Lesson Eight: IN THE PSALMS: Part 1
Introduction: In as much as there are biblical stories in the Old Testament that help us to interpret God’s relations in the book of Revelation, this week gets us studying how the songs in Psalms help us understand more about the Revelations that were given to John the Apostle.
Memory Text: Revelation 14:1(NKJV)
“Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father’s name written on their foreheads.”
SABBATH; The book of Psalms helps us understand how the Lord detests sin, how God interacts with human beings in regards to sin, how joyful the presence of the Lord is, and explains the promises of forgiveness and salvation given to us by God. In the same way, Psalms helps us to better understand the end-time mission that we, as the remnant church have, which is, sharing the Gospel to all people, calling them to worship and obey the true God, Our Creator.
SUNDAY; All the details, in furniture and items used in the tabernacle to be built by Moses, were stipulated by God and they all pointed to Jesus Christ, who fulfils the position of the High Priest. People such as David in the book of Psalms, expressed how they felt concerning what the Messiah would do for them regarding the Sanctuary services. Similarly, we learn from these experiences and are called to learn from our experiences with God, in like manner to the people of that time.
(READ Exodus 25:40; Hebrews 9:11-15; 1Corinthians 10:11; Psalms 122)
MONDAY; King David asks who is worthy to be in the presence of God, for all have fallen short of the glory of God and are unworthy to be infront of God. Seemingly, he is answered in Revelation 14 when the Lamb of God is seen with the twenty four thousand on Mount Zion. This illustrates the righteous people standing in the presence of God, depicted by Mt Zion, only by the merit of Jesus Christ, who is the Lamb of God.
(READ Psalms 15, 24; Revelation 14:1-5; Hebrews 10;19&20)
TUESDAY; The second time that Moses is called upon to pick the Ten Commandments on the tablets of stone, he asks to see the glory of the Lord and God promises to show him His goodness. God also tells Moses about His character because God’s glory is revealed through His character. Likewise, the people that have God’s name on their foreheads in Revelation 14, stand for those who reflect God’s character through obedience to His law, since God’s law represents His character as well. This is why the new covenant declares God’s law written on the hearts of His people, that they are able to live and reflect His character.
(READ Exodus 33:18-23; 34:1-7; Psalms 119:55; Hebrews 10:16&17; 1John 5:3)
WEDNESDAY; King David makes it clear that the wicked are not able to approach the throne of God. It is only the redeemed that are able to do so, the merit given to them through their faith in Jesus Christ. David calls for the world to worship the true God and Creator, a theme very crucial in the end times and the great controversy as well. In addition, the redeemed have no deceit in their mouths, just as Revelation entails of the same. Furthermore, the rejoicing that David calls people to do, is similar to the proclamation of God’s glory and praise done by the redeemed as John the Revelator writes.
(READ Psalms 5; Revelation 14:1-12)
THURSDAY;.David asks God to cleanse Him from his unrighteousness and David promises to teach the evildoers the way of the Lord that they may turn away from it. The same is to be done in the last days, when the influence of God’s people will be felt by the whole world, as Revelation 18 entails. Furthermore, proclaiming the everlasting gospel makes all the sense because of the hope we have in Jesus Christ, who makes it possible for us to have everlasting life at the end of the age.
(READ Isaiah 6:1-8; Psalms 51:7-15; Revelation 14:6-9)
FRIDAY; The psalms of David pass through the whole range of experience, from the depths of conscious guilt and self-condemnation to the loftiest faith and the most exalted communing with God. His life record declares that sin can bring only shame and woe, but that God’s love and mercy can reach to the deepest depths, that faith will lift up the resenting soul to share the adoption of the sons of God.
(READ Patriarchs and Prophets, pp 754 and 755 by Ellen G White)
CAPTIONS:
SUNDAY; Our High Priest
MONDAY; On Mount Zion
TUESDAY; Law in our hearts
WEDNESDAY; Psalm 5
THURSDAY; Teach transgressors Your way
FRIDAY; Further thought
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS;
1. Think about all the Bible promises of victory over sin. Why, even with those promises, do we still find ourselves falling short of the perfect example Jesus has set for us, and why do we need His perfect life as our Substitute?
2. What passages in the Psalms have you found particularly helpful or meaningful in that they reflect the kind of experiences that you have gone through yourself?
3. Based on the Ellen G White above, what has been your own experience with how God has lifted your “repenting soul to share the adoption of the sons of God” after the “shame and woe” of sin?
