Presented July 19, 2009 pm
WHAT CAN FLESH DO TO ME
Psalm 56
Tonight we examine
another psalm of David. Like
so many we have examined thus far, this one is assigned “to the Chief
Musician.” Next we are told
it is, “according to Jonaht elem rehokim” or “The Silent Dove in Distant
Lands.” It is believed that this is the title of a tune to which this
psalm was set to music. It
is a Michtam of David, we are told, when the Philistines captured him in
Gath. (These events are
recorded in 1 Samuel 21:10-15).
These events are recorded just after David flees from Nob where
he received bread and the sword of Goliath.
He is fleeing from king Saul early in his life.
Based on the title of the tune and the words of this psalm, it
seems David at some point felt like that silent dove, caged in a strange
place and not knowing where his deliverance would come from.
But it did.
I.
David has many enemies (1-2, 5-7)
a.
Many of
David’s psalms addressed various enemies he faced.
We have noted many of them.
b.
Here he
notes he has
many enemies – and this is
early in his life. We know
that he would see many more throughout his life.
c.
Their
conduct is manifested in vs. 5-7 –
They twist words, think evil thoughts against him, scheme together and
plot how to destroy him.
d.
This is
true of Christians as well.
Don’t be surprise when as a Christian you make enemies.
The world we live in attracts these enemies.
John observed that in his gospel
when he said, “And this is the
condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved
darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” (John
3:18-21)
Just the fact that we stand for what is right provokes them the same way
Jesus in His life and teachings provoked them.
When you take a moral stand, all who oppose that stand along with
those desiring to compromise in the middle will attack you and berate
you.
What weapons will they use? Right now
they twist our words (consider
as an example those who teach faith only and how they say that we deny
the grace of God by teaching the need to be baptized; consider those who
call us homophobes because we stand on convictions we have had all of
our lives – WITHOUT hatred toward anyone). They think evil thoughts
– branding the “moral majority” as evil and dangerous.
They certainly scheme and plot against us as is seen in
recent legislation that attempts to silence preaching on certain moral
subjects.
THERE may come a day soon, when they do more than talk!
When that happens, will we still trust in the Lord the way David
did?
e.
But
personally, how many enemies do we have because of our faith?
Just as a reminder: Is it possible
that if you do not have enemies it is because your stand for the Lord is
not as strong as it ought to be?
f.
One final
thought before moving on.
Let us like David in vs. 7 pray to God that they will NOT escape through
their iniquity. Let God in
His righteous anger deal with them and DEFEAT them!
Is this our prayer?
II.
David’s trust in the Lord (3-4)
a.
Again this
is something we have noted frequently in David’s psalms and something we
need to remind ourselves of just as frequently.
Let us NEVER let go of trust in Him.
BTW, trust is what faith is made of.
Without it we cannot please God (Heb. 11:6).
b.
The trust
of David involved praising His word – David took God’s word and believed
His promises, even in trying times.
It is during such times that we REALLY need to trust Him!
When we are tested it is time to trust and pray.
James 1:2-6 bears this out as it speaks of the joy we take in
trials knowing it will make us better.
BUT the text also notes how we can trust God!
c.
Do we
trust Him when we are afraid?
Does that trust drive away our fear?
1 John 4:18 speaks of our perfected love which will drive away
our fear.
d.
2 Tim. 1:7
– God has not given us a spirit of fear.
In God we can and should overcome our fear
“Trust in the Lord and lean not on
your own understanding” –
Prov. 3:5
III.
God
is there when I shed tears (8-9)
a.
First,
David shed MANY tears – he faced difficult times.
Some times were so trying all he could do was weep.
WE all have difficult times and some face terrible dilemmas –
from outside the Lord’s body and from within.
Some so difficult that I cannot begin to imagine what they are
going through.
b.
Second,
his request of God to put those tears in a bottle (not a small
bottle, but an animal skin container) shows that God remembers
EVERYTHING – even the small things.
God knows everything I am going through.
He takes note of the big picture and the small things.
Truly He is a personal God.
Matt. 10:29. He
knows what you are going through and who has offended His people (cf. 2
Thess. 1:6 says it is a righteous thing with God to repay with
tribulation those who trouble you.)
Mal. 3:16 says, “Then those who
feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord listened and heard
them; So a
book of remembrance was
written before Him for those who fear the Lord and who meditate on His
name.”
c.
God will
answer our tears –
David said here, “When I cry out to You, then my enemies will turn back;
This is know, because God is for me.” (Psa. 56:9)
Psalm 126:5-6, “Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy.
He who continually goes forth weeping, Bearing seed for sowing,
shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with
him.”
Revelation 7:17 says, “And God will wipe away every tear from their
eyes.”
IV.
In
God I put my trust (10-11)
a.
There is a
time to shed tears and they are good.
But there is also a time to move on.
Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4 tells us, “To
everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under the sun…A
time to weep, and a time to laugh; A time to mourn, and a time to dance…”
When you shed your tears and as needed take care of the
circumstances associated with those tears, then move on.
b.
Once again
David speaks of his trust in the Lord. NOTICE
that in trust he praises His word.
WHERE are the answers we need when faced with troubles?
In His word.
If God is to be of any use to us we HAVE TO trust what He has said!
Remember Matt. 24:35 where Jesus said, “Heaven
and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”
c.
His cries were heard by God (vs.
9) and He answered His prayers.
David resolves to put his trust in the Lord and that he would not
be afraid.
As he said, “I will not be afraid, what can man do to me?”
At least a portion of this is quoted in
Hebrews 13:6 (though actually a quote from Psalm 118:6), a letter of
encouragement to Christians facing less than ideal circumstances.
WHAT can man do to us? Matt. 10:28 – Do not fear those who can only kill
the body but cannot touch the soul.
Romans 8:31, “If God is for us who can be against us?”
d.
Lesson for
us: Let us KEEP trusting Him! Even in the bad times.
V.
I
will keep my vows (12-13)
a.
Vows
are sacred and to be kept.
b.
WE think
of our marriage vows and how they must be respected.
How true it is!
How sad to see the sacredness of the marriage covenant being
broken. God hates it!
c.
But what about our vow to God
when we become a Christian.
We are entering into a relationship WITH Him and we must keep it.
It is during the difficult times that we might question the
goodness of God and begin to falter.
In bitterness we might turn from Him and go back into the world.
Not only are you facing His wrath in the future (2 Peter 2:20-22, Heb.
10:26-31), but realize that we have BROKEN our vows to Him.
d.
Solomon
was clear.
We MUST keep our vows! Eccl. 5:2-7.
God does not take kindly to those who are fair weather followers!
e.
Why keep
your vows? Because of what
He has done for you.
i.
He
has delivered my soul from death
– He saved us, as He saved David many times.
Perhaps He has worked in our lives to make us better, but
spiritually, if we obeyed the gospel – HE SAVED US from our sins!
ii.
He
has kept me from falling –
He can deliver us from ANYTHING –
1 Cor. 10:13, 2 Peter 2:9 – He knows how!
iii.
He
sustains me
2 Tim. 3:16-17 says that in His word we have all that we need to make us
complete. That is so because
God stands behind His word!
If we will do our part, he WILL do His.
We may not understand HOW and it may not be OUR WAY, but nonetheless He
will sustain us – throughout this life – AND BEYOND!
David looked to the day “That I may walk before God in the light of the
living.”
In that final saying
I see a hope beyond this life.
David looked forward to something better when this life is over.
So should we. Do you
trust God as you ought to?
Let us once again be encouraged toward that fact as we read and consider
this psalm.