"Vindicate Me, O God"
Notes
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Intro:
Seated / Kids / Anticipation! Awesome children program… not Bragging rights of being the first one to get back there…
Self and speaking of our awesome children's program.
Topic - Psalms Book 2 Kickoff
Kids soon to learn Psalms two weeks.
Parents Giving you a head start on Book II
Last week w/ Jamie
This week
Next week Kyle
and on August 4th
Summer Psalms
Psalms of Suffering: 42 Hope in God… , Vindication
No Cross, No Crown: Psalm 45
Text
Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause
against an ungodly people,
from the deceitful and unjust man
deliver me!
For you are the God in whom I take refuge;
why have you rejected me?
Why do I go about mourning
because of the oppression of the enemy?
Send out your light and your truth;
let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy hill
and to your dwelling!
Then I will go to the altar of God,
to God my exceeding joy,
and I will praise you with the lyre,
O God, my God.
Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation and my God.
*The flow of this Psalm goes from a cry of vindication to a place of turmoil and rejection, a dark place far from God, and then ascends up his holy hill into the sanctuary of God w/ sacrifices upon the altar and praise and worship music filling the air and God, the psalmists exceeding joy, delivers the psalmist from the darkness and oppression of his enemies.
Korahite, Korathite. Member of Levi’s tribe, of the division of Kohath (, ; ). Their ancestor, Izhar, was the father of Moses and Aaron, thus their family position was closest to the priesthood. The rebellion led by Korah, Dathan, and Abiram against Moses and Aaron ended with the death of many members of the Korahite family (). Only those who did not participate survived (). They settled around Hebron in the levitical cities (, kjv Korathite).
Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause
against an ungodly people,
from the deceitful and unjust man
deliver me!
The Korahites were known as temple singers according to the superscriptions of ; ; ; ; , and 88. David put them in charge of the service of song in the house of the Lord after the ark was brought to Jerusalem (). They also acted as gatekeepers (; , kjv Kore) and bakers of sacrificial cakes (). They are mentioned as singers during the celebration of Jehoshaphat’s victory over Ammon and Moab (, kjv Korhites).
Walter A. Elwell and Barry J. Beitzel, “Korahite, Korathite,” Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988), 1294.
Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause
against an ungodly people,
from the deceitful and unjust man
deliver me!
The flow of this Psalm goes from a cry of vindication to a place of turmoil and rejection, a dark place far from God, and then ascends up his holy hill into the sanctuary of God w/ sacrifices upon the altar and praise and worship music filling the air and God, the psalmists exceeding joy, delivers the psalmist from the darkness and oppression of his enemies.
*What separates this psalm from other psalms of suffering? The Cry for vindication!
Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause
against an ungodly people,
from the deceitful and unjust man
deliver me!
What does Vindicate mean?
“Judge me” - KJV
How many people want to called down judgement upon themselves from God?
Well, you do if you are in the right! And someone else is in the wrong.
You want him to judge you. To clear your name, or defend your cause.
Behold, I have prepared my case;
I know that I shall be in the right.
Job
Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause
against an ungodly people,
from the deceitful and unjust man
deliver me!
For you are the God in whom I take refuge;
why have you rejected me?
Why do I go about mourning
because of the oppression of the enemy?
Job could sing Psalm 43
So could OT Characters desiring vindication,
OT Characters desiring vindication,
Job
Noah
Joseph
Moses
David
Many of us could sing this Psalm!
Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause
against an ungodly people,
from the deceitful and unjust man
deliver me!
For you are the God in whom I take refuge;
why have you rejected me?
Why do I go about mourning
because of the oppression of the enemy?
See the connection here:
Why?
Vindicate Me is the imperative
For you are the God in whom i take refuge… is the reason.
What happens when you obey last weeks imperative to Hope in God and then a trial comes your way
What do you do? You hope in God
But what about in the midst of your hoping in him, when you start to feel the pull and the tug to maybe find your security in something or someone else?
Illustration: Zip Lining
Towers: Fear set’s in… then what? No one else knew i was scared… i was watching other people chicken out and walk down… an entire group minus one chickened out halfway up the first tower. There were 7 towers total.
Other people do it you can do it
Professionals
Look at your equipment
You’ll be ok. Trust me.
Trust in… what?
Hope in God
Our culture has many voices and many people telling you who or what to trust
Some would have you trust in them
If i can do it, you can do it.
You’ll be ok. Trust me.
Some would tell you to put your hope in government or a certain political party (if only our guys wins the election)
Leave it to the professionals
Some would have you trust in their product
Look, if you just buy this you’ll be fine.
But know this… our Government and society is proving to be Godless! In an attempt to be polytheist they have become atheists because there is only one God!
Many gods to trust in. Many options. Every option really, except the one true God.
Against an Ungodly People
Why?
and “rescue me” or “deliver me”
desiring vindication and rescue… captive?
Noah
Joseph
Moses
David
Jesus
For you are the God in whom I take refuge;
why have you rejected me?
Why do I go about mourning
because of the oppression of the enemy?
The truth is, no matter how bad it gets, no matter your fear, temptation, or struggle, God is the only reliable source of hope.
Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause
against an ungodly people,
from the deceitful and unjust man
deliver me!
For you are the God in whom I take refuge;
why have you rejected me?
Why do I go about mourning
because of the oppression of the enemy?
Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause
against an ungodly people,
from the deceitful and unjust man
deliver me!
For you are… the God in him I take refuge.
2a
“Against an ungodly people, deceitful and unjust”
Be my defense attorney, for the prosecution are godless. they do not follow you and they charge me as being in the wrong for hoping in you!
Godless people create godless societies: up-stream battle
Deceitful: Leading astray
Unjust: Know nothing of righteousness… do not know Truth! Blind leading blind
Black Lives Matter & Planned Parenthood
The Psalm takes a strange turn from here…
For you are the God in whom I take refuge;
why have you rejected me?
Why do I go about mourning
because of the oppression of the enemy?
Verse
OT Characters desiring vindication,
For those of you who struggle with depression know this well.
Job
Noah
Diagnosed Bi-Polar
Joseph
Dark place, far from God
Believing Lies
What do you do when you find yourself in this place? Who do you hope in?
Verse 2 paints the scene for where he’s at today, right now…
Moses
is the cry from this dark place filled with the lies of the enemy…
David
Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause
against an ungodly people,
from the deceitful and unjust man
deliver me!
Why?
Do you sing a Psalm 43?
Vindicate me, why? Because you are my refuge and I hope in you!
Deliver me! Why, Because you are my strength, and the God of my salvation!
Send out your light and your truth;
let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy hill
and to your dwelling!
Light: to illuminate the darkness! and lift up the countenance upon our face
Answer
Truth: to judge us in the right. And to deliver us from the oppression of the enemy and lead us back to God.
The Light and Truth sent from God will lead us and bring us to God’s holy hill and dwelling place.
Where will you turn in your darkness? As you walk up the rickety towers of life and fear and temptation set in? Where will you turn in your darkest hour?
Will you be lead by the blind? Will you give into the advice of the deceitful will you justify your actions with the logic of the unjust? Or will you cry out to God! Asking for him to send his light and truth to lead you out of the darkness and lift you off of the shaky stairway of lies.
God has sent out his light and truth to his people living in darkness.
the people dwelling in darkness
have seen a great light,
and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death,
on them a light has dawned.”
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.
The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
Jesus brings light and life to his people dwelling in the darkness of the shadow of death.
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Jesus is the light and truth which leads us to God the Father.
Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Jesus is the light and truth which comes from God. Jesus is the one who leads his people and brings his people to God’s holy hill, into his dwelling place.
It is there that we find our hope, our deliverance, and vindication.
It is there that we are reminded that we are children of God and that we have not been rejected or abandoned.
is the only reasonable response to one who has been redeemed from the pit of despair and brought to the holy hill of vindication!
Then I will go to the altar of God,
to God my exceeding joy,
and I will praise you with the lyre,
O God, my God.
What is our reasonable response to such deliverence: Worship
What is a lyre?
Let our lord now command your servants who are before you to seek out a man who is skillful in playing the lyre, and when the harmful spirit from God is upon you, he will play it, and you will be well.”
And whenever the harmful spirit from God was upon Saul, David took the lyre and played it with his hand. So Saul was refreshed and was well, and the harmful spirit departed from him.
1sam
My lyre is turned to mourning,
and my pipe to the voice of those who weep.
This is a real life struggle. Not just for Bi-polar Psalmists…
Jesus went to the the garden before he went to the cross… and there was a Saturday in-between the cross and resurrection.
Hope: Many people have faithfully followed Jesus, telling others of the gospel, and living their lives trusting in the LORD. However, many of them have died, and some of them have died because of their enemies, bad guys, have killed them. It seems as if the bad guys have won. However, just like Satan and the demons thought they won when Jesus died on the cross, God, the father vindicated Jesus when he rose him from the dead. One day he will vindicate us by raising us from the dead, proving to everyone that we were right in trusting in him! ( cf. 3:5, 7:9-14, 19:14) And we will cheer and praise him for it! ()
A day to sing , , & 44… I time of suffering and despair, time of feeling rejection and abandonment, that would soon give way to victory and vindication! For the Lord said to my lord, you shall not see corruption. You shall not be abandoned to sheol. Jesus was right to obey the Father and go to the cross… the disciples were right to trust that Jesus was the Christ, the King and light of the world. And we are right in building our lives upon the rock of christ.
Jesus was vindicated on Sunday, as well as all who put their hope in him.
Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation and my God.
He is your refuge. your salvation. Your God.
He will vindicate you!
How so?
By sending out his light and truth which has and will deliver you from your enemies, and bring you victoriously back into his presence!
In the midst of your worst trial and darkest day, may he alone be your hope, your light, your truth, your exceeding joy!
John 1:5-
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.
The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Jesus is the light and truth sent out from God to deliver us from our enemy and lead us back into the presence of God!
Jesus is our ultimate Vindication!
Now…
Future…
Past…
Our Hope!