Honey From a Rock

Introduction

Beyond what Daniel mentioned, of how the term came to be used in New Testament times, it also contained an element of an appeal for salvation. Coming from Psalm 118, verse 25, and the Hebrew term Roshana, which meant, Lord, we beseech you, do save. All of our hopes are pinned upon the Messiah and his work. And what Jesus has done that we’ve commemorated this morning, and I appreciate Tad’s words as well.

Human relationships are interesting. When people get together, they tell funny stories. If you’re around certain of our members, and I mentioned one person in particular, but I mentioned his name way too much, so I won’t. But when you’re around this particular individual, then I won’t mention my name, and actually there’s a couple in our group. They always have really funny stories to tell.

In fact, it might have been funny in the past, but you tell the story on this particular occasion. Maybe you didn’t do it at your best, and the awkward silence.

That never happens to these guys. But I mean, it could happen to you. And you might get a little embarrassed. Or feel a little funny. It happens to me sometimes when I’m preaching. I’ll tell a story that’s gotten great response in the past. And I might be preaching for a church. I didn’t know it until I told the story, that they’re opposed to laughter. And it doesn’t matter how funny it is, they’re not gonna laugh. It’s always serious 100% of the time. Thanks for laughing just a little at that. Things don’t always get the response we would like. I preached a sermon last week called How Are Christians Produced. And of course, that title sounded odd as it sounded to one member that I’m talking about like babies and how they are produced.

And I said, Well, that’s actually the point of the sermon. It’s how we become babes in Christ. And we looked at Acts chapter 10 and 11, and so I preached this fundamental lesson about how one comes to Christ, becomes a Christian, and nobody responded. Well, Tony, you preach a lot of sermons. There’s only so many people in the audience, a lot of them have already come to the Lord, and so you can’t expect a response every single time you preach, even that kind of a lesson. And you don’t have to respond in the public arena to respond to a sermon. You can call me afterwards, even after I leave the building, and we’ll come back up here and we’ll baptize somebody into Christ, not a problem.

But having said all of that, and I realize my experience is limited. I get around to a lot of places and preach for a lot of people, and perhaps my experiences are even greater than some of yours in terms of the number of people that I interact with who are Christians, but maybe it’s me. Maybe I’m not just saying it in the most effective way possible. Maybe I’m not doing something as best as I could to reach people. And if that’s the case, you’d be my friend to tell me, but I don’t think that’s what the problem is. I think there are fewer people responding than in times past. Not only are there fewer people responding, I believe the attrition rate among believers may be greater than it’s ever been.

Only the Lord knows that. But my perception is that I’m right about that. And I’m not sure it has so much to do with how the message is preached by me or by others, as much as it is the increasingly secular worldly, godless, hedonistic, materialistic times in which we find ourselves. So, what are people not seeing? They fail to see or appreciate the absolutely calamitous, dreadful, and it is. I tried to choose two very descriptive adjectives here. The calamitous, dreadful situation in which they reside if they are without the Lord. If that’s where you are today, if I could preach my heart out about the need to obey Jesus Christ and you don’t respond today, it might well be because you don’t know where you’re sitting.

And the second part of that is not only do they not know where they’re sitting, they don’t know what’s being offered to them.

I want to talk to you about that briefly from the Psalms this morning and then talk more about it tonight. I’m going to introduce you to Asaph. All the Psalms were not written by David. ASAP’s songs are located at the beginning of section 3 or book 3 in the Psalms, from 73 to 83. And his probably most notable psalm is the first of those. Psalm 73. I’ve poured over and preached in sermons at least, I don’t know, 200 times. Great psalm. But there’s also one earlier in the book of Psalms, Psalm 50, which is also a favorite of mine and a notable among ASAP songs. And the question might be raised why did that Psalm not get placed in the group of ASAP Psalms? And the best I’ve come to discover that was several years ago, that it is somehow strategically placed right before David’s very familiar Psalm 51, Confession over the Sin with Bathsheba, and that the two reside together intentionally, thematically.

And I used to know why that was, but I didn’t have time to research it again this week, and I don’t know where that material is. But so there is probably, and hey, get on it and tell me tonight, somebody, why Psalm 50 and Psalm 51 seem to go together. They are certainly both epic Psalms, and that’s the other ASAP psalm. But this morning, I want to look with you briefly at one in that section, Psalm 81. And the reason why the verses are what they are is because the middle section of the Psalm have more relevance and particular relevance to the nation of Israel in their unique relationship to God. But some of the other thoughts of the Psalm extend much further to anyone who is in covenant relationship with God.

Sing for joy to God our strength. Shout joyfully to the God of Jacob. Well, let’s hope that’s what we’ve done in our singing today. I, the Lord am your God, verse 10, who brought you up from the land of Egypt, open your mouth wide, and I will fill it. But my people did not listen to my voice, and Israel did not obey me. So I gave them over to the stubbornness of their heart to walk in their own devices. Oh, that my people would listen to me, that Israel would walk in my ways. I would quickly subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their adversaries.

1. Open Your Mouth Wide, and I Will Fill It

Those who hate the Lord would pretend obedience to him. And their time of punishment would be forever. But I would feed you with the finest of the wheat, and with honey from the rock, I would satisfy you. So I suggested in the beginning that one of the things people don’t see is the plenteous provision that God promises to his covenant people. He says, Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it. And if you think that is just a reference to the nation of Israel, then you’ve not paid attention to some New Testament passages. Like blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. He has promised to provide the necessities of life to those who are his people. In Matthew chapter 6 is one example.

God is always saying, Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it to his covenant people. And here is the verse that really struck me in this section that may have a unique reference to the nation of Israel, but something that I want you to appreciate here.

I mean, there’s an element of that in the Old Testament when the people were faithful, God would cause their land to be fruitful. And you could turn over to Psalm 37 and see some of these thoughts as well. Psalm 37, delight yourself in the Lord, and this is a Psalm of David. Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

And then you move on down in verse 11, and he says, But the humble, the humble will inherit the land, and will delight themselves in abundant prosperity. Now, just for good measure, before I talk about that, read the next two verses because it pertains to where we’re going. The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes at him with the teeth. But the Lord laughs at him, for he sees his day is coming.

If you find yourself against God, against his will, against his people, your day is coming.

2. Promises of Abundance Go Much Deeper

The humble inherit the land. Israel, you do good, and I’ll give you the desires of your heart. And we talk about there is a material or health and wealth aspect to this promise, but there are always greater spiritual overtones to these promises. God fills us as his people. God abundantly satisfies us. Especially if we would choose to be filled with his spirit, as we read in Ephesians chapter 5 and verse 18. The promises of abundance do not begin and end with material things. They go much deeper and much further to the filling of a man’s soul and heart. And these are New Testament concepts. And that’s even brought out in the quotation of this verse, Psalm 37, 11 in the Beatitudes. What does it say? Matthew 5.

Blessed are the meek or the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. Well, I don’t know of any Christians who’ve ever inherited the globe. Literally.

Paul tells the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians chapter 3 and verses 21 and following, and he says, All things belong to you, and you belong to God. Plentious provision promised.

This is the promise that is spoken of and quoted on the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2. When it talks about the young men dreaming dreams and seeing visions, and the old men prophesying and all of this that’s coming true. This is coming true today, Peter said. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. And this promise of abundant blessing. You shall have plenty to eat and be satisfied. And praise the name of the Lord your God, Hosanna, who has dealt wondrously with you. Then my people will never be put to shame. Oh, they had experienced shame in the past. But a time is coming when they will not be ashamed. I am the Lord your God, and there is no other, and my people will never be put to shame.

And I will pour out my spirit in those days. Verse 29. I will display wonders in the sky. Remember when we had several sermons on the prophet Joel. About a year and a half ago. My memory serves me correct. When you think, Joel, what were you supposed to think? Oh, Reagan got it. And he’s been away off to college. He remembers. When you think of Joel, you should think of Locust. But God promises better times after the locust plague. And the concepts of blessing that we read about both in the Old Testament and certainly in a greater fulfillment in the New Testament are awesome and wonderful indeed. Certainly the peace that surpasses all comprehension are wonderful. We could spend hours. I’m not, we could spend hours talking about these incredible blessings.

3. Honey From a Rock

And guess what? It goes back to the very beginning. So it was in there. Okay, whatever. Whatever. When are we going to lunch? When do I get to get the car and look at my phone? Play my games. Watch my television. Talk to my friends. Hey. Oh. You know what? That means the devil’s winning. Because he doesn’t want you to see this. Or value this. Psalm 81 is talking about something more than physical blessing. When God says, I will satisfy you with the finest of wheat. And I know that because the latter part of the verse which really struck me was, and I will provide for you honey from rocks. Now we know. Where is that in the Old Testament? Now, hey, that reminds me of the passage where water came from a rock and satisfied Israel’s thirst.

4. Strong, Silly Stubbornness

But honey? You mean he did that too? I like water okay, especially if you’re dying of thirst. Water’s just fine. I like honey better than water. Who doesn’t like sugar? Do you think God literally brought honey out of a rock? Oh, could God literally bring honey? He can bring anything out of a rock he wants to. He’s God. And we need to be impressed with that fact at Psalm 81, verse 16. God can provide whatever he wants. He’s saying I can bring awesome things from things that are not generally noted for those things. I can bring you honey from a rock. And that’s what he’s saying. Plenteous provision. Promise. But yet so often the Lord’s people are characterized by strong silly stubborns. You can’t get that through your thick skull.

Did your mom ever tell you that? Or your dad. You can’t get that through your thick skull. I heard it once. In 18 years, like I could remember it. Sometimes we talk about getting sense knocked into us. Sometimes we’re just pretty foolish. Oh, Israel. If you would just listen to me. My people would not listen to my voice. This is Israel’s history, as we’ll see tonight. And Israel would not, Israel would not obey me. She’s compared to a silly dove in Hosea chapter 7 and verse 11. Silly sheep without sense. All we like sheep have gone astray. Isaiah 53 in verse 6, and that’s what sheep do. Sheep, that’s why they need a shepherd because sheep just wander around. They’ll go off the edge of a cliff, not paying attention.

They’ll follow the leader and go right over. They need a shepherd to guide them and protect them because so often they make silly decisions. Israel so often did it, and don’t think that Christians today don’t do it.

There’s only one way to be sheep in Jesus’ fold. He said in John 10, I am the good shepherd. I lay down my life for the sheep. I know my own, and my own know me. And my sheep listen to my voice. But so often people do not want to listen to the good shepherd. So he says, I gave them over to the stubbornness of their heart to walk in their own devices. That’s our culture.

If you reject him, he’ll let you have what you want. He’ll give you over. You know how often that language is used in the New Testament? It’s used in Romans chapter 1. He gives them over to the degrading passions that they desire. He gives them over to the way of sensuality and immorality, according to Ephesians chapter 4, as they are callous and darkened in their understanding. He’ll give you over. If you persist in your strong, silly stubbornness, he’ll let you have it. To your own detriment. And then there’s this. Oh, that my people would listen to me. It’s as if God is shocked by the sheer madness of it. People rejecting him. Choosing their own way. Silly. Strongly stubborn. Sheep. But know this. You can pursue such a course and at the same time present.

5. God Sees Right Through the Mask

I’m one of God’s people. This is what Israel often did. God sees right through the mask. Pretense doesn’t work with him. As one has said, you can’t snow the snowman. You can’t snow the creator of all the earth. He sees everything. He is El Roe, the God that sees. Go back and look at that story in Genesis chapter 16. Hagar had to be absolutely shocked that she could have an angel of the Lord come to her in the midst of her despair as she’s been pushed away by Sarah because of Ishmael, a terrible idea that Abraham and Sarah have that created friction and caused Hagar to be off on her own, and God comes and makes a promise to her. And that place was called El Roe, the God that sees.

God saw her and her affliction and pain. And so know this. Know this. You who are righteous that are suffering. Perhaps you’re suffering in a way that no one knows here today. Perhaps you’re suffering emotionally. Perhaps you’re suffering due to some relationship. Perhaps you are at your wit’s end, hanging on by a thread. No that our God sees.

Conclusion

L Roe, the God who sees. He sees the genuine believer who is hurting and beleaguered. But know this. He sees the pretender. He sees the defiant. And your day is coming. Unpleasantness is at the door. Those who hate the Lord would pretend obedience to him, and the time of their punishment would be forever. You’re wearing a mask. Better drop it. Because God’s not impressed with masks. I want to conclude with an important and inescapable detail from this Psalm. When God affirms, I, the Lord am your God. I didn’t get a response last week, and I might not get one this week. But there won’t be any egg on my face. Because I’ve made the strongest appeal that I know how, and it’s God’s appeal to you.

And I’m here to tell you that you can’t make this go away. You can ignore it all you want. You can convince yourself that you don’t need it. You can wish for other things, like I’m ready to get out of here. Would he please just wrap it up? But I’m here to say one thing to you. He is your God, whether you acknowledge it or not. But you better acknowledge it while there’s time. We are not here today because we are emotionally weak, who just needs something bigger than ourselves to believe in.

Because we are completely confident in him. And I hope our singing reflected that. And our praying reflected that. And that my preaching reflected that. That we are completely confident in him. And finally, this psalm is telling us all. Obey. Listen to the Lord. Blessings are abundant. He will satisfy you with the finest of wheat and honey from a rock. If you need to respond to his invitation, come now as we stand and say.