Youth Like the Morning Dew (Psalm 110:1-7)

Youth Like the Morning Dew (Psalm 110:1-7)

 

 1 The Lord says to my lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”

2 The Lord will extend your mighty scepter from Zion, saying, “Rule in the midst of your enemies!”

3 Your troops will be willing on your day of battle. Arrayed in holy splendor, your young men will come to you like dew from the morning’s womb.

4 The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”

5 The Lord is at your right hand; he will crush kings on the day of his wrath.

6 He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead and crushing the rulers of the whole earth.

7 He will drink from a brook along the way, and so he will lift his head high.

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Head)

1. It is said that a church with youth is a church with hope. Throughout Europe and the United States, there are churches that are dwindling because there are no young people to carry on. These churches end up combining with larger, thriving churches or they have no choice but to sell the church building. This is happening even in our neighborhood.

 

2. Some churches in Great Britain don't have enough money for heat during the winter months, even for a short time during the service. Financial troubles have forced churches to sell their buildings to become Muslim mosques or bars and cabarets.

 

3. Hence, a church with youth like the morning dew is a church with hope and strength. It is a church with a future. 

 

4. In Korea, there used to be many young people in all cities, towns, and villages. Even in the countryside, they were filled with youths. But with modernization and industrialization taking fast roots, more and more people are gravitating towards larger cities, leaving the countryside all but empty. 

 

Even if a rural area has young folk, they are often those who have no prospects of a job due to Korea's current economic and employment state. They live in the countryside as a young person, but with the troubled heart of an elderly person.

 

5. But God wants all of us to live in this world, not as a defeated youth, but like the morning dew. But what does that mean? To get a good understanding of this phrase, we must first understand the weather patterns of Israel.

 

The seasons in Israel are split into the wet (November-April) and dry seasons (May-October). During the wet season, there is plenty of rain and thus plenty of growth and vegetation. When the dry season arrives, little to no water makes farming incredibly difficult.

 

However, livestock and crops are able to survive this drought through the morning dew that collects overnight. This morning dew is the only thing that gives the dry land moisture and a chance of surviving. This dew was obviously incredibly valuable to the Israelites during the seasons of drought. The Bible compares young men and women of faith to this morning dew.

 

Hence why Psalm 110:3 praises, “3 Your troops will be willing on your day of battle. Arrayed in holy splendor, your young men will come to you like dew from the morning’s womb.”

 

The morning dew also symbolizes God's grace. Hosea14:5 says, “I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like a lily. Like a cedar of Lebanon he will send down his roots;"

 

The "morning dew" represents the young people of faith who will bloom and bear fruit throughout the earth as well as symbolizing God's grace. Then how and when do we receive the abundance of God's grace and live as youth like morning dew? There are two key points:

 

Body)

A) To be a youth like the morning dew, one must believe in Jesus and follow the Holy Spirit.

 

Psalm 110 is a dense and prophetic chapter, depicting the arrival of Jesus Christ as the King of Kings. Verse 1-2 of today's scripture describes Jesus sitting at the right hand of God after his resurrection and ascent and his ultimate return to reign over this Earth. This portion is also familiar in the Apostle's Creed.

 

Verse 3 describes the era of the church (the Pentecost) to his Return. During these times, the most important figures are the young men and women who seek faith and a holy life: Youth like the morning dew. These are the youths that don't chase the world's trends, pleasures or successes but rather seek God's Word and Will. They are like Daniel, Joseph, Joshua, Caleb, and David. These are the young people who will be blessed and the focus on the day of salvation. These are the young people who love to serve the Holy Spirit and are willing to sacrifice anything for the Lord.

 

But there are some of us who are quite of age. As we age, our hearts grow old and that is the problem. Our physical bodies may grow old, but our hearts must remain young. There are no people who are frail, weak, or elderly in God's Kingdom; only the youth that are like the morning dew.

 

The Apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians, “Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” Believers of the Lord possess a young heart, even though their bodies grow old. That is why there is limitations to the old, young, men, or women when it comes to serving God. It does not matter if you are rich or poor. Believe that you, too, can be like Caleb. Hallelujah!

 

In Jesus, there are only spiritual youths. To be a spiritual youth, we must always serve the Holy Spirit. We must be constantly seeking the Holy Spirit and asking for help.

 

Joel 2:28 says, ““And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.” Those who seek the Holy Spirit will receive from God his dream, vision, and youthful strength.

 

Acts 1:8 says, “ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” When we believe in Jesus and follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we become God's proud worker and witness. Through God's guidance, the weak are transformed to be strong and brave.

 

With the help of the Holy Spirit, anyone can receive strength and courage and become young workers of God who are like the morning dew. Let us all become workers and believers of God who are a beautiful and pure as the morning dew.

 

B) To be a youth like the morning dew, one must take on the duties of a priest.

 

Take at look at verse 3 again" Your troops will be…[a]rrayed in holy splendor...." What does it mean to be "arrayed in holy splendor"? Any regular piece of clothing wouldn't be described as "holy splendor".

 

In the Old Testament, "holy splendor" refers to a priest’s robes. Exodus 28:2 reads, “Make sacred garments for your brother Aaron to give him dignity and honor.” The Bible contains many records regarding priests, meaning they are a valuable figure with important duties.

 

Exodus 29:5-9 gives details about a priests garments: “⁵ Take the garments and dress Aaron with the tunic, the robe of the ephod, the ephod itself and the breastpiece. Fasten the ephod on him by its skillfully woven waistband. ⁶ Put the turban on his head and attach the sacred emblem to the turban. ⁷ Take the anointing oil and anoint him by pouring it on his head. ⁸ Bring his sons and dress them in tunics ⁹ and fasten caps on them. Then tie sashes on Aaron and his sons.^[a] The priesthood is theirs by a lasting ordinance.”

 

But right now we are living in the time of the New Testament. How can we all wear the garments of a priest every day? In today's era, the phrase is not meant to be taken literally. Rather, it is describing the need to possess a steadfast and holy faith and acting upon it.

 

1 Peter 2:9 mentions "a royal priesthood". We may not be priests or wear their precious robes of the Old Testament, but we must have the same faith and pray like one. This is what it means to dress our hearts like a priest. Following the New Testament, all of God's followers become priests. Priests are able to forgive, pray, and bless.

 

We must be able to come before God and carry out these duties. We must worship and pray. We must pray to love and forgive sinners. We are all sinners. A church is a gathering place of sinners who seek forgiveness.

 

If we only prayed for the good and righteous, our prayers would be incredibly short. It is said that today's world has many prophets and not enough priests. However pitiful and dirty one may seem, if we pray for them and love them, they can be changed by the grace of God and carry out His precious work. This is the work we must do as believers who wear a priest's garments.

 

But why does the Bible tell us to serve joyfully? It is because it is not easy to carry out the duties of a priest. It is not easy to help, forgive, and love someone. Can you willingly love someone who has wronged you? It is easy to criticize and become swept up in hate.

 

But if we cannot embrace everyone with love, we are not true priests of the Lord. only when one is able to carryout and fulfill these duties of a priest can one become a youth like the morning dew.

 

Con)

Beloved congregation! Jesus was also a young man who worked hard.  Let us be like him and serve, help, pray, and grow as healthy young men and women of God. With the Holy Spirit, anyone can become like the morning dew, and spread grace everywhere they go. When we serve the Holy Spirit, and carry out the duties of a priest of praying, loving, and worshipping, we, too, can be like the morning dew.

 

 

 

 

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