Ps. 3 Salvation Belongs to the LORD

Intro:

Review from last week:

Ps. 1, the blessing of a wise man, Ps. 2 the blessing of a wise nation. The gateway to the rest of the Psalms

Blessed counsel of the wise, perishing in the way of the wicked

The majority of the first book of Psalms is attributed to David and considered to be mainly Psalms of lament, asking for help!

Outline:

Surrounded: “How Many are my Foes!” (vs. 1-2)

Shielded: “But You, O LORD” (vs. 3-4)

Sustained: “The LORD Sustained me” (vs. 5-6)

Saved: “Save Me” (vs. 7-8)

Summary: Jesus sheilds, sustains, and saves those that are surrounded

Illustration: Sheild, Turning guitar strings (too low, too high, SNAP!)

Prayer:

Surrounded: “How Many are my Foes!” (vs. 1-2)

A (Pre-Script)

A Psalm of David- “Mizmor” which hath the significantion of pruning, or cutting off superfuluous twigs, and is applied to songs made of short sentences, where many superfulous words are put away”- Henry ainsworth.

When He fled from

Absalom: *2 Sam 15:14-17.

3rd son of king David by Maacah

Story is found in 2 Sam. 13-19.

One of the defining moments in his live revolved around his beautiful sister Tamar, who was raped by her half-brother Amnon.

Absalom has Tamar come and live with him and nursed hatred against Amnon for the following 2 years before scheming his revenge at a house party by one of Absalom’s servants.

Out of fear for his father (David) he flees to Geshur for three years. David “longed to to out to absalom during this time.

Eventurally he is brought back to Jerusalem but doesn’t enter his father’s presence for 2 years.

Then Absalom starts to accumulate men that are disgruntled with the King. He does this for 4 years going to the gate early in the morning.

With his plan in motion, he asks to go to Hebron where he proclaims himself as king.

With his followers behind him, David feared for his own life and fled after leaving some behind.

His son- there is a lot that could be discussed here about David’s parenting, or lack there of.

He knew about Tamar’s rape but did not address it

He allowed hatred to dwell in Absalom for 2 years without addressing it

He did not even address his son for many years

Yet, David’s heart still longed for his son

PIC- Absalom’s Monument

PIC My friends exploring in and around the monument

Many foes (v.1)

O LORD- “yhwh”, the name the God through Moses.

how many are my foes!- adversaries, enemies. He describes who they are. Absalom and his traitors have driven David and his army out of Jerusalem. Notice, this is not a question, it is a statement!

Many are rising against me- the “many” not only are in place but they are rising in number. He describes what they are doing.

Many accusations (v.2)

Many are saying- He describes what they are saying

of my soul- not just the body

There is no salvation- “preserving from harm or unpleasantness”

for him in God- “elo-him”, God has abandoned you! Either God lacks the power to save or he doesn’t care to save

Selah- is this the singing group, “You raise me up...” Some suggest it is a pause or rest in the music. Spurgeon suggests it was an reminder to retune the harp as the song builds. He said, “Harp-strings soon get out of order and need to be srewed up again to their propter tightness, and certainly our heartstrings are evermore getting out of tune. Let ‘Selah’ teach us to pray: ‘oh my heart in tune be found, like David’s harp of solemn sound’” (Treasury of David, 23).

Application/Implications:

Renew the Mind (the Scriptures):

What caught your attention in this section?

Which verses or words would you like to study a little more this week? What 3 words were repeated 3x in these 2 verses?

Engage the Heart (humility vs. pride):

Matthew 10:28–33 “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.”

What about you, what are the foes around you saying? Maybe you are like David and you are bothered by ways that you wished you had parented, or a dealing with fall out of a wayward childs choices. Maybe their is family drama going on? Maybe it is the voices of people you once were close with and there has been strain on the relationship. Or maybe, you are the voice that is telling others of all that is against them and you are leaving God out of the equation.

Is there really an area of our souls that God cannot deliver us from?

Selah, take a pause right now. How are your heart strings? Are they in tune with God or the voices of those around us?

Enlist the Body (Words, actions, emotions):

Pray something like this, “I confess that I have listened to doubts and accusations about…I surrender these and look to You alone

Pray something like this, “I surrender my fears about…trusting You to deliver me”

Transitional phrase: Sometimes we too feel like David, completely surrounded by people that are telling us that there is not help for our soul in God, he has abandoned you! He is not powerful enough to help in this area… So what do we look to?

Sheilded (External): “But You, O LORD” (vs. 3-4)

Shield, glory, the lifter of my head (v.3)

But you- emphatic, yes there are many, BUT YOU!

O LORD- “yhwh”, now, just as there were 3 “many” used to described those against him, now they are replaced 3 defenses in the LORD:

are a shield about me- a small defensive frame used to block blows or other forms of attack. Yet this shield is “about” David, not merely in one direction. Think of the “sheilds” around Wakanda, or force fields from star wars.

my glory- “kebo-di” this would have been humiliating for David, to leave the glory of his kingdom, his palace, his city, and his reputation among his friends.

and the lifter of my head (verb)- “to take and lift upward”, these words also speak of restoration to dignity and position (Gen. 40:13, 20:2 (The chief cupbearer); 2 Kings 25:27) and even health.

Spurgeon described it like this, “What a divine trio of mercies is continaed in this verse!- defence for the defenceless, glory for the despised, and joy for the coumfortless” (Treasury, 23).

Cry (v.4)

I cried aloud- imperfect, more than once, externally (aloud). The simmering/boiling of the soul is spilling out. If you were near David, you would have heard it.

to the LORD- “yhwh” notice, it is not just to the dark night sky, an empty room, an on-line community, or your pillow! May the loudest cry of the soul always be directed to the LORD!

and he answered me- now, there is not indication of time in the text. There is not indication of when the answer came but only where it came from...

from his holy hill- according to Ps. 2, this would be in Zion. The answer comes from the place where David is not. It does not come from David’s surroundings, it comes from the dwelling place of God, not the dwelling place of man.

Interestingly, when David leaves Jerusalem, he leaves the ark of the covenant behind (2 Samuel 15:25–26 “Then the king said to Zadok, “Carry the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me back and let me see both it and his dwelling place. But if he says, ‘I have no pleasure in you,’ behold, here I am, let him do to me what seems good to him.”

Selah- stop, pause, retune your heart strings

Application/Implications:

Renew the Mind (the Scriptures):

What caught your attention in this section?

Which verses or words would you like to study a little more this week?

Engage the Heart (humility vs. pride):

What from this section can you praise God for about his character?

What sheild, glory, and lifter of your head do you trust in when the battle is raging?

When you cry aloud, who is the recipient? And what are the answers to your cry?

Enlist the Body (Words, actions, emotions):

Pray something like “Even though I am facing (opposition), I know you are my shield”

Pray something like “Thank You that You lifted my head and gave me hope when...”

“I trust You to be my sheild today as I encounter...”

Transitional phrase: We, like David, need to keep God in the equation of our struggles and suffering. Cry out aloud, but make sure it is to God and no other susbstitute.

Sustained (Internal): “The LORD Sustained me” (vs. 5-6)

Rest (v.5)

I lay down

and slept

I woke again- Now, remember, David is not in the comfort of his palace with his personal pillow. He is more than likely sleeping in an open field or cave with little to no physical comfort nor walls of safety.

for the LORD

Sustained me- “yis-m-eke” imperfect, to supply with necessities and support, unflinching. This is the source of being sustained

Fear (v.6)

I will not be afriad- fear, dread, to be afraid or scared of; be frightened

of many thousands of people

who have set themselves- sounds like the nations in Ps. 2.

against me all around

this sounds very reminisent to verse 2

There is no Selah at the end of these verses. So we are not going to pause for reflection even though it has been two verses

Saved: “Save Me” (vs. 7-8)

Act (v.7)

Arise

O LORD!- to whom is he looking for salvation!

Save me

O my God

for you strike all my enemies

on the cheek

You break the teeth

of the wicked- if you break the teeth, there is no bite

Bless (v.8)

Salvation

belongs to the LORD- confident statement in opposition to the statement in verse 2.

“The psalmist cannot match the power of the enemies for he is powerless. The psalmist cannot match the numbers of the enemies, for he is alone. But the psalmist can match the unbelief of the neemies, for he has faith in his God” (The New Internations Commentary on the OT, 77).

Your Blessing

be on your people!

Selah

Stop, pause, how are the strings of your heart tunning to this passage of Scripture?

So what ever happens? Well...

I don’t fear that my life will end the same way as Absalom, mainly because I don’t have any hair, but there are aspects of his heart that have the potential to end up in my life.

Application/Implications:

Renew the Mind (the Scriptures):

What caught your attention in this section?

Which verses or words would you like to study a little more this week?

Engage the Heart (humility vs. pride):

What do you fear the most? What keeps you up at night?

In what areas of your life do you need Jesus to act? Have you asked Him?

This Psalm has a striking resemblance to Jesus, who also would cross the kidron valley with a few faithful servants after being rejected in Jerusalem. David prayed while in exile, Jesus prayed in Gethsemane

Discussion Starters:

Selah, take a pause right now. How are my heart strings? Are they in tune with God or the many voices of those around me?

In what areas of my life do I need Jesus to act?

Prayer: “I trust You to be my sheild today as I encounter...”

Summary: Jesus sheilds, sustains, and saves those that are surrounded

Song: It is well with my Soul INVITE NEW MEMEBERS TO COME UP DURING THE SONG

Go and see the teachers in the school (flooring)

Benediction/Looking ahead: INVITE NEW MEMBERS TO THE FRONT

INVITE PEOPLE TO THE CAFE