human perfection, which can be enjoyed fully by the human race. So here, honey is a very, very good king. These verses are an encapsulation of all the instruction that the human family will receive. What a beautiful and concise summary it is.

By the way, just as another Footnote, we listed six things here in Psalm 19, 7, 11, a study that you might want to do on your own. If you add 100 to the 19th Psalm, you get 119. The 119th Psalm is a very interesting psalm. It’s broken down into 22 stanzas of each verse, yet each, and if you go through them, you’re going to find 18 features of God.

We just listed six here, but there’s 18 there, and it’s really interesting to go through them because some of them are repeated several times. Very interesting study. Just as a suggestion, the last part of verse 6 says, For God is judge himself. Selah.

Now, we note that God is the judge, but he has appointed all judges, all judgment, if you will, through Jesus. Remember John 5, 22. For neither doth the Father judge any man, but hath given all judgment unto the Son. So when it says that God is judge, it’s really he’s doing that through Jesus and through the church. One last observation.

That word selah at the end. Selah means to pause. It is at this point in the singing of the psalm that people were to pause. Why pause? I think it allows us to contemplate what has been sung to this point.

Thinking about the words. It’s a little break before the next important words of God. Well, that brings us to verse seven again. We’re back in Psalm 50 now, verse seven. Hear, O my people.

And I will speak, O Israel, and I will testify against thee. I am God, even thy God. From this verse to the end of the psalm, we have the charges against God’s nominal people. He says, I will testify against thee. Now, who are God’s people?

Who are God’s nominal people? Well, of course, in ancient times, it was ancient Israel. They were God’s people. But even there in ancient times, there was a distinction between the true and the nominal Israels. Remember in John 1:47 we read this.

Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him and saith unto him, behold, an Israelite indeed in whom there is no guile. Well, what did he mean by Israelite indeed? The thought here is that Nathanael was an Israelite who lived and breathed and thought in terms of Jehovah’s will under the Mosaic Law. Nothing superficial about this man. So he’s to be distinguished between many Israelites that were just nominal.

We have a problem today with many of those of Jewish extraction. The promises mean nothing to them. They are not Israelites. Indeed, in the way that Jesus spoke. They take no thought or no study of God’s word.

They’re Jews, yes, in name, but name only. So even today we have this, the nominal section. Now, in the Gospel age, we find the same thing. Jesus said that there would be true, devoted and faithful followers and there would be nominal followers far from the Christianity, and you know, they did not allow the spiritual things of Scripture to exert any real power in their lives.

They just want the label. I’m a Christian, I go to church, I give a tithe, and that seems to be sufficient among the truly Spirit begotten. We do have those that lose their way and lose their focus while accepted of God. Nevertheless, they fail as respects the highest reward due to the dilution of their consecrations. We talked about the Great Company.

Well, let’s take a step back and enumerate four different classes that exist during the Gospel age. Number one. First and foremost is the little flock, faithful and zealous to the end. One of my favorite texts, Luke 12:32. Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you a kingdom.

You ever thought how profound that promise is? And it’s just not a promise that God gives, but a promise that God has pleasure in giving, giving us the kingdom, and he’s going to be filled with pleasure and delight as Jesus and the Church and carry out those kingdom responsibilities for the blessing of all mankind. The second class of Christians is the Great Company. Again, these are ultimately faithful, but they Lost something during their consecrated walk.

And they made mistakes and didn’t make an effort to clean those things up. We won’t take the time to read the description of this company. Great company here in Revelation 7. You’re all pretty familiar with it. The third class is the second death class.

Now this sad class to even talk about, they are spirit begotten, but ultimately unfaithful to their vows to the point of corruption, and again, we have a description of this in Hebrews 10. Paul starts there, verse 26. For if we sin willfully, after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remain no more sacrifice for sins. Willful sin, sin without repentance brings one to the second death class.

And again, it’s sad that there is even one member in this class. But remember, God gave all of free moral agency. We have to decide how to live our lives. God does not force us to make the right choices. He invites us, he instructs us, he chastises us.

But ultimately we have to decide to serve him with all of our hearts, all of our strength, and lastly, the last division is nominal Christians. Name only Christians. That’s what nominal means. They believe that they have some sort of relationship with Christ, but not really.

They’ve never been spirit begotten, and you know, one scripture here that maybe talks about them is Matthew 7. Not everyone that saith unto me, lord, Lord shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father, which is in heaven, and Jesus has some very strong words to say about those that don’t. Now, all of these classes are dealt with in one way or another by God through Christ.

Remembering that this 50th Psalm that we’re talking about is about judgment, we see this verse return of attention to the nominal systems for judgment. The testimony is now against those who claim to be God’s people, but do not behave like them. As we saw in the texts above, the judgment will be made against all four classes of Christians, just as it was of the Israelites in ancient Israel, and again, it’s not bad to be judged. If we’re judged worthy, that’s a good judgment.

But many are not judged worthy. They are judged negatively, and that’s going to be a problem. Well, we’re still talking about this judgment against the nominal systems. Let’s go to verses 8 and 9.

I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices or thy burnt offerings to have been continually before me. I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor any he goats out of thy folds. Now, with this verse, we have a contrast between the free will offerings and required offerings. Again, just to recapitulate this, a required offering is something that you have to do if you are an Israelite. Under the law, there was no choice about it.

You committed a sin, you had to bring an animal for a sin offering, it was required, as well as the rituals like the Day of atonement ritual, the feast of ingathering, the feast of booze, et cetera, et cetera. But much of Leviticus talks about free will offerings, and these are offerings that you don’t have to do, but because you love God, because you love. Again, we’re talking about ancient Israel here. Now, because you love the supply of food that has come from your farm, the abundance that he has given you, the family, the children you have maybe great children.

It moves many to just make a freewill offering, just to say, jehovah, our God, we love you. Thank you so much, and to make an offering as specified there, burnt offerings are indicative, or talk about, symbolically mean, the acceptance of God. When you put something on the altar in ancient Israel and it was a burnt offering, all of it went up to God. It was entire, and it was accepted to Him.

So all such offerings before Mosaic law were free will offerings, because there was no law mandating or requiring them. But with the law, there’s a shadow of things to come, and there’s always interesting things that it reveals. Let’s read Leviticus 22, 18, 21.

Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, and unto all the children of Israel, and say unto them, whatsoever be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers in Israel, that will offer his oblation for all his vows and for all his freewill offerings which they will offer unto Jehovah. For a burnt offering, ye shall offer your own at your own will. Notice that at your own will, a male without blemish of the bees, or of the sheep, or of the goats, but whatsoever hath a blemish, he shall not offer, for it is not acceptable for you, and whoso offereth a sacrifice of peace offerings unto Jehovah shall accomplish his vow. For a freewill offering in bees and sheep, it shall be perfect to be accepted, and there shall be no blemish therein.

So very similarly with required offerings, free offerings had to be pure and unblemished. In other words, they cost the farmer or the offeror something. If you were raising sheep, you were to take your best sheep, your best lambs to God, they were worth a lot of Money, but that’s a cost. But notice that he will not compel his offers to sacrifice anything. We’re talking about free will offering no compulsion says I will take no there in that verse in reprint 885.

Pastor had a nice observation here, and I quote. Neither will he compel his children to sacrifice anything in his service, nor will he accept anything from them short of a cheerful freewill offering. You notice the pastor’s use of the word cheerful here. A cheerful offering. These who have covenanted to do this are expected to fulfill their promise not, however, as a favor to God, but as a thank offering for his multiplied favors.

Our reasonable service offer unto God thanksgiving, and pay thy vows unto the Most High. Again, that’s reprint 885. God does not criticize for freewill offerings. That’s what we’re reading in this verse. Good works are freewill offerings, but good works without the right motive are not sufficient for the day of judgment.

The problem isand we’ve observed thismany Nominal Christians view their service to God as a monetary exchange, that God owes them something since they render some good works. But God does not view it this way. He sees no obligation only because an offering is made. Now, the next two verses here in this regard are important, and we’re going to repeat verse nine again. We read it a moment ago, but we’re going to repeat repeat it again, because it goes together with the other verses.

I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor he goats out of thy fold. For every beast of the florist 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. Let me just again pause here. God points out to his offers that he’s not interested merely in things. Anything they can think to give to him he already owns.

All of the animals offered on the altars of ancient Israel were the property of Jehovah. They were the assets of God. Furthermore, he is in complete control of the inventory of the earth. Now, one thought here is that where any nominal spirit enters into the heart of an offerer, there is an ignorance of what it is that God is really looking for, and that ignorance can be tragic.

We saw this in a following text earlier as exemplifying the class of nominal Christians. Again let me note the complete rejection by Jesus. Matthew 7:22 23 Many will say to me in that day, lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name, and in thy name cast out devils and in thy name done many wonderful works. Then I will profess unto them, I never knew you depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Isn’t that sad?

How must be not to imbibe the spirit of nominalism, we must understand that God owes us nothing. He blesses us of his own love, and we are creatures of grace who have the privilege of knowing him and worshiping Him. Let’s go to verses 12 and 13 again. This is back in Psalm 50. If I were hungry, I would not tell thee, for the world is mine and the fullness thereof.

Will I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats? Recall that this psalm begins with a majestic introduction. El Elohim Yahweh. Remember that this is the Grand Creator, the source of all energy and life. This verse is a reminder to the nominal class that God is not intimate with them.

He does not share with them such needs that he would have because they have no resource to meet God’s requirements. On the contrary, it is they that require God’s resources. Verse 14 Offer unto God thanksgiving and pay thy vows unto the Most High. Well, here we are, the weekend before Thanksgiving, and so it’s worthwhile to consider some things about thanksgiving.

Now, those who worship God with spirit and truth must offer thanksgiving and pay their vows. The two Hebrew words here call forth some wonderful lessons. First of all, thanksgiving. The Hebrew word is todah. It just means a thank offering.

Now, it’s interesting to see the meal offerings that must be offered with the thank offering. Now, for this we’re going to jump to Leviticus 7 and read verses 11 through 13.

And this is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings which he shall offer unto the Lord if he offer it for a Thanksgiving. Again, this is what we’re focusing on here, the Thanksgiving offering. Then he shall offer with the sacrifice of Thanksgiving, unleavened cakes mingled with oil, number one, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, number two, and cakes mingled with oil of fine flour, fried, number three.

Besides the cakes he shall offer for his offering, leavened bread with the sacrifice of thanksgiving, there’s the six. Now notice the four types of bread that have to be offered with Thanksgiving. Unleavened cakes mingled with oil, unleavened wafers anointed with oil, fried cakes mingled with oil, and leavened bread. Now, I’d like to suggest that these four types of bread show us four items for which or with which our thanksgiving to God must be made. Four items of thanksgiving.

Now let’s take each one of them first of all, we have the unleavened cakes mingled with oil. Whenever you think of leaven, you think of sin, and when you think of unleavened, you think of sinless without sin, and indeed, unleavened bread is always a symbol of purity, of sinlessness, and it brings to our minds that state of justification being declared righteous through the blood of Christ, and the mingling with oil brings to our mind Spirit begettal.

As olive oil is often used to signify the Holy Spirit, especially the anointing oil, so this bread here, unleavened cakes mingled with oil, represents our justification and our sanctification. The second thing is the unleavened wafers with oil. Now, if you’ve ever seen a wafer, if it’s thin enough, it’s translucent. Light passes through it, but not with clarity. However, one can discern shadows and shapes.

This is suggestive of the hope of glory that we have beyond the veil. It is not yet seen clearly, but it is an anchor for the soul which purifies us. Remember what John wrote in John 3:2:3. He wrote, Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be. But we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

And every man that hath this hope in him purifies himself, even as he is pure, and another scripture that depicts these wafers beautifully is 1 Corinthians 13:12. For now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face. Isn’t that interesting? Lastly, Hebrews 6:19, which gets us to the core of what I think these wafers represent, which hope we have as an anchor for the soul, both sure and steadfast, which entereth into that within the veil.

So these wafers, they’re oiled wafers. They represent our hope of glorification. You might have thought, well, don’t they represent glorification, but not glorified yet. So they represent our hope. So the unleavened bread with oil, our justification and sanctification, the wafers with oil, our hope of glorification.

And now we come to one more, and it says, fried cakes mingled with oil. Now the King James gives fried. Some of the other translations just say, very purified, specially refined flour. We’re going to take a lesson from the King James translation. Our fiery experiences.

The Church must be severely tried. I mean, severely tried. Many of our brethren go through very difficult experiences, and this is no surprise. If we are going to be recipients of immortality, we have to be proved beyond all shadow of a doubt that our faithfulness and our loyalty to Jehovah, God and to his son Jesus will never, never, never be compromised, and so we’re tried very severely now, without such experience, nobody can expect to receive the divine nature, you know, as Jesus had to endure, so each one of us have to do.

These are trials like fire, so they purify. I would suggest that this bread here means that we ought to be thankful for our fiery trials. That’s a hard thing to do. But with faith in what God tells us and faith in how he’s handling our lives and how Jesus is handling, handling our lives, we can be thankful for these fiery trials because they mean the next step is the divine nature. Number four.

And here’s a tough one, leavened bread. Now, leaven, we said earlier, represents sin. How can leavened bread be acceptable? You know, this is one of only two places in scripture where leavened bread is specified. The other place is the two wave loaves.

Remember the two wave loaves that are waved before, before God on nice 16, three days after Passover, second day after Passover. They were leavened bread also. Well, we know that leaven does represent sin. So what could this possibly mean? Does it mean sinful bread?

Does it mean we should be thankful for sinful bread? Well, no, not quite. What we would suggest is it means that we should be thankful and in spite of our sinful flesh. Those two loaves, you know, represented the church, great company, and the little flock, and they were made with leaven. But as anyone that has cooked bread knows that when you heat bread up, when you heat dough up to bake it, what happens to the leaven?

The leaven dies. The leaven is a plant, but it dies because of the heat, and so when we finally have baked bread, there’s no leaven left. But I think that’s the third thankfulness that we should have. We’ve got sinful flesh.

Jesus and the Father called us while we were yet in sin, and that’s why we needed justification, because of that sinfulness. But we must be thankful in spite of that, not allow our tendency, our proclivity to make mistakes, to do imperfect things to get us down, but rather recognize that the Heavenly Father knows it, but he’s given us that gift of justification. He’s put our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. Let’s go to the second part of this verse and pay thy vows unto the most High.

The Hebrew word here is nadir. It’s A promise to God. It’s what a vow is, and a thing promised. Now, these vows are part of our covenant with sacrifice that we saw in verse 5. How important are vows?

Well, in God’s sight they’re very important. You know, we have to remark that in today somebody promises something. Promises mean nothing, you know, that’s why they have contracts. You know, you can. You can get somebody to promise you something in business, but if you don’t have a contract, you’re taking a risk.

But our vow of consecration is not to be ever considered as something small, but rather something very important from God’s standpoint. Ecclesiastes 5, 4, 5. When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it, for he hath no pleasure in fools. Pay that which thou vowest. Better it is that thou shouldest not vow than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.

These are serious words, very sobering words. A vow of consecration is a serious matter before God, and this vow is associated with thanksgiving. We’re going to see that a little bit further down here. Let’s go to verse 15.

And call upon me in the day of trouble. I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. This is a splendid promise of Jehovah, and it’s a promise that he gives to all of those who pay their vows. Remember, the previous verse said that you were in a consecrated relationship, a vow relationship with God.

Therefore you can call upon him in the day of trouble, and he will take care of you. It’s a wonderful promise that he makes to the faithful church, and remember that our vow as a consecration is a freewill offering. So with this relationship to our God through Christ, we can expect his providences to deliver us in the day of adversity. In Job 5:15, we read, he will deliver thee in six troubles.

Yea, in seven, there shall no evil touch thee. Interesting. I often wondered why six troubles. Maybe six is the number of man. So he’s talking about the troubles that we have in the flesh.

Perhaps there. But then he says, in seven shall no evil befall thee. Maybe by time we get to the seventh trouble, we are starting to go beyond the veil. Wouldn’t that be wonderful? The 46th Psalm is another prophetic psalm about the feet members of the church at the end of the gospel age.

And it opens with this in verse one. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear that expression. A very present help in trouble is important because it plays against our faith. Brethren, do you perceive through your faith the presence of our God with you all the time.

Do you perceive the presence of our dear Lord Jesus with us all the time? It is a matter of faith. It is by faith that we perceive his presence in the world. They say, oh, you’re just deceiving yourself. Look, there’s nobody around here.

Well, they don’t have faith and they cannot see. Faith gives us a perception. It gives us a spiritual sight that we can get in no other way other than looking at the promises of God and saying, I believe those promises and God will deliver me. By the way, I want to make a testimony here. I’m going to pull up something here.

We were talking yesterday, very concerned about Brother Paul Mezura, and we had a convention prayer for him. You remember that those that you were tuned yesterday. In fact, there were several prayers. But I want to read something to you that Jeff wrote me last night, and I think this will put goosebumps on you. Remember, we said the prayer for Brother Paul.

Here’s what he wrote. Estera just said that the minute after the brethren prayed for my father at the San Diego convention is exactly the moment he woke up and started to communicate. I called her after that happened, and it was exactly at that moment God is delivering right now. God doesn’t promise things like that for our flesh, Right?

But he promises things like that for the new creature, and the experiences we have in the flesh do affect the new creature to a greater or lesser degree. But how faith strengthening it is that the very moment at this convention that we prayed for our dear brother Paul, at that moment he woke up, and that wasn’t missed by Jeff Hennisterra. Wonderful.

Very wonderful. God is a very present time of help to us in a time of trouble. Never forget that. Let’s go to verses 16 and 17. But unto the wicked, God saith, what hast thou to do to declare my statutes?

And that thou hast taken away my covenant in thy mouth, seeing that thou hatest instruction and castest my words behind thee. Again, we’re focusing on this as a judgment message to nominal Christendom, those that proclaim Christ, but are not really devoted to him, just like the dominant Jews in the ancient times. Remember, that’s where this was first applied. But prophetically, it applies to us. We saw at the very beginning that this has in many ways an end of gospel age and millennial setting.

Now, from verses 16 to 22, we have the judgmental message to the wicked. The wicked addressed here again are not the wicked of the world. Remember back in verse seven, I testify unto thee. This testimony is against those that claim to be the Lord’s people, not the world in general, but those who make that claim that profess to be followers of Jesus and they profess to be members of the spiritual house of Israel. But they are not.

It’s the same I never knew you class that we saw earlier. Many of these pekitt are wicked. They’re covenant breakers among those that still claim to be faithful people of God. The Lord will not hold them guiltless who professing their entire consecration to him, nevertheless despise instruction and cast his words behind them while they cling to their own traditions and theories. In Romans 1:18 we read this again.

This is judgmental message as well. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hinder the Greek. Here is Kiteko. Hold down or suppress the truth and unrighteousness. This is what the various ecclesiastical systems of Babylon the Great have been guilty in the centuries past.

They’ve taught their own false doctrines and have claimed for them the divine authority to teach the word of God. In so doing they have unjustly suppressed the truth. Remember the change to the Latin. People couldn’t understand Latin. I learned Latin as an altar boy.

I didn’t know what the means were. I just memorized that is a suppression of truth. They hated instruction and cast the words of the Lord behind them whenever the latter were brought forward to testify against them or their plans. What right the solemnist inquires have such covenant breakers to declare the plan of God? Well, the answer is none whatsoever.

Such unfaithful and wicked and slothful servants are hinderers by their errors from seeing the truth now due and having been unfaithful to the measure of truth received, they are not permitted to know and hence cannot declare the deeper things of God. The breadth scope of his wonderful plan. You know, we know In Revelation chapter 18 it says Babylon the Great has fallen, is fallen. We generally place that around 1878. You know, prior to that time within Babylon, there were many individuals that were true Christians.

Spirit begotten Christians, and in spite of the errors of the systems, they still were able to tap into so many truths of God and feel the guidance of God day by day. But those systems have been cast off since 1878. They have no right to be able to teach us anymore. As large denominations, mainline denominations, they are fading quicker and quicker.

And as we we watch, many of them are jettisoned very simple and general and basic laws of morality, sexual promiscuity, change your gender by surgically and things like that. There are many of these things that these churches are embracing and is contrary to the word of God. God. Psalms 97:11 says, Light is sown in righteousness and gladness for the upright in the heart. Those who faithfully and thankfully receive the light, disseminate it, and will have the gladness that comes from a realization of the truth.

It’s for the upright in heart, isn’t it? Now, the testimony against this wicked class continues in verse 18, and we’ve got about 10 minutes here, so let’s see if we can get to the end. Verse 18 says, when thou sawest a thief, thou consentest with it, and has been a partaker with adulterers. Well, we already mentioned this.

This is the extent to which the nominal systems have violated God’s law and gone against what the scriptures clearly teach. They are wolves in sheep’s clothing, and we need to recognize who the wolves are and allow the light of the truth to rebuke them. Again, we have to be very careful about compromising with the world, and that’s what these systems do. Remember, the Babylon the Great is described as a harlot.

Why so? Because she associates with those in the world. In the times past, the church state union was an utter disaster for centuries for true Christians. Even today, we find there’s that cooperation that is still developing between Babylon and the civil authorities. Not quite to the extent that we saw in the past, but that cooperation we see in the news every day.

In Revelation, chapter 17, we have a description of Babylon the Great, and I want to focus on just one part of it. It’s verses one through six. I don’t want to take the time. But in the verse that describes her, it says the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, decked with gold and precious stones, stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations, even the unclean things of her fornication. So there’s a description here.

Now, she has two colors that are described, purple and scarlet. What do these mean and how do they apply it to her? Well, purple represents royalty. We saw this in the tabernacle. In many places she has royalty, but it’s a usurpation.

She. She doesn’t deserve to be a queen, but she has taken that upon herself wrongly. She’s arrayed in scarlet. Scarlet represents sacrificial death. In the tabernacle, it’s a good thing because it represents our faithfulness to our covenant of sacrifice unto death.

But how about Babylon? Not so good. It does represent death, but it represents murder. This is death and bloodshed of the true saints. It’s not sacrificial death from her standpoint, but she is unworthily taking the lives of the saints.

By the way, did you notice that there’s a color missing here? When you go back to the tabernacle, we talk about purple, scarlet, and one more. Remember what it was? Blue. Do you notice there’s no blue here in her description at all.

Well, what does blue represent? It represents faithfulness. How appropriate that this unfaithful, adulterous woman should have no blue associated with her. One of those things where something that’s missing has great delight and has great significance. Now, this judgment principle against her holds good in every case where there are unfaithful covenant breakers, and if they consent to any degree with thieves and robbers, they are not standing for the truth.

Verse 19 and 20. Thy mouth has set forth with evil, and thy tongue joineth deceit. Together thou sittest against thy brother, thou speakest against the son of thy mother giveth slander. Again, remember, this originally was a rebuke to the original hypocritical Israelites. Again, we are applying it prophetically to the nominal churches.

After the first churches gained civil power in 539 A.D. there followed a period of awful persecution that came from these institutions, often with the cooperation of civil authorities. Again, it was a true church state union. Among the persecuted were our brethren, the Waldensians, the Lords, the early Bible translators, most Protestant reformers, and a large variety of groups deemed heretical. The persecution included slander, charges of heresy, confiscation of property, imprisonment or death, and this behavior clearly reflects the kind of covenant Hypocrisy that Psalm 50 condemns.

Verse 20 and 21. These thou didst, and I kept silent. Thou thought that I am like thee, I reprove thee, and set in array before thine eyes. Understand this, I pray you, ye who are forgetting God, lest I tear and there be no deliverer. Jehovah says, I kept silent.

The entire age of the permission of evil is where God keeps mostly silent. He still engages in those in covenant relation with him, both to bless and to judge. But his judgments are often reserved until all the evidence is in or his situation has come to full development. By the way, along this line, I very much recommend John Baker’s talk that he gave a couple weeks ago in New Haven. He did something I’d never seen before, and this Idea of evidence kind of entered into it.

He took the fourth volume and he divided it into sections of a court trial, a court case. You know, there’s the early, the preparations for the court, then there is the hearing of evidence, then there’s the jury making a decision, and then there’s carried out by the judge, the gathering of evidence, and by the way, he had these chapters in the fourth volume laid out just in that way. Should listen to that talk when it’s available. I think you will enjoy it very much.

Now, an example of where God kept silence is remember when God gave the promised land to Abraham, Abraham wasn’t given it at that time, he was promised it, and In Genesis chapter 15, verse 16, it says this. In the fourth generation they shall come again, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet full. So God says, I’m going to give you this land, but you’re not going to get it, and it’s going to be the fourth generation that will come down and eventually get it.

And one of the reasons given here is the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet full. What does that mean? Well, it means the evidence against them was still being gathered, but it would be complete by Abraham’s fourth generation. With the whole nation left Egypt and began to oust the Canaanites. It was time for it.

Like ancient Israel, Babylon became hardened in her wickedness. This scripture in Ecclesiastes 8:12 demonstrates that principle. I’m sorry, 8:11. Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily. Therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.

God is silent sometimes, but that silence gives ample time for everyone to demonstrate their hearts, either a good heart or an evil heart. Judgment takes place exactly when it should. Verse 23. Whoso offereth the sacrifice of thanksgiving glorifieth me, and to him that ordereth his way of right will I show the salvation of God. Now, I put the notes up in the chat area.

We don’t have time to go through. There’s at least seven ways that a sacrifice of thanksgiving glorifies God. You’ll find these seven ways in the sheet there in the notes, and they’re worthwhile reflecting upon. Maybe I can summarize. A sacrifice of thanksgiving glorifies God because it acknowledges him as the giver.

It demonstrates trust, it shows a heart in harmony with his will. It testifies to his works, it displays humility, reflects his generosity, and it delights in Him, and a sacrifice of thanksgiving is one of the most God honoring forms of worship because it reveals both who God is and how God’s people respond to him, and remember, back in verse 14, it talked about the sacrifice of thanksgiving and the giving of vows. Well, here it is again.

Vows are mentioned a second time, and Psalm 116 says, I will pay my vows unto Jehovah, yea, in the presence of his people. Those vows are so very, very important. Well, brethren, I’m going to jump to the conclusion. Here’s points to remember in our two lessons.

Again, we tried to go through the Psalm 50 to extract those things that are especially relevant to our time and to the near future. So here’s several points to remember. Number one, never forget the mightiness and sovereignty of Jehovah. Number two, the kingdom of God is shining forth from heavenly Zion. Now we have an opportunity and a privilege to shine as part of that heavenly government which is in operation there.

Three, the gathering of the saints. Gathering together. Remember, there’s several different ways in which we’re gathering. Number four, our consecration Covenant by sacrifice. This is the vow that we have made.

And that brings us to the next point, the importance of thanksgiving and paying of vows. In this thanksgiving period, we can think back about what we have vowed to Jehovah and give thanks for all of those things. We also saw the judgment of his people, both his true people and his nominal people, and the rebuke of the wicked, and lastly, glorifying God through thanksgiving and righteous living is really what the Heavenly Father requires. Let me close with Psalm 150.

Remember we quoted Psalm 19 and I said add 100 to it. Go to 119 Psalm. Well, add 100 to 50 and go to the last psalm in there and we’ll close with this scripture. Praise ye Jehovah. Praise God in His sanctuary.

Praise him in the firmament of his power. Praise him for his mighty acts. Praise him according to his excellent greatness. Praise him with trumpet sound. Praise him with psaltery and harp.

Praise him with timbrel and dance. Praise him with stringed instruments and pipe. Praise him with loud cymbals. Remember Asaph was a cymbal player. Praise him with high sounding cymbals.

Let everything that hath breath praise Jehovah. Praise ye Jehovah. May the Lord bless this to you.

Click Here for the PDF transcript.