Cause Me to Hear Joy and Gladness
Psalm 51:8
Psalms 51:8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; [that] the bones [which] thou hast broken may rejoice.
1. Broken bones
2. Cause me to hear joy and gladness
3. Broken bones rejoicing
1. Broken bones
David had broken bones, a word picture of the deepest of sorrows.
Spurgeon says: "We may gather from this that David’s plight was very painful. "His bones,"
he says," were broken." A flesh wound is painful - and who would not escape from it? but here was a more serious injury, for the bone was reached, an completely crushed."
We hear persons speak very flippantly of David’s sin, "David did it and he was restored." Boldly offering it as an example of minimum consequence of sin, and as an excuse for their own inconsistent life; I wish they would look also at David’s repentance, for if his sin was shameful, his sorrow for it was of the bitterest kind; and if the crime was glaring, certainly the afflictions which chastised him were equally remarkable. From that day forward, the man whose ways had been ways of pleasantness, and whose paths had been paths of peace, limped like a cripple along a thorny road, and traversed a pilgrimage of afflictions almost unparalleled. Children died, horrors were released in his own household. One of his most beloved children rose up to kill him. He was probably never trusted the same way again by friends. Their were many terrible consequences of his sin.
That said, David’s bones were broken not over the things done to him, but over the things he had done to God.
Illus: Testimony of the Pastor of the Smithtown outpouring. "You have wept much over the many things that you were falsely accused of, but have never wept over the wrong things you truly did." In other words you only have wept over the wrongs done you, you have never wept over the wrong you have done.
David wept more over the wrong he had done. David’s bones were broken about his own sin.
What do your bones break over? What do you weep about?
Often we lament our condition and could say, "I want a time of joy and gladness."
Does that describe you today? Listen on. If it doesn’t I hope by the time this sermon is over it does, I want with God’s help to excite in you a hunger for real joy and gladness.
It’s summertime and this message is more needful now than any other time of the year, save Christmas.
2. Cause me to hear joy and gladness
The divine formula of restoration includes hearing joy and gladness.
First let me say:
David was anointed but miserable. Steps down are just as blessed as steps up in the kingdom. (Speaking of humility and brokenness over sin)
Blessed are the poor in spirit. A time to laugh, a time to cry. If you are in God’s timing then you are in a blessed time.
Godly sorrow worketh repentance not to be repented of.
Moving on:
Cause me to hear it, O God. Some one needs this.
Some folks need to be caused to hear.
Laughter all around, but you can’t enter in.
A swarm of bees around your head. A divine causing is needed. It begins with a prayer to banish the bees.
Jeremiah 13:11 (KJV) caused to cleave but they didn’t hear!
Jeremiah 13:11 For as the girdle cleaveth to the loins of a man, so have I caused to cleave unto me the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah, saith the LORD; that they might be unto me for a people, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory: but they would not hear.
Joy and gladness come in two varieties: Circumstantial and heavenly.
Circumstantial is based on your circumstances.
Heavenly is a manifestation of the presence of the Holy Spirit.
2 Cor. 8:1-5
1 Thess. 1:5-8
As we enter into that dark place the bible calls the last days. I expect to see a great resurgence in the joy of the Lord. Even now God is beckoning us to return to our first love. See will He not fill you with His presence if you call on Him?
The cry of the church must become: More of Thee.
Take me past the outer courts, to the Holy Place
I hunger and thirst for Your righteousness and its only found one place
Take me in to the Holy of Holies,
Take me in by the blood of the Lamb* (Expound)
Take my lips, cleanse my heart, hear I am.
Our cry must become: Cause me to hear real joy and gladness.
Happiness is to know the Savior,
Living a life within His favor
Having a change in my behavior
Happiness is the Lord
Real joy is mine, no matter what the people say
I’ve found the secret it’s is Jesus in my Heart
People we need to return to the joy of the Lord.
David lost it because of sin and broken bones, many today have lost it because they have become distracted from Jesus.
3. Broken bones rejoicing
How do broken bones rejoice? They get anointed and used by God. A bird is made to be in the air, a fish in the sea, a Christian being used by God, flowing in the Holy Spirit.
Leviticus 14:14-18 And the priest shall take [some] of the blood of the trespass offering, and the priest shall put [it] upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot: "The priest shall also take some of the log of oil, and pour [it] into his left palm; the priest shall then dip his right-hand finger into the oil that is in his left palm, and with his finger sprinkle some of the oil seven times before the LORD. "And of the remaining oil which is in his palm, the priest shall put some on the right ear lobe of the one to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot, on the blood of the guilt offering; while the rest of the oil that is in the priest’s palm, he shall put on the head of the one to be cleansed. So the priest shall make atonement on his behalf before the LORD.
Exodus 29:20 Then shalt thou kill the ram, and take of his blood, and put [it] upon the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and upon the tip of the right ear of his sons, and upon the thumb of their right hand, and upon the great toe of their right foot, and sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about.
In both the anointing of Aaron and his sons for the priestly ministry, and the cleansing of the leper they were both anointed on the ear, the thumb, and the toe.
There was no cleansing for the leper, apart from a miracle. God has a miracle for lepers.
The ear signified: spiritual hearing
The toe signified: proper walking
The thumb signified: usefulness of the hands for work.
The leper and the priest both were anointed with blood, signify cleansing and dedication to the Lord’s service. But, the leper was also in the day of his cleansing had his ear, right toe, and thumb anointed with the oil of the thanksgiving sacrifice. To show these things were rendered useful again for Divine service, and were to be a source of joy.
How do broken bones rejoice, they get anointed and used for God’s service, that’s how!
How do broken bones rejoice: they come to a place of service and usefulness.
Its OK to pray for this.
If God has been breaking bones do as David did pray!!
Numbers 12:14. After that she shall be received.
Close: I need to hear gladness and joy
Sing: Take me in to the Holy of Holies.
