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Week #20 Resh Psalm 119:153-160
“What Does Love Look Like?”
I did a Google search on “love songs”, and found this list (found at weddingcentral.com) Top 100 Love Songs of All Time The top 100 love songs covering over four decades of music. # Song Title
Year
Artist
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22
1973 1980 1956 1999 1990 1997 1977 1972 1975 1970 1990 1965 1989 1978 1964 1979 1984 1971 1971 1992 1981 1984
Marvin Gaye Bette Midler Elvis Presley Dido Extreme Sarah McLachlan The Beatles Al Green Barry White The Jackson 5 Sinead O'Connor Sonny & Cher Chris Isaak Eric Clapton The Beatles Cheap Trick George Michael/Wham! The Carpenters The Carpenters Whitney Houston Diana Ross & Lionel Richie Prince
Let's Get It On The Rose Love Me Tender Thank You More Than Words Building A Mystery It's Only Love Let's Stay Together You're The First, The Last, My Everything I'll Be There Nothing Compares 2 U I Got You Babe Wicked Game Wonderful Tonight Faithfully - 1983 Journey And I Love Her - 1964 The Beatles And I Love Her I Want You To Want Me Careless Whisper Superstar I Will Always Love You Endless Love I Would Die 4 U
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23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69
Always That's The Way Love Goes Maybe I'm Amazed P.S. I Love You Alison Your Song Wild Thing Feelings Fallin' Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic I'll Make Love To You Time After Time This Boy Best Of My Love She's Got A Way I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That) Three Times A Lady It Must Have Been Love I Just Want To Be Your Everything First Time Ever I Saw Your Face Nobody Wants To Be Lonely Unchained Melody I Need Love Love To Love You Baby I Want To Know What Love Is My Heart Will Go On Eternal Flame How Do I Live Baby, I Love Your Way Hero Roxanne Tell Me What You See I Don't Want To Miss A Thing Here And Now Don't Speak Crazy For You Stop To Love Total Eclipse Of The Heart How Deep Is Your Love Heartbreak Hotel I'll Follow The Sun Open Arms Breathe You're The One That I Want Happy Together I'll Stand By You You Don't Bring Me Flowers
1987 1993 1970 1964 1977 1971 1966 1975 2001 1981 1994 1984 1964 1977 1971 1993 1978 1986 1977 1972 2000 1965 1987 1976 1985 1997 1988 1997 1976 2001 1978 1965 2002 1989 1995 1987 1986 1983 1978 1956 1964 1982 1999 1978 1967 1994 1979
Atlantic Starr Janet Jackson Paul McCartney The Beatles Elvis Costello Elton John The Troggs Morris Albert Alicia Keys The Police Boyz II Men Cyndi Lauper The Beatles The Emotions Billy Joel Meat Loaf The Commodores Roxette Andy Gibb Roberta Flack Ricky Martin The Righteous Brothers LL Cool J Donna Summer Foreigner Celine Dion The Bangles LeAnn Rimes Peter Frampton Enrique Iglesias Sting & The Police The Beatles Aerosmith Luther Vandross No Doubt Madonna Luther Vandross Bonnie Tyler The Bee Gees Elvis Presley The Beatles Journey Faith Hill John Travolta w/ Olivia Newton-John The Turtles The Pretenders Barbra Streisand w/ Neil Diamond
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70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100
All Out Of Love Secret Garden We Belong Un-break My Heart I Will You're In My Heart This I Promise You Unforgettable I'll Be There For You Girl All Cried Out Iris More Than A Feeling By Your Side If I Fell Love Will Keep Us Together Never Tear Us Apart I Feel For You Alone I Can't Make You Love Me Woman Here There And Everywhere You Are The Sunshine Of My Life (Everything I Do) I Do It For You You're Still The One You Are So Beautiful Always On My Mind Because You Loved Me Melt With You Save The Best For Last Words Of Love
1980 1995 1985 1996 1968 1978 2000 1991 1989 1965 1986 1998 1976 2000 1964 1975 1988 1984 1987 1991 1981 1966 1973 1991 1997 1975 1982 1996 1983 1991 1964
Air Supply Bruce Springsteen Pat Benatar Toni Braxton The Beatles Rod Stewart NSYNC Natalie Cole f/ Nat King Cole Bon Jovi The Beatles Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam w/ Full Force Goo Goo Dolls Boston Sade The Beatles Captain & Tennille INXS Chaka Khan Heart Bonnie Raitt John Lennon The Beatles Stevie Wonder Bryan Adams Shania Twain Joe Cocker Willie Nelson Celine Dion Modern English Vanessa Williams The Beatles
I wonder how many of those songs we know? What does love look like, according to these songs? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
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Now, let’s compare the list above to the one we’ll compile as we read through today’s portion of Psalm 119: 153 Consider my affliction and deliver me, For I do not forget Your law.
The Psalmist is in trouble. He needs God’s help, and he knows, perhaps, that he doesn’t deserve it. He remembers the law of God, and his own life doesn’t measure up, he knows it. He feels shame. Which laws of God do you think the Psalmist has broken? Which laws of God have you broken? How can anyone ask for God’s deliverance when he has rebelled against God’s ways? John 8:1-12. What did love look like for a woman who was shamed openly before the whole world?
The woman caught in adultery. The ultimate shameful experience – to be caught in the act of doing something very personal and horrible. The Priests and Pharisees set her in the middle of a group of condemning and meanspirited men, and used her as a tool to force Jesus to condemn her, too. They wanted to put Jesus in a lose-lose situation. He couldn’t say sin was OK, or He would be exposed as being totally opposite of God. And He couldn’t say “Stone her!”, or he would be seen as hateful and condemning, just like the ones He was preaching to. But what did love look like? Love first protected her from the ones who would kill her. Then Love refused to condemn her….and sent her on her way with hope. Love told her she could be different. Wow.
154 Plead my cause and redeem me; Revive me according to Your word.
The Psalmist needs a lawyer. Someone who will present his case and then pay the price for what he has done. He is facing a death sentence and needs nothing less than a miracle to bring him back from the dead. Luke 23:39-43 What did love look like for someone facing a death sentence?
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Two thieves were hanging on crosses next to Jesus. One of them didn’t believe Jesus was the Son of God, and made fun of Him. The other one admitted that he was a sinner and asked Jesus to show mercy to him. Jesus was able to love the one who believed, but could do nothing for the other, who refused to believe. He wanted to love both of them. He was dying for both of them. He gave love and forgiveness to the one who would receive it. (John 1:12) 155 Salvation is far from the wicked, For they do not seek Your statutes.
The Psalmist knows that the wicked love their sin, and want nothing to do with the ways of God. John 4. What did love look like for a woman who was quite comfortable with her sin?
The woman in the little Samaritan town was living with someone she was not married to. She had long ago given up even trying to look like the rest of the respectable people in town. She had been married 5 times, but this sixth time she didn’t even bother to get married. Jesus honestly faced her with her sin, told her everything she had ever done, and offered to give her water – the kind of water that, once she drank it, she would never thirst again. He offered to give her the very thing she needed so that she could stop “looking for love in all the wrong places”. She ran into the town to tell them all about the One who had loved her even though she was a sinner.
156 Great are Your tender mercies, O LORD; Revive me according to Your judgments.
The Psalmist knows in his mind that the Lord is tender and merciful, but he desperately longs for a tender, kind, merciful hand on his shoulder – something he can feel…something beyond his head knowledge. John 9. What did love look like for a man unable to even see the One who could save him?
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The blind man in John chapter 9 was given sight by Jesus, and then was kicked out of the synagogue by the priests and Pharisees who hated Jesus. Jesus loved him enough to heal him, and then was there to be the One the blind man could watch and trust in when the blind man realized he was going to be able to see, but he would be forever on the run because he had believed in Jesus. Jesus didn’t offer the blind man a life without problems. He offered a touch of love, and sight, and to walk by his side when life got tough.
157 Many are my persecutors and my enemies, Yet I do not turn from Your testimonies.
The Psalmist has enemies – those who would make his life miserable because of his faith in God. But still, he clings to God. Why? John 11. What did love look like for a dead man?
Lazarus. Raised from the dead. Jesus loved him enough to bring him back to life….just like He loves us enough to bring us back to life when we put our faith in Him. A picture of our salvation – the perfect act of love. 158 I see the treacherous, and am disgusted, Because they do not keep Your word.
What is the worst thing about a sinner?
The Psalmist sees sinners for what they are….they do not keep the Word of God. They do not measure up to God’s high standards. They are failures. They are contemptible. They are filthy and dirty and totally hopeless. Disgusting. But God loves those sinners, doesn’t He? How can He love them when they are so disgusting? He loves them because He made a way for them to be beautiful again. He died on the cross so that their sin could be paid for, wiped away, and no longer stain their lives.
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How can the Psalmist love them, too? He needs to have God’s love be born in him. He needs to be revived by love. 159 Consider how I love Your precepts; Revive me, O LORD, according to Your lovingkindness.
For the third time in this octuplet the Psalmist asks to be revived. What were the first 2 times? Verse “revive me according to Your “ Verse “revive me according to Your “
What does the Psalmist ask for this time? “revive me according to your .”
What does love look like? If the Psalmist were to be revived by the love of God, how would he change?
He would protect sinners, refuse to condemn them, and offer them hope.
He would pray that the sinner would believe, and then show him forgiveness.
He would honestly confront sin, offering the love which could drive sin away.
He would lovingly touch the sinner, and then not leave his side when things got hard.
He would be unafraid to walk up to the tomb and call out the dead.
So…what does love really look like? Do you need to be revived by the love of God?
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160 The entirety of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.
What conclusion does the Psalmist come to, once again, as he finishes this octuplet? We see the love of Jesus acted out before us in the Gospels. How do we know He will act the same with us? How do we know He has not changed over the last 2,000 years?
“…every one of your righteous judgments endures forever”
Your Assignment for next week:
Read
“Schin” – Psalm 119: 161-168 (about one verse per day) Answer the following questions as you read through these verses Memorize Psalm 119:164
“Seven times a day I praise You because of Your righteous judgments.”
Psalm 119:161-168 161 Princes persecute me without a cause, But my heart stands in awe of Your word.
A Prince (person of power) usually inspires awe in us. Why is the Psalmist standing, gazing with awe at the Word of God?
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162 I rejoice at Your word As one who finds great treasure.
What are some of the greatest treasures of the earth?
163 I hate and abhor lying, But I love Your law.
We live in a world which elevates lying to a level of honor. Can you think of instances of this?
164 Seven times a day I praise You, Because of Your righteous judgments.
What does the number “7” symbolize?
165 Great peace have those who love Your law, And nothing causes them to stumble.
Have you ever known someone who really loves “laws” – “rules”? Is that person usually easily offended by others who do not obey the rules?
166 LORD, I hope for Your salvation, And I do Your commandments. 167 My soul keeps Your testimonies, And I love them exceedingly. 168 I keep Your precepts and Your testimonies, For all my ways are before You.
What kind of statement is the Psalmist making in these three verses about his own life? Who gets the praise for such a well-lived life?
