Prayers to echo, exhortations to hear
Text: Psalm 4 Time: 19/08/07 Place: Childs Hill BaptistI want us to look this evening at Psalm 4. Once again it is A psalm of David. We are not told when David wrote it but we are told first that it is For the director of music. With stringed instruments. Although the psalms were written initially for personal use they were also meant for congregational use and a number of them (55, also see Habakkuk) have this heading For the director of music – the choirmaster in the Temple.
We know very little about the music that accompanied the psalms but this one is to be accompanied, we read, With stringed instruments.Psalm 3 and 4 sound like they belong together and may well have arisen in the same set of circumstances. Again there is opposition and again David's response is to cry to the Lord in prayer. Psalm 3 contains the line I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me which associates it with the morning. Psalm 4 closes with the line I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety. This associates it with the evening.
Psalm 4 begins with a prayer but then moves on to some exhortations – first to the ungodly and then to the godly before finishing again with a prayer, a prayer of confidence in God. In order to benefit from it then we need to echo its prayers and hear its exhortations. So I say
1. Here is a prayer of petition to God to echo1. Who does he pray to?
He says Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God. So he is praying to God – which is obvious in some ways, but it is possible to pray only to yourself or to those around you. Some think of prayer as just a psychological exercise.
Psalm 4 begins with a prayer but then moves on to some exhortations – first to the ungodly and then to the godly before finishing again with a prayer, a prayer of confidence in God. In order to benefit from it then we need to echo its prayers and hear its exhortations. So I say
1. Here is a prayer of petition to God to echo1. Who does he pray to?
He says Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God. So he is praying to God – which is obvious in some ways, but it is possible to pray only to yourself or to those around you. Some think of prayer as just a psychological exercise.
We must pray always and only to God.
He calls him righteous God, a God who is just, who is fair. When we are praying to the Lord we can always be sure that he will be fair. God is light and in him there is no darkness at all.
He calls him righteous God, a God who is just, who is fair. When we are praying to the Lord we can always be sure that he will be fair. God is light and in him there is no darkness at all.
Are you convinced of the fairness of God? Do you recognise his justice?
Finally, it is O my righteous God. This was not some far off, remote and unknown God, this was a God who the psalmist knew for himself.
Finally, it is O my righteous God. This was not some far off, remote and unknown God, this was a God who the psalmist knew for himself.
Do you know him? Is he your God? O what a difference it makes in prayer when we are coming to God who not only knows us but whom we know ourselves.
2. What does he pray for?
He puts it in different ways but basically what David is asking for is very simple indeed. He wants an answer. Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God ... hear my prayer. More specifically he prays Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me .... He knows that God is righteous and so if he is dealt with in strict fairness there must be punishment for his sin. But he appeals to God's mercy. He is in trouble – we do not know what trouble exactly – but he calls to God to grant him relief.
2. What does he pray for?
He puts it in different ways but basically what David is asking for is very simple indeed. He wants an answer. Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God ... hear my prayer. More specifically he prays Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me .... He knows that God is righteous and so if he is dealt with in strict fairness there must be punishment for his sin. But he appeals to God's mercy. He is in trouble – we do not know what trouble exactly – but he calls to God to grant him relief.
Because God is not only righteous but also merciful though we are sinners we can go to him confidently being sure that he will hear us.
2. Here is an exhortation to the ungodly to hearSo prayer comes first – talking to God. Next he turns to speak to those around him – first the ungodly and then the godly. That is the order then – speak to God first and then to men. Here, there are questions first and then some assertions are made.
1. Two questions for the ungodly to hearWe do not know who were David's particular enemies at this time but he has some questions for them (2) How long, O men, will you turn my glory into shame? How long will you love delusions and seek false gods? Selah David is distressed at their ungodliness and idolatry. They are turning his glory to shame and in their love of delusion seeking false gods. How much longer are they going to go on in that way? It must stop.
When a person wins a gold medal in the Olympic games then he brings glory to himself and his country but, as happens sometimes, if he is then found to have cheated by taking banned drugs, he brings shame on himself, on his country, on his sport. In a similar way – it is glorious to worship God but if you worship an idol instead that is to the shame of all involved. Atheists seize on it as proof that religion is rotten but such accusations are entirely unfair.
We live in an age when men seem determined to exchange the glory of God and worshipping him for something shameful and dishonouring. They would rather believe a lie than trust in the living God. And for how much longer is this to go on? Don't we have some right to know? Will this never come to an end, this foolishness? The only way it can come to an end is if there is genuine repentance. That is what is needed.
2. Two assertions for the ungodly to hear
David goes on (3) Know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself; the LORD will hear when I call to him. As far from God as unbelievers may be, we still need to proclaim the truth to them and the truth is not only that there is a God but that he has set apart the godly for himself. He has his elect, his chosen ones who he has called to himself. And those who he has called in turn call to him – and because they are his chosen ones we can be sure he will hear us.
Unbelievers think that they can believe what they want and that it will make no difference. They think Christians are the same as them – they believe one thing and we believe another and it makes little difference. But that is not so. What they believe detracts from God's glory, it is a delusion and the truth is that there is a God, the true God, and he has his people who pray to him and he hears. He may appear to do nothing at first but he will not keep putting his people off but will hear them.
3. Here is an exhortation to the godly to hearDavid could be continuing to speak to the same people but probably having spoken to the ungodly, he turns next to speak to the godly. He has a number of things that he wants to exhort them to. He lays down how believers should act when there is opposition and unbelief.
1. Hear this warning against sin4a In your anger do not sin. When believers see idolatry and the way God's glory is turned to shame they are often angry. God himself, of course, is angry with idolatry and unbelief and it is possible to be angry without sinning. Not all anger is sinful anger. There is such a thing as righteous anger. However, whenever we are angry we run the danger of falling into unrighteous anger, sinful anger. And so David says In your anger do not sin. Do not let your anger with sin boil over so that it leads you into sinning yourself.
2. Here is an exhortation to the ungodly to hearSo prayer comes first – talking to God. Next he turns to speak to those around him – first the ungodly and then the godly. That is the order then – speak to God first and then to men. Here, there are questions first and then some assertions are made.
1. Two questions for the ungodly to hearWe do not know who were David's particular enemies at this time but he has some questions for them (2) How long, O men, will you turn my glory into shame? How long will you love delusions and seek false gods? Selah David is distressed at their ungodliness and idolatry. They are turning his glory to shame and in their love of delusion seeking false gods. How much longer are they going to go on in that way? It must stop.
When a person wins a gold medal in the Olympic games then he brings glory to himself and his country but, as happens sometimes, if he is then found to have cheated by taking banned drugs, he brings shame on himself, on his country, on his sport. In a similar way – it is glorious to worship God but if you worship an idol instead that is to the shame of all involved. Atheists seize on it as proof that religion is rotten but such accusations are entirely unfair.
We live in an age when men seem determined to exchange the glory of God and worshipping him for something shameful and dishonouring. They would rather believe a lie than trust in the living God. And for how much longer is this to go on? Don't we have some right to know? Will this never come to an end, this foolishness? The only way it can come to an end is if there is genuine repentance. That is what is needed.
2. Two assertions for the ungodly to hear
David goes on (3) Know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself; the LORD will hear when I call to him. As far from God as unbelievers may be, we still need to proclaim the truth to them and the truth is not only that there is a God but that he has set apart the godly for himself. He has his elect, his chosen ones who he has called to himself. And those who he has called in turn call to him – and because they are his chosen ones we can be sure he will hear us.
Unbelievers think that they can believe what they want and that it will make no difference. They think Christians are the same as them – they believe one thing and we believe another and it makes little difference. But that is not so. What they believe detracts from God's glory, it is a delusion and the truth is that there is a God, the true God, and he has his people who pray to him and he hears. He may appear to do nothing at first but he will not keep putting his people off but will hear them.
3. Here is an exhortation to the godly to hearDavid could be continuing to speak to the same people but probably having spoken to the ungodly, he turns next to speak to the godly. He has a number of things that he wants to exhort them to. He lays down how believers should act when there is opposition and unbelief.
1. Hear this warning against sin4a In your anger do not sin. When believers see idolatry and the way God's glory is turned to shame they are often angry. God himself, of course, is angry with idolatry and unbelief and it is possible to be angry without sinning. Not all anger is sinful anger. There is such a thing as righteous anger. However, whenever we are angry we run the danger of falling into unrighteous anger, sinful anger. And so David says In your anger do not sin. Do not let your anger with sin boil over so that it leads you into sinning yourself.
Are we taking care not to sin in this way?
2. Hear this call to self-examination
He carries on (4b) when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent. Selah. Self-examination is very important for all of us. We can convince ourselves that all our anger is righteous anger. We can suppose that we are not failing at all but what we need to do is to examine our consciences with care and see what is happening. When you are on your beds is a way of recommending silence in order to properly examine oneself.
2. Hear this call to self-examination
He carries on (4b) when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent. Selah. Self-examination is very important for all of us. We can convince ourselves that all our anger is righteous anger. We can suppose that we are not failing at all but what we need to do is to examine our consciences with care and see what is happening. When you are on your beds is a way of recommending silence in order to properly examine oneself.
Self-examination is a neglected discipline but one that we ought to give ourselves to.
3. Hear this demand for right sacrificesHe also says (5a) Offer right sacrifices. In Old Testament days, of course, there were many animal sacrifices. These were part of the Temple ritual and were very important in Old Testament religion. These sacrifices pointed forward to what Jesus was going to do by his death on the cross. Under the NT we are no longer required to make animal sacrifices but to look to Jesus Christ and what he has done to make atonement for sinners on the cross. When the New Testament talks about sacrifice it says things like this:
1 Pet 2:5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
Rom 1:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship.
Phil 4:18 I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.
Heb 3:15, 16 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise - the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.Many are engaged in false worship, many believe a lie but we who believe must carry on with the true religion - offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ, being living sacrifices in God's service; giving to the Lord's work, singing his praise and doing good to others. With such sacrifices God is pleased.
4. Hear this call to faith
Above everything else there must be continual faith in the Lord. 5b and trust in the LORD. Being surrounded by unbelievers can have an undermining effect on us and we can find it difficult to go on in the faith. We must not give in to such an attitude, however. Rather, we must go on trusting in the LORD. He will never fail us we can be sure.
4. Here is a prayer of confidence in God to echo
And so we come back to prayer. David says (6a) Many are asking, Who can show us any good? Believer and unbeliever alike had this questioning attitude. Well, where was the answer going to come from? David was in no doubt and so we have here
1. A prayer for light
Let the light of your face shine upon us, O LORD. Using the ancient words of the priestly blessing (Numbers 6) David prays for light, he seeks the Lord's face. He sees that is what is needed in this situation as in every other.
Pray also for the light of God's presence in any and every situation. Don't look down but look up. Look up to God for his help. He will hear you.
2. Confidence in God
David does not pray with any sense of desperation or despair. No he prays with joy and a sense of peace.
1. Joy (7) You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound. Even in the midst of his troubles he prays with joy for he knows that he is in God's hands and all will be well. What's the happiest you've ever been? The Christian has a greater underlying joy than that.
2. Peace (8) I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety. At the end of the day he is able to lay down in peace because the Lord is keeping him. Yes, there are enemies but all will be well through the Lord. Do you believe that? We ought to.
3. Hear this demand for right sacrificesHe also says (5a) Offer right sacrifices. In Old Testament days, of course, there were many animal sacrifices. These were part of the Temple ritual and were very important in Old Testament religion. These sacrifices pointed forward to what Jesus was going to do by his death on the cross. Under the NT we are no longer required to make animal sacrifices but to look to Jesus Christ and what he has done to make atonement for sinners on the cross. When the New Testament talks about sacrifice it says things like this:
1 Pet 2:5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
Rom 1:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship.
Phil 4:18 I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.
Heb 3:15, 16 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise - the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.Many are engaged in false worship, many believe a lie but we who believe must carry on with the true religion - offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ, being living sacrifices in God's service; giving to the Lord's work, singing his praise and doing good to others. With such sacrifices God is pleased.
4. Hear this call to faith
Above everything else there must be continual faith in the Lord. 5b and trust in the LORD. Being surrounded by unbelievers can have an undermining effect on us and we can find it difficult to go on in the faith. We must not give in to such an attitude, however. Rather, we must go on trusting in the LORD. He will never fail us we can be sure.
4. Here is a prayer of confidence in God to echo
And so we come back to prayer. David says (6a) Many are asking, Who can show us any good? Believer and unbeliever alike had this questioning attitude. Well, where was the answer going to come from? David was in no doubt and so we have here
1. A prayer for light
Let the light of your face shine upon us, O LORD. Using the ancient words of the priestly blessing (Numbers 6) David prays for light, he seeks the Lord's face. He sees that is what is needed in this situation as in every other.
Pray also for the light of God's presence in any and every situation. Don't look down but look up. Look up to God for his help. He will hear you.
2. Confidence in God
David does not pray with any sense of desperation or despair. No he prays with joy and a sense of peace.
1. Joy (7) You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound. Even in the midst of his troubles he prays with joy for he knows that he is in God's hands and all will be well. What's the happiest you've ever been? The Christian has a greater underlying joy than that.
2. Peace (8) I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety. At the end of the day he is able to lay down in peace because the Lord is keeping him. Yes, there are enemies but all will be well through the Lord. Do you believe that? We ought to.
