On the occasion of a baptism, I ordinarily choose a text that is somewhat relevant either to the sacrament or to the family responsibilities. And this morning I chose Psalm 102. Psalm 102, I'll read verses 23 through 28. I'll summarize the entire Psalm, Lord willing, in the course of this message, but Psalm 102, 23 through 28 will be the text I will read. Hear God's word. He has weakened my strength in the way he has shortened my days. I say, O my God, do not take me away in the midst of my days. Your years are throughout all generations. Of old you have founded the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. Even they will perish, but you endure, and all of them will wear out like a garment. Like clothing, you will change them, and they will be changed, but you are the same. And your years will not come to an end. The children of your servants will continue and their descendants will be established before you. Let's ask God's blessing upon his work. Now, Father, help us to understand, help us to gather all the various threads of this service, what has been prayed and read, what has been sung, what has been administered. We pray all of it. We, as your people, gather together all of it. We pray that these threads might be woven together and that we might have an understanding. And so use your word at this time. Give us discernment and wisdom, thereby strengthening our faith. We ask in Jesus name. Amen. Somewhere else in the Psalms, we are told that children are a gift from the Lord. The psalm before us gives us a hint as to what that gift entails. The passage, and particularly the last verse 28, gives us a facet of that blessing that God through our children bestows. And so if you're looking for a theme, a subject, it's this our children. And what I mean by that our children as a covenant community, as well as families, our children, our comfort. I'll not give an exhaustive treatment of this song, but when we look at this song, I will give two observations. And those two observations are these. First, the condition of the psalmist. And then secondly, the comfort of the psalmist, the condition and the comfort. Now, the condition of this hymn writer. There are parts of this song that would remind one of the person of Job as he underwent all kinds of severe trials before the Lord. When we read this song, there is evidence that his condition is rather grim. We can get three three different ways in which is his condition is is somewhat tragic and certainly filled with misery and hurt. He is undergoing a severe trial with his body. Many of the commentators believe that that simply the psalmist is sick. He is very, very sick. Look at verses three through seven. My days have been consumed like smoke. My bones have been scorched like a hearth. My heart has been smitten like grass and withered away. Indeed, I forget to eat my bread because of the loudness of my groaning. My bones cling to my flesh. I resemble a pelican of the wilderness. I have become like an owl of the waste places. I lie awake. I have become like a lonely bird on a housetop. The man is exceedingly sick, almost to the point of death. We're not given any information as to what is going on. He uses much poetic language, figurative language to describe his condition, but He believes that his days are coming to an end. He speaks of days being cut off, of bones aching. He speaks of his heart withering. He speaks of his memory going, groaning and skin and bones and a sense of isolation. That's where you get the image of the birds. There's a sense of isolation and loneliness, even at night, like an owl. He's all by himself and there's no one near him. He's sick. but not only sick, he has a burden for Jerusalem, that place of God, the center of the covenant people of God and their worship and their communion together. Many believe that this psalm was written during the exilic period. many you know the history of Israel and how they disobeyed the Lord and ultimately the northern kingdom was sent into exile by a Syria southern kingdom by Babylon around 658 BC. The walls of Jerusalem destroyed the temple destroyed And it's out of this condition, out of this exile, that the psalmist is writing. And his burden is not only for his health, there seems to be a parallel between what is going on in his body and what is going on in the covenant community and in that place where God dwells and where he is to be worshipped. As this man is so very, very sick, to the core of his being. So he looks upon Jerusalem and he sees that Jerusalem is very sick, as destroyed as he is feeling. And he has a burden for it. In verse 14, he recounts about how the servants of God take pleasure even in the stones that are now scattered along the ground and are destroyed. Part of the destruction of that temple and that he speaks of the pity that God's servants take pity even in her dust. He acknowledges God's compassion, is gracious, and that ultimately that the appointed time has arrived, at least that's his longing, the appointed time to restore Jerusalem. But he has a burden, a burden for the city, a burden for the temple, a burden for the fellowship of God's people, a burden for the glory of God. It's as though things have been scattered and he feels it. Not only his sickness, but this concern for the covenant and for his people. But further, not only sick, not only burdened, but he also feels very, very much under attack. Attack from enemies and what is particularly hurtful, attack from God. Look at verses 8 through 11. My enemies have reproached me all day long. Those who deride me have used my name as a curse. I have eaten ashes like bread and mingled my drink with weeping. Because of your indignation and your wrath, you have lifted me up and cast me away. My days are lengthened like a shadow and I wither away like grass. reproach, curse lifted up and as it were thrown away, withering away. Now, in particular reference to this attack by God, he could be referring to the exile lifted me up and cast me away, could be part of the exile. The lengthening of what does he say the lengthening of His days are like the lengthening shadow. It's as though now the sun is going down, that God is taking him to the sunset days of his life. And as his shadow is lengthened, as the sun is setting, he knows he's drawing near to death. And then being withered away like grass. Transient, he feels his mortality. My friends, he feels his mortality. Sick. Burdened, feeling under attack and even abandoned by God. Believers. God's covenant people have many, many privileges and blessings bestowed upon them. We know that we celebrate in that we see the promises of that. Some of us feel that and feel it powerfully. And we rejoice in our God for those privileges and for those blessings. And yet and yet the life of the believer is sometimes much harder. than the life of the covenant breaker than those who live in the world and do not give a care about God, his covenant, his people. The apostle said that it is by adversity, much adversity and tribulation that we, his people, enter into his kingdom. And that's reflected something, something of that adversity is reflected in this. Everyone gets sick. We know that that's universal. Everyone dies. We know that. But what is the burden for the covenant keeper, for the people of God when they get sick? Well, to be sure, their lives are just not self-consumed and self-absorbed within themselves. They're ultimately concerned for spouses, for children. And I imagine they're ultimately concerned for others, including the church, I would imagine. And when they get sick to the point where their skin is clinging to their bones and because of their groaning and their moaning and their crying out to God, their memory lapses. They forget to eat their bread. They're not interested in food anymore because of the stress and the pain and the misery. But it's not only their self consumed in that there is a concern, this concern for others as well in their sickness. What happens to me when I die? What happens to my spouse and my children? What happens to God's program, to God's purposes, to God's will? I imagine that there are those individuals who, when sick, who, when sick, are not only concerned for themselves, but for many other things. And my friends, I don't think the unbelieving take up that concern in their sickness. And not only that, a crisis of faith. There are those those who are sincere, faithful children of God, when that diagnosis comes of cancer and the prognosis does not look very good, rather grim. They feel their mortality. Perhaps they have a greater burden for others around them. And there may even be a crisis of faith. What is God doing? Why has he brought this into my life now? Why the pain? Why the suffering? Why the misery? If God is gracious, if God is compassionate, if he truly loves me, why has he bestowed this that seems like such a curse? Why has he bestowed this condition? Why has he bestowed this sickness? Why do I have to feel so much pain? There's so much torture. What is the end of all this? Why, God? Why? Why? You see, a child of the world, perhaps, might struggle with that. Particularly, a faithful follower of God all of his days, all of her days. And it comes then to the end of life. And what? The end of life is this. Not such an easy death. Burdens for others. Crisis of faith. even further difficulties. To be sure, all of us, I know, have faced some adversity from others, whether neighbors, whether family members, whether work associates. We seldom, seldom escape reproaches and curses from others. And within our minds, sometimes we believe it's God who has set his sights against us. Perhaps we could handle the enemy, perhaps we could handle the reproaches and the curses, perhaps we could handle others who are so against me, even in my weakness and my illness. But God himself. The source of my comfort and security, the one that I depend upon. He, too. He, too, has entered into this conspiracy to attack me. You see, it's very much like Job. This Psalm 102. And I dare say for many of us, sometimes our experience is very much like Job or like the Psalmist in 102. feeling our mortality, feeling others against us and even greater burdens that we bear than the world. This is the condition of the songs. I dare say it's the condition, perhaps, of many of you. To some degree, lesser, greater degree, perhaps a condition, sickness, burdened, feeling under attack, lonely, alienated, at times groaning, forgetful in our pain, shadows lengthening, heart withering. Where's the comfort in all this? He believes that even even God, even God is is that where's the comfort? Where where does the psalmist go for that solace? Where does he go to feel upheld? Where does he go to be understood and to find healing and strength? Where is his comfort? Let's consider the source of his comfort. It's found in two places, two sources. And this might sound rather paradoxical, but the first source is in God himself. I read to you verses 10 and 11, because of your indignation and wrath, you have lifted me up and cast me away. My days are like a lengthened shadow and I wither away like grass. It's clear he believes that the Lord, the Lord is attacking. But what's what's what's ironic, what's paradoxical is he doesn't alienate himself from God, even in his pain, even with these thoughts of God attacking him. Where does he go to find comfort? He turns back to the Lord. He may be feeling God's displeasure, but he knows that that displeasure is merely for a moment, just a moment. And he meditates that he meditates upon God, who God is. My friends, this is so key and all of the suffering and the misery that we might face in this life during this age, he meditates upon God and not just upon his experiences, his circumstances, and therefore grumbles and complains against God. Listen. He does not use his circumstances as a lens to understand God. He uses God as a lens to understand his circumstances. Follow that he does not use his circumstance as a way to understand God. He uses God. As a lens, as a way to understand the circumstances. Very, very important. Though you may feel burdened, though you might be sick, even to the point of death. Though you might feel that everything is against you, including God himself, where do you go? People of God, You go to him. You go to the Lord himself. You don't draw back. You don't let things collapse upon you. You don't you. Don't try to find another source of comfort without without settling this and finding comfort in your God. Consider. The psalmist begins to meditate upon God and various attributes, first twelve, many believe is a major transition. But you, O Lord, abide forever and your name to all generations. He's describing his condition, his misery, his burden is being under attack. And then verse 12 comes that tremendous transition. But you, O Lord, you abide forever and your name abides to all generations. You see, there's something in this universe that is solid. With all the change, with all the hurt, with all the misery, there is something, there is something that remains, something that is dependable, something that is faithful, something that does not die. Though our shadows are lengthening and though our hearts are withering away like grass after the first frost. There is something that does not wither, something that does not lengthen, something that does not change, something that does not die, something that remains faithful, dependable, eternal forever, something that is a rock, something that is a fortress, something that is a shield, a strength, something that is a home, an eternal home. It's God himself. And it's God's eternity. That's why verse 12 is such a tremendous transition. Oh, Lord, you abide forever. You are eternal. Another song from everlasting to everlasting. You are God. You are the eternal God ever existent. Ever present. Remember that in God's eternity, he is not bound by time or by space, I will remind you of this, that God in his eternity, not bound by time or space, is not only in your past. Presently, not only in your present presently, he's also in your future presently. God's eternity is a source of comfort and strength. Nothing surprises him. And he's always there and he's always ready to take us up and to protect, to comfort and to secure us as our eternal home. And this is why the psalmist, he won't turn to anything else. He knows that everything else is transient. He turns to his God, even though he might feel God is attacking him. That is, but for a moment, what he meditates upon first is God's eternity. He's never going to change. He will remain faithful forever. And he's always there, always there. He is the lone source of comfort. And my friends, for you, God is your source of comfort, never changing, always there, even in your future. The next moment, he's already there five minutes from now, five o'clock this afternoon. God is waiting for you tomorrow morning. Monday starts a new week. I don't know what your misery in your trial is, but tomorrow morning, six o'clock, seven o'clock when that alarm rings. God is already there right now, presently just waiting, waiting for you. That's a source of comfort. But he also thinks about his compassion. Oh, we've got to move along here. He thinks about his compassion. He finds comfort in God's compassion. It's God who sees our pain and he knows our hearts and he hears our crying, our sobbing and our weeping. Look at verse 13. You will arise. You will have compassion on Zion. You will be gracious to her. Verse 17. You have regarded the prayer of the destitute. You have not despised their prayer. Verse 20. You hear the groaning of the prisoner. You set free those who are doomed to death. God sees. He hears. He feels the very pain, suffering and misery that we face. And in this is comfort. But last. And this one is a little more tricky. He's finding comfort in his God, his eternity and his compassion and also in God's coming. He finds he finds comfort in God's drawing near. He finds comfort in God could say God's advent. Look at verses twenty three to twenty eight. He has weakened my strength in the way he has shortened my days. He knows that God is sovereign and even in his adversity. God is framing that I say, oh, my God, do not take me away in the midst of my days. Your years are throughout all generations and stressing God's eternity of old. You have founded the earth and the heavens are the work of your hands. Even they will perish, but you endure and all of them will wear out like a garment, like clothing, you will change them and they will be changed. But you are the same and your years will not come to an end. Now, keep your finger here and go to Hebrews chapter one. Chapter one. That's why everybody asked me, oh, you know, should I should I speak out, I want to say many times, I'll say many times. You don't hear me. You want the reference belted out. I'll give it to you. Don't be shy around here. All right. So, Hebrews one. Now, let's begin the reading where the writer to the Hebrews here is establishing that Jesus is far better than the angels, higher than the angels. It's going to use all kinds of Old Testament texts. And we can begin the reading earlier, but I'll beginning begin it at verse eight. Hebrews one, verse eight. Now, look at the reference. But of the sun, he says, and he is, we could say, God, the father. But of the sun, he says, Your throne, O God, is forever and ever in the righteous scepter is the scepter of his kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness. Therefore, God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your companions. You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundations of the earth and the heavens are the work of your hands and they will perish. But you remain and they will become old like a garment and like a mantle, you will roll them up like a garment. They will also be changed. But you are the same and your years will not come to an end. Now, from verses 10 through 12, where is the writer quoting? Psalm 102. To whom do these words apply? Go back to Psalm 102. To whom do these words apply from 25 really through 28? Of old you have founded the earth and the heavens are the work of your hands, etc. To whom does this passage apply? To Jesus, the son. A marvelous demonstration and scriptural proof of Jesus divinity that he is God. But there are other things that are going on here. The psalmist in this song. Is is really providing for us a type. The psalmist in all of his misery and all of his burden and everything that he's facing. He's a type. A messianic type. He's a type of Christ. And his words, his words become prophetic. Now, look at verses 23 and 24 again. He has weakened my strength in the way he has shortened my days, I say, oh, my God, do not take me away in the midst of my days. Your years are throughout all generations. To whom does this refer? It's the experience of the psalmist, but the psalmist as a type is is expressing the suffering of the Messiah. Versus 25, following of old, you have founded the earth and the heavens are the work of your hands, etc. To whom do these verses apply? You've told me already they've applied to Jesus Christ. We know that on the basis of Hebrews one. Verses twenty three and twenty four, the suffering of the Messiah versus twenty five to twenty eight, the vindication of the Messiah. My friends, I believe that the psalmist. Understands in some primitive basic way. That what he is experiencing is from God and he's growing comfort from God. But he also is aware that he is a type of something in the future that is going to happen. And he knows that the very words that he writes are prophetic words, a promise of a coming one who will suffer, but then rise again and be vindicated. My friends, this is a messianic song. And the psalmist who is experiencing the pain and turmoil of life draws comfort not only from God's eternity, not only from his compassion, but even those attributes are going to be sealed and that much more secured and assured in his heart, because he knows even through himself that God will bring Messiah. And in that promise, he finds comfort and security. God will take on flesh. He will suffer and die. He will rise again and have all authority. The God man will come. How is it that God will come for you? How is it that we can be assured of that security in him? How is it that we know that he will uphold us even at times when we think he is attacking us? We know because he has sent his son to suffer and die in our place. God has assured us, not only by word, but by deed. And what the psalmist can anticipate and find comfort in my friends, you far more can find this as a source of comfort. He knows what you're going through. Because he himself faced it. Jesus tempted in every way, as we are yet without sin. Weary, bone weary. Mocked, ridiculed name reproached his name, even up to today is used as a curse. The Lord Jesus. sympathizing with all of our weaknesses. God himself, not recoiling, not standing back, not keeping the pressure on in attack, but taking it to himself. Dying in our place, suffering even the pangs of hell for us. If you can't find that as a source of comfort, I don't know what can comfort you. But God's coming. God's coming source of comfort for us. He has come. This has been fulfilled. A source, a tremendous, deep source of comfort. There is a second source. And unfortunately, I'm just going to kind of briefly mention it. The first source of comfort in all this condition is God. Remember, there are two sources, the second source of comfort. The children. Descendants. Seed. Brings us to the place of the baptism of Jordan, Elizabeth. source of comfort. Our own children. Verses looking for safety. This will be written for a generation to come in regards to God's compassion. He writes this this that is all God does out of his compassion and mercy. He was finding comfort in this even in the midst of all of his trial and cross. This will be written God's works and compassion. These things will be written for a generation to come that a people yet to be created may praise the Lord. He's speaking about seed. He's speaking about descendants. He's speaking about your children. Verse 28, the children of your servants will continue and their descendants will be established before you. What does he find comfort in? He finds comfort in the children, in the covenant children, not only his, but all those children who belong to God. He finds comfort. And what he finds comfort in is that they shall endure. They shall be established. They will be inheritors of everlasting life. There's all kinds of things that we could tease out. There's comfort that there will be a seed even in the future. Things look dark and dim, very grim. Yet there will be a seed. There will be descendants. God will have compassion and that compassion will be so noteworthy that it will be written about for future generations. But then further, the Lord will bestow life upon these descendants life. The man is sick and burdened. Jerusalem is destroyed. He also says about creation that it will wear out and perish and the Lord himself will roll it up like an old garment. What remains? The man is sick, he's burdened, sick to the point of death. Creation will, he says, wear out, perish. God will roll it up like an old garment. What remains. Shout out the question, you can certainly shout out an answer for me. What remains. God remains, according to the text and the children, God and your descendants. God and your seed. A source of comfort. In all of our trials, in all of your trials, my friends, where do you find comfort? Find comfort in your God. But I dare say. Find comfort in your children as well. That's what the sacrament is all about, you see. As a as an assuring grace, not a saving grace, as an assuring grace. It teaches us And shows to us at times we even feel it. God's compassion. And how do we see it? How do we witness it? How do we even times feel it? We see it in the sacrament of our children who belong to God, who belong to us. The promises to you and to your children, Peter says. In Christ, you have life everlastingly. And according to the psalmist, Your descendants, your seed, your children will continue. They shall abide, even though everything else, all creation is rolled up like an old garment. Your descendants will abide. God testifies to us of his eternity, of his compassion, of his love. Through these things. How do I know that God wants to comfort me, even in my pain, even in my misery, even in my burdens, even in my sickness, even if I'm at the point of death? How do I know? How do I know God loves me and he is out to comfort me? How do I know it? My friends, just just look back a half hour ago and what has taken place. God has displayed his compassion, his mercy and grace through the sacrament signifying for us Jesus, his blood, signifying for us our death in him, signifying for us new life in him, signifying for us the bestowal of the Holy Spirit. Where do we find comfort in our misery and our suffering? We find it in God. But where where is the crux? It's found also in the way in which God receives our children. He witnesses of his compassion and mercy in receiving our children for us. Look at the children, look at the baptism, consider all that it represents. God's mercy and compassion. New life in Christ. Friends, it's for you. Promise from his word, Holy Spirit sealing ordinance. Our own children look around, look around. What is concrete? Not only the death of Jesus 2000 years ago, what is concrete, not only the water that was poured over that baby's head, what's concrete? What do we live with day in and day out? What's getting underfoot at times so irritating and draws so much sacrifice and self-denial? Our children. Our children. The promise is that they will abide. They will be established. They will continue. It's nothing less than eternal life. This is the father. Now, this passage, the father speaking to the son, Jesus Christ and saying of Christ, the children of your servants will continue. The seed of your descendants will abide. They will be established before me. It's your children. And they they come to represent. That compassion and new life. Promises. And so let's rejoice this morning. God comforts us. And it's not only. Two families with children. Children of this covenant community. Some sense all of our children. Heirs of everlasting life. To us, a sign, an indicator, a pointer to God's compassion, even for us. Let's pray. Our father, we are thankful that you have given this promise to your son. That the descendants of your servants will continue They will endure. They will be established before you. They will abide forever. And we are thankful that our children, by virtue of that promise, are a source of comfort to us. We pray, Father, that we would be a discerning people. We would be a people of faith. That we would be a people about looking for those indicators, those representations, those signs and seals that give to us that assure us of your mercy, grace and compassion in Jesus Christ. Help us not to miss this promise. Help us not to miss what you are endeavoring to represent, even through the sacrament and through our children. You are the source of life. You save us. You will save our children. You will bestow upon all of us everlasting life in Jesus Christ. Help us to receive and to rest in this promise, we ask in Jesus name. Amen. Our closing hymn is