When Others Are Out to Get You
(Psalm 4)
1. The neighbors cut down a shade tree., and Marylu was lamenting that, our shade landscaping was now isunny. When one of her favorite hostas died, she lamented its loss.
2. I could have said, “Chin up. Just say, ‘Hosta La Vista, baby.’” But then again, it was better I said nothing. I am too young and too handsome to die. Well, too young, anyway.
3. What does it mean to lament? One definition is, “a passionate expression of grief or sorrow.” When I preached a series on the Psalms of Asaph, many of those were laments.
4. These laments of David, however, are of a different ilk and not nearly as bleak as Asaph’s psalms (one of which we looked at last week, Psalm 44).
5. If you participated in our Wednesday night Bible study, you know that we classify the Psalms into 8 categories. The most common category is the Psalm of Lament (28 to 30%).
Main Idea: Even when we are lamenting our stressful situations, we can engage in a spiritual process and find God’s sustaining peace and joy, at least for a time.
I. A DESPERATE Plea for Help (1)
A. David expressed how desperately He wants God to ANSWER him.
1. The heading address the choirmaster meaning this experience, David’s lament, was akin to the our stresses and woes, and that we could benefit and relate.
2. “The approach of the night, with its temptation to brood on past wrongs and present perils, only challenges David to make his faith explicit and to urge it on to others…” Derek Kidner
3. He is honest before God; he feels as he feels.
4. In order to be honest in our prayers, we have to be honest with ourselves; that means we have to be in touch with ourselves, and it means we cannot trade what we feel for what we think we should feel – bad to lie to yourself.
5. Some of you were raised with the habit of denying what you really felt if it was negative; many well-intentioned Christians were taught denial as the way of godliness. That is sad. Feelings we have become insidious if we don’t face them.
An overt enemy is clear to fight, unlike espionage.
B. David uses God’s righteousness as a LEVER to move God to act.
• One secret of powerful prayer is anchoring our requests to an attribute of God.
• Often we hear “for Your Name’s sake” (meaning reputation)
• “For the praise of Your glory” or that the nations will know that “You are God.”
• Prayer is a complicated science beyond me, but powerful prayers, IMO are this way.
C. He acknowledges the RELIEF God has given him thus far.
• Whether in the current situation or in the past is not clear.
• Instances in our lives where God has helped or guided us clearly can become anchors and beacons on hope in dark, stormy times.
D. David does not DEMAND, but asks God to give him UNMERITED, undeserved help.
• Demanding-ness is part of our sin nature; we ask respectfully, we don’t demand.
II. An Appeal for Foes to Reconsider and Embrace REASON and Calm (2-5)
• You might see behaviors we are about to mention in church conflicts, conflicts in clubs, organizations, families, the neighborhood, work. race relations and politics.
A. They have spread FALSE propaganda about David and use it to justify their attacks.
1. The early enemies of Christianity claimed Christians were atheists or practiced cannibalism. Today: hateful bigots who thrive on judging others.
2. If people attack you, they justify it by saying you deserve it.
• The Benjamin Franklin effect. He asked to borrow a book from a man who said hateful things about him, and then that man turned into a friend.
• “The Misconception: You do nice things for the people you like and bad things for the people you hate.”
• “The Truth: You grow to like people for whom you do nice things and hate people you harm.”
• “Seeing the casualties you create as something less than you, something deserving of damage, makes it possible to continue seeing yourself as a good and honest person…” [Souce: “You Are Now Less Dumb” by David McRaney].
B. It is serious business to falsely accuse God’s OWN, for they have connections (3).
C. Anger can easily turn to WRONG DOING, but it doesn’t have to do so (4).
1. Anger is a huge issue in life, and learning how to deal with it an important discipline.
2. Cool off, ponder, then address (don’t stuff).
3. Ephesian 4:26 follows the LXX translation:
Ephesians 4:26, “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger…”
D. Worshiping God should never be used to CLOAK an evil scheme ( 5).
1. “Right” sacrifices are in contrast to “unrighteous” sacrifices.
2. 2 Samuel 15:7- 12 passim, … Absalom said to the king [David], “Please let me go and pay my vow, which I have vowed to the Lord, in Hebron… The king said to him, “Go in peace.” So he arose and went to Hebron. But Absalom sent secret messengers throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then say, ‘Absalom is king at Hebron!’” … And while Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counselor, from his city Giloh. And the conspiracy grew strong, and the people with Absalom kept increasing.
3. The godly Christian refuses to surrender ethics, honesty, and present the whole truth – not partial truths – even in the midst of conflict.
III. The End Result: Strengthened with God’s Joy and PEACE (6-8).
A. Some of David’s allies displayed a “sky is falling” DESPAIR (6a).
• The danger of the “falling sky” is that it is contagious.
B. David asks for God to ENLIGHTEN his fearful allies and himself (6b).
C. David’s enemies were better supplied, but David had something they did not have: God’s JOY (7).
1. Nehemiah 8:10b, “And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
2. Nothing will irritate unhappy campers more than our joy in the Lord.
3. When you are walking in the fear of the Lord with integrity, that joy is yours for the asking.
4. Joy can be the result of external consequences, or it can come from within by the HS.
D. After EXPRESSING his fears and aggravations to the Lord, he experiences God’s peace.
Might Philippians 4:4-7 be a midrash on these verses?
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
