The Afflicted finds Salvation

Introduction

In this Psalm we have the Lords anointed from Psalm 2 now being pursued by His enemies. They are plotting a vain thing setting themselves against the Lord’s Christ. In this Psalm, David the prophet, speaking in the person of Christ, points us to several marvelous characteristics of Yahweh and His faithful King.

We’ll look this Psalm from 3 different angles this afternoon which I trust will a blessing to us and of good instruction for our further reading, praying, and singing the Psalms.

Inscription/ Verse 1&2.

From the inscription we learn that David is fleeing his son Absalom. The history is recorded for us in 2 Sam 15-18. This is one of those nice and tidy Psalms where the Holy Spirit has given us the author, background, and occasion of it’s writing.

Absalom has won the hearts of the people from his father, and so we learn that Davids enemies have multiplied. And David feels this in his soul as verses 1-2 show. We see Shimei cursing him to his face in 2 Sam 16, but other than that it must have been reported to him what the people were saying. “There is no help for Him in God”. It says more than temporal help. The idea is spiritual as well. They are saying, you are undone spiritually David. GOd’s favor has left you, there is no salvation for you!

But rather than put his focus on His enemies, David looks to YHWH. Though it is a firm hope, it is a humble hope and faith. We remember that David brought this on himself. This is Davids great chastisement for his former sins which he was prophesied would come. He is humble and completely gives himself over to God as we see in vv3-4.

Verses 3&4.

Shield has the idea of total defence. One suggested perhaps a type of shield that covers the entire body. If the Lord is his shield, he is impenetrable.

“My Glory”

Any good, any honor or glory that David has is due to the Lord. All glory to the Lord!

And the lifter up of his head. David is downcast and lowly, but that’s a good place to be, “God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble”

Listen to David in 2 Samuel 16:12 ““Perhaps Yahweh will look on my affliction and return good to me instead of his cursing this day.””

The posture of humility. But also more of anticipation. David is not twirling his thumbs here. He is in action.

And he calls upon the Lord and the Lord answers him form His holy hill.

But how could the Lord here David if he wasn’t present at Mt. Zion. It’s because the Lord is accessible. He hears the cries of His saints, he hears your cries wherever you are. In your insignificant prayer closet, the Lord is hearing and answering your cries for help. We have an amazing God. “Who is like our God alone, high above the heavens enthroned, but He condescends to know, things in heaven and earth below.

And there’s another lesson for us here. When your mind is stayed on your covenant faithful Lord. No fear, no trouble, no torment can long keep you. David being stayed upon his hope and confidence in YHWH lies down to sleep and to wake for YHWH sustained him.

“He laid down slept” if the Lord had not thwarted Ahithophel, David would not have woke, but the Lord did——Ahithophel planned to send out 12,000 troops to find and kill David.And as a result he won’t fear if even thousands of enemies surround him.

And now David gives words to the prayer uttered earlier. Arise Lord, the enemies have risen against me, now arise on behalf of Your anointed. filing in the Chiastic structure for us.

And the Lord disabled the enemy. What harm can a wild beast do with a broken jaw and ground up teeth? Nothing. The Lord thwarted broke the jaw, smashed the teeth.

And David acknowledges that it wasn’t his wits, or military prowess and might, but the Lord who saved Him. Salvation belongs to YHWH. This is Davids anthem and ours too. Is there any temporal or spiritual deliverance that aren’t the Lords. No. We need to be aware of this and declaring it regularly.

And finally, David looks outward. Your blessing be upon your people. Your covenant faithfulness has been upheld and proven again. May you maintain your faithfulness to your people.

Second reading.

Now as we transition to consider the Christological import of this Psalm, lets consider a few things before that will guide us in the months ahead.

The Psalms, like the Word of God, transcend history and culture. There meaning and application is not bound by the circumstance or human author. This is because the Spirit of God is the author. And He means for the Scriptures to stretch all the way thousands of years across history. From David to Christ, to us today.

Look at Matthew 22:41–43 “Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, saying, “What do you think about the Christ, whose son is He?” They said to Him, “The son of David.” He said to them, “Then how does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’ saying,”

David speaking in the Spirit spoke about Christ. Quoting Psalm 110.

Quoting Psalm 16.

Acts 2:29–31““Men, brothers, I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. “And so, because he was a prophet and knew that GOD HAD SWORN TO HIM WITH AN OATH TO SET one OF THE FRUIT OF HIS BODY ON HIS THRONE, he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that HE WAS NEITHER FORSAKEN TO HADES, NOR DID His flesh SEE CORRUPTION.”

Peter once again shows the means and makes more explicit the content.

1 Pet 1:10-12.

The New King James Version Chapter 1

10 Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, 11 searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.

Laslty, Luke 24:44 “Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.””

So we have the office of the Prophet, speaking or writing in the Spirit about Christ. Namely, His sufferings and glory. And the domain of all of this is the entire Old Testament.

This is a major part of how we understand the Psalms.

So with the Lord helping us, lets fill in this Psalm with what we know about Christ.

His enemies are all of humanity apart from the grace of God. He came to His own, yet His own did not receive HIm.

Romans 5:10“For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.”

Yet how much more does it intensify at the cross. Judas has betrayed him over to the authorities, His disciples have left Him. The Jewish and Roman authorities along with all the spiritual forces of darkness have Him encircled. They mock Him spit on Him slap Him.

Matthew 27:41–44 “In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking Him and saying, “He saved others; He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him. “HE TRUSTS IN GOD; LET GOD RESCUE Him now, IF HE DELIGHTS IN HIM; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” And the robbers who had been crucified with Him were also insulting Him with the same words.”

Is 53. They esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted.

But while David was rightly being punished and chastised, Jesus commited no wrong.

“He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth.” He took the punishment due our sin.

As our covenant head, Jesus confidence in God the Father’s protective care was unswerving. He knew that everything He did was to the glory of His Father. “Father glorify your name”

And He was heard by His Father and His prayer’s and cries were constant. John 11:41–42 “So they removed the stone. Then Jesus raised His eyes, and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. “And I knew that You always hear Me;”

Hebrews 5:7“He, in the days of His flesh, offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverence.”

Listen to this quote from SEP on sleep:

“Sleep is the nurse for tired nature. All know what it is to sleep, and to feel refreshment therefrom, Yet none can define what it is. Nor can we say when it seizes us. It is the emblem of death, which comes on the body just as sleep does. Persons may be long in the act of dying, yet death does its office instantaneously. Just like sleep, it seals up the senses. The spirit is dislodged. The body is asleep in the arms of death. Thus all respecting death is finished. This was precisely the case with our Lord. He laid down his life for his sheep. He slept the sleep of death. His soul departed from his body, and was admitted into Paradise.

He slept the sleep of death. His body rested in the grave, as its proper bed, for a season. He awaked from the sleep of death by his resurrection out of it. He awaked, and seeing the fruits of his life, death, burial, and resurrection, was refreshed.

All which was in victory and triumph over all his, and his peoples enemies. None of his people need fear death, because he is the Lord and conqueror of it. Let us to avoid the fears of death and the grave, look on Christ, who composed himself on the cross, as on a bed of sorrows unto it, and committed his soul into his Father's hands, in full confidence of a joyful resurrection, according to the promise, at the time appointed, with, Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit. And having said this he gave up the ghost. In these views we may learn how to sleep, and how to die. Sleep is a short death, and death is a longer steep. And it would be a real blessing to fall asleep every night in the same faith of Jesus, and in the same rest and confidence in him, as we would desire when we shall fall asleep in his arms by death. Believers, it is the same Jesus who surrounds us, and is our protector on our beds, as will watch over our bodies when they are breathless, and will preserve them in the grave.”

Verse 7

And as Christ now reflects on the prayer heard by His Father, he brings up language that reminds us of Gen 3. Jesus is the serpent Slayer. Satan and death have lost there power and sting. He has plundered the enemy. He came to destroy the works of the Devil and He did.

And like David, but in a greater way, as the ascended King he intercedes for His people. By His own merits for them. Your blessing be upon the people you gave me Father.

Now as we consider some additional application of this Psalm to ourselves. We are reminded that we are united to Christ. We are one with Christ in His sufferings, death, and resurrection. One day we will put on glorified bodies and immortality, just as He did. What He did He did for His church.

So who are the enemies of the Christian?

“The World”

Psalm 1 & 2 has laid them out for us. The suggestions and lifestyle of the ungodly, along with the hostility and plotting against God’s Messiah. These are our enemies. They come from all quarters. It may be in the home, the work place, school, or the community. The world does not love Christ or HIs people.

“The Flesh”

The old man be put to death. We are to die daily as Paul says. Our flesh wages war against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh. If you are in Christ today, there is a war being waged amongst your members that you must battle every day.

“The devil and the spiritual forces of darkness”

Ephesians 6:12“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

Martin Luther -

These spiritual foes hate us with great hate. The battle with these enemies is far greater than any other. It is real, it is constant, take note of it.

But the Christian looks the Lord as well in trouble. And the wonder and glory of looking to Jesus is that He is both our example and our strong Lord. As pour eternal King, He is our shield.

Listen to this statement from an old confession of faith. We might preface it with the question; why is it neccessary that Christ have the office of a King?

and in respect of our averseness, and utter inability to return to God, and for our rescue, and security from our spiritual adversaries, we need his Kingly office, to convince, subdue, draw, uphold, deliver, and preserve us to his Heavenly Kingdome.

He is our shield and He is our glory. All that we are, all that we have in the New Covenant are blessings won by Hims for us. He brings the blessings of His life unto death obedience and applies them to us by His Spirit. What are those blessings that would give a Christian hope and confidence in time of warfare? You’re forgiven, justified freely before God, adopted as God’s own children, you have the assuring presence of the Spirit in you.

And you cry out with these very truths to your heavenly Father. Father, I am your child for the sake of Christ, deliver me. Be merciful to me. Lift up my head!

And He hears, and He answers form heaven. Whenever and wherever we are, He hears us. He is accessible. How often do we forget this while we’re in the midst of the battle, are spiritual foes, closing in accusing us, pointing us away from our sure refuge and defence. Go to God, go to the cross immediately. “One little Word shall fell them” I’m forgiven. There is no condemnation for me in Christ. The accuser and his minions lie and try to convince us that’s not the case, just as with David and with our Lord.

When our gaze is fixed on the cross of Christ, and His present interceding for us what can trouble us? What can keep you from lying down and sleeping. The whole world can be falling, but the Christian with gaze fixed on God in Christ cannot be moved.

As we come to a close, turn to:

Rom 8:31ff .

The Lord himself has arisen to save us. He has already conquered our greatest enemies of sin and death. He will continue to conquer our temporal and spiritual enemies.

And if we’ve been delivered form the penalty and power of sin, and know that one day we’ll be delvered from its presence, we should only and always be saying, “salvation belongs to the Lord.”

And we know that our exalted Mediator ever lives to make intercession for us, saying, “Your blessing be upon your people, the people you have given me.”

We aren’t going to let the Selah’s go unnoticed here.

Verse 2 the adversaries are spoken of

Verse 4 declares the cry, and the of answer of the Lord

Verse 8 gives the result being the Lords salvation.