Opposition: how to face it in Christ
Text: Psalm 3 Time: 05 and 12/08/07 Place: Bethany Evangelical Clarbeston Rd, Pembrokeshire and Childs Hill Baptist
I want us to look today at a psalm, at Psalm 3. The first two psalms, like many others, don’t tell us anything either about who they were written by or when they were written, although we know from the New Testament that Psalm 2 was written by David and there is every reason to suppose that is true of Psalm 1 too. (Indeed nearly all the psalms in Book One (1-41) are definitely by David.)
When we come to Psalm 3 things are different because we are told there both who wrote it and what the circumstances were.
Who wrote it then? The psalm is a psalm of David the King of Israel.
Like just 13 other psalms it also tells us when he wrote it - when he fled from his son Absalom. You may remember how after he had been king for many years David’s son Absalom plotted very carefully and craftily to take the throne by winning over a number of key men, former allies of David. He was able to bring about a coup d’etat that put him on the throne and forced David to flee from Jerusalem like a fugitive. (See 2 Sam 15)
In the end, by the grace of God, David was able to regain control and Absalom was put to death. At first, however, things looked very bleak indeed for David. It was at this time, we learn, that David wrote Psalm 3.
Now when we read about David we should remember that he was the Lord’s choice as king. He was the Lord’s anointed. The Lord had made him king over his people. So when we read about David it points us forward to the coming greater son of David, the King of kings – Jesus of Nazareth. And so when we look at this psalm that should be in the back of our minds and inform all our thinking.
I want to say 4 things arising from the psalm.
1. Consider the problems that Christ and his people face
The psalm begins with a complaint. David complains to the LORD because of all his foes. 1 O LORD, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me! It was not only his son Absalom who had turned against David but men like Shimei and Ahithophel as well. You can read more in 2 Samuel 15. To make his problems worse he is aware that (2) Many are saying about him, God will not deliver him. Selah (We don’t know what selah means. Perhaps it’s something to do with the way the psalms were sung). So it was a little bit like people watching a football match. Say, European football – first round. Some little Welsh team against Real Madrid or Benfica or someone. (Carmarthen v SK Brann). ‘They don’t stand a chance’ people say. Or it’s like people watching a fight. ‘Not much hope for the little fella’ they say.
Now none of us is facing the exact circumstances David was facing but if we are Christians we can certainly identify with him. If we are Christians, then because we are devoted to the Messiah, we are surrounded by enemies too.
We are opposed by the Devil and by all his evil cohorts
We are opposed by the world on every side. In the media, in education, in the politic world, often in our places of work and even at home sometimes we find ourselves under attack.
The attack comes not only from without but also from within as our own sinful desires, the flesh, wars against us at times so that we do not do what we want to do and we do what we hate
O LORD, how many are my foes! we say How many rise up against me! Onlookers often predict the demise of the church or of Christianity. ‘It can’t last’ they say. ‘Look at the empty chapels’. ‘Look how few they get on a Sunday night these days. Don’t even have an evening service some of them.’ And we are conscious of their criticisms.
So here is a psalm written many hundreds of years ago in a particular crisis but somehow what David says is bang up to date. He is describing exactly the situation some of us feel we are in – let down, up against it, surrounded, outnumbered, overwhelmed. People think there’s not much hope for us either. ‘God’s not going to do anything in that chapel’ they say. He’s not going to do much with that man, that woman, that boy or girl. He won’t deliver them.
2. Understand the answer to such problems
Now here is the really interesting thing. Having started on such a low note we do not perhaps expect what comes next. It’s like a piece of music with a sudden change of tempo or volume. Suddenly he shoots up another octave, as it were. One moment he is down here somewhere and then, like a supersonic rocket he launches suddenly into outer space. 3 But you are a shield around me, O LORD; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head. Now, of course, the hint is there from the beginning because this psalm does not begin "How many are my foes! How many rise up against me! does it?" How does it begin? It begins O LORD, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me! Right from the start he is looking in the right direction. Here then is the answer to such problems. It is a little like a ladder or a rising staircase or a series of three paintings on a wall, as he considers what the LORD is to him despite all the opposition. He uses three pictures.
1. The LORD is a shield around him
First picture - Here is a soldier under attack. He is surrounded on all sides. It looks dangerous. But he has a shield, a large shield – the shield is around him. With the shield he is able to quench the fiery darts directed at him. That is how the LORD acts in the first instance. Despite the onslaught, he protects his servant. He shields him from danger. He makes sure that he is safe.
He protects his anointed one and that’s what he’ll do for you too, if you put your trust in him. There is no promise that there will not be enemies or that their number will be limited to a fixed figure. But we can know the help the psalmist knew as he trusted in the Lord – having him as a shield round about us, a guardian and a protector. Are you looking to the Lord for protection, despite your many foes and all that is against you?
2. He is one who bestows glory on him
I want us to look today at a psalm, at Psalm 3. The first two psalms, like many others, don’t tell us anything either about who they were written by or when they were written, although we know from the New Testament that Psalm 2 was written by David and there is every reason to suppose that is true of Psalm 1 too. (Indeed nearly all the psalms in Book One (1-41) are definitely by David.)
When we come to Psalm 3 things are different because we are told there both who wrote it and what the circumstances were.
Who wrote it then? The psalm is a psalm of David the King of Israel.
Like just 13 other psalms it also tells us when he wrote it - when he fled from his son Absalom. You may remember how after he had been king for many years David’s son Absalom plotted very carefully and craftily to take the throne by winning over a number of key men, former allies of David. He was able to bring about a coup d’etat that put him on the throne and forced David to flee from Jerusalem like a fugitive. (See 2 Sam 15)
In the end, by the grace of God, David was able to regain control and Absalom was put to death. At first, however, things looked very bleak indeed for David. It was at this time, we learn, that David wrote Psalm 3.
Now when we read about David we should remember that he was the Lord’s choice as king. He was the Lord’s anointed. The Lord had made him king over his people. So when we read about David it points us forward to the coming greater son of David, the King of kings – Jesus of Nazareth. And so when we look at this psalm that should be in the back of our minds and inform all our thinking.
I want to say 4 things arising from the psalm.
1. Consider the problems that Christ and his people face
The psalm begins with a complaint. David complains to the LORD because of all his foes. 1 O LORD, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me! It was not only his son Absalom who had turned against David but men like Shimei and Ahithophel as well. You can read more in 2 Samuel 15. To make his problems worse he is aware that (2) Many are saying about him, God will not deliver him. Selah (We don’t know what selah means. Perhaps it’s something to do with the way the psalms were sung). So it was a little bit like people watching a football match. Say, European football – first round. Some little Welsh team against Real Madrid or Benfica or someone. (Carmarthen v SK Brann). ‘They don’t stand a chance’ people say. Or it’s like people watching a fight. ‘Not much hope for the little fella’ they say.
Now none of us is facing the exact circumstances David was facing but if we are Christians we can certainly identify with him. If we are Christians, then because we are devoted to the Messiah, we are surrounded by enemies too.
We are opposed by the Devil and by all his evil cohorts
We are opposed by the world on every side. In the media, in education, in the politic world, often in our places of work and even at home sometimes we find ourselves under attack.
The attack comes not only from without but also from within as our own sinful desires, the flesh, wars against us at times so that we do not do what we want to do and we do what we hate
O LORD, how many are my foes! we say How many rise up against me! Onlookers often predict the demise of the church or of Christianity. ‘It can’t last’ they say. ‘Look at the empty chapels’. ‘Look how few they get on a Sunday night these days. Don’t even have an evening service some of them.’ And we are conscious of their criticisms.
So here is a psalm written many hundreds of years ago in a particular crisis but somehow what David says is bang up to date. He is describing exactly the situation some of us feel we are in – let down, up against it, surrounded, outnumbered, overwhelmed. People think there’s not much hope for us either. ‘God’s not going to do anything in that chapel’ they say. He’s not going to do much with that man, that woman, that boy or girl. He won’t deliver them.
2. Understand the answer to such problems
Now here is the really interesting thing. Having started on such a low note we do not perhaps expect what comes next. It’s like a piece of music with a sudden change of tempo or volume. Suddenly he shoots up another octave, as it were. One moment he is down here somewhere and then, like a supersonic rocket he launches suddenly into outer space. 3 But you are a shield around me, O LORD; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head. Now, of course, the hint is there from the beginning because this psalm does not begin "How many are my foes! How many rise up against me! does it?" How does it begin? It begins O LORD, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me! Right from the start he is looking in the right direction. Here then is the answer to such problems. It is a little like a ladder or a rising staircase or a series of three paintings on a wall, as he considers what the LORD is to him despite all the opposition. He uses three pictures.
1. The LORD is a shield around him
First picture - Here is a soldier under attack. He is surrounded on all sides. It looks dangerous. But he has a shield, a large shield – the shield is around him. With the shield he is able to quench the fiery darts directed at him. That is how the LORD acts in the first instance. Despite the onslaught, he protects his servant. He shields him from danger. He makes sure that he is safe.
He protects his anointed one and that’s what he’ll do for you too, if you put your trust in him. There is no promise that there will not be enemies or that their number will be limited to a fixed figure. But we can know the help the psalmist knew as he trusted in the Lord – having him as a shield round about us, a guardian and a protector. Are you looking to the Lord for protection, despite your many foes and all that is against you?
2. He is one who bestows glory on him
The writer goes on to say you bestow glory on me
Second picture – Not only does this soldier have a sword but … and this may seem unimportant … he is wearing a uniform – a uniform that shines if you like, a suit of armour. He is wearing his master’s uniform. He is hand picked. He has been chosen to fight for his master. Yes, it is an invidious thing to be attacked by enemies, a matter in some ways of potential shame and disgrace but the psalmist does not fear shame. No, quite the opposite – the LORD bestows glory on him; honour, fame, glory. Here is the little team or the little man again up against it – a stronger team, a stronger opponent it seems – yet far from being shamed they are able to hold their own and more and so they gain great honour and glory.
That’s how it is when the believer faces many foes. He is serving the LORD and the LORD so works it that in the end it is for his glory and praise, a glory and praise that reflects on them. He turns the tables and far from losing out or suffering long term his servants are honoured and receive praise. Again, here is an encouragement to stick it out, to press on. It will be for Christ’s glory and your honour in the end.
3. He is the one who lifts up the psalmist’s head
The third picture - the lifting of his head. I remember when I used to play rugby in school and sometimes we would face stiff opposition and maybe they would score a try or two against us and it was easy in such a situation to get discouraged. But then the captain would say ‘Come on, lads, turn and face. Keep your heads up.’ It’s easy for your head to droop when things are not going well, when things are against you. One of the things that the Lord doe at such times, when our heads hang is to lift them up. He does it in various ways. For example
He uses preachers. That’s part of my job as a preacher - to try and encourage you who believe not to give up. To keep going.
He uses others. We all have a duty to encourage one another. Some are better than others, however. A great New Testament example is Barnabas. His real name was Joseph but they used to call him Barnabas (Son of encouragement) because he was such an encourager. He always had just the right word to say. It was as if encouragement itself had come down in the person of an individual when you met that great man. We ought to try and be like him.
Sometimes God has his own ways of encouraging us by his various providences. You know that hymn by William Cowper –
Sometimes a light surprises the Christian while he sings;
It is the Lord, who rises with healing in His wings:
When comforts are declining, He grants the soul again
A season of clear shining, to cheer it after rain.
3. Know what to do therefore
So we need to think about this then. Yes, we may find ourselves surrounded by many foes at times. It can threaten to overwhelm us. We would be foolish to think the Christian life is going to be easy. Nevertheless, this should not lead us to despair because the LORD is not unaware of our plight – He is not like some bad mother who doesn’t see her child’s need. He’s not like a parent who has been distracted by something else. He sees the need and he has his ways of dealing with it – he is like a protecting shield around us; he is able to deliver from shame and get glory for his name and so he can lift up our heads high, even when we feel they are hanging down in shame and discouragement. Now as we keep these two things in mind we need to do the sort of thing that we see the psalmist doing here.
1. See the power of prayer
I know that the phrase ‘I believe in the power of prayer’ can be abused. Different people mean different things by it. Nevertheless, it can have a good sense and I think it is something that David would have been happy to say. Listen to his testimony here in 4 To the LORD I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill. Selah. When he sees that he is surrounded by enemies David does not despair but remembers the Lord’s power to be a shield, to bring him glory again and to lift up his head that was hanging so low at this point. David had decided not to take the ark of God with him into exile and so he was not able to go to the holy hill of Zion where the ark was at this point but he could still pray as he had many times in the past. He cried to the Lord and the Lord answered and that was how he expected it to be in the future. ‘This is how it is’ he says ‘I cry aloud and God answers’. In a similar way, we can be sure that our prayers to Christ in the heavens will be heard as they have been heard in the past. This is how it is for us who believe too. We simply cry out and the Lord sends answer.
So do you believe in prayer? Do you believe it can make a difference? David did and so did many others in the Bible and beyond. We ought to believe it.
2. Recognise the goodness of God
Second picture – Not only does this soldier have a sword but … and this may seem unimportant … he is wearing a uniform – a uniform that shines if you like, a suit of armour. He is wearing his master’s uniform. He is hand picked. He has been chosen to fight for his master. Yes, it is an invidious thing to be attacked by enemies, a matter in some ways of potential shame and disgrace but the psalmist does not fear shame. No, quite the opposite – the LORD bestows glory on him; honour, fame, glory. Here is the little team or the little man again up against it – a stronger team, a stronger opponent it seems – yet far from being shamed they are able to hold their own and more and so they gain great honour and glory.
That’s how it is when the believer faces many foes. He is serving the LORD and the LORD so works it that in the end it is for his glory and praise, a glory and praise that reflects on them. He turns the tables and far from losing out or suffering long term his servants are honoured and receive praise. Again, here is an encouragement to stick it out, to press on. It will be for Christ’s glory and your honour in the end.
3. He is the one who lifts up the psalmist’s head
The third picture - the lifting of his head. I remember when I used to play rugby in school and sometimes we would face stiff opposition and maybe they would score a try or two against us and it was easy in such a situation to get discouraged. But then the captain would say ‘Come on, lads, turn and face. Keep your heads up.’ It’s easy for your head to droop when things are not going well, when things are against you. One of the things that the Lord doe at such times, when our heads hang is to lift them up. He does it in various ways. For example
He uses preachers. That’s part of my job as a preacher - to try and encourage you who believe not to give up. To keep going.
He uses others. We all have a duty to encourage one another. Some are better than others, however. A great New Testament example is Barnabas. His real name was Joseph but they used to call him Barnabas (Son of encouragement) because he was such an encourager. He always had just the right word to say. It was as if encouragement itself had come down in the person of an individual when you met that great man. We ought to try and be like him.
Sometimes God has his own ways of encouraging us by his various providences. You know that hymn by William Cowper –
Sometimes a light surprises the Christian while he sings;
It is the Lord, who rises with healing in His wings:
When comforts are declining, He grants the soul again
A season of clear shining, to cheer it after rain.
3. Know what to do therefore
So we need to think about this then. Yes, we may find ourselves surrounded by many foes at times. It can threaten to overwhelm us. We would be foolish to think the Christian life is going to be easy. Nevertheless, this should not lead us to despair because the LORD is not unaware of our plight – He is not like some bad mother who doesn’t see her child’s need. He’s not like a parent who has been distracted by something else. He sees the need and he has his ways of dealing with it – he is like a protecting shield around us; he is able to deliver from shame and get glory for his name and so he can lift up our heads high, even when we feel they are hanging down in shame and discouragement. Now as we keep these two things in mind we need to do the sort of thing that we see the psalmist doing here.
1. See the power of prayer
I know that the phrase ‘I believe in the power of prayer’ can be abused. Different people mean different things by it. Nevertheless, it can have a good sense and I think it is something that David would have been happy to say. Listen to his testimony here in 4 To the LORD I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill. Selah. When he sees that he is surrounded by enemies David does not despair but remembers the Lord’s power to be a shield, to bring him glory again and to lift up his head that was hanging so low at this point. David had decided not to take the ark of God with him into exile and so he was not able to go to the holy hill of Zion where the ark was at this point but he could still pray as he had many times in the past. He cried to the Lord and the Lord answered and that was how he expected it to be in the future. ‘This is how it is’ he says ‘I cry aloud and God answers’. In a similar way, we can be sure that our prayers to Christ in the heavens will be heard as they have been heard in the past. This is how it is for us who believe too. We simply cry out and the Lord sends answer.
So do you believe in prayer? Do you believe it can make a difference? David did and so did many others in the Bible and beyond. We ought to believe it.
2. Recognise the goodness of God
David also recognised how good God was to him. 5 I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me. It is because of this line that Psalm 3 is often thought of as a morning hymn. Having fled from Jerusalem and found shelter in the desert, David lay down and slept not knowing quite what the morning might bring. Yet he had not only lain down but he’d had a good night’s sleep too. How? David was in no doubt about it – because the LORD sustains me. For David a good night’s rest was not a matter of not eating cheese or having a cocoa or a whisky last thing or a couple of mogadon, though he might have used such things if he could. No, he slept because he knew the Lord was sustaining him and that’s the reason he woke again too.
Have you seen that? That sleeping and waking are all part of God’s providence. He gives sleep as he chooses and those who wake in the morning (and every morning there are some that do not wake I guess – most people die in their beds) wake because he chooses. We must see that without him we can do nothing.
3. Be done with worry
In light of these facts then David says (6) I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side. ‘It could be worse than this’ says David ‘and it wouldn’t bother me’. Why should I be afraid? Why should I worry? And that should be our attitude too. Remember Jesus’s arguments in Matthew 6:25-34 Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labour or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
We need this sort of attitude don’t we? Fear can paralyse. Worry can wear you down. We need the spirit of Luther in that great hymn of his – A mighty fortress is our God.
In 1720 there was a remarkable revival in a town in Moravia (Czech Republic). The Jesuits strongly opposed it and meetings were prohibited. Those who still assembled were arrested and imprisoned in stables and cellars. At the house of a man called David Nitschmann, where 150 had gathered the authorities broke in and seized books. Undismayed, the congregation struck up a stanza from Luther’s hymn before 20 heads of families taken to jail. They included Nitschmann himself, who was treated very badly. He eventually escaped to join the Moravians at Herrnhut, serving later as a bishop in America. The verse they sang included these words
And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us:
The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure,
Have you seen that? That sleeping and waking are all part of God’s providence. He gives sleep as he chooses and those who wake in the morning (and every morning there are some that do not wake I guess – most people die in their beds) wake because he chooses. We must see that without him we can do nothing.
3. Be done with worry
In light of these facts then David says (6) I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side. ‘It could be worse than this’ says David ‘and it wouldn’t bother me’. Why should I be afraid? Why should I worry? And that should be our attitude too. Remember Jesus’s arguments in Matthew 6:25-34 Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labour or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
We need this sort of attitude don’t we? Fear can paralyse. Worry can wear you down. We need the spirit of Luther in that great hymn of his – A mighty fortress is our God.
In 1720 there was a remarkable revival in a town in Moravia (Czech Republic). The Jesuits strongly opposed it and meetings were prohibited. Those who still assembled were arrested and imprisoned in stables and cellars. At the house of a man called David Nitschmann, where 150 had gathered the authorities broke in and seized books. Undismayed, the congregation struck up a stanza from Luther’s hymn before 20 heads of families taken to jail. They included Nitschmann himself, who was treated very badly. He eventually escaped to join the Moravians at Herrnhut, serving later as a bishop in America. The verse they sang included these words
And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us:
The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him.
That must be our spirit. I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side. Let them laugh at me. Let them mock. Let them send me to prison if they will.
4. Pray for deliverance
Then in 7 we have the prayer itself. It’s not enough just to believe in prayer we must pray. You hear of celebrities advertising certain products who privately don’t even use them. David is not like that. He believes in prayer and so he prays.
Are we the same? David prays 7 Arise, O LORD! Deliver me, O my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked. David was a shepherd, of course, and he remembered fending of attacks by lions and bears and wolves. There were no guns then. He would smash the wild animal with his rod in the face. He would break their teeth. And so here he prays for the same sort of thing to happen to those who are so strongly opposing him. He was the rightful king and so he could pray like that. We know that the rightful king is Jesus and so when we pray in his name we can pray with the same sort of confidence that God would defeat them.
4. Remember this summarising conclusion and prayer
In verse 8 David brings the psalm do a beautiful conclusion with a summarising conclusion and a summarising prayer.
1. Summarising conclusion
8 From the LORD comes deliverance. It’s like Jonah 2:9 Salvation is of the LORD. Don’t look anywhere else, even for a moment. Look only to Jesus Christ. He is the only one who can deliver from trouble. Do you see that?
2. Summarising prayer
May your blessing be on your people. Selah. In all this David’s concern has not been for himself as such but for the people of God. Again here he teaches us something about Christ. If we belong to Christ this should be our prayer too. Despite the opposition, despite the seeming disasters we hear of from time to time, pray that God will bless his people nevertheless.
That must be our spirit. I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side. Let them laugh at me. Let them mock. Let them send me to prison if they will.
4. Pray for deliverance
Then in 7 we have the prayer itself. It’s not enough just to believe in prayer we must pray. You hear of celebrities advertising certain products who privately don’t even use them. David is not like that. He believes in prayer and so he prays.
Are we the same? David prays 7 Arise, O LORD! Deliver me, O my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked. David was a shepherd, of course, and he remembered fending of attacks by lions and bears and wolves. There were no guns then. He would smash the wild animal with his rod in the face. He would break their teeth. And so here he prays for the same sort of thing to happen to those who are so strongly opposing him. He was the rightful king and so he could pray like that. We know that the rightful king is Jesus and so when we pray in his name we can pray with the same sort of confidence that God would defeat them.
4. Remember this summarising conclusion and prayer
In verse 8 David brings the psalm do a beautiful conclusion with a summarising conclusion and a summarising prayer.
1. Summarising conclusion
8 From the LORD comes deliverance. It’s like Jonah 2:9 Salvation is of the LORD. Don’t look anywhere else, even for a moment. Look only to Jesus Christ. He is the only one who can deliver from trouble. Do you see that?
2. Summarising prayer
May your blessing be on your people. Selah. In all this David’s concern has not been for himself as such but for the people of God. Again here he teaches us something about Christ. If we belong to Christ this should be our prayer too. Despite the opposition, despite the seeming disasters we hear of from time to time, pray that God will bless his people nevertheless.
