TEXT: PSALM 5: 4-7
READING: PSALM 92
SUBJ: The absolute intolerance of God in the matter of the workers of iniquity and the magnitude of the mercy that is to be compared to it.
AIM: That we may grow to hate sin more and to love the mercy of God and the God of mercy supremely. We must hate sin because of the hatred of God.
INTR: Many face great difficulty with the hard sayings of the Bible and this one is no exception. The problem is how we reconcile the love of God with the hatred of God. The answer is that all reconciliation is in Christ.
1. We have been inundated with a shallow concept of love and mercy and even God is tried in the minds of many by that standard.
2. We define our likes by contrast with our dislikes in every aspect of our being. Otherwise our thoughts are of no value one way or another and the evil one would delight therein.
3. If God does not hate or if hatred does not exist, how can we understand love and especially how can the greatness of His love be considered?
THESIS: It is because of the hatred of God that we understand and desire His mercy. The prayer of David was directed against his enemies but because of the hatred of God (vv. 1-3).
I. Consider first the negative approach to the pleasure of God (v. 4)
1. It is important that we understand the concept of the pleasure of God and that we find our delight in the pleasure of God and the sovereign exercise of His will.
2. There is no place for "in between" or "sort of" with God
3. Who God is not - and we think on pleasure in wickedness and we furthermore consider the implication that there are those that have pleasure in wickedness.
4. Neither shall "evil ones" dwell:
1) The question: Psalms 94:20 Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frameth mischief by a law?
2) The expectation: 2 Peter 3:13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
5. The evil man can not be comfortable with God and God will not have Him - He hates him.
II. The Hatred of God (vv. 5-6)
1. The difficult doctrine of the hatred of God - compared to the fact that God is love.
1) Holiness is demanded and is caught up in the love of God
2) Man’s standard of tolerance leads to this difficulty.
2. Consider the sense of the prophet: Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he? Habakkuk 1:13
3. Consider some examples of God's intolerance: Cain, Sodom, Nadab and Abihu, Achan, Uzzah, and even Ananias and Sapphira may be an example even to believer's of God intolerance for sin.
4. The foolish shall not stand: the proud, self determined, enamored with their own wisdom and promoting rather the way of iniquity.
5. Thou hatest...
1) Not all sinners else none are saved (But all are constituted sinners and were by nature the children of wrath even as others).
2) Those who make sin the business of their lives finally and completely - those who do not seek mercy. These include both the matters of morality and even religion. Matthew 7:22-23 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
3) Many would claim that God hates the sin but loves the sinner without exception - not according to the scripture.
6. Consider then the intolerance of God and Christ: Romans 8:32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
III. The multitude of thy mercy... (v. 7)
1. There is an implied consciousness of the magnitude of the mercy of God
1) If there were no hatred, there could be no mercy
2) The measure of mercy is the measure of hatred and visa-versa.
2. Consider the makeup of this mercy: Contained in the promises, displayed in Christ, manifested in regeneration and adoption, experienced in forgiveness, received in fellowship with His Son and it thus becomes the source of joy forevermore (see v. 11)
