Psalm 86

Introduction

Finishing our series on Prayer in the Psalms.

We are covering this series because Prayer is essential to our faith and practice as followers of Christ. We have a personal God. He knows us, reveals Himself to us, and draws us into a relationship with Him. He speaks to us through His word and we speak back to Him in prayer. This is a process that ought to continue every day because that is how relationships grow; this is why we ought to pray without ceasing. We want to be a prayerful people.

We use the ACTS prayer method. As David said a couple weeks ago, it is not the only way to pray, we just think it is helps us to include the various aspects of communication with God that we see in Scripture.

See back of service guide

A - Adoration

C - Confession

T - Thanksgiving

S - Supplication

Briefly summarize A.C.T.

Today we are talking about Supplication. In supplication we bring the needs of others and ourselves before the Lord.

Need

Every person alive has needs, we are finite creatures. We are not infinite and absolute like our Creator.

He is the Great Un-Created One; He is eternal - always existing from eternity past and will always exist into eternity future; He never needs to eat or sleep. He is God.

We have needs; we need food, water, sleep, shelter in order to continue living on this earth.

The Lord is the provider of all of these physical things. We see an example of this in the Lord’s prayer where Jesus taught His disciples to pray “give us this day our daily bread”. He didn’t say that prayer was only for those who didn’t have bread, it is for everyone. Our God is the Provider.

Not only does He provide for our physical needs though, He provides for our spiritual ones. It is no accident that Jesus is described as the bread from heaven and living water. It is no accident that we find our “rest” in God. It is no accident that the Scriptures talk of Him as being a fortress.

So it is that for all our needs, we ought to pray to the One who can provide them.

Suffering

We also live in a broken world. We don’t only experience need, we deal with pain, suffering and death. The fall in Genesis 3 shows us that this is a result of our sin.

God provides for this too - Jesus Christ the Righteous, God in the flesh to die in the place of unworthy sinners so that all who believe in Him might have their sins forgiven and live with Him for eternity where there will be no more death or suffering, no more crying, no more tears. Until then though, we live to the glory of God and we pray. We saw in John that Jesus sent the Holy Spirit as a Helper and Comforter and also that when we ask the Father for things in the name of Jesus, according to His will, we can have joy. God did not leave us alone in our pain and brokenness.

And so we pray for our needs and the needs of others because the Lord is the provider of everything we need, and the giver of every good and perfect gift.

Body

We are going to see what it looks like to pray while going through hardship in Psalm 86

Let’s pray for understanding as we go through God’s word

Read Psalm 86

Written by King David, not exactly sure when, just know that it was written when people were trying to kill him (which was a few times).

Is what’s called an Individual Lament Psalm - it is a cry of sorrow and grief of one person to the Lord.

David is down, hurting, because there are people who are seeking his life. He is suffering.

Maybe being threatened by the Philistines; or maybe when he is being hunted by king Saul; or maybe it is when Absalom, his son, is trying to usurp the throne; or maybe some other time that isn’t explicitly recorded.

David has need

King David, who was a man after God’s own heart, was still a man. He did mighty things with the help of the Lord but He was not infinite or absolute. He still needed things and he experienced pain and suffering.

His life is being sought and it doesn’t feel good.

Where would you turn if you knew that people were seeking your life? Where do you turn when you don’t have hope? Where do you turn when you are depressed?

David prayed. He turns to Yahweh, hoping, even expecting (without presuming) that Yahweh will turn to him.

Incline your ear, O LORD, and answer me,

for I am poor and needy.

Ps 86:1

David knows that he needs help, he knows that he is not totally self-sufficient. He needs his life preserved and his soul uplifted - “Preserve my life...Gladden the soul of your servant”. So, he is going to bring this need to his God because he has a relationship with Him.

David has a relationship

David is counting on this relationship; he roots his identity and prayer in it.

David calls himself Yahweh’s servant and he calls Yahweh “adonai” which means Master or Lord, as we have it translated.

A good servant will be about his lord’s business and a good lord will care for his servants; David establishes that Yahweh is good (v5) and so he knows that He will care for him. He will hear about and address his needs.

But he makes a higher appeal even than this - covenant

Covenant

When giving Abraham the covenant of circumcision that will mark the Israelites as a distinct people the Lord says,

Genesis 17:7–8 ESV

And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.”

400 years later, after rescuing His people from slavery in Egypt and after giving the covenant at Sinai there is a summary of the terms of that covenant at the end of Leviticus - be obedient to the law - faithful to Yahweh - and be blessed in the promised land; be disobedient and unfaithful and you will be cursed and not allowed to stay in the promised land.

Throughout this summary this idea is repeated

Leviticus 26:12 ESV

And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people.

I will be your God and you shall be my people is covenant language. David saying “You are my God” is not just him claiming to have heard of Yahweh before or saying that he was raised in a family that goes to the local Yahweh gathering. It is David claiming the terms of the covenant - you promised that your faithful ones would be blessed, I am one of your faithful ones!

This is exactly what David claimed before this when he said that he is “godly”. Some translations say, “I am faithful”.

That word translated godly is the Hebrew word “hasid”, which also means faithful or loyal. It comes from the same root as the Hebrew word “hesed” which is translated as “steadfast love” 3 times in this Psalm or some versions have “faithful love” or “loyal love”.

David is saying, I am one of your faithful ones, you made a covenant with your people, and I am coming to you because I know you keep your promises - you are the ultimate faithful, loving one - which is that the Lord is “abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you”. He is abounding in faithful love

Imperfect people allowed

David has a covenant relationship.

This relationship doesn’t just allow him to have his foot in the door. It doesn’t just allow him to ask for things. It allows for him to come as a finite human and even a sinner.

As a person because we are not all-powerful and all-knowing. We don’t always understand. There are many Psalms that ask hard questions and have raw emotion. Where are you God? Why did this happen? God has compassion on us in our weakness. He hasn’t forgotten that He made us out of dust. He allows us to come to him, not with malice or bitterness, but with honest questions and pain.

This covenant relationship also allows David to come as a sinner. It is essential that Yahweh is forgiving because otherwise, who could stand before Him? (Ps 130:3) All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23). But with Him there is forgiveness that He might be revered (Ps 130:4). This is important because it doesn’t only allow those who are blameless in a situation to come to Him.

The fact that David mentions the Lord’s forgiveness here begs the question, “did he do something to deserve the trouble he is going through?” We don’t know, we don’t know the exact situation. If he did though, Yahweh is forgiving.

In another Psalm David wrote,

Psalm 103:11–14 ESV

For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.

Have you ever dug yourself into a hole so deep that you didn’t think you could get yourself out? Have you ever screwed up so badly that there wasn’t any recovering? Have you squandered a hundred chances and been in need of another one?

You can still come to Yahweh because He is merciful and forgiving

His God is Yahweh

Yahweh’s unique and beautiful character is displayed constantly throughout Scripture. No god, or so-called god, that has ever been worshipped, back then or today, has ever compared to Him in glory, power, or goodness. There is no god who has ever been at once as transcendent - high above, unapproachable, incomprehensible - and immanent - close, nearby, personal.

He alone is the Creator. It did not take some divine cosmic battle and the blood and body of another god for Him to make everything as some other ancient near eastern creation accounts go. He spoke, the creation formed out of obedience to His word. That is an all-powerful king. He speaks, it happens. He is unthinkably powerful, He is transcendent.

But yet David says to Him,

Psalm 86:6–7 ESV

Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer; listen to my plea for grace. In the day of my trouble I call upon you, for you answer me.

No matter where we are He hears the prayer of individual people, He sees us in our problems and suffering, and He answers. He is close to us, He is immanent.

We see this climax in Jesus Christ, who is called Immanuel - God with us - because He entered into our world, He became a man, and He walks with us in our struggles

There is truly none like him and there is no other who is deserving of our worship.

Abrahamic Covenant

David has been showing this whole prayer that His hope is in Yahweh alone and no other god. He is not trusting in anyone else to deliver him; and this power to save him is not going to be only shown to him...but the whole world will one day see it and worship their Creator because of it.

This again shows David’s trust in the covenant promises of God.

After disinheriting the nations at the Tower of Babel, the Lord took some pagan from the land of Ur, named Abraham, and promised him, “I will make of you a great nation” and “in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Gen 12:1-3)

Later on He makes a covenant with Abraham, further solidifying His promise.

The only way that all the nations will come and worship Yahweh after their rebellion and his disinheriting them, is if Yahweh keeps His covenant with unworthy humanity.

This is what David is banking on. This is where his hope and trust are. Yahweh is powerful, faithful, and abounding in steadfast love, the kind of love that we need if there is any hope of our prayers being answered. There is none like Him so go to Him!

Unite my heart

Follow after Him, give your life to Him because He alone is worthy. He alone keeps every promise He has ever given. He alone has the power to defeat evil, forgive sin, and overcome death.

Cry out with David,

Psalm 86:11 ESV

Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name.

Plead with God that He will help you to remain faithful to Him, that your heart would be united in fearing, or revering, His name. Ask that He will help you to not be double-minded, unstable in all your ways, as James describes in the New Testament.

Turn to Him in prayer, remember how He has been faithful in the past, ask according to His promises, and plead that He give you the grace trust in Him alone. God cares for His people.

This is what made David a man after God’s own heart; not that He did the most amazing things, or never messed up (he sinned grievously), but He believed God. He wasn’t deserving, but He took Yahweh at His word and relied on Him to keep His promises.

The Issue

After all this, over 3/4 of the way through the prayer, we hear what the issue is: ruthless men are seeking David’s life.

In these last 4 verses he is drawing sharp contrasts between those men seeking his life and himself and the Lord.

They are ruthless men. Yahweh is merciful.

They do not set Yahweh before them - they are not faithful to him. David is godly or faithful.

Unlike the reviling they are bringing to him, he asks that the Lord would be gracious to him.

He asks that the Lord would show him favor and that they would be put to shame.

He asks that the Lord would judge them, but cause him to persevere through the trial.

There is an interesting tie-in here in v15.

Psalm 86:15 ESV

But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.

David is making yet another reference to when the Lord gave the covenant at Sinai. Not only is he drawing on the Lord’s mercy, graciousness, and faithfulness, but to His justice.

He is quoting from Ex 34:6

Exodus 34:6 ESV

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,

This is when the Lord passed before Moses and caused his face to glow from being exposed to the glory of God. But it is the timing of this event that is so interesting. It was at that point that Moses was making the second set of stone tablets for the ten commandments.

He broke the first set shortly before this.

While Moses was on the mountain receiving the commandments the first time, his brother Aaron was leading the people into idolatry. Fresh out of slavery in Egypt, miraculously delivered, they asked for another god and so Aaron made them a golden calf. The Lord told Moses about this and because of his intercession for the people they were not completely wiped out like they deserved.

But there was still judgment. Moses called to the faithful of Israel. He said, “Whoever is for Yahweh, to me.” (Ex 32:26, LEB)

And 3,000 of the faithless people who did not turn back to their God, were killed that day.

Solution - Live in the Lord’s strength

It is like David is putting himself in Moses’ place when confronted with unfaithful people. He knows that God is holy and just and that those who do not follow Yahweh deserve to die in their sins, but he also knows the mercy of God. So instead of calling the faithful ones of God to battle, he says, “Yahweh, to me! Come to my aid - comfort me and give me strength to stand against this attack.” That is the judgment David is asking for on these people who are unfaithful to Yahweh, that Yahweh would be shown to be greater than they, because if David joyfully perseveres then Yahweh, who gave him strength, is greater than those who do not seek the Lord.

David did not pray that his problem, the attackers, would go away.

He prayed to, quite literally, live to God’s glory and if he did it while being comforted, his soul uplifted, then it would be further testimony to God’s power.

When you pray, are you seeking God’s glory through it? It is a hard thing, but God sent His Holy Spirit to dwell in His followers. We are not left alone, He gave us a comforter.

There was another servant of the Lord

There was another servant of the Lord who came later. Like David, He was well acquainted with grief and had enemies seeking His life among those who were supposed to be God’s people. People who did not set Yahweh before them.

The prophet Isaiah had this to say about this suffering servant:

Isaiah 53:4–5 ESV

Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.

Jesus came to establish the New Covenant that would bring forgiveness of sins. But even though He came to His own covenant people, most rejected Him.

We saw this in John 1,

John 1:11–13 ESV

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.

All who receive Jesus, who believe in His name, enter into a covenant relationship with Yahweh and can come to Him on the basis of covenant.

John also portrays Jesus as one who has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. In the shortest verse in the bible, in response to the death of Martha’s brother, his friend Lazarus,

John 11:35 ESV

Jesus wept.

While still being fully God, Jesus was a man who experienced grief.

This led him to pray.

Hebrews 5:7 ESV

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.

Jesus’ ministry brought Him to broken people who were suffering and this moved Him to pray! He had compassion on those who were suffering! We have a great High Priest who can sympathize with our weakness.

Jesus’ compassion even extended to His enemies, those who were mocking Him while he was on the cross:

Luke 23:34 ESV

And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments.

This is one of the commands He gave to His disciples before going to the cross, that they would love their enemies and pray for them, because persecution was assured.

And it is this aspect that is the master stroke of God’s plan. This is how cycles of sin are stopped, loving others by the power of the Holy Spirit, Whom Jesus sent after He ascended into heaven.

Because of the death, burial, and resurrection, we already see people from many nations worshipping Yahweh, not just the Israelites. God is delivering on His promise to Abraham.

King David was a man after God’s own heart, but Jesus was even greater than Him.

Conclusion

Confidently turn to the Lord in honest prayer, on the basis of His covenant faithfulness, for His glory

Imitate David and the Lord Jesus, bring your needs and the needs of those around you to the Lord in prayer

Are you having doubts or fears? Bring them to the Lord in prayer, He can handle it!

Do you struggle to come up with words? Pray the Psalms, they are filled with prayers asking hard questions in faith!

Look to the promises God has given in His word and trust in those.

Be like David and pray that God will teach you His ways and unite your heart to revere His name.

Like David, you can pray on the basis of covenant, and even a child of God. If you believe in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins you are in a covenant relationship with Yahweh. You have even been adopted into His family and can come to Him as a son or daughter and make requests, in the name of Jesus.

You can be like David and ask that God hear you, that He would give ear to your prayer; and watch for Him to answer. You can pray, not presumptuously, but expectantly, because He is our Father in heaven.

When you have problems trust that your Father in heaven loves you and is using this to draw you closer to Him, this frees us to pray that He might be glorified.

Even when we are going through hard times, like David, we can still ask for grace, comfort, and joy.

In everything pray! Pray without ceasing!

If, like those who were seeking David’s life, you haven’t lived a life where you set Yahweh before you - there is still hope.

The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. Place your hope in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Confess your sins and He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins.

Don’t put this off, we aren’t guaranteed tomorrow.

We are going to pray and then take communion. If you would like to pray with someone we will have people at the back table after service is over

Pray:

Praise God for His steadfast love and faithfulness

Thank Him for offering salvation and that we can come to Him as children

Ask for Him to draw near to us as we go through trials and tribulation

Ask for Him to unite our hearts that we might revere Him and be faithful to Him

Ask for Him to let us experience His joy as we go through the troubles of life