June 17, 2010

“Countenance”

Blessings Folk!

Let us look a little more at Psalm 43.

Often, we do well to read the Word in various versions of translations.

We have previously read from the New American Standard...read it again...come on, only five verses.

Psalm 43   
1 Vindicate me, O God, and plead my case against an ungodly nation;
         O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man!
    2 For You are the God of my strength; why have You rejected me?
         Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?
    3 O send out Your light and Your truth, let them lead me;
         Let them bring me to Your holy hill
         And to Your dwelling places.
    4 Then I will go to the altar of God,
         To God my exceeding joy;
         And upon the lyre I shall praise You, O God, my God.
    5 Why are you in despair, O my soul?
         And why are you disturbed within me?
         Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him,
         The help of my countenance and my God.

We have seen in previous times together that the Psalmist was..

• verse 1, asking God to vindicate him, to plead his case, deliver
• verse 2, acknowledging that God was his strength, yet he felt rejected, was mourning
• verse 3, asking God to send forth His light and truth to lead him...he wanted to be led to the presence and dwelling place of God
• verse 4, determining to praise God, his exceeding joy

While thinking, meditating and speaking upon this Psalm something struck me in verse 5.

David was talking to himself.

He was declaring “why are you in despair, O my soul?”

We see this pattern in several of the Psalms.
The Psalmist cries out...wonders...doubts?

He then declares the Might and Power of God.
He then questions himself.
Then, determines that He will praise the Lord...trust in God, hope in God.

We as humans consist of spirit, soul and body.

1 Thessalonians 5:23
 23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The soul is the seat of the emotions.

David was declaring to his soul that he would not be ruled by the emotions of the situation. He would trust in God. He would hope in God.

David knew that the help of his countenance was God.

What is “countenance”?

Dictionary.com defines “countenance” as…

–noun
1.
appearance, esp. the look or expression of the face: a sad countenance.
2.
the face; visage.
3.
calm facial expression; composure.
4.
approval or favor; encouragement; moral support.
5.
Obsolete . bearing; behavior.

–verb (used with object)
6.
to permit or tolerate: You should not have countenanced his rudeness.
7.
to approve, support, or encourage.

The Lord is telling us that He is the one who “helps” our countenance.

The Authorized Version (KJV) of the Word gives some interesting insight…give close attention to verse 5.

Psalm 43
 1 Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation: O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man.
 2 For thou art the God of my strength: why dost thou cast me off? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?
 3 O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles.
 4 Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God.
 5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

Has your soul ever been “disquieted”?…”uncalm”, stressed, pressured…

Here is the solution.

Hope in God.
Praise God.

Understand this. God is the “health” (I like that!) of our countenance.

If we are reflecting anything other than the countenance of the Lord, then we are walking in the flesh, we are walking in sin. We are not abiding. Sin is simply not abiding in the Lord.

I think there is something to the “health” element here.

I do know that the Lord desires to lift up our countenance.

How do I know?

One last example...hang on…

Genesis 4
6 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen?
 7 "If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it."

Cain was angry because the Lord had not accepted his offering. (It was not what the Lord called for&hellip

The Lord sought to restore and warn Cain.
The Lord told Cain that if he did well...worship as prescribed...the Lord would lift up his countenance.
If he did not do well?
Sin was crouching at the door.

We are warned.

Sin is crouching at the door.
Sin desires us.
By abiding in the Lord we can master sin.
By allowing the Lord to be the health of our countenance we can live in abiding victory.

You know what Cain did. He killed his brother. But, do you know what he did between this conversation with God and the murder?

Genesis 4
8 Cain told Abel his brother. And it came about when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.

Cain told Abel what God had said.
Then he killed him.

Not allowing God to be the health of our countenance brings forth death.

Let us not do so.

Seek the Lord today.

Psalm 3
 1 Lord, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me.
 2 Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah.
 3 But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.
 4 I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah.