Cover their faces with shame, that they may seek Your name, O LORD. Sermons
I. WE MAY PRAY FOR THE HUMILIATION OF OUR ENEMIES. II. WE MAY NOT PRAY IN VIEW MERELY OF THEIR SUFFERING. III. WE MAY PRAY, IF WE DESIRE THEIR LASTING GOOD THROUGH THEIR HUMILIATION . IV. WE MAY PRAY, IF WE SET. BEFORE OURSELVES THE GLORY OF GOD IN THEIR RECOVERY. It is a sign of triumph over hateful and revengeful feelings if we can pray God to deal with our enemies in the wisdom of his righteous love. It is not befitting that the Christian should ever think of judgments and punishments as merely destructive. To him all judgment is remedial, all punishment is corrective. God will get honour to his Name out of all his dealings. It should be shown that the "forever" and the "perish" of ver. 17 are to be treated as poetical terms. Or ver. 16 may be regarded as the better view, which the psalmist was hardly able to keep to. Ver. 17 falls back upon the harsher view of God's dealing with his foes. Christianity willingly lets pass the harsher view, and sets ever more prominently before us the better and more hopeful view. 'Speaker's Commentary' on ver. 16 says, "This is a feeling altogether peculiar to God's people." The object of all the judgments which the true prophet desires is to bring all nations into subjection to God. Their calamities will be converted into blessings, unless they persist in rebellion. - R.T. I. UNGODLY MEN HAVE GOOD CAUSE TO BE ASHAMED — 1. Because of the wrong they are doing to their Maker. You pride yourself upon your uprightness and integrity; but must God alone, then, be made to Suffer through your injustice? Out of all beings, must He alone who made all other beings be the only one to be neglected? 2. There are many ungodly men who ought to be ashamed because they are acting in opposition to light and knowledge, contrary to their conscience, and against their better judgments. 3. Because of their postponements of what they know to be right. 4. Because of their violation of vows which they have made. 5. Because of their not loving the Lord Jesus Christ, and not trusting such a Saviour as He is. 6. A man ought to be ashamed who will not even think of these things. II. Now, concerning these ungodly people, let me show you that SHAME IS A VERY DESIRABLE THING IF IT DRIVES THEM TO GOD. Hence the prayer, "Fill their faces with shame, that they may seek thy name, O Lord." 1. Sometimes shame attends the breaking up of self-righteousness. 2. I have known this shame to operate in some when they have done wrong, and have lost the repute they enjoyed among their fellow-creatures. 3. So have I seen failure driving a man to the strong for strength. 4. I have also known men brought to Christ with shame of another sort, shame of mental error leading to a humble faith. III. THE LORD IS WILLING NOW TO RECEIVE THOSE WHO ARE ASHAMED OF THEMSELVES. 1. You are the sort of man to come to Christ, because, first, you have the greatest need of Him. In the time of famine, we give the meal away first to the most hungry family. 2. If you are ashamed of yourself, you are the man to come to Christ, because you will make no bargains with Him. You will say, "Save me, Lord, at any price, and in any way!" 3. And you are the man who will give Him all the glory if you are saved. ( C. H. Spurgeon.) People Amalek, Asaph, Hagarites, Hagrites, Ishmaelites, Jabin, Korah, Midianites, Oreb, Psalmist, Sisera, Zalmunna, Zebah, ZeebPlaces JerusalemTopics Confusion, Dishonor, Faces, Fill, Full, Honour, O, Seek, ShameOutline 1. A complaint to God of the enemies conspiracies9. A prayer against those who oppress the Church Dictionary of Bible Themes Psalm 83:16Library Period ii. The Church from the Permanent Division of the Empire Until the Collapse of the Western Empire and the First Schism Between the East and the West, or Until About A. D. 500In the second period of the history of the Church under the Christian Empire, the Church, although existing in two divisions of the Empire and experiencing very different political fortunes, may still be regarded as forming a whole. The theological controversies distracting the Church, although different in the two halves of the Graeco-Roman world, were felt to some extent in both divisions of the Empire and not merely in the one in which they were principally fought out; and in the condemnation … Joseph Cullen Ayer Jr., Ph.D.—A Source Book for Ancient Church History Question Lxxxi of the virtue of Religion Epistle xxxii. To Anastasius, Presbyter . Being Made Archbishop of Armagh, He Suffers Many Troubles. Peace Being Made, from Being Archbishop of Armagh He Becomes Bishop of Down. Epistle cxxi. To Leander, Bishop of Hispalis (Seville). The Third Commandment Question Lxxxiii of Prayer Psalms Links Psalm 83:16 NIVPsalm 83:16 NLT Psalm 83:16 ESV Psalm 83:16 NASB Psalm 83:16 KJV Psalm 83:16 Bible Apps Psalm 83:16 Parallel Psalm 83:16 Biblia Paralela Psalm 83:16 Chinese Bible Psalm 83:16 French Bible Psalm 83:16 German Bible Psalm 83:16 Commentaries Bible Hub |
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