Ps. 21 The Two Sides of Deliverance: Singing and Swallowed

Intro:

Review from last week:

Psalm 20 “When the going gets tough, God wants us to trust”

Now, trust doesn’t always mean that I sit back and do nothing, it is not passive. David went to war!

Have you added a “Fight Song” to your play list this week? Anne Wilson’s The Cross with Chris Tomlin is a good one.

This week the points are reversed, we will see the response of David first and then the request of the people after

Outline:

Response: “Trust in the LORD” (vs. 1-7)

Request: “Put them to Flight” (vs. 8-13)

Summary: Trust grows the closer we are to God’s steadfast love

Illustration: Have you ever been scared walking through a crowd of people or in a new place? Did you ever want to be closer to that person? I used to scare people for fun.

The same is true when we are really excited about something, like a good grade, when we win the game, when we get the toy that we always wanted! we hug someone, we jump up and down with someone

The Chair of trust analogy

Prayer:

Response: “Trust in the LORD” (vs. 1-7)

Pre-Script

To the choirmaster

A Psalm of David

Rejoicing with great exultation! (vs. 1-3)

Oh LORD

in your strength

the king rejoices- David is prolific at this, look at all the songs he writes!

in your salvation- NIV “Victory”. But salvation lends itself to the realization that it was God who won, not David!

how greatly he exalts-

You have given him- David is speaking in 3rd person

his heart’s desire- 20:4

and have not withheld the request of his lips- “become betrotherd, arrange an engagement

Selah- tune your heart strings. David is thanking the LORD for answering his requests in Ps. 20.

For you

meet him with rich blessings- “Confront” 17:13, 18:5, 18

set a crown of fine gold upon his head

Answered requests (vs. 4-5)

He asked life of you

you gave it to him

length of days forever and ever

His glory is great

through your salvation- David’s glory is great not because he is great but because God’s salvation is great!

Splendor and majesty you bestow on him

Joy, trust, and stability (vs. 6-7)

For you make him

most blessed forever- “make him a source of blessing forever”

For you make him

glad with the joy of your presence

For the king trusts in the LORD

and through the steadfast love of the Most High- “Hesed”

he shall not be moved- trust that doesn’t move is anchored in the steadfast love of the most high because it is not swayed.

The Ents in Lord of The Rings a damn is let out to put out all the fire in the valley and everything is washed away in the water except for the trees.

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):

In what Strength are you rejoicing in today? Where has God given you salvation/deliverance that you would like to exult Him for? Anyone want to give a verbal answer now???

Rejoicing, great exultation, glad with the joy of His presence, etc. what do these things sound like in your life? If they are not a part of your life, why not? What has moved you from the steadfast love of the Most high?

Are you saying that I am a bad christian if I am not rejoicing, exulting, and glad all the time? That is not what I am saying, look at the Psalms, David too was not like this all the time. But one thing is for sure, when we don’t rejoice, when we complain, when we are embittered and grouchy, it is often a symptom of being moved away from the steadfast love of the Most High.

Enlist the Body (Words, actions, emotions):

“Lord, I praise You for saving me from…”

Transitional phrase: rejoicing, exultation, and gladness are all responses to the steadfast love of God most High. David and the people of God are building trust in the one who is never moved. It is out of this response that they move closer to God with more requests.

Request: “Put them to Flight” (vs. 8-13)

Find out (vs. 8-9)

Your hand- David’s hand

will find out all your enemies- as we turn to the request we find out that tomorrow is another day. They are celebrating the deliverance today and asking for continued steadfast love in the future.

Your right hand

will find out those who hate you

You will make them

as a blazing oven

when you appear-

The LORD

will swallow them up in his wrath

and fire will consume them- Everyone is found out by God! No one gets by without Him knowing. God’s presence brings something very different to his enemies than blessing.

Put them to flight (vs. 10-12)

You will destroy

their descendants from the earth

and their offspring from among the children of man

Though they

plan evil against you

devise mischief

they will not succeed

For you will

put them to flight

aim at their faces with your bows- Not only will David destroy his enemies, but also the offspring of his enemies. As if that was not enough, but making the last sight of this person dysfigured. It is one thing to aim at a vital organ with the intent of killing someone, it is another thing to aim at the face.

Be exalted (v. 13)

Be exalted, Oh LORD,

in your strength

We will

sing

and praise

your power

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):

How does this translate to life today?

Some of us are very concerned that those who are wrong are exposed. Justice is important, concequences should be given…Yet we must first determine, who is the LORD’s enemy? We all want clear lines and defined sides: politically, nationally, in war, religion, science, healthcare, mental health, sports teams.

Pray that those who are causing injustice

will be found out

that they will not succeed

That they would be put to flight and their plans destroyed

That they would exalt God and not themselves.

Transitional phrase:

Summary: Trust grows the closer we are to God’s steadfast love

Discussion Starters:

Where has God given me salvation/deliverance that I would like to exult Him for?

What circumstances make, rejoicing, exulting, and glad difficult?

How does God want me to pray for my enemies/those who hate me?

Song: Great is Thy Faithfulness

Next Week’s Sermon: 1 Timothy 3:2 “the husband of one wife” in preparation for our church chat.

Benediction/Looking ahead: INVITE PEOPLE TO THE CAFE