A Study of Psalm 39
Psalm 39
Introduction
- Wed night format; opportunity to study together from our homes
-- Re: Invite someone else to join in - not an exclusive study for "just LFC"
- Psalms are songs of praise and words of encouragement/warning
- We are studying book 1, Psalm 1-41 … primary focus on David's experience
- Today is definitely a self-examination piece of scripture; chance to heart-check
- Many would be surprised at the amount of "tough love" found in the Bible
- We prefer to think of God as all loving; but we ignore that He will also correct us
- Jesus in Matthew 7:13 told us, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it."
-- APP: Even this simple passage is one of correction - guidance for living right
- God wants us to live rightly, and how we react to correction says a lot about us
- FB post about this Psalm "knocking our socks off" is absolutely factual
- Will we live under His authority or won't we - that's the question!
- Read Psalm 39:1-13/ Pray
Point 1 - David's realization
- David learned to guard his mouth against sinful things (v1)
-- The tongue is a powerful weapon, able to destroy worlds if desired
-- EX: A commander giving an order to invade can wipe out a civilization
- Personal EX: A rumor or word spoken in anger can destroy
-- David declares that he will muzzle his mouth
-- Esp. in the presence of the "wicked" (unrighteous) - no fuel for them
- He chooses to remain quiet and doesn't even speak good things (v2)
-- Why? So that he would not be tempted to speak bad things
- EX: Ever tell a story and decide to gossip a bit?
-- David is muzzling his mouth completely - to not say a word
-- APP: Saying nothing is often better than speaking
- However, (v3) within Him his heart is burning
-- He feels driven to speak - but still remains silent
-- But when he does speak, it is only in God's presence (key word: meditate)
- APP: This allows him to be transparent with God
-- IMP: Having a prayer life is important!
-- Communication with God is critical!
- TRANS: David realizes that he can control what he says
Point 2 - David prays
- David asks God for insight to himself (v4)
" Show me my life's end
" Show me the number of days
" Show me how fleeting life is
- There's no word whether God gave him his death date
-- However, I believe he got something else from this
-- APP: He now understood how short life is - how quickly it can end
- He confesses God has total control of his life (v5)
" Even his next breath is provided by God (this is total supplication)
" And, that breath, is nothing compared to the infinity of God
- David asks God: Remind me how frail life is (v6)
-- Prayer: "Teach me Lord, how vain my purposes are compared to yours"
- CHALL: Think we'd live differently if we did this …
- TRANS: Why does David asks for such a difficult examination?
Point 3 - David understands his sin
- David looks to God for everything he might need (v7-8)
" God is his provider
" God is his hope
" God is his redeemer
" God is his savior
- Expound on verse 7 …
" David turns to his God, in disgust of all things
" He has thought on the world and all things in it (less than we have now)
" He is relieved by knowing that such vain things are all passing away
" Declaration: My hope is in you.
- God is self-existent and true, and therefore worthy of the confidence of men
" God will live when all the creatures die
" His fullness will abide when all Earthy pleasures are exhausted
" For David, all his cares are cast upon God for what he needs
- APP: His (our) only hope for deliverance is in God
- David understands the salvation & discipline he feels is from God (v8-9)
-- It is because of his choices that have landed him in this place
-- APP: Sometimes we just need to admit what we've done / deserve correcting
- This is what David does perfectly … pleads with God for relief (v10)
" Remove the scourge from me (God's discipline)
" It is too much Lord, my heart is suffering
- APP: For David, being transparent with God is very important
- From David's view, he really understands how short life is: (v11)
" Wealth we've worked whole life for is removed
" Our life can be measured in one breath
" James 4:14, "What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes."
- TRANS: After all this, David submits to God's authority
Point 4 - David submits to God's authority
- He asks God to hear his prayer (v12)
" He is pleading with God to release him from this punishment
" Listen to me and (implied) have mercy on me
- Then he confesses something unique: "I am a foreigner here"
-- APP: He is a stranger who doesn't belong to this world
-- He dwells with the Lord, wanting to be closer to Him than this world
- But, he can't make any claims to force God to act
-- REALIZATION: Before a Holy God, he is merely a servant at his mercy
- Therefore, God, look away from me (v13)
-- IMP: Not look away and stop loving me …
-- Rather, look away and stop disciplining me (even though I deserve it)
- Else, your punishment God will surely kill me
-- David has a desire to live happily again, but wants punishment to end
-- I think if we were honest, we'd probably feel the same way
- TRANS: But, there is a reason for God's discipline
Big Idea - Total dependence on God means - TOTAL dependence
- David understood what it took to live fully for God
-- Even under Godly discipline he knew God's ways were better than his
- I wonder if we will come to same conclusion?
-- Will we desire the ways of the Lord more than our wants?
- It really comes down to a matter of priorities … who will you follow?
- Pray
* Special thanks to Holman Old Testament Commentary for the foundational outline of this sermon.
