Bible Lessons

Psalm 38
The Jews are here under the chastening hand of God because of their sins, and the godly among them have to take their share in it, though thoroughly repentant and assured of His forgiveness (Psalm 32 ).
Enoch—type of the present day believers comprising the Church of God according to the Scriptures—was taken away without dying; but Noah—type of the redeemed of Israel in the day now near at hand—had to pass through the storm of God's judgment, yet was preserved from harm because sheltered by God's provision of the ark (Genesis 5:22-2422And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: 23And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: 24And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him. (Genesis 5:22‑24); and chapters 6 and 7).
Only in a general way is Noah to be looked on as an illustration of God's dealings with the Jews, because the Scriptures commend Noah, and there is no suggestion of punishment of him in his passing through the flood (Genesis 6:8, 9; 7:18But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. 9These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God. (Genesis 6:8‑9)
1And the Lord said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation. (Genesis 7:1)), but concerning the Jews there are many references to their sins, the culmination of which was the putting to death of the Holy One, and to God's purpose to deal with them severely on this account (See Matthew 24:9-309Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. 10And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. 11And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 12And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 14And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. 15When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) 16Then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains: 17Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: 18Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. 19And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! 20But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: 21For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. 23Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. 24For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. 25Behold, I have told you before. 26Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. 27For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 28For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together. 29Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: 30And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. (Matthew 24:9‑30); Jeremiah 30:8-98For it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off thy neck, and will burst thy bonds, and strangers shall no more serve themselves of him: 9But they shall serve the Lord their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them. (Jeremiah 30:8‑9); Daniel 12:1,1And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. (Daniel 12:1) and in this connection Matthew 27:21-2521The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas. 22Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified. 23And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified. 24When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. 25Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children. (Matthew 27:21‑25)). No less reason can there be for the Jews being for nineteen centuries without a national home, a temple, an altar, or a priest.
In Psalm 38 there is recognition that God is dealing with them on account of their sins (verses 4-8, and 18). To Him they look when friends fail, and enemies are active and strong. To man they will be silent, dumb. Firm confidence is there in God: He will answer (verse 15), when the hour for their deliverance has arrived.
Messages of God’s Love 8/31/1930