{"id":523,"date":"2016-05-21T18:06:40","date_gmt":"2016-05-22T01:06:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/drbarrick.org\/?p=523"},"modified":"2018-09-05T22:31:54","modified_gmt":"2018-09-06T05:31:54","slug":"works-words-and-wisdom-divine-and-human","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/drbarrick.org\/?p=523","title":{"rendered":"Works, Words, and Wisdom&#8211;Divine and Human"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Works, Words, and Wisdom\u2014Divine and Human<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Psalm 111<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">by William D. Barrick<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Commencement Address\u2014Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">May 12, 2016<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Introduction<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A professor had just finished the final lecture for his introductory course in philosophy. One of the students said, \u201cYou have knocked a hole in everything I\u2019ve ever believed in, and you have given me nothing to take its place.\u201d The professor replied, \u201cYou will recall that among the labors of Hercules he was required to clean out the Augean stables. He was not, let me point out, required to fill them.\u201d\u2014Clifton Fadiman, ed., <em>The Little, Brown Book of Anecdotes<\/em> (Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 1985), 133.<\/li>\n<li>Therein lies a huge difference between philosophy and theology\u2014we replace man\u2019s ignorance with God\u2019s wisdom through His Word.<\/li>\n<li>First of three consecutive Hallelujah psalms (111, 112, 113). All three psalms begin with \u201cHallelujah\u201d; Psalm 113 also ends with \u201cHallelujah,\u201d effectively bracketing all three into one group.<\/li>\n<li>Acrostic psalm (also, Ps 112)\u2014\u201ca student\u2019s psalm\u201d\u2014William Varner, <em>Awake O Harp<\/em> (The Woodlands, TX: Kress Biblical Resources, 2011), 283.<\/li>\n<li>Psalm 111 focuses on the works of God, but Psalm 112 describes the works of the godly person. A number of similarities tie these two psalms together.<\/li>\n<li>Traditional psalm for Lord\u2019s Supper (time of remembrance\u2014v. 4). In this commencement we take time to remember the accomplishments of the graduates and the 33-year service at DBTS of a retiring professor of Old Testament, Dr. Robert McCabe.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>I. \u00a0Worship<\/strong>ping the LORD is imperative for our <u>hearts<\/u> (v. 1).\u00a0The essence of worship consists of celebrating God, His works, and His Word.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>A.<\/strong> \u00a0We must praise the LORD (1a).<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>B.<\/strong> \u00a0We must engage <u>our entire bein<\/u>g in His worship (1b). See Deuteronomy 6:5, \u201cYou shall love the LORD your God <strong>with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might<\/strong>.\u201d This is the first of the two greatest commandments\u2014the commandments which summarize all of the Law and the prophets, according to Jesus (Matthew 22:36\u201340).<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>C.<\/strong> \u00a0We must worship Him corporately (1c)\u2014come together by agreement and obedience to fellowship.<\/p>\n<p><strong>II.<\/strong> \u00a0Knowing the LORD\u2019s <strong>works<\/strong> must occupy our <u>minds<\/u> (vv. 2\u20136).<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>A.<\/strong> \u00a0We must delight in studying the LORD\u2019s works (2).<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>B.<\/strong> \u00a0Through His works we must learn of His enduring righteousness (3).<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>C.<\/strong> \u00a0Through His wonders we must remember (proclaim) <u>His <\/u>g<u>race and com<\/u>p<u>assion<\/u> (4). See Exodus 34:6\u20137, \u201cThe LORD, the LORD God, <strong>compassionate and gracious<\/strong>, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and <strong>truth<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>D.<\/strong> \u00a0We must fear the LORD to experience His covenant blessings (5).<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>E.<\/strong> \u00a0We must receive from Him the knowledge of <u>the <\/u>p<u>ower of His works<\/u> (6). See Romans 1:20, \u201cFor since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, <strong>His eternal power<\/strong> and divine nature have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>III.<\/strong>\u00a0 Obeying the LORD\u2019s <strong>Word<\/strong> must <em>reflect His attributes<\/em> (vv. 7\u20139).<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>A.<\/strong> \u00a0Truth, justice, and trustworthiness characterize the LORD\u2019s Word (7).<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>B.<\/strong> \u00a0Truth, justice, and trustworthiness characterize those who obey His Word (8).<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>C.<\/strong> \u00a0Through redemption and covenant the LORD reveals holiness and inspires reverence (9).<\/p>\n<p><strong>IV.<\/strong> \u00a0Fearing the LORD produces <strong>wisdom<\/strong>, understanding, and praise (v. 10).<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>A.<\/strong> \u00a0We must fear the LORD (10a).<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px;\">Prov 1:7 + \u201c<u>Fools<\/u> despise wisdom and instruction\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px;\">Prov 9:10 + \u201cAnd the knowledge of <u>the Hol<\/u>y<u> One<\/u> is understanding\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px;\">Prov 15:33 + \u201cAnd before honor <em>comes<\/em> <u>humilit<\/u>y\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px;\">Job 28:28 \u201cBehold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to <u>de<\/u>p<u>art from evil<\/u> is understanding\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px;\">Eccl 12:13 \u201cfear God and keep His commandments, because this <em>applies to<\/em> every person\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>B.<\/strong> \u00a0We must <strong>do<\/strong> His Word (10b)\u2014<em>God\u2019s works become our works<\/em> (see Ps 112). See James 1:22, \u201cBut prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves\u201d\u2014indeed, we should never be just readers, hearers, preachers, or teachers of God\u2019s Word, but doers.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>C.<\/strong> \u00a0We must praise Him always and forever (10c).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Now we can see \u201cthe student\u2019s psalm\u201d: Varner outlines it thus:\n<ol>\n<li>Start with worship (v. 1).<\/li>\n<li>Study God\u2019s works (vv. 2\u20136).<\/li>\n<li>Study God\u2019s Word (vv. 7\u20139).<\/li>\n<li>Obey what you study (v. 10).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<li>Leslie C. Allen, <em>Psalms 101\u2013150<\/em>, WBC 21 (Waco, TX: Word Books, Publisher, 1983), 93 said that this psalm is the Old Testament counterpart of Romans 5:1\u201311. Christ died that He might justify us so that through tribulation we might exult in Him, persevere, develop proven character, and hope without disappointment.<\/li>\n<li>If we obey what we know in Scripture, we will come to understand what we don\u2019t know in Scripture and we will reflect more of God\u2019s character in our lives.<\/li>\n<li>\u201cWhat comes from the Lord because it is impossible for humans to manufacture it? Wisdom. What comes from humans because it is impossible for the Lord to experience it? Worry. What is it that brings wisdom and dispels worry? Worship.\u201d (Charles Swindoll, <em>The Quest for Character<\/em>)<\/li>\n<li>When it comes to worshipping our God, we can do the following:\n<ol>\n<li>Come to God\u2019s Word\u2014and listen.<\/li>\n<li>Be quiet\u2014stay calm within our hearts and minds, no matter our circumstances.<\/li>\n<li>Commit yourself to obey God\u2019s Word\u2014remember, God does not forget!<\/li>\n<li>Don\u2019t decide now and deny your commitment at a later date\u2014God does not ignore our decisions!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px;\">\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Works, Words, and Wisdom\u2014Divine and Human Psalm 111 by William D. Barrick Commencement Address\u2014Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary May 12, 2016 &nbsp; Introduction A professor had just finished the final lecture for his introductory course in philosophy. One of the students said, \u201cYou have knocked a hole in everything I\u2019ve ever believed in, and you have [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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