A Prayer for Peace

Psalms 120-134 are called the Songs of Ascents. This is a collection of Psalms that the Jewish people sang as they traveled to Jerusalem for the annual festivals. Three times in the year adult Jewish men were required to go to Jerusalem to observe particular feasts. The feasts were Passover, Pentecost, and the Feast of Tabernacles (Exodus 23:14-17). In Luke 2:41-42 we see Mary and Joseph observing this custom with Jesus. Because people were traveling in the same direction, it would be common for groups to walk with one another. While walking in these groups they would sing these Psalms. It was an act of worship, an act of unity and a way to pass the time as they traveled.

The first Song of Ascents is an interesting one. It’s not a happy Psalm. It is a Psalm that recognizes the hatred many Jewish people experienced. In this Psalm the Psalmist shares that he has been slandered by a wicked person. He goes on to say that he has tried to establish peace, but his enemies only want war.

We see an example of this after the Jewish people were released from Babylonian captivity. The Persian King let them go after conquering Babylon. Once they returned to Jerusalem, they began rebuilding the Temple. As they rebuilt their enemies, particularly the Samaritans, slandered them, belittled them, and tried to have them forcefully stopped from rebuilding the Temple (Ezra 4:1-24; Nehemiah 4:1-14; 6:5-14). The Jews were not trying to start a war at all. They wanted peace. But their enemies only wanted war.

That’s not the context for this Psalm. But it serves as an example of what many of the Jewish people experienced. This Psalm is personal. The Christian can relate to it. In this world we will have tribulation. We will be hated. Jesus warned us about this (John 15:18). I’m going to use this Psalm to instruct us on how we should respond when people try and pick a fight with us.

1. We should pray (1-2).

The Psalmist is looking back. He is remembering a situation. It caused him distress.

“In my distress” The word used describes emotional pain. Much suffering is mental. It causes anxiety. It robs us of joy and peace. This was the Psalmists condition.

If we are not careful, we will allow ourselves to become distressed. We may get to the point where we cannot:

Sleep

Smile

See clearly

We become overwhelmed emotionally. All we can think about is our distress.

What did the Psalmist do? He called to the Lord. Look how simple his prayer was:

Deliver me Lord from lying lips, from a deceitful tongue.

Those lying about the psalmist had an end in mind. They wanted him to suffer some sort of repercussions from their lies. The Psalmist asks God to deliver him from these repercussions. Maybe they wanted him:

Put in jail

Killed

Ruined

There are wicked people in this world who will lie about you. Maybe they want you:

Fired

Relationship ruined

Humiliated

Hurt

When this happens go to the Lord. The Psalmist said he prayed, and the Lord answered his prayer. Be honest with the Lord. Tell the Lord exactly what is going on. To be clear, humility should be embraced. In other words, we should consider if what our enemies are saying is true or not. If there is sin to repent of, we should repent of it. But if we are not guilty of what is being said we should tell the Lord clearly what is happening to us.

The more detailed we are with our prayers the more impressed we will be when God answers them. Answered prayer will encourage us to pray more. When we can look back and see that God heard the details of our prayer and answered them accordingly, we will be more likely to pray in the future.

Tell God the truth.

Tell God the details.

2. We should warn those who slander (3-4).

In verse 3 he speaks to his enemy. He calls him a deceitful tongue. Some folks are all tongue. Or as we say, they are all mouth. The Psalmist sees this man as a big tongue walking around. A deceitful one at that.

He asks the person “What shall be given to you?”

The slanderer has no fear. He doesn’t think about what might happen to him for the lies he tells. He is too consumed with what he wants to happen to the Psalmist.

The Psalmist tells him what will happen to him. He’s going to be judged.

“A warriors sharp arrows”

Arrows come from far away- From God.

Arrows come quickly- When you least expect it

Sharp arrows are lethal- Sink deep.

“Glowing coals of the broom tree” The broom tree produced the best charcoal in that area. James 3:6 says of the tongue:

And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.

James warns those who sin with their tongue that they are in danger of hell fire.

Listen to what Spurgeon says about the slanderer:

Like the foul skunk, he emits an odour of falsehood which cannot be endured by the true; and therefore he often escapes, unchastised by those whom he has most injured.

That’s a great point. Often people are afraid of slanderers. They are such vile people no one wants to speak to them at all. Maybe they are afraid if they do, they will find themselves his/her victim.

Nevertheless, the slanderer should be warned. God’s judgment is coming. Nothing is ever truly said in secret. The eyes of the Lord are in every place discerning the evil and the good.

Ecclesiastes 12:14 says:

For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.

Jesus said:

I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, (Matt. 12:36)

3. We should expect sorrow to be a part of the Christian experience (5-6).

“Woe” is a word that expresses sorrow. He mentions two different geographical areas in verse 5. Meshech and Kedar were not near each other. The people who lived in those regions were also known as pagans and enemies of Israel. The Psalmist said he dwelt in these areas. Clearly, he could not live in two places simultaneously. The language is therefore metaphorical. He feels as if he lives among pagans who hate him.

It would be an insult to liken a Jewish person to such people. But I think that is what the Psalmist is doing.

One of the most difficult things the Christian experiences is slander from those who at one time were a friend. Jesus had a Judas, and it appears that is the case for many of His followers.

The truth is most Judas’ do not hang themselves. Instead they hang around for many years. They continue their whispers. They slander more and more. The Christian lives among them.

Look at verse 6. The Psalmist says this has gone on too long!

What makes it difficult is his enemy hates peace. That means the trouble continues. How long is too long for something like this? A moment is too long. We should prepare ourselves for much longer than a moment. It could be years. It could be decades.

Paul had a thorn in the flesh. The thorn was a messenger of Satan who harassed him. It was a false teacher who through his words made Paul’s life miserable. He asked the Lord three times to remove that thorn. God told him that His grace was sufficient. God was using that person to keep Paul humble. The sorrow brought about by slanderers can be used in our sanctification. We should appreciate that. When we see the purpose in the sorrow, we can bear it more easily.

4. We should accept that some people have no desire for peace (7).

“I am for peace” The Psalmist wants peace. He wants forgiveness. He wants restoration. He is willing to make peace.

“But when I speak” He tries. He speaks in a manner to bring about peace. No matter what he says he is met with resistance.

“They are for war” All they want is a fight. They have no desire to be at peace.

Romans 12:18 says:

If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.

Did you hear that? “If possible”

Try for peace

Pray for peace

But know that it’s not always possible.

Do what is in your own power to bring about peace. If they will not have peace, there is nothing you can do. You must move on. You must leave it in the hands of God.

There are many who cannot even make peace with God. If they cannot make peace with God who is far more loving and kind than us, then it should not surprise us that some cannot make peace with us.

A person who has no desire for peace cannot be reasoned with. Continuing to engage them only puts us in more danger. When you have a person who is slandering you a good thing to ask them is “What do you want?”

This may catch them off guard. Sadly they have never really thought about that. The truth is what they often want is:

To be angry at you

To see some unfortunate circumstance overtake you

To humiliate you

To hurt you

If that is what they want then it is foolish to engage with them. The person who wants peace is quickly recognized. They will:

They will speak kindly

They speak reasonably

They will speak honestly

No one was slandered more than Jesus. Peter said of Jesis in 1 Peter 2:23

When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.

Jesus said of His people “Blessed are the peacemakers.” Salvation transforms us into people who want peace with God and others. Instead of causing divisions we seek to bring unity.

Pray for peace

Be a peacemaker

Accept that if a person refuses peace we should carry on without allowing them to disturb our relationship with God or others.