Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction:

In the last days, people will be marked by a profound sense of ungratefulness.

Listen to a prophetic warning from the Apostle Paul in the first century AD.

2 Timothy 3:1–5 (ESV)

1 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty.

2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,

3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good,

4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.

Avoid such people.

Or listen to what else Paul writes in Romans 1:21, speaking of how humanity knows of God’s existence and His power, but refuse to submit to Him: Romans 1:21

Romans 1:21 (ESV)

21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

According to the Apostle Paul — there is an organic link between the natural, fallen condition of humanity and a spirit of ungratefulness.

That’s because in our natural condition, we only think about ourselves.

Or, if we think about others, its with selfish motivations.

And when I only think about me, it becomes much easier to think that God needs to only think about me, too.

And so soon, we forget the Giver, and demand the gifts.

We have an gratitude problem.

And its too big for us to fix on our own.

Background:

Last week, in 1 Samuel 21, we saw David flee to Ahimelech at Nob, eat some of the holy bread, pick up Goliath’s sword, and then continue running away from Saul and into the heart of Philistine territory, to Gath, one of their capital cities.

And even though the text doesn’t explicitly say so here, it’s clear that the Philistines recognize David—who has just picked up the sword of Goliath, the famous champion from Gath, the very city that David is now in — and they take him as a prisoner.

Now in 1 Samuel, the narrative immediately resolves this point by jumping to the end of the story, telling us how David escapes.

But before we look at that escape, and David’s response to that escape, I want to read David’s prayer in Psalm 56.

Chronologically, this fits between 1 Samuel 21 and Psalm 34, our main text today.

Instead of preaching Psalm 56, I want to just read it and let it set the stage for David’s rescue.

Listen to David’s prayer when he is taken prisoner by the Philistines:

Psalm 56 (ESV)

To the choirmaster: according to The Dove on Far-off Terebinths.

A Miktam of David, when the Philistines seized him in Gath.

1 Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me; all day long an attacker oppresses me;

2 my enemies trample on me all day long, for many attack me proudly.

3 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.

4 In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.

What can flesh do to me?

5 All day long they injure my cause; all their thoughts are against me for evil.

6 They stir up strife, they lurk; they watch my steps, as they have waited for my life.

7 For their crime will they escape?

In wrath cast down the peoples, O God!

8 You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle.

Are they not in your book?

9 Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call.

This I know, that God is for me.

10 In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise,

11 in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.

What can man do to me?

12 I must perform my vows to you, O God; I will render thank offerings to you.

13 For you have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.

In the middle of David’s imprisonment, He cries out to God and asks for grace.

Look at verse 1 again:

Psalm 56:1 (ESV)

1 Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me; all day long an attacker oppresses me;

When he is faced with difficulty and suffering, he asks God for divine favor — grace — asking God to meet him and rescue him.

Application - This morning, we are going to be looking at David’s response when God answered his prayer and rescued him.

But the reality is that often times in our lives, we find ourselves waiting for God to act.

And in those seasons, we have a choice to make: will we rely on our own understanding, or will we rely on God?

Will we look to our circumstances or will we look to God?

Psalm 56:3 (ESV)

3 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.

So, that’s the background of our text today.

David is imprisoned by the Philistines, and they know that He is the great warrior of Israel, the very one responsible for the death of their champion, Goliath.

So what does David do?

Listen to 1 Sam 21:13-15

1 Samuel 21:13–15 (ESV)

13 So he changed his behavior before them and pretended to be insane in their hands and made marks on the doors of the gate and let his spittle run down his beard.

14 Then Achish said to his servants, “Behold, you see the man is mad.

Why then have you brought him to me?

15 Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this fellow to behave as a madman in my presence?

Shall this fellow come into my house?”

1 Samuel 22:1 (ESV)

1 David departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam.

David escapes by pretending to be insane.

And in the end, the King of Gath lets him go, and David escapes to the cave of Adullam.

If we didn’t have Psalm 56, we might think that David’s escape is just a clever plan that He came up with all by himself.

But in fact, even though David did come up with a plan, it was ultimately God who graciously rescued David.

David didn’t rescue Himself - God was gracious toward Him and showed Him favor, allowing his plan to succeed.

In our main text today, Psalm 34, David shows us what Getting Grace should lead to for believers:

Big Idea: Getting Grace should lead to Giving Thanks

Psalm 34 (ESV)

Of David, when he changed his behavior before Abimelech, so that he drove him out, and he went away.

1 I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

2 My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad.

3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together!

4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.

5 Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.

6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.

7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.

8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!

Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!

9 Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack!

10 The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

11 Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

12 What man is there who desires life and loves many days, that he may see good?

13 Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit.

14 Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

15 The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry.

16 The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth.

17 When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.

18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.