THE EVENING PSALM
Psalm 4: 1-8
|
A PRESBYTERIAN PSALTER - by Pastor Max A Forsythe |
Psalm four is a couplet with psalm three. Traditionally the third has become identified as The Morning Psalm and because of its content this fourth psalm is known as the Evening Psalm! This psalm's title indicates that it was to be accompanied by stringed instruments. In allusion to this, one commentator expressed a beautiful idea in these words: "Lord I am an instrument for thee to touch." In that sense we should leave ourselves open to the Spirit's touch. In this way we make may make melodious praise to our God and we shall be living instruments for His music. This image is most appropriate to describe our proper relationship to the will of our Almighty God. Certainly we belong to Him and as He assembles His own people precious to Himself we as a Church become a full orchestra. And with that said, we would be well to drop the illusion before anyone begins to consider who is a little piccolo, a big bass drum, the string section or even the loud clashing cymbals!
Our Psalm this morning is divided by content into three parts. Verse one is the first division of prayer, verses two to five contain a remonstrance, and verses six to eight contrast the believers state with that of the unrighteous.
We begin our exposition with verse one. Here I believe that the newer King James Version best conveys the thought of the first phrase. The sense might be best stated in these words: "Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness". The pronoun is more relevantly attached in this way to emphasize the fact that God is the source of the psalmist's righteousness. Since this is so, what can be more logical than the expectation of answered prayer. Now this may seem like a small matter, but let us consider the difference carefully. If we who are unrighteous in and of ourselves were to call upon a Holy and Righteous God, why should there be any expectation that He would consider our pleas? In a later Psalm, the 24th, we have the question of Who may ascend the holy hill, who may stand in His divine presence? The answer there, is those who have clean hands and a pure heart! Only Jesus Christ may fully qualify to stand for us. And through Him and His death for us, we are counted as righteous.
So who may pray to God, who can be expected to be heard? Those to whom Christ's righteousness has been granted through the Grace of God the Father. We know from the Scriptures that King David has this precious relationship. And as one under the Covenant he may raise his voice in prayer and expect God's answers. Note his confidence in the second part of verse one. David knows as we should learn that those who count all their goodness as coming from God may expect God's kind and loving care as they are used in His service. We may also learn how to pray from David's petitions here. For what does he ask? Relief from distress, continued mercy and the hearing of earnest prayers.
As we move on to the second portion of this psalm we leave prayers behind and turn to worldly conflict. The psalmist asks those who despise him, how long they will consider the true glory of the knowledge of God as shameful. How long will the sons of men love their precious vanities rather than the revelation of truth freely offered by the Most High God and Father of us all? As we today witness to our world, our heartfelt beliefs are regularly trashed as unworthy of rational consideration. If we remain faithful to the Word we instinctively know how David felt in this passage.
May we also share in the knowledge that indeed we belong to God because of His having set us apart from the world for His very own. This is the fact of the Gospel. Jesus Christ died for those whom God chose to freely give eternal life and hope in His only Son, our Lord! This is hard for the world to accept. Let me try to give an adequate illustration of the process. Some years ago our county schools began a Saturday program for gifted and talented youngsters. I thought their process of finding these particular individuals was quite interesting. Any parent who desired could sign up their children! Well, we may think, that is quite democratic, is it not. And you know, that is how the world considers the free gift of salvation to be given! Unfortunately for the worldly that is not how God describes the process here. "Know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself."
If salvation were given by the democratic process there would be no need to pray to the God of our righteousness. Instead we could pray to a righteous God who accepted us on the basis of our good feelings about ourselves. Is there any Good News in that attitude? David's understanding of the Good News, which was fully revealed in Jesus centuries later, is in the knowledge that God has acted in love and mercy to lift David up out of death and given him eternal life.
I am reminded of the story of the man who wrote "Amazing Grace". At one time he was the Captain of a slave ship. He was a ferocious man who was hated and feared by every member of his ship's crew. One evening, in the midst of a storm, he fell overboard in a drunken stupor. His crew was able to turn the ship about, but no one felt like risking their life by jumping into the sea on his behalf. Finally, they decided to throw a harpoon in his direction. They snagged his leg and pulled him in like a fish. He lay suffering in his cabin for many weeks. In time, he came to realize the depths of his sin and found himself saved by the amazing grace of our Holy God. He celebrated God's victory in his life with the ever popular hymn Amazing Grace. Do we see David's doctrine here: "Know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself"?
But what is the worldly reaction to this revelation? Sometimes there is a self-righteous rage which David counsels against. He goes further and advises that his readers would search their hearts and be silent. How often have you woke at night and had trouble returning to sleep? These are quiet times that David urges us to use to consider our true condition. There in the quietness we have opportunity to search our hearts and be silent before the instruction of our Lord. Let your worldly cares and concerns alone and consider the truth of God's Holy Word. Consider God's plan for your life. Consider your proper relationship to His only Son Jesus Christ. What shall we do to be saved is a question that everyone ought to consider.
Here in David's time the listener's focus is pointed towards the right sacrifices. We know from the letter to the Hebrews that the sacrifices of the Old Testament testified to the real presence of sin and we see here David's plea to trust completely in the Lord. While the full implications of this admonishment were not to be realized until the coming of David's greater son, the emphasis then is as it should be now as well ... trust in the Lord.
We proceed to the final portion of Psalm four. We should note that in David's time as well as our own there were many who thought that seeing was the same as believing. Show us a proof of faith. Show us something we can analyze with the scientific method. Show us something that is rational. Ever is the cry of the worldly! What is the fact of the matter regarding faith? David prays for God's own people with these words: "Let the light of your face shine upon us, O Lord." That is why we should pray for salvation for all of those we love.
We should do this regularly in David's spirit! Only in God's providence are sinner's rescued from the pit of death and given the light of life in Jesus Christ! For us who know how much God has done we note our great joy in verse seven. The joys of salvation is greater than the harvest of grain or the fruit of the vine. Safe in the arms of Jesus there is contentment with what the Lord actually does provide for us. Safe in the arms of God we can sleep in peace. It is God alone who can bring us into salvation and in that salvation there is eternal safety. Please not that key adjective there "alone". "For you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety." Because He has done this for us we may know beyond a shadow of a doubt, like David that our prayers in His name are hear and answered. And in the coming year, will you pray earnestly for some lost and lonely sheep? If you would see people saved, we ought to do this daily. May the Spirit encourage you in this endeavor. Amen.
|
|
Resources Used: |
|
|
MacLaren, Alexander. |
The Psalms. | |
|
Spurgeon, C. H. |
The Treasury of David | |
|
Foundation for Reformation. New Geneva Study Bible . (1995) Thomas Nelson, Inc. New King James Version. (1982) | ||
|
Psm 04a |
02 April 89 & 07 January 96 | |