Psalm 57:1-11, Joel 2:12-17, James 4:1-10, Matthew 6:16-21.
A). FROM PRAYER TO PRAISE.
Psalm 57:1-11.
This is a beautifully crafted Psalm which, according to the title, was written by David ‘when he fled from Saul in the cave.’ The Psalm has two sections: first a prayer (PSALM 57:1-6); then second, praise (PSALM 57:7-11). Each section opens with a repeated phrase: “Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me” (PSALM 57:1a); and “My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed” (PSALM 57:7a). There is also a refrain: (PSALM 57:5; PSALM 57:11).
1. The Prayer (Psalm 57:1-6).
PSALM 57:1. The Psalmist’s prayer opens with confidence. Unlike the Pharisee, ‘who prayed thus with himself’ (cf. Luke 18:11), he is more akin to the publican, who confessed ‘God be merciful to me THE sinner’ (cf. Luke 18:13). Although the petitions of both the Psalmist and the publican are about themselves, it is the God who is able to “be merciful” who appears centre stage.
Why should God be merciful? Well, because the Psalmist is entirely depending upon God: “my soul trusteth in thee” (PSALM 57:1); “my soul is among lions” (PSALM 57:4); “my soul is bowed down” (PSALM 57:6); but “my heart is fixed (upon thee)” (PSALM 57:7).
In the meantime, what is the Psalmist to do? The believer in distress flies to “the shadow of (God’s) wings,” and there he “makes his refuge” (PSALM 57:1). We put our trust in ‘the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ’ (cf. Ephesians 1:3), in whom alone ‘we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need’ (cf. Hebrews 4:16).
The first mention of his actual distress comes with the assurance that, as we say, ‘this too will pass.’ Thus we read the “until” clause: “until these calamities (this danger of destruction) be over-past” (PSALM 57:1).
PSALM 57:2. In the depths of his despair, the Psalmist reaches upward to “God most high.” Why so? Because the experience of the believer is that it was, and is, and always will be “God that performeth all things for me.” ‘Hitherto hath the LORD helped us’ (cf. 1 Samuel 7:12). ‘For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure’ (cf. Philippians 2:13).
PSALM 57:3. The Psalmist prays expecting an answer. The Psalmist’s assurance is, first, “He shall send from heaven, and save me.” Send from where? “From heaven:” all the resources of which are available to the believer. Save him from what? “From him that would swallow me up.” Save me from the world, the flesh, and the devil! “Selah.” Stop and listen.
Then second, “God shall send forth His mercy and truth.” His mercy to save me, and His truth to confound the enemy of my soul. God’s mercy is seen supremely in the cross of Jesus – who is ‘the way, the TRUTH, and the life’ (cf. John 14:6).
PSALM 57:4. Even in the security of God’s protection, the metaphors of this verse demonstrate that there is still a sense of the very real danger which surrounds the Psalmist.
PSALM 57:5. So he reaches higher in the first occurrence of the refrain: “Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth.” It is ‘out of the depths’ (cf. Psalm 130:1) that we make our cry to “God most high” (cf. PSALM 57:2). Whatever is going on, it is all ultimately for God’s glory and our good (cf. Romans 8:28).
PSALM 57:6. Then he ends his complaint with a prophecy of the doom of those who have laid his soul low: that they will themselves fall into “the pit which they have digged” for him. “Selah” offers another opportunity to pause and reflect.
2. Praise (Psalm 57:7-11).
The switch from prayer to praise has been anticipated in earlier verses. It is to “God most high” that the Psalmist has been making his cry (cf. PSALM 57:2). And he desires that God should be “exalted” and that His “glory” should be known (cf. PSALM 57:5).
PSALM 57:7. But now, having made his final complaint (cf. PSALM 57:6), the Psalmist “fixes his heart” on singing and giving praise. The believer’s “heart” – his mind, his will, his affections - is “fixed,” anchored (cf. Hebrews 6:18-19), ‘stayed’ (cf. Isaiah 26:3) upon Jesus, secure in His salvation. A thankful heart will always find an outlet in speaking and singing of the mercies of God.
PSALM 57:8. The believer needs to bestir himself into wakeful praise. Deborah thus stirred herself up to ‘utter a song’ (cf. Judges 5:12). The Psalmist personifies his "psaltery" and "harp," as if he needed to shake them, too, into wakefulness. And his determination is, “I myself WILL awake early.” It is indeed good thus to awaken the dawn with the praise of God.
PSALM 57:9. But praise does not only belong in the closet, but also in the congregation. And not only in the congregation, but among the peoples of the earth (cf. Romans 15:9). Public profession of the faith is a duty incumbent upon all Christians.
PSALM 57:10. As we draw towards the end of today’s Psalm, we see that God has already “sent forth His mercy and truth” (cf. PSALM 57:3b; John 1:14).
The 'greatness' of His mercy is measured against the 'height' of heaven (cf. Psalm 103:11). Both are infinite.
As we noticed before, Jesus is the TRUTH (cf. PSALM 57:3b; John 14:6). As the truth, He ‘sprang out of the earth,’ and is even now ‘looking down from heaven’ (cf. Psalm 85:11).
PSALM 57:11. Thus the refrain, on its second appearance, may also refer to the ascended Lord Jesus.
B). A CALL TO WHOLEHEARTED REPENTANCE.
Joel 2:12-17.
An old elder once said to me that his only regret was 'the years that the locust has eaten' (Joel 2:25). However, there is no point in bemoaning what may have been, but rather our eyes should be on the here and now, and in the prospects beyond. In Christ Jesus our wasted years are restored; and our failures, even as Christians, are forgiven.
The locusts, and their like, had eaten away many years of Israel’s history (Joel 1:4), with devastating results. Not only was the land wasted for the farmers and winemakers, but also the offerings of the LORD were cut off (Joel 1:9-12). Joy was ‘withered away from the sons of men’ (Joel 1:12)!
Joel’s reaction to all this was to speak into the ear of government and church leadership, calling for a national fast and a public day of prayer and humiliation before the LORD (Joel 1:14; Joel 2:15).
Some of Joel's language seems to suggest another event: that of an army invading from the north. But whether the threat is from nature or man, the LORD Himself called for nothing less than a wholehearted return to Himself. The reaction should be the same: national repentance, rending of hearts, fasting, weeping, and mourning (Joel 2:12-14).
Part of this repentance is not to question that we deserve the wrath of God against us, but to acknowledge it, and to take the stance of the king of Nineveh in Jonah's day, and of Joel here: Who knows but that He might turn from the intended destruction with which He so vividly threatens us (Joel 2:14)?
The ministers of the LORD were enjoined to join Joel in this initiative by weeping and saying, “Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: why should they say among the people, ‘Where is their God?’” (Joel 2:17).
The turning point comes just one verse later: ‘Then will the LORD be jealous for his land, and pity His people’ (Joel 2:18). This is what will happen when they humble themselves and fast and weep and mourn, and cry to the LORD. Not moaning that they do not deserve this judgment, but acknowledging His justice, and appealing to His mercy.
Then the years that the locusts have eaten away are restored (Joel 2:25), the vats are full, rejoicing is restored, the rains come in their due season, there is plenty - and the people who worship the LORD are vindicated along with His great name. Even the groaning of creation (Romans 8:22) is abated.
We cannot change the past: but in Christ, God restores to us what would have been had we not allowed sin an entrance.
C). THE GRACE OF SUBMISSION.
James 4:1-10.
James has been contrasting the ‘earthly, sensual, devilish’ wisdom that engenders ‘envying and strife’ (cf. James 3:14-16) with the ‘peaceable’ wisdom of God (cf. James 3:17-18).
JAMES 4:1. With a startling suddenness, James asks, “From whence come wars and fighting AMONG YOU?” James is writing to Christian brethren, and traces the root cause back to “the war within our members” (cf. Galatians 5:17; Romans 7:15-20). The harshness of the language makes us sit up.
JAMES 4:2. Jesus said that ‘to be angry with our brother without a cause’ amounts to a breach of the commandment against murder (cf. Matthew 5:21-22). We may not be literally “killing” one another, but there is such a thing as ‘character assassination.’ Then there is the problem of prayerlessness.
JAMES 4:3. And yet, even when ye do “ask,” says James, “ye receive not.” Why might this be, when Jesus has said, ‘Every one that asketh receiveth’ (cf. Matthew 7:8)? It is because “ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts” (cf. Luke 12:19).
JAMES 4:4. This is spiritual adultery – a theme that resonates throughout the Bible. There should be a clear line of demarcation between the Christian and the world: James goes so far as to say that whoever “will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” The world will love its own, but hates the Christian (cf. John 15:19). ‘Ye cannot serve God and mammon’ (cf. Matthew 6:24).
JAMES 4:5. The Greek reads, “Or think ye that in vain the scripture speaks?” No direct quotation of scripture follows, but rather, “with envy does long the Spirit which took up abode in us.” My interpretation of this difficult verse is, ‘Do you think that the Scripture speaks in this vain way: that it is the Spirit that took up abode in us (the Holy Spirit) who lusts to envy?’ Our God is a ‘jealous’ God (cf. Exodus 34:14), and our flirtations with the world are no doubt incompatible with the indwelling Holy Spirit (cf. Ephesians 4:30).
JAMES 4:6. “But He giveth more grace.” There is no end of sufficiency in God: there is ‘grace upon grace’ (cf. John 1:16). “Wherefore He saith, God resists the proud but giveth grace unto the humble” (cf. Proverbs 3:34; 1 Peter 5:5).
JAMES 4:7. Those who “submit” themselves to God, are also called upon to actively “resist” the devil. There is a very real devil to be resisted, and we are to man the defences, “and he shall flee from you.”
JAMES 4:8. “Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to thee.” We do this in our private devotions, and in fellowship with like-minded believers. We also have a duty to cleanse our outer man, and to purify our hearts before God.
JAMES 4:9. There are times when we must mourn for our sins, and repent of them (cf. 2 Corinthians 7:10). Coming into His presence highlights what wretched creatures we are outside of Him.
JAMES 4:10. “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up” (cf. Isaiah 57:15; Matthew 23:12; 1 Peter 5:6).
D). WHEN YE FAST.
Matthew 6:16-21.
True Christianity is not the dour, miserable affair which some of its play-actors portray (Matthew 6:16). So when we fast, we must wash-and-brush up in our usual manner (Matthew 6:17). The approval of God is far more to be desired than the applause of men (Matthew 6:18).
When we go about our pious duty without drawing attention to ourselves, we are laying up treasure in heaven (Matthew 6:20). The God who reads our hearts and motives better than we can read them ourselves (Matthew 6:21) will make an open show of His approval at the final curtain (Matthew 25:34-40). What greater plaudit can we possibly require?
