Tawa Baptist

A Gentle Answer

Scripture: Proverbs 15:1; 1 Samuel 25; John 8:1-11

Video Link: https://youtu.be/_5yRXjKYZPU

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • A gentle answer
  • Abigail’s answer
  • Jesus’ answer
  • Sometimes wrath prevails
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Did you know that ‘words’ (w.o.r.d.s.) is an anagram for sword?

Putting the s at the front turns ‘words’ into a sword.

They say the pen is mightier than the sword. Words are powerful things.

Today we continue our series in the book of Proverbs. Proverbs contains wisdom for getting through this life. Proverbs has lots to say about words. Our message today focuses on chapter 15, verse 1, which reads…

A gentle answer:

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

This proverb is basically saying, words and the tone (or manner) in which we say them, have the power to calm a situation or make it worse.

We cannot control what other people might be feeling in the first instance, but we can control how we respond, and our response can have a profound effect on the outcome. 

A gentle answer may seem simple enough but it’s actually quite difficult to do, especially in the heat of the moment. Four things to keep in mind…

Firstly, gentleness requires backbone. A backbone lends strength and flexibility to the body. Being gentle does not mean being a push over or a jelly fish. Gentle is not weak. Gentleness requires the strength to stand your ground and the agility to adapt to change.

Secondly, a gentle answer requires logic. Gentle is not emotional. A gentle response involves keeping your composure and speaking sense. There is a time to express emotion but too much emotion tends to get in the way of a gentle answer.   

Some people are naturally empathic in the sense that they quite quickly and intuitively pick up on what other people are feeling. This is both a gift and a curse. On the one hand it helps you to read the situation and understand what you are dealing with.

But if the other person’s emotion bleeds into yours, then it becomes very difficult to keep yourself calm. If you are naturally sensitive to other people’s feelings, you can end up on the emotional roller coaster with them.

Giving a gentle answer requires you to hold on to yourself and not be overwhelmed. You need to read what the other person is feeling without getting sucked into the vortex of their emotion. You have to turn your own feelings off and think rationally in that moment.

You might say to yourself something like, ‘That person is angry and their anger belongs to them. It does not belong to me. I will stay calm and keep breathing. What is the outcome I want in this situation? And what are the logical steps to achieving that outcome?’       

A third thing to keep in mind, if you want to give a gentle answer, is finding common ground. You don’t have to agree with everything the other person is saying or doing but try and identify what you do agree on. Finding common ground enables you to build a connection.

One thing that gets in the way of finding common ground is the ego. You have to put your ego aside if you want to give a gentle answer. As long as you are focused on defending your ego, you won’t be able to find common ground.

A gentle answer requires backbone, logic, common ground and, fourthly, freedom. A gentle answer allows the person you are dealing with to make a free choice. By definition, gentleness does not threaten or coerce or manipulate in any way. A gentle answer presents the other party with a sensible option, not a blunt ultimatum.

There is a fifth thing required for a gentle answer and that is grace. Each of us has a certain amount of grace in the bank account of our soul. This balance of grace is like the currency we spend in dealing with the difficulties of life. Whenever something bad happens, like we become ill or we don’t get enough sleep or someone is unkind or unfair, or whatever, it costs us a little grace.

Likewise, when you are faced with an angry person, giving a gentle answer will require you to make a withdrawal from your grace account.

We need to keep an eye on how much grace we have left in our account. If you are running low, do something to take care of yourself so your balance of grace is topped up and you have the resources you need to manage yourself in a challenging situation.    

A gentle answer will cost you, but not as much as a harsh word. 

Abigail:

There’s a woman in the Bible who had the grace to give a gentle answer and turn away wrath. Her name is Abigail. In the book of First Samuel chapter 25, David (who is on the run from Saul) finds himself in the desert of Maon.

He and his men, as many as 600 soldiers, needed to eat. There was a rich man in that area by the name of Nabal. David sends some of his men to Nabal to ask if Nabal can help out with any supplies. Afterall, David’s men have provided security for Nabal by protecting his flocks.

But Nabal spoke harshly to David’s men, and he insulted David saying…

“Who is this David? Who is this son of Jesse? Many servants are breaking away from their masters these days. Why should I take my bread and water and the meat I have slaughtered for my shearers and give it to men from who knows where?”

Nabal’s response here shows a lack of grace and a large amount of ego. Nabal is no jelly fish; he is no push over. But he doesn’t have backbone either. A backbone combines strength with flexibility. Nabal is more like a brick wall, hard, brittle, inflexible. 

Nabal was not a wise man. Everyone in Israel knows who David is. David is the one who killed Goliath. David is a national hero, anointed by Samuel to be the next king. The smart thing to do was get on David’s good side.

When David’s men reported back to him, David told them to strap on their swords and he marched off with 400 soldiers to teach Nabal a lesson. David was angry and he did not intend to keep any prisoners.  

In the meantime, one of Nabal’s servants had a quiet word with Nabal’s wife, Abigail. The servant told Abigail how Nabal had hurled insults at David’s men even though David’s men had been good to them.

“Night and day they were a wall around us [protecting us] all the time we were herding sheep near them. 17 Please think this over and decide what to do. This could be disastrous for our master and all his family.” He is so mean that he won’t listen to anybody!”

Abigail didn’t need long to think about it. 18 She quickly gathered two hundred loaves of bread, two leather bags full of wine, five roasted sheep, two bushels of roasted grain, a hundred bunches of raisins, and two hundred cakes of dried figs, and loaded them on donkeys. 19 Then she said to the servants, “You go on ahead and I will follow you.” But she said nothing to her husband…

Abigail understood that a gentle answer was going to cost her, but not nearly as much as her husband’s harsh answer would cost them if she did not intervene.

20 Abigail was riding her donkey around a bend on a hillside when suddenly she met David and his men coming toward her. 23 When Abigail saw David, she quickly dismounted and threw herself on the ground 24 at David’s feet, and said to him, “Please, sir, listen to me! Let me take the blame. 25 Please, don’t pay any attention to Nabal, that good-for-nothing! He is exactly what his name means—a fool! I wasn’t there when your servants arrived, sir. 27 Please, sir, accept this present I have brought you, and give it to your men. 28 Please forgive me, sir, for any wrong I have done…

Nabal had reacted to David’s friendliness with arrogance and scorn. Now Abigail, responds wisely to David’s anger with humility and gentleness.

Notice though that a gentle response is not a weak response. There is real courage, real strength, real backbone in Abigail’s action here. Put yourself in her shoes for a moment. Abigail was facing 400 angry men and she was saying, ‘Let me take the blame’. 

Although Abigail has done nothing wrong, she offers to take the blame in order to save her household. This is a picture of grace. This reminds us of what Jesus did on the cross.

Notice too the way Abigail finds common ground with David. Abigail agrees with David that Nabal is a fool. She is wisely establishing a connection and acknowledging that David has every right to feel offended. At the same time, she is also putting distance between herself and Nabal.

To her credit, Abigail doesn’t burst into tears or allow herself to be overwhelmed by emotion. Rather, Abigail sets her gentle answer on the firm foundation of reason and logic. Abigail appeals to David’s conscience, his better nature. From verse 30 she says… 

30 And when the Lord has done all the good things he has promised you and has made you king of Israel, 31 then you will not have to feel regret or remorse, sir, for having killed without cause or for having taken your own revenge…”

This is wise. Abigail gently points out to David the logical outcome if he shows mercy. But she does it in such a way that David still has a choice. Abigail does not threaten David or try to force his hand in any way. She points out to David the benefit of showing mercy (you will be free from regret) and leaves the decision with him. Abigail gives David freedom.

Abigail’s gentle words turned David’s wrath away. The king accepted Abigail’s gift and did not carry out his revenge.

Jesus:

We are talking about how a gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.  Jesus was a master at the art of the gentle answer. In the gospel of John, chapter 8, we read…

2 At dawn Jesus appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

The whole thing is a set up. We know the woman has been set up because it takes two people to commit adultery and the man isn’t there. The law said both the man and the woman should be stoned, not just the woman.

Primarily though, the Pharisees are trying to set Jesus up. If Jesus says, ‘Stone her’, then he gets in trouble with the Romans and if he says, ‘Don’t stone her’, he can be accused of breaking the law of Moses. 

Jesus is faced with a crowd, most of whom are either angry or confused. What does he do? Well, he holds onto himself. He does not let the anger or malice of his adversaries bleed into his soul or overwhelm his judgment. Jesus exercises the strength of self-control and says nothing at first. Instead…  

Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

Jesus’ response is gentle. It is not harsh or emotional. His response is courageous and rational. Jesus does not beg for mercy for the woman. Nor does he try to appease the Pharisees. Jesus doesn’t say, ‘Let me take the blame’, like we might expect.

No. Jesus finds common ground and he uses logic. The law is the common ground. Yes, the law does prescribe the death penalty for adultery. But, before you start throwing stones, think about the outcome for yourself if you do kill her. You will find it hard to live with yourself, knowing you also have sinned and deserve the same punishment. Jesus’ logic is clear. 

There is no coercion, no threat and no manipulation in Jesus’ gentle answer. Jesus leaves the decision with each individual and their conscience. The people are free to choose.

9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

Jesus was gentle but firm with the Pharisees who were trying to trap him and he was gentle but firm with the woman too. Gentle does not mean weak. Jesus does not condemn the woman but nor does he condone adultery. Jesus shows back bone. Strength with flexibility.

Jesus makes a withdrawal of grace from his own personal account and deposits it in the woman’s account, not so she can carry on as she has been. But rather so she can make a fresh start in right relationship with others.   

Backbone, logic, common ground, freedom and grace. All these are on display with Jesus’ gentle answer.

Sometimes wrath prevails:

That being said, it must also be acknowledged that a gentle answer does not always turn away wrath. It did for Jesus in John 8 and it did for Abigail in Samuel 25. But there are times when no amount of gentleness will do.

When Jesus was made to stand trial before the Jewish council, the Lord did nothing to provoke their anger. Jesus stood his ground and responded with gentleness and reason, grace and truth.  

When one of the guards struck Jesus on the face, the Lord answered not with emotion but with logic, saying, ‘If I said something wrong, testify to what is wrong. But if I spoke the truth, why did you strike me?’ 

And, when Jesus stood before the Roman governor and Pilate said, ‘Don’t you realise I have the power either to free you or crucify you?’ Jesus answered with logic and grace, ‘You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore, the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.’

Jesus’ gentle answer convinced Pilate that Jesus was innocent. From then on Pilate tried to set Jesus free but the anger of the Jews prevailed and Jesus went to the cross.  

Even while he was hanging on the cross, bleeding out, thirsty, exhausted, in agony, with insults ringing in his ears, Jesus still managed a gentle answer: ‘Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do.’

A gentle answer turns away wrath, most of the time, but not always. This life is not necessarily fair.

Conclusion:  

We are not likely to find ourselves in an extreme, life-threatening situation like Abigail or Jesus, for which we can be thankful.

But we may still be ambushed by a petulant child or a surly teenager. We may have to deal with an unreasonable adult or a grumpy husband or wife. And there may be times when people who do not know us that well, dump their prejudice on us.

Those moments often come without warning when we are feeling tired and otherwise distracted. We may not always be well equipped with the grace or the strength or the presence of mind we need to give a gentle answer.

Sometimes we will manage to hold on to ourselves and not be overwhelmed by the weight of someone else’s emotion. Other times our ego might get the better of us so that we seek to justify ourselves and respond more harshly than we would have liked. 

Try to have the same grace for yourself that you do for others. It does no good to get stuck in a cycle of feeling guilty and beating yourself up whenever you fall short of your ideals.

We can be our own worst enemy. Sometimes we end up shadowboxing with ourselves. Sometimes we need to speak a gentle answer to our own inner critic. 

Remember too, there may be times when a gentle answer is not called for. There may be times when it is better to give no answer and simply walk away from an angry person, give them a chance to cool down.

This is particularly relevant when communicating on social media. Best not to engage a keyboard warrior.

Life is messy. Sometimes we get it right. Sometimes we make the mess worse. None of us is perfect. We look to Jesus to be our wisdom and our righteousness, knowing that …he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Christ our Lord. Amen.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

What stands out for you in reading these Scriptures and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?

  • Can you think of a time (in your own experience) when you observed a gentle answer turning away wrath? What happened?
  • Why is it necessary to keep emotion at arms’ length when giving a gentle answer? What can we do to hold onto ourselves and not be overwhelmed by emotion in the heat of the moment?
  • What is your ‘grace balance’ like at present? Are you running low on grace? What can you do, over the next few days or weeks, to top up your grace balance?
  • Discuss / reflect on Abigail’s gentle answer in 1st Samuel 25. How did Abigail find common ground with David? What logic did Abigail use to turn away David’s wrath?
  • Discuss / reflect on Jesus’ gentle answer in John 8:1-11. What common ground did Jesus find with his adversaries in this situation? How did Jesus use logic and freedom to turn away wrath?
  • What can we do when a gentle answer does not turn away wrath? What can we do when we fail to give a gentle answer? When is a gentle answer not appropriate?     
Tawa Baptist

Psalm 27

Scripture: Psalm 27

Video Link: https://youtu.be/B5kaW-5Epto

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Confidence in the Lord (1-3)
  • Sanctuary in worship (4-6)
  • Seeking God’s face (7-12)
  • Conclusion – Hope for this life (13-14)

Introduction:

Kia ora whanau and good morning everyone.

Some things in life we can control but most things we can’t. We cannot control things like when we are born, the choices other people make, the weather, the traffic, the past, the future, earthquakes, who you fall in love with, and cats. (Definitely can’t control cats.)

But we can usually control our self. Things like our mind-set, what we eat, who we hang out with, how we spend our time and how we treat others.

Alongside this sits our values. Not everything in life is of equal importance to us. Basic needs like oxygen, clean drinking water, food shelter, faith and family are generally more important than things like TV or the cricket score or what other people think of us.

There is an overlap between what is important and what we can control. Given that we have limited resources; it makes good sense to focus our time and energy on the intersection of those things which we can control and those things which matter.

For example, having an income is important, up to a certain point, because money is useful for providing your basic needs. But your overall health and well-being is more important than having loads of money. So we have to find a work life balance that allows us to provide for ourselves and our family without destroying our health or our relationships.    

Today our message focuses on Psalm 27. In this psalm David is faced with many things he can’t control. Mainly, what others are saying about him and the way they are treating him.

David wisely uses his energy to focus on the intersection of those things which are important and which he can control. The thing that matters most to David is his relationship with God. And, although David can’t control God, he can control himself. So that’s what he focuses on, the way he relates with God.

From verse 1 of Psalm 27 we read…

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid? 2 When the wicked advance against me to devourme, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall. 3 Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident. 4 One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. 5 For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock. 6 Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the Lord. 7 Hear my voice when I call, Lord; be merciful to me and answer me. 8 My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, Lord, I will seek. 9 Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger; you have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, God my Saviour. 10 Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me. 11 Teach me your way, Lord; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors. 12 Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, spouting malicious accusations. 13 I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. 14 Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

Psalm 27 shows us David’s focus; the intersection of what matters to David and what he can control. Psalm 27 gives us a picture of how David handles himself in his relationship with God.

There are four parts to Psalm 27:

Confidence in the Lord,

Sanctuary in worship,

Seeking God’s face,

And hope for this life.

First let us consider David’s confidence in the Lord.

Confidence in the Lord:

If you magnify a dust mite it looks quite terrifying. But when you look at a dust mite in perspective your fear dissolves. In reality a dust mite is about the same size as a single grain of salt, very small.

Sometimes our problems can feel bigger than they actually are. The more we think about them, the more anxious and overwhelmed we become. If that happens a change of perspective can help. 

In verses 1-3 David shows us how he handles fear and the threat of violence, by focusing on the Lord. Focusing on God gives David a better perspective on his problems. Next to God, David’s enemies are small, like a grain of salt or like dust mites. Verse 1 reads…  

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?

In saying the Lord is my light David probably means God is the source of all goodness. Light dispels darkness and fear. Life flourishes and thrives in the light. Light gives true knowledge and perspective on our situation. Light enables us to see the way we should go. The Lord is David’s light and salvation.

Salvation refers here to David’s physical safety. David is confident that God will intervene to save his life. To say the Lord is the stronghold of David’s life means that God is David’s protection and security.

In verse 3 David says: Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident.

As king of Israel David had some pretty big threats to deal with. He had lots of enemies who literally wanted to kill him. David’s psalms are peppered with complaints about his enemies. David does not ignore or deny the difficult reality of being king. Rather he keeps things in perspective by choosing to focus on the Lord and his heart is not afraid.

As I keep saying, the heart in ancient Hebrew thought refers to a person’s inner life. Our mind, emotions and will. Our decision making faculties basically. David’s heart (or mind) is confident of God’s help and protection.  

So how do we do this? How do we focus on the Lord?

Sanctuary in worship:

Well, David seeks sanctuary in worshipping God. Verse 4 reads:One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.

Then in verse 5: For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling;

And in verse 6 David goes on to say: at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the Lord.

‘House of the Lord’, ‘dwelling’ and ‘sacred tent’ are a reference to the special place where God was worshipped. Where the ark of the covenant was kept and God’s holy presence resided.

God’s temple hadn’t been built yet. That didn’t happen until David’s son Solomon came to the throne. But the point here is that David wants to be close to God’s presence. There is sanctuary in worshipping God, in giving our whole focus to the Lord.

I am reminded here of Jesus’ words in Matthew 5: Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.

To be pure in heart is to will one thing. The one thing David asks for. The only thing he seeks is God’s presence. David probably wrote this psalm when he was on the run, either from Saul or Absalom. Hiding in a cave and away from Jerusalem, David longed to go to church and worship God.

You know the first couple of weeks in lockdown aren’t too bad. On-line church is a change but the novelty soon wears off and I find myself itching to get back to regular gathered worship. It’s not the same singing songs in your lounge at home.

Religious rituals, like Sunday church worship, support our faith and our life. They give us a fresh perspective. They take our minds off ourselves and redirect our focus onto God. Without regular Godly worship the dust mites in our lives start to look like scary monsters.  

I’m reading a book on art history at the moment by Terry Glasbey. The book includes a chapter on Gian Lorenzo Bernini, arguably the greatest sculptor of all time.

Bernini was a devout Christian. He went to church every day. As an artist he had a gift for entering into the emotions of others and conveying moments of spiritual experience.

One of his famous altar pieces, in the Corona chapel in Rome, depicts a moment of spiritual ecstasy for St Teresa of Avila. St Teresa was a Spanish nun. In order to avoid an arranged marriage Teresa entered the convent at the age of 19. At first life was difficult for Teresa. She didn’t enjoy convent life much. But eventually she got the hang of it.

One day, while in worship, praying and singing a hymn, Teresa experienced an overwhelming sense of God’s love flowing through her whole being. God’s presence was so real and tangible that she felt consumed by his love and exalted into a state of ecstasy. These mystical experiences happened a numbered of times for her.

In her journal Teresa describes one vision in which an angel repeatedly pierced her heart with a spear. In Teresa’s words: “The pain was so severe that it made me utter several moans. The sweetness caused by this intense pain is so extreme that one cannot possibly wish it to cease, nor is one’s soul then content with anything but God”.         

It might seem strange to us that Teresa described God’s intimate presence as an intense pain but it makes sense. God is love and intense love feels like pain.

Teresa, like David, longed for God’s presence and wanted nothing more than intimacy with God. God meets us in surprising ways. There is sanctuary in worship. But it’s not the same for everyone.

Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.

Seeking God’s face:

In verses 7-12 of Psalm 27, David’s tone changes as he lifts an intense, heartfelt prayer to God: 7 Hear my voice when I call, Lord; be merciful to me and answer me. 8 My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, Lord, I will seek.

Verse 8 is fascinating. David’s heart (or more accurately) his mind tells him to seek the Lord’s face. We have many voices inside us don’t we. They are not audible voices, they are silent, like thoughts with feelings attached.

There is the voice of our conscience, guiding us. The voice of the critic, scolding us. The voice of pride puffing us up, the voice of temptation misleading us, the voice of fear holding us back, the voice of some desire buried deep in the unconscious and the voice of wisdom.

Each of these voices sound similar at first and so it can be confusing discerning which is which. Sometimes we might think God is speaking to us when in fact it is actually some latent desire wanting an audience. We have to test the voices against God’s word in Scripture and by talking with wise and trusted friends.       

David hears a voice within himself. My heart says, ‘seek his face’. Perhaps that is the voice of wisdom. Or perhaps it is the voice of David’s inner most desire. What does it mean then to seek God’s face?

Seeking God’s face is a way of describing prayer. You see, Christian prayer is different from pagan prayer. In pagan prayer the worshipper is trying to control God, trying to leverage him into doing something with many words and sacrifices and other grand gestures.

But with Christian prayer we are not trying to control God, we are seeking to commune with him. Yes, we do ask God for certain things when we pray. Jesus said, ‘Ask and you shall receive’. But the asking Jesus had in mind here is for those things that are in line with God’s will and purpose.

So we are not trying to bend God to our will. Rather we are seeking to align ourselves with God’s will. This means being honest with God about what we want but at the same time being willing to relinquish what we want in order that God’s will be done.

Jesus sought the face of God in the Garden of Gethsemane, the night before he died. Jesus said, ‘Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will but yours be done.’ He prayed that three times. Once he had reconciled himself to God’s will, in prayer, he was able to face the cross.

When you are apart from someone you love, you seek their face. You just want to be there in person with them, up close and personal, because there is no substitute for presence. That’s why, when we are in love, our thoughts are peopled by the person we love. We can’t stop thinking about them.  

To seek God’s face is to desire to be close to God, to enjoy his presence and commune with him in an intimate way. In seeking God’s face we are valuing the giver, more than his gifts. Teresa of Avila sought God’s face in prayer and praise, and God touched her heart.

David gives us another clue about what it means to seek God’s face in verses 9 & 10 where he says: Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger; you have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, God my Saviour. Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me.

The face reflects a person’s feelings: happiness, disappointment, sadness, anger, guilt, triumph, love. A face that smiles in acceptance and approval is a thing of true beauty. But the face that turns away in an expression of rejection and disappointment is a source of great pain.

In verses 9 & 10 David is seeking assurance that the Lord accepts him. On the one hand David does not take God’s acceptance for granted, for he prays that God will not reject him. But at the same time David is confident that God will accept him. Verse 10 is not saying that David’s parents have rejected him. The point is, God’s love for David is even greater the love of a father and mother.

At this point I am reminded of another famous artist, Rembrandt, who painted The Return of the Prodigal Son. After wasting his father’s inheritance on wild parties and a reckless lifestyle, the younger son (in Jesus’ parable) came to his senses and returned home, seeking his father’s face.

Rembrandt captures the moment when the repentant son is received by his father. The main focus of the painting is the expression on the father’s face, reflecting love and tenderness and warmth. To seek God’s face is to return to God and feel his acceptance and embrace.

To seek God’s face is to want to please God and to know that God is pleased with you. And so another facet of seeking God’s face is asking for his guidance. In verse 11 David says: Teach me your way, Lord; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors.

In other words, show me God how you want me to handle the situation I find myself in. I cannot control my enemies. I can only control myself.

Lead me in a straight path means, make it plain to me Lord what the right thing is to do. I want to come out of this with a clear conscience. I want to be able to sleep at night. I don’t want to imitate the behaviour of my enemies.

Lead me in a straight path probably also means remove the obstacles from my path. Don’t let me trip up or fall over the edge. When we are going through a difficult trial we don’t have the same resources to cope. Our fuse is a bit shorter. So if something doesn’t go right we don’t have the energy to respond with our usual grace. When we are fatigued we need the path to be relatively smooth and straight forward.  

God did indeed lead David in a straight path. When it was in David’s power to kill king Saul (who was hunting him) David did the right thing and saved Saul’s life.       

Seeking God’s face also means asking God for protection and for justice. In verse 12 David says to the Lord:  12 Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, spouting malicious accusations.

Ancient Israel did not have the same legal system that we do today. The courts had no lawyers to prosecute or defend and no judge (in the modern sense) to ensure fair procedures.

The witness played a dominant role in bringing accusations and evidence. The testimony of a witness put one’s status in the community in question. Two false witnesses left the innocent with no recourse but to appeal to God and seek sanctuary at the shrine. [1]

David was being falsely accused by men who wanted to kill him. In seeking God’s face David was going to the highest court of appeal there is. He was asking God for justice.  

David uses his energy to focus on the intersection of those things which are important and which he can control. The thing that matters most to David is his relationship with God. And so David seeks God’s face.

Conclusion – Hope for this life:

Psalm 27 finishes with David addressing us, his listeners, saying: I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord.

To ‘wait for the Lord’ means to actively put your hope in him. To trust that God will provide a better future, despite the difficult present.

Waiting is hard, especially when you have to wait without knowing. With no end in sight you are blind, you have nothing to hold on to. At the beginning of a crisis you are carried by your adrenalin. But adrenalin wears off after a day or two and fatigue sets in. You have to keep things simple and do less in order to conserve your energy for what matters.

David had no idea how long his exile in the wilderness was going to last. Would it be two more days, two more weeks, too more years. There was no telling. And what shape would he be in when it was all finally over. These things take their toll. David kept it simple, he didn’t overthink it. David told himself it would end well.

Since the resurrection of Jesus, Christians have comforted themselves with the hope of heaven after we die. The suffering (or exile) of this life is relatively short by comparison with eternity. But David is more optimistic than that.

David has hope for this life too. He believes he will see God’s goodness (his justice and mercy) ‘in the land of the living’. David believes God will vindicate him and restore him before he dies.

As it turned out David’s hope was not in vain. He did see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. David was restored and lived to see God subdue his enemies.

Let us pray…

God, grant me serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
courage to change the things I can,
and wisdom to know the difference.

Amen.    

Oh Lord, you’re beautiful. Your face is all I seek. For when your eyes are on this child, your grace abounds to me. 

Questions for discussion or reflection:

What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?

  • What matters most to you? What things are within your power to control? What do you need to focus on? What do you need to leave with God?
  • Why is David so confident when his circumstances are so dire? How might we live in this sort of confidence?   
  • When (or where) do you feel closest to God? How do you feel when God is close to you?
  • What does it mean to seek God’s face? (Discuss / reflect on the different aspects of seeking God’s face.) How might we do this?
  • Can you recall a time in your life when you had to wait without knowing? How did you feel? What was helpful for you in that experience? What was the outcome? What strength (or wisdom) can you draw from that experience? 
  • Make some time this week to seek the Lord’s face.

[1] Refer James Mays commentary on the Psalms, page 131.

Tawa Baptist

Psalm 34

Scripture: Psalm 34

Video Link: https://youtu.be/_dk_5R3ViuI

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Worship for the weak
  • Wisdom for well-being
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Kia ora whanau and good morning everyone.

Those of you who have done a basic first aid course will recognise this acrostic:

DRSABC (or Doctors ABC). D reminds us to check for Danger. R tells us to seek a response from the person who is injured. S stands for Shout in order to get help. A is for clearing the Airway. B means helping the patient with their Breathing, should they need it. And C stands for Circulation. If there is no pulse, then start CPR or better still get hold of a defibrillator.

Today our message focuses on Psalm 34. This song of David is an acrostic poem. Each verse begins with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. So the first letter starts with the Hebrew equivalent of A, the second verse with Bet, then Gimel and so on. But the acrostic is lost in translation for English speakers.

Psalm 34 is a song (or rather a whole alphabet) of thanksgiving to God, based in David’s experience. From verse 1 we read…

1 I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. 2 My soul will boast in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. 3 Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together. 4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. 5 Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. 6 This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles. 7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them. 8 Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. 9 Fear the Lord, you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing. 10 The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. 11 Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. 12 Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, 13 keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies. 14 Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. 15 The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry; 16 but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to blot out their name from the earth. 17 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. 18 The Lord is close to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. 19 The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all; 20 he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken. 21 Evil will slay the wicked; the foes of the righteous will be condemned. 22 The Lord will rescue his servants; no one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

Broadly speaking there are two main parts to Psalm 34, worship and wisdom. Charles Spurgeon, the great Baptist preacher, said: “The first ten verses are a hymn, and the last twelve a sermon.” First the singing, then the sermon.

David’s worship of God is based in his personal experience of God saving him. Likewise, the wisdom David shares is also born out of his experience. First let us consider David’s worship.

Worship for the weak:

In verse 1 David says, I will extol the Lord at all times. Extol means to praise highly or enthusiastically. Extol is praise on steroids. It is part of a cluster of words like glorify and exalt which are associated with worshipping God in community with others. David’s worship is both personal and public.

David’s worship is mindful of others. He is thinking about the less fortunate, for he says: let the afflicted hear and rejoice. This is not a psalm for those who have it altogether. This is a psalm for those who are weak and in a vulnerable position.

They say, evangelism is one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread. David has found bread (in the form of God’s help) and he is letting others know about it.

From verse 4 David speaks, from his own experience, of God’s deliverance. David says, I sought the Lord, and he answered me; …he saved this poor man out of all his troubles. To seek the Lord and look to him means to pray, to ask God for help.

So what was it that the Lord delivered David from? According to the title of Psalm 34, David wrote this song when on the run from king Saul. From 1st Samuel 21, verse 10 we read…

10 That day David fled from Saul and went to Achish king of Gath. 11 But the servants of Achish said to him, “Isn’t this David, the king of the land? Isn’t he the one they sing about in their dances: “‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands’?” 12 David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of Achish king of Gath. 13 So he pretended to be insane in their presence; and while he was in their hands he acted like a madman, making marks on the doors of the gate and letting saliva run down his beard. 14 Achish said to his servants, “Look at the man! He is insane! Why bring him to me? 15 Am I so short of madmen that you have to bring this fellow here to carry on like this in front of me? Must this man come into my house?” 22 David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and his father’s household heard about it, they went down to him there.

Clearly David was in a desperate situation, one which called for desperate measures. For fear of king Saul, David tried to find refuge with his enemies in Gath. But he didn’t feel safe there either so he pretended to be insane to save himself.

The thing I find interesting here is that David prayed and kept his powder dry. He relied both on God and on his own cunning. Wise as a serpent, and as innocent as a dove.

It is similar with us. When we find ourselves in dire straits we do everything in our power to help ourselves and we pray, trusting God with the things we can’t control.

For example, if you are sick you pray for healing and you go to the doctor. Or, if you want to stop the spread of a contagious disease, you pray to God and you get immunised. We rely on God and science, because we know that God gave us the science but, at the same time, science is not always enough by itself. 

In verse 4 we read that God delivered David from all his fears. Fear and anxiety is a normal part of life for human beings. Fear is a bit like pain. It feels unpleasant but it serves an important purpose. Fear is part of our built in warning system; it is designed to protect us.

The problem is if we let our fears get out of control, if we don’t learn to calm our fears, they disable us. David managed his fears by using his street smarts and by praying.

If you have been blindsided by circumstance on a semi regular basis. If you have had the rug pulled out from under your feet, at random times and through no fault of your own, then you will be well acquainted with anxious fear.

As some of you know one of our daughters was seriously ill in hospital recently. She is recovering now but for a while we were under constant siege from our fears. One thing that helped me to manage my fear was this simple prayer: 

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy.

I lost count of the number of times I prayed that prayer. It is a refuge for me. It is simple, which is what you need when you are stressed, and it puts fear into perspective by magnifying the Lord and his mercy.

With this prayer we are not telling God what to do. We are not trying to micro manage God. Nor are we making any claim to our own righteousness. This prayer leaves the door open. It lets God be God. What form the Lord’s mercy may take is up to God.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy is a prayer for emergencies. I’m not sure it is the best long term solution. At some point we all have to pour out our heart before God but when you can’t afford the luxury of doing that, asking Jesus for mercy gets you through.

In verses 7-10, of Psalm 34, David describes the refuge he finds in God. He says, ‘The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.’

The angel of the Lord is a mysterious figure in the Old Testament. We are never quite sure who this angel is. Some see the angel as one of God’s elite heavenly soldiers (sort of like a Navy Seal or SAS type angel). Others wonder if it is the Lord Jesus himself.

The point is, the angel of the Lord protects those who fear the Lord. The kind of fear that is meant here is not terror or anxiety, it leans more towards reverence and respect. To fear the Lord is to care more about what God thinks than what anyone else thinks. To fear the Lord is to listen to God and obey him.    

Verse 8 is quite famous: Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.

To taste the Lord means to experience his goodness, his faithfulness and his love. If you have never eaten chocolate cake before, then it doesn’t matter how much someone tells you about the ingredients, you can’t know how good it tastes until you actually put it in your mouth. So it is with God. We can’t know how good God is until we taste his grace.

The sixth Century Christian monk, St Columba (of Iona fame), died while copying out the psalms. These were the last words he wrote: …lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

The idea here is that even the lion, the apex predator, the greatest and most self-sufficient of animals, may sometimes go hungry; but the weak and afflicted, who depend on God, lack nothing. In God’s kingdom it is not survival of the fittest. Faithful dependence on the Lord is the currency of God’s economy.

As you heard earlier, the first part of Psalm 34 is worship, while the second half is wisdom; what David has learned from his experience.

Wisdom for well-being:

From verse 11 David starts his sermon: Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days. What follows is David’s wisdom for well-being.

The first piece of wisdom here is about living a morally sound life, both in word and deed. Be honest and do good.

Peace (in the sense of abundant life) doesn’t just happen by itself. Peace requires effort. Peace is something we seek and pursue. Do the mahi, get the treats. It is not enough to simply avoid evil. We must actively look for ways to promote the well-being of others. Justice and mercy are the prerequisites to peace.

In verses 15-17 we read that God is attentive and responsive to the cry of the righteous but he is against those who do evil. The word cry is repeated.

Human beings may cry out for a variety of reasons. We may cry out in anger at some injustice. Or we might cry out in pain or grief at some hurt or loss. We might also cry out in fear when we get a sudden fright or, conversely, we might cry out in joy when something good happens.

A cry might contain words which make sense, but more often a cry is inarticulate and spontaneous. Either way, God notices the cry of the righteous, like a parent notices the cry of their child. It is impossible to ignore.

What David is getting at here, is there is wisdom in crying out to God. Crying out to God is essentially the heart of prayer. You see, God isn’t just listening to the words we say in prayer. He is also listening to the feeling (or pathos) behind those words.

This means that when we have no words, when we are holding on by a thread, God gets our meaning. God hears and he understands perfectly.    

Verse 16, which talks about the Lord being against those who do evil, may grate with our sensibilities. We might not like the idea that God is for some people and against others. Perhaps we suspect we are not righteous.

I believe God is for the well-being of everyone. But promoting the well-being of everyone requires God to be against evil, because evil undermines everyone’s well-being.

Verses 21 & 22 help to shed light on the goodness of God. Verse 21 indicates it is not God who slays the wicked, rather it is evil which slays the wicked.

Or to put it another way, the wicked eventually become victims of their own injustice. The wicked condemn themselves by their own actions. Like someone sawing off the branch they are sitting on.

Verse 22 assures us that, ‘No one who takes refuge in him will be condemned’. To take refuge in God means (among other things) to repent and do good, to throw ourselves on his mercy. When we do that God is quick to forgive.

The Lord will rescue his servants and the foes of the righteous will be condemned. Knowing that God is just and that there is an ultimate reckoning, is a tremendous comfort to God’s people. It gives us strength to endure. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

And so we come to one of the most comforting verses in Scripture: The Lord is close to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

To be broken hearted and crushed in spirit are probably two ways of saying the same thing. The broken hearted feel incredibly sad and the crushed in spirit feel heavy with defeat. Their hope is smashed and their vitality (or energy) is gone.

The heart in Hebrew thought is a way of describing a person’s inner life, our mind, our emotions and our will; our decision making faculties basically. To be broken hearted is to feel undone on the inside and to lose all desire.

Spirit has to do with relationship. A person’s spirit is their capacity to relate or connect in meaningful ways with others. Your spirit is sort of like the wifi of your soul. When you are crushed in spirit, your inner wifi is broken and you just don’t have it in you to truly connect.

Having a broken heart goes hand in hand with being crushed in spirit. Are you broken hearted? It hurts doesn’t it. Are you crushed in spirit? It feels heavy doesn’t it. The good news is, God is close to you, to comfort and restore.

To the broken hearted Jesus says: Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted. And to the crushed in spirit Jesus says: Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

In verse 19 of Psalm 34 David writes: The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all;

One time we were invited to a 60th birthday party and there were photos on display. The older photos, taken when this person was younger, were in black & white, while the more recent photos were in colour. In all the black & white photos this person had long hair. But in the colour photos they were bald.

Having a good sense of humour they joked that this proved that colour photography causes hair loss. It doesn’t of course. That’s not a very scientific deduction. Correlation does not prove causation.

David will not accept any simplistic formulas which say that all suffering is due to sin. Just because bad things happen to you, it does not necessarily follow that you are being punished. Correlation does not prove causation. David knew from his own experience that bad things sometimes happen to good people. But David was also confident that God delivers the righteous in the end.  

As Jesus said: Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Conclusion:

Verse 20, where it says, he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken, reminds us of Jesus on the cross. In the gospel of John chapter 19 we read what happened after Jesus died…

Because the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. 32 The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. 33 But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 

34 Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water…  36 These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken,”

Suffering is part of the fabric of this life. We can’t avoid it. Sometimes we get what we deserve, but more often we don’t. Jesus was a truly righteous man, more righteous than anyone who has ever lived, and yet he suffered a great deal. When we suffer for doing what is right we stand in solidarity with Jesus.

Let us pray…

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us. Amen.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?

  • Who did David have in mind when he wrote Psalm 34? Have you ever been in a similar situation?
  • How did David manage his fears? How do you manage your fears?
  • What does it mean to taste and see that the Lord is good? How would you describe your experience of God’s goodness?
  • Discuss / reflect on the various gems of wisdom David shares in verses 11-22 of Psalm 34. How might we apply David’s advice in our own lives today?
  • What does it mean to be broken-hearted and crushed in spirit? What difference does it make knowing God is close when we are broken-hearted and crushed in spirit?
  • Reflect on / discuss the connections you see with Jesus in Psalm 34.
Tawa Baptist

Refuge

Scripture: Psalm 31

Video Link: https://youtu.be/SWSD7lHAypQ

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Lament (9-13)
  • Refuge (1-6) & (14-18)
  • Celebration (7-8) & (19-24)
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Kai ora whanau and good morning everyone.

During lockdown one of the families from our church wrote some riddles on the footpath outside their home to spread a bit of light and laughter. Here’s one of their riddles: Q: Why are frogs always happy? A: They eat whatever bugs them.

I like what this family did. To me it was an act of loving their neighbour; putting a smile on people’s faces during a stressful time.  

Today our message is based on Psalm 31, written by king David. Psalm 31 is a bit intense in places, so we need to remember to smile from time to time along the way. From verse 1 of Psalm 31 we read…

1 In you, Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness. 2 Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me. 3 Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me. 4 Keep me free from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge. 5 Into your hands I commit my spirit; deliver me, Lord, my faithful God. 6 I hate those who cling to worthless idols; as for me, I trust in the Lord. 7 I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul. 8 You have not given me into the hands of the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place. 9 Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and body with grief. 10 My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak. 11 Because of all my enemies, I am the utter contempt of my neighbours and an object of dread to my closest friends—those who see me on the street flee from me. 12 I am forgotten as though I were dead; I have become like broken pottery. 13 For I hear many whispering, “Terror on every side!” They conspire against me and plot to take my life. 14 But I trust in you, Lord; I say, “You are my God.” 15 My times are in your hands; deliver me from the hands of my enemies, from those who pursue me. 16 Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love. 17 Let me not be put to shame, Lord, for I have cried out to you; but let the wicked be put to shame and be silent in the realm of the dead. 18 Let their lying lips be silenced, for with pride and contempt they speak arrogantly against the righteous. 19 How abundant are the good things that you have stored up for those who fear you, that you bestow in the sight of all, on those who take refuge in you. 20 In the shelter of your presence you hide them from all human intrigues; you keep them safe in your dwelling from accusing tongues. 21 Praise be to the Lord, for he showed me the wonders of his love when I was beset like a city under siege. 22 In my alarm I said, “I am cut off from your sight!” Yet you heard my cry for mercy when I called to you for help. 23 Love the Lord, all his faithful people! The Lord preserves those who are true to him, but the proud he pays back in full. 24 Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

Have you noticed how some movies are non-linear? They don’t start at the beginning and move through in chronological order. Instead the plot line jumps around, backwards and forwards.

The 2017 film Dunkirk is an example of a non-linear story line. It is hard to follow at first, because the scenes are not in chronological sequence. But ultimately that makes the story more interesting. Like a mosaic (formed of broken pieces) we see how everything fits together in the end. The messed up order reflects the chaos the British soldiers went through at Dunkirk.  

Psalm 31 is non-linear. It doesn’t unfold in chronological order. One moment it is dark and intense and the next moment it sounds notes of joy and celebration. This non-linear approach reflects the chaos that David went through.

To give some clarity, I see three threads running through Psalm 31. Lament, refuge and celebration. Psalm 31 takes these fragments of lament, refuge and celebration and arranges them in a non-linear fashion. This curation speaks to our experience, how the circumstances of our lives seldom unfold in a neat and ordered way.  

Lament:

What do these songs all share in common?

I don’t want to talk about it

Candle in the wind

I don’t like Mondays

Sunday bloody Sunday

By the rivers of Babylon                              [Wait]

They are all songs of lament.

Here’s another riddle for you…

Q: What did the grape do when it was stepped on? A: It let out a little wine. 

A lament is a passionate expression of grief or sorrow. It comes from the Latin word for weeping and wailing and moaning. Lament is what the grape did when it was stepped on.

Lament is the opposite of denial. Lament is about facing and naming the truth of what we are feeling. Lament is like lancing a psychological boil so the infection can drain out. The purpose of lament is emotional cleansing. Verses 9-13 of Psalm 31, at the centre of the psalm, form the core of David’s lament.

9 Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and body with grief. 10 My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak.

David tells God how he is feeling using words like distress, sorrow, grief, anguish, groaning, affliction and weakness. His whole self, body & soul, is affected.

What do these people have in common? (and this is not a joke by the way.)

Winston Churchill, William Cowper, Abraham Lincoln, Vincent Van Gogh and John Kirwan. [Wait] That’s right, they all lived with depression.

David’s lament, in verses 9-13 of Psalm 31, appears to be describing the experience of depression. We may tend to think of David as bullet proof. He was a brave war hero and one of Israel’s greatest leaders. And yet it is obvious, from many of the psalms he wrote, that his soul was often downcast and in turmoil.

Depression can be thought of in a variety of ways. Firstly, we might think of depression as a loss of energy and motivation. David talks about his strength failing and his bones growing weak.

When the battery on my laptop is running low the machine switches to ‘power saver mode’ to conserve energy. Depression is sort of like a power saver mode for our soul, when our emotional and mental battery is running low. Depression is telling us something about ourselves.

But that analogy is inadequate really. We are not machines. Unlike a laptop, which feels nothing, we human beings do feel the loss of energy. Depression comes with unpleasant feelings. Sometimes the dull ache of sadness and other times a more intense emotional pain, similar to being burned or cut.

Fear, anxiety and terror may also accompany depression. The fear attached to depression usually has to do with not being in control. Depression is that horrifying sensation that you are falling slowly into a dark, bottomless pit.

Depression has all the hallmarks of an internal hell. Unrelenting pain, threat of violence, fear, loss of freedom and enjoyment, loneliness, alienation from God and people, misplaced shame and guilt, together with feelings of condemnation and despair.  

In verses 11-13 we see something of the hell David finds himself in where he says…

11 Because of all my enemies, I am the utter contempt of my neighbours and an object of dread to my closest friends—those who see me on the street flee from me. 12 I am forgotten as though I were dead; I have become like broken pottery. 13 For I hear many whispering, “Terror on every side!” They conspire against me and plot to take my life.

From this we learn that David’s enemies have been bad mouthing him. They have been telling lies about him with the consequence that David feels prejudged, misunderstood, alienated and alone.

In today’s terms, it would be like suffering at the hands of social media trolls and cyber bullies. If they had the internet back then, people would have been posting really bad things about David on Facebook and Instagram so that David thinks even his closest friends have bought into the rumours and lies about him. 

Depression usually involves a loss of perspective. We may think we are seeing clearly but we are not. Depression hijacks our imagination, so that we begin to think the worst all the time.

Our mind plays tricks and we imagine people are having a crack at us when they’re not. Or we think no one cares about us and that the world would be better off without us, when in fact we are loved and appreciated and needed far more than we realise. David’s enemies are real but the idea that his friends and neighbours want nothing to do with him is probably false.   

For all the reasons mentioned above, depression has a corrosive effect on our sense of hope. Hope is the ability to imagine a good future. If you can’t imagine a good future, you will soon lose your joy, your energy and your motivation.

Despite the corrosive effect of depression, hope can be restored. Hope is like your liver. It grows back. Even if they cut out half your liver it will heal itself. The key to giving hope the chance to grow back is managing your thought life. Stopping yourself from going down the track of thinking the worst all the time.

The law of gravity says that, ‘whatever goes up must come down’. It is the opposite with the human soul. The law of the human spirit says that, ‘whatever goes down must come up’. Taking care of your soul is a bit like taking care of your garden. Think about carrots. They have to grow down before they can come up.

Those who sow in tears will reap with joy. Or, as Jesus said, Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted.  

In JK Rowling’s Harry Potter stories, the villain is referred to by most as ‘he who shall not be named’. But Harry, the hero of the story, has no qualms in naming his enemy and freely calls him ‘Voldemort’. Harry does this because when we can name our fears, they lose much of their power over us. 

As I said before, lament is about naming the truth of what we are feeling and finding a healthy way to express our pain. When we can name our anguish we become less afraid of it and we are empowered. Naming our demons gives us a feeling of having some control in our own lives and that helps to restore hope.   

David was quite open and transparent about his mental health. We may not have the gift of putting our feelings into words, like David did, but that’s okay. David’s words can give voice to our feelings.

If we find ourselves in the crucible of depression, we can read Psalm 31 (and others like it– e.g. Psalms 39 & 88) as our own lament and know we are not alone. We are in good company.  

David has a number of weapons in his arsenal against depression. We’ve heard about lament. Now let’s consider refuge. 

Refuge:

If you are in a storm, the best thing to do is to find shelter. Get out of the wind and rain and find a safe, warm refuge. But what do we do when the storm is raging inside us? Well, we seek refuge for our mind. Seeking refuge is about looking after ourselves. 

Depression, at its worst, tends to be a 24-7 thing. Chronic depression doesn’t take a day off. We can’t be lamenting our troubles all the time, it’s too exhausting. At some point we need to come up for air and find some respite, some shelter from the storm.

One of my favourite poems is by James Norcliffe. It goes like this…

I’ve no idea whether

my uncle is a spiritual man

I only know that life

has battered him

as a fish is battered

and fried him

as a fish is fried

and rubbed salt

into all his wounds

but that when I say

how’s the world

not bad he’ll say not bad

and could be worse

just said with his mouth

looking elsewhere

papering himself

around with a warmth

that could steam windows 

(You know the way the windows in your car steam up on a winter’s night when you are bringing fish & chips home for dinner.)

I love that last line, papering himself around with a warmth that could steam windows. It speaks to me of someone who has suffered a great deal and found refuge on the inside. He has found a way to insulate himself from the storm.

In verses 1-6 of Psalm 31 David seeks refuge in his mind by praying to God.

Prayer is about communicating with God. Talking to him and listening to him.

Going a bit deeper though, prayer is about creating a refuge or a sanctuary for ourselves in God. When we pray, out a desire to be close to God, we paper ourselves around with a warmth that could steam windows.

From verse 1 David writes…

1 In you, Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness. 2 Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me. 3 Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me. 4 Keep me free from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge.

Rock, refuge, fortress, these are all terms which express sanctuary or security.

There’s a James Bond film called Quantum of Solace. When Daniel Craig was asked what does ‘Quantum of Solace’ mean he replied, a quantum is a tiny amount (the size of an atom) and solace is another word for comfort. So a quantum of solace means small comfort.

The movie is basically about revenge; getting even with your enemies. The point is: there is little comfort in seeking revenge.

David does not seek refuge in the thought of taking revenge against his enemies. He does not take matters into his own hands because, as a soldier, he knows there is little comfort in violence. Best to leave vengeance to God.

Q: Why can’t you trust atoms?

A: They make up everything. 

From verse 15 we read…

…deliver me from the hands of my enemies, from those who pursue me…

17 Let me not be put to shame, Lord, for I have cried out to you; but let the wicked be put to shame… 18 Let their lying lips be silenced, for with pride and contempt they speak arrogantly against the righteous.

Clearly, David does not feel able to trust the people around him because they make up everything (they lie), but David does trust God. David takes refuge in the righteousness and justice of God. David finds hope in the knowledge that God will not tolerate evil indefinitely. David looks to God to put things right.

Jesus used David’s words, in verse 5 of Psalm 31, on the cross. This was the last thing Jesus said before he died: Father, into your hands I commit my spirit. It is an expression of trust. Jesus was subjected to injustice but he trusted himself to the righteousness of God.

Like David, Jesus was a man of sorrows, well acquainted with grief. One aspect of Jesus’ suffering included being forced to wear a crown of thorns on his head. Anyone who has suffered sustained mental torment will appreciate the significance of that.    

Not everyone experiences major depression, but everyone suffers eventually, one way or another. What is it you take refuge in? How do you find shelter from the storm?

Some people find refuge in things which are ultimately harmful to them, like alcohol or illicit drugs or romantic liaisons. Most people though find refuge in more benign pursuits, like a hobby or sports or watching movies.

Over the years I have found a great deal of meaning by nurturing a belief in the goodness of God. Contemplating the Scriptures has been a refuge for me.

But God’s goodness isn’t just found in the Bible or in singing worship songs. God’s goodness can be found in many ordinary places, like cooking a meal or losing yourself in a good novel or walking the beach with your dog or just hanging out with friends.

These more ordinary pleasures can serve as helpful distractions, providing a kind of Sabbath for our soul. We have to make room for fun and enjoyment. We have to remember to celebrate.

Time for another joke: Two TV aerials got married. The reception was great.  

Celebration:

In verses 7-8 of Psalm 31 David celebrates God’s answer to his prayer by saying…

7 I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul. 8 You have not given me into the hands of the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place.

Part of David’s lament had been the way he had felt so alone and isolated and misunderstood. In these verses David celebrates the fact that God listened to him and understood. God knew the anguish of David’s soul. Being listened to and understood makes David feel loved.

If you know someone who is going through depression then simply being there and listening, without judging, goes a long way in helping. You don’t have to try and fix the depression. But you can walk through the valley of the shadow of death with them, so they know they are not alone.

Those words, you set my feet in a spacious place, are significant. David had felt like he was under siege, surrounded on all sides and cut off from all help. That is often how it feels for people in the depths of depression. Like you are hemmed in and don’t have any options. Like nothing is ever going to change and it will always be this way.

But that is not true. That’s just your mind playing tricks on you. There is a way through and things can get better. David found a way through. God put David’s feet in a spacious place, where he no longer felt like he was under siege. Where he had options.

In verses 19-24 David continues his celebration of God’s goodness.

Verse 19 reads…

19 How abundant are the good things that you have stored up for those… who take refuge in you.

Notice here that the good things are stored up, for those who take refuge in God. In other words, the best is yet to come. There are good things waiting for you in the future. So hold on, don’t give up.

Verse 21 reads…

21 Praise be to the Lord, for he showed me the wonders of his love [hesed] when I was beset like a city under siege.

David is looking back here, at his time of anguish (when he felt like he was trapped), and he is reflecting on the fact that it was actually through the difficult times that God showed him the wonders of his love.

Depression itself is not an expression of love or hesed but it does have the potential (in hindsight) to open our eyes to God’s love. When we look back on the hard times we see the ways God stuck by us and was loyal to us through thick and thin.  

Psalm 31 ends with these words…  

24 Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.

You know, the last thing you feel like when you are depressed is being strong. Telling someone to be strong when they are in the pit of despair is a bit trite, even cruel. But that’s not David’s intention here.

David is speaking as someone who has been through it himself. He’s saying, I know it’s tough but it is worth it. Hang on to your hope in the Lord.

Derek Kidner wisely notes that verse 24 could also be translated: he shall strengthen your heart. So the thought here is not that you have to summon resources you don’t have. The idea is that God will give you the strength you need as you need it.

Conclusion:

Depression is not a destination. It is a journey through darkness. Psalm 31 gives us tools for that journey. Pour out your pain in lament before God. Take refuge in the Lord’s goodness and look forward to that time when you can celebrate God’s love in a spacious place.

Let us pray…

Loving Father, be with those who are struggling with their mental health at this time. Comfort them and give them strength sufficient for each day.

Be with those also, who are supporting loved ones who are struggling. Give them wisdom and understanding as they walk alongside.

Lord have mercy on us all. Set our feet in a spacious place once more that we would praise you. Through Jesus we ask. Amen.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?

  • What is lament? How is lament different from denial or distraction? Why might we practice lament?
  • What are some of the symptoms and/or effects of depression? How might we know if either ourselves or someone else is depressed?   
  • How can we help ourselves if we are depressed? How can we help others who are depressed?
  • What does it mean to find refuge in God? How might we do this? Where do you find refuge?
  • When you look back on the hard times you have been through, can you see ways in which God showed hesed/loyal love to you? What did God do? 
  • What do you need most at this time? Lament, refuge or celebration? Take some time this week to give your soul what it needs.
Tawa Baptist

Psalm 36

Scripture: Psalm 36

Video Link: https://youtu.be/HYK-TE2dACc

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Prophecy (1-4)
  • Praise (5-9)
  • Prayer (10-12)
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Kai ora whanau and good morning everyone.

Tell me, what do these things all share in common?

The Screwtape Letters, The Problem of Pain, The Great Divorce, The Abolition of Man, The Four Loves and The Magician’s Nephew. [Wait]

That’s right, they are all books written by C.S. Lewis.

Clive Staples Lewis was a wonderful servant of the Lord whose writing continues to bring light and clarity to our thinking about God.

In his book, The Great Divorce, Lewis says: There is but one good; that is God. Everything else is good when it looks to him and bad when it turns from him.   

I quite like that quote. It sums up our reality as human beings. We depend on God for our goodness and indeed for our very lives. Lewis’ words here remind me of Psalm 36, the focus of our message today.   

The title of this Psalm reads: ‘For the director of music. Of David, the servant of the Lord’. There are only two psalms which describe David as the Lord’s servant. This one and Psalm 18. 

From verse 1 of Psalm 36 we read…

1 I have a message from God in my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: There is no fear of God before their eyes. 2 In their own eyes they flatter themselves too much to detect or hate their sin. 3 The words of their mouths are wicked and deceitful; they fail to act wisely or do good. 4 Even on their beds they plot evil; they commit themselves to a sinful course and do not reject what is wrong. 5 Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. 6 Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the great deep. You, Lord, preserve both people and animals. 7 How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings. 8 They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights. 9 For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light. 10 Continue your love to those who know you, your righteousness to the upright in heart. 11 May the foot of the proud not come against me, nor the hand of the wicked drive me away. 12 See how the evildoers lie fallen—thrown down, not able to rise!

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

David, the servant of the Lord does three things in this psalm: prophecy, praise and prayer. As the servant of the Lord David knows the truth about humanity, he adores God’s goodness and he prays in faith.

Prophecy:

In popular culture a prophet is thought to be someone who predicts the future. In the Bible though a prophet is someone who communicates God’s message. He or she sees the truth of the present situation and speaks that truth to the people; how the people respond shapes their future.

Broadly speaking, the prophets of the Old Testament gave two kinds of messages: messages of judgment and messages of hope.

Those who were proud and had turned away from God tended to get a message of judgment. You’re on the wrong track, change your direction in life before you end up destroying yourself.

While the humble poor, who were suffering oppression, tended to receive a message of hope. Keep looking to the Lord and trusting in him. He will deliver you and restore you.     

Messages of judgement and hope are not either / or. They are both / and. They go together. There is hope in God’s judgement. When we return to God we are saved.

C.S. Lewis was somewhat of a prophet during the 20th Century, although he probably would not have seen himself in that way.

In his book, Mere Christianity, Lewis writes: No man knows how bad he is until he has tried very hard to be good.

Lewis goes on to say: ‘Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is. After all, you find out the strength of an army by fighting against it, not by giving in. You find out the strength of a wind by trying to walk against it, not by lying down. A man who gives in to temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like an hour later. That is why bad people, in one sense, know very little about badness — they have lived a sheltered life by always giving in. We never find out the strength of the evil impulse inside us until we try to fight it: and Christ, because He was the only man who never yielded to temptation, is also the only man who knows to the full what temptation means — [Jesus is] the only complete realist.’

Psalm 36 begins with David giving a prophecy. Verse 1 reads: I have a message from God in my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: There is no fear of God before their eyes.

Sometimes prophets are called Seers because they have the God given ability to see into a person’s heart. David’s message, from God, is not a prediction of the future. Rather it is a vision of what goes on inside an evil person. David knows the truth about humanity and it is not pretty.

In some ways the human heart is like a loaded gun waiting for the wrong circumstances to pull the trigger. I remember my systematic theology lecturer, saying: ‘Christians should be the least surprised by sin’. When people do bad things we should not be shocked by it.

We should not look down on the wicked nor think of ourselves as too good to commit evil. That potential is within each one of us. Those who think they are not capable of evil are like the person C.S. Lewis described as never having offered any real resistance to sin. 

David knows his potential for evil and he knows what it is to suffer at the hands of evil doers. That’s probably how God gave him the insight.

There’s a scene in the movie Shawshank Redemption where Andy, a wrongly convicted prisoner, approaches the boss of the prison for justice. The prison boss won’t help Andy and so Andy says to him, ‘How can you be so obtuse?’

To be obtuse is to be insensitive or hard hearted, lacking compassion. The wicked are obtuse, they are deluded. In their own eyes they flatter themselves too much to detect or hate their sin. The boss of the prison is like that; he does not fear the Lord. 

Usually the term ‘fear of the Lord’ means having reverence and respect for God. But in Psalm 36 the word fear leans more towards terror and being afraid for your life.

There are basically two reasons why a person obeys God. The first reason is because they love God and want to please him. But if a person does not love God they might still obey him just to save their own skin, because they are afraid of what God will do to them if they don’t act justly. 

Obviously, the ideal is to obey God because we love him. But God is gracious enough that he will still accept the person who obeys him out of fear. However, God will not accept the person who neither loves him nor fears him. The wicked are so obtuse that they don’t even fear God, much less love him.

In verse 3, David says the wicked are deceitful and they fail to act wisely or do good. In the Bible, wisdom is not about being brainy or super smart and intelligent. Wisdom is about doing the morally right thing, the good thing.

Being a Christian is not easy. There are times when it is frustrating and difficult and confusing and humiliating and painful and a whole list of other unpleasant things. But don’t let that put you off. It’s not all bad and it is worth it in the end. In the meantime, it helps to be very clear in your own mind, about why you are a Christian.

Perhaps, like me, you started the Christian journey from a place of fearing the Lord and wanting to avoid hell. That’s okay. We all have to start somewhere. It is better to fear the Lord than ignore him.

But fear of the Lord by itself is not enough; it won’t get you through this life. At some point you need to grow in your love for the Lord. And the only way I know of growing in your love for the Lord is to focus on his goodness and to enjoy his love for yourself.

In verses 5-9 of Psalm 36, David praises God for his goodness and love.     

Praise:

In his book, Reflection on the Psalms, C.S. Lewis writes about praise. He says,

I thought of praise in terms of compliment, approval or the giving of honour. I had never noticed that all enjoyment spontaneously overflows into praise…

We delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment… It is not out of compliment that lovers keep on telling one another how beautiful they are; the delight is incomplete till it is expressed.

Lewis is pointing out here the relationship between praise and enjoyment. God does not need our praise. He is not insecure or vain. We praise God because we have experienced his love and we enjoy him. We can’t help but praise him. 

It’s like when anyone in our family sees a rainbow and has to tell the others. Or when the surf is going off and you just have to tell your mates to get out there and catch a wave. Or when you hear a really good joke and need to share it. Praise is essentially the expression of enjoyment. Praise liberates joy.

In verses 5-6 of Psalm 36, David liberates some joy when he praises God by saying: Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the great deep.

The first thing we notice here is the spaciousness of God. God is not small or stingy. He is roomy and generous. The love and faithfulness of the Lord is sky high – it has no limits. His righteousness is as solid and dependable and unmissable as the highest mountain range.

I remember waking up at Aoraki Mt Cook and looking out the window at Mount Sefton, on a beautiful cloudless blue sky day. It was spectacular. I couldn’t stop looking at the mountains all around us. That’s what God’s righteousness is like. It is awesome and beautiful and impossible to miss.

Once again our friend, Mr Lewis, clarifies things when he writes: We may ignore but we can nowhere evade the presence of God. The world is crowded with him. He walks everywhere incognito. (Letters to Malcolm)

God’s justice is like the great deep. The great deep refers to the ocean.

Like the ocean, God’s justice is a powerful force that cannot be manipulated or controlled by human beings. God’s justice has hidden depths. There is a certain mystery to it. God’s justice is teeming with life and it feeds us, it supports our life. God’s justice is also patient, turning rock into sand. 

Returning to verse 5, the word translated as love is actually hesed. (My apologies for not pronouncing it correctly.) Hesed is steadfast love, loyal love.

Hesed is not just a feeling. It is an action. Katherine Sakenfeld, who did her PhD on this subject, outlines the three main criteria of hesed. [1]

Firstly, the action is essential to the survival or the basic wellbeing of the recipient – so it’s a big deal.

Secondly, the needed action is one that only the person doing the hesed is in a position to provide – given the circumstances no one else can do it.

And thirdly, hesed takes place in the context of an existing relationship.

Unlike human hesed which is limited, God’s hesed (his loyal love) is unlimited, it crosses boundaries reaching to the heavens. This is like saying, ‘No one and nothing is beyond the reach of God’s love’.  

In the gospels, Jesus crossed boundaries in a righteous way, extending divine hesed to people he did not know. In doing that he transformed their lives and created a special kind of relationship with them.

When Jesus healed the man born blind on the Sabbath, that was hesed.

When Jesus delivered a man from a legion of demons, that was hesed.

When Jesus protected the woman caught in adultery, that was hesed.

When Jesus forgave the man who was paralysed and then healed him, that was hesed.

When Jesus invited himself to Zacchaeus’ house for dinner, that was hesed. 

When Jesus died on the cross to make us right with God, that was hesed.

Verses 5-6 are about the greatness of God, while verses 7-9 are about God’s care and providence. Or, as verse 8 puts it, People feast on the abundance of your house.

The image here is one of joyful celebration. In his book, The Weight of Glory, Lewis observes how ‘the sun looks down on nothing half so good as a household laughing together over a meal’.

Christians readily see connections in these verses with Jesus who identified himself as the light of the world, the bread of life and a well springing up to eternal life. 

Verse 9 of Psalm 36 is beautiful poetry, full of mystery. It says: in your light we see light. I’m not sure these words are fully knowable but, given the context, light suggests joy along with purity, clarity and truth.

Possibly C.S. Lewis had verse 9 in mind when he wrote: I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen – not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else. (Is Theology Poetry) 

It is the light of God’s goodness and love which helps us to trust the Lord and to see what is right. 

Exuberant praise welling up out of enjoyment of God is one thing, but David (like us) was living in a fallen world. The Lord’s servant still had to contend with the difficult reality of wicked men who sought to do him harm. And so Psalm 36 moves from prophecy to praise to prayer.

Prayer:

Here’s another little gem from Lewis: Relying on God has to begin all over again every day as if nothing had yet been done.

This is something I have found to be true in my own experience. I imagine that after David had killed Goliath, it may have been tempting for him to stop relying on God. I expect a victory like that would make most young men a bit cocky, a bit over confident. But not David. He does not turn away from God in pride. 

The secret to David’s success is that he relies on God all over again, every day, as if nothing had yet been done. We demonstrate our reliance on God through prayer. That is, by asking for his help daily.

David’s prayer in verses 10-11 of Psalm 36 is this: Continue your love to those who know you, your righteousness to the upright in heart. 11 May the foot of the proud not come against me, nor the hand of the wicked drive me away.

Once again the Hebrew word for love, in verse 10, is hesed. David is asking God to support the righteous and the upright in heart. Righteousness indicates right actions in one’s relationships with others, while uprightness of heart refers to one’s inner life being true or without pretence.

The upright in heart are like the pure in heart. They are the same on the inside as they are on the outside. They don’t pretend to be something they are not.  

David stands in solidarity with the righteous and upright in heart when he asks God to protect him in verse 11. David wants God’s love (his divine hesed) to set the agenda for his life, not the power of proud men. 

Verse 12 is a statement of faith: See how the evildoers lie fallen—thrown down, not able to rise! David is voicing his confidence in God’s ability to protect him. His faith is not blind or unfounded. It is based on his experience of God helping him in the past.  

We, who are Christian, may feel a bit uncomfortable with David’s prayer. He was a soldier, having to fight for his life. Most of us know nothing of mortal combat. We may have occasional fantasies of violence against our enemies, when we feel angry or afraid, but we know this is wrong.

Jesus taught us to love our enemies and to pray for their well-being, not their downfall. So what are we to do with David’s prayer?   

Another word from C.S. Lewis on prayer may help us here: We must lay before God what is in us; not what ought to be in us.

The psalms are unapologetically honest. They reveal what is actually in the psalmist and not necessarily what ought to be in him. Our prayer life needs to be honest, otherwise it loses its power.

If we are not honest with God we risk resenting him or, even worse, becoming obtuse and deluding ourselves. The upright in heart are honest with God, even when their truth is difficult to say.      

Please hear me on this. Honest is not careless. We still need to keep our prayers respectful, remembering that God loves us and wants the best for us.

Conclusion:

There is but one good; that is God. Everything else is good when it looks to him and bad when it turns from him.   

So the question for each one of us is, which way are we facing?

Are you looking to the Lord, feasting on his goodness?

Or do you have your back to him, pretending he is not there?

Jesus shows us the goodness of God. He shows us what it looks like to be made in the image of God, what it is to be truly human in the best sense of that word.

When we look to Jesus, when we build our life on his teaching and follow his example, we become good.

Let us pray…

Father God, we thank you for your love and faithfulness, your justice and mercy, your grace and truth. Give us a vision of yourself, in the face of Jesus, that we would reflect your image and enjoy you forever. Amen.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?

  • Do you have a favourite C.S. Lewis book or quote? What is it and why do you like it?
  • What do you think C.S. Lewis meant when he wrote: No man knows how bad he is until he has tried very hard to be good?
  • Why did you become a Christian? Is your reason for being a Christian the same now as it was when you started your journey of faith?
  • Discuss / reflect on the relationship between praise and enjoyment. Why do we praise God?
  • In what ways is God’s justice like the ocean? In what ways is God’s righteousness like a great mountain range? What does David mean when he says, “God’s love (hesed) reaches to the heavens”? What are verses 5-6 telling us about God?
  • Why does David pray? Why do you pray? Why is it important that we keep our prayer life honest?
  • Take some time this week to contemplate the various ways Psalm 36 connects with Jesus.

[1] Katherine Doob-Sakenfeld, Ruth, page 24

Tawa Baptist

Psalm 19

Scripture: Psalm 19

Video Link: https://youtu.be/NiA7TV-mefQ

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • The sky – God’s creation
  • The law – God’s will
  • The heart – David’s response
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Kai ora whanau and good morning everyone.

Have you ever looked up into the night sky and tried to count the stars? It’s difficult isn’t it. How many stars do you think you can see with the naked eye?

Well, someone from Yale University did count what can be seen and they catalogued 9096 stars. However, because the earth blocks the view, you can only see half that amount (around 4,500) on a dark the night.

The actual number of stars in the universe is not really known, mainly because we haven’t been able to locate the edge of the universe yet. God’s creation is massive on a scale that we simply cannot imagine. It is awe inspiring.

During the past few weeks we have been looking at a Psalm each Sunday. Today we focus on Psalm 19. This is one of C.S. Lewis’ favourites. From verse 1 of Psalm 19 we read…  

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. 3 They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. 4 Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun. 5 It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. 6 It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth. 7 The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. 8 The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. 9 The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous. 10 They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb. 11 By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward. 12 But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults. 13 Keep your servant also from wilful sins; may they not rule over me. Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgression. 14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

This Psalm of David falls neatly into three parts…

The first part, in verses 1-6, points our attention to the sky above. The sky, and all that is in it, are God’s handiwork; his creation revealing his glory.  The second part, in verses 7-10, focuses on the written law, which reveals God’s will for humankind and shows us how to enjoy life. And in the third part, verses 11-14, we read about David’s response of worship from the heart.

The sky – God’s creation:

How far away is the closest neighbouring star to our solar system? Is it…

A.) 42 trillion, 208 billion (42,208,000,000,000) kilometres away

B.) 48,000,000 (48 million) miles away

C.) 4.2465 light years away, or

D.) None of the above

Both A.) and C.) are correct answers. They are two different ways of measuring the same distance.

Proxima Centauri is the closest star to our solar system. It would take about four years and three months travelling at the speed of light to reach Proxima Centauri.

To put that into perspective it would take the Voyager space craft around 73,000 years to get there. And if you were to try and walk that distance on foot, it would take about 215 million years. You would need quite a bit of scroggin for that hike.

Psalm 19 begins with David looking up at the sky. Not just the night sky but the sky during daytime as well. I imagine as a shepherd, and then a soldier, David had plenty of opportunity to look at the sky.

David would not have known about Proxima Centauri but he would have been pretty good at reading the weather by the cloud patterns. Perhaps too, if he ever had to travel a significant distance, he may have navigated by the stars at night.

But this is probably not what David meant when he talked about the sky revealing knowledge. The sort of knowledge David was thinking about had to do with God.   

Some people in the ancient world worshipped the sun, moon and stars as gods. They thought the stars governed their fate, sort of like people who follow horoscopes, except the ancients were more serious about it. But when David looked up at the sky, he saw God’s handiwork.

The sun, moon, stars and sky are simply God’s creatures, carrying out the functions God made them for. What might we learn about God by looking at the sky and the starry hosts?

Well, as the apostle Paul points out in his letter to the Romans, we learn that there is a God. God the creator exists. Paul writes:  Ever since God created the world, his invisible qualities, both his eternal power and his divine nature, have been clearly seen; they are perceived in the things that God has made. 

The fact that the universe is so big and beautiful speaks to God’s power and grace. God is intelligent. He is both an artist and an engineer. Nothing is too difficult for God.

Furthermore, as anyone who likes looking at clouds and sunsets will tell you, the sky is never the same. There is an infinite variety of colour and shapes and moods and creativity in each day. Which tells us, God is not boring. God has an imagination and he has given us a mind to think with and make connections too.   

Here’s another science question for you. How many earths could fit inside the sun? Is it…

  1.  Nine earths
  2.  Six billion earths
  3.  One million, three hundred thousand earths, or
  4.  No one knows, it’s impossible to calculate

Well, the answer is C.) Apparently it would take 1.3 million earths all squished together to fill the sun.

The sun is 1,391,000 kilometres across. That’s about 109 times the diameter of the earth. The sun weighs 333,000 times as much as the earth. That is a huge mass. But if you are not already feeling small enough, our sun is relatively tiny by comparison with others. The largest known star in the universe is thought to be about 1,700 times as wide as our sun. And God made them all. I know, it blows your mind.

In verses 4-6 of Psalm 19 David narrows his focus from the whole sky to just the sun during the daytime. Obviously these verses are poetry; they are not intended to be scientific. In verse 5, David compares the sun to a bridegroom coming out of his chamber (after the first night of his honeymoon) and also to a champion athlete rejoicing to run his course.

The imagery here is of joy and strength and vitality. God made the sun to give life and warmth and happiness to the creatures of the earth. The sun is a reliable source of energy for us.

Just as the sun’s heat is felt everywhere, so too God’s glory is revealed everywhere. However, the glory of God is not experienced in the same way by everyone. For those who love the Lord and walk in his ways it is a comfort. But for those who do wrong it is a burden.

As we read earlier in the service, from the book of Job chapter 38: The light of day is too bright for the wicked and restrains them from doing violence.       

God’s power is like the power of the sun. We cannot get too close without being consumed. Likewise, God’s glory is like the light of the sun. Sunlight enables us to see clearly but we dare not look directly at it for fear of going blind.

David’s image of the sun, as a metaphor for God’s life giving power and glory, lends itself naturally to the next part of his psalm, which focuses on the law, the revealed will of God.

The law – God’s will:

Here’s a different type of question for you, moving from science to history. How many commandments are there in the Law of Moses? Are there…

  1.  929
  2.  128
  3.  10, or
  4.  613

Well, in Jewish tradition there are 613 commandments, so the answer is D.) But I would also accept C.) 10 commandments, because it’s a bit of a trick question.

613 commandments may seem like a lot but, by comparison with New Zealand law, it’s not that many. When I did a search of all the Acts of legislation on the Parliamentary Counsel Office website it came up with 1,872 results and that does not include the Bills before Parliament or other legal instruments.  

In verses 7-9 of Psalm 19 David uses six different terms to describe God’s law. The Hebrew word translated as law is torah. Torah can also mean teaching or guidance. Depending on how you think about it, the torah is at least the first five books of the Bible but it can mean the whole of the Old Testament.   

In the context of Psalm 19 the law or torah is a comprehensive term for God’s revealed will, hence the variety of terms used to describe it. The law isn’t just a list of commandments. The law is God’s way of telling us what he wants us to know about himself. The Law is also God’s way of telling us how to live well and enjoy life.

God’s law is perfect, without blemish and it refreshes the soul. The image here is of finding a spring or well of fresh water, when you are parched and thirsty.

Have you ever noticed how, when you read the Bible, God’s Spirit often shows you a verse or an idea in a new and fresh way that you haven’t seen before? That happens even with passages we are familiar with. God’s will, revealed in the Bible, never gets tired or old. There is yet fresh light to shed on God’s word.

The thing is, the refreshment we experience doesn’t just happen in our head. It happens in our soul. Your soul is your life force, your vitality, your energy, the core of your being, the unique finger print of your true identity.

Just as your body is refreshed when you actually drink water from the well, so too your soul (your inner life) is refreshed is when you actually do God’s will, rather than just reading about it.

The doing of God’s will has many benefits. Verse 8, in particular says: ‘The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart.’

Precepts are precise rules. They say the devil is in the details. God’s precepts take the devil out of the details. God’s precepts are precise, they fit perfectly like a hand in a glove or like a carpenter’s dove tail joint.

If you are a crafts person, if you like to knit for example, or turn wood, or do origami, or make something with your hands, then you will understand the feeling of satisfaction and joy when you nail it, when you don’t drop a stitch and when everything fits into place as it is supposed to.

Or if you like assembling jigsaw puzzles, you will know that feeling of satisfaction and joy you get when you fit the pieces together. It can be frustrating getting to the end of the puzzle and discovering that you have one or two pieces missing so you can’t complete it.

With God’s precepts, none of the pieces are missing. God’s precise rules fit together perfectly with his law of love. There is joy and satisfaction in discovering for yourself, through your own experience, how it all fits.

To give you an example from the Scriptures, one of God’s precepts is the rule that farmers should let the poor glean in their fields after the harvesters. To glean means to pick up the left over grain.

This is a small but significant detail in the story of Ruth, without which the story would be incomplete. Gleaning in Boaz’ field provides Ruth with the opportunity to meet Boaz and to eventually marry him and have children. God’s precept, to let the poor glean, results in great joy for the whole community.

For Ruth & Naomi & Boaz, God’s law is indeed sweeter than honey and more precious than gold. Obedience to God’s law rewards them by making their future secure and their hope real.    

God’s will (revealed through his precepts) doesn’t always feel joyful or satisfying to begin with. Sometimes following God’s precepts can be painful at first. Sometimes we have to sow in tears before we can reap with joy.

Like when Jesus said, turn the other cheek when someone strikes you and if someone insults you, ask God to bless that person. As hard as that is, doing what Jesus instructs puts us on a pathway to joy. As Jesus said, happy are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, they will be satisfied.

As Christians we believe that Jesus fulfils God’s law perfectly. Or to say it another way, Jesus shows us through his life and example what it looks like to do God’s will. With Jesus, none of the puzzle pieces are missing. All of God’s precepts and commands and statutes come into alignment and fit perfectly.     

In verse 9 of Psalm 19 David says: The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. We talked a little about the fear of the Lord last week. Fear in the sense of reverence and respect is the proper response to God’s word.

In verses 11-14 David gives an example of what the fear of the Lord looks like in practice. The third part of Psalm 19 describes David’s heart response of worship.

The heart – David’s response:

Earlier in this sermon I talked about the stars that are visible to the naked eye in the night sky. Although over 9,000 stars are visible we can only ever see about half of those from where we stand. That’s because the earth itself gets in the way. Half the stars are hidden from our view by the planet we are on.

Human consciousness is a bit like that. We might think we know everything there is to know about ourselves when in fact there are some facets of our personality which are hidden from our view. Our ego gets in the way.

The psychologist, Carl Jung, had a name for that part of ourselves that we can’t see. He called it the shadow side. Other people might be able to see what’s in your shadow, and God can certainly see your shadow, but you can’t.

Hopefully as we journey through life we become more self-aware. This means we become more aware of what is in our shadow side. Some of the stuff in your shadow you may not like. But the shadow side is not all bad. There is also some goodness in there. We are complex creatures, fearfully and wonderfully made.

In verse 12 of Psalm 19, David shows real insight into the human psyche when he says: But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults.

David is speaking here of his shadow side. That part of his personality or soul that is hidden from himself but seen by God and others close to him.

There’s an advert on TV at the moment warning people not to speed when they drive. In this ad an apprentice is being driven to the worksite by his boss. The boss thinks he is a good driver but in reality the boss is a dangerous driver who takes unnecessary risks.

Everyone who has ever driven with him knows this, except the boss himself. It is a fault hidden in his shadow. The apprentice unwittingly reveals the truth that no one wants a ride with the boss because they don’t feel safe with him.

We can become aware of our hidden faults (the stuff in our shadow that we can’t see) in any number of ways. Through understanding the dreams we have at night. By living in close quarters with someone else, like when you get married. Or by having to make a difficult decision under pressure.

It is not always pleasant to discover what’s in your shadow but the truth of it will set you free.

In verse 13 David addresses those willful sins, meaning those sins he is aware of. David doesn’t want any bad habits or addictions to rule his life. David wants God to be the captain of his soul.

Willful sins might include things like gossip or getting drunk or adultery or gambling or laziness or any pattern of behaviour really that causes us to lose control of ourselves. David is essentially asking God to help him exercise self-control.

Here’s another science question for you. How many neurons are there in the average human brain? Is it…

  1.  86 billion
  2.  14 billion
  3.  400 billion, or
  4.  1 million

The latest estimate by scientists is A.) around 86 billion neurons. A neuron (in case you are wondering) is a special kind of cell which transmits chemical and electrical information throughout the body.

And so we come to that part of David’s psalm, made famous by the pop group Boney M. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Normally the heart, in ancient Hebrew thought, refers to what we might call the mind, the seat of human consciousness.

The heart is more than just our brain with its 86 billion neurons. The heart includes our thoughts and feelings and decision making faculties; that part of our inner self which cannot be examined under a microscope.

The mouth speaks what the heart (or mind) is full of. Sometimes we say things that we don’t mean or that we never intended to say. Those unintentional words come from our heart, from our unconscious mind.      

David is well aware that God is not impressed by externals. God looks at the heart (or the inner workings) of a person. And so David does not respond by sacrificing a goat or a lamb in worship to God. David’s act of worship is a thought life that is pleasing to the Lord. His is an offering of self-control and pure praise.

Conclusion:

It is notable that the closing words of the song describe David’s relationship with God. The Lord, Yahweh, is David’s rock and redeemer. The Lord, Jesus, is our rock and redeemer. As a rock, Jesus is our security, our refuge and a firm place to stand in a hostile world.

And as a redeemer, Jesus is our Saviour, the one who rescues us from the enemy within the human heart; both the enemy we are aware of and the enemy we don’t see in our shadow.

The surprising thing is that the Spirit of Jesus often redeems us, not by destroying the enemy within, but by helping us to make friends with him so that we may be at peace with ourselves.    

Let us pray…

Father God, you are the maker of a universe so vast and so beautiful that we cannot comprehend it. You are truly awesome. Nothing is too difficult for you.

You are also our maker, the creator of the human heart in all its wonderful complexity. Thank you for your Son Jesus who fulfils your law and reveals your will to us.

Redeem our minds and guide our words. May our lives be an offering of self-control, pleasing and acceptable in your sight O Lord, for you are our security and our Saviour. Amen.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?

  • Have you ever looked at the stars in the night sky or watched a sunrise or found animal shapes in the clouds? How did you feel as you did this? What thoughts came to your mind?
  • What can we deduce about God from observing the sky and the stars?
  • What does the Law of God (the Torah) reveal to us?
  • David describes a number of benefits of God’s law (e.g. it refreshes the soul, it makes the simple wise, it gives joy to the heart, it is sweeter than honey, etc.) What benefits have you experienced by applying God’s will to your life?   
  • Have you ever had the experience of becoming aware of something in your shadow? What happened? How did you feel? How did you respond? In what ways was God’s grace evident to you in that process?
  • Why do you think David is concerned with the words of his mouth and the meditations of his heart? How is your thought life at the moment? What supports your self-control?  
Tawa Baptist

Absalom

Scriptures: Second Samuel 15-18, Psalms 3 & 63

Video Link: https://youtu.be/rIG7o5p1DRg

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Absalom’s plot
  • David’s retreat
  • The Lord’s hand
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

On the wall here is a painting of Narcissus. In Greek mythology, Narcissus was distinguished for his beauty. A prophet told Narcissus’ mother that her son would live a long life provided he never recognised himself.

Sadly, Narcissus fell in love with his own reflection in the waters of a spring and that was the beginning of the end for him. The flower that bears his name sprang up where he died.  

These days the term narcissism is used to describe someone who has an excessive amount of self-esteem or who admires themselves too much.

A couple of months ago we started a sermon series on hair and hairy people in the Bible. We heard about Esau, Samson and Samuel. Then we took a few weeks break to focus on other things. Today we return to our hair series by looking at Absalom, the third son of king David. Absalom was a narcissist. He fancied himself a little too much.

For those who are familiar with the Marvel universe, Samson is like the Hulk, Samuel is like a hairy Vision and Absalom is like Loki. In case you don’t know, Loki is a prince of Asgard and the brother of Thor. Loki is charming, good looking and intelligent but also a master manipulator and a deceiver. Wherever he goes destruction and grief follow. Absalom (like Loki) is vain and narcissistic; always looking for a way to promote himself.

Absalom’s plot:

This is how Second Samuel 14:25-26 describes Absalom…   

There was no one in Israel as famous for his good looks as Absalom; he had no defect from head to toe. His hair was very thick, and he had to cut it once a year, when it grew too long and heavy. It would weigh about five pounds according to the royal standard of weights.

I don’t know anyone who goes to the trouble of weighing their hair, but apparently Absalom did.

Please turn with me to Second Samuel chapter 15, page 315 toward the front of your pew Bibles. Although Absalom’s story starts in Second Samuel 13, we are picking up the narrative from chapter 15, where Absalom plots to steal the throne from his father David. From chapter 15, verse 1, we read…

After this, Absalom provided a chariot and horses for himself, and an escort of fifty men. 2 He would get up early and go and stand by the road at the city gate. Whenever someone came there with a dispute that he wanted the king to settle, Absalom would call him over and ask him where he was from. And after the man had told him what tribe he was from, 3 Absalom would say, “Look, the law is on your side, but there is no representative of the king to hear your case.” 4 And he would add, “How I wish I were a judge! Then anyone who had a dispute or a claim could come to me, and I would give him justice.” 5 When the man would approach Absalom to bow down before him, Absalom would reach out, take hold of him, and kiss him. 6 Absalom did this with every Israelite who came to the king for judgment, and so he won their loyalty.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

This passage gives us a picture of Absalom’s character. Absalom fancies himself as king. Even though he is next in line to inherit the throne anyway, Absalom is not willing to wait for his father to die. Like the prodigal son, in Jesus’ parable, Absalom wants his inheritance now.

Not only does Absalom dishonour his father in the worst possible way, he fails to consider God in this situation. He can’t. His ego has left no room for God.

In ancient Israel it was the king’s job to dispense justice and settle disputes. Was king David doing this adequately? Some people did not think so. Absalom used this to his advantage, offering himself as an alternative candidate for king.

They say in politics, ‘perception is reality’. Absalom goes out of his way to cultivate a favourable perception of himself at the expense of his father.

Absalom implies that David is failing in his administration of justice. He sympathizes with the people without actually doing anything constructive to help them. It is all smoke and mirrors.

Absalom is completely beguiled by his own image. He works hard at stealing the people’s hearts for four years. Then, using the cloak of worship to hide his true motives, Absalom asks David’s permission to go to Hebron to make some sacrifices. Offering sacrifices is supposed to be about expressing love for God. But Absalom is in love with himself. God is not on his radar.

On his way to Hebron, Absalom sends messengers throughout the towns of Israel to proclaim he is king. Then Absalom sends for Ahithophel, one of the king’s advisors. Up to that point Ahithophel had served David. He was highly regarded for his wise advice. But Ahithophel switched allegiances and backed Absalom. 

David’s retreat:

When king David learned that public perception was against him and the loyalty of the people was with Absalom, David left the palace in Jerusalem with his family and his officials.

Verse 30 of Second Samuel 15 says that David went up the Mount of Olives weeping; he was barefoot and had his head covered as a sign of grief. This reminds us of Jesus on the Mount of Olives, weeping and praying in great anguish the night of his betrayal and arrest. But while David was leaving Jerusalem to save his life, Jesus came to Jerusalem to die.

It is a strange thing that when life is relatively easy for David, he tends to make poor choices and show a lack of moral fibre. It was when he was comfortably installed in his palace that David committed adultery with Bathsheba and plotted to have Uriah killed in battle.

But when life is tough and David is forced out of his comfort zone and into the wilderness, this seems to bring the best out of him. Some of David’s best poetry was written when he was on the run, first from king Saul and then later from and his son Absalom.

It is thought that David wrote Psalm 63 while in the wilderness because of Absalom. In verse 1 of Psalm 63 David says: “O God, you are my God, and I long for you. My whole being desires you; like a dry, worn-out, and waterless land, my soul is thirsty for you.” Unlike Absalom, who was proud and yearned for power and applause, David longs for the Lord his God.

Likewise, David was at his most gracious when people were treating him with gross injustice. Like a light that shines brightest when the night is darkest, so too David’s goodness is most evident when the odds are stacked against him.

As David leaves Jerusalem, grief stricken, he has a series of encounters with various individuals and each encounter reveals David’s generosity of spirit, his wisdom and his faith in God.

David’s first conversation is with a man named Ittai. Ittai is a foreigner, a Gentile refugee who has only just found his place in the land of Israel. Unlike Absalom, who is completely absorbed with himself, David thinks of others. In particular, David considers for Ittai’s well-being. David does not want Ittai to become a refugee all over again, so he gives Ittai the option of leaving to save his own skin.

But Ittai binds himself to David with an oath saying, Your majesty, I swear to you in the Lord’s name that I will always go with you wherever you go, even if it means death. We are reminded of Ruth (the Moabite) who pledged her loyalty (her hesed) to Naomi.

It is somewhat ironic that foreigners, in the Bible, often have more faith in the God of Israel and his chosen king than the Lord’s own people do. We are mindful of the Roman centurion of whom Jesus said, I have not seen faith like this in all of Israel.  

The next encounter David has is with the priests, Zadok & Abiathar. They are loyal to David and have brought the Covenant box with them in support of David. The Covenant box was a symbol of God’s presence.

But David says to them, Take the Covenant box back to the city. If the Lord is pleased with me, some day he will let me come back to see it and the place where it stays. But if he isn’t pleased with me – well then, let him do to me what he wishes.

Again we see the contrast between David and Absalom here. Absalom is quite prepared to use the cloak of religion to mask his true intent and make himself look good in the eyes of others. But David will not misuse God in that way. David is well aware that he is not perfect and makes no pretence of it.

David knows that God withdrew divine support for king Saul after Saul disobeyed. David is perhaps conscious of his failing with Bathsheba and does not presume upon God’s grace. David has the faith to let God be God.

David also has the faith to believe that God is not a prisoner of the Covenant box. God is more than able to be present with David in the wilderness, with or without a religious artefact.

This is not to imply that David’s trust equates to mindless resignation. David is not being fatalistic. He’s not throwing the dice and letting luck decide. David sends the priests back to Jerusalem asking them to be his informers. So there is strategy in sending Zadok & Abiathar back with the Covenant box.

There is a saying which is attributed to Oliver Cromwell: Trust in God and keep your powder dry. The powder here is gunpowder. Trusting in God does not mean folding your hands and doing nothing. Trusting God goes hand in hand with being prepared. David trusts in God and he keeps his powder dry. David is prepared.

In Matthew 10:16, Jesus said his disciples: “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore, be as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves.”

We see David’s wisdom and innocence in the request he makes of Hushai. Hushai is a royal advisor, similar to Ahithophel, except Hushai is loyal to David. The king tells Hushai to go to Absalom and pretend he has defected.

Once Hushai has gained Absalom’s confidence, he is to muddy the waters and mislead Absalom with advice that will give David an advantage. Hushai returns to Jerusalem just as Absalom is arriving to make himself king. Hushai proves to be as wise as a serpent and as innocent as a dove.  

Not everyone was so friendly though. After David has travelled a bit further toward the Jordan river, he meets one of Saul’s relatives, a man named Shimei. When Shimei sees David he curses the king and starts throwing stones at him.

Shimei criticizes David saying: You took Saul’s kingdom and now the Lord is punishing you for murdering so many of Saul’s family. The Lord has given the kingdom to your son Absalom and you are ruined, you murderer.

In actual fact David did not murder Saul’s family and he did not take Saul’s kingdom. The kingdom belongs to God and the Lord chose David to replace Saul as king. And, even though David had more than one opportunity to kill Saul, David refused to lift a hand against the Lord’s anointed.

Although Shimei is misinformed of the details, his words do strike a chord of truth. David did effectively arrange for Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah, to be murdered. David is not guilty of crimes against Saul’s family but he does have blood on his hands and he knows it.

Some of David’s men wanted to cut Shimei’s head off but David would not let them.

David said to his men: “My own son is trying to kill me; so why should you be surprised at this Benjaminite? The Lord told him to curse; so leave him alone and let him do it. Perhaps the Lord will notice my miseryand give me some blessings to take the place of his curse.”         

Once again we see David’s wisdom and faith revealed under extreme pressure.

David is theological in his response and this helps him keep his perspective. My own son is trying to kill me, he says. That’s the more important issue to deal with at the moment. Shimei is the least of my worries.

David remembers the sovereignty of God. David believes that ultimately God is in control, not Shimei. Perhaps Shimei is doing God’s work. If that is the case, then David cannot argue with God. David knows he is a murderer and on some level recognises that he deserves the criticism, even if Shimei has the details wrong.

David believes that God is both just and merciful. To the extent that Shimei is too heavy handed in his abuse of David, the Lord can make that right by blessing David. David shows incredible trust in the goodness of God here.

David’s response to Shimei is wise. If he were to kill Shimei it would only prove Shimei’s point. By showing mercy to Shimei, David provides evidence that Shimei has no case.      

In his poem, The Divided World, Owen Marshal writes this wonderfully witty line: The world is divided between those who would try themselves and those who seek a less corrupt judge.

The point is, we should not judge ourselves because we have an inherent conflict of interest. We cannot be relied upon to give a fair verdict.

Absalom judged himself to be a better king than his father. David refused to judge himself. David left the matter in God’s hands, for God knows better and is completely fair in his judgements. As it turned out, God vindicated David and afterwards Shimei apologised to David.

You know, sometimes people make criticisms of us and it hurts, especially if what they are saying is not all that accurate. No one enjoys being misunderstood or misrepresented. In that situation we need to be as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves.

The temptation is to react in the heat of the moment. We do well to take some time to consider our response. Maybe God is trying to say something to us through that person. What is the kernel of truth in what they are saying and what is the husk that we can discard?

Perhaps, like David, the wisest thing is to say nothing. Don’t major on the minors and leave the matter in God’s hands. Or it may be better, both for your own soul and for the other person, to speak your truth and put their ignorance to the sword of reason and fact.  

So far we have heard about Absalom’s narcissistic plot and David’s wise retreat. Also woven through this narrative is the Lord’s providential hand.

God is at work to achieve his purpose quietly and unobtrusively through human beings. The war with Absalom is won as much behind the scenes as it is on the battlefield. 

The Lord’s hand:

When Absalom entered Jerusalem to take David’s throne, Hushai (David’s double agent) greeted Absalom with the words, ‘Long live the king’. This is a wonderfully ambiguous greeting. Who is Hushai referring to as king, David or Absalom?

We, the reader know that Hushai is backing David as king, but Absalom is vain enough to assume that Hushai is referring to him as king. Hushai is as wise as a serpent and as innocent as a dove. 

When Absalom questions Hushai’s loyalty, Hushai responds with another ambiguous remark, I am on the side of the one chosen by the Lord…

Absalom’s ego does not allow him to imagine that God would choose anyone else to be king but Absalom himself. Absalom thinks he is God’s gift.

Not long after Absalom has made himself at home in David’s palace, Ahithophel (the wise advisor who turned against David) proposed a way ahead for Absalom. From verse 1 of chapter 17 we hear Ahithophel’s plan…

“Let me choose twelve thousand men, and tonight I will set out after David. 2 I will attack him while he is tired and discouraged. He will be frightened, and all his men will run away. I will kill only the king 3 and then bring back all his men to you, like a bride returning to her husband. You want to kill only one man;the rest of the people will be safe.”

From a strategic point of view this was actually really good advice. It is full of common sense and would probably have worked, except for the Lord’s providential hand. God had not chosen Absalom to be king. God was still with David. The Lord used Hushai (David’s plant) to throw a spanner in the works.

It appears that God robbed Absalom of common sense in this moment so that Absalom asked Hushai for a second opinion. Hushai (who was really there to help David) answered…

“The advice Ahithophel gave you this time is no good. 8 You know that your father David and his men are hard fighters and that they are as fierce as a mother bear robbed of her cubs. Your father is an experienced soldier and does not stay with his men at night. 9 Right now he is probably hiding in a cave or some other place. As soon as David attacks your men, whoever hears about it will say that your men have been defeated. 10 Then even the bravest men, as fearless as lions, will be afraid because everyone in Israel knows that your father is a great soldier and that his men are hard fighters. 11 My advice is that you bring all the Israelites together from one end of the country to the other, as many as the grains of sand on the seashore, and that you lead them personally in battle. 12 We will find David wherever he is, and attack him before he knows what’s happening. Neither he nor any of his men will survive. 13 If he retreats into a city, our people will all bring ropes and just pull the cityinto the valley below. Not a single stone will be left there on top of the hill.”   

Hushai’s plan is not as good as Ahithophel’s clever strategy. Hushai’s plan buys David time to get organised and it puts Absalom in danger. But the grandness and glory of Hushai’s plan appeals to Absalom’s ego, so that Absalom overlooks the practical realities involved. God makes sure Absalom swallows the bait; hook, line and sinker.

Once Absalom decides to go with Hushai’s plan of attack, the priests who are loyal to David get word to their king in the wilderness, who then organises his troops in anticipation of Absalom’s onslaught.

From verse 6 of chapter 18 we read what happened…

David’s army went out into the countryside and fought the Israelites in Ephraim Forest. 7 The Israelites were defeated by David’s men; it was a terrible defeat, with twenty thousand men killed that day. 8 The fighting spread over the countryside, and more men died in the forest than were killed in battle.

David’s men were outnumbered and yet they still won. Those of you who are fans of The Lord of the Rings may remember how the trees of the forest fought with the Hobbits against the Orcs. Verse 8 tells us more men died in the forest than were killed in battle. Even the forest was on David’s side. This is another sign of the Lord’s providential hand.

This civil war was such a tragedy. It didn’t need to happen and probably wouldn’t have happened except for Absalom’s narcissism. Nevertheless, God is sovereign. Yes, he gives human beings a certain amount of freedom but that freedom always has it limits. God won’t let things get too out of control. The hand of the Lord made sure Absalom didn’t get away with the havoc he had caused.     

From verse 9 of Second Samuel 18 we read…

Suddenly Absalom met some of David’s men. Absalom was riding a mule, and as it went under a large oak tree, Absalom’s head got caught in the branches. The mule ran on and Absalom was left hanging in mid-air.

How ironic is that? Absalom’s long beautiful hair got him tangled in the branches of a tree, so that he was held in limbo, between heaven and earth. It must have been painful and terrifying for him to be held there powerless like that.

Walter Brueggemann puts it like this: Absalom is suspended between life and death, between the sentence of a rebel and the value of a son, between the severity of the king and the yearning of a father. [1]

David did not want his son harmed. As a parent you are never so vulnerable as with your kids. But when Joab (one of David’s generals) heard about it, he killed Absalom and buried him in the forest. If we want to find some redemption in this story, we have to look to the gospel of Jesus.

Conclusion:

I don’t imagine anyone here is quite as bad as Absalom was but that is only by the grace of God and a lack of opportunity. Everyone has at least a bit of Absalom in them. You might not think you do but neither did Absalom.

The truth is, each of us has rebelled against God’s chosen King, against Jesus. Each of us have taken matters into our own hands and tried to usurp God’s authority in our lives. Each of us, in this world, is suspended between eternal life and death. Each of us deserves the sentence of a traitor and yet we are valued as God’s sons and daughters.   

The gospel tells us that Jesus, God’s chosen King, died on a cross in our place, suspended between heaven and earth. And nailed to that cross was Absalom’s narcissism and ours. The good news is that through faith in Jesus’ death & resurrection we are set free from the tyranny of pride and the futility of vanity. We are set free to glorify God and enjoy him forever. 

May God satisfy the longing of your soul with his presence.  

Questions for discussion or reflection:

What stands out for you in reading these Scriptures and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?

  • Why do you think Absalom wanted to usurp David as king of Israel? Have you ever wanted to be king?
  • How do you imagine David felt when he learned of Absalom’s plot?  Have you ever felt this way? How did you handle yourself in that situation? 
  • In what ways does David’s experience and conduct, in Second Samuel 15 & 16, remind us of Jesus?
  • What can we learn from David’s response to Shimei’s abuse? When is it right to remain silent in the face of insult (as David did) and when is it better to speak our truth?
  • What did it mean for David and his loyalists to be as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves? What does it mean for us today (as people loyal to Jesus) to be as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves?
  • In what ways do we see the Lord’s providential hand at work to ensure David remains king? In what ways are you aware of God’s hand for good in your life?
  • Take some time this week to read either Psalm 3 or Psalm 63 and reflect on these songs in light of David’s experience in the wilderness as he fled from Absalom.  What (or who) do you long for? Consider the ways God is present with and for you and give thanks to him. 

[1] Refer Walter Brueggemann’s Interpretation Commentary on First and Second Samuel, page 313. 

Tawa Baptist

Be Exalted, O God

Scriptures: 1st Samuel 24:1-22, Psalm 57

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • I will give thanks
  • Be exalted, O God
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

When I was a kid I was lucky enough to spend holidays at the beach. My Nan told me that if I held an empty shell to my ear I could hear the sea, even if I was hundreds of miles away from the ocean.

Of course, when I got older and stopped taking everything so literally, I learned that my Nan was speaking in metaphor. Scientists will tell you that when you listen to a shell, you’re not really hearing the sound of the ocean. The shell acts as a resonator for ambient sound. Normally our brains filter out background noises, like the wind and the sea and traffic and birds, but when you put a shell over your ear, some frequencies are amplified and others get suppressed. It sounds like the sea because the movement of the ocean is one of those background noises that your brain normally filters out.

Personally, I prefer my Nan’s explanation. The idea that an empty shell can pick up the sound of the sea from anywhere is way cooler.

Today we continue our ‘Anthems’ series. In this series we are looking at the lyrics of one hymn or Christian worship song each week to see how that song informs our thinking about God and how it connects with Scripture and the heritage of our faith.

The song we are looking at this morning is called Be Exalted, O God.

Be Exalted is one of those songs that sounds like the sea. On the one hand it is comforting and hopeful. But on the other hand it is at risk of being filtered out of by our brains as background noise, because the words sound so familiar.

The lyrics for Be Exalted were written thousands of years ago by king David. We find them in Psalm 57. But the tune we sing it to today was written by a New Zealander called Brent Chambers.

Brent was born in Napier in 1948. He became a Christian at a Youth for Christ meeting in 1966. In an interview with Lindsay Terry, Brent talks about his conversion. Brent says…

“I didn’t have a great deal of interest in the [YFC] meeting but decided to go along. The Lord spoke to me during that service, and I became a Christian that very night. A couple of years later, I realized that I was not including Jesus into my life’s activities. I somehow knew that I could not be an effective Christian unless he had my whole life. Consequently, I surrendered everything to Christ, and from that time, even as a new Christian, songs began to pour out of me.”

Brent has written over 500 songs during his lifetime, alongside making a living by painting houses. He wrote Be Exalted, O God in 1977.

You know sometimes we can sing worship songs that are familiar to us and not really engage with them. The words come out of our mouth but our mind is elsewhere. It’s the same with reading Scripture or listening to sermons. Sometimes the words just wash over us without really going in or being real and then, one-day, God gently cups a shell over the ear of our soul and we pick up what he’s saying. Brent describes his resonator moment when Be Exalted, O God became real for him…

“After hearing my song, David Garrett [one of the founders of Scripture in Song music] asked me, Brent, do you think maybe God is speaking to you through these words?’ Up until that moment it was just another song that I had written, but when he said those words, my song became the Word of God to me, and my life’s call – my heart’s desire. I suddenly wanted to give thanks among the people and to sing praises among the nations. By the grace of God, we’ve done just that in many places, singing Be Exalted, O God’ and other songs.”

To help us hear God’s word in this song let’s turn to Psalm 57 now. The title of Psalm 57 says that David wrote this when he had fled into a cave to get away from king Saul. We read about David’s experience in the cave earlier in today’s service, from 1st Samuel chapter 24. Let’s read the corresponding Psalm now…

1 Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me, for in you I take refuge.
I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.     

2 I cry out to God Most High, to God, who vindicates me.
3 He sends from heaven and saves me, rebuking those who hotly pursue me – God sends forth his love and his faithfulness.

4 I am in the midst of lions; I am forced to dwell among ravenous beasts—
men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords.

5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.

6 They spread a net for my feet—I was bowed down in distress. They dug a pit in my path—but they have fallen into it themselves.

7 My heart, O God, is steadfast, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music. 8 Awake, my soul! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn.

9 I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing praises to you among the peoples. 10 For your steadfast love reaches to the heavens; your faithfulness extends to the skies.

11 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth. 

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us. 

I will give thanks

Caves are like sea shells, they are resonators. Hollow spaces tend to increase resonance – they help us to hear more layers of sound. You notice this when you are in a cave. Small sounds that we might not ordinarily notice, like footsteps or breathing or water dripping are amplified in a cave – we hear them more fully, more clearly, than when we are outside in the open.

The psalms are like resonators. As we hold the psalms to our ear, they show us ourselves; all the different layers of being human. They help us to be honest in expressing both the good things and the bad and to move beyond what we feel to adoration of God. 

Brent Champers’ song begins with the line…

I will give thanks to Thee, O Lord, among the peoples.
I will sing praises to Thee among the nations.
These words come from verse 9 of Psalm 57; which is towards the end of the Psalm. While giving thanks to God is a good thing to do, it is not always the first thing to do. As human beings we need to give voice to the difficulties we are facing alongside the things we are thankful for.

With this in view, David does not begin with thanksgiving. David begins by asking God for mercy. Not the mercy of forgiveness (he hasn’t done anything wrong) but rather the mercy of God’s help and protection. David has been unfairly treated and he wants God to vindicate him.

Before launching into thanksgiving David acknowledges before the Lord the fear, stress, homelessness and injustice he has been living with. In verse 4 of Psalm 57 David describes in graphic terms the danger he is in…

4 I am in the midst of lions; I am forced to dwell among ravenous beasts—
men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords.

David is comparing the people who are after him (Saul and Co) as beasts hungry to kill him, not just physically but relationally as well. By spreading lies about David his enemies are alienating him, isolating him, from his community.

David has been under immense pressure and that pressure acts as a kind of emotional resonator. It makes David more aware of his need for God and consequently of God’s faithfulness in providing for him. To most people a cave is a dark spooky place to be avoided. But David’s vision of God’s goodness transforms the cave from a dingy hole in the ground to a refuge under the shadow of His wings.

This resonates with the story of Ruth, where Boaz says to Ruth, ‘May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.’ Ruth was, of course, one of David’s ancestors.

Despite the unfairness of his situation David (in verse 3) is able to see that God is on his side. The Lord has sent love and faithfulness from heaven to help him. David is not thankful for the stress of being on the run for his life and nor should he be. That wouldn’t be true or right. But David is thankful for God’s steadfast love and faithfulness. David is acutely aware of God’s reliability, when everything else around him is unreliable and uncertain.

God’s love and faithfulness are continually poured out from heaven for us, but we don’t always notice it. Like background noise, our brain filters it out and we tend to take God’s goodness for granted. But when we find ourselves in extreme circumstances; when we are acutely aware of our need, this acts as a kind of resonator and we notice those little things that God does under the radar to help us.  

For the past six weeks or more, we have been in a cave of sorts. We have been forced (by Covid-19) to stay at home in lockdown, hiding from the virus. We are aware of the collateral damage Covid-19 has caused around the world. It has taken lives. It has cost people their jobs and their businesses. It has created pressure and strain in families. We need to acknowledge that this experience has been harder for some than others. At the same time, it has not been without collateral beauty.

Collateral beauty is the opposite of collateral damage. Collateral beauty is recognising and cherishing moments of light and goodness in the midst of dark and difficult circumstances. Collateral beauty is what we get when God sends his love and faithfulness from heaven. Collateral beauty transforms a cave into the shadow of God’s wings, a place of sanctuary and comfort.

I had a collateral beauty moment on the first Sunday we were in level 4. I was in the church carpark, by myself, and I noticed the stillness. The Main Rd of Tawa is normally very busy. But on this particular day, there were no cars or people or any sort of background noise. There was just the silence of the sunrise. It was beautiful. I stood still for a moment to simply experience it. Was this what it was like for Elijah as he stood at the entrance of the cave on Mount Carmel all those centuries ago? Was this what it was like for the disciples when Jesus calmed the storm on the sea of Galilee? The stillness was so rare, so precious. I’m not sure I would have known (or appreciated) that sort of profound stillness apart from lockdown and I’m not sure I’ll ever know it again, at least not in the church carpark.

That was one of my collateral beauty moments during level 4. What was your moment? In what ways have you noticed God sending his love and faithfulness? You might like to pause the audio recording at this point and share with others your collateral beauty moment.       

Be exalted

You know, my Nan was a clever lady. She didn’t say a lot but she knew the right thing to say and when to say it. She could have given me the scientific explanation of why empty shells always sound like the sea but she knew that science by itself is not enough for the human soul. She knew that during a cold foggy winter’s day in Hamilton, when I was back at school, holding a sea shell to my ear would act as a resonator of happy memories at the beach. More than that though, it would also make me look forward in hope to the next summer holidays. My Nan’s explanation exercised my imagination and it filled me with wonder.  

In Psalm 57 we find a David who is so confident, so full of hope. His back is against the wall (literally) but he doesn’t give up. Saul and 3,000 of Israel’s finest soldiers have David cornered in a cave. David is outnumbered with nowhere to run and yet he can still remember God’s love and faithfulness. Not only that but he can even imagine a good future for himself, one in which he is set free and vindicated by God.

Jesus had the same kind of confidence and hope in going to the cross. He knew that, even though he would die, God would not abandon him to the grave. Jesus knew God would set him free from death and raise him to eternal life and that’s exactly what God did.      

The chorus of Brent Chambers’ song is the same as David’s chorus in Psalm 57;

5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.

To be exalted is to be lifted up, to be promoted. This refrain (for God to be exalted) is repeated twice in Psalm 57, once in the middle (in verse 5) and then again at the end (in verse 11).

What we notice is that although the exact same words are used both times, they are given a different meaning by the context. In verse 5 be exalted, O God is really a prayer for God to save David from real and present danger. Whereas, in verse 11, it is an expression of thankfulness for God’s salvation.

In verse 4 of Psalm 57 David describes his enemies as ravenous beasts. So, when David says straight after this (in verse 5) 5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; what he means is: ‘Use your power God to save me from my enemies.’ [1] You be in charge God and put evil in its place.

Be exalted O God, resonates with the Lord’s prayer where we say, ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.’ Hallowed be your name means may your name be lifted up and treated as sacred.

In the same vein, when David says, let your glory be over all the earth, he is really asking for God’s purpose to be achieved everywhere. “God’s glory” is the manifestation (the outworking) of his sovereign rule. [2] Or said another way, “God’s glory” is his justice and mercy at work in the world. To sing, let your glory be over all the earth is basically the same as saying, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”.

In verse 6 of Psalm 57 David describes the way in which God has exalted his justice and mercy in the cave…

6 They spread a net for my feet—I was bowed down in distress. They dug a pit in my path—but they have fallen into it themselves.

While Saul was out hunting for David, he felt the call of nature. (He needed to relieve himself.) So he goes into a cave for some privacy. We can imagine the sound resonating around the cave walls. Little does Saul know that this is the very same cave that David and his men are hiding in. Saul has fallen into the pit he dug for David. Saul had planned to trap David and kill him, but now it is Saul who is at David’s mercy.

David’s men see this as God’s providence for David. They encourage David to kill Saul. It is tempting. David creeps up behind Saul and cuts a piece off the corner of the king’s robe. But then David is conscience stricken. He returns to his men and rebukes them saying, ‘Lord forbid that I should do such a thing…’ David will not exalt himself. He will not promote himself at Saul’s expense. David wants God to be exalted and murder does not achieve that. 

David may be hiding in a hole but he has the moral high ground and this enables him to say, in verse 7, My heart, O God, is steadfast, my heart is steadfast;

To have a steadfast heart is to have courage and a clear conscience. To be resolute and unafraid. Why is David’s heart steadfast? Because he has done the right thing and he knows it.

We see something of David’s steadfastness of heart in the way he addresses Saul. After Saul has left the cave David says…

‘May the Lord be our judge and decide between us. May he consider my cause and uphold it; may he vindicate me by delivering me from your hand.’

This is another way of saying: Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.

This shows us that God can be exalted by the choices we make. Yes, God exalts himself by saving his people through acts of justice and mercy. But we human beings also exalt God (we raise up and promote God’s purpose) when we obey him.

In verses 8 & 9 of Psalm 57 David says, Awake, my soul! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn. 9 I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the nations;

This demonstrates David’s confidence in God to save him.

‘To awaken the dawn’ with praise for God means getting up while it is still dark (before the sunrise) and singing worship songs to God. I understand the ‘dawn’ here to be a metaphor for God’s salvation. It’s a way of saying, ‘I will give thanks and praise to God while I’m still waiting in the dark, even before I have seen the light of his salvation.’ David is steadfastly confident that God will act to save him. He’s so confident in fact that he thanks God in advance, even before God has actually answered his prayer. It’s a bit like asking God to deliver us from Covid-19 and then thanking him for saving us even before a vaccine has been created. Or, it’s like holding a shell to your ear in the middle of winter and thanking God in advance for the summer holidays that are coming.    

The first time David sings be exalted, O God (in verse 5)it was said in the context of being afraid for his life and was meant as a prayer for the Lord to save him. The second time David sings be exalted, O God (in verse 11) it is with grateful love, as one who anticipates being saved and coming through the other side.

We know this because in verses 9 & 10 of Psalm 57 David says, 9 I will give thanks to you, O Lord…  10 For your steadfast love reaches to the heavens; your faithfulness extends to the skies.  This is a poetic way of saying, God’s love and faithfulness is everywhere all the time. God’s love and faithfulness is like the air we breathe; it is abundant and life giving and always present.

As I said before, the risk with God’s love and faithfulness being so plentiful is that it can become like background noise; something our brain filters out. Something we take for granted.

Prayer isn’t just about asking God for stuff. Prayer includes being aware of the oxygen of God’s love and faithfulness; putting a metaphorical shell (or resonator) to our spiritual ear; being intentional about noticing the many small things God does under the radar which support our life.      

The incident in the cave (in 1st Samuel 24) ended with king Saul admitting he was wrong and leaving David unharmed. We see God’s hand in this. David took a leap of faith in speaking his truth to Saul. Saul was prone to bouts of insanity. The tormented king was just as likely to turn on David in that moment, but he didn’t. God exalted himself by using David’s act of justice and mercy to soften Saul’s heart and turn away the king’s anger. So David was given some respite.

But this wasn’t the end of it. David knew better than to trust Saul. It would not be long before Saul’s paranoia got the better of him and he went in pursuit of David again.   

Conclusion

Last Thursday we transitioned to level 2, with a limit on gatherings of 10 people. We are thankful to be able to catch up with family and friends in small groups. But at the same time we are not quite out of the woods (or out of the cave) just yet.

Nevertheless, we can give thanks to God for his grace in bringing us this far and we can continue to pray that God’s purpose will be exalted in all the earth.

God exalted himself most significantly in raising Jesus from the dead. Because of Jesus’ resurrection we can be confident that the sun of God’s salvation will rise on the night time of whatever trials and difficulties we may face. 

Intercessory Prayer

In a moment I will lead us in an intercessory prayer. David’s prayer for God to be exalted is a universal prayer. It can be applied in so many different situations because it is essentially asking for God’s will to be done in the world. It is a prayer for God’s justice & mercy to be lifted up everywhere. With this in mind I will offer words of intercession for various people and situations and I invite you to respond by saying, “Be exalted, O God”. When I pause that is your cue to pray, “Be exalted, O God”.

Let us pray…

Lord Jesus, you were a teacher. We pray for students who are returning to school this week. Keep them safe. Help pupils, teachers and parents with this transition.

“Be exalted, O God”

Lord Jesus, you are the well of living water. We pray for those people and animals in the Hawke’s Bay, Auckland and Northland who are adversely affected by the drought. May you bring the rain they need. Restore the land we ask.

“Be exalted, O God”

Lord Jesus, you were a self-employed carpenter. We pray for business owners who have lost income and livelihoods. May you restore what the locusts have eaten.

“Be exalted, O God”

Lord Jesus, you are the corner stone of the church. We ask your blessing on the churches in Tawa. May you be present through the on-line Alpha course and touch the lives of each one who participates in this.

“Be exalted, O God”

Lord Jesus, you were beaten, mocked and scorned. We ask your deliverance for those women and children who are trapped in abusive relationships. Set the captives free we pray.

“Be exalted, O God”

Lord Jesus, you are our King. We pray for wisdom for our government. May they act as your servants, promoting justice and compassion in our society.

“Be exalted, O God”

Lord Jesus, you have the power to heal: mind, body, soul and relationships. Make us whole and grant us your peace we pray.

“Be exalted, O God”

Lord Jesus, you are risen from the dead. May your resurrection be real in and through us. Strengthen our hope, renew our joy and keep us in God’s purpose we ask.

“Be exalted, O God”

Thank you Lord Jesus that you hear our prayer. Amen.  

Let’s stand and sing Be exalted, O God…

I will give thanks to Thee, O Lord, among the peoples
I will sing praises to Thee among the nations
For Thy steadfast love is great, it is great to the heavens
And Thy faithfulness, Thy faithfulness to the clouds

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens
Let Thy glory be over all the earth (x2)

Questions for discussion or reflection:

Listen to the song ‘Be exalted, O God’.  What are you in touch with as you listen to this song? (What connections, memories or feelings does the song evoke for you?) 

How might the Psalms help us to be honest with ourselves and worship God?

Why do you think David saw the cave he was in as ‘a refuge under the shadow of God’s wings’?

What collateral damage have you experienced because of Covid-19? What collateral beauty have you experienced? 

What can we do to make/keep ourselves aware of the oxygen of God’s love & faithfulness?

Why did David pray ‘Be exalted, O God’ in verse 5 of Psalm 57? (What did he mean in that context?) And what did David mean when he said ‘Be exalted, O God’ in verse 11? How is the nuance different in each repetition of this refrain?

How can we exalt God? (How can we lift up his purpose in the world?)

Take some time this week to awaken the dawn with praise for God – that is, to thank God for his love and faithfulness.

[1] Refer James Mays’ commentary on the Psalms, page 210. 

[2] Ibid.

Tawa Baptist

Saul, David & Jonathon

Scriptures: 1st Samuel 17:31-40; 19:1-7 & 24:1-7

 

Title: Saul, David & Jonathon

 

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Saul & David
  • Jonathon & David
  • David & Saul
  • Conclusion

 

Introduction:

Last year there was a four part documentary series on TV called Why Am I? The science of us.

–         The series was based on the groundbreaking work of the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health & Development Study which has documented the well-being of 1037 people born in Dunedin between 1972 and 1973

–         So it’s a massive long term scientific research project basically

 

One of the things they looked at was the question of nature vs. nurture

–         Are we the way we are because we were born that way (nature)?

–         Or are we the product of our environment (nurture)?

 

What they discovered is that it isn’t necessarily either / or, it can be both / and

–         In other words, with many things nature loads the gun while nurture (or environment) pulls the trigger

–         This could be both a negative thing and a positive thing

–         For example, you could have a genetic predisposition to a certain type of illness which is triggered under certain environmental conditions

–         On the other hand you may also have latent strengths built into your DNA which are brought out under particular circumstances

 

Science is helpful (it provides part of the picture) but one of the things that science doesn’t take into account is God

–         None of us have perfect DNA and none of us grow up in a perfect environment

–         Everyone faces challenges one way or another – no one is exempt

–         But at the end of the day God’s grace trumps both nature and nurture

 

My grandfather had a tough life in many ways

–         When his dad died his mum remarried and his step father beat him regularly, for no good reason – just because he was there

–         It wasn’t a good environment so my pop got out – he left home to make his way in the world at the tender age of 12

–         He lived through the great depression and then served in the Air Force during the second world war

–         He was part of a Lancaster bomber crew

–         Somehow he survived 87 missions flying over Africa and Europe

 

Now some people would go through all of that violence and hardship only to be completely wrecked by it

–         It would trigger something bad in them and bring out the worst

–         They might abuse alcohol or beat their wife or their kids or suffer some kind of emotional collapse

–         But, by the grace of God, that wasn’t the case with my grandfather

–         Somehow God used all that bad stuff to bring the best out of him

–         He never drank to excess, he was faithful to one wife, and he was never violent with his family, in fact he was kind & generous to them

–         He died at the age of 92 from lung cancer, probably triggered by smoking cigarettes when he was younger

 

I’m not sure what genetic bullets nature loaded in his gun but I’m convinced that God’s grace trumped his environment

 

Today we continue our series on intergenerational relationships in the Bible

–         That is, relationships between people of different ages or generations

–         A couple of weeks ago we looked at the mentoring relationship between Paul & Timothy

–         Paul was like a father to Timothy – he believed in Timothy and gave Timothy good guidance, both through his letters and his example

 

Today’s focus is on Saul, David & Jonathon

–         Saul was the first king of Israel and David was his successor

–         Jonathon was Saul’s son and David’s best friend

 

Saul’s relationship with David was quite different from Paul & Timothy’s

–         While Saul was old enough to be David’s father, Saul did not believe in David & Saul provided lousy guidance, both bad advice & a bad example

–         In fact, Saul went out his way to try and destroy David

 

Now we might think that the violence and hardship that Saul put David through would trigger something bad in David and bring out the worst in him

–         But, by the grace of God, that wasn’t the case with David

–         God used Saul to bring the best out in David

–         Whatever David’s DNA may have been the Spirit of God was with him

–         God’s grace trumped David’s environment

 

Saul & David:

Please turn with me to 1st Samuel chapter 17, verse 31 – page 285 near the front of your pew Bibles

–         To set the scene, the Philistine giant, Goliath, is challenging the Israelites to a dual – winner takes all

–         None of the Israelite soldiers are willing to take him on – none that is except David, who isn’t really in the army as he is still a boy

–         Nevertheless the Spirit of God has loaded David with bullets of courage and the Philistine’s challenge triggers David’s courage

–         From verse 31 of 1st Samuel 17 we read…

 

31 Some men heard what David had said, and they told Saul, who sent for him. 32 David said to Saul, “Your Majesty, no one should be afraid of this Philistine! I will go and fight him.”

 

33 “No,” answered Saul. “How could you fight him? You’re just a boy, and he has been a soldier all his life!”

 

34 “Your Majesty,” David said, “I take care of my father’s sheep. Any time a lion or a bear carries off a lamb, 35 I go after it, attack it, and rescue the lamb. And if the lion or bear turns on me, I grab it by the throat and beat it to death. 36 I have killed lions and bears, and I will do the same to this heathen Philistine, who has defied the army of the living God. 37 The Lord has saved me from lions and bears; he will save me from this Philistine.”

 

“All right,” Saul answered. “Go, and the Lord be with you.” 38 He gave his own armour to David for him to wear: a bronze helmet, which he put on David’s head, and a coat of armour. 39 David strapped Saul’s sword over the armour and tried to walk, but he couldn’t, because he wasn’t used to wearing them. “I can’t fight with all this,” he said to Saul. “I’m not used to it.” So he took it all off. 40 He took his shepherd’s stick and then picked up five smooth stones from the stream and put them in his bag. With his sling ready, he went out to meet Goliath.

 

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us

 

The first thing we notice here is that Saul doesn’t believe in David, like Paul believed in Timothy

–         Saul says: “How could you fight him? You’re just a boy…”

–         Saul doesn’t believe in David but God believes in David

–         And David believes in God

–         David is convinced that God can use him as young as he is

–         God’s grace is made perfect in our weakness

 

Eventually Saul agrees to let David fight and the guidance he gives David is, ‘wear my armour’

–         Saul’s advice is bad – his armour doesn’t fit

–         Fortunately David has the good sense not to follow Saul’s advice

 

In refusing Saul’s armour David reminds us of Jesus who put aside the traditions of men and used a simpler approach

–         Jesus did not allow himself to be weighed down by the cumbersome armour of the Pharisees’ man made rules & regulations

–         Instead Jesus made himself vulnerable (without armour), slaying evil with the slingshot of his tongue and the smooth stones of his Word

 

A point of application here – be discerning about the advice you accept

–         You are wise if you consider the advice of those more experienced than you, but at the end of the day you are the one who has to live with that advice so you decide whether it’s a good fit for you or not

 

I remember about 14 years ago I was in my last semester of training for pastoral ministry and was considering a call from this church

–         At that time Tawa had a bad reputation

–         It has a better reputation now so you don’t need to worry

–         But back then it was hard to find anyone who would say anything good about the place

–         It was quite a confusing time

–         There I was getting advice from people I respected, who were older and more experienced than I was, telling me not to come here

–         And yet it felt to me like we would be a good fit for Tawa

 

We had other options and they were good options, but (like Saul’s armour) they just didn’t fit

–         Now I’m not suggesting the people who were guiding us were like Saul – they were good people but it appears they got it wrong in this instance

–         In the end we made a decision to respectfully set aside their advice and we came here

–         As it turned out you were lovely to us (on the whole)

 

The point is, we don’t live in a perfect world

–         Sometimes our mentors get it wrong

–         Listen to your elders, by all means, but be discerning about what advice you take

–         Wisdom comes from God and God places his Spirit in our hearts to recognise his wisdom

 

In spite of Saul’s doubt and bad advice David faces and kills Goliath, because God is with him

–         After that Saul becomes jealous of David’s success and sends him off to fight Israel’s enemies in the vain hope that David will be killed

–         But the combat experience is good for David and makes him even more popular with the army and the people alike

–         Ironically, in trying to make things more difficult for David, Saul actually brings the best out of David – that’s God’s grace

 

Jonathon & David:

Please turn with me to 1st Samuel chapter 19 – page 287 in your pew Bibles

–         Saul had a son named Jonathon

–         Jonathon was very different from his father

–         Jonathon loved David as himself – they were best friends

–         In many ways Jonathon was like an older brother to David – he looked out for David and advocated for him, even at the expense of himself

–         From 1st Samuel 19, verse 1, we read…

 

Saul told his son Jonathan and all his officials that he planned to kill David. But Jonathan was very fond of David, 2 and so he told him, “My father is trying to kill you. Please be careful tomorrow morning; hide in some secret place and stay there. 3 I will go and stand by my father in the field where you are hiding, and I will speak to him about you. If I find out anything, I will let you know.”

 

4 Jonathan praised David to Saul and said, “Sir, don’t do wrong to your servant David. He has never done you any wrong; on the contrary, everything he has done has been a great help to you. 5 He risked his life when he killed Goliath, and the Lord won a great victory for Israel. When you saw it, you were glad. Why, then, do you now want to do wrong to an innocent man and kill David for no reason at all?”

 

6 Saul was convinced by what Jonathan said and made a vow in the Lord‘s name that he would not kill David. 7 So Jonathan called David and told him everything; then he took him to Saul, and David served the king as he had before.

 

I remember when I was about 7 or 8 years old there was a guy at school who was a few years older than me, I guess he would have been about 12

–         For some reason he looked out for me

–         We didn’t hang out all the time but he was friendly and talked to me, even though there was nothing in it for him

–         It doesn’t sound like much now but when you are a junior and a senior student talks to you in a positive way it gives you a real boost – it makes you feel good about yourself

–         Not only that but it says to the other kids at school, ‘Don’t pick on this kid. He’s with me’

 

My older friend had the job of ringing the school bell at the end of lunch to tell people to go back to class

–         It wasn’t an electronic bell – it was an actual metal bell that you rang by hand (this was before electricity)

–         Anyway, one day he saw me across the quad, called me over and asked me to ring the bell for him.

–         He was doing me a favour – it was a special privilege to ring the bell

 

Unfortunately this is one of those anecdotes that doesn’t go anywhere

–         He left school the next year and we lost touch after that

 

I tell you this story to highlight the value of friendships with those who are just a few years ahead of you

 

With most of the intergenerational relationships we’ve looked at in this series the age gap between the people involved has been quite large – anywhere from 20-60 years

–         We don’t know exactly how old Jonathon was in relation to David but I imagine it was probably something like 5 years difference, give or take

–         While they weren’t, strictly speaking, of a different generation from each other, Jonathon was still a few years older

–         Sometimes we need someone, who is like an older brother or sister, to show us kindness and give us confidence

–         People, like Jonathon, who are old enough to take care of us but still close enough in age that we can relate with them easily

 

In the reading from Samuel 19 we see that Saul’s jealousy (his madness) has grown to the point that he is actually talking to others about killing David

–         But Jonathon intervenes to protect David

–         With sound logic and diplomacy Jonathon convinces Saul not to harm David and David is restored to Saul’s presence once more

–         Blessed are the peacemakers. They will be called children of God

 

It wasn’t really in Jonathon’s interests to advocate for David like this

–         By protecting David’s life Jonathon was putting David ahead of himself, opening the door for David to become the next king of Israel

–         Jonathon cares more for David’s well-being than he does for the throne

–         Saul’s appalling behaviour only serves to bring the best out of Jonathon

–         That’s God’s grace

 

In some ways Jonathon reminds me of John Baptist – Jonathon opened doors for David, sort of like John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus

–         Jonathon was willing to decrease so that David (God’s Messiah/anointed one) could increase

 

We need a Jonathon in our lives, especially when we are younger – someone who will watch over us for good, be our advocate and open doors for us

–         Here at Tawa Baptist we encourage our teenage young people to get involved as helpers in Sunday school and crèche

–         Club Intermed also have junior leaders who are just a couple of years older than the kids who attend the programme

–         In youth group Daryl recruits leaders in their late teens and twenties – just a few years ahead of those in College

–         And at Night Church Peter & Dan encourage those just a few years younger than them to play music, sing and lead worship alongside them

 

Three main reasons we do things this way

–         One, we need the practical help, the extra hands

–         Two, it’s good for the discipleship of those helping

–         And three, it creates the opportunity for those who are younger to form positive, healthy relationships with those just a couple of years older

–         If you are 8 then it’s often easier to relate with someone who is 14, than someone who is 44

–         Or if you’re 16, then someone who’s 23 is likely to be more in touch with what you’re going through because the 23 year old has just gone through it themselves

–         We still need parent and grandparent figures but older brother & sister relationships are also needed – it’s not either / or, it’s both / and

 

Jonathon was a comfort & shield for David in dealing with Saul

–         Who is your Jonathon?

–         Who is your David?

 

Jonathon’s peace-making efforts worked for a time but eventually Saul lost the plot again and David was forced to get out of that toxic environment

–         Jonathon helps David escape, while still keeping the door open in their relationship

 

David & Saul:

We pick up Saul & David’s story again from 1st Samuel 24 – page 292

–         Saul was obsessed with destroying David. From verse 1 we read…

 

When Saul came back from fighting the Philistines, he was told that David was in the wilderness near Engedi. 2 Saul took three thousand of the best soldiers in Israel and went looking for David and his men east of Wild Goat Rocks. 3 He came to a cave close to some sheep pens by the road and went in to relieve himself.

 

It happened to be the very cave in which David and his men were hiding far back in the cave. 4 They said to him, “This is your chance! The Lord has told you that he would put your enemy in your power and you could do to him whatever you wanted to.”

 

David crept over and cut off a piece of Saul’s robe without Saul’s knowing it. 5 But then David’s conscience began to hurt, 6 and he said to his men, “May the Lord keep me from doing any harm to my master, whom the Lord chose as king! I must not harm him in the least, because he is the king chosen by the Lord!” 7 So David convinced his men that they should not attack Saul.

 

In the Star Wars film Return of the Jedi Luke Skywalker and Darth Vada have a light sabre dual

–         Luke beats Vada and cuts his hand off then the dark lord encourages Luke to kill Vada and turn to the dark side but Luke refuses

 

In some ways Saul is like Darth Vada and David is like Luke

–         Luke has it in his power to kill Vada but he refuses to give in to the dark side, just as David has it in his power to kill Saul but instead chooses to spare Saul’s life

–         By God’s grace Saul’s dark side brought the best out of David

 

In our reading from Samuel 24 David gets some more bad advice, not from Saul this time but from his friends who tell him to kill Saul, just as the dark lord told Luke to kill his father

–         Fortunately David has the conscience to reject his friend’s advice

–         David refuses to turn to the dark side as Saul had done

–         Instead David leaves the matter in God’s hands

–         By setting the right example the young David becomes a mentor to the senior Saul

 

By saving Saul’s life David once again points to Jesus, who had the power to destroy his enemies but instead resisted the temptation and submitted to God’s purpose by going to the cross to die for his enemies

–         Both David and Jesus show us God’s grace

 

Conclusion:

You may be wondering why I chose to preach on Saul & David, given that Saul wasn’t a particularly good model for David

–         Well, not all intergenerational relationships are healthy or good

–         That’s the reality of the world we live in

–         We don’t always get to have a Moses or an Elijah or a Paul as our mentor

–         Sometimes we might get a Saul but usually we have someone who is a mixture of good and bad

 

Saul & David’s very imperfect intergenerational relationship shows us that the future of the protégé doesn’t need to be determined by the mentor

–         By the power of God’s Spirit the protégé (in this case David) has a choice about how he will respond to Saul, his would be mentor

 

So, if those older than you haven’t provided a good example, if they (like Saul) have given bad advice or misbehaved in some way, you have a choice

–         By God’s grace you can choose to be different from them

–         My grandfather chose to be different from his step father

–         David & Jonathon both chose to be different from Saul

–         What it comes down to is knowing who you are and who you want to be

–         (Usually when we are given a really bad example, that clarifies for us who we don’t want to be and by implication who we do want to be)

–         As Christians we find our identity in Christ – we want to be like Jesus

 

I’m not saying it’s an easy choice to make

–         You don’t just click your fingers and say, “I’m going to be different from my parents or my boss or whoever is in authority over me”

–         There’s usually quite a bit of pain and anger and forgiveness involved

–         The point is, if the model you’ve been given is bad then you need to get out of that environment and find a better model

–         Jesus is our model – there’s no one better than him

 

The other thing Saul and David’s relationship shows us is that ultimately God is in control

–         God’s grace trumps our nature and our nurture

–         What Saul intended for David’s harm, God used for David’s good

–         And that should encourage us when we, who are mentors, do a bad job

–         We might not intend to harm the next generation, as Saul did, but we are bound to make mistakes and stuff it up from time to time

–         The good news is, God is gracious – he is able to redeem our mistakes

–         In fact our mistakes (our weaknesses) are often what God uses to bring out the best in others

 

Reflection Questions:

 

1.)    What stands out for you in reading these Scriptures and/or in listening to the sermon?

 

2.)    What do you think of the Dunedin study’s finding that nature loads the gun and nurture (or environment) pulls the trigger?

 

3.)    God, in his grace, is able to use a bad environment to bring out the best in people

–         How did God use Saul to bring out the best in David?

–         Thinking of your own life situation and / or upbringing, how has God’s grace been at work to bring out the best in you (or others)?

 

4.)    What led David to not take Saul’s advice (in wearing Saul’s armour)?

–         (Refer 1st Samuel 17:31-40)

–         How might we discern what advice to accept and what to reject?

 

5.)    Do you have (or have you had) a Jonathon in your life?

–         Who can you be a Jonathon to?

 

6.)    How does David become a mentor (set an example) for Saul?

–         (Refer 1st Samuel 24)

 

7.)    In what ways does David point to Jesus?

–         How does Jonathon remind us of John the Baptist?

 

8.)    What two main things does Saul & David’s (imperfect) intergenerational relationship show us?

 

Tawa Baptist

God on our side

Scripture: Psalm 124

 

Title: God on our side

 

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Psalm 124
  • 2 Samuel 5:17-25
  • Conclusion

 

Introduction:

Today we continue our series on the Songs of Ascents – which we know as Psalms 120 to 134

 

The word ‘Ascent’ has to do with moving upward

–         The temple in Jerusalem was on a hill

–         On their way to religious festivals Jewish pilgrims might sing these songs as they ascended the hill to the temple

 

The 15 Songs of Ascents, then, are about being on a journey – not just a physical journey to Jerusalem but also a spiritual journey

–         As we make our way through these Songs of Ascents we notice the psalmist draws closer to God

 

We plan is to explore these Songs of Ascents as we journey toward Easter

–         This morning we take a closer look at psalm 124

–         This song is attributed to king David

–         Not all the psalms were written by David but it appears this one was

–         As a hymn of thanksgiving for God’s deliverance psalm 124 is not a solo performance – it looks like it was meant to be sung in a responsive way with the cantor (or the worship leader) singing a line and the choir repeating it

–         We are not going to try and sing psalm 124 this morning, but to help us enter into the feel of the song I’m going to read the lines in plain type and I invite you to respond by reading the words in bold italics

–         From the New Revised Standard Version we read…

 

1 If it had not been the Lord who was on our side     —let Israel now say— 2 if it had not been the Lord who was on our side,     when our enemies attacked us,

 

3 then they would have swallowed us up alive,     when their anger was kindled against us;

4 then the flood would have swept us away,     the torrent would have gone over us; 5 then over us would have gone the raging waters.

 

6 Blessed be the Lord, who has not given us as prey to their teeth. 7 We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we have escaped.

 

8 Our help is in the name of the Lord, 

who made heaven and earth.

 

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this song for us

 

Psalm 124

On the wall here is a photo of British & French soldiers lined up on the beach at Dunkirk in May 1940, awaiting evacuation across the channel to England

  • – The German army had invaded France and were headed north, closing in fast on the Allied troops
  • – In one of the most widely debated decisions of the war, the Germans halted their advance on Dunkirk.
  • – German Field Marshalls suggested that the German forces should cease their advance on Dunkirk and consolidate, to avoid an Allied breakout.
  • – The army was to halt for three days, which gave the Allies sufficient time to organise the Dunkirk evacuation and build a defensive line.
  • – Despite the Allies’ gloomy estimate of the situation, with Britain even discussing a conditional surrender to Germany, in the end more than 330,000 Allied troops were rescued [1]

 

 

Although Dunkirk was a defeat (as far as the Allied forces were concerned) it was also a miracle of deliverance

–         The Allied forces could have easily been swallowed up, overwhelmed and trapped

 

In psalm 124 David gives us four images or metaphors to describe Israel’s deliverance from their enemies

–         Israel was nearly swallowed alive

–         They were almost overwhelmed & swept away, as if by a flood

–         They were hunted like prey

–         And trapped like a bird in a fowler’s snare

 

These are all images of terrifying power – where Israel is vulnerable and powerless to save themselves (not unlike the Allied forces at Dunkirk)

 

I remember as a kid watching Return of the Jedi

–         In those days it was number three in the Star Wars series but these days its number 6 (if you don’t include Rogue One)

–         Anyway there was this scene where Luke had come to rescue Han Solo and Princess Leah from Jabba the Hutt

 

Jabba the Hutt was a pretty nasty piece of work and he planned to throw Han Solo into the Sarlaac pit

–         The Sarlaac was a terrible monster which swallowed people alive and then digested them slowly for a 1000 years

–         It is nightmare stuff on the edge of human imagination

–         David wouldn’t have been thinking of the Sarlaac when he used the image of being swallowed alive

–         More likely he was thinking of the Philistine army

 

Israel’s enemies are angry

–         Their anger is described as being ‘kindled’ – like a fire

–         Fire of course destroys everything in its path and is difficult to control

–         Just as there is no reasoning with fire, there is also no reasoning with an angry enemy – there is no diplomatic solution in other words

 

The only thing an angry army will give way to is some power or force stronger and more terrifying than itself

–         David is saying: the Lord God is more powerful, more terrifying and more organised than any army

 

As for the second image – of being swept away in a flood – that reminds me of a tsunami (a tidal wave)

 

David probably wouldn’t have known about tsunamis where he was situated but, for the Jewish people generally, flood waters were a symbol of chaos – in contrast to a well ordered creation as God intended it

–         David was saying; our enemies represent chaos (anarchy) – they only want to make a mess

–         But where there is chaos the Lord God (our creator) is able to bring order

 

The image of a flood or torrent also suggests being outnumbered – as if David were saying, ‘there are too many of them for us to handle’

–         But despite the overwhelming odds against Israel God holds the balance of power

 

Blessed be the Lord, who has not given us as prey to their teeth.

–         That’s David’s third image

 

As a shepherd David would have faced wild animals – predators, like this wolf here

–         A predator is known for being cunning or skilful in hunting its prey

–         Israel’s enemies were hunting them like a wolf hunts a sheep

–         From Israel’s perspective it’s a picture of vulnerability and powerlessness

–         What can a sheep do to defend itself against a wolf

–         What could Israel do to defend themselves against their enemies

–         The only thing they could do was look to God to protect them

–         God isn’t just more terrifying and more powerful than Israel’s enemies – he is also more clever, more skilful than any predator

 

The fourth image of Israel’s vulnerability is that of a bird caught in a fowler’s snare

–         A fowler is a professional bird catcher

–         One strategy of fowlers is to put nets out which the birds fly into and get tangled up in

–         Then the fowlers would sell the birds (live) for sacrifice or for eating

–         Fowlers sometimes used caged birds to attract wild birds

–         The wild birds would hear the bird in the cage calling and fly straight into the trap

 

Once a bird is tangled in a net or a snare it can’t do anything to save itself

–         The more it struggles to wriggle free, the more tangled it becomes

 

A bird is the image of freedom

–         Israel’s enemies want to take away their freedom and make them slaves

–         But the Lord God delights in setting people free

–         Jesus said of himself, “I’ve come to set the captives free”

–         Not only has God set Israel free he has also broken the snare so that it no longer poses a threat

 

Because, on this occasion, the Lord God was on their side, Israel was not consumed, not overwhelmed, not killed and not trapped

–         They lived to fight another day

 

2nd Samuel 5:17-25

Please turn with me 2nd Samuel chapter 5 – page 305 near the front of your pew Bibles

  • – Psalm 124 was probably written by David out of personal experience
  • – More than once God had helped David and saved Israel in battle
  • – From 2nd Samuel 5, verse 17 we read…

 

17 The Philistines were told that David had been made king of Israel, so their army set out to capture him. When David heard of it, he went down to a fortified place. 18 The Philistines arrived at Rephaim Valley and occupied it. 19 David asked the Lord, “Shall I attack the Philistines? Will you give me the victory?”

“Yes, attack!” the Lord answered. “I will give you the victory!”

 

20 So David went to Baal Perazim and there he defeated the Philistines. He said, “The Lord has broken through my enemies like a flood.” And so that place is called Baal Perazim. 21 When the Philistines fled, they left their idols behind, and David and his men carried them away.

 

22 Then the Philistines went back to Rephaim Valley and occupied it again. 23 Once more David consulted the Lord, who answered, “Don’t attack them from here, but go around and get ready to attack them from the other side, near the balsam trees. 24 When you hear the sound of marching in the treetops, then attack because I will be marching ahead of you to defeat the Philistine army.”

 

25 David did what the Lord had commanded, and was able to drive the Philistines back from Geba all the way to Gezer.

 

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us

 

The Battle of Trafalgar was fought by the British Royal Navy against the combined fleets of the French and Spanish Navies on the 21st October 1805

 

Twenty-seven British ships, led by Admiral Lord Nelson, defeated thirty-three French and Spanish ships in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Spain, just west of Cape Trafalgar

 

The French and Spanish fleet lost twenty-two ships, without a single British vessel being lost. It was the most decisive naval battle of the war, conclusively ending French plans to invade England. [2]

 

Perhaps psalm 124 resonated with the English following their victory at the battle of Trafalgar

  • – England was under attack and despite being outnumbered they won a decisive victory
  • – Was it because God was on their side or was it Lord Nelson’s wise naval strategy or was it both? I don’t know?

 

As I mentioned before, David probably wrote psalm 124 out of personal experience

  • – The two accounts of battle in 2nd Samuel chapter 5 were perhaps something equivalent to David’s battle of Trafalgar
  • – Although, fortunately for David, he wasn’t killed in battle like Admiral Nelson was
  • – In any case David attributes his victories to God being on Israel’s side

 

If the Lord had not been on our side when our enemies attacked us, then we would have been swallowed alive…

 

Hmm? If the Lord had not been on our side?

  • – Most people think God is on their side in battle
  • – The crusaders of a thousand years ago thought God was on their side but from our perspective in history we doubt that
  • – I imagine the French & Spanish forces thought God was on their side when they decided to attack England in 1805 and yet they lost, decisively
  • – Both the Allied and Axis forces of World War One thought God was on their side to win – but they couldn’t both be right
  • – And more recently, Islamic State thinks God is on their side while the rest of world is pretty certain He isn’t
  • – History is littered with people who thought God was on their side
  • – It seems God’s name is hijacked and taken in vain to justify all sorts of crimes

 

For this reason I feel uneasy when people say: ‘God is on our side’ – as if God could be co-opted to serve our ends

  • – It would seem more accurate to talk about us being on God’s side
  • – What is God’s purpose in any given situation and how might we align ourselves with His purpose
  • – We can’t take it for granted that God will support us unconditionally
  • – God is faithful and kind but He is also free and He is Lord (not us)
  • – He doesn’t appreciate people misusing his name for their own purposes

 

David was very careful not to take God for granted and not to co-opt God to serve his own ends

  • – David did not make any assumptions where God was concerned
  • – Yes, Israel were God’s chosen people and yes, David had been anointed king of Israel – so he was God’s special man
  • – But he didn’t automatically think that entitled him to go to war against whomever he chose

 

David was well aware that God had not always been on Israel’s side

  • – Saul (the previous) king embarked on some major military disasters under the false assumption that God would support him
  • – But even before Saul (in 1st Samuel chapter 4, during the time of the priest, Eli) the Israelites took the Ark of the Covenant into battle against the Philistines without checking with God first and Israel suffered a terrible defeat including losing the Ark

 

In the context of 2nd Samuel chapter 5, David has just been made king of all Israel

  • – Previously Israel had been a divided nation
  • – Now with one king they were united
  • – This made Israel more of a threat to the Philistines and so the Philistines acted out of their fear and set out to try and capture David
  • – They took their idols with them
  • – Apparently the Philistines thought their gods were on their side

 

When David heard of it he didn’t go out straight away to face them

  • – Instead David went on a spiritual retreat in order to find out what God wanted him to do
  • – This reminds us of Jesus whose first action (after being baptised) was to get away from it all so he could spend time with God and find out what God wanted him to do

 

David asked the Lord: Shall I attack the Philistines? And, will you give me the victory?

  • – And the Lord said ‘yes’ to both
  • – After he had won David attributed his victory to the Lord God saying…
  • – “The Lord has broken through my enemies like a flood.”
  • – This flood language reminds us of psalm 124

 

Later, at another time, the Philistines attacked again

  • – It may have been tempting for David to think, ‘I don’t need to consult God. He was on my side last time he will give me victory again this time’
  • – But David doesn’t do this
  • – Once again his first response is to enquire of the Lord
  • – Like the Roman Centurion who showed faith in Jesus to heal his servant, David sees himself as a man under authority
  • – God is his commanding officer – David gets his orders from the Lord

 

It’s just as well David checked because this time God tells him not to attack from the same angle but to come around from the other side

  • – When you hear the sound of marching in the tree-tops, then attack because I will be marching ahead of you to defeat the Philistine army
  • – God was indeed helping David but not because David or Israel were entitled in anyway
  • – Had David charged ahead without listening to God first it could have ended in disaster

 

Conclusion:

The point is, when David talks about God being on his side, he doesn’t mean that God can be co-opted for Israel’s own parochial (them against us) concerns

  • – I think he means something along the lines of: But for the grace of God Israel would be no more.

 

Having said that God won’t be co-opted to serve human political agenda, God is still free to choose sides

 

When God became a man (in the form of Jesus) he was saying to humanity: “I am on your side”

 

When Jesus was baptised in the River Jordan, God was saying to all who repent of their sin: “I am on your side”

 

When Jesus healed people, God was saying to the sick: “I am on your side”

 

When Jesus cast out demons, God was saying to those who are oppressed by evil: “I am on your side”

 

When Jesus restored sight to the blind, God was saying to those sitting in darkness: “I am on your side”

 

When Jesus stood up for Zacchaeus and the woman caught in adultery and others like them, God was saying to the despised: “I am on your side”

 

When Jesus died on the cross, God was saying to all who suffer injustice: “I am on your side”

 

When Jesus was raised from the dead, God was saying to all who place their faith in Christ: “I am on your side”

 

And when Jesus pours out His Holy Spirit on us today, God is still saying: “I am on your side”

 

 

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Dunkirk

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Trafalgar