Praying under pressure
Text: Psalm 5 Time: 26/08/07 Place: Childs Hill BaptistWe are looking at the psalms and we come this week to Psalm 5. Like Psalm 4, Psalm 5 is headed For the director of music and A psalm of David. There is a different musical note however. Where as we can translate the note above Psalm 4 With stringed instruments that above Psalm 5 is translated For flutes. Music can be a powerful means of setting a mood and when these two psalms were originally sung in the Temple worship they would have sounded quite different. The brightness and clarity of the strings would have contrasted with the mellow, haunting sound of the flutes. David speaks of his sighing and crying here at the beginning and also urges joy and rejoicing at the end. No doubt the flutes would have picked that up and underlined the mood.
As for the psalm itself it is, as is most often the case in the Psalms, chiefly a prayer – indeed it is really all prayer. David is clearly under some pressure from his enemies – something perhaps we can identify with – here we can see how he prays at such a time and there are a number of things that I want to draw to your attention from the psalm.
1. Concerning yourself - make expectant requests to be heard by GodDavid begins Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my sighing. Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray.
As for the psalm itself it is, as is most often the case in the Psalms, chiefly a prayer – indeed it is really all prayer. David is clearly under some pressure from his enemies – something perhaps we can identify with – here we can see how he prays at such a time and there are a number of things that I want to draw to your attention from the psalm.
1. Concerning yourself - make expectant requests to be heard by GodDavid begins Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my sighing. Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray.
So first some general things about prayer. We ask two questions
1. Who is he praying to?
1. Who is he praying to?
We made a similar point last week but we cannot assume that everyone who prays, prays to God. David is clear here, though. He is praying to the LORD, the covenant God of Scripture. He says my King and my God ... to you I pray– my master and my all, I'm praying to you. Not a king and god but my King and my God.
Is he your Lord and God? Do you pray to him? Take every opportunity to do so.
2. How does he pray?
2. How does he pray?
There is a seriousness and an earnestness here isn't there? Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my sighing. Listen to my cry for help .... In 3 he says In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation. There is a regularity and consistency about his praying. Too often we pray in fits and starts. He also prays expectantly. That is the way to pray – expecting to be heard, expecting answers to our prayers.
2. Concerning others - pray willingly acknowledging God’s wrath against sinnersThen in 4-6 we come to David's particular concern. He says to God You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil; with you the wicked cannot dwell. The arrogant cannot stand in your presence; you hate all who do wrong. You destroy those who tell lies; bloodthirsty and deceitful men the LORD abhors.Hebrew poetry is based not on rhyming words but what we can think of as rhyming (or sometimes contrasting) ideas. Here he expresses the same basic idea in several ways. He is talking about people who are characterised by evil; who are wicked, arrogant, who do wrong, who tell lies and are bloodthirsty and deceitful. As far as such things are concerned God takes no pleasure in them. He will not have such people in his presence. He hates them, he abhors them and will destroy them.
It is important that we see things as God sees them and in part this is what happens in prayer. We start to look at things through God's eyes. We begin to see it in his way. Now at this point it would seem David is happy to do that because it is the wicked, arrogant, deceitful and bloodthirsty wrongdoers who are opposing him.
Nevertheless at the same time he is conscious that he himself is not perfect and we will say something about that in a moment. His chief burden at this point, however, seems to be to remind God of his hatred of evil, his wrath against sin and so his obligation to seeing his enemies overthrown. His request for God to do something about the wicked comes later.
2. Concerning others - pray willingly acknowledging God’s wrath against sinnersThen in 4-6 we come to David's particular concern. He says to God You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil; with you the wicked cannot dwell. The arrogant cannot stand in your presence; you hate all who do wrong. You destroy those who tell lies; bloodthirsty and deceitful men the LORD abhors.Hebrew poetry is based not on rhyming words but what we can think of as rhyming (or sometimes contrasting) ideas. Here he expresses the same basic idea in several ways. He is talking about people who are characterised by evil; who are wicked, arrogant, who do wrong, who tell lies and are bloodthirsty and deceitful. As far as such things are concerned God takes no pleasure in them. He will not have such people in his presence. He hates them, he abhors them and will destroy them.
It is important that we see things as God sees them and in part this is what happens in prayer. We start to look at things through God's eyes. We begin to see it in his way. Now at this point it would seem David is happy to do that because it is the wicked, arrogant, deceitful and bloodthirsty wrongdoers who are opposing him.
Nevertheless at the same time he is conscious that he himself is not perfect and we will say something about that in a moment. His chief burden at this point, however, seems to be to remind God of his hatred of evil, his wrath against sin and so his obligation to seeing his enemies overthrown. His request for God to do something about the wicked comes later.
When we pray then we do not pray that God will do something out of character. Rather we pray that he will do what is in line with his character. Here we are thinking of his wrath against unrepentant sinners. Although we are to love our enemies we are also right to pray that where they persist in their opposition to God that God bring them under his judgement.
3. Concerning yourself again confidently plead for mercy and for guidance into holiness
Now as I said a moment ago, the moment you start thinking of the sins of others it reminds you of your own sin and so David goes on to pray here (7, 8) But I, by your great mercy, will come into your house; in reverence will I bow down toward your holy temple. Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies - make straight your way before me. So he pleads for two specific things – for mercy and for guidance.
1. For mercy
3. Concerning yourself again confidently plead for mercy and for guidance into holiness
Now as I said a moment ago, the moment you start thinking of the sins of others it reminds you of your own sin and so David goes on to pray here (7, 8) But I, by your great mercy, will come into your house; in reverence will I bow down toward your holy temple. Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies - make straight your way before me. So he pleads for two specific things – for mercy and for guidance.
1. For mercy
But I, by your great mercy, will come into your house; in reverence will I bow down toward your holy temple. He wants to come to God and worship him. He speaks of bowing down towards the Temple or tabernacle, the place where God then visibly dwelt. And he envisages worshipping God – but he does not presume on acceptance, rather he pleads God's great mercy. You see how again it is in line with God's character that he pleads. God is a God of wrath – he hates sin – but he is also a God of great mercy and so there is hope even for sinners like David and us. Remember the story of Esther and how the rule in King Xerxes time was that no-one could ordinarily go into the king's presence unless he called you in on pain of death. However, if you went in unbidden the king had the option of extending his golden sceptre towards you - a sign that all was well. Esther, you remember entered in fear and trembling and yet was welcomed.
There is hope too for all who go to God in the name of Jesus Christ and seeking God's great mercy. By God's great mercy you can come into his presence – you can look to his throne in heaven with confidence – I urge you to it. Come to him and find mercy. He'll extend the golden sceptre to you.
2. For guidance
2. For guidance
Then there are these famous words in 8 Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies - make straight your way before me. Because of his enemies David doesn't know what to do. He fears that they will cause him to do something sinful. And so he asks the Lord to lead him. Make straight your way before me he says. When you are driving at night in places where there are no lights it can be difficult. Thanks though to the white lines in the middle of the road and especially to cat's eyes although you can't see anything in the distance or either side of the road, you can at least see the direction the road is taking. We need the same sort of guidelines for our lives and so we must pray to God to make the way forward clear.
Pray 'Show me how to live to your honour'. We can pray like David. Pray that he will guide you along the narrow path to life. Pray that he will show you how to live in a way that honours him and is according to his will. He hears such prayers.
4. Concerning others again openly recognise man’s evil and call for judgementIn 9, 10 he turns his attention back to the wicked and this time more specifically he prays for their overthrow. First, he describes them
1. The character of the ungodly9 Not a word from their mouth can be trusted; their heart is filled with destruction. Their throat is an open grave; with their tongue they speak deceit. Paul uses these verses in the New Testament (Romans 3) when he wants to demonstrate the total depravity of man. This is what men and women are like by nature – untrustworthy, full of hatred and malice, their speech is murderous (an open grave) and full of deceit. Sometimes it surprises to realise how sinful people can be but we must make no mistake about the depths to which human beings are willing to sink given the necessary circumstances. I don't know if you've ever read William Golding's first novel, the 1954 book Lord of the flies about a group of boys marooned on a desert island and their descent into savagery. It brings out well the inherent depravity found in man. The Bible certainly teaches total depravity – total here meaning not that we are as bad as we can be but that we are bad in every part, every part is fallen – tongue, throat, mouth, heart, every aspect.
2. An argument for judgement
David goes on (10) Declare them guilty, O God! Let their intrigues be their downfall. Banish them for their many sins, for they have rebelled against you. They are rebels against God, therefore David prays for judgement on them from God. 'Don't let them get away with it' he prays. 'Turn the tables on them' he pleads.
Pray 'Show me how to live to your honour'. We can pray like David. Pray that he will guide you along the narrow path to life. Pray that he will show you how to live in a way that honours him and is according to his will. He hears such prayers.
4. Concerning others again openly recognise man’s evil and call for judgementIn 9, 10 he turns his attention back to the wicked and this time more specifically he prays for their overthrow. First, he describes them
1. The character of the ungodly9 Not a word from their mouth can be trusted; their heart is filled with destruction. Their throat is an open grave; with their tongue they speak deceit. Paul uses these verses in the New Testament (Romans 3) when he wants to demonstrate the total depravity of man. This is what men and women are like by nature – untrustworthy, full of hatred and malice, their speech is murderous (an open grave) and full of deceit. Sometimes it surprises to realise how sinful people can be but we must make no mistake about the depths to which human beings are willing to sink given the necessary circumstances. I don't know if you've ever read William Golding's first novel, the 1954 book Lord of the flies about a group of boys marooned on a desert island and their descent into savagery. It brings out well the inherent depravity found in man. The Bible certainly teaches total depravity – total here meaning not that we are as bad as we can be but that we are bad in every part, every part is fallen – tongue, throat, mouth, heart, every aspect.
2. An argument for judgement
David goes on (10) Declare them guilty, O God! Let their intrigues be their downfall. Banish them for their many sins, for they have rebelled against you. They are rebels against God, therefore David prays for judgement on them from God. 'Don't let them get away with it' he prays. 'Turn the tables on them' he pleads.
Again we say that though we must love of our enemies, if they remain unrepentant then it is quite right that we pray that God will declare them guilty and bring them down. Pray for his judgement.
5. Concerning others finally, earnestly pray for protection and joy for those who love God’s name
At the same time we also want to pray for God's blessing on his people. And it is on that note that David ends (11, 12) But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favour as with a shield.
5. Concerning others finally, earnestly pray for protection and joy for those who love God’s name
At the same time we also want to pray for God's blessing on his people. And it is on that note that David ends (11, 12) But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favour as with a shield.
Notice
1. Who he prays for – he refers to all who take refuge in you and those who love your name
1. Who he prays for – he refers to all who take refuge in you and those who love your name
He calls them more briefly the righteous. The righteous then, those who are right with God, are those who take refuge in the Lord, who hide in him and who love his name, that is his character.
Are you hiding in Jesus? Have you made him your refuge, your hiding place? I urge you to do that. Do you love the name of Jesus? He is the God of mercy and grace, the God who also is filled with wrath against sinners who refuse to repent. He is coming again - what a fearful thing to face him in his wrath. Trust in him today so that when he comes he will receive you into eternal glory.
2. What he prays for them – basically two things - for their joy and their protection
2. What he prays for them – basically two things - for their joy and their protection
But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. Give them joy in their hearts and keep them from all harm. Put more simply he is praying for them joy and peace – the words that appear in the closing verses of Psalm 4 (7, 8) You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound. I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety. What David knew for himself he prays here for everyone.
Are we praying in the same way? Pray that every believer will know the joy and the protection that God alone can give. In12 he talks of the sort of protection God gives in terms of surrounding favour as with a shield. The shield idea appears back in 3:3 and is a powerful one for speaking about the way that God protects his people from their enemies. We are confronted by enemies on all sides – the devil, the world and the flesh – but let's pray that God will keep us safe through it all.
3. The argument
3. The argument
And why should God look after such people and give them joy and peace forever? The argument here is in 12 - For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favour as with a shield. Who would he bless with the gift of joy but his righteous people? Who would he surround with his favour as a shield but them? As we have said before true prayer prays in accord with God's will and surely that is what he desires for his own.
