Psalm 13 How Long O LORD?

How Long O Lord?

Chair Bible pg. 453

Main Idea: Difficult seasons give way to rejoicing for those who trust in the LORD.

Difficult seasons come in all of our lives. For some, they are more intense and carry a longer duration. In this text, the Bible acknowledges difficulty in the life of the believer and reveals the honest and forthright way that David deals with the difficult season before the LORD.

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. A song to be sung...

Two typical responses to difficulty: Emotional response and inward contemplative response.

The psalm implies that especially in prayer you must hold both emotion and reason together. In a true knowledge of God they(emotion and reason) combine. At the throne of grace, tears fall from your eyes and arguments from your lips. (Ralph Davis, p. 20)

David questions the LORD concerning his long season of difficulty

Notice right away the repetition of the question…”How Long?” All repetition in prayer is not forbidden, but only vain repetition, vv. 1,2. Four times does David cry out, How long? (Plumer, p. 188)

1 How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever?

How long will you hide your face from me?

2 How long must I take counsel in my soul

and have sorrow in my heart all the day?

How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

How Long, O LORD?

Anguish and intense desire for deliverance…

Anguish and intense desire for deliverance…

four “How long’s?”... It is an effective way of saying that the struggle being described has continued for a long time. (Boice, p. 108) Our timetable is often shorter than the LORD’s.

four “How long’s?”... It is an effective way of saying that the struggle being described has continued for a long time. (Boice, p. 108) Our timetable is often shorter than the LORD’s.

1 How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? Asking...Have you forgotten me? Implication is an uninterrupted forgetting...

Note the paradox…asking will you forget me forever or have you forgotten me, yet he speaks to the LORD.

Job 23:8–10 ESV

8 “Behold, I go forward, but he is not there, and backward, but I do not perceive him; 9 on the left hand when he is working, I do not behold him; he turns to the right hand, but I do not see him. 10 But he knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold.

Job 23:1–10 ESV

1 Then Job answered and said: 2 “Today also my complaint is bitter; my hand is heavy on account of my groaning. 3 Oh, that I knew where I might find him, that I might come even to his seat! 4 I would lay my case before him and fill my mouth with arguments. 5 I would know what he would answer me and understand what he would say to me. 6 Would he contend with me in the greatness of his power? No; he would pay attention to me. 7 There an upright man could argue with him, and I would be acquitted forever by my judge. 8 “Behold, I go forward, but he is not there, and backward, but I do not perceive him; 9 on the left hand when he is working, I do not behold him; he turns to the right hand, but I do not see him. 10 But he knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold.

2nd question...How long will you hide your face from me? or Are you turning away from me?

How long will you hide your face from me? Are you turning away from me?

The hiding of God’s face is an anthropomorphic expression for alienation and curse (cf. 30:7; 44:24; 88:14). The shining of God’s face signifies blessing (cf. ; ; ; ; , , ). (Longman/Garland, pg. 170)

Numbers 6:24–26 ESV

24 The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

Though his face appears to be hidden, it does not mean that He has forgotten us.

A hidden face is the not the sign of a forgetful heart.

“if we are faithless, he remains faithful-- he cannot deny himself.”

Questions #3

2 How long must I take counsel in my soul

and have sorrow in my heart all the day?

I am my own worst enemy. Sinking into depression.Worry, anxiety, stress...listening to yourself instead of preaching to yourself. The enemy of our souls is still saying “did God really say”

“The devil [is] the adversary of our souls. He can use our temperaments and our physical condition. He so deals with us that we allow our temperament to control and govern us, instead of keeping temperament where it should be kept. There is no end to the ways the devil produces spiritual depression. We must always bear him in mind.” (Boice quoting Lloyd-Jones, p. 110)

Question #4

How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

My enemies are in my face. The laughter and taunting of our enemies make the grief and pain more intense. Simply their looks of disdain as we languish are hard to bear.

The laughter and taunting of our enemies make the grief and pain more intense. Simply their looks of disdain as we languish are hard to bear.

Argument…You are God, I am your child, why are you allowing the wicked to dominate me?

Do these questions make you uncomfortable? If you found the journal of someone you look up to spiritually and read similar questions...how would you feel? Would you think less of them?

Have you ever expressed out loud or on paper similar questions...ASK…...

Am I coming before the LORD honestly, yet reverently, during difficult seasons?

Note reverence...our God is a consuming fire, we are not addressing an equal.

Hebrews 4:14–16 ESV

14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

To cry out under the hidings of God’s countenance is not sinful. Even the man without sin cried, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Plumer p. 188)

To cry out under the hidings of God’s countenance is not sinful. Even the man without sin cried, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Plumer p. 188)

He who bore our sins, and carried our sorrows, may likewise be presumed to have made it a part of his devotions, in the day of trouble. (Horne, p. 71) Let us imitate his lowliness and his faith. We must guard our souls against the great error of (deciding that God is not going to deliver us…postponement and refusal are two different things.) We must give God his time. (Plumer, p. 188)

As we wait we must pray.

David cries to the LORD for relief from his season of difficulty

Honesty and forthrightness continue in his cry for relief.

He uses arguments, reasons, in his petitions...this implies...that prayer is a thinking exercise?... Do you press reasons upon Yahweh as to why He should answer your plea? Can you make an argument for the petition you bring? (Ralph Davis, p. 19)

3 Consider and answer me, O LORD my God;

light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,

4 lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,”

lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.

In the midst of the difficult season and as the LORD appears silent, David prays, “Consider and answer me, O LORD my God” Covenant keeping God...His very name speaks to the unchanging nature of who He is and of his covenant promise to David and to his people. “We cannot too often plead our covenant relation to God, v. 3.” (Plumer, p. 189)

3 requests

1. Pleading for consideration(“consider” look on me not away)

2. response(answer me)

3rd request is for relief…”light up my eyes”

Perilous place physically...not just tired...dangerously exhausted and harrassed.

V. 4 What will it say about the LORD if my enemies conquer over me...It is not the Lord’s will that the great enemy of our souls should overcome his children. This would dishonor God, and cause the evil one to boast. (Spurgeon, p. 152)

What basis does David have for such a prayer?

Illus: Goliath situation...who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he would taunt the army of the living God?

Am I praying specifically and biblically during difficult seasons?

Hebrews 5:7–9 ESV

7 In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. 8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. 9 And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him,

Notice right away that this is not a text on how to get rid of your difficulty...what to do in the midst of difficulty.

Notice right away that this is not a text on how to get rid of your difficulty...what to do in the midst of difficulty.

Jesus prayed with loud cries and tears—in the midst of difficulty.

Heard because of his reverence

“he learned obedience through what he suffered”

“Source of eternal salvation” We are saved and kept by him forever.

(p. 36 “When the Darkness will not lift” Piper)

Salvation brings joy!

David rejoices in the LORD in the midst of his season of difficulty

Internal questioning leads to lament, then to pleading which breaks forth in rejoicing in salvation.

5 But I have trusted in your steadfast love;

my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.

6 I will sing to the LORD,

because he has dealt bountifully with me.

“I have trusted in your steadfast love” “hesed” faithful love, covenant love described in Ex. 34:6

Exodus 34:6 ESV

6 The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness,

“But hesed not only carries this notion of surprise but has overtones of steadfastness as well...It is not merely love but loyal love, not merely kindness but dependable kindness, not merely affection but affection that has committed itself. It is not simply love but love that has ‘stick-um’ on it, love that refuses to ever let go. (Ralph Davis, p. 21)

“But hesed not only carries this notion of surprise but has overtones of steadfastness as well...It is not merely love but loyal love, not merely kindness but dependable kindness, not merely affection but affection that has committed itself. It is not simply love but love that has ‘stick-um’ on it, love that refuses to ever let go. (Ralph Davis, p. 21)

Flow of Psalm…though not mentioned until the end...David’s trust in unfailing love led to prayer, trust results of prayer that the LORD will provide salvation deliverance now and forever.

The result of salvation is a rejoicing heart…notice “your salvation” from Him alone.

v. 6 A rejoicing heart sings…

Why? The LORD has dealt bountifully with me. “Deal bountifully” completeness, a completeness that is all of the LORD. “When he says the Lord has dealt bountifully with me, he means God’s help is given in pure grace, without any merit whatsoever on his part.” (Calvin, p. 61)

So What?

Am I rejoicing in the LORD’s steadfast love and salvation through Christ? (...during difficult seasons...perspective on the greatest season of difficulty in our lives is the season apart from Christ...when we had no hope and were without God in the world.

Hebrews 12:2 ESV

2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Quote Piper “When the darkness...p. 40-41

Look to Christ!

“David is in agony and can’t feel the presence of God. He cries out that God has ignored his pain and his sorrow. It is almost a howl, and the fact that it is included in the Bible tells us that God wants to hear our genuine feelings, even if they are anger at him. David never stops praying however, and that is the key. As long as we howl toward God and remember his salvation by grace (verse 5), we will end at a place of peace. If Christians do that by hearing Jesus praying verses 1-4 on the cross, losing the Father’s face as he paid for our sins, we will be able to pray verses 5-6 indeed. (Keller, The Songs of Jesus, p. 19)

Reread the Psalm from the perspective of Christ on the Cross and our response to Christ risen

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