Psalm 60__The Salvation of Man Is Worthless

Introduction |

MP—Our Only Hope in Defeat and Deliverance is Jesus Christ!

The title of this Psalm is the longest of all of the Psalms.

This describes a time after David had become King and had reigned for a number of years in Jerusalem.

This Psalm gives us a deeper look into what may seem like a period of victory to victory for Israel, but was laced with defeat.

In 2 Sam 5 David was annointed King, in chapter 6 he brings the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, chapter 7 God enters into covenant with David, and he desired to build a house for God, but God promised to build David a house and in chp. 8 God does this by defeating David’s enemies.

2 Sam gives us the positive social media view of David’s reign during this time, but Psalm 60 gives us some behind the scene details about these events and how David processed them once out of the heat of battle.

Let me give you a bit more context from 2 Sam. 8:1-14 so you can understand what is going on in Psalm 60.

David had many enemies from Jerusalem to the far corners of the Middle East. So, while he was away fighting in the NE, along the Euphrates River, the Edomites came from the South to attack Jerusalem.

The Edomites must have had some success, so David sent Joab to deal with the uprising.

And as the title of Ps.60 states, Joab was successful at the Valley of Salt, neat the Dead Sea.

It is important to note that even while David and Israel were experiencing overall victory against the nations there were moments of defeat and difficulty.

Psalm 60 seems to be broken into three sections:

vv.1-5—Defeat and Deliverance Are From God

vv.6-8—When We Feel Defeated, Comfort Must Is Found in the Word of God.

vv.9-12—Never Forget that Only God Can Give True Victory

1. vv. 1-5 Defeat and Deliverance Are From God

The language of defeat comes hard and fast in the first few verses.

Oh God you have....rejected, broken, angry, unstable, hard times, staggering.

David is recounting the judgement of God against the people because of their sin.

David says God was “angry” and calls on him to “restore, repair” his people.

These were not just battles Israel had to fight, but God brought these enemies against his people in judgement against their sinfulness.

Matthew Henry — God sometimes shows even his own people hard things in this world, that they may not take up their rest in it, but may dwell at ease in him only.

I have had people ask me if their hardship is judgement for sin, and my response is that it could be, but not always.

Paul had a thorn in the flesh, not necessarily because of sin, but as the early church was growing a man and his wife, Ananias and Sapphirah, in Acts 5 were judged because of their sin.

Spurgeon—To be cast off by God is the worst calamity that can befall a man or a people, but the worst form of it is when the person is not aware of it and is indifferent to it.”

If you think you are facing hardship in your life as a consequence of sin don’t be indifferent—REPENT!

REPENTANCE = “A sincere turning from our sin to God and his offering of grace in Jesus Christ”

This is not regret, reluctance, shame, seeming sincerity (tears).

Reptance is turning from your sin to Jesus Christ, your savior

Ps. 60:4 “You have set up a banner for those who fear you, that they may flee to it from the bow. Selah”

Banner = “rallying point, a place to run to for protection and security.

This statement is more than just a description of a banner, it is a foreshadow of Jesus Christ.

In Exodus 17 the nation of Israel fought against the Amalekites. It was here that Moses went up on the hill while Joshua led the men into battle. While Moses was on the hill with Aaron and Hur, he would hold up his hands and Israel would be victorious, but when he lowered them the Amalekites would advance. So Aaron and Hur held up Moses’ hands, and Joshua was victorious over the Amalekites. And there Moses built an altar to the Lord and wrote The LORD Is My Banner (Jehovah Nissi).

Church, Christ is our banner, our rally point, our refuge—the righteous run to him and they are saved.

Spurgeon says that Christ the banner,

gives us a place of unity

is a symbol of defiance against the world,

an emblem (reminder) of the victory we have in him.

Rom 8:31-35 “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?”

With Jesus Christ as our banner of truth, we experience what David prays for in v.5.

As God’s beloved ones, we are delivered, saved, and heard when we come to him in under the banner of Jesus Christ.

In this Psalm we see that Prayer is a big part of David’s life. He prays to know the heart of God.

Do you run to the LORD in prayer? Do you see him as the banner of safety where you can petition the Father for safekeeping?

2. vv.6-8—When We Feel Defeated, Comfort Is Found in the Word of God.

Communication is a huge part of a relationship. This is true in our relationship with God too.

In v.5, David petitions God for an answer.

However, we must remember that God is not like us.

Is. 55:8-11 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”

So, with that in mind, let me remind you that we communicate with God through prayer and he communicates with us by his word.

v.6-9—David looks to the historical promises of scripture to find comfort. He runs to the “banner of truth” to the “banner of Christ—the Word—for comfort.”

Ps. 60:6 “God has spoken in his holiness: “With exultation I will divide up Shechem and portion out the Vale of Succoth…and so on.

David names specific places that can be found in the Bible and in reference to the history of Israel.

God’s Covenant with Abraham in Genesis 17, and also in Joshua 12-17.

David found comfort in the word of the Lord.

Boice writes, “Biblical faith is not simple optimism, nor is it a positive mental attitude worked up to help us through tough times. According to the Bible, faith is believing the Word of God and acting on it, which is what David expresses in this psalm because God had promised his people victory over Moab, Philistia, and Edom.

When you feel defeated where do you turn for comfort? Do you look to the promises of the Bible or somewhere else?

Many in the church today have been influenced, more than we realize, by the charismatic pentecostal movement.

The 2nd Great Awakening moved the church, in many ways, from intellectualism to emotionalism.

From renewing your mind, to follow your heart.

As a result we look to subjective impressions, thoughts, or directives as God speaking to us.

The truth is, God doesn’t need to speak through subjective emotionalism—we have him in his word. Now, don’t get me wrong, the Holy Spirit is our guide, and he leads us in paths of righteousness, he empowers us to carry out the great commission, and he renews our minds by the power of the Word. God is intimately active in our lives, so let’s depend on him in the ways he has promised to work in our lives so that we may be a people who worship him in Spirit and truth.

God has always intended for his people to find comfort in his word, so when Satan tempts you to despair look to the Bible for comfort.

Eph 1 —God the Father has blessed you in Christ with every spiritual blessing.

He predestined you to be adopted into his beloved family.

In Christ you have redemption through his blood, forgiveness of trespasses, and an inheritance—an all of this is in accordance to the purpose of God who works all things to the counsel of his will.

This is the unchanging, objective, comfort we need from the sufficient Word of God—

3. vv.9-12—Never Forget that Only God Can Give True Victory

God knew we would be tempted to lose interest in him and look for deliverance elsewhere.

v.9—Gives us greater clarity into David’s trust in the Lord.

When David speaks of the fortified city here, he is speaking of Petra.

Petra was the most fortified city within Edom. It sat at elevation and was surrounded by impenetrable rock structures.

You have to approach through a narrow cut in the limestone cliffs that winds for two miles. The cliffs rise up thousands of feet and the passage is so narrow that only two horses can pass side by side.

Only God could give victory over such a place, but he didn’t in David’s life time.

In fact, God destroyed Petra in 515BC with and earthquake, never to be fully fortified again.

(v.10)—If David would have relied on his thoughts feelings and emotions he would have been left hopeless.

As has been pointed out in some of the other Psalms this Summer, we do not fight against kings and nations, but as members of the Kingdom of God we are called to advance his kingdom in an increasingly hostile world.

The earthly enemies, battles, and strongholds David fought against pale in comparison to the spiritual battles we engage in on a daily basis. If we are to be victorious, we must remember that the salvation of man is worthless, only God can give true victory.

So, let’s be certain of the victory we have under the banner of Christ.

You are not surrounded by others!

Be sincere in acknowledging your sin.

Be serious about turning from sin.

Be still and enjoy the grace of God in Jesus Christ.