December 11, 2005 Psalm 71
What do you think about your future? Maybe you’re one of those people who’s done an overall road map of your life. Maybe in ten years you want to retire, or have your house paid off, or have enough money saved up to buy a car, or get married and have children. I’ve got news for you - especially you younger folk. It’s not gonna happen the way you planned. It almost never does. Ask any older person, and they’ll tell you the same. It doesn’t mean you can’t dream or plan. But don’t expect it to go the way you plan, because it usually doesn’t.
So how do we respond? The more we live with these disappointment and the more we experience what we consider “real life”, the more pessimistic we become. It isn’t uncommon to see elderly people especially become angry and grumpy as they realize that their lives are nearing the end and they haven’t gotten to do half of what they wanted to. Along with that, they have to face the scorn and disrespect of people three times younger than they, just because they don’t move as fast or think as quickly on their feet as they used to. They come to realize they’re on their way down, and there isn’t anything they can do about it.
Psalm 71 seems to be written by someone who is well beyond the years of his youth and is facing those older years. He talks to God about when he is “old and grey.” Old age is setting in on him. For those of you who can’t remember where you put your glasses, who can’t roll over in bed without a huge strain, who can’t sit down in a rocking chair without falling asleep, this Psalm is for you. It’s most likely written by David in the later years of his life. He’s facing danger and disaster. He’s getting old. Yet, instead of going through a mid-life crisis or writing a pessimistic and disheartened letter to the Lord because of his disappointments, he expresses and ongoing hope and optimism. What is it that gives David hope in old age? We’ll look at that as we hear -
A Middle Aged Reason for Hope
I. Pray with hope as you face the older years
Little Orphan Annie once sang, “it’s a hard knock life.” She was abandoned to an orphanage and had to scrap for her food throughout her childhood. Yet she was only about seven or eight years old, so in reality, who was she to sing? She didn’t know the half of it. David did. If anyone could have sang this song, he could have. The story of David is really quite fascinating when you read about it. It certainly won’t put you to sleep. He grew up as a shepherd boy - having to fend off bears and lions from a bunch of sheep in his younger teenage years. He wasn’t out chasing women and playing basketball. He was spending cold nights out on his own and risking his life to take care of a bunch of sheep.
Things got better for him when he went and fought a huge Philistine enemy soldier named Goliath and toppled him with the throw of one stone. He went on to become a great warrior and fighter for King Saul’s army. Nathan even anointed him to be the next king of Israel. Yet just when you would think he was in the prime of his life, in the midst of all this success David went through all kinds of hard knocks. The Israelites made a song up about David, that he killed tens of thousands, while Saul only killed thousands. That really irritated king Saul, so much to the point that he constantly was trying to kill David. Even though David had been anointed to be the next king and he was loyal to Saul, he had to spend a majority of his early years of “kingship” on the run from King Saul.
Not too long after Saul died David ended up with a reunited kingdom of Israel. Things were again going great. It was then that he committed a terrible sin - by committing adultery with Bathsheba and having her husband Uriah murdered. Nathan said to David, 2 Samuel 12:10 Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’ The sword didn’t depart from his house. Soon afterward his infant son died. One of his daughters was raped by her half brother - David’s son - Amnon. This enraged David’s son Absalom, who had Amnon put to death. Then Absalom was banished for the kingdom for quite some time. When Absalom was finally allowed back, he ended up trying to usurp David’s kingdom. Absalom was really a handsome kid and David loved him dearly. But when he was riding through the forest hunting after his father David, his hair got stuck in a tree, so David’s general stabbed Absalom to death while he was hanging there from the tree. It broke David’s heart. This is just a microcosm of the problems that David faced in his life. Rape, murder, high treason - it was an all in the family affair for King David. Little orphan Annie doesn’t hold a candle to his life. If this Psalm is indeed written by David he wrote, “you have made me see troubles, many and bitter.”
As David got older, he then found his military power slipping away. Several times he had run ins with General Joab and his brothers, but he was not powerful enough to do anything with them. By the end of his life, Scriptures show that David was bed ridden and his circulation was so bad that he just couldn’t keep warm. He needed someone to lay with him and at least keep him somewhat comfortable. In Psalm 71 David seemed to foresee this day that he couldn’t defend himself - when his enemies would come to exploit his weaknesses. He wrote his prayers,
“Rescue me and deliver me in your righteousness; turn your ear to me and save me. Be my rock of refuge, to which I can always go; give the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress. Deliver me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of evil and cruel men. . . . Do not cast me away when I am old; do not forsake me when my strength is gone. For my enemies speak against me; those who wait to kill me conspire together. They say, “God has forsaken him; pursue him and seize him, for no one will rescue him.” Be not far from me, O God; come quickly, O my God, to help me. May my accusers perish in shame; may those who want to harm me be covered with scorn and disgrace.”
Unfortunately, what David thought would happen, (if he in fact wrote this Psalm), did happen. When David was really old and bedridden, another son attempted a coup de tat. His name was Adonijah. David had planned to hand his kingdom over to Solomon. However, seeing his father’s weakness, Adonijah conferred with Joab and a priest to try and claim himself to be king. Bathsheba’s and Solomon’s lives were in danger, and David’s probably was as well. So David realized that there was only one person who could help him in his old age, and that was God.
David isn’t the only person to pray for help when he’s being helplessly attacked. I would imagine there are tons of elderly people who have been neglected by family and nursing homes - who have suddenly turned to God for refuge because there was no where else to turn. That’s ok. Jesus said in Matthew 11:28, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” He encourages us to call on him - especially when we are weary and burdened.
The difference with this Psalm however, shows that his prayer was not just a last minute or last ditch thing. He wrote, “For you have been my hope, O Sovereign LORD, my confidence since my youth. From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother’s womb.” Faith for the Psalmist was a life long thing - ever since birth even. That’s how God wants us to call on Him - all of our lives - in good times and in bad. Some of you may know someone who only calls when they need something. They never call to just say “hi” or to hang out. When you receive those kinds of phone calls, you feel like you’re being used and even may respond rather shortly with such people because of their attitudes toward you. Do you treat God that way? Do you tend to pray for something only after all of your resources have run out - and you’re old and grey? God wants you to pray to Him. But if you don’t just talk to God and listen to God for the fun of it - just to grow - not just when you have to - isn’t that using God to a point? That’s not what God had in mind when He said, “love the Lord your God with ALL your heart, ALL your strength, and all your mind.” Instead of coming to him in hope, you’ll be more apt to be in despair.
II. Live with hope as you reflect on your years
Even though David had a serious lapse in judgment when he committed adultery and murder, he had a lifetime of relying on God to draw back on. In this Psalm he referred to God as his rock, his refuge, his fortress, his righteousness and his redeemer. He had seen God deliver him from bears and lions. He had witnessed God protect him from the attacks of King Saul. After having to run from his own palace from his own son, he still lived to talk about it. He even lived through adultery and murder without being put to death by the LORD. He knew what it was like to be forgiven. His whole life he had experienced the righteousness and continuing faithfulness of God who had come to his rescue. So as he faced the prospect of his final years of life, he then had confidence for the future and hope. He wrote,
as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more. My mouth will tell of your righteousness, of your salvation all day long, though I know not its measure. I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, O Sovereign LORD; I will proclaim your righteousness, yours alone. Since my youth, O God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds. . . . Your righteousness reaches to the skies, O God, you who have done great things. Who, O God, is like you? Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up. You will increase my honor and comfort me once again.
As David neared the end of his life he wasn’t filled with despair and anger, but with hope and energy. Why? Because he knew that God would “restore his life again from the depths of the earth.” This is a clear reference to a hope in the resurrection. He knew that even though he was dying, God would raise his body from the dead, because of His hope in the Messiah to come.
How many of us could say we have been through a quarter as to what David has been through? How many of us have lost one year old children? How many of us have had to fight bears or lions or spend nights out in the cold watching sheep? How many of us have had our own children try to steal our homes and murder us? In the midst of all this - David remained hopeful. He didn’t base his faith on how much money he had or how good his children were or how long they lived or he lived. He based it on the promise of the Savior. He based it on the promise of a resurrection. He based it on the many times God had delivered him from harm.
When you read this Psalm, doesn’t it bring a sense of shame? We have greater blessings than David. God has revealed to us the shadows that were promised to David. We know Jesus came - lived, died, and rose from the dead. We know God promises us, “whoever believes and is baptized will be saved.” Yet do we have the optimism of David? Do we have the hope? If I had gone through half of what David went through, I’d probably have the most sour look on my face and pray, “Lord, get me OUT of here.” Right? We just let so many of our problems in life get to us - and we interpret them in a bad way. Instead of looking at how God protected us THROUGH the trial, we wonder why God ALLOWED the trial in the first place. Instead of being thankful for surviving, we’re angry that it ever happened. The funny thing was that the more the Psalmist went through, the more hope he had and the more he wanted to proclaim the glory of God.
Advent is a time that we look back to the 1st coming of Christ - and prepare for that - and where we also look forward to the 2nd coming of Christ - and prepare for that. There are two different colors you can historically choose for this season. One is purple - for repentance - the other is blue - for hope. We have purple colors up here. As we reflect on this Psalm, it has to make us repent when we compare David’s attitude to our own. God forgive us for our pessimism and lack of energy. But the good news is that God has forgiven us. He has become our refuge. That’s what the cradle and the cross are for. God became man to save us. That’s what the resurrection is for. David maintained a hopeful attitude because He lived a life of clinging to God as His refuge - he prayed in times of trial - and he knew from experience that God had taken care of Him. That’s where I want a sense of hope to come into this season as well. You know that Jesus entered this world once as a baby to save your sinful hide from hell. Since He’s forgiven you and risen from the dead and given you repentance and faith to believe it, you know that He’s coming again to take you home. Live with some hope, too.
III. Share your hope for those with years to come
Life for the Psalmist was not one of pessimism and despair. The older he got, the more he wanted to proclaim the mighty acts of God. He prayed, “Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come.” He wanted to at least live long enough to share his faith. As a result of this he wrote, “I have become like a portent to many, but you are my strong refuge. My mouth is filled with your praise, declaring your splendor all day long.” His witness was making him like a sign, a miracle, or a banner for people to see. David was a living witness to the grace of God. Some hated him for it, others loved him for it. Regardless of how they reacted, David wanted the world to hear the praises of God.
Oh, that God would fill us with such a zeal. You may think you’re too old to get excited. You may think you’ve got one foot in the grave. Don’t let that stop you. You don’t have to have a perfect past to tell people about Jesus. David didn’t. You don’t have to have a blameless past. All you need to be is forgiven - and you are. Instead of covering your past or letting that be a hindrance to testifying to Christ, use it as proof to God’s faithfulness. David looked at his past and let that be evidence to God’s unfailing love and compassion. He wanted more opportunities to tell other people about God - so they too could enjoy His care, protection, and righteousness. As we live in an age where people are becoming more and more angry and pessimistic about life, think about what a wonderful testimony you could give if you lived with hope and told people about the hope and joy you have in Christ? If you don’t tell other people about what God has done for you, where will that leave them on Judgment Day? God says, “whoever does not believe will be condemned.” That’s not what God wants. That’s not what we want.
I don’t know what you have planned for your future - a future trip, marriage, college, job - go ahead and plan. You can work to your goals. Don’t be surprised if everything doesn’t go as planned. In a sinful world, it’s hard to meet many of our goals. We just don’t know what the future will bring. Yet Advent reminds us of one thing that is certain in the future - that Jesus is coming again - not in the manger - but in the clouds. Pray that the LORD would keep your strong during this future. Live with hope in the future - based on God’s promises of love, forgiveness and redemption in Christ. Then proclaim to the world that Christ has come to save the world. Give them a reason for hope, no matter what age they are and no matter how old you are. Even if you’re middle aged or even old and grey, don’t let that stop you from living in hope and sharing that hope - because we have a sure hope in Christ. Amen.
