In this psalm, like many of the psalms of David, we find him in some serious trouble.
However, David was a great man, and the one thing that determines greatness in people’s lives is how they go about solving their problems.
Wouldn’t it be nice to have someone that we can take our problems to each day and they would handle them for us?
Illus: That reminds me of a CEO who had a lot of problems and he wanted to hire a college graduate to solve all of his problems.
He interviewed this young man from the University of South Carolina.
• He explained that he had a lot of problems and he wanted to hire someone like him to solve them.
• The young man said, “I appreciate your interviewing me for the job but how much does this job pay?”
• The CEO said, “This jobs pays $5,000 a week!!”
• The young man said, “How can you afford to pay me $5,000 dollars a week to solve your problems?”
• The CEO said, “That is your first problem!”
David knew he had someone to solve his problems.
He personally talked to THE PROBLEM SOLVER, THE LORD, on a daily basis.
Illus: Have you ever wished in certain situations you could be a fly on the wall and listen into some of the private conversations that take place.
Psalm seventeen gives us this opportunity to be that fly on the wall and listen to David as he talked to God about his problems.
Notice, as we read Psalm 17, he was not fretting, he was praying.
Illus: I point this out because many do not know the difference between worrying and praying.
They think worrying and praying are synonymous.
People who do not know the difference will worry as much on their knees as they do standing up.
David knew the difference. He prayed!
That is why this Psalm is called "A prayer of David."
There are different KINDS OF PSALMS
• Hymn Psalms—Begin with a call to worship. All through these kinds of psalms it tells us of the reasons that we ought to worship God.
• Thanksgiving Psalms—They express thanks for a blessing or some crucial need that has been met.
• Remembrance Psalms—They help us to remember that there are some great things that are in the past also.
• Wisdom Psalms—These psalms will take two contrasting ways of life—one to be followed and another to be shunned.
• Lament Psalms—They have a tone of distress, weariness, struggle, and pain in them. But there is something compelling about the lament psalms; they express a sense of confidence that the Lord will come to their rescue.
Psalm 17 is a LAMENT PSALM.
Let’s look at some of the things that this Psalm teaches about David as he pours his heart out to God.
In this prayer the first thing we can see…
I. HE WANTS TO BE HEARD
David is expressing common sense in his prayer. That is, why bother to pray if God is not going to hear us.
However, David understood that before his prayer could be heard by God, there were some CONDITIONS he must meet.
Let’s look at two of the conditions…
Look at Psa. 1:1, we read, “Hear the right, O LORD, attend unto my cry, give ear unto my prayer…”
Illus: How many times we have sung that familiar song...Pass Me Not O Gentle Savior
Verse 1: Pass me not, O gentle Savior, hear my humble cry; while on others thou art calling, do not pass me by.
Verse 2: Let me at thy throne of mercy find a sweet relief, kneeling there in deep contrition; help my unbelief.
Verse 3: Trusting only in thy merit, would I seek thy face; heal my wounded, broken spirit, save me by thy grace.
Verse 4: Thou the spring of all my comfort, more than life to me, Whom have I on earth beside thee? Whom in heaven but thee?
This psalm 17 has the same tone of voice that the song has in “Pass me not, O gentle Savior.”
Prayer is a wonderful gift from God for God’s people. We appreciate prayer greatly when we are going through some difficult times.
God is not the heavenly Father of everyone, He is God, the Father of his children.
PRAYER IS A GIFT FOR THE CHILDREN OF GOD.
How many times have you heard someone say, I pray but my prayers seen to bounce off the ceiling. And this is true for some folks. Their prayers never go any further than the ceiling.
There are REASONS why some prayers are NOT heard and answered.
WHY ARE THEY NOT ANSWERED?
(1) God's Word says in James 4:2 “…yet ye have not, because ye ask not.”
That is, before your prayer can be HEARD, it must first be PRAYED.
God’s word tells us to PRAY WITHOUT CEASING. God intend for all of us Christians to pray WITHOUT CEASING.
God said, “…YE HAVE NOT, BECAUSE YE ASK NOT.”
David had no problem in this area because he prayed continuously.
But there is another condition to prayer that must be met if our prayers are to be heard and answered.
WHY ARE THEY NOT HEARD?
(2) God's Word says, "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me."
A person has to deal with the sin in his/her life before his/her prayers can be HEARD AND ANSWERED.
The Word of God tells us in I John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
This verse of scripture is often quoted to sinners who are seeking salvation, but actually John is not addressing sinners, he is addressing the saints of God.
James confirms what the psalmist stated in James 5:16 that, "...The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."
David knew that the two primary CONDITIONS for prayer are:
1. Before a prayer can be HEARD, it must first be PRAYED.
2. Before a prayer can be ANSWERED, it must be prayed BY A RIGHTEOUS MAN.
If these two conditions are not met there is no need to waste your time praying. (Go watch Gunsmoke on television or do something because you are wasting your time as long as there is sin in your life).
David wanted his prayers to be HEARD AND ANSWERED!!!
Illus: These conditions are like playing baseball, when you hit the ball you run for first base, but if you do not tag first base there is no need to go any further.
David knew he met both of these CONDITIONS.
Look again at verse 1, we read, "Hear the right, O Lord, attend unto my cry, give ear unto my prayer..."
David wanted the Lord to EXAMINE THREE things in his life to see if he met God's conditions.
A. HIS DEEDS
Look at Psalm 17:3 “Thou hast proved mine heart; thou hast visited me in the night; thou hast tried me, and shalt find nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.”
Notice, David said, “Thou hast proved mine heart; thou hast visited me in the night; thou hast tried me, and shalt find nothing…”
Let me ask you something today. When God examines can you say, “He found nothing wrong in my life.”
David started his prayer wanting to be HEARD but he expands his prayer in verse 1 by saying, "Hear the right..."
In other words, David was being attacked, and he knew they were not justified in doing what they were doing.
He knew there was a RIGHT SIDE and a WRONG SIDE, and he knew he was on the RIGHT side, and God always hears the prayer of the RIGHT.
Why? Because He is a RIGHTEOUS GOD!
Illus: Suppose a man brutally kills someone, and suppose the evidence is overwhelming against the man, yet still, in his pride, he never does confess that he is guilty of committing this horrendous crime. However, suppose he is interviewed by a television reporter, who points out that based on the preponderance of the evidence his guilt is overwhelming.
What does he do?
He says, "I will pray and ask the Lord to help me."
Listen, he can forget about praying. God does not hear the prayer of the "WRONG"!
David knew, "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me."
But, David knew he was on the RIGHT SIDE.
He began his petition, "Hear the right, O Lord..." and he wanted God to consider HIS DEEDS.
People can not do wicked deeds and get their prayers heard.
Matthew 5:23-24, “Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.”
God’s Word tells us if we are going to come before Him and we remember that our brother has ought against us, leave our gift before the altar go and make things right and then come back and offer thy gift.
David talks to God about God’s examining him and his deeds.
Then David talked about...His deeds
But he also talked about
B. HIS TEARS
Also, in verse 1, he pleaded with God to look at, "...my cry..." (tears).
In this case, tears has everything to do with LOVE and CONCERN!
Illus: David had killed a man who was almost 10-feet tall (Goliath), but yet David was a man that could cry! (You certainly can not call a man that willingly faces a ten foot giant a sissy!)
This shows how sincere he was.
Illus: Remember the good old days when men and women came to the altars for salvation they would weep puddles of tears.
When you saw those tears it was a good sign of sincerity.
We have too many dry eyed conversions today and this may be a good sign they are not sincere!!!
Illus: We have men today who say, "I cannot remember the last time I shed a tear."
Well, I wouldn't brag too loudly, because that might indicate that you do not care enough about ANYTHING or ANYONE to shed tears.
Illus: A man who professed to be a Christian, stated that he could not cry. He had everyone convinced that he could not cry.
In fact:
• His brother drowned, and he did not shed one tear at the funeral.
• His sister died and he did not shed a tear.
• His mother died and he did not shed a tear.
• His father died and he did not shed a tear at his funeral.
But, later, his wife left him and he cried like a baby.
Don't ever let anyone convince you that someone cannot shed tears. If a person cares enough about SOMEONE or SOMETHING, he/she will cry.
You see the reason a lot of Christian’s never win anyone to Christ is because they do not care enough to shed tears on the behalf of sinners.
God’s Word in Psalms 126:6 says, “He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.”
God has promised us if we care enough about lost souls that we will shed tears on their behalf and we can win souls to the Lord.
Illus: Recently a grandchild was telling how her pet got killed and she said, "I cried!" Then she added, "And Papa cried too."
When someone loves SOMETHING or SOMEONE, and then something tragic happens to that SOMEONE, the tears will flow!
David wanted God to examine him and he talks about
A. HIS DEEDS
B. HIS TEARS
Then David talks about
C. HIS LIPS
In verse 1 he says, "...give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of unfeigned (Insincere) lips."
“Feigned lips” are lips that are not genuine or authentic.
Illus: Charles Spurgeon said—Sincerity is an indispensable factor in prayer. Lips of deceit are detestable to man but much more to God. In something so hallowed as prayer, hypocrisy even in the remotest degree is fatal as it is foolish.
That is some folks can pray some of the prettiest prayers you have ever heard.
But with those same lips before they prayed that beautiful prayer with their lips, all week they have used their lips for cursing, lying, and gossiping and now they think they can take the same lips and talk to the holy God of heaven.
David, in this Psalm, said his lips have not been used for the wrong purpose.
It is not good to see "deceitful lips" among God's people.
We can use our lips in the wrong way or we can use them in the right way.
We can fool people for a while, but we can never fool God. We are wasting our time when we think we can live a double life. (One in the church and one out of the church)
David knew that.
He told God what God already knew that his lips (were sincere) had not been used for any deceitful purpose.
DAVID ASKED THE LORD TO EXONERATE HIM!
David, in his trouble, WANTED TO BE HEARD.
Also...
II. HE WANTED TO BE HIDDEN
In the first part of this psalm, David was very emotional in his praying, but in the latter part of his prayer he seems to have regained his composure.
You can feel the confidence he had in God as you read verses 6-8. He says, "I have called upon thee, for thou wilt hear me, O God: incline thine ear unto me, and hear my speech. Show thy marvellous lovingkindness, O thou that savest by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them. Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings."
Notice, he said, "Keep me as the apple of the eye..."
What did David mean by this expression?
He meant this; there is no part of the body that is as tender and needs protection as much as the eye.
The all-wise Creator placed the eye in a protected position.
Illus: The bone structure of a person's face is so designed as to protect the eye. God placed eyelids so that, in a fraction of a second, they can close to protect the eye.
When David was talking about God's keeping him as "...the apple of the eye..." he was talking as he was being viciously attacked by his enemies; he wanted God to protect him.
Then David went on to ask God to, "...hide me under the shadow of thy wings."
Illus: David was referring to what a mother hen does with her baby chicks when danger threatens. The mother hen will gather her chicks together, spread her wings out, and protect them with her wings.
Notice, David wanted to be
I. HEARD,
II. HIDDEN,
and also...
III. HE WANTED TO BE HELPED
In verses 9-13, David vividly described to God the seriousness of his situation of having all these enemies seeking to destroy him.
David shows us two things, first...
A. HE WANTED TO BE SAVED
Look at verse 9, "From the wicked that oppress me, from my deadly enemies, who compass me about,”
Illus: One good illustration of this was in the old cowboy movies. If you have ever watched any of them, you know what David was talking about. Many times in those cowboy pictures you may have seen a group of pioneers heading out West, who were attacked by Indians, and they would pull the wagons around in a circle, and then the Indians would ride whooping and shooting around in a circle outside that circle of wagons. David felt like those pioneers must have felt.
Illus: A preacher and his wife were on vacation and they were going near a pastor friend’s church one Sunday. So they decided to worship with him and his congregation. The preaching service had just got started when they walked in and found a seat in the rear.
The preacher preached a good sermon but when he got through he announced he was resigning the church which was a shock to his congregation.
After the service he had a chance to talk to his pastor friend and told him he was sorry to hear that he was resigning his church.
The pastor friend was very discouraged. He and his pastor friend got together after the service and he told him that he felt so beaten up and hated he felt it was best that he and his family move to another church.
• They got into his car and as they were driving down town he said, “See that fellow over there on the street corner, he has done everything he can do to destroy my ministry.”
• He drove a little further and said, “See, that man over there he used to be a deacon in my church and he was my right hand man. But now he won’t even talk to me.
As they drove through town he pointed out several more people who had beaten up on him.
In other words he felt like David that he was surrounded by his enemies.
Illus: He felt like a drowning man and no one would throw him a life jacket!!!
He knew how David felt! HE WANTED TO BE SAVED!
He said, in verse 13, “Arise, O Lord, disappoint him, cast him down: deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword."
When David felt the pressure of their presence, he could not help but to cry out to the Lord:
• Rise up, Lord.
• Confront them, Jehovah.
• Bring them down, Savior.
• Rescue me, Redeemer.
Also...
B. HE WANTED TO BE SATISFIED
In verses 14-15 we read, "From men which are thy hand, O LORD, from men of the world, which have their portion in this life, and whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure: they are full of children, and leave the rest of their substance to their babes. As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness."
He prayed that God would save him, "...from men of the world..." who were rich in the things of the world.
In other words, he was telling God that all those men cared about were the things of the world. They did not care a thing about him.
Illus: We know that feeling today because politicians, to get our votes, they make us think they care about us, but as soon as they get into office they forget about us.
There are a lot of people on medication and spending large amounts of money on counseling and all they need to do is MEET GOD’S CONDITION OF PRAYER and they will find the truth to that song, “JUST A LITTLE TALK WITH JESUS MAKES IT RIGHT!!!”
But until they meet God’s conditions and put their trust in God they are wasting their time in their praying.
Conclusion: David wanted to...
I. BE HEARD
II. BE HIDDEN
III. BE HELPED
