Psalm 3-The Needs of a Godly Dad

Introduction:

Orient to the Text:

Psalm 51/David repents after being rebuked by Nathan

2 Samuel 12/David is confronted by Nathan

2 Samuel 12:10-11

2 Samuel 12:10–11 (ESV)

10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’

11 Thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house.........

2 Samuel 15,16, and 17 cover the immediate historical setting of this Psalm of David

Absalom formulates a conspiracy to take the throne of his father David

He goes to a nearby city (Hebron) and stirs the people up and formulates a coalition of people who are following him and supporting him as king

David flees Jerusalem as Absalom draws near to kill him

While fleeing David encounters those who are against him such as Shimei, who is still loyal to the first king, Saul

Read the Text:

Psalm 3

Psalm 3 ESV

A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son. 1 O Lord, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me; 2 many are saying of my soul, “There is no salvation for him in God.” Selah 3 But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. 4 I cried aloud to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy hill. Selah 5 I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me. 6 I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around. 7 Arise, O Lord! Save me, O my God! For you strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked. 8 Salvation belongs to the Lord; your blessing be on your people! Selah

Orient to the Topic:

Given the above noted historical setting of this Psalm of David and the sense of military engagement of the historical setting, it is appropriate to read this Psalm recognizing the militaristic language of it. For example....

The reference to “foes” (v. 1) and “enemies” (v. 7).

The references to victory (vv. 3, 8).

God is described as a “shield” (v. 3).

“People” (v. 8) may be employed with the nuance “army” and probably should be in this context.

People are deployed (v. 6) against the psalmist.

The expression “Arise, O Lord” (v. 7) is parallel to the words spoken on the departure of the Ark of the Covenant for war (cf. Num. 10:35).

“From the Lord comes deliverance” (v. 8) sounds like a battle cry.

Transition Statement: The language with which David writes, that of a military battle is very fitting for our time together this morning. It is after all Father’s Day, and Father’s I want you to understand something as we begin this morning......Your job as a Dad, is a war! It is nothing short of a battle where you have been tasked as the lead commander of a platoon that all the forces of hell are dead set on against destroying......

Godly Dads Need to Recognize their Predicament (vs.1-2)

Preparation Statement: Being a Dad is either the hardest or second hardest endeavor of life. There are so many factors and such a high responsibility that those who are fortunate enough to be a Dad must recognize the situation they are in.....

Psalm 3:1-2

Psalm 3:1–2 ESV

1 O Lord, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me; 2 many are saying of my soul, “There is no salvation for him in God.” Selah

Those who opposed David are literally taunting him

His foes are rising up and in their taunts they mock him saying that there is no salvation for him

Even God has forsook David according to those who oppose him

This was no doubt an awful place for David to be, I mean can you imagine; he is literally running from those who are seeking to take his life and kingdom

And as he encounters people seeking help as he flees, they simply reinforce his plight

Spurgeon said “It is the most bitter of all afflictions to be led to fear that there is no help for us in God.”

As we consider the quote from Spurgeon, I want to remind you that what we see in this Psalm is that David had full confidence in God’s provisions for him

But perhaps this morning whether you are a dad or not, perhaps you feel overwhelmed by the prospect of whatever is before you

For Dads that prospect is that everything in the world we live in wants to devour your children

There is an enemy that we face, who is very real and is powerful

If we’re willing to be honest this morning, dads there are so many things even in our own lives that reinforce the predicament

Our pride, our selfishness, our laziness, our passiveness, and this is just to name a few

When you couple that with the influence of the many things that seek to distract our children; media, social media, peer pressure, sports, friends, and the list goes on; what we end up with is a situation whereby we combine our own shortcomings with the manmade obstacles Dad’s are in a tough spot

Transition Statement: Recognizing the present predicament and the inability to protect oneself as necessary, it is important that Godly dads seek God’s protection.......

Godly Dads Need to Seek God’s Protection (vs.3-6)

Preparation Statement:

Psalm 3:3-6

Psalm 3:3–6 ESV

3 But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. 4 I cried aloud to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy hill. Selah 5 I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me. 6 I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around.

The best way to summarize the protection that comes from God is confidence

David even in his predicament knew that God was reliable and could be trusted, David had confidence in God

Many scholars call this Psalm a morning Psalm, meaning that David has just awoken from his slumber and in the morning is given praise and thanksgiving to God for seeing him through the night

Just imagine the confidence it took for David to lay down and sleep in the midst of everything that was going on

Tens of thousands of men are looking for David for one reason, to take his life

Now please know that David is not acting blindly, and he is not acting carelessly

Number one, David’s confidence in God comes from the past where God has protected David in various instances such as one that was very similar to his current circumstances when Saul was attempting to kill him

It isn’t just past experiences that cause us to have confidence in the protection of God, it is also being close to him, knowing him

David was close to God, and dads, we must be close to God

Not in word but in reality, Dad’s do you have a growing relationship with Christ? I’m glad you’re here this morning, but that is less important than being in a growing relationship with Christ

Dad’s, if we go back to a point I made previously, we are in a battle for the souls of our families

If you don’t think you need the protection of God, you are delusional and deceived

The protection of God is the only thing that we help you to succeed as the leader of your platoon

Dads, do you recognize that at every moment of your life, you are just one decision from derailing your platoon

And if you are one decision away from derailing that means that every decision is an important decision

Dads, we need the protection of God, and we need to have confidence that he will do the things that he has said he will do

Now, he has not promised that nothing bad will never come into our lives, but his protection comes from being close to Him

When any person is walking with Christ, taking in the Word and meditating upon it, living according to it, that is when a person has confidence in God

Luther had been called to Worms by the emperor and the papal legate to answer for his “heretical” teachings. He had been promised a safe-conduct. But his friends had heard the Reformer’s enemies say that the safe-conduct of a heretic ought not to be honored, and they feared for his life. After all, John Huss had been given a safe-conduct not long before, and he had been burned at the stake. As Luther approached the city, a messenger arrived with a warning from his friend Georg Spalatin: “Do not enter Worms!” Luther told the messenger, “Tell your master that even if there should be as many devils in Worms as tiles upon the housetops, still I would enter it.”

Years later, a few days before his death, Luther said of that moment, “I was then undaunted. I feared nothing.”

It must have been true, too, because it was in Worms that Luther gave his classic reply to the Diet: “Unless I be persuaded by the words of Scripture and sound reasoning I cannot and will not recant. Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me. Amen.” Where had Luther found such courage? He had found it where David had found it, in God.

God’s protection is not always physical, however. Sometimes the protection is about not running amuck our lives

Dads we need God’s protection, we must be confident in Him as a result of being close

Transition Statement: The last reality of Psalm 3 this morning is that Dad’s in their quest to honor God and lead their families must bathe their lives in prayer......

Godly Dads Need to Bathe their Lives in Prayer (vs.7-8)

Preparation Statement:

Psalm 3:7-8

Psalm 3:7–8 ESV

7 Arise, O Lord! Save me, O my God! For you strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked. 8 Salvation belongs to the Lord; your blessing be on your people! Selah

Once again, David reflects upon God’s protection of him in the past and rests in the fact that God

Prayer is related directly to the confidence that we have in God

And even here David acknowledges that it ultimately is God who delivers his people, it is God who gives salvation

This past week in VBS, the kids worked through the account of Jonah

And Jonah 2:9 says this

Jonah 2:9 ESV

9 But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the Lord!”

Salvation belongs to the Lord, this is part of a prayer that Jonah prayed while he was in the belly of the great fish

Why was he in the belly of the fish? (Tell the account of Jonah)

What is my point? Well it’s two fold really

Number 1-It is God who provides protection and salvation, it is God who works in the hearts of man

So Dad it isn’t your job to save your kids, only God can do that

But are you a useful tool that God can use as he desires to demonstrate his goodness to your family?

Number 2-It’s not too late! Jonah was in the belly of the great fish when he repented of his sin and God used him to save the Ninevites

We know that Jonah wasn’t perfect following his repentance and the Lord had to continue to work of Jonah

But the Lord did just that

Dad’s you are currently fighting the most important battle of your life!

You wouldn’t go to physical war alone, don’t go to spiritual war alone

Recognize that you are in a predicament, that you need God’s protection, and that prayer must be along with God’s Word, your primary weapon of battle!