You Alone, LORD (Psalm 4)

Introduction

In our house, our children have a variety of different kinds of books to read. We have a set of Winnie the Pooh books, the Chronicles of Narnia set, we have board books of various kinds. But as we seek to also expose our children early to the things of our LORD, we have books that teach them about who God is. And one of the series we have is called Big Truths for Little Hearts. In this series we have: Did God Learn His ABC’s, Does God Go on Vacation, and Does God Sleep? All three teaching about who this God we are calling them to believe really is. That last one, Does God Sleep is not only an important truth for the little hearts in the room, it is an important truth for all of us to learn, especially when sleep seems to evade us.

The book starts by asking, “Do you wonder if God ever sleeps through the night?” It then leads up to teaching a big truth about God, and that big truth is: “No! Here’s a Big Truth on which you can depend: God never sleeps, and His power never ends!” [1]

How often do we forget that God’s power never ends nor does God ever step away from keeping watch and holding all things together? When things get hard, we often are tempted to think God has drifted asleep or stepped away. But let me assure us, he has not and he is there to care for his people. That’s what I want to talk about with us this morning as we come to Psalm 4. Therefore, I hope you have a copy of the Bible and will turn with me to Psalm 4. If you do not have a copy, I invite you to take out that Red Bible in front of you and open it with us to Psalm 4 which can be found on page #529.

This morning we conclude this round of working our way through the Psalms and will pick up again in Psalm 5 the next time. But as we saw last week in Psalm 3, the remainder of the Psalms are working of how to delight in God’s law and giving our allegiance to God’s Anointed King in the midst of the nations raging and plotting and their surrounding us as God’s people. The Psalms are helping move our hearts from lament, sorrow, fear, being downcast, and doubtful towards trusting God and praising Him. The Psalms are teaching our hearts to sing praise despite whatever our circumstances maybe. And Psalm 4 this morning fits that. Psalm 4 seeks to move our hearts from distress in the midst of being surrounded to dwelling safely in rest. Let us then now hear the word of the LORD from Psalm 4.

Main Idea: If we will trust in the LORD, we will both have joy and rest, even in the midst of distress. We are going to unfold this in 4 points: (1) Confident Prayer (Psalm 4:1), (2) Bold Rebuke (Psalm 4:2-5), (3) Greater Joy (Psalm 4:6-7), and (4) Safe Dwelling (Psalm 4:8).

Point #1: Confident Prayer

Moments of distress comes for us all. Everything seems to be pressing against us and we find ourselves distressed. And in the midst of our stress and affliction, we are tempted to try and self-medicate. Not with actual medicine, but with things like comfort food, busyness, and noise. We have all been guilty of this. In the midst of stress, “I need a bowl of ice cream.” I’m sure my wife has never heard me say that one. Or instead of finding moments of silence and solitude to deal with our thoughts and what all is going on and bringing to the LORD, we try to ignore it by staying busy and having constant noise around us, the radio, tv. I know for at least two of us in the room, that it has been expressed the temptation at night to watch something as fall asleep, for me in part to avoid my mind and the things that overwhelm me. These are just some of the ways we react in the midst of feeling distressed, let alone the feelings of anxiety, fear, anger, and all the other emotions. But the question before us, is that the way the Bible teaches us to react and respond? The answer, no. For in the midst of distress here in Psalm 4, David teaches us to turn to our great and good God. Verse 1.

David again here in Psalm 4 finds himself in the midst of opposition with opponents rising against him. And while it is uncertain if the same trials of Psalm 3 with David’s son, Absalom still pursuing him or another set of opponents, we know that this causes David to be distressed. But in the midst of this distress, what does David do? He cries out to his God with confidence. He cries out, expecting God to answer.

This is not some crying out with prideful expectation for David though. David cries out in expectation not because of who he is and thinking himself worthy in and of himself for God to hear him. No, just the opposite. David cries out with expectation because of who God is, both in character and David’s relationship to God. For notice how David addresses his God, “O God of my righteousness”.

In saying that God is his righteousness, David recognizes that he has no righteousness of his own apart from the LORD. Therefore, even though David rightly feels that he is being wrongly attacked by his opponents, that it cannot be up to himself to right this wrong. For he will not rightly bring about justice and righteousness. However, he trusts the LORD to bring about his righteousness and carry out his just judgments according to his promises. And so it is for this reason that David cries out to the LORD.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, how greatly we need to learn from David in this fourth Psalm our great need to not seek to right wrongs done against us in and of our own accord. We must cry out to the LORD and entrust him to do a work only he is so fit to do in bringing about true righteousness and justice. But lest we think God will not answer, let us see the root of David’s confidence.

David adds, “You have given me relief when I was in distress.” David’s confidence is the past. David’s God has before given him relief in the midst of distress, and it is this that encourages David’s heart to trust and wait on his God to bring about relief again.

If we struggle to pray wondering what good it does and if the LORD really hears and answers, let me encourage you to recall previous ways the LORD has answered our prayers. If you cannot remember, let me encourage you to start keeping a prayer journal or some kind of record of how the LORD has answered previous prayers. Start seeing how God brings relief to his people through prayer. And if you still struggle to see God’s goodness and faithfulness to hear and answer prayer, let me encourage you if you are not already making it a habit, regularly and consistently join us on the first Sunday of the month during that Sunday School hour which we are devoting to corporate prayer. Come and hear the prayers others are requesting and how God answers these prayers. Let us be encouraged that we have a good and Sovereign LORD who answers our prayers.

And yet, we must remember prayer being heard and answered is an act of God’s grace to us as his people. Though David asks confidently and expectantly, he does not presume upon it, he knows that answered prayer is God’s grace to him which is why he proclaims, “Be gracious to me and hear my prayers.”

Therefore, let us learn to turn confidently to prayer to our God, and expect him to answer, because he is a most gracious father who cares for us. This truth should not only give us confidence though in our God, it should give us boldness to speak truth, even hard truths to our opponents.

Point #2: Bold Rebuke

Verse 2…Still in the midst of his distress from his opponents plotting and raging against him, David turns to question his opponents as he is strengthened from prayer. For as he dwells on who his God is and his faithfulness and graciousness, David asks his opponents how long will they continue down this path?

First, he asks how long they shall turn David’s honor into shame? We as westerners do not live in an honor and shame culture. So this moving from honor to shame is often lost on us, particularly at the implications of such. To help us with that, let us hear these words from John Klaassen as he explains this concept well:

As Westerners, we tend to be more “guilt based” in our cultural understanding. We do the right things because we fear punishment or look forward to the rewards. Shame-based cultures primarily are connected with maintaining honor and avoiding the humiliation of public shame. When you break the honor code, then shame comes to the family and it is not easily erased. [2]

David’s enemies seek to bring this kind of public shame and humiliation on David as they rage against the LORD and his Anointed King. And yet, in asking how long, David begins to point out the vain and pointless toil of their efforts. For even their seeking to turn David’s honor to shame is not rooted in truth, but lies. For these people love vain things. For while the ESV chooses to add words here, and that is certainly in line with the seeking after lies, the vanity that these enemies love is not just words, but certainly not less than words. These people love their vain plotting, their vain plans, their vain words, their vain attempts at continuing to establish themselves as deciders of right and wrong. But again, how long will they love and pursue such vanity? For here is the big truth they have ignored and rejected. Verse 3.

David’s trust and confidence lie in this truth that God has set apart the godly for himself. Not that they were godly in and of themselves, as David has already noted that God is his righteousness, but those who are godly are those who rest in the LORD and his righteousness and they seek to make it their own. These godly have been set apart. The book of Ephesians teaches us that these have been set apart before the foundation of the world. And to be therefore set apart, means that God has bestowed his blessings and favor upon these who belong to him. These he has blessed with every blessing in Christ. And in that blessing, he has given us access to himself and the guarantee we will be heard in our prayer as Jesus himself intercedes on our behalf.

Yet, while this is the confidence for David, confidence for us who are united by faith to the greater David, Jesus, this is a bold rebuke for David’s opponents. It is a bold rebuke that exposes just how vain their attempts and plots are against him. For how do they expect to turn his honor to shame when he has already been set apart by the LORD himself. How can they bring him to shame and humiliation when the LORD is by his side?

Make no mistake, suffering and harm can come to the Christian. There are moments when it feels as if we have been brought to shame. Shame in the midst of our ongoing struggle with sin. Shame in the midst of our constant failures in our families, work, life, you name it. But we as Christians can never be shamed in defeat, for we stand with the King who has already been declared victorious. So even if we should feel the sting of death by the hand of our enemies, we know that he who has set us apart will one day raise us to eternal glory and honor as we are one with the Beloved Son.

So those of you who continue to mock the LORD and plot against him and those who belong to his King, whether with intentional opposition or subtle indifference, how long will you continue? The LORD has set a people apart for himself and he will care for them and bring them to victory in Jesus! But you, you friend, need to hear this bold rebuke and repent of such vanity and wicked love. You need to behold our God and tremble. Verse 4.

While we read here, be angry from the ESV, I would argue here that this makes to much interpretive decision with this translation. The more accurate rendering here would be tremble as in other translations. For tremble here encompasses trembling with anger, but also trembling with fear. Those who oppose God and are not set apart as his people should tremble before the almighty. For even if they are angry with David, they should not sin by opposing the very one God has chosen as his Anointed. They should tremble before the LORD and sin no more. They should ponder in their own hearts on their beds in silence at the outcome of their rebellion. Selah.

And as they ponder their predicament, their sinful ways, we come to David’s gospel invitation. Verse 5.

David calls those who have previously opposed God and his Anointed to repent and offer right sacrifices to the LORD, sacrifices not in and of themselves, but from a right heart. David likely on the run would have not been able to enter the tabernacle for a sacrificial ceremony. His opponents would have had free reign, yet though they had the tabernacle and the altar, their sacrifices were not done from a right heart. They went through the religious motions and it did them no good. For their trust was not in the LORD, but in ceremonial practices.

O friend, you who go through the motions of religiosity be warned. You may think yourself religious, you may think yourself right with God, but be warned, motions of religiosity are not the same as right sacrifice, right worship of God. Right worship of God is seated in a trust in the LORD as the Sovereign and Good King. Worship that starts in the heart and overflows out of. Therefore, let any who oppose God tremble and ponder their evil and turn in repentance to the LORD. Let them come to place their trust in the one true sacrifice of the spotless Lamb of God in Jesus Christ who laid down his life in order to take away the sins of the world. Who brings eternal life to all who believe in him. Friend, here this bold rebuke and repent and believe today. Make today the day of your salvation by coming to Jesus, who alone can take away your guilt and your shame.

Point #3: Greater Joy

David here moves from giving his opponents a needed rebuke back to speaking with the LORD in the final three verses of this Psalm. Verse 6.

Just as with Psalm 3:2, there are many who say here in the fourth Psalm. However depending on what translation you are using or if you compare translations, it does not take long to see there is some debate about the fullness of their saying. Whether they say simply “who will show us some good?” as in the NIV. Or as here in the ESV, “Who will show us some good? Lift up the light of your face upon us, O LORD!”

But here is what needs pressed upon us more than figuring out who is asking the question, what do we consider the lifting up the light of God’s face upon us to be? For that is what is at stake here. Both the opponents, the many who are seeking good, along with the godly seek God’s face to shine upon them. But what is that good and what is that light?

For the many, that good, that light is a desire to have full barns of grain, full cellars of wine, to have their bellies and desires full. They seek the blessings of prosperity here and now. They seek to shame any who are in the midst of distress.

But not David. David who is still in the middle of his distress indeed seeks the face of the LORD to shine upon us, crying out as the Psalmist of Psalm 67:1 “1 May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah” However, David understands that blessing of God’s face to be shining upon us as something different than simply the treasures of this world. David understands this to be the giving of God himself. Verse 7.

David here makes the comparison between the joy of having grain and wine abound and the joy with it to his greater joy in his heart from the LORD. From dwelling with him, from trusting in him. Charles Spurgeon comments here:

Christ in the heart is better than corn in the barn, or wine in the vat. Corn and wine are but fruits of the world, but the light of God’s countenance is the ripe fruit of heaven. [3]

This greater joy is not a false joy that David simply musters up, it is rooted in his trust in the LORD, his trust that God’s promises will prevail against all his enemies. It is rooted in the trust that all who take refuge in the LORD’s Anointed King will indeed be blessed. It is trust that all who oppose the King and fail to kiss him in allegiance will perish. The greater joy of David is rooted in this trust. His trust that God indeed will bring one to sit on David’s throne forever, the Greater Son, Jesus.

Friends, the question for us, is this the joy we pursue? Do we pursue a greater joy that is rooted in Christ our King? A joy that is more abounding than if our barns and cellars were full? A joy that ever increases the more we study and come to know our Great God who shows us good by revealing himself to us and dwelling in us. Who shows us good by drawing us near to himself through his word. Who shows us good by disciplining us as his children as he continues to make us new in Christ. It is this God who indeed shows us good and makes his face shine upon us in and of himself that brings this greater joy. And then it is also this very good God who not only brings us greater joy, but safe dwelling.

Point #4: Safe Dwelling

Verse 8. Because of David’s trust in the LORD through his confident prayer to the LORD, he was able to know that even in the midst of his continued distress, he would lie down and sleep. For the LORD was his protector and shield. The LORD alone made him dwell in safety.

We are so tempted to think that all sorts of things make us safe. We will dwell in safety if we have a big enough safety net in our finances. We are tempted we will dwell in safety if we take all the extra precautions. We will dwell in safety if we have the right leader and governance. We will dwell in safety if we have enough guns. We will dwell in safety if we have enough food stocked up. We will dwell in safety if and we could go on and on. Friends, are you trusting in these and other things for your safety or do you see that it is the LORD and the LORD alone who makes us dwell in safety?

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Q. 11. What are God’s works of providence?

A. God’s works of providence are, his most holy, wise, and powerful preserving and governing all his creatures, and all their actions.

Endnotes

[1] Amy Gannett, Does God Sleep? A Book About God’s Power. (Nashville; TN: B&H Kids), 6.

[2] John Klaasen, Engaging with…Muslims: Understanding their world sharing good news. (Croydon, CR0 4YY: The Good Book Company, 2015), 26-27.

[3] C. H. Spurgeon, The Treasury of David: Psalms 1-26, vol. 1 (London; Edinburgh; New York: Marshall Brothers, n.d.), 36.