How Say Ye to my Soul, Flee as a Bird
Chaplain David Tack: JNRC Psalms 11:1-4
Psalm 11:1- In the LORD put I my trust: how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain?
TEMPTATION TO FLEE: A lot of speculation can be made of the phrase found in Psalm 11:1, “a bird fleeing to the mountains”; I believe David is referring to fleeing to higher ground as opposed to trusting God.
This reminds me of the old spiritual “Where Could I Go but To the Lord.” SONG 1: Where Could I Go
but to the Lord (The Harmonizing Four) [2:27]
1. This morning, as we approach Easter, I would like to focus on our Lord Jesus Christ as he, like David, is experiencing much agony while facing a very destructive and lonely path known to be The Passion of Christ. (ultimately, experiencing God’s full wrath for the sin of humanity). Jesus, as did David, chose to trust God, rather than fleeing [if it were even possible].
WHAT IS THE PASSION [suffering or enduring] OF JESUS CHRIST:
I. WE WILL START IN THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE (HERE WE HAVE A PICTURE OF CHRIST’S EXCRUCIATING
AGONY).
• Luke :40-46- And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation. (41) And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, (42) Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. (43) And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. (44) And being in an agony [ag?n means place of assembly, then place of contest, then conflict] he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. (45) And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow, (46) And said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. PRESENT DAY APPLICATIONS. How are you handling your Gethsemane?
1. Jesus is under extreme stress and agony; Yet he chooses to stay put, suffer the consequences and
be obedient to God’s design for the circumstance (As did David in Psalm 11:1). How about you today?
2. Jesus understood his mission and that saving him from such a mission would have catastrophic circumstances. Do you know your mission today?
SONG 2- Go to Dark Gethsemane by Indelible Grace Music (4.24)
II. LET US RETURN TO PSALM 11 FOR A MOMENT AND LOOK AT SATAN’S BENDED BOW: THE ARROW OF FALLEN HUMANITY
• Psalm 11:2: For, lo, the wicked bend [to prepare or put in order for use] their bow, they make
ready their arrow upon the string, that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart.
o David had admirers and many enemies; Jesus likewise had many of both; but the common denominator
for both was the influence that Satan had/has upon humanity.
LET US NOW RETURN TO THE DRAMA AS IT UNFOLDS… LETS LOOK AT SATANS BENDED BOW AFTER THE GESTHEMANE ENCOUNTER
• Just where do the ROMANS and JEWS fit into the setting of the crucifixion puzzle…. As aforementioned they were but arrows, placed upon the bended bow of Satan and his forces.
LET’S LOOK AT SOME OF SATANS TACTICAL ARROWS
1. FIRST, WE HAVE SATAN’S ARROW OF BONDAGE … Jesus is taken captive (Matthew 26:47-56; Mark 14:43-52; Luke 22:47-53).
• Let’s look at Luke’s account: Luke 22:47-52: (47) And while he yet spake, behold a multitude, and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew near unto Jesus to kiss him. (48) But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss? (49) When they which were about him saw what would follow, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword? (50) And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear. (51) And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him. (52) Then Jesus said unto the chief priests, and captains of the temple, and the elders, which were come to him, Be ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and staves? • Note, that when the dust settles, our Lord would have to endure six different “trials” before He was condemned to be crucified! Three before the Jews and three before the Roman authorities (Annas [former high priest], Caiaphas [Annas’ son-in law and official High Priest], Sanhedrin, Pilate, Herod Antipas, Pilate)
2. SECOND, WE HAVE SATAN’S ARROW OF A STACKED DECK (The arrow of false witness).
• Mark 14: 55-57: And the chief priests and all the council sought for witness against Jesus to put him to death; and found none. (56) For many bare false witness against him, but their witness agreed not together. (57) And there arose certain, and bare false witness against him, saying…. o A bogus trial for many reasons… (1) It was on a feast day; (2) It was held at night; (3) It was held at the high priest’s home; (4) It lacked the required period of time to lapse for death penalty case; (4) Their testimony of the witnesses did not agree; (5) Not all Sanhedrin were present… Folks, we have a “stacked deck” trial here!
3) THIRD, WE HAVE SATANS ARROW OF PETER’S DENIAL (Luke 22: 54- 60) (The ARROW of a friend’s Denial and Forsakenness)
1. Peter denied Christ (3) times before the cock crowed as Jesus had predicted (Luke 22:31-34)
SONG 3: Peter’s Denial by Andrew Lloyd Webber… [1.30]
APPLICATION:
• We like Peter are guilty as charged daily.
o We fail Christ as did Peter… Here we have a beautiful picture of the need of an atoning and the
need for Jesus’ redemptive act on the cross of Calvary.
4) FOURTH, SATANS ARROW OF JESUS DELIVERY TO THE ROMANS (The
ARROW of false accusations)
• Delivered to Pilate- (Matthew 27:1-2; Mark 15:1; Luke 23:1)
o The Roman governor of Judea from about A.D. 26 to 37, Pontius Pilate presided over the trial of
Jesus and ordered his execution (Who’s Who in the Bible, 358).
• Tried before Pilate- (Mark 27:11-14; Mark 12:2-5; Luke 23:2-5)
• Delivered to Herod- (Luke 23:6-16); Herod the Great had multiple marriages and multiple wives.
Upon his death he subdivided his kingdom to four of his sons: [King of Judea to Herod Archelaus;
Tetrarch of territories of
Galilee and Perea to Herod Antipas; Tetrarch to gentile areas North and West of the Sea of Galilee
to Herod Phillip; coastal areas around Jammia and Azotus and inland cities of Phasaelis to Salome
[Herod’s ambitious sister]
o It is Herod Antipas (Tetrarch of Galilee and Perea) in which Christ was sent to….
APPLICATION (Keeping in mind that it is Satan who is your enemy; he walks about, seeking whom he
may devour and will use any arrow he can to thwart your mission)
• Chuck Swindoll challenges you and I: “Learn your lessons well in the schoolroom of obscurity.
God is preparing you as his chosen arrow. As yet your shaft is hidden in his quiver, in the shadows . . . but at the precise moment at which it will tell with the greatest effect, he will reach for you and launch you to that place of his appointment” (Swindoll, Charles R. Timothy Report, CQ Daily Archives: September 2000 (#5).
LASTLY, LETS TURN BACK IN TIME TO DAVID’S PSALMS 11:3
Psalm 11:3- If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?
SATAN’S DIVERSIONARY WARFARE (A DISTORTED PICTURE OF VICTORY)
AN UGLY SETTING HAS DEVELOPED BACK IN JERUSALEM.
• The disciples Foundation in Christ is crumbling right before their eyes… what are the disciple to do?
FIRST, JESUS is sentenced to death (Matthew 27:15-26; Mark 15:6-15; Luke 23:17-25) [Satan attempted
to replace the FOUNDATION of Belief with Unbelief]
• THE Roman soldiers are spitting, beating and mocking Christ (Matthew 27:27-31; Mark 15: 16-20;
[They replaced the FOUNDATION of Dignity with Humiliation]
• Matthew 27:27-31- Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and
gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers. (28) And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet
robe. (29) And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in
his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!
(30) And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head. (31) And after that they
had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to
crucify him.
2. SECOND, JESUS IS CRUCIFIED. Satan’s arrow of deception [Matthew 27:33- 44; Mark 15:22-32; Luke
23: 33-43]. Here, Satan attempted to replace the foundation of Life with Death.
SONG 4: Crucify Him by Charlie Daniels [1.56]. SONG 5: Via Dolorosa by Sandi Patty [4:36].
• The Death on the cross (Matthew 27:45-56; Mark 15:33-41; Luke 23:44-49) [Satan tried to replace
the FOUNDATION of HOPE with HOPELESSNESS]
o James, Fausset and Brown commenting on Psalms 22: 15-16, referring to Gethsemane Account: “Utter
exhaustion and hopeless weakness, in these circumstances of pressing danger, are set forth by the
most expressive figures; the solidity of the body is destroyed, and it becomes like water; the
bones are parted; the heart, the very seat of vitality, melts like wax; all the juices of the
system are dried up; the tongue can no longer perform its office, but lies parched and stiffened.”
(Jamieson, Robert. A.R Fausset and David Brown Book of Psalms 22:14-15. n.d. e-Sword, Version).
3. THIRD, JESUS IS BURIED (Matthew 27:57-61; Mark 15:42-47; Luke 23:50-
56) [Satan attempted to replace the FOUNDATION of being with non-being] VIDEO 6: The Empty Tomb
[2:40]
BACK TO DAVID’S PSALM FOR A MOMENT
• Psalm 11:4: The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD's throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his
eyelids try, the children of men.
• THE GOOD NEWS… GOD’S HAD A DESIGNED REMEDY FOR THIS
HORRIFFIC SCENE (A PICTURE OF TRIUMPH). Notice where his throne is! In Heaven!!
o JESUS resurrects from the dead: WHY, He is God! BECAUSE: The LORD is in his holy temple, the
LORD's throne is in heaven
o There is now an empty tomb (Matthew 28:1-10; Mark 16: 1-8; Luke 24: 1-12) … WHY? BECAUSE [The
LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD's throne is in heaven]
o We have eyewitness accounts of a risen Lord…. WHY? BECAUSE [The LORD is in his holy temple, the
LORD's throne is in heaven
? Road to Emmaus ) [his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men].
? The disciples (Luke 24:36-49) [his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of
men].
• SONG 7: I’ll Rise Again by Dallas Holm [4:25].
CONC:
“Satan appeared to win the battle at the Cross, but after three days passed, the LORD's resurrection changed everything. Jesus' triumph over death left Satan powerless to make death the final word for Jesus or for us. The Evil One's most strategic plan to bring damnation on us all left the old snake with a crushed head at the doorway of Jesus' empty tomb" Phil Ware. Heartlight.org.
SONG 8: Easter Song by Keith Green [3.57]
BIBLIOGRAPHY
• Jamieson, Robert. A.R Fausset and David Brown. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Commentary; Book of
Psalms 22:14-15. n.d. e-Sword, Version 9.5.1. Copyright
© 2000-2009. Rick Meyers.
• Swindoll, Charles R. Timothy Report, CQ Daily Archives: September 2000 (#5).
http://timothyreport.homestead.com/September2000.html. Accessed
October 12, 2014.
• Ware, Phil. Heartlight.org. March 15, 2024. Genesis 3:15.
SONGS/VIDEOS
SONG 1: Where Could I Go but to the Lord (The Harmonizing Four) [2:27]. SONG 2- Go to Dark
Gethsemane by Indelible Grace Music [4.24].
SONG 3: Peter’s Denial by Andrew Lloyd Webber… [1.30]. SONG 4: Crucify Him by Charlie Daniels
[1.56].
SONG 5: Via Dolorosa by Sandi Patty [4:36]. VIDEO 6: The Empty Tomb [2:40].
SONG 7: I’ll Rise Again by Dallas Holm [4:25]. SONG 8: Easter Song by Keith Green [3.57].
TOTAL TIME: 24.35
