Mercy and Justice

Rest in His Righteousness (vs. 1-2)

David’s cry came in a time of sifting.

David’s confidence was not based in his own righteousness or the righteousness of his cause.

David refer’s to God as his “Rock” just as Hannah had referred to God in her song of praise.

1 Samuel 2:2 NASB95

“There is no one holy like the Lord, Indeed, there is no one besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God.

The strength, dependability and immutable nature of God is symbolized by the idea of the Rock.

David’s confidence is placed in WHO God is.

Everything in David’s life was falling apart but God was his Rock.

When your world is falling apart around you, how do you respond? Do you run to God or do you blame God?

It starts here: Prayer for justice and mercy begins with an understanding of who God is.

Many people have created an image of God that is not consistent with who He really is.

We may live in an entitlement culture, but He doesn’t OWE us anything!

A “cry for help” is the farthest thing from a demand of “You owe me!”.

David’s cry came in a time of Silence

David knew that without God, he was as good as dead.

David’s cry was accompanied with Struggling

David’s awareness of his need was so intense that he lifted his hands toward heaven begging for intervention.

Moses in raised his hands to heaven as Joshua led Israel against Amalek.

A young child reaching for help when he is hurting.

David wasn’t just “saying a prayer” he was fully invested in the moment.

Jacob, wrestling with God in .

Jesus sweating blood as He prayed in Gethsemane.

David was not giving up the fight, he was giving the battle to the One it really belongs to.

Realize What the Issue really Is (vs. 3-5)

The opposition that David was facing was EVIL

He uses words such as wicked, iniquity and evil.

Don’t be afraid or ashamed to admit that there is evil in the world.

Our culture tells us that no one is really guilty they are all just victims of someone else.

NO! Man has demonstrated for years that we are willing to engage in wicked, evil, iniquity!

We are so consumed with avoiding “judging” people that we have stopped judging actions!

A culture that refuses to label sin as sin is lost.

The root of David’s opposition was Spiritual

Who benefits from a nonjudgmental view of good and evil? Who is constantly trying to persuade the human race to rationalize and justify all sorts of evil? Who has been selling this propaganda since the Garden of Eden?

Who is constantly trying to persuade the human race to rationalize and justify all sorts of evil? Who has been selling this propaganda since the Garden of Eden?

Satan, of course. Anyone who cannot or will not recognize the devil’s authorship behind the judge-nothing-and-tolerate-everything movement is deluded.

Isaiah 5:20–21 NASB95

Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes And clever in their own sight!

David writes in verse 5, “they do not regard the works of the Lord”.

Those who do not regard the works of the Lord are being led astray by EVIL!

Ephesians 6:11–12 NASB95

Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

All wickedness is against God first and foremost.

David was aware that it was possible for him to be dragged into the gutter with his enemies. (vs.1)

We should never be OKAY with sin.

Verse 5, shows however, that David understood that the real issue was that sin is an affront to God.

For David this was a truth he had learned all too hard. in the aftermath of his own sin with Bathsheba he would write:

Psalm 51:4 NASB95

Against You, You only, I have sinned And done what is evil in Your sight, So that You are justified when You speak And blameless when You judge.

It is not God’s will that evildoers go unpunished. It is not His will that they prosper. When we pray for the evil plans of wicked people to be frustrated and destroyed, we are praying in perfect alignment with the will of God, as He has stated in His Word.

Romans 12:9 NASB95

Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.

Youssef, Michael. Life-Changing Prayers: How God Displays His Power to Ordinary People (p. 89). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Rejoice in God’s Response

Rely

When David was praying, he had yet to see how God would resolve this scenario and yet, David chose to praise God!

How Big is Your God?

Are you relying upon God’s righteousness?

Do you realize the issue is not firstly between you and your opposition?

Do you believe God is trustworthy?

Why not praise Him right now?

Jesus demonstrated this for us in the story of the resurrection of Lazarus.

John 11:41–42 NASB95

So they removed the stone. Then Jesus raised His eyes, and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. “I knew that You always hear Me; but because of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me.”

David rejoiced not because He knew God’s answer but because he knew the God of the answer. (vs. 7-8)

We live in the moment but God is eternal.

The circumstances may appear to be identical but God is on the throne.

If you know His Goodness, rest in it rather than your opinion of the situation.

Trust in God the Rock!

At Queen Victoria of England’s celebration of her 50th year as queen she received kings, princes, and elected leaders from around the world for a worship and commemoration service at Westminster Abbey. She requested a song be sung by the head of the Madagascar delegation. As he began to sing, Queen Victoria wept openly. What was the song that evoked tears from England’s queen?

Youssef, Michael. Life-Changing Prayers: How God Displays His Power to Ordinary People (p. 93). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Youssef, Michael. Life-Changing Prayers: How God Displays His Power to Ordinary People (p. 93). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

It was a Christian hymn, “Rock of Ages,” first sung in 1763. Rock of Ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in Thee; Let the water and the blood, From Thy riven side which flowed, Be of sin the double cure, Cleanse me from its guilt and power.

Those words were written by an Anglican cleric named Augustus Toplady. He came to Christ at age sixteen while a student at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, after hearing a sermon entitled “The Lord Our Rock.” Toplady was frail and chronically afflicted with tuberculosis. He rarely knew a day when he was free from pain. He studied for the ministry, and he had a passion to preach the gospel. But his illness rendered him too weak, too short of breath to stand before a congregation and preach. He died at age thirty-eight, fifteen years after writing his most famous and beloved hymn, “Rock of Ages.”

It’s the song of a sick and suffering young man who desperately wanted to impact the world for Christ—and through its words, he did. It’s the song that made tears flow freely down the face of Queen Victoria. And it’s a song that recalls the opening lines of another great song, the song of the shepherd-king, : “To you, LORD, I call; you are my Rock.”

Youssef, Michael. Life-Changing Prayers: How God Displays His Power to Ordinary People (p. 93). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Youssef, Michael. Life-Changing Prayers: How God Displays His Power to Ordinary People (pp. 86-87). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Youssef, Michael. Life-Changing Prayers: How God Displays His Power to Ordinary People (p. 86). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.