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Sermon Notes (download)
Psalm 3 – Save me, O my God!
Introduction
Psalm 3 opens the first book in the psalter (psalms 3-41)
Book 1 of the psalter = ‘extended grouping of David’s psalms’ (MacArthur)
Psalm 3 the first of 14 psalms to provide the historical setting within the life of David for the psalm - Superscription – A PSALM OF DAVID, WHEN HE FLED FROM ABSALOM HIS SON
The historic setting of Psalm 3 = the events recorded in 2 Samuel 15-18; specifically, 2 Samuel 15:14-17
Predicament (3:1-2) – Rebellion
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.
David – God’s anointed King, from whose line the Messiah will come, is ‘surrounded by the wicked of Psalm 1 and threatened by the rebels of Psalm 2.’
Note the threefold use of the word ‘many’ – this is a very real and dangerous threat.
Note how the description of the threat intensifies:
· David’s foes are present lying in wait – led by his son Absalom
· David’s enemies form alliances and begin to rebel against him
· Their attack focuses on his soul, the very core of his being. Their weapon is their words
Foreshadowing Jesus – David’s experience here anticipates God’s Anointed King – his begotten Son (2:7)
· Jesus’ foes were constantly present – ‘As he went away from there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to press him hard and to provoke him to speak about many things, lying in wait for him, to catch him in something he might say’ (Luke 11:53-54)
· His enemies form alliances and rise up against him – ‘The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him’ (Mark 3:6) – the Pharisees and the Herodians agreed on absolutely nothing!!!
· At the height of this conflict, they not only physically attack, the use words to mock him, ‘He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God’ (Matthew 27:43)
Those who are in Christ – throughout the history of the church those who are in Christ have experienced the threat of the world around lying in wait, questioning our trust in God. Like the serpent to Eve, ‘Did God actually say?’
Selah – the first of 71 appearances in 39 psalms – ‘it may be a musical or liturgical direction’ (ESV Footnote) possibly meaning ‘to pause’ – ‘even if it doesn’t, Luther’s suggestion that we take it as a prompt to meditate cannot do any harm’ (Ash)
Peace in a storm (3:3-6) – Trust
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
David – God’s anointed King, despite the storm of rebellion all around him, he can know God’s perfect peace because the LORD (the covenant God) is a shield protecting him completely, so that no meaningful harm can come.
King David’s response to this threat is to pray! And he does so in the knowledge that God both hears and answers his prayers.
Such is his confidence, his trust in God that he can sleep and rise again in the morning despite know change in his circumstances.
Even if his circumstances worsen – sleep in the Bible often refers to physical death – he is certain he will still awake in the morning of heaven.
Foreshadowing Jesus – Jesus never lost a night sleep because of those who rose in rebellion against him.
He prayed constantly to his Father in heaven.
He was even able to sleep in a literal storm (Mark 4:38)
Those who are in Christ – can find safety as the Father shields us during life’s challenges – all of them! We face many desperate circumstances, where hope seems lost and fear takes hold, but we can never experience any meaningful harm.
We can trust, as David trusted, as Jesus trusted, that when we pray to God, he will hear and he will answer our prayers.
We can find the peace of God that passes understanding (Philippians 4:7) and so sleep and rise again whilst the storms continue to rage around us – ‘even the sleep of death – we can be – confident that each will wake on resurrection morning’ (Ash)
Prayer heard and answered (3:7-8) – Blessing
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!
David – God’s anointed King, prays, ‘Save me,’ that God will provide:
· What he needs – rescuing from his enemies – and is confident that God will, ‘you strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked’ – silence their most threatening weapons!
· What his enemies had said he could not receive – ‘There is no salvation for him in God’ – for he knew with certainty that, ‘Salvation belongs to the LORD’ – and ONLY to the Lord!
· Not only his salvation, but that through it there would be an overflow of ‘Blessing’ for God’s people.
Foreshadowing Jesus – through his death and resurrection Jesus, the blessed man of Psalm 1 and the godly king of Psalm 2 defeated those who rebelled against him, ‘bursting their bonds apart’ and ‘cast[ing] their cords from [them]’
There is salvation in Christ alone!
And all God’s people are blessed through his glorious victory.
Selah – pausing to meditate:
Conclusion - Those who are in Christ:
- Will
experience intensifying opposition from the world – always present, lying in
wait, questioning the wisdom of trusting God
- Despite
constant and intensifying opposition can know that God hears and answers are
prayers. He shields us from all danger, grants us peace to sleep and wake in
the face of opposition without fear
- Will experience salvation in Christ alone, which
will overflow with blessings to all God’s people.
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