Psalm 4
I. Background:
1)Ps. 4 may have been written soon after Ps. 3 during the same period of time when David had fled from his son Absalom.
·We do not know this for sure though. (The title of Psalm 3 tells us when it was written Ps. 4 does not.) We will take the stance that Ps. 4 was written near the same time of Ps. 3 due to the indications we will discuss throughout the message.
a. Some things that may lead us to make this
connection are:
·David’s distress seems consistent with his distress in Ps. 3
·Many as they read psalm 4 see in it tones that would be present in the voice of a father who is disciplining his rebellious son and his friends.
·David’s honor is being assailed as it was in Ps. 3 although the physical danger and personal doubts no longer seem as present.
(In Ps. 3 David is in shock due to an unexpected revolt – led by his son. He is in physical danger. Emotional confusion. He also must do self-searching to see if this was a justified revolt – as he has been accused of being out of God’s will)
We cannot be 100 % sure that it was written at this time but there are definitely similar emotions present.
2)Style of Psalm 4:
It is a combination of styles.
It is on the one hand a Psalm of personal lament (mourning) and on the other hand also a psalm of confidence.
This is important to remember as we read Ps. 4 so that it is not thought to be a Psalm of repentance.
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“It is not a Psalm of penitence, arising out of the recognition of sins committed; there are other psalms for that purpose rather a psalm which reflects the anguish of the innocent and oppressed, or of the righteous sufferer. And this it is a particularly important kind of psalm, for it addresses a fundamental human experience, the experience of injustice, suffering and oppression” P.C. Craigie
With the background in place lets read psalm 4
II.Read:
Psalm 4 For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm of David.
1 Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer. 2 How long, O men, will you turn my glory into shame? How long will you love delusions and seek false gods? Selah 3 Know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself; the LORD will hear when I call to him. 4 In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent. Selah 5 Offer right sacrifices and trust in the LORD. 6 Many are asking, "Who can show us any good?" Let the light of your face shine upon us, O LORD. 7 You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound. 8 I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.
III. Looking at the verses.
1)David appeals to God for help. (V.s. 1)
“1 Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer.”
David’s godliness is seen lived out and we see once again how he won the title “a man after God’s own heart.”
Most of us when falsely accused and our reputation is assaulted are quick to snap back at our accuser or we may spread a worse lie about someone else to take the attention off of ourselves.
David does neither – He turns to God.
This is a pattern in David’s life that made him great. When His life was threatened he turned to God. When he sinned he turned to God. When He failed he turned to God. When He was confused he turned to God. Here David is falsely accused and his reputation is in jeopardy – he turns to God!
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“God of my righteousness (V.s.1), deserves notice, since it is not used in any other part of Scripture. It means, Thou art the author, the witness, the maintainer, the judge, and the rewarder of my righteousness; to thee I appeal from the calumnies and harsh judgments of men. Herein is wisdom, let us imitate it and always take our suit, not to the petty courts of human opinion, but into the superior court, the King’s Bench of heaven” - Spurgeon
In the NT the Apostle Paul knew about great sufferings even as David did before him.
2 Cor 4:8-9 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.
Paul also had a capacity to turn to God in his distress and he became as great in the NT era as David was in the old.
There is a timeless principle at work here in this psalm that is greater than a filmy feud between a father and son.
*Distresses of all kinds come to every life (especially the godly) the key to victorious living that pleases God is not to escape trial but to turn to God who is the true mercy giver and holds the power to grant relief in our stress.
2)David instructs his enemies. (V.s.2-5)
“2 How long, O men, will you turn my glory into shame? How long will you love delusions and seek false gods? Selah 3 Know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself; the LORD will hear when I call to him. 4 In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent. Selah 5 Offer right sacrifices and trust in the LORD.”
The way David instructs his enemies in this passage is one of the signs that this distress may have occurred during his unexpected flight from Absalom. These may well have been instructions David wished to give to his disobedient son (however he never got the chance). They definitely offer good advice to us today.
1)Key points in David’s rebuke of his enemies.
A)“turn my glory into shame” (V.s 2)
- His son who turned the hearts of the people against him turned David’s glory to shame.
*There was no need for this – if Absalom would have simply been patient and heeded his fathers advice he would have been the heir to the throne. Instead he turned to slander and rebellion in an attempt to bring his own father down.
The result was: Family disunity, a lost throne, disillusioned innocent people caught in the struggle of choosing sides and even death.
There are still slandering lips, which speak against God’s anointed servants in our day.
·It may come from our actual family when friends and relatives become jealous of the blessing of the Lord in our lives. The result is unfortunately often a family feud which can never be won.
-if only family members would heed the advice that David may have well offered his own son here much pain could be avoided.
·It may come from our spiritual family (the church).
Many churches have been split as innocent people are caught in the turmoil of being forced to choose sides.
-The glory God once present in the church and the leadership is often turned to shame in such situations.
B)“How long will you love delusions” (V.s. 2)
Absalom loved deceiving the people, he himself was even under a delusion of thinking this plot against God’s anointed would succeed.
Once again we can see another application here to our own lives. Often people can be guilty of deceiving themselves into thinking that our evil plot will work.
Have we ever stopped to wonder why so many churches that have split without good reason are doomed to failure?
Because a few chose to deceive themselves and others in a rebellion against God’s chosen leadership – a fight that will not be won.
C)“In your anger do not sin” (V.s. 4)
– Absalom had a lot of unresolved anger. That is apparent in his plot against his own father. It was also apparent in another family incident when Absalom become very angry when his sister, Tamar was raped by his half-brother Ammon. When he felt his father failed to do anything about it, Absalom took matters in his own hands and had Ammon killed.
Even justified anger if not dealt with properly will in time lead to open rebellion and sin.
In the NT we are told in James 1:19-20
“19 My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. 21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.”
There is an obvious connection between the advice of James to NT Christians and the advice of David to his OT enemies.
"4 In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent. 5 Offer right sacrifices and trust in the LORD.”
–Unresolved anger will destroy you no matter who you are.
2)The power of godliness.
"3 Know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself; the LORD will hear when I call to him."
God is full of grace but one of the biggest keys when it comes to answered prayers is godliness.
Sin causes anguish. If David had harbored sin in his heart and yet prayed for God to remove his distress it could not happen without repentance first.
Because David’s heart at this time is clean. He is secure in his prayers and his prayer is answered in this case is speedily.
The very answer to his prayer is wrapped in godliness. V.s. 6-8 will show us David’s feelings of peace, joy, and security these are all feelings that only the godly can truly experience. These feelings are then contrasted against those of the wicked who find no relief from their distress because of there sinfulness which blocks their answer from God.
3)David contrasts his own joy, peace and safety with the distress of the ungodly at their best. (V.s. 6-8)
"6 Many are asking, "Who can show us any good?" Let the light of your face shine upon us, O LORD. 7 You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound. 8 I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety. "
It is not likely David ever got the opportunity to give the previous advice to his enemies – it is even less likely that they would have followed his advice if he had.
This psalm is an expression of David laying his anguish before the Lord, speaking his heart to the Lord concerning what his enemies should have done, and finally in these last verses affirming his trust in the Lord by remembering God’s goodness.
"6 Many are asking, "Who can show us any good?"
-Such is the lot of God’s enemies they have nowhere to turn for answers, nowhere to turn for relief.
-Not so David
6“Let the light of your face shine upon us, O LORD.”
In the light of God’s face David finds peace. He is likely remembering Aaron’s blessings, which was a commonly memorized passage by this time.
“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26
The Lord definitely did turn His face to David and granted him grace and peace.
7" You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound. 8 I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety"
David here remembers the former blessings of God and rests content.
-David is able to dwell in safety.
-sleep in peace
-and abound in the joy of the Lord!
***All in the midst of a trial on his reputation!
4)Closing:
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A doctor had to give a painful shot to a four-year-old girl. When she learned what the doctor was about to do, her face showed her anxiety and her body tensed. As the doctor picked up what looked to the little girl to be a needle large enough to kill an elephant, she turned her eyes to her father, who then took her hand and fixed his eyes on hers. An expression of confidence and calmness came on her face. She knew she was not alone and found comfort, not in her father’s spoken answer, but in his presence with her in her time of trial.
So it was with David in Psalm 4 who once again (as he did so many times in his life) turned his eyes to God and found comfort in the loving presence of his Father.
-So shall we
-So shall we
Psalm 4
I. Background:
1) Psalm 4 may have been written soon after Ps. 3 during the same period of time when David had fled from his son Absalom.
2) Style of Psalm 4:
It is a combination of styles. It is on the one hand a Psalm of personal lament (mourning) and on the other hand also a psalm of confidence.
This is important to remember as we read Ps. 4 so that it is not thought to be a Psalm of repentance.
II. Read Psalm 4
III. Looking at the verses:
1) David appeals to God for help. (V.s. 1)
2) David instructs his enemies. (V.s.2-5)
3) David contrasts his own joy, peace and safety with the distress of the ungodly at their best. (V.s. 6-8)
