A Love Better Than Life
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Welcome
Introduction
Nearly two weeks ago, I was talking with Kalie and I told her I wanted to preach on the Psalms. At the time, I was thinking that I might preach on , and show how the entire Psalter had been woven together in narrative fashion, ultimately point to God as King. But I’m a little long-winded and knew that would require more than one sermon. So, I asked Kalie, “What do you think I should preach on? I would like to preach on one of the Psalms.” And she said that I should preach on . When I asked why, she just said, “It’s my favorite.” So, if today’s sermon goes well, praise be to God. But, if it goes poorly, Kalie picked the wrong text.
If you have your Bibles, please open with me to . This morning, we will be talking about the love of God. That’s God’s love for us, not our love for God. If all we were to do was to talk about our love for God, we’d walk away largely disappointed. Daily, my sin reminds me that I don’t love God as I should. No, this morning, we’ll be talking about God’s love for us.
The message of this morning’s text is simple, yet fundamental. The message of this morning’s text is that God’s love is better than life. This truth comes straight from the text itself. It doesn’t need to be dressed up, but it does need to be explained. Our eyes need to be opened to see its truth, because, if we’re honest, we don’t always believe it. There are moments when we shun God’s love for lesser loves. If our lives were on the line, many of us, like Peter, might deny Christ too. For our sake, in , David not only declares that God’s love is better than life, but also reveals why.
Does this reflect the communal/experiential nature of a relationship w/ God
When you’re communing with God, his love is better than life. When your not
Reading
O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me. But those who seek to destroy my life shall go down into the depths of the earth; they shall be given over to the power of the sword; they shall be a portion for jackals. But the king shall rejoice in God; all who swear by him shall exult, for the mouths of liars will be stopped.
Prayer
Exposition
God’s love DRAWS NEAR
In verses 1-4, David tells us that God’s love is greater than life because God’s love draws near. The love of God is a love that will meet us in the most unlikely of places. It will meet us in the midst of our sin, it will meet us in the midst of our darkness, and it will meet us in the wilderness.
We learn from the title that this psalm was birthed out of a wilderness experience. As it is with most Psalms, insight into the historical situation is scant. At least twice in his life, David found himself in the desert of Judah. The first time, he was fleeing from King Saul. The second, Absolom. Both sought to kill him. We can’t say with certainty which event brought about this psalm, though one is more likely. Regardless of the circumstance, the text itself describes a man in desperation.
Without a doubt, this world will bring us trouble. Each one of us has faced, is currently facing, or will face the wilderness. There, we endure injustice, rejection, failure, insignificance, helplessness, uncertainty, pain, exploitation, and loss. In the wilderness, joy, peace, and rest seem to lie beyond our grasp, so far out of reach that we begin to doubt whether we will see them again. The wilderness is a barren place, a lonely place, and a hopeless place. Yet it was in the midst of the wilderness that David penned this psalm.
is not only real, but also reasonable in light of how broken our world is.
As we read, we learn that the only comfort David seeks, the only solace for his soul is the love of God. He begins with the declaration, “O God, you are my God.” These opening words frame the entire psalm within a covenantal context. This phrase, “O God, you are my God,” affirms David’s faithful devotion to the God of Israel, who said to the nation, “I will be your God and you will be my people.”
Each one of us will Our world offers us an infinite number of pursuits, each one promising comfort, joy, satisfaction.
The psalmist declares, “O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for your; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.”
Find yourself in the wilderness and you’ll surely be tempted to turn to lesser comforts. Food, drink, entertainment, sex. These are all a means of escape. There are countless things we could turn to for a momentary respite. But David doesn’t do that, for he had found a greater comfort. He discovered a love that was better than life.
Jonathan Edwards, the famous pastor-theologian, described such a love, when he wrote, “On January 12, 1723, I made a solemn dedication of myself to God, and wrote it down; giving up myself, and all that I had to God; to be for the future, in no respect, my own; to act as one that had no right to himself, in any respect. And solemnly vowed to take God for my whole portion and felicity; looking on nothing else, as any part of my happiness, nor acting as if it were; and his law for the constant rule of my obedience: engaging to fight against the world, the flesh and the devil, to the end of my life.”
Jonathan Edwards once wrote, “On January 12, 1723, I made a solemn dedication of myself to God, and wrote it down; giving up myself, and all that I had to God; to be for the future, in no respect, my own; to act as one that had no right to himself, in any respect. And solemnly vowed to take God for my whole portion and felicity; looking on nothing else, as any part of my happiness, nor acting as if it were; and his law for the constant rule of my obedience: engaging to fight against the world, the flesh and the devil, to the end of my life.”
Edwards vowed to take God as his portion and his felicity, looking on nothing else as any part of his happiness. Such beautiful words remind be of David, who in his own wilderness, did not turn to lesser comforts, but to God.
As David continues, we see him thirsting and fainting, wanting nothing but communion with God. The psalm records, “Earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.”
Wandering through the desert of Judah surely had its challenges. The wilderness brought about a certain weariness, discomfort, and thirst, providing David with a perfect illustration for his spiritual condition.
Seeking, thirsting, and fainting for God reflects the dryness of his soul. So, he sought after God as one might look for water in the driest of places.
One commentator adds, “The one who has crossed the desert on foot knows the life-and-death importance of water sources and keeps an intent lookout for any evidences of moisture. In the same way, the psalmist is keeping an intent lookout for any evidence of God’s saving presence.” (Gerald Wilson, NIVAC)
The one who has crossed the desert on foot knows the life-and-death importance of water sources and keeps an intent lookout for any evidences of moisture. In the same way, the psalmist is keeping an intent lookout for any evidence of God’s saving presence.
What catches my attention about this verse is that David does not say, “My flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where water is scarce.” Instead, he says, “My flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.”
In ancient Israel, it was believed that God’s manifest presence was, by and large, limited to the tabernacle. In , the LORD says:
And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst.
records that Israel was defeated by the Philistines in battle. After the battle, the Philistines took the ark of the covenant from Israel’s camp. This particular narrative ends with a mother dying as she gave birth to a son (1 Samuel 4:20-21). The text reads: “And about the time of her death the women attending her said to her, “Do not be afraid, for you have borne a son.” But she did not answer or pay attention. And she named the child Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed from Israel!”
And about the time of her death the women attending her said to her, “Do not be afraid, for you have borne a son.” But she did not answer or pay attention. 21 And she named the child Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed from Israel!”
Fast forward to , when the ark of the covenant is returned to Jerusalem. According to the narrative, as the ark was being carried back into Jerusalem, King David “leaping and dancing before the LORD. Confronted by an embarrassed/indignant wife, David responds ():
And David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me above your father and above all his house, to appoint me as prince over Israel, the people of the Lord—and I will celebrate before the Lord.
n ch. 14:3
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Like Israel, David also associated the presence of God with the tabernacle. So long as he remained in the wilderness, he remained separated from presence of God.
2 Or gone into exile; also verse 22
One scholar notes, “Separated from God’s sanctuary, which was in Jerusalem and which David loved, David is longing for a sense of the presence of God as a friend longs for one from whom he is separated, or as a lover longs for his beloved.” (Boice)
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .
As David continues, we notice a shift in verse 2. He writes, “So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory.” How could it be, that David was able to see God in the sanctuary, when he was still in the wilderness?
Separated from God’s sanctuary, which was in Jerusalem and which David loved, David is longing for a sense of the presence of God as a friend longs for one from whom he is separated, or as a lover longs for his beloved
There are some who believe that David simply remembered what it was like to look into the sanctuary, that he was recalling a previous experience (Tate, WBC), but that’s not actually what the text suggests.
Gerald Wilson explains, “In the midst of the psalmist’s isolation and an earnest search for God, he experiences a vision of God that sustains him. The verb translated “have seen” is not the usual verb for seeing (rʾh) but its more uncommon counterpart, ḥzh. This latter verb frequently describes a vision from God. Often a prophetic message is conveyed in such a vision.” (Wilson, NIVAC)
n the midst of the psalmist’s isolation and an earnest search for God, he experiences a vision of God that sustains him. The verb translated “have seen” is not the usual verb for seeing (rʾh) but its more uncommon counterpart, ḥzh. This latter verb frequently describes a vision from God. Often a prophetic message is conveyed in such a vision
Though David was separated from the tabernacle, he could not be separated from God. He sought communion with God and the LORD answered with a vision, reminiscent of the prophet’s experience in .
For David, this vision in the desert was like water to the soul. He had been seeking, thirsting, and fainting for intimacy with God. Through this vision, he learned that God’s Love DRAWS NEAR.
In verses 3-4, David responds in worship:
Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands.
“Your steadfast love is better than life.” For those of you who know Christ, these words should resonate with you.
There are many loves to be had in this life, but few loves that we would value over our own lives. The psalmist here declares that he has found a love better than life itself.
This word translated love is Hesed. This is a very important word throughout the Old Testament, and is best understood in covenantal terms. It is not just love, but love with an unbreakable commitment. While in the desert, in flight for his life, David experienced the unbreakable love of God.
Spurgeon declares, “Life is dear, but God's love is dearer. To dwell with God is better than life at its best; life at ease, in a palace, in health, in honour, in wealth, in pleasure; yea, a thousand lives are not equal to the eternal life which abides in Jehovah's smile. In him we truly live, and move, and have our being; the withdrawal of the light of his countenance is as the shadow of death to us: hence we cannot but long after the Lord's gracious appearing. Life is to many men a doubtful good: lovingkindness is an unquestioned boon: life is but transient, mercy is everlasting: life is shared in by the lowest animals, but the lovingkindness of the Lord is the peculiar portion of the chosen.
“Spurgeon comments, “Life is dear, but God's love is dearer. To dwell with God is better than life at its best... Life is to many men a doubtful good: lovingkindness is an unquestioned boon: life is but transient, mercy is everlasting: life is shared in by the lowest animals, but the lovingkindness of the Lord is the peculiar portion of the chosen.”
Is there some way in which God’s love for you has any bearing on your life?
Having experienced the nearness of God’s love, David commits himself to a life of public worship.
God’s love SUSTAINS
David continues in verses 5-8, where he tells us that God’s love is greater than life, because God’s love SUSTAINS.
In verse 5-8, David writes,
Is there some way here and now that the love of God—his fierce loyalty to his covenant relationship—makes that kind of difference in your life? Does it make such a difference that it wouldn’t be worth living without it? Is your connection with God so important to you that you would sacrifice all your future hopes and dreams to keep connected with God?
My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.
My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
In the evening, David found himself reflecting and meditating on God’s sustaining love. Using an unlikely analogy, he claims his soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food.
In the evening, David found himself reflecting and meditating on God’s sustaining love.
Fat and rich food sounds a lot like that fellowship potluck we had last week.
This image of fat and rich food comes as a surprise, given his circumstance. For where water is scarce, so too is food. We’re not going to find fat and rich food in the wilderness. Why? Because, in those days, the food followed the water.
So then, why does David say that his soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food? Because he remembers the sustaining love of God.
Without Netflix or social media, David had plenty of time for quiet reflection. We learn throughout the books of Samuel and Chronicles, as well as the Psalms, that David made a habit of nightly prayer and meditation.
What did he think about? As we read in verses 7-8, David reflected on the sustaining love of God
He says, “For you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.”
Here, David depicts God as a refuge, a safe haven in his wilderness world. In flight from his son, we see David running into his Father’s arms. It was God who protected David from Absalom and it was God who sustained David in the wilderness.
David sought God in the morning and he sought God in the night. He cries, “My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.”
The word cling here is sometimes translated “cleave.” As one commentator notes, it’s a word of “attachment between a husband and a wife or of other tight relationships...” It reflects a covenant commitment that will not fail.
When David says “My soul clings to you” it is because God’s right hand upholds him. We need to see, we need to know that it is the sustaining power of God that keeps us in covenant relationship with Him.
There is a reason why we’re talking about God’s love for us and not our love for God, this morning. When our love is weak, God’s love is strong. It is his goodness, his love, his mercy that leads us to repentance.
God loves you. And in case you need a reminder of that this morning…
In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—
In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
God loves you.
God’s love is JUST
God’s love JUSTIFIES
In these final verses, in , we learn that God’s love is JUST.
But those who seek to destroy my life shall go down into the depths of the earth; they shall be given over to the power of the sword; they shall be a portion for jackals. But the king shall rejoice in God; all who swear by him shall exult, for the mouths of liars will be stopped.
Having experienced the nearness of God’s love and the sustaining power of God’s love, David turned to the justice of God’s love. Because God loves with a covenant love, he must bring about covenant justice.
Those who wrongly sought to kill David would meet a gruesome end. David foretells their death, when he says “They shall be given over to the power of the sword; they shall be a portion for jackals.” Here, the king envisions his enemies dying in battle, their blood shed upon the earth and their bodies left as food for scavengers.
If you’re like me, these last verses make me uncomfortable. Perhaps because I don’t have enemies like David did, at least not that I know of, it’s hard to imagine God bringing about their death in that way. But for David, that was very real. There were those who sought his life. There were those who sought to kill him. There were those who sought to remove him as king. There were those who sought to overthrow and undermine his reign. His monarchy was established by God, not by man and within salvation history, opposition to God’s king was equal to opposition with God.
Those who delight in wickedness, those who delight in evil, those who delight in lies will be silenced. In , David issues a similar plea:
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. In you, O Lord, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame; in your righteousness deliver me! Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily! Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me! For you are my rock and my fortress; and for your name’s sake you lead me and guide me; you take me out of the net they have hidden for me, for you are my refuge. Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God. I hate those who pay regard to worthless idols, but I trust in the Lord. I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love, because you have seen my affliction; you have known the distress of my soul, and you have not delivered me into the hand of the enemy; you have set my feet in a broad place. Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress; my eye is wasted from grief; my soul and my body also. For my life is spent with sorrow, and my years with sighing; my strength fails because of my iniquity, and my bones waste away. Because of all my adversaries I have become a reproach, especially to my neighbors, and an object of dread to my acquaintances; those who see me in the street flee from me. I have been forgotten like one who is dead; I have become like a broken vessel. For I hear the whispering of many— terror on every side!— as they scheme together against me, as they plot to take my life. But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in your hand; rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors! Make your face shine on your servant; save me in your steadfast love! O Lord, let me not be put to shame, for I call upon you; let the wicked be put to shame; let them go silently to Sheol. Let the lying lips be mute, which speak insolently against the righteous in pride and contempt. Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind! In the cover of your presence you hide them from the plots of men; you store them in your shelter from the strife of tongues. Blessed be the Lord, for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me when I was in a besieged city. I had said in my alarm, “I am cut off from your sight.” But you heard the voice of my pleas for mercy when I cried to you for help. Love the Lord, all you his saints! The Lord preserves the faithful but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride. Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord!
O Lord, let me not be put to shame, for I call upon you; let the wicked be put to shame; let them go silently to Sheol. Let the lying lips be mute, which speak insolently against the righteous in pride and contempt. Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind!
The reality is that, so long as we follow Christ closely, we will inevitably face opposition from those who hate God. Why? Because those who delight in lies hate truth. We need to take a moment to talk about the fate of the wicked.
I do not envision an all-good God standing over a fire laughing manically as he roasts people alive. I don't think God has to throw people into it at all. Perhaps people run to it. Maybe they see an all-good God and know that to be near Him, their own darkness has to be lit-up. They have to be exposed. It is more comfortable to remain hidden than endure the burning risk of exposure and the embarrassment of honesty and the hard work of change and humility of needing forgiveness.
I do not envision an all-good God standing over a fire laughing manically as he roasts people alive. I don't think God has to throw people into it at all. Perhaps people run to it. Maybe they see an all-good God and know that to be near Him, their own darkness has to be lit-up. They have to be exposed. It is more comfortable to remain hidden than endure the burning risk of exposure and the embarrassment of honesty and the hard work of change and humility of needing forgiveness.
But God will bring about justice for those who trust in him. If you’ve trusted in Christ, you will enjoy eternity in God’s presence. No matter what happens in this life, God’s love will prove better.
So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
Jo