God Dwells With The Humble
Minister: |
Rev. Ronald Van Overloop |
Date: |
12/1/2013 PM
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Text:
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Isaiah 57:15
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Psalters: |
352, 105, 192, 203 |
- With whom?
- God “dwells.”
- To “dwell” is to abide or settle down, where God is comfortable and enjoyable.
- He dwells with a spirit which agrees with Him about his honest identity: a sinful and sinning creature.
- Jehovah God is comfortable with and enjoy those who are “contrite and humble in spirit” (Psalm 24:28; 51:17; 147:3).
- Man’s “spirit” is that part of every human distinguishes him from every other creature.
- “Contrite” is to be broken in pieces, to be crushed, and “humble” is to be low or base in height or spirit.
- When God comes to us, then the regenerated becomes small, vanity, insignificant, the chief sinner.
- Natural man’s spirit is proud and arrogant; man always seeks to be independent and self-sufficient.
- Humility is honestly assessing ourselves in light of God’s holiness and our sinfulness.
- He who dwells with the humble is Jehovah God.
- He is the “high and lofty One.” God lives in majesty and without bounds for He cannot be contained locally.
- He “inhabiteth eternity.”
- He is above and beyond time (which is one of His creatures) and we are all creatures of time.
- God settles down in and abides in (where He enjoys His accomplished work).
- His “name is holy.”
- He is separated always from anything that is unholy, devil, dark, wicked and corrupt.
- Positively, God is eternally dedicated only and exclusively to Himself as the highest good.
- He dwells “in the high and holy place.”
- This is a place God prepares for Himself, where He is comfortable and enjoys Himself.
- It is God being with His people (Ex. 3:12; 33:14-16; Joshua 1:5,9; Ps. 23:4; Isa. 43:2-5).
- What is God’s purpose for dwelling with the humble and contrite ones?
- God welcomes the humble to partake of His Table, thus comforting them.
- God “revives,” i.e., renews and continues life, making us new creatures with His resurrection life.
- God humbles to give us real life, not to squash and destroy.
- Real life for sinful creatures is to be allowed to stretch out toward God loving Him in return and thanking Him.
- Listen to other promises God gives to the humble.