Psalm 57:1-10, Genesis 45:3-10, 1 Peter 2:11-17, John 16:16-22.
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 PLACE PREPARED.
Genesis 45:3-10.
Joseph went from his father’s favour, to the pit, and into slavery. In Potiphar’s house, he went from his master’s favour to false accusation to prison. In prison, Joseph went from the warder’s favour, to the forgetfulness of his surviving former cell-mate: but at last the LORD intervened, and Joseph was raised from prison to the position of Prime Minister of the land!
In the passage before us, we see Joseph’s brethren on their second visit to Egypt. They were totally unaware that the powerful man who had been toying with them, seemingly seeking occasion against them, was their despised brother of so long ago. Neither were they aware that he understood every word they were saying.
For Joseph, it finally became too much. “I am Joseph!” he declared. And, following that revelation, the first item on the agenda: “Does my father still live?” (Genesis 45:3). To which the reply was gobsmacked silence!
The powerful man in Egyptian regalia again spoke to his brothers: “Please come near to me” (which they did). “I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt” (Genesis 45:4).
Was Joseph now beginning to accuse them, after all these years? No, he encouraged them not to be angry with themselves, and three times informed them that “God sent me” here “to preserve life” (Genesis 45:5); “to preserve a posterity for you… and to save your lives by a great deliverance” (Genesis 45:7); it was “not you sent me here, but God” (Genesis 45:8).
Joseph sent word to his father, speaking of all his glory in Egypt, and providing for all his father’s posterity in the best part of the land (Genesis 45:9-10). In like manner Jesus said, ‘I go to prepare a place for you… that where I am there you may be also’ (John 14:2-3).
C). LIVING BEFORE GOD IN THE WORLD.
1 Peter 2:11-17.
Peter addresses his readers as “Beloved,” and encourages us “as strangers and pilgrims” to “abstain from fleshly lusts (or desires) which war against the soul” (1 PETER 2:11). The Apostle implores us to keep our conduct “honest” amongst the non-believers, even when they speak evil of us. Who knows when this might occasion conversion amongst the Gentiles, so that they might give good account when they come face to face with Christ (1 PETER 2:12; cf. 1 Peter 3:1-2)?
Reading from the Greek, 1 PETER 2:13-14 says, “Be in subjection therefore to every human institution for the sake of the Lord; whether to the king as supreme, or to governors as by him sent for vengeance (upon) evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.”
Attention to this duty is “the will of God” (1 PETER 2:15), and a way to silence the nay-sayers who might accuse Peter’s readers of being somehow unpatriotic (cf. Acts 17:7). We are reminded of Paul’s saying, that ‘the powers that be’ are ‘ordained of God’ (cf. Romans 13:1). It is interesting to notice here that both Peter and Paul (cf. Romans 13:3-4) upheld the very Roman justice system that would eventually be responsible for both their deaths.
Jesus said, ‘If the Son shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed’ (cf. John 8:36). But Peter warns us that we must not use our freedom as an excuse for wickedness (1 PETER 2:16). Rather, we are to remember in all our service – in state as well as in church - that we are “the servants of God.”
As Paul puts it, ‘ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but for conscience sake’ (cf. Romans 13:5). This reflects our attitude to sin: we hesitate to sin in this or any other matter, for example, out of fear of the consequences. But as Christians we also have an awakened conscience: we know in ourselves what we should and should not do.
In 1 PETER 2:17, Peter names four rules by which we should “with well doing put to silence the ignorance of foolish men” (cf. 1 PETER 2:15). The first is “to “show honour to all.” This is to show respect to everyone, whoever and whatever they may be. After all, we are all the handiwork of God.
The second is “to love the brotherhood” (cf. 1 Peter 1:22; Romans 12:10; Hebrews 13:1; 1 John 3:14).
At the end of 1 PETER 2:17, Peter puts the same two things together as does the Apostle Paul: “Fear God. Honour the king.” In Romans 13:7 Paul speaks of rendering ‘fear to whom fear’ is due, and ‘honour to whom honour.’
Jesus taught that the One to whom ‘fear’ is due is not man, but God (cf. Luke 12:4-5). “Fear God,” says 1 PETER 2:17.
Paul’s ‘Honour to whom honour’ refers to those who hold power. Supremely, according to Peter, this would be to “Honour the king” (1 PETER 2:17); but also “those sent by him” (1 PETER 2:13-14). We should respect their authority, keep the law, and pay our taxes.
D). SORROW WILL TURN TO JOY.
John 16:16-22.
JOHN 16:16a. The sense of John 16:16 seems to be “A little while and ye do not behold Me…” This refers to the fact that within hours Jesus would be arrested, tried, crucified, and buried.
JOHN 16:16b. “again a little while, and ye shall see me” brings us to His resurrection, three days later.
JOHN 16:16c. “because I go to the Father” points forward to the ascension of Jesus. For forty days between His resurrection and ascension, Jesus conversed with His disciples. Then they would have assurance that He was well, and that He was going to His Father’s house to prepare a place for them.
Thus in this one verse Jesus taught that He must die, that He must rise again, and that He will ascend to the Father.
Taking a wider view of the same verse, we might observe that the ascension took away once more the physical presence of Jesus. We do not “see” Him now with our physical eyes, but we do “behold” Him with the eyes of faith. We have the spiritual presence of Jesus ever abiding with us (cf. Matthew 28:20).
This is the age of the Spirit, the age of the Church, in which we are awaiting His physical return to gather His own to Himself. ‘And so shall we be ever with the Lord’ (cf. 1 Thessalonians 4:17).
JOHN 16:17-19. We can be sure that, in all our discussions between ourselves, that Jesus is listening in. Thus He knew the perplexity of His disciples at His reference to “a little while” and His “going to the Father.” The same questions are being asked today, as we await His return: when is He coming back? How soon will be His soon-coming?
JOHN 16:20-22. Such inquiries as to times and seasons our Lord does not address. Rather He talks of our sorrow, and the joy that shall replace it when He shall see us again. “Your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you” (John 16:22).
