Psalm 58 Pull Them From The Fire

Daily Bible Study for Friday September 16, 2016

By: Hanny Lynn Stearns

Fish N Loaves Ministries, Inc.

“Multiplying God’s Word Around The Globe”

Chapter Reading for Today: Please read in your Bible before proceeding. Note that most translations are considered paraphrases. The Young’s Literal Translation provides a more accurate translation since he is the one who authored a concordance. Others are helpful for seeing a different perspective, but we cannot always depend on their wording. I hope this is helpful to you. If you are studying in another version, that is fine. I am studying from the KJV, but for the purpose of this study, I will keep it with the New King James Version.

One final note: I will put the scripture in italics to differentiate from my own writing. I am adding red to the letters when it is Jesus talking – just like the Bible. Thank you.

Psalm 100:4

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

and into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. 

Song: I Give You Glory    By: Lydia Stanley

Psalm 58

Pull Them from The Fire

Here the Psalmist recognizes that wicked people have been that way since birth. From the time they were born into the world they were up to “no good.” As funny as that may sound, it is anything but. The plea in this chapter is for God to deal with them. Their deeds are evil and the righteous need the Lord to step in and do something about it. Let’s pray…

Heavenly Father:

Thank You for being the fair and righteous Judge over all the earth. Lord, when we look around at the wickedness that is taking place in the earth today, we can be in peace knowing that You alone are the One to take vengeance on those who deserve it. Father, I ask You to anoint me and give me the utterance to speak to Your children in this message. Help us to understand the seriousness of it and show us what we should walk away with after studying it. Lord, I ask You to send this message out unhindered and unchecked by any outside force or my flesh. Make the lesson clear to each of us individually. Open our eyes to see the light in Your word. Father, we will purpose to be doers of Your holy word and not forgetful hearers. Thank You for always watching over Your word to perform it in our lives when we obey You. We give You all the glory, honor and praise in Jesus name. Amen.

If you have ever met a child who was unruly from the start, and then seen them grow up to be like little monsters, then you can well relate to the opening in this Psalm. I have seen such things and wondered why it was so. That in itself is an entirely different teaching – and a deep one at that! The fact remains that there are many evil people at work on the planet seeking to steal, kill and destroy. But wait! You say, “I thought we didn’t wrestle against flesh and blood.” You are correct in that my friend, very much so. But people who are evil are under the control and influence of the devil. Satan works through people who are not submitted to the Lord God Almighty. He puts evil thoughts in their minds. The more they give themselves to those evil thoughts – the more they carry out evil schemes, the darker their hearts become…

Ephesians 4:17-19

¹⁷ This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, ¹⁸ having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; ¹⁹ who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

There are many folks out there who know about God but deny Him completely. Have you ever noticed that in some families you hear about the ones who are called “the black sheep?” Some are born with evil spirits handed down from a previous generation. If someone does not do something about it, they become more evil in nature by the day. Many folks on the planet do not understand how the enemy works in the lives of people. Demons can take advantage of unprotected children because the parents are given over to evil. 

When the kids are very young, they are the most vulnerable. Without godly parents to pray over them and deal with any ungodly behavior, they end up with a mini monster on their hands. Over time that “mini” turns into a maximum threat to humanity! That is terribly SADD-U-CEE! Even many long time Christians are ignorant of what is really happening. They have not studied and learned about the schemes of the devil or how to take authority over him.  So now we have a world full of demon oppressed and many possessed people.

Today’s cry is for God to rise up and deal with all these evil doers. The Lord is being asked to destroy them. That is a heartfelt cry from anyone who has fallen victim to one of these “beasts.” Until Christians understand that God left dealing with the devil to us for now, they will continue to be defeated by him again and again. They are left crying out to God for help, and He has already won the victory over him. Jesus told us that He has given us the authority…

Luke 10:19

Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

This is a Bible verse that most “seasoned” Christians know in their heads by memory, yet understand little of what it really means. It causes them to live defeated lives even though they are born again and heading for heaven when they pass on from this life. It isn’t the Lord’s fault that this is happening. People have a choice. They can come and learn from the Master about the things of God, and toss all the religious nonsense to the curb so they can live a victorious Christian life, or keep suffering. It isn’t the Lord’s will to see His kids live like He never did anything for them.

Even as Jesus faced Pilate on His way to offer Himself up (willingly) as our propitiation for sin, He replied to Pilate in this manner…

John 19:10-11

¹⁰ Then Pilate said to Him, “Are You not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You?”

¹¹ Jesus answered, “You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.”

Jesus was submitted to the Father’s will. It would have been the Father who could have rescued Jesus from the hands of these sinners. Jesus gave Himself over to them willingly. It had to be that way. But understand that He had a choice. He had to make the decision to hand Himself over to them. They did not have the power to take Him until it was the proper time. Up to this point, whenever they tried to seize Him, He just removed Himself from their sight. They couldn’t take Him yet because it wasn’t time for Him to go yet. There was work to be done before the appointed hour for His ultimate sacrifice.

Today Christians – every single one of them, have the power to overcome the enemy in every battle they face. Sadly, most do not realize that. They think “God is in control” of everything and that they are powerless to overcome the devil. These are lies straight from the pit of hell! God is not controlling people or circumstances. He has left a lot up to us. Jesus had a choice. He could go to the cross or He could walk away. God never forced Him to go. It had to be His choice to live a sin free life and go to suffer for the people of the world willingly of His own accord.

Once He died, He descended into hell. He took the keys of death right out of satan’s hands…

Revelation 1:12-20

¹² Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, ¹³ and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. ¹⁴ His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; ¹⁵ His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; ¹⁶ He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. ¹⁷ And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. ¹⁸ I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death. ¹⁹ Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this. ²⁰ The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches.

Make no mistake. God is sovereign. What does this mean? Is He in control of how all this is going to play out? Absolutely! He will get His purposes accomplished in the earth. He uses people and the things He placed in the earth, like finances, to get things done for His glory and kingdom purposes. Those who will not cooperate with Him will miss out. Those who love Him, really, will get the rewards they have coming at the end of it all.

Moving on - in families, we can have a “white sheep” as well as “black sheep.” One is loving God and seeking Him with all their heart while the other is running as fast as they can in the opposite direction. Let’s look at something here…

Luke 12:49-53

⁴⁹ “I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! ⁵⁰ But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is accomplished! ⁵¹ Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division. ⁵² For from now on five in one house will be divided: three against two, and two against three. ⁵³ Father will be divided against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”

Jesus, by the very nature of Who He is and what He stands for brings division in families. Not everyone in a given family is going to go after God. Most of you reading this are certainly well aware of this. Most of us who are born again have experienced having family members who did not want to hear a thing about God no matter how good we made it sound. They need prayer and patience. Nothing is too hard for God. Otherwise none of us would be turned from darkness to light! God is bigger than the worst of sinners. Hallelujah!

He will reveal Himself to people time and time again because He does not want any to perish. But unless they turn and repent, they will perish…

Luke 13:3-5

³ I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. ⁴ Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? ⁵ I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”

The Lord will give a man every possible chance while they are still breathing on this earth. But if they do not turn around and call on Him to be saved – they will perish. Are many perishing on the earth today? Yes there they are! Is it God’s will? Absolutely not! But everyone has a choice. Jesus had a choice and so do we – all of us! Now days we have kids killing their own parents! Rebellion is rampant in our homes. Parents have ceased to teach and discipline their children in the ways of the Lord and as a result we have a terribly rebellious and defiant generation on our hands.

In the chapter today the Psalmist recorded the fact that the good people will get to see the vengeance of God on the evil. We must remember, when it comes to taking vengeance, that is the Lord’s job, not ours…

Romans 12:19

Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.

God is the ultimate Judge in all the earth. He will step in and make everything right in the end. When that time comes, the righteous people will see the rewards that God distributes to those who choose to follow Him – and He is a rewarder…

Hebrews 11:6

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

The righteous who seek the Lord will be richly rewarded in the end. But those who do not accept His free gift od salvation through Jesus Christ will perish. Their eternity is one of torment in the chambers of hell. They will be conscious and aware of nothing but pain and torment. There will not be any “partying with one’s buddies” in hell. Some are fooled into thinking that will be the case.

In this life they refuse to submit to anyone’s authority and are willing to pay the price of an eternity separated from God for a few moments of wild rebellion here. But they will soon discover it was not worth it at all! The Lord’s winnowing fan will be in His hand…

Matthew 3:12

His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

Friend, if you have never accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, don’t wait! Today is the day of salvation. Run, don’t walk to the Lord in repentance and ask Him to forgive you. He will gladly hear that cry and grant you eternal life through His Son Jesus Christ. If you confess the Lord Jesus with your mouth and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead – you will be saved. He does not make it complicated. Just admit to Him that you have sinned and ask for His forgiveness. If you will humble yourself before Him, He will lift you up to eternal life and your joy will be full – hallelujah! If you have backslidden, having tasted the gift of salvation but turning back to a life of sin, He is calling you to come back while there is still time…

Jude

¹ Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ: ² Mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.

³ Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. ⁴ For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁵ But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. ⁶ And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day; ⁷ as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

⁸ Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries. ⁹ Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” ¹⁰ But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves. ¹¹ Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.

¹² These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots; ¹³ raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.

¹⁴ Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, ¹⁵ to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.”

¹⁶ These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage. ¹⁷ But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ:¹⁸ how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. ¹⁹ These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit.

²⁰ But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, ²¹ keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

²² And on some have compassion, making a distinction; ²³ but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.

²⁴ Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, ²⁵ to God our Savior, Who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power,    both now and forever. Amen.

God is a righteous Judge. Anyone who does not repent will one day be very sorry. I cannot imagine an eternity of suffering in a lake of fire. Ask me how serious this is? Just last night I had a dream. There was a terrible fire. It was awful! The Lord was showing me what was to be in today’s message. It is a message of the future for those who will not turn to the Lord for mercy and receive His wonderful grace. He became a King through a crown of thorns. What Jesus did for all of us on the planet is worthy of all our praise! We should be continually praising Him and giving Him glory for His indescribable gift to mankind in spite of our terrible rebellion! Glory to His name forever!

Questions:

How did this study change your thinking about the wicked?

What did you get the most out of this chapter?

What difference will this make in your life?

Who can you share this study with?

There are three main points to consider from today’s study…

God is a righteous Judge

God rewards the righteous who seek Him

The end of all things is near – pull the lost from the fire

                        Let’s pray…

Heavenly Father:

Thank You for the reminder that I do not have to take vengeance on those who seek to bring me harm. Lord, I want to show love and compassion for people like You do. No matter who they are or how they act, I know they are trapped in darkness. I ask You to show me who I can speak to and what the exact words are - the word in season to one who is weary. Father, I want to be a soldier in Your army and stay busy in my position on Your battlefield so that lives can be saved and changed. I ask You to show me what I need to see after studying this chapter. I will be prompt to respond to Your leading and direction. I thank You in advance in Jesus mighty and precious name. Amen.

Who are you going to pull from the fire?

And God Said… You fill in the blanks.

Hosea 14:1-9

14 O Israel, return to the Lord your God,
For you have stumbled because of your iniquity;
² Take words with you,
And return to the Lord.
Say to Him,
“Take away all iniquity;
Receive us graciously,
For we will offer the sacrifices^[a] of our lips.
³ Assyria shall not save us,
We will not ride on horses,
Nor will we say anymore to the work of our hands, ‘You are our gods.’
For in You the fatherless finds mercy.”

⁴ “I will heal their backsliding,
I will love them freely,
For My anger has turned away from him.
⁵ I will be like the dew to Israel;
He shall grow like the lily,
And lengthen his roots like Lebanon.
⁶ His branches shall spread;
His beauty shall be like an olive tree,
And his fragrance like Lebanon.
⁷ Those who dwell under his shadow shall return;
They shall be revived like grain,
And grow like a vine.
Their scent shall be like the wine of Lebanon.

⁸ “Ephraim shall say, ‘What have I to do anymore with idols?’
I have heard and observed him.
I am like a green cypress tree;
Your fruit is found in Me.”

⁹ Who is wise?
Let him understand these things.
Who is prudent?
Let him know them.
For the ways of the Lord are right;
The righteous walk in them,
But transgressors stumble in them.