ROMANS 1:1 THE PASTOR AS SERVANT AND MESSENGER BOY OF THE GOSPEL OF GOD

 

As we begin a new chapter together at Robertson Reformed Community Church under the leadership of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, I would like to begin by clarifying my role or ‘job description’ among you. I will do this with the help of the Bible  and  the letter to the Romans in particular.  In the opening  15 verses we are pointed us to the supreme example of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by way of a further example to one who followed Him - the apostle Paul. 

These are our models. We are called to imitate them (1 Cor 11:1; Eph 5:1). I  am going to present the apostle Paul as a model of a pastor. His life and his words describe my work, and I would like to take at least three sermons to explain that with the help of Paul’s letter to the Romans. 

I will also make the letter to the Romans my main preaching material for this year.  Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones (1899-1981)  has argued that, "the epistle to the Romans  has possibly played a more important and a more  crucial part in the history of the church than any other single book in the whole of the Bible .”[1] This is because Romans speaks with such clarity and power about the life changing gospel! We do not need motivational speaking and life coaching to get to heaven. We need the gospel.  We need gospel clarity in this generation! You will see this very quickly in 1:16,17  - the  pivotal statement of the letter to the Romans.  My prayer for you is that if you lack gospel clarity you will receive it, and if you lack assurance of salvation, that you will receive it. If you are simply a religious man or woman, a churchgoer without passion for God, I pray  that you would stop being religious and live  by the power of the gospel of God.

But today I wanted to say something about the gospel  messenger, because the letter to the Romans begins with a note about the messenger - “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God…” (1:1)

He says three things about himself: 

(i) Servant of Christ Jesus 

(ii) called to be an apostle               

(iii) set apart for the gospel.  

Here is Paul’s job description. We would miss something important if we did not pay attention to this for here we have an introduction to the man whom God used to bring about a huge transformation in the world  and  indeed in all generations of this church age.  

 1 . A servant (doulos – bondservant) of Christ Jesus...

The Gospel had changed Paul’s life radically (Acts 9). The result was that Paul's whole life was lived in service of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus occupies the centre of Paul's life and proclamation. Jesus Christ and His great work on the cross is Paul's great theme (see 1 Cor.2:2). He calls himself a slave of Jesus. This tells us that he was a man owned by another.  I remind you all that,  prior to becoming a Christian,  every man and women  is a slave of Satan, who had captured us to do his will (2 Tim 2:26). By His mercy we have been redeemed (purchased from) the market place of sin by Jesus. We now belong to a new master.  I also remind you that there is no such thing as belonging to nobody! All of us are attached to, and enslaved to somebody or something. But if you are a Christian  you belong to Jesus  forever! And then let me also  remind you  that servants never choose their master. Their master chooses them. So it is with Paul.  He is a servant of (Genitive – case of possession )  Christ Jesus.  He is  completely owned  by the Lord Jesus.

Reflection: This is not only something that characterizes Paul or your pastor or a church leader. This is the growing characteristic of every true Christian. Let’s apply these diagnostic questions to ourselves:

·         Does Jesus Christ occupy the centre of my life?  Does He rule my heart and my mind?

·         Is He the reference point and standard by which all things are measured? 

·     Does He govern what comes out of my mouth? As I  grow in grace  do I talk  less  about  myself  and more about  Jesus? “For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus‘ sake” (2 Cor. 4:5). Do we use our bodies to glorify God? “Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God. You are not our own, for you were bought with a price." (1 Cor. 6:19-20) 

       2."Called To Be An Apostle..."

This describes the second aspect of what Paul is and does. He is an apostle. What is an apostle? The Word "apostolos" is derived from two words "apo" (from) and "stello" (to send).  Paul is actually a messenger boy sent by Jesus. In the more formal  definition of that word, as it  was used in general  conversations  in the Greek world  an apostolos  would be one who is specially called and chosen  by a higher authority  to  convey a message  on behalf  of  that authority.

APPLICATION :  When Christ  (the higher authority)  called  the 12 disciples  (Lk 6:12-13 / Matt 10:1,2) He  chose them  and designated  them to be apostles.  They were to be his spokesmen. They did not speak and work in their own authority, but they spoke in and by His authority (see the Great Commission  in Matt. 28:18-20)

 What Are The Marks And Signs Of A Biblical Apostle?

·         No man could be an apostle unless he had been appointed by Christ and had  seen the risen Lord. (Acts 1:21 ; 1 Cor. 9:1). Paul  had met the Lord  Jesus  on the Damascus road and was called  by Him to be the apostle to the gentiles.

·         An apostle was given authority to do miracles e.g.  see 2 Cor. 12:12  where Paul speaks about  the signs of an apostle.

·         They had authority to teach and lay down doctrine (as seen by their writings).  They were given authority to ordain and appoint elders. In short, they spoke and acted with the authority of the Lord Jesus  Christ Himself.     Their words represented the  mind of God (see  1 Thess 2:13; 2 Cor.10:8; see also 2 Peter 3:15,16 - where Paul's words are placed on  the same level as Scripture). When the N.T. Canon was being decided upon (with large number of other   Christian writings in circulation) apostolic authority of the letters (directly or indirectly) was the criterion.

·         Are There Apostles Today? This question needs to be asked in the light of claims made by the R.C. Church, the Charismatic movement  and other movements e.g. New/old Apostolic Churches etc. If the criteria concerning the marks and signs of an apostle are applied  to the modern claims  then it becomes clear  that  there are no  apostles (in the narrowest sense of that word) after the  apostles  of the early church.  Some people would  challenge this by appealing to Ephesians 4:11. Are we robbing the church of an essential gift by denying the existence of modern apostles? No,  provided that we understand that  the apostles  chosen by Christ  still have  a major influence  on  our modern  day.  Paul, in writing to the Ephesians  says that the Christian  church is "built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets , with Christ Jesus as the chief cornerstone...". (Eph 2:20). Look at the logic of this paragraph. You certainly do not go on building the foundation. A foundation is something that you lay at the beginning.  Following that you build the walls upon that foundation. The foundation is still there and it is still influential and it still dictates the stability of the building. But we do not continue to lay foundations. The foundation is laid.  We are building RRCC  upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus as. We don’t need  new apostles and prophets any more than we need  a new Lord Jesus – the cornerstone. We stand upon the old foundations. So then, in what sense is the apostolic and prophetic ministry still among us? Every time the Word of God is read and proclaimed with the help of the Holy Spirit, the apostolic ministry and the prophetic ministry is in operation. Our job is to build a spiritual  house upon this foundation – using special  gifts to equip and train us. These are called  evangelists and pastor - teachers (Eph 4:11). This is where my work comes in.

 3.    "Set Apart ..."

Notice the progression: "A servant... called to be an apostle...set apart ...!" Paul's own "separation" is described in Gal. 1:15,16. He is called from His mother’s womb! You will see that Paul  frequently  speaks about this calling; this act of  separation by God. In Romans  9, he says: "Jacob I have loved, but   Esau I have hated." (Rom 9:10-15). There is an act of separation here.  When did this happen? Before they were born! Paul was called to be a preacher of the gospel before his birth!" (see also Jeremiah 1:5 ; John the Baptist, Moses, Samson , David )

Acts 15:18 tells us, "...the Lord who does these things that   have been known for ages." Here we come face to face with that great, unsearchable, glorious doctrine of the Sovereignty of God. Paul's calling was not an afterthought. IT WAS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF THE ETERNAL PURPOSE AND   FOREKNOWLEDGE AND COUNSEL OF GOD. We shall learn  about this matter with respect to ourselves when we get to Romans 8        

  4. "…For The Gospel Of God..."

Gospel means "Good News". We have become so familiar with this word that we fail to appreciate its tremendous significance. The apostle is thrilled by the gospel (see Rom 1:16,17). By way of appreciation, we have to remember that he is now no longer  a teacher of the law (he was a Pharisee, a great expert in the law, but there was no good news in the law). Now he is a preacher of the Good News.

The relationship between Law and Grace will take much time in our study in this book. It is at the heart of the book of Romans. We shall discover that the law is utterly unable to  bring a man to God. What then is the purpose of the law? The purpose of the law is to show us God’s holy standard and how far we fall short of that standard. Its purpose is to expose our sinfulness, making us to cry out, "Wretched man - who will deliver me from this body of sin?" (Rom. 7). The answer to this is, “Thanks be to God - Jesus !”

And  so, Paul introduces us to His main calling – to preach the gospel- the gospel of God (1:1,15,16-17;16:25)

APPLICATION

This then, in a nutshell is the heart of the pastoral ministry: Serving you by being a servant of Christ Jesus. I am not an apostle in the classic sense of the word, but I do have a sense of calling and urgency about being a messenger boy for Jesus, making sure that you understand the  gospel and the freedom that this gospel alone brings. Later in the book of Romans  Paul will deal with the great problem of sin. Sin alienates us from God and from one another. We must take the problem of sin seriously. The gospel of Christ’s death on the cross deals with that problem alone. We must look to Jesus. My greatest priority  will be to help you  to look to Jesus  and to see (as far as this is possible)  that you are truly converted, and  bear fruit that will last, and get to heaven by that narrow gate. Again, I identify with Paul,  ”My little children for whom I am again in the  anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you.” (Gal. 4:19) 

To that end the pastor works- to make the gospel clear. That is the FIRST thing. Frome there my job is to help people to see  how our Lord Jesus  Christ must be embraced in all kinds of situations. My field of activity embraces every known profession, and that makes it quite challenging at times. I speak from some experience.  Peter Leithart writes[2],

“The ideal pastor would combine the dialectical skills of the best attorney, the bedside manner of the most compassionate physician, the rhetorical passion of politicians from ages past, and a breadth of scholarship that befits a student and teacher of the Creator’s book. The pastor is no specialist. He is called to represent Christ in every kind of situation of need or pain. He anoints and prays with the child suffering from leukaemia, rebukes and guides the adulterer in the way of repentance, offers counsel and encouragement to the entrepreneur whose business has folded, rejoices with new parents and mourns with those bereft of friends and family. Beside the doctor, beside the financial consultant, beside the nursing home attendant, stands the pastor. In the maternity ward, in the jail cell, in the home tense with marital strife, stands the pastor. At the baptism, at the wedding reception, at the funeral, stands the pastor. He is a generalist in human crisis, a generalist in moments of passage, a generalist confronted with all of the infinite varieties of human suffering. There is a sense in which the pastor is a specialist. For every situation, he has essentially one word, the word of the gospel of Jesus. Among the sick, the pastor’s concern is not only for healing but to indicate how suffering can be transformed into joyful witness. Among the poor, the pastor’s concern is not just how to pay next month’s bills, but to consider how poverty may strengthen faith in the goodness of the heavenly Father. At the bedside of the dying, the pastor’s concern is not just to ease pain but to hold forth the promise of resurrection life. 

 So pray for me. It’s  a tall order and I am under no illusion that I am  not  going to be that in my own strength. I am not a young man any longer, but I do have His energy. And pray for our church that we may be enabled to raise up pastoral leaders/elders for the future. The health of the future church depends upon this.  I would like to speak to you about this some more next time. 

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[1] D. Martyn Lloyd Jones : Romans, Exposition of Chapter 1:1-32 , p.3

[2] Peter Leithart in his introduction to  “ Mother Kirk: Essays and  Forays in Practical Ecclesiology ” by Douglas Wilson p.9

PSALM 5 - PRAYER : THEOLOGICAL AND EXPERIENTIAL

 

This Psalm, like so many other Psalms, is a prayer of David. And like so many of these personal prayers of David they were collected and compiled into this “hymnbook of Israel“.  This happened under the direction and inspiration of the Holy Spirit, so that generations to come would find heavenly wisdom, counsel and comfort in these words.

Jesus regarded the Psalms as inspired, for in them He, the Greater Son of David, would find the fulfilment of His life and ministry:

“These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms  must be fulfilled.” (Lk. 24:44)

In the NT we are encouraged to sing “Psalms, Hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in our hearts to God.” (Col. 3:16)

 A reason why the Psalms remain so popular is that many people find their own experiences reflected in them.

Many of these Psalms were sung, directed by a choirmaster, and as in this case, also accompanied by flutes (In Psalm 4 – stringed instruments).  Singing the Word is one of the most wonderful tools for our collective worship of God, and a great aid to scripture memorization.

 So, what is this Psalm all about?

1.      5:1-3 –  A Prayer – a pouring out of the soul

2.  5:4-12 - A Prayer undergirded by Theological Convictions and Practical Experience

 1.      5:1-3 It is a Prayer – A pouring out of the soul.

“Give ear to my words, O LORD; consider my groaning. Give attention to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you do I pray. O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch”.

 (i) it teaches us  something about  the biblical forms in which prayer may be expressed. David speaks   here of…   

a. my words

b. my groaning

c. my crying

These are all forms of prayer. Sometimes prayer is words - an outpouring of our souls in words, such as we find here. At other times prayer is simply wordless groaning. Ex. 6:5 I have heard the groaning of the people of Israel whom the Egyptians hold as slaves;

Rom.8:26 “…The Spirit  helps us in our weakness. For we  do not know what to pray for  as we ought, but the Spirit himself  intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words…)  or crying  (see examples  in Ex 3:7 “ I have surely seen  the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry…”  so also in Ex 3:9 ;8:12; 14:10;15:25; 17:4 etc). Hannah, the mother of Samuel did both.  She prayed to the Lord in words (1 Sam 1:10,11)  and then she prayed in her heart  with groans  (1 Sam 1:12-13).  In both forms she poured out her soul before the Lord (1 Sam.  1:15)

 (ii) it is forceful, demanding, bold, and yet  not arrogant.  Give ear … consider, give attention ….This is a prayer of holy boldness. When last did you pray like this?  Such prayer is based upon an intimate knowledge of the character of God and of the promises  of His Word. David knows the God to whom he prays: “my King and my God, for to you do I pray“.

 (iii) the timing of this prayer:  “O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice  for you (lit. “I arrange or set in order “ – and the object must be  inferred from the context. Hence  another translation: “I direct my prayer to you”) … and watch”. He comes to His King and God with his sacrifice of prayer in the morning.  According to C.H.  Spurgeon, “an hour in the morning is worth two in the evening“[1].  Prayer takes concentration and alertness. The morning is best for this.

Surely our earliest thoughts should rise to heaven, our earliest words should speak to God. Happy the life when every day begins with Him! The First should have our first employ. (Matthew Henry)

We find here a form of prayer which is rarely used and heard in our churches: A prayer of holy confidence and therefore of strong argumentation.  I want to quote something that C.H. Spurgeon had said in a sermon (entitled “Order and Argument in Prayer” - preached on the Lord’s Day, July 5^th 1866 at the Metropolitan Tabernacle): 

“The best prayers I have ever heard in our prayer meetings have been those which have been fullest of argument. Sometimes my soul has been fairly melted down where I have listened to the brethren who have come before God feeling the mercy to be really needed, and that they must have it, for they first pleaded with God to give it for this reason, and then for a second, and then for a third and then for a fourth and a fifth until they have awakened the fervency of the entire assembly “[2].

This form of prayer is one that we should desire to see among us.   From the testimony of Scripture we find  that God  is pleased to answer  strong, believing  and urgent prayer, because it  comes from a believing, trusting, earnest, expectant heart. We hardly hear passionate prayer like this in our church prayer meetings.  Let us take hold of God and ask Him to give us hearts like that.

Why is this kind of prayer so rare  among modern  Christians?

Firstly, it may sound too much like the modern ‘name it and claim it’  brand of Christianity,  by which  healings  and prosperity are   demanded  from heaven. We are intensely suspicious of anything that is loud and demanding. However, we must be careful not to engage in knee jerk reactions, and thus to lose a biblical boldness in prayer. Our enemy is very crafty in this area. There is a holy boldness with which we may come to God (see James  5:13-18)  and by which we may expect great things from God.

Secondly, we do not hear such prayer because we know God and His Word (the promises of God) so little. Therefore we lack confidence in speaking to God. We are not sure what to say, or what to ask. We have no “words to take with us“ (Hosea 14:2).  We need the confidence expressed in 1 John 5:14. This confidence is well expressed in what follows in Psalm 5:4 etc.

2.       5:4 - It is a Prayer undergirded by Theological Convictions and Practical Experience.

 

Why did David begin with this urgent plea in the first 3 verses?  David’s life was always threatened by enemies, both without and within. If it was not an external threat from the enemies of Israel, it was a threat from within i.e. from the house of Saul, and sadly, even members of his own family (e.g. Absalom). There is nothing that strengthens our prayer life as much as needing to depend upon God for survival.  So, David’s theology of prayer was formed in two ways: (i)                 Through his objective  knowledge of the Word of God  (ii)   Through the subjective experience of the truth of God’s Word.

 In prayer David always kept in mind these twin realities:

(i)                 the ever present  reality of wickedness (evil) around us  and

(ii)               the righteousness imputed to him by God.

 Concerning these, David’s theology is clearly expressed in prayer:

Concerning the wicked (5:4-6). 

David reminds himself, “For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you. The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers. You destroy those who speak lies; the LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.” He saw them as people unable to stand in the presence of God. His was a holy presence, a just presence, a sin-hating presence, a fearful presence, and that is how David looked on them. Furthermore, concerning the wicked, David has this to say (5:9), “For there is no truth in their mouth; their inmost self is destruction; their throat is an open grave; they flatter with their tongue. He reminds himself of the fact that the wicked possess no real truth. Their destiny is self- destructive. Their speech is deceptive and consists of lying.

Before we admire the world in which we live and which we love so often more than the God who made us, let us remind ourselves of what God thinks of this world (5:4-6) and what the reality and destiny  of such people is.

The most difficult aspect of David’s prayer concerning the wicked is found in 5:10: “Make them bear their guilt, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; because of the abundance of their transgressions cast them out, for they have rebelled against you.”

This is called imprecatory prayer[3]. Imprecatory prayers are prayers that curse the enemies of God in no uncertain terms. This is not as a result of David feeling threatened or assaulted himself. He is praying this because he is zealous for his God. These rebellious people are continually insulting the God who made them.  Such people have ultimately no one   left to appeal for them, because they have insulted the Only One who can save them. Him they have rejected. They ultimately get what they desire and deserve.

 

Concerning the righteous, David was encouraged by the love and the righteousness  he had received from God: (5:7 - 8a) 

“But I, through the  abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house. I will bow down toward your holy temple in the fear of you. Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your way straight before me”.

David knew God’s steadfast (covenantal) love. He knew the fear of the Lord. He knew  the righteousness  of God   (imputed to him) upon which he stood – despite the fact that his enemies kept on accusing him of  all sorts of things, even  that God had forsaken him (3:1,2). An understanding of the  righteousness of Christ,  imputed to a believer, is a wonderful  help  when we  are overcome by the fear and intimidation of  the world of enemies  within and without  (the world, the flesh and the devil).

In this regard the house of God  (regular public worship) had a major role to play in David’s life. (5:7b)  “ …I will enter your house, I will bow down toward your holy temple in the fear of you”.

The  result of a heart set free is  “joy”  (5:11,12),  “But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy,  and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you. For you bless the righteous, O LORD; you cover him with favour as with a shield.”

When Martin Luther was summoned to the papal court at Worms in Germany, one of the cardinals mocked him. “Where would you find shelter when all the world was gathered against you, if your patron, the Frederik, Elector of Saxony, should desert  you?”  Luther said, “I’ll be safe under the shield of heaven.” And it is true for us who trust in Jesus. Greater is He that protects us than all the forces that oppose us.

 SUMMARY

This is the nature and experience of true prayer. This is the theology of David’s prayer. And it is rooted in David’s practical experience of God’s steadfast love.  It is not an unsure,  doubting …“I wonder if God is able …” mindset. 

David knows the God to whom he directs His prayer. David knows God’s views on the wicked and the righteous. And therefore verses 1-3, the introductory bold prayer, is based on theological certainties and experience.  May we learn to pray like this!  To that end we must make it our goal to get to know God, both theologically and  experientially. 

That will certainly embolden   and strengthen our prayer life. Amen.

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[1] C.H. Spurgeon : Treasures of David , p. 46

[2] A sermon  on Job 23:3,4 , entitled  “Order and Argument in Prayer “

[3] See my exposition on Psalm 69 : Psalms that curse

PSALM 4 : Is God Really There When We Need Him?

 

The title of this Psalm: “To the chief Musician (Choirmaster) on Neginoth (stringed instruments). A Psalm of David.”

The title, “To the chief Musician,” occurs at the beginning of 53 Psalms, and at the close of Habakkuk 3:19. The Psalm is probably to be sung under his direction.

David was clearly in distress when he penned these words. It is the opinion of a number  of commentators that this Psalm is probably linked to  Psalm 3   which is subtitled “ A Psalm  of David, when he fled from Absalom his son” – along with Psalms 5 ,6 and 7.  

In Psalm 3 we saw that this situation, involving a palace revolt,   led by his son Absalom must have induced a lot of emotional pain in David.  You can read all about it in 2 Samuel 15-18. Whether it was this situation or other trials we do not know, but we do know that David was accustomed to conflict and trouble. We cannot exclude the trouble which he had experienced when persecuted by king Saul - from 1 Samuel 15 until the end of the book.  So, we don’t know what the exact situation in Psalm 4 is. It doesn’t matter. The question remains the same: 

Is God able to help you when you have come to your wit’s end? 

The testimony of David’s life is one of many, severe and kind providences.  Note then (Behold!) the  kindness and the severity of God... (Rom. 11:22).  God withheld His hands at time from David, and made him to see his end, and how fleeting his life was (Ps 39:4). At other times  this same God brought him out of many  difficult situations.

Thank God for the  Psalms, in which he pours out his heart  concerning these experiences,  for in  his experiences we  often find a mirror of our own soul.  

OUTLINE

4:1     :  David pleads with God for help.

4:2-5 :  He  addresses  his enemies

4:6-8 :  He contrasts  their  cynicism  with his  confidence in the keeping power of God.

4:1 David pleads with God for help. “Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have given me relief when I was in distress. Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!”

David is distressed. That distress clearly relates to the men – the opponents in 4:2. This is not an uncommon experience for a believer. In my dealing with people I have  heard it frequently said, “ the more committed I want to be to the Lord, the more  spiritual responsibility I bear, the more opposition  I get and the more I  feel the heat !” The apostle Paul concurs. He once wrote to Timothy and said, “Indeed,  all who desire to live a godly life  in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”  (2 Tim 3:12). Paul said that to Timothy, based on his own experience and  indeed  upon the word of our Lord Jesus Himself : Jn 15:18-21: 18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21 But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.

John 16:33 “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Please take note how David responds to all of this in the first verse:

1.      David speaks first to God before he addresses the men (4:2) that give him grief. When trouble comes, God’s children must learn to run home!  Spurgeon says: “He who dares to face his Maker will not tremble before the sons of men.”

2.      He knows his status before God. David addresses God as “God of my righteousness” – i.e. the God who has declared me righteous. God had chosen David in eternity and in time He justified him by the merits of His greater Son – Jesus the Son of David!

3.      David remembers God’s past dealings with him: “You have given me relief when I was in distress.”  There were many times when David had been surrounded by his enemies and by armies, and every time God had delivered him.   (see his testimony in Psalm 37:25)

4.      On the knowledge of God’s past dealings, David bases his prayer: “Be gracious to me and hear my prayer”. David knows that God is really there when he needs Him.  His theology of God verified by his experience of God’s faithful dealings with Him in the past have taught him that.  So, David appeals again to the grace and mercy of God. God loves to be merciful and gracious to those who call on Him in their hour of need.

 

2. 4:2- 5   David  addresses his enemies

4: 2 David now turns from God to men – the footnote says “men of rank “ – i.e. powerful men. “O men, how long shall my honor be turned into shame? How long will you love vain words and seek after lies? Selah

Here is the irony. Even though they are formidable men, great men, they are foolish men. 

·         Saul foolishly failed to see that he was forsaken by God, and that David was anointed to be the true king. He refused to give up on his throne, even when he knew that God had abandoned him.

·         Absalom, son of the king foolishly failed to see that in usurping his father’s throne he was really usurping God. In the end he was sadly killed, adding even more grief to his father! 

 

In regard to his enemies then David tells them that they love vain words and seek after lies. They can’t and won’t see the truth about him. They fabricate stories about him, and so he asks them, “how long do you intend to go on with this“? David is getting exasperated. Can’t you  see?

 

SELAH ! He solemnly pauses and inserts a Selah.

4:3 But know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself; the LORD hears when I call to him.  "But know." Fools will not learn, and therefore they must be told the same thing, again and again. This is what they must hear: that the godly are  chosen of God, and  therefore  set apart  from the rest  of  mankind.

(ii)             He who chose us for Himself will surely hear our prayer. David was king by divine decree. In the same way we   who are God’s children are His responsibility. No weapon formed against us can stand. When our enemies fight against us, they fight against God. If we think of both Saul and Absalom then we know that they were fighting a futile battles against David. Sadly anger is one word short of ‘danger’. It is a wind that blows out the candle of the mind  and extinguishes  reason. That is why David makes the following  statement

4:4 Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Selah. 

There are two ways to read this: 

(i)                 From David’s perspective - One of the greatest temptations when we are tested is to become angry beyond reason with our enemies. Anger is one letter short of danger. Unrestrained anger causes us to lose our head, and when we do this we can make grave mistakes.

(ii)               (this is more likely)…  or it can be read from the  perspective of David who speaks  to his enemies  about their unreasonable anger, counseling them to be silent and to think  about their  angry accusations.  

 

The Selah follows again!  Pause and think about this , he says .

4:5 Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the LORD

If David is speaking to his enemies here, then he would be calling them to repentance and trust in the Lord, followed by the appropriate animal sacrifices that were required when sincere repentance was shown. In the NT where animal are no longer required as  guilt offerings, our sincere repentance  would be  accompanied by a true forsaking of sin, by putting off everything that hinders,  and all the while trusting  the  sacrifice of our Lord Jesus  to cleanse us from all sin.  All this shows that David has a spiritual concern for his enemies. So must we!

3. 4:6-8 :  He contrasts  their  cynicism  with his  confidence in the keeping power of God.

4:6 There are many who say, “Who will show us some good? Lift up the light of your face upon us, O LORD!”  We live in a cynical world in which many want to see rather than to believe. Jesus’ many opponents were like that.  We all fall into this trap at times. We tend to measure our success by our prosperity and outward results – and we very easily think that God has forsaken us when for a moment God removes all that opens and shuts from us in order to test us.  It is in such times that we think that God is not there for us. People must have looked at David at times when he had to flee, and they would have said, “Where is your God?” He seemed forsaken, but when we look at the testimony of Scripture we must ask,

·         Was Joseph forsaken in Egypt?

·         Was Daniel forsaken in the lion’s den?

·         Was David ever ultimately forsaken in his kingly career? No! He died as king of Israel! 

·         Was Jesus ultimately forsaken on the cross?

Again David prays in such moments, “Lift up the light of your face upon us, O LORD!” …  and see what follows … The light of God's  face  is enough for him.  See the result in 4:7

4:7 You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound.

When we have seen God’s face  again after  times of trial,   it means more than   having all the riches of the world at our disposal.  Spurgeon says,

"Christ in the heart is better than corn in the barn, or wine in the vat. Corn and wine are but fruits of the world, but the light of God's countenance is the ripe fruit of heaven…Let my granary be empty, I am yet full of blessings if Jesus Christ smiles upon me; but if I have all the world, I am poor without him.

From this follows verse 8 …

4:8 “In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety”. God’s people can sleep at night because God is really there when we need Him.   If we have perspective, we have joy restored, and therefore   we will sleep well at night. God’s sense of peace in the heart is better than bolts, bars or burglar alarms in the home.  How many of our sleepless hours may  be traced to being preoccupied  with what our enemies do and say to us.

Application and Conclusion

Dear  struggling, fearful believer: Never lose sight of the Lord Jesus while reading this Psalm.

·         He is the Lord your righteousness (1a) 

·         He is your Saviour in distress (1b)

·          He hears your prayer now, and intercedes for you (1c) .

·         Let the world mock you for your Christian convictions   (2)

·         Know that by His blood He has set you apart for Himself. (3a)   and remember again that He hears your prayer when you are being sorely tempted  (3b)

·         When you are angry be careful that you do not trespass into sin. As for those that sin against you leave room for the wrath of God (Rom. 12:19). If your enemies are angry with you  pray that they  may ponder their reasons  in their own hearts (4) and repent  (5) 

·         Do not give in to the cynicism of the world – particularly when the evidence of God’s favours are not abundant. Pray that the Lord will show the light of His face again (6). Pray for the light of Christ to illuminate their dark world, and pray not for wealth, but   for the joy of the Holy Spirit.

·         Look for true joy (7)

·          Let these truths help you to sleep well! (8) (cf. also 3:5).  

God is really there when you need Him!