The Tabernacle Today

Psalm 52 Worksheet

Psalm 52 is set when Doeg the Edomite went and tattled on David to Saul, “David has gone to the house of Ahimelech.” 1 Samuel 22

Psalm 52 is the first of 8 _________________ psalms in a row by David, going through Psalm 59.

Description of an _____________________ man V. 1-4

The mighty man in verse 1 is probably King Saul, who acted so viciously on this occasion by killing the priests of Nob. Their only crime was ______________________ David, who had made clear he meant Saul no harm.

Actually, the word for goodness is actually our word Hesed, God’s lovingkindness. David was not going to stop ______________________ in God’s lovingkindness because of the evil words and actions of Saul.

There are of course times God has us fight back in a “just war” way, but never in a way where we ourselves _____________________ in evil actions.

Verse 3 is a great challenge to us today – let us love God and hate sin. Let us not love evil more than good, and lying rather than speaking what is _____________________.

What God will do with an evil man V. 5-7

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. -Galatians 6:7

In verse 1 David had spoken of how God is about goodness even when evil men do evil things. Here in verse 5 we see part of the confidence behind that assertion – God will bring __________________ to those who bring evil upon others.

Rarely do evil men see judgment come upon their fellow evildoers and stop doing evil themselves. In their __________________ they think they will keep getting away with what other evil men used to.

When godly people see judgment finally come to evildoers, it reinforces that they were right to _________________ God instead.

Isn’t it interesting how Psalm 53 follows Psalm 52, where again we learn that “the fool says in his heart, there is no God.” Atheism is such folly that Psalm 53 is virtually identical to Psalm 14. Don’t be a fool!

The thought there in Psalm 53:5 (the one big difference between Psalm 14 and 53) goes right along with David’s teaching in Psalms 52-59: God will deal decisively with the wicked fool who ______________________ God and hurts God’s people.

Desire of a _________________ man V. 8-9

Instead of meeting evil with evil, David seeks God and goes to His house. The word mercy in verse 8 is also Hesed. One of the main ways we can respond to evil in the world is by ________________________ God with like-minded believers.

A Fitting Founder

State of Southern Baptists and Baptisms:

Southern Baptist Baptisms by select years:

1972 445,725 (most ever)

2000 414,657

2018 246,442 (74 year low)

2020 123,160

2022 180,177

Baptisms 2022: Percentage of Churches:

ZERO 43%

1-5 34%

6-9 9% Tabernacle baptized 8 in 2021-22

10+ 13% Tabernacle baptized 11 in 2022-23

Overall, Southern Baptist churches averaged 5.4 baptisms per church in 2022.

Urban churches (8.6) averaged more than suburban (5.5) and rural (3.1) ones.

Newer churches averaged more baptisms than older churches:

Source: Lifeway Research

Read Matthew 3:13-17

John knew he was not worthy to baptize Jesus V. 13-14

But from verse 14 we understand that John knew Jesus had no sin to confess and repent of. Indeed, from John 1:29, we know that John understood that Jesus was the perfect Lamb of God who would take away the sin of the world.

Jesus got baptized anyway, viewing it as the right thing to do V. 15

The Greek word for fitting is the word prepo (G 421). It occurs 7 times in the New Testament, and means fitting, proper, appropriate, and acceptable.

For it was fitting that He, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the Founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. -Hebrews 2:10

What Jesus is indicating here is that He came to earth to fully identify with humans in every way, and would model doing the right thing no matter how much He was tempted or suffered.

“Even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” -Matthew 20:28

Two ways Jesus’ baptism show He is our Fitting Founder:

First, His identification with us in His baptism foreshadows His identification with us on the Cross.

Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. -Romans 6:4-6

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. And the life I now live I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. -Galatians 2:20

He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge. -Psalm 91:4

Secondly, from His baptism we learn that Jesus will never ask us to anything He didn’t personally model for us.

The Triune God’s presence and pleasure in Jesus’ baptism V. 16-17

“Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about 3,000 souls were added to them” -Acts 2:41

“Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized? -Acts 8:36

“…Although it is evident that the term baptize means to immerse, and that this was the form used by the primitive church.” -J. Calvin, Institutes, Bk. IV, Pg. 524

All three members of the Trinty were present at Jesus’ baptism – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in Heaven and on Earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. -Matthew 28:18-20

Consequently, He is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a High Priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. -Hebrews 7:25-26

Psalm 51 Worksheet

This is the classic psalm on repentance and __________________________!

David asks for God to deal with his sin based on God’s own faithful and loving nature, not his own ____________________ nature (v. 1) 1 John 1:9

Guilt is a great _________________ from God (v. 2)

David calls his sin what it was - ___________________________ (v. 3)

In what sense can he say that it is against God alone that he has sinned? (v. 4)

Now even though this is an intensely personal prayer, there is a lot of excellent ______________ in it (v. 5-6)

He is saying that people are more than sinners by choice, they are sinners by _______________ (v. 5-6)

Hyssop was used by priests in the O.T. It was a leafy plant that they would use to sprinkle water or blood on a person being cleansed from ___________________ (v. 7)

David is acknowledging the ___________________ by Nathan was a good thing (v. 8)

This is the second time he refers to ___________________. It really can be like a megaphone in our lives (v. 9)

The word for _____________________ is the same word used in Genesis 1 to speak of God creating ex nihilo (out of nothing) (v. 10)

You can tell a lot about a person by what they are concerned about _________________ after they sin (v. 11)

How do we reconcile Psalm 51:11 with Ephesians 1:13-14? Hint: John 7:37-39

God may not like ‘yes’ men, but He loves “Yes, ____________” men! (v. 12)

God says, “Now that you’ve confessed your sin and been restored, I’ve got future _________________ for you!” (v. 13)

David looks forward to when he will enjoy ____________________ again! (v. 14)

David looks forward to when he will ___________________ again! (v. 15)

External worship means nothing without the _________________ reality! (v. 16-17)

David prays that despite his sin, for God’s glory, Zion will ________________ (v. 18-19)

Christ’s Advance Man - Matthew 3:1-12

The Law and the Prophets were until John; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is preached… - Luke 16:16a

In all 4 gospels Jesus’ public ministry began after His baptism by John the Baptist. Of the 283 verses in the first four gospels leading up to Christ’s baptism, 135 (48%) are about His prophesied advance man, John the Baptist.

The man, the message, and the movement - V. 1-6

The man

And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare His ways, to give knowledge of salvation to His people in the forgiveness of their sins… -Luke 1:16-17

The message

The word repent is the Greek word, “metanoia,” which means “change of mind.” True repentance is seen when that change of mind leads to change of direction and change of actions.

The Kingdom was at hand because Jesus the King was at hand!

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. - John 1:6-8

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I said, After me comes a man who ranks before me, because He WAS before me.” - John 1:29-30

“He (Jesus) must increase, and I must decrease.” - John 3:30

Many came to Jesus and said, “John never did a sign (miracle), but everything John said about this Man (Jesus) was true.” And many of them believed in Him there. - John 10:41-42

The movement

Now we to understand that this was a unique baptism, different than Christian baptism (Acts 19).

The symbolism was powerful. Jews of the day had begun baptizing Gentile converts to Judaism, but never Jews. John The Baptist was saying the entire filthy nation needed to be washed! He was calling them to both repentance of sin and readiness to follow Jesus.

The moral courage to rebuke the unrepentant V. 7-12

If your way of fleeing the wrath to come is as self-centered & self-focused as the religious leaders who came to JTB, you are heading toward ‘unquenchable fire.’

Note the order: first, repent and place faith in Jesus; then, demonstrate your faith by bearing fruit.

But to all who did receive Him (Jesus), who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. - John 1:12-13

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing: it is the gift of God, not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. - Ephesians 2:8-10

Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he. - Matthew 11:11

Which group would you have been in? Repentant and ready for Jesus? Or unrepentant and rejecting of Jesus?

“Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” - John 1:29

John’s baptism represented cleansing and readiness; Spirit baptism occurs at the moment of salvation for believers (1 Cor. 12:13; Eph. 1:13-14; Jn 7:37-39); Baptism with fire represents the coming judgment when everyone whose name is not in the Book of Life will be sent to the Lake of Fire (Rev. 20:11-15).

It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment. - Hebrews 9:27

Psalm 50 Worksheet

We come now to the first Psalm attributed to Asaph. Asaph wrote 12 psalms, this one, then 73 through 83.

Who was Asaph in the Bible?

Asaph was one of David’s ____________________ song leaders, and his sons carried on as song leaders at the Temple for generations to come. 1 Chr. 16:7 2 Chr. 29:30

For in the days of David and Asaph of old there were chiefs of the singers, and songs of praise and thanksgiving to God. -Nehemiah 12:46

The Great God calls the __________________________ to order! V. 1-6

What is God calling the earth to in verse 1?

To be a ________________________ to the charges God is about to make.

Men often have to think and live like practical atheists to sin the way they do. But God will come, men will ________________________, and God will have the last word!

Although Ps. 50 may be a rhetorical challenge, it reminds us of 2 great judgments to come:

The Great White Throne Judgment of unbelievers. Revelation 20

The Bema seat Judgment for ____________________. Romans 14:8-13

God’s indictment on _______________________ sacrifice V. 7-15

Notice that God is not just the Judge, but the ________________________!

The essence of verses 8-9 is that God doesn’t need us the way we need Him, so when you bring your offering to Him, don’t think you are doing Him a ____________________, bringing Him something He doesn’t possess!

Deuteronomy 8:11-20

Verses 14-15 tell us what to do when we have not been bringing God right sacrifices from a __________ heart.

God’s indictment on _______________________ practices V. 16-23

Sometimes we talk a lot about the sins of others and minimize and ____________________ our own and others close to us. Israel did it too. Here God calls that wickedness.

God is basically charging them with _____________________, as Jesus did when He came to earth.

Asaph’s song is very clear that God is not up in Heaven ‘________________________’ at our sin.

The last couple of verses don’t take away from God’s teaching about justification by faith, such as Genesis 15:6 – “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” The last couple verses call for the “_________________________ of the faith,” or as James said, being “doers of the word.”

By the way, note that James 1:18 comes before James 1:22 and James great statement that “faith without works is dead” in James chapter 2.

“The faith that saves is faith alone, but the faith that saves is never alone.”

True faith will do good works = true new birth will result in fruit being born.