The Blessed Man Week 4

We are on page four of your notes. Uh number six down towards the bottom there. We've been looking at Psalm chapter 1. And uh one of the important things is is when you're reading your Bible is to to understand uh the the word pictures that God has given you. And Psalms one is full of word pictures. We want to make sure that we kind of get that visual picture in our mind of what what God is trying to say to us. And we've been talking about that and we're right down at the end of uh verse number three there and it's talking about being like a tree planted by rivers of water bringeth forth his fruit in the season.

We've talked about that. His leaf also shall not wither but whatsoever you do shall prosper. And so the picture of the leaf not withering is a picture of an evergreen tree. We talked about number four above and we talked about how the deeper the roots the stronger and the taller the tree tree. But we're going to look number six there. Leaves are good and important. But turn over to put a marker in Psalms 1. Go over to Matthew chapter 21. Matthew chapter 21. And this is where we can compare scripture with scripture. So looking up cross references and looking up other place in the Bible talks about trees and fruit uh will help you understand Psalms 1.

But Matthew 21 and 18-20 says, "Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered, and when he saw a fig tree uh in the way, he came to it and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, let no fruit grow on thee, henceforth forever." And presently the fig tree withered away. And when disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, How soon is this fig tree withered away? [clears throat] Now, it seems kind of you got to understand a fig tree that the fig tree produces leaves. If it has leaves, it should have fruit. Uh and and it doesn't. And and so, um it just understand that leaves are good and important.

They have a purpose in the tree. They're what gathers the sun rays to create the the nutrition that the tree needs and all the rest of it. But ultimately, it's not the leaves. It's the fruit that's important. And we can have um our leaves as Christians. We can look good on the outside, look like we're all full and and prospering, but if we're not producing fruit, what is the tree good for? And and that's the picture he's given there. And then turn over to Luke chapter 63. Luke chapter 13 and verses 6-9. Luke 13 6-9. He spake also this parable. A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.

Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard. Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this tree, and find none, cut it down. Why cumber the ground? And he answered and said un, Lord, let it alone this year, till I shall dig about it and dung it, and bear if it bear fruit well, and if it not, then after that thou shalt cut it down. And so it was cumbering. The idea of the word cumber is taking up space and it's given me nothing back. And I there's a lot of Christians that cumber the church. Uh they come, they sit in a chair, they take up space and they leave and and all they produce is leaves.

They don't produce any fruit. And and and and so in our lives, if we're not producing fruit, we need to dig it and dung it. And digging is to dig out the weeds and to dig up the hard soil and and uh and dung it as the fertilizer. And uh dung is not a a pretty thing. It was a basically manure. Uh but these are sometimes the things that are necessary for us to produce fruit. And so as we read Psalm chapter 1, if we're you know, it's good to have leaves and leaves are important for shade and they're important for the sunlight producing the the things that needs produced and all the rest of it. But we don't want to be leaves alone.

And a lot of Christians, they have the attitude, I'm doing all right, leave me alone. and and don't be one of those kind of Christians. And then letter J there, how when and where will the blessed man be prosper will prosper. Whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. And so we if we if I want my life to prosper spiritually, how when and where is that going to happen? Um Ricky, can we get some notes for some folks coming in here too? So we want to look at that um in in Ephesians chapter 3, if you'll turn over to there. Uh, I'm sorry, not Yeah. Psalms chapter 128. I'm sorry, I'm looking at the wrong section there.

Psalms 128 and uh verse number two. Psalms 128 and verse number two. Psalms 128 and verse number two. The Bible says, "For thou shalt eat the labor of thine hands, happy shalt thou be, and it should be well with thee." Remember the word bless means to be happy. And and God blesses us from the labor of our hands. uh God is the one that ultimately produces the fruit. We can do all you know we we can't do anything to produce the fruit that's got to come internally from the tree. But what we can do is we can dig it. We can dung it. We can do all the things that are necessary to provide the right environment.

We've got three fruit trees in our yard and uh and and one of them doesn't produce much fruit. And what we're looking at this year is I'm either going to I'm going to give it one more year and I'm going to do some more digging and dunging and fertilizing. Uh make sure it's getting watered like it should and everything else, but if it doesn't produce this year, it's gone. And uh but it it's not going to happen just automatically. You have to put the labor in. And so God's the one that ultimately produces the fruit in our lives, but we have to put in that labor. And and that's what he's saying here in Psalms 128 is eat the labor of thine hands.

You what you go out there and do is that produce is what you're going to get back and blessed with. And then look at third John. Um hold your place in Psalms, but go over to the book of Third John and chapter 1 and verse number two. There's only one chapter there, but third John and look at verse number two. It says, "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health even as thy soul prosperth." Uh John said, "Listen, I want you to prosper financially. I want you to prosper healthwise, but most important is that your soul prospers." And uh if we're going to prosper financially, the Bible says, "He that does not work shall not eat."

We've got to get out there and labor. We got to get out there and do the work and we earn that paycheck. And uh and if we're going to prosper in our health, we got to take care of ourselves. Now look at Psalms chapter 73 and verse number 12. Psalms 73 and verse number 12. Behold, these are the ungodly who prosper in the world. They increase in riches. So even the ungodly can prosper. And and many times they prosper more than we do as Christians. It seems like the unsafe people are the one have all the money and they have all the big houses and all the extra things like that. Uh they the ungodly can prosper because God has put into into into effect certain laws.

For the example there's a law of gravity. Uh you jump out of a building whether you're saved or unsaved you're going to go down. That's the law of gravity. And and and when people labor they're going to reap the their labor and even the ungodly prosper. And so when we go to Psalms chapter 1, we look at so often you hear people talk about a prosperity gospel and if you'll do this, if you'll give money and you'll you'll you know, God's going to bless you and prosper you financially. Well, John said, "Listen, I want you to prosper financially." You know, I found that God when when I serve him and and give my tithes and offerings and are faithful to the Lord and go to church and do all the things I should should be doing, read my Bible and pray, God blesses me.

And God has blessed me financially in ways that just amazing. And and God blesses me with health even though I don't always take care of myself the way I should. Uh I'm I'm thankful for the good health I have even at my age. And and that's great. But even the unsaved can have that. What the real blessings are are the spiritual blessings. Uh you know in Malachi he promised the is nation of Israel if you'll give your tithes and offerings I'll bless your harvest. you know, and that's good, but you know, I'd rather have grace than grapes any day. Uh I want God's blessings of grace more importantly.

Now, God does bless us financially. God does bless us spiritually, I mean, u healthwise, but the spiritual blessings are the most important thing that we want to look to as well in doing that. Okay. So um then as we go continue on he goes from the blessed man to the ungodly to the godly man and the ungodly in verse number four. The ungodly are not so but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. So we have the ungodly man. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand the judgment of sinners congregation of the righteous. So again we want to look at the the individual word pictures given. So what is chaff?

How many of you would say I know what chaff is? Raise your hand. I'm not going to ask you answer, but you think you know what chaff is. Okay, again, when you come to a word in your Bible, you don't [clears throat] know, look it up. Okay, chaff is basically when they harvest the crop and like with the with many of the the se the harvest, it'll have an outward hole on it and inside is the fruit and and and so they take out the chaff which is the outward useless hole and inside is the fruit that they're after. And and that's where they on the threshing floor. Back in those days, they would take and toss the wheat or whatever it was up in the air, and the chaff was lighter, so it would get blown away, and what would be left is the fruit.

And so, the chaff is what's useless. It It's no good. Uh, look at Matthew chapter 3 and verse number 12. Matthew chapter 3 and verse number 12. whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor and gather his wheat into the garner, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. It It's useless. It has no value. They throw it in the fire, they burn it up. That's the chaff. And it says, "The ungodly are not so, but they're like the chaff which the wind driveth away." And again, what would happen in those days, they would to when they would bring in their harvest, they would toss it up in the air, break it apart, and all that useless stuff would blow away.

and what would be left would be the fruit. And so in doing that and so um I didn't turn off my phone when I came here. So let me do that now. The one time I didn't turn it off is when it rings. So the chaff is is something is useless. And so the ungodly are like the chaff. They're they're blown away. We see in Matthew that he's going to throw it in a fire. And then verse number five, therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment. And so what does it mean that the ungodly shall not stand? Now remember back earlier in the verse chapter 1 verse one it says that the ungodly stand uh walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly nor stand the way of sinners nor sit at the sea is scornful.

So it's kind of given a an opposite point of view. Says the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment. Turn over to Revelation 20. Revelation chapter 20. I believe the primary judgment he's referring to here, remember, we have more than one judgment. We have the judgment seat of Christ and we have then the great white throne judgment. And I think this probably referring to the great white throne judgment. And in Revelation 20, look at verses 11- 15. And I saw a great white throne and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven um fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God, and the books were open.

And another the book was open, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in them. And death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them. And they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast in lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast in the lake of fire. So I think the reference here very likely is towards the great white throne judgment when the ungodly will not stand and they'll be judged and cast into the lake of fire.

Now, I want you to turn over. I didn't mark it here, but if you turn over to the book of Philippians um Philippians chapter 2 and talking about Christ here in this passage and uh he goes on to talk about in verse number six who being the form of God thought not robbery to be equal with God but made himself of no reputation of took up on the form of his servant was made in the likeness of men and being found in fashion of men he humbled himself became obedient unto death even the death of the us. Wherefore God has also highly exalted him, given a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow of things in heaven and things in earth and things onto the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God uh the Father.

And and so here he's talking about the ungodly. They are going to bow. They're they're going to when they stand before God, they're going to fall down and bow and acknowledge him as God and acknowledge Jesus as the Savior, as God. And and so that's the the the reference I think he's referring to. So the ungodly shall not stand. And remember a lot of Psalms in Psalms a lot of times David especially would talk about this and say why why do the ungodly seem to prosper? Why why do they seem to get away with things? Why do they seem to do so well? And here right here right away he's reminded himself, wait a minute, they're not going to stand.

They may look like they're doing good now, but when they stand before God, none of that's going to matter. Doesn't matter if they're the richest person in the world. Doesn't matter if they're the most powerful person in the world. They're all going to bow the knee to Christ and they're going to be cast in the lake of fire. They're not going to stand. And and then it goes on in number uh look at number C there. How many ways are there? It says in verse 5, "Therefore, the ungodly should not stand the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous, for the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous."

So, how many ways are there in Matthew chapter 7? Matthew chapter 7 and verses 13 and 14. Matthew chapter 7 and verses 13 and 14. Matthew 7 and verse 13 the Bible if I can get there my pages are sticking together. Enter you at the straight gate for wide is the gate and broad is the way that lead instruction and many there be which go in there at because straight is the gate and narrow is the way which leadth unto life and few there be that find it. So there's two ways either the way to God through Jesus Christ or the way to destruction which is the broad way. And and so I think that that may be kind of the cross references we're looking at the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous.

they're on the right path and the way of the ungodly shall perish. There's two choices in life, this way or that way. Which way are we going to go? And um but it goes on to say, "For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous." And so what are some of the things that God knows about us? And in the parentheses there, I put the word omniscience. Remember that God is omnipotent, all powerful, omnipresent. He's everywhere at all times. And he's omnisient. He knows all things. So, as I read that, I want to stop and think, well, if he knows the way of the righteous, and who are the righteous? Those that are right with God through Jesus Christ.

The righteous are not always those that do everything right, but you are righteous if you're saved. Now, we want to live a righteous life as well. And so, what does God know about me is what I want to look at here. Well, in John chapter 10 and verse number 14, John chapter 10 and verse number 14, he says, "I am the good shepherd and know my sheep and I'm known of mine." So, he knows his sheep. He knows whether you're saved or not. He knows whether you're one of his or not. Uh and and you know him. If you don't know Jesus as your savior, he says, "I know who are I know who's saved." You might be fooling me.

You might be fooling your parents or other people around you, but you're not fooling God. And then uh look at Psalms 139. Psalms 139 and:es 1-3. Psalms 139:es 1-3. Oh Lord, thou hast searched me and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and my uprising. Thou understands my thought a far off. Thou compasses my path and my lying down are acquainted with all my ways. Boy, that's a lot. Sometimes we forget that God knows. He knows what I'm doing late at night. He knows what I'm doing when nobody else sees me. He knows what I'm thinking when I lie down at night to go to bed. He knows what I what I'm thinking when I get up.

Uh he knows all these things. He's omnisient. And and and and that's he wants us to remind us of that here in Psalms 1. God knoweth the way of the righteous. And that's why I want to be reminded of that so I go the right paths in my life. And then Psalms chapter 94 and verse number 11. Psalms 94 and verse 11. The Lord knoweth the thoughts of men that are that they are vanity. He knows what we're thinking. You know, you ever heard somebody say, I'll give you a penny for your thoughts. There's some of my thoughts I wouldn't sell for a million dollars. I don't want anybody to know it. But God knows it.

He knows what you're thinking. Matthew chapter 6 and verse number eight. Matthew 6 and verse 8. Be not therefore like many like unto them. For your father knoweth what things you have need of before you ask him. He knows my needs. Even before I ask now, it doesn't mean I don't need to ask, but he doesn't know what I need. He's already provided for that. He's already planned for that. He knows what I need. And then 2 Timothy chapter 2 and verse number 19. 2 Timothy 2 and verse 19. Nevertheless, the foundation of God stand assure having this seal. The Lord knoweth them that are his. And let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

He knows his own. And he says, "Listen, if you're one of mine, depart from iniquity. Don't go down that path. Don't go down that direction." It should be something that reminds us when we're heading the wrong direction. Wait a minute. God knows I'm his child and this is not what I should be doing. And then um second Peter chapter 2 and verse number nine. 2 Peter 2:9. The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished. He knows how to deliver us out of temptation. He knows how, you know, he's got the plan when I'm faced in a temptation.

And temptation here is not just a temptation to sin, but it's also trials in my life. And and God says, "Listen, I know before you even face that trial what's going to happen. I know before the doctor tells you you have cancer. I know before you get that phone call that somebody's passed away. I I know before that situation at work happens or whatever else it might be. God already knows that and he's already provided a way to deliver us out of that if we would just look to him for that. And then Romans chapter 2 and verse number 15. Romans chapter 2 and verse number 15. Romans 2:15. which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness in their thoughts and meanwhile accusing or else excusing one another.

Um, he knows even our works, the work of the law written in our hearts. He knows what we're doing. And then Matthew 12:36. Matthew 12 36. But I say unto you that every idle word that men shall speak that shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. So every word that I speak. Now what reason I did this is when you read through the Psalms most of when we read our Bible it's like I got to get from verse one to verse six and get done and we just kind of read through it we don't stop and sila remember that's what the word sila means to stop and think about this we don't meditate we don't try to understand the word pictures that God has given us and here in Psalms he says Listen, I know the way of the righteous.

So, what does he know about me? And and the way to find this is through cross references and through looking up other places where that same idea is used because I want to know what God knows. That's what he's trying to remind us of that God knows these things. We're not hiding it from him. So, we might as well just, you know, remember that he knows us already. And then he says, "Not only does he knoweth the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish." So God knows us and he knows about our ways. So let's look at this word ways. Look at Psalms 119. Psalms 119 and verse number 168.

Psalms 119 168. I have kept thy precepts and thy testimonies for all my ways are before thee. So the the ways can mean a lot of things if you think about it. And I want you to stop and think, what could ways mean? What could ways mean? Now, because we're online, it's hard to do a back and forth discussion, but I want you to think about that. He knows my ways. Well, I think one of the things could be the habits that I have because all of us have certain ways that we do things. We got a certain little habits that we do. And he knows about those habits. He knows the ways the direction I'm going. He knows the the ways the paths that I've established in my life the you know and these things.

So his way the ways that I have. So here he says he all my ways are before him. Now look at Psalms 142 and verse number three. Psalms 142:3. When my spirit was overwhelmed within me then thou knowest my path. In the way wherein I walked, have they privy laid a snare for me? You know, a lot of times what happens is if we if we establish certain habits, other people like I I was watching a documentary and they were talking about how this person that ended up killing somebody spent a lot of time just seeing what their habits were. They went where they went for coffee, where they went for this, where they went for that.

Looking at their habits and then they could by those habits judge them. And so you you you you have certain patterns you follow. And patterns can be good. Habits are part of our life and they're good, but they can also be bad. You know, your habit may be to walk in the door and the first thing you do is turn on the TV. Or your habit may be the first thing you do, you know, you get up, you go go get something from the refrigerator. You know, you got certain habits [clears throat] you follow. And and so God says, "Listen, I I I know the habits that you have, and sometimes those habits are what cause trouble in your life because they're bad habits."

And and and so we got to look at those and and and look at the different ways that we have. When you study it out, the word ways in the Bible has different ideas. Sometimes they can be a way like um a road. Here's a road. You follow this road. Other times they can be a way more like a a rut, a a habit you've gotten into. Now, there's good ruts to have and there's bad ruts to have, but even the good ruts can be habits that we don't stop and really do. So, you may have a habit of reading your Bible, but you don't in that it's just kind of like I do it because this is what I do all the time rather than really reading it and studying it.

And so we want to look at our ways and make sure that we've got the right habits in our lives and we're we're going the right way in our life cuz because I I want to make sure that I'm not in the head in the direction where there's a snare, there's a trap ahead for me. And then look at uh Proverbs 5 and verse 21. Proverbs 5:21. For the ways of men are before the eyes of the Lord, he ponderth all his goingings. So again, the ways of men, the habits that we have, the way we do things. Look at Jeremiah chapter 16 and verse number 17. Jeremiah 16:17. For mine eyes are upon all their ways. They're not hid from my face, neither is iniquity hid from mine eyes.

And then look at Jeremiah 32 and verse number 19. 32 and verse 19. Great in counsel, mighty work, for thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men to everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings. And then finally look at Proverbs 14:12 and then 16:25. Proverbs 14:12. says, "There's a way which seemth right unto a man, but the end thereof of the ways of death." And then 16:25, uh, "There's a way which seems right unto man, but the end there way is death." When God repeats himself, it's important. The challenge I had as I read this in Psalms chapter 1 is this.

What are my ways? What are my habits? Now, there's some habits that are good, and we're creatures of habit. If we had to think about everything that we did, it would be terrible. And you remember when you first start driving a car, you both hands on the wheel, you're looking all over the place, you put the you have to look where you're going to put the key in. Now, you get in the car, you just put the key in, and you just back. You know, it's there's certain habits that are good, but even good habits can be bad because I've seen people get in their car, put the key in, turn the engine on, put it reverse, back out the driveway before they even look in their mirror, you know?

Um we won't mention any names Jason but uh you know you get bad habits uh you know habits are good but even good habits can be bad if they become a habit rather than the a way to the right direction. And so it's just good to stop and look at our habits. It's good to stop and look at the ways that we do things. Am I on the wrong path? Am I going the wrong way? But even when I'm on doing the right thing, has it become just a a a habit in my life rather than really a choice of ways that I'm going to live? All right. So, that's Psalms chapter 1. Um, maybe more than you thought was in there. Maybe more you wanted to know was in there, but I I just think there's so much that we can gain when we look up words, when we look look at word pictures and do cross referencing.

you can gain that much more out of the passage. Now, in your devotions, I wouldn't recommend doing quite as detail as we did. Sometimes devotions, devotions are just to kind of get something for the day, but then it's good to go back and really say, "Let me look at that and see what it's saying and get more depth in there as well." All right, we're going to take a look next at Psalms chapter 2, and that's pages seven and eight of your notes. And um I'm hoping to finish that this before I leave in April for vacation. And uh so we'll take a look at that. We'll have some others teaching on Psalms while I'm gone.

But in Psalms 2, and by the way, we're not going to do every Psalm. In fact, we're going to skip to eight next if if I in my teaching. But in Psalms chapter 2, Psalms chapter 2 is called a royal psalm. A royal psalm. And um it's the other royal psalms are chapter 18, 20, all those listed there. the royal psalms. These are psalms that talk about Jesus as the king. Talk about Jesus as the king. And um there's only one other psalm that's quoted as frequently in the New Testament as Psalms chapter 2. Does anybody know what psalm that is? What's that? Actually, no. 119 is the biggest, longest chapter, and you would think it have a lot of quotes, but it doesn't.

Uh there's another one. You might have it in your Bible. If you have notes in your Bible, it might be there. It might not. But it was just interesting to me. Psalms 2 is the second most quoted. So that means it's an important psalm. The most quoted Psalm is Psalms 100. Psalms 100. Um Psalms 2 is quoted in all these verses that are listed there. You can look them up later on your own. Uh so it it it's it's quoted quite often and so that makes it an important psalm for that reason. Now look at Psalms chapter 2. Look at verses 1-3. Why do the heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his anointing, saying, "Let's break their bands of sunder and cast away their cords from us."

So here you see the kind of rebellion the and and and you can read the headlines and it's almost like a description of the headlines today in our in our leaders around the world. Now couple of things we want to check out here. First of all is who is the writer of Psalms. It's always good to know your writer. Remember there's a number of different writers in Psalms. David is the primary one. And we know that David wrote this because in Acts chapter 4 and verse number 25. Acts chapter 4 and verse 25 it says who by the mouth that thy servant David hath said why did the people heathen rage and the people imagine vine vain things.

So we're not told here in Psalms who wrote it but we are told in Acts who wrote it. So we know he's the writer of it and in what context is the psalm quoted here. Let me give you the rest of that. Acts chapter 4 and verses 25 and 26 together. Acts 4 25 and 26 it says who hath who by the mouth of thy servant David hath said why did the heathen rage and the people imagine vain things the kings of the earth stood up and rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against his Christ. Now in the context of this um uh it's a it's a prayer of thanksgiving for the sovereign power of God and uh it's not a prayer of deliverance.

It it's it's more of just saying God even though the heathen raged we know you are in control. And and the only request that the disciples had after they did did this because remember Peter and John uh you know are being put on trial for their boldness and uh look at verses 29 and verse 31 in Acts chapter 4 if you're there. Verse 29 says and now Lord behold their threatenings and grant unto the servants that with all boldness they may speak thy word. See, disciples, they've been arrested for preaching the gospel and for doing what God called them to do. And they were being threatened by all these leaders saying, "You can't do this anymore.

You can't you can't preach the gospel. You can't tell about Jesus." And and and here they they quoted Psalms chapter 2. And then in verse 29, it says, "Listen, these guys are making all kinds of ragings, threatenings, and and all the rest of this, but God give us boldness despite their ragings." Verse 31, "And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness." So they quoted Psalms chapter 2 as a prayer saying these guys are raging how we shouldn't preach and we shouldn't live for God and do what God told us to do.

But God give us boldness to ignore that and to stay faithful. So that's why they're quoting it there in Acts chapter 2. So what does the word rage in verse one mean? The heathen rage. uh the idea of the word. Now in my Bible I have kind of a reference to the middle uh of my Bible for verse number one there and it's for that it says a throng tumultuous or restless and the idea the word rage is is defined as snorting nighing or prancing of a horse. You know, horses kind of try to fight against the bit and tell you, "I'm in control, not you." And they're raging against the control of God. If you've ever ridden a horse, sometimes they kind of try to use that their mouth their head and try to buck against you and pull and snort and raise like who you tell me what to do.

And that's what the heathen are doing here. And so, it's metaphorically of the hottiness and insolence of man saying, "We can do what we want. God can't control us." That's the idea of that word rage. Now imagine the people imagine a vain thing is the idea of imagine is the same word as meditate in Psalms 1:2. Now look at Psalms 1:2 again. But his lies in the law of the Lord is the law that they meditate day and night. In their meditations, in their imagination, they think they can imagine a vain thing and imagine against God. See, the godly should use their imagination to meditate on good. The ungodly use their imagination to meditate on evil.

Look at Proverbs chapter 6. Proverbs chapter 6. You know, sometimes when you look at the world today, it's kind of like how can people come up with such wicked and evil things? It's like they spend all their time thinking about that. In in Proverbs chapter 6 and uh verses Proverbs 6:16-19, the Bible says, "These six things that the Lord hate, yay, seven are an abomination unto him, a proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devisth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift and running to mischief, a false witness to speaketh lies, and he that sow discord among the brethren."

By the way, isn't it interesting all these terrible things and one of the things that God hates besides all these other really wicked things is when people sow discord among the brethren. It's interesting sometimes the people things go together. In the New Testament, there's a list of all the wicked things that man comes to do. And you know, one of them is disobedient to parents. I mean, if I was going to have the list of the top 10 most wicked things you can do, well, I I don't know if I put that in there. It's interesting to see what God sees as wicked. But he says, "One of the things that I hate," he says, is people that devise wicked imaginations.

And boy, man does that. And wicked man does that. But so do we sometimes. We got to control our thought life. If you're not meditating good, your thoughts are going to go towards evil. and and God destroyed the world because of the imaginations of men. Go to Genesis chapter 6. Genesis chapter 6 and look at verses 5-7. And God saw the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And repented the Lord, and he made man of the earth, and he grieved him as at his heart. And the Lord said, "I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, and the creeping things, and the fowls of the airs, for it repented me that I have made them."

Our thought life is so important. And and imaginations, the meditations, what do we spend our time thinking about? Men became vain in their imaginations because they don't glorify God. Look at Romans chapter 1 and verse 21. Romans 1 and verse number 21. Romans 1:21 the Bible says because that when they knew God they glorified him not as God neither were thankful but became vain in their imaginations their full heart was darkened. If we don't glorify God that's when our imagination start taking off in the wrong direction. The word vain it means empty. empty. Look at Ecclesiastes chapter 1 and verse number two.

Ecclesiastes 1:2. Vanity of van vanity say preacher. Vanity of vanities. All is vanity. So I want to I want to control my thought life. I want to think about that was right because an empty mind is a devil's workshop and and it can become bane in my majesty's head in the wrong direction. Look at 2 Corinthians 10:5. And we'll have to stop here. 2 Corinthians chapter 10 and verse number five says, "Casting down imaginations every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God and bring to captivity every thought to the beings of Christ." Casting down imaginations. The idea this word casting.

How many of you ever had a roach fly into your hair? You ever had that happen? I have. And when it when it happens, you kind of say, "Oh, there's a roach in my head." Is that your reaction? No. Your reaction is like, "Get it out of there. Get it out of there. Get it out of there." I know. I had a roach flying my hair one time. I was driving down the road and a centipede dropped on my shoulder. Uh, that was not that was not a pleasant reaction when you're on the freeway at 50 miles an hour and you got a centipede dropping on your shoulder. Uh, that's not a big Yeah. Casting down. When that animation come, we got to cast it out.

We got to bring it to captivity, you know, get it under control. I want it out of there. And that's that's what he's saying. The heathen, they don't control their imaginations. And look where it leads them. And you know what? It can happen to you and I as well. And we got to bring that imagination in captivity because when we allow it to control us, it's going to rage and become a vain empty thing. And and and we're turning away from the Lord. And and that's what we have to do. And and so he goes on to talk about verse two, the kings here set themselves. I want you to think about this week. What does that word set themselves? What does that mean to set yourself? And um just continue through. So I I encourage you between now and two weeks from tonight is to um read through Psalms chapter 2 a number of times and think about it. Mark it up in your Bible.