Our Battle-cry in Christ! Psalm 68:2

Text: “As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the Presence of God.”

Psalm 68:2.

Good morning, straight-talking Christian!  When you come before the Living Lord God in prayer, the words that you use are straight-talking words; clear words that are spoken from your very heart in humble submission to God of very God: our Divine Father in Heaven. 

“…Our Father which art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy Name…”                   (Matthew 6:9)

Human fathers, in love for their little children, can often look down upon them and almost read their tiny minds, knowing what they are about to ask them, before they actually ask.

How much more then, does our Heavenly Father already KNOW what is in our hearts and minds when we come before His Almighty Presence in prayer? 

Therefore, it is of no positive use for us to be what some might call ‘mealie mouthed’ (over-squeamish, especially in choice of words…) in prayer to a Lord God Who already knows what is really in our hearts.  No.  We must strive to be straight-talkers when in the place of prayer with the Lord God.

“But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.  Be ye not therefore like them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask.” (Matthew 6:7-8)

In today’s Bible text from Psalm 68, we see the Psalmist already well persuaded what he needs to pray for, when focusing on God’s enemies – the world, the flesh, and the Devil.  He is not holding back, or seeking to cover what he really needs to pray for in a covering of false piety, or equivocation.  No.  His prayer is straight-talking prayer to Almighty God, for what the Lord God Himself has seen fit to have written for instruction in His own infallible Word: “As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the Presence of God.”  There is no equivocation in these clear words!

So many professing Christians today, within this increasingly apostate 21^st Century church of men-pleasers, are devoid of what we might define as a Spiritual back-bone.  Too often, we find Pastors, and men in leadership of ‘the church international and universal’, who are so much LESS than straight-talking, Christ-motivated; Spirit-inspired speakers. There seems to be no passion in them!  God’s Word is truth!  Let’s be passionate about it!

“To the Law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this Word, it is because there is no light in them.”  (Isaiah 8:20)

Alexander McCaul (1840) comments on Verses 1-3 of Psalm 68: “The words of the text contain a prayer for the second advent of the Lord Jesus Christ.  As members of the Christian church, we continually profess our faith in the second coming of Christ; and, it may be, that we sometimes meditate upon His glorious appearance; but have we, like David, adopted it as one of the subjects of our address at the throne of grace?... Has our faith ever enabled us to take up the language of the text, and say, Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered: let them also that hate Him flee before Him?  Never shall the honour of Christ be complete, nor His people happy, nor the righteous be glad and rejoice exceedingly, until God arise and His enemies be scattered.”  (Alexander McCaul, in ‘Plain Sermons on Subjects Practical and Prophetic’.)

From 44 years of often harsh experience, I can affirm the fact that straight-talking Christian witnesses, Pastors, Bible-believing Teachers – are seldom fully received in many little ‘holy-huddle church groups’, that are ‘proud of the fact that 'we never offend anyone.’ Groan…

Let me state very plainly, dear Reader, that if you and I, as forthright, straight-talking Christian witnesses - of the new birth in Christ; of the real Cross of Jesus; of a Heaven that’s Holy and a Hell that’s hot – do NOT succeed in often offending our hearers by our straight-talking, there is something lacking in the power of our Christian witness. The truth hurts, and the truth should always hurt the hearts, minds, and very souls of sinners dead in trespasses and sins.  It is such soul-searching words of God’s truth that sets the captives free.

“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free…If the Son (the Lord Jesus Christ) therefore shall make you free ye shall be free indeed.”  (John 8:32-36)

“Neither is there Salvation in any other: for there is none other name under Heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”  (Acts 4:12)

If telling our hearers that there is only ONE way to have sins forgiven and to go to an Eternal Heaven – and that way is through the full Atonement Sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ on Calvary’s Cross – offends them.  So be it!  Truth cannot change to suit hearers.

If I can ‘offend’ a precious soul all the way into Heaven – that is what I must do!

God’s enemies beware – it will not end good for your immortal soul.

Verse 2. “As the smoke is driven away.  They fume in pride; they darken the sky with their malice; they mount higher and higher in arrogance; they defile wherever they prevail.  Lord, let Thy breath, Thy Spirit, Thy Providence, make them vanish forever from the march of Thy people.  Philosophic scepticism is flimsy and as foul as smoke; may the Lord deliver His church from the reek of it.” (C.H. Spurgeon, Treasury of David, page 290-291)

Verse 2. “As wax melteth before the fire.”  The wicked, Christ-rejecters, and Gospel-haters seem today to stand impregnable and victorious in their anti-Christian stance; their foul-legislations; their oppositions to God’s Word veiled in the words of Human Rights.

 However, have you ever watched a candle’s reaction when once the wick is lit by a flame?  Immediately, the wax of the candle begins to melt into liquid, its back-bone as it were, disintegrates into nothingness; what we thought looked firm and strong, becomes less than weak and watery, and turns to a substance made only to fuel the candle’s fire. (Dr C.K. McClinton 1947-?)

Our Lord God Almighty is a thrice Holy Lord Being Who, in all His three Persons, cannot tolerate sin for a mini-moment.  In order to remain an absolutely Holy Lord God, God must punish all and every sin – in word, thought, and in deed.  Fact.

“Wherefore we receiving a Kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and fear: for our God is a consuming fire.” (Hebrews 12:28-29)

Thought: If we Christians believe our KJV Bibles – we must be straight in proclaiming its truths, no matter who is humanly offended.  God’s truth does not change. (Numbers 23:19)