Three Prayers to Lead Us out of the Silence of Death
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Dear Al, Mark & Karen, Jan & Kathrin, Rob & Jen, family, and friends, Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ,
I the midst of all the ups and downs, the births and deaths, the good times and bad times, the health and sickness we experience in this brief life on earth does prayer matter? Did it matter in Rita’s life, when even her mother died when she was so young, did it matter in her later growing up years? Did it matter in her work in the hospital (boy could she tell stories about that), in her work as bus - Did prayer make a difference in her marriage, and her parenting, this church life - . Even in those last months - phone calls and the prayer - with Jeannette and Evelyn. Question some of you grand children had - grand mothers get sick, if going to die anyways what difference does prayer make. Question of elders, call on elders and anoint with oil - pray for healing - sins forgiven and raised up - whether in healing in this life or raised up in the next - was that symbolic act of Holy Spirit of prayers of God’s people and blessing for strength to face the trial? Heard? Such a beautiful way yes, longer than expected, made the week of holidays on 6 Mile Lake, with fishing and the cards, able to continue working and enjoy the odd smoke when Riet popped by the church on cleaning day, made Christmas. And she would tell you with a smile, all with virtually no pain. Able even to sing the night before and enjoy Jenna's last Dab - But more importantly in the dangerous time spiritually of affliction and body dying - wow what joy and faith!
But while our Remembrances honour Rita, this gospel funeral message isn’t for her, now is it? And the question that this Psalm asks of us is does prayer matter now, for you and me? Psalm used by earliest Anglican Church funeral service litany. Why? Because our prayer is to make a world of difference in how we walk through this valley of the shadow of death right now! And so the Lord is asking you today, Will you grieve and hope and live with me and my strength? In he gives us 3 prayers to do that! And even before we can pray those 3 prayers, there is one activity we must do before that.
A. Death calls us to Muse
Al said he chose this text because it highlights strengths and weaknesses - the strength is right in the middle v.7, but boy oh boy the weakness at the beginning and the end is overwhelming.
And you feel that don’t you. We feel our frailty and weakness in the face of death. Saw it happening slowly (Rob, said see those pictures last year compared to this year). In the very end faster then we thought. And the loss is enough, and part of us doesn’t want to think on it. “I Don’t Watn to Be Here.” All those emotions, anger at cancer and what it does, regret of lost time, sadddness in the pain, Sure it is all mixed in there with the laughter and nerf guns, and camp fires.
But when that’s all happening down here, -what do so many of us do? “V.1 I will guard my mouth with a muzzle… V.2 I was mute and silent! Why the Benedictine Monks use this Psalm for their rule of silence. Death silences us. Feel that - most tragic ones like Al’s Dad,’s REv Eshuis uses this Psalm - can’t understand the why’s wherefores - quiet ourselves before God who is bigger than it all. Silent!
We in ourselves helpless before death, not all our science, medicine, and love can stop it, Stare death in the face, even when have time to prepare - we’re still in shock, stunned - not here gone. You've got all that emotion churning inside you like an ocean , feels like your’e drowning in a deep dark well. And that’s why we can’t stay in the silence of death. Listen to
Unless the Lord had given me help, I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death.
You try to keep it all in, look what happens: End of v.2 My distress grew worse. My heart became hot within me! You know what happens fire gets contained - lid on it - hotter and hotter until blow the lid off! And that’s what v.3 says is our job to do in faith in the face of death.
You know what happens fire gets contained - lid on it - hotter and hotter until blow the lid off!
And that’s what v.3 says is our job to do in faith in the face of death.
My heart became hot within me. As I mused, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue:
Do you ever talk to yourself, mutter, must confess that Rita heard me to do that from time to time. Work through something - Hugely important Word in the Psalms - Muse, to ponder, think about, meditate on something often God’s Word, but here our suffering, our death - turn it over and over look at it from various angles.
It was indeed the text - in the early death Al your father - just 53 Pastor Eshuis - What are we to do when tragedy strikes, death - all those questions raging emotions - call to be quiet, to let go of all the why’s come to a God who is bigger than it all. But now another
Al picked this Psalm because first of all it shows us our weakness, how frail, fragile, short, finite our lives are - we must muse on this. The Psalm is a mirror of human weakness! Here is a picture of the vanity of life and of the last enemy to be destroyed which is death - have you mused on this? View form a Herse, just don’t deal with death, so quickly, don’t pull over, don’t show up, whole day off…
Do you know what the opposite to musing is? A/musing - Literally what it means it to go through life, in a conspiracy with the Devil himself, without thinking or meditating, just move on from death without thinking of what it means, of what eternity is, of what eternity with God in heaven and eternity without God in hell is all about. We are called to muse about life and death. Like these boys go out to play a hockey game, its all over and they don’t jsut go home to bed to sleep, what do they do - they go to Sticky Fingers, St Louis’ and they reminiscing and they talk over, maybe a little razing, a little analyzing - And we are called to do that now about a whole life and our whole lives! But the moment you will do that before the LORD, acknowledging just can’t end this way - nothingness - you find your tongue loosened and you pray. And the first Prayer starts off as what should be the easiest one, though its is a dark one.
But the moment you will do that before the LORD, acknowledging just can’t end this way - nothingness - you find your tongue loosened and you pray.
And the first Prayer starts off as what should be the easiest one, though its is a dark one.
Prayer #1 Pray to Live Your Life Knowing Your End (V.4)
Now you must know that it is a wealthy, powerful, successful man that is praying this. And he says in the face of all his weakness at the end of his life before he shuffles off this mortal coil - teach me what my final destination is, what is the goal, what is the point in the end!
Rita had time and she knew this. Gift of a sickness and long death bed over a tragic accident. But did you know that 5 years ago, first sit down coffee - described your brush with cancer - and how though working, - all these years bonus years gift. Same discussion when sold your house moved into that apartment - always living mindful of your end the goal. And David’s prayer here says only do that when you know how fleeting I am.
Interesting how listen to a worldly person die, whose life was all about money, or power, or praise - on their death-bed, all of that is like dust on the scales of importance. What’s registering on your scale as you live now? Even Queen Elizabeth I as she died with more possession than we all own together, says”all my possessions for a moment of time! V.6 Says, all mankind stands as a mere breath! The word is a vanity, a nothing.
We were made to live forever with souls that will never die, but sin brings death futility and frustartion it all comes to niothing - just a breathe. Word is Habel - When sin enters the world - no longer Adam and Eve (mother of the Living), but what do they name their first child, very symbolic HABEL. Live to die, and after that God has appointed judgment. Why creation groans, we’re in captivity to death. says:
Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—
Now there’s a scary perspective on life. Like shadowy life here and then what? Look at v.6 Surely for nothing, vanity Habvel, we are all n runing around in tumoil.
Now there’s a scary persepective on life. Like shadowy life here and then what? Look at v.6 Surely for nothing, vanity Habvel, we are all n runing around in tumoil.
Now that’s all some people feel, but you pray this, pray it to the Living God, acknowledge fleeting this life is - ask let me know the END. Not when I am to die, but what this life is for, what is heading towards. Then I’m not going to be like the fool at the end of v.6 heaping all this stuff up in life - but who gets it and who cares.
In our youth we feel like we’ll never die, live as if we’re immortal. Take wild canoe trips and jump in full steam ahead - snap Achilles, keep gong as if … Pack up all our stuff head across the country., When got married hadn’t a clue where the end would take you. But get older and you see wisdom is to know your end, the ultimate goal, and live your life backwards from that goal.
Strike s me how easy it was for you guys to liquidate and downsize. People that live for what matters, people and love, joy, the kingdom of God - they can hold on to the rest of life loosely!
Prayer this to God - and he will make your life matter! Our life may be only a few handbreadths, smallest Hebrew units, just a cople cm compared to enteritnity. But v. 5 says, its is God who made and planned out every mm. And when lived for him all those little seconds in this life matter for eternity because of what your are living for. Pray today, God like Rita, hoelp me to live knowing my end, my goal!
But that brings us to the second prayer , this is harder, it is a prayer of faith, not just desperation. When you get face to face with cancer, with your frailty with how short this life is and how you must pass through death, you have a choice to make, a choice of faith and trust in God or to turn from Him who gives life and inhabits eternity. And I tell this prayer is where comfort lies for you and me. Gospel comfort.
But that brings us to the second prayer , this is harder, it is a prayer of faith, not just desperation. When you get face to face with cancer, with your frality with how short this life is and how you must pass through death, you have a choice to make, a choice of faith and trust in God or to turn from Him who gives life and inhabits etneity.
“And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you.
C. Pray with all your hope in the Forgiving & New-Life Giving LORD!
Now this isn’t a prayer of desperation but the prayer of faith. You feel how short and ultimately empty this life is, if this is all there is. You feel that death has entered and it is the punishment for sin, spread over the whole human race. Not the way its supposed to be. You feel that God has appointed a day for each of us to die and after that the judgment! Well what then is there to live for?
So many live as if this life is the big deal, the only deal, eart drink for tomorrow we die. Maybe there is eternal life on the other side, I hope-so, maybe good enough or enough faith - hope-so, but that’s really just the consolation prize, not the super bowl trophy, but the toilet bowl. Live for here and now. But this prayer of faith, doesn’t say, Eternal life is my hope, heaven is my hope!
NO look at it My hope is in You. The living God now in my life is my hope, my only hope. Not a hope-so hope - Riet to Rita going fishing.
This yāḥal “hope” is not a happy wish of the imagination which drowns out troubles, nor is it uncertain (as in the Greek concept), but rather yāḥal “hope” is the solid ground of expectation for the righteous. It is hope in God!
The Psalmist twice commands: “O Israel, hope in the Lord, for with the Lord there is lovingkindness (Heb ḥesed), and with him is abundant redemption” (; cf. 131:3).
Do you get this? The questions isn’t what am I passively waiting for that I hope may happen in the end. But what is all my expectation upon, what is my great expectation, anxiously and desriing? I see how fleeting this life is, I am confronted by you the eternal God - and my hope is you!
Elsewhere Psalmsit says, look the Evil one with grasy hand, with death is coming for me … Rescue me O God, from his hand,
Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of the unjust and cruel man. For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O Lord, from my youth.
For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O Lord, from my youth.
Is it your expectation to meet your God and be blessed by HIm in life and in death? Well then what are you to be hoping in God for? v.8 and 10 Give us that answer in the correct order! Psalm 39:8
Deliver me from all my transgressions. Do not make me the scorn of the fool!
The last song Rita and I talked about a little line from We Come O Christ to You: I face my Judge and Maker unafraid! That is the foundation of hoping in God, Christ’s work on the Cross, a sacrifice for my sins, completely paid for It is finnished, Judgment Day that we should all fear for our sins, already happened in the Cross. But look at what this means for our End.
It was indeed the text - in the early death Al your father - just 53 Pastor Eshuis - What are we to do when tragedy strikes, death - all those questions raging emotions - call to be quiet, to let go of all the why’s come to a God who is bigger than it all. But now another
so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain,
Picture is of an ancient ship with stomy rocky harbour - cast the anchor to the far docks, Christ made it into haeven for us - and when storms of life, when waves of cancer death - that’s when you feel where your anchor is cast. Our sin Christ and heaven, keeps us from crashing into the reefs, or drifting away battered. REach shore hull unbreached, cargo unspoiled!
And if you the LORD JEsus is your hope for forgiveness, reconciliation - right with God fasteneed to him, look what else this prayer of faith involves!
Remove your stroke from me; I am spent by the hostility of your hand.
David knew that no matter how many accomplishments, no matter how pious he was he was nothing more or less than a repentant sinner - and that even the trails and death itself came not by random chance, but through the hands of Almighty and Loving Heavenly Father. Likely when effects of his sins in later life, rely on himself caught up to him, and he in his old age, running from Absalom, in to the desert, some of his lcoset friends with him but others btrayed him.
Of course not all the suffering in our lives is a result of sin in a broken world, and God Sovereignly bends every bit of it to our good purpose. And knowing that He is God’s child, he is able to take all that sufferig in his life in one hand, and his Godin the other - and say: Deliver Me from this stroke. The stroke hurts, but I know you hold the rod and the staff and you will deliver me! And by that rod ultimately beat back the last enmey death for me!
Our God brought deliverance through out Rita’s life and even in death. What a joy to reflect on the testimonies - not a kid in our church who didn’t know Rit’a smile. Little Paige can’t die, Grandmother of the church. Stronger moment s depsite fear of catching someones cold - picture her hlding up baby Josephine. New comers - broght deliverance in the face of all the struggle!
But there is one more prayer that God is calling us to this morning. Not just desperation, not just the prayer of fatih. But the climax of the Psalm must sharpen your prayers today to a finer point.
D. Pray for God to Register Your Tears & Turn His Smile to You Again (V.12-13)
Your tears and sorrow and even righteous anger at the grace - are holy and like Christ’s. He cried at Lazarus grave, He turned at anger at the tomb. David din’t know the full power of the Resurrection and what the SOn of God would do, and so though a child of God, he feels like Job, saying, I trust you but I don’t want to get to close. This trial hurtss to much and aI feel your frown upon me. But even still David is crying - change my experience of our grace, lift this darkness and pain in my life now.
“Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear to my cry; hold not your peace at my tears! For I am a sojourner with you, a guest, like all my fathers.
David was so bold to say, look at my tears and stop this pain!
He felt like God had go away, so he could smile again. But smile again and know the blessing of the LORD he prayed for before he died.
Look away from me, that I may smile again, before I depart and am no more!”
But today we have something better to pray. Christ went through the suffering and the death on the Cross, and what David though he had to live in - the frown and distance from God - Christ said in my death bring it on, I will take the full wrath,of God, the complete frown, disapproval of God on our sin - I wil go into the land of the forsaken - even hell on the Cross - - so that w would never have to experience that ever again not even in our suffering, and our cancers, or in our dying, or in our grieving. And this Jesus came back from the dead, victorious, resurrected Lord of Life, sending His Spirit to give all who belive in him, Nott the Frown of God, but the smile of God’s presence, and even now as a down payment - the Holy Spirit.
lwho belivein him. Notthhe Frown of God, but His msile HIs presence, and even now as a down payment - the Holy Spirit.
He left saying, I go and prepare and place for you. I go before you. That where I am there you may also be. And that is our Christian hope , our hope that does not disappoint and is secure as heaven itself. Rita has not gone away from us. She has gone before us. But she, also in her life and in her death, calls us to pray to the One who shared in our desperation To pray to him who is our only hope, and to him who not just in heaven but already now registers our tears and makes the smiling face of the LORD shine upon us now even in n our fleeting life with misery.
Dear friends and family, this Psalm even as it did in Mr Jan Veenstra Sr funeral calls us to perspective. As one commentator put it: “Read this Psalm frequently; it will bring blessing to heart and life. But I also want to say Pray this Psalm, if you can pray these three prayers of desperation, of faith, and of tears that register and bring God’s smiling presence - then we will not dwell in the silence of death, but live in the hope that we shall be together with the LORD. Though there are tears and a sore missing for a time, there will a deeper joy and thanksgiving if we can pray like that to the great Shepherd of our Soul. Then it will be that our lives too, though brief, not a trifle but like Rita’s have eternal joy and significance.
indeed the text - in the early death Al your father - just 53 Pastor Eshuis - What are we to do when tragedy strikes, death - all those questions raging emotions - call to be quiet, to let go of all the why’s come to a God who is bigger than it all. But now another
A Psalm for perspective, active faith in God gives need life changing perspective in three prayers!
A Psalm for perspective, active faith in God gives need life changing perspective in three prayers!
If you get a true sense of the vanity of creatures, you will at once fix your thoughts on the Creator =
Worldly rich man dying = all that sparkeled in the eye - riches, power, praise lose all their influence, like dust on the scales…
Even a British monarch on her death bed - Queen Elizabaeth I last words - all my possessions for a moment of time.!
Hope in you = This yāḥal “hope” is not a pacifying wish of the imagination which drowns out troubles, nor is it uncertain (as in the Greek concept), but rather yāḥal “hope” is the solid ground of expectation for the righteous. As such it is directed towards God. The Psalmist twice commands: “O Israel, hope in the Lord, for with the Lord there is lovingkindness (Heb ḥesed), and with him is abundant redemption” (; cf. 131:3).
In times of despair, the Psalmist encourages himself by saying, “Hope in God, for I shall yet praise him, the help of his presence” ( [H 6]; also 42:11 [H 12]; 43:5).
First petition for remission of sins = only way ulitatmely to be delivered from trials of life and sin
C. Same sentiments of 1-6, but now in second half in new light - looking to God, rather than being consumed by life’s sorrows!
TY - DICT
The CHristian knows from whence trouble ultimately comes, and knows where to apply for relief -
Bitter ingredient of suffering in our Lord
‘s cup too, but afflictionos of life from whatever quarter they come, has had proper effect if turns us repentant to God waiting on his mercy, he holds the rod, not chance, not Stan, not emptieness and vanity!
TI - 859 יָחַל
A new perspective on weakness - Alexander McClaren “The lives that are lived before God cannot be trifles.”
Assurance that God’s stroke of punishment in death on sin, in suffering in life - once and for all turned away in Christ
AU - Gilchrist, Paul R.
CY - Chicago
Prayer mitigate this sorrow! - Christ too remove this cup from me.
Meditation should end in devotion, meditation on human vanity and misery and death - bring our prayers, cries, our tears
ET - electronic ed.
= teach us to address the throne of grace as pilgrims in a strange land with no abiding city here
T2 - Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament
PB - Moody Press
Even David king of Israel - live in tent ready to pack it up be gone , even Jesus in the body of his flesh - strangers and soujourners. Even Rita, bron in home, move from homes, enjoyed so much - but ready to leave and go before us,
V.13 Spare me - frality of nature , renew me by the power f your grace - that know forgivenss, recnciled, find agian Your Smiling Face - before I too depart and no more here!
A2 - Harris, R. Laird
A2 - Archer, Gleason L., Jr.
A2 - Waltke, Bruce K.
PY - 1999
SP - 373–374
ER -