Seek mercy with confidence
Text: Psalm 6 Time: 02/09/07 Place: Childs Hill Baptist
This week we turn to Psalm 6. This is one of seven psalms often know as the penitential psalms because they are prayers for mercy and forgiveness. Like previous psalms it is again a psalm of David and it is again for the director of music and with stringed instruments. It also says it is to be according to sheminith which is one of these musical notes that we really do not know how to translate.
When David wrote this psalm we do not know. Possibly it once again arises out of the rebellion of Absalom that so harmed him. Certainly he feels under pressure once again. There is some sort of trouble. He says his soul is faint and his bones are in agony (2). He is worn out from groaning all night long. He says I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears. His eyes grow weak with sorrow. In 7 he says his eyes fail because of all my foes. In 8 he tells all who do evil to depart and in 10 predicts that all his enemies will be ashamed and dismayed. Whatever the background at this point his chief concern is with his anguish of soul before God and his need to find forgiveness. If it does follow on from the previous psalms and is again arising out of Absalom’s rebellion perhaps there is a lesson here that when troubles come we tend to think first of the faults of others and of how they are hurting us but then, as we reflect, we see too our own sinfulness and that becomes part of our burden. That too must be brought to God. The psalm begins with prayer for mercy and an expression of his great need. Then from 8 he speaks with great confidence against his opposers sure that the Lord has heard his prayers. We can say at least two things then arising out of this psalm that we would all be wise to keep in mind.
1. Seek God for mercy and deliverance
1. Negatively, pray that you will escape God’s deserved wrath and angerDavid believes that there is such a thing as the wrath or anger of God against sinners. The sorts of things he is now going through are like those that people who are under the wrath of God might know. He fears that maybe these troubles perhaps are an expression of the wrath of God. O LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath. Some take the view that what David is saying here is something like 'rebuke me, but not in your anger ... discipline me, but not in your wrath' and that may well be correct. 'I cannot expect an easy life. I need your discipline but in the midst of it do not be angry with me.' No doubt the thought is something like remember that you are my father and I am your child. Do not treat me as though I did not belong to you and so deserved only judgement.
Are you aware of the wrath of God? It is a terrible thing. Pray that you will never be exposed to it. There is nothing worse than it. We do deserve it but pray to escape God’s deserved wrath and anger for the sake of Jesus Christ the only Saviour.
2. Positively, pray that God will be merciful to you
David puts it in several different ways. His prayers are a model for us. Pray to the Lord to
1. Have mercyDo you know the story of David and Mephibosheth? Mephibosheth was the son of Jonathan and grandson of King Saul. He was the sole survivor from the House of Saul when David came to the throne. As a possible rival to the throne Mephibosheth might have expected to be put to death but David had mercy on him and in short for the rest of his days he ate at the king’s table. That is mercy - that’s what David wanted from God.
Or think of people today who owe such huge amounts of money that they can never pay them off. Now imagine someone having mercy on such a person and saying 'it’s okay, you don’t have to pay. The debt is cancelled.' How wonderful! How marvellous! How amazing! That is what David prayed for from God.
Verse 2 begins Be merciful to me, LORD, for I am faint. This is our position too - we deserve the wrath of God. We are like rebels who have foolishly rebelled against the King and our only hope is if he deals mercifully with us.
It would be quite right for God to consign us to hell but he is a merciful God and so we cast ourselves on him for mercy in Christ.
That is what we must do. Go to him for mercy.
2. Heal youHe goes on O LORD, heal me, for my bones are in agony. David could simply be sick here and praying for physical healing. Given the context, however, it is much more likely that he is praying for a spiritual healing but picturing it in terms of a physical illness. We are used to people speaking about mental illness to describe some of the problems that people have that are not physical sickness. People even about 'sick buildings' when there are major problems with them. One helpful way of thinking about our spiritual plight is in terms of spiritual sickness. We are sick and we need the touch of God’s healing hand to make us better. Just as Jesus was able to make well the sick - the paralysed and lepers for example, just with a touch so he is able to make us well even though we are spiritually sick by nature, as David was here.
We are spiritually sick. We will not get better by any means other than a touch from God himself. Go to God for healing. Ask him to make you well.
3. Turn and deliver you
In 3, 4 David says My soul is in anguish. How long, O LORD, how long? Turn, O LORD, and deliver me. This is yet another way of saying the same thing. David is in great trouble. He wants the Lord to turn to him and to deliver him from his troubles. It is as though God is turned the other way. He has his back to David. And so he prays that God will turn back to him and deliver him from his troubles. Think of an animal caught in a trap and needing to be delivered. That is the sort of picture used here. ‘Get me out of this’ says David ‘set me free’. You read sometimes about pot-holers or miners trapped underground and it is quite an effort to rescue them but we sometimes have good news of such deliverances. We too are trapped in our sins and need to be rescued. We can be in Christ.
Again we can pray like David. Pray that the Lord will turn to you and deliver you from trouble. Only he can do it. We are in trouble partly because of our own sins. Pray then for deliverance.
4. Save you
He also says save me because of your unfailing love. We gave an example of someone being saved this morning - a little girl trapped in an overturned sea-plane. We hear of people being saved from the sea and rescued from the mountains or from other fearful situations.
That is what we all need - God’s salvation to save us from our sin and from death and hell and the devil. Pray for it. Pray ‘Save me Lord’. He alone can save.
3. Arguments to use
When you read the psalms and other Old Testament prayers you will notice that they are not content merely to make requests. Rather, they use arguments with God. They are in earnest and so they pray with arguments. We ought to pray like that too. What arguments does David use here? There are at least three.
1. God’s love
Save me he says because of your unfailing love. The word he uses is a Hebrew word that can be translated grace or unfailing love. It is because God is a merciful and loving and kind God, a God of grace, that David can be confident that God will hear him and have mercy on him and heal him or deliver or save him. This is the root of it all. It is not until the New Testament that it is revealed exactly how God brings this about through the Lord Jesus Christ but even in the Old Testament we have many assurances of God’s loving and merciful nature and so the Old Testament saints were confident that they would be heard and God would act. We can have the same confidence and indeed even greater confidence now we know that mercy is guaranteed in Jesus Christ.
2. The undesirability of our deathAnother argument David uses is in 5. This is a stranger sounding one in the light of the New Testament. He says No one remembers you when he is dead. Who praises you from the grave? In other words 'don’t let me die, I’m better to you alive for here I can praise you still'. You get this sort of thing more than once in the Psalms and some are rather quick to say this is just evidence that David and other Old Testament saints didn’t have a proper understanding of the after life and so thought that once you died that was it. Nothing could be further from the truth. Although David didn’t have the clear New covenant understanding of death he certainly believed in heaven and the resurrection at the last day. No, I think we can understand David in one of two ways here.
On the one hand, it may be that he is thinking of eternal death and this is another prayer for salvation - ‘No one remembers if he dies in his sins. Who praises you from hell?’
3. Arguments to use
When you read the psalms and other Old Testament prayers you will notice that they are not content merely to make requests. Rather, they use arguments with God. They are in earnest and so they pray with arguments. We ought to pray like that too. What arguments does David use here? There are at least three.
1. God’s love
Save me he says because of your unfailing love. The word he uses is a Hebrew word that can be translated grace or unfailing love. It is because God is a merciful and loving and kind God, a God of grace, that David can be confident that God will hear him and have mercy on him and heal him or deliver or save him. This is the root of it all. It is not until the New Testament that it is revealed exactly how God brings this about through the Lord Jesus Christ but even in the Old Testament we have many assurances of God’s loving and merciful nature and so the Old Testament saints were confident that they would be heard and God would act. We can have the same confidence and indeed even greater confidence now we know that mercy is guaranteed in Jesus Christ.
2. The undesirability of our deathAnother argument David uses is in 5. This is a stranger sounding one in the light of the New Testament. He says No one remembers you when he is dead. Who praises you from the grave? In other words 'don’t let me die, I’m better to you alive for here I can praise you still'. You get this sort of thing more than once in the Psalms and some are rather quick to say this is just evidence that David and other Old Testament saints didn’t have a proper understanding of the after life and so thought that once you died that was it. Nothing could be further from the truth. Although David didn’t have the clear New covenant understanding of death he certainly believed in heaven and the resurrection at the last day. No, I think we can understand David in one of two ways here.
On the one hand, it may be that he is thinking of eternal death and this is another prayer for salvation - ‘No one remembers if he dies in his sins. Who praises you from hell?’
Most likely David is praying to live longer on earth because he wants to come through this particular crisis and give praise to God while still here on earth. It is a little bit like Paul’s dilemma (in Philippians 1) when he doesn’t know whether it would be better to live or die but he feels life on earth would be better as he can then teach the Philippians more.
We can use this sort of argument then at times. Pray that God will preserve you and deliver you for service. There is no other argument for our preservation. If we pray for life it must be a prayer that we may live to use that life for God’s glory.
3. The need
The other argument David uses is his need. His soul was faint, his bones were in agony, he was in anguish, etc. See
We can use this sort of argument then at times. Pray that God will preserve you and deliver you for service. There is no other argument for our preservation. If we pray for life it must be a prayer that we may live to use that life for God’s glory.
3. The need
The other argument David uses is his need. His soul was faint, his bones were in agony, he was in anguish, etc. See
2b for I am faint
3 My soul is in anguish. How long, O LORD, how long?
6, 7 I am worn out from groaning, all night long I flood my bed with my weeping and drench my couch with tears. My eyes grow weak with sorrow, they fail because of all my foes.The point of this catalogue is to appeal to God’s concern for his servant. It is important to remember, of course, that David is God’s anointed. This is not merely a selfish prayer for himself. It was important that he be delivered for the people’s sake. he is their shepherd and king.
We can pray on similar lines pleading for the cause of Christ, especially when it is languishing and weak and in great need, which in our experience so often is the case. Such arguments hold weight with God. Use them.
2. Pray for and be confident of victory over all who oppose you
Finally, much more briefly, in 8-10 we have some closing words that speak of David’s confidence in victory. We can say two things
1. Be sure that evildoers will be removed on the basis that God hears prayerHow to think
In 8 David says Away from me all you who do evil. Now we must remember that David is the King over God’s people. This is no imperious or impetuous 'go away'. No, this is more like what we have in Psalm 2. This is a rebuke and a warning from God's anointed.
Why to pray like that
His confidence comes from the fact that he has prayed and committed it all to the Lord. For the LORD has heard my weeping. The LORD has heard my cry far mercy, the LORD accepts my prayer. It is that confidence that makes all the difference. We too can be sure that all our foes will be vanquished and removed if we look to the God who answers prayer.
2. Be confident that God will bring all your enemies to shame, dismay, defeat and sudden disgrace
We can pray on similar lines pleading for the cause of Christ, especially when it is languishing and weak and in great need, which in our experience so often is the case. Such arguments hold weight with God. Use them.
2. Pray for and be confident of victory over all who oppose you
Finally, much more briefly, in 8-10 we have some closing words that speak of David’s confidence in victory. We can say two things
1. Be sure that evildoers will be removed on the basis that God hears prayerHow to think
In 8 David says Away from me all you who do evil. Now we must remember that David is the King over God’s people. This is no imperious or impetuous 'go away'. No, this is more like what we have in Psalm 2. This is a rebuke and a warning from God's anointed.
Why to pray like that
His confidence comes from the fact that he has prayed and committed it all to the Lord. For the LORD has heard my weeping. The LORD has heard my cry far mercy, the LORD accepts my prayer. It is that confidence that makes all the difference. We too can be sure that all our foes will be vanquished and removed if we look to the God who answers prayer.
2. Be confident that God will bring all your enemies to shame, dismay, defeat and sudden disgrace
The closing verse is full of confidence (10) my enemies will be ashamed and dismayed, they will all turn back in sudden disgrace. Christ is the great Victor. For him victory is certain. It is certain also for all who are in him. I’ve told you before about that fellow reading the Book of Revelation for the first time. He didn’t understand many things but he got the gist of it. When asked what eh had learned he said quite rightly - “we win!”
The Devil is a defeated foe, the world cannot overcome us in the end and even or sinful flesh will be eaten up one day. Victory is certain, In him we cannot fail. If God is on our side - or better if we are on God's side then victory is certain. I close with Paul's words at the end of Romans 8 (28ff)
The Devil is a defeated foe, the world cannot overcome us in the end and even or sinful flesh will be eaten up one day. Victory is certain, In him we cannot fail. If God is on our side - or better if we are on God's side then victory is certain. I close with Paul's words at the end of Romans 8 (28ff)
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? ... No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? ... No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
