An Exposition of Psalm 4
Introductory Thoughts
* Nothing is so practical as deep doctrine.
* Nothing is so useful as Godly theology.
* We will see again tonight, as we did last week, and as we will throughout our study of the Psalms, that confidence in living the Christian life is rooted and based in the knowledge of God’s character and in confidence in His saving power.
* Most commentators take this psalm to be a companion to the 3rd Psalm, written sometime during or shortly after the terrible episode of the rebellion of Absalom.
1. The Cry For God’s Help—Psa 4 "Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved me in my distress; Have mercy on me, and hear my prayer.
a. The Cry—4 "Hear me when I call
b. The Remembrance
(1) The Appeal to the only judge who counts— O God of my righteousness!
(a) God is the source of the Christian’s righteousness.
(b) The only righteousness which will do us any good is God’s righteousness.
Isa 64:6 "But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away."
Rom 3:21-22 "But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ,…”
Phil 3:9 “… be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;
(c) The LORD is the LORD of Righteousness—
Jer 23:5-6 ""Behold, the days are coming," says the LORD, "That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. 6 In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell safely; Now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS."
(d) David, in prayer, reminds God of God’s own Truth.
The name by which the Lord is here addressed, “God of my righteousness…” deserves notice, since it is not used in any other part of Scripture. It means, Thou are the author, the witness, the maintainer, the judge, and the rewarder of my righteousness; to thee I appeal from the calumnies and harsh judgments of men. Herein is wisdom, let us imitate it and always take our suit, not to the petty courts of human opinion, but into the superior court, the King’s Bench of heaven. (Spurgeon, Treasury of David, page 34)
(2) Remembrance of past helps—thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress;
(a) The words used refer to an army which is surrounded, boxed up in a narrow canyon, and are given room or reinforcement by an ally. It refers to breaking down the barriers which enclose the army. (from Spurgeon)
(b) Many times in the past, David had been delivered and helped by God, and he reminds God of this.
(c) But, does God not know this? Of course He knows, but it pleases Him that WE know and remember.
c. The Petition— Have mercy on me, and hear my prayer
(1) Though David is king, though he is a child of God, he still asks for mercy. God is under no obligation to any of us, except for those things He has specifically promised. Never ask for justice, ask God for mercy.
(2) Hear—not just know what the words are, but attend to my prayer, hear my prayer with approval, hear my prayer with good intent.
2. The Challenge to the Lost—2 How long, O you sons of men, Will you turn my glory to shame? How long will you love worthlessness And seek falsehood? Selah
a. 2 How long, O you sons of men,
(1) In this second division of the Psalm, we are led from the closet of prayer into the field of conflict. Remark the undaunted courage of the man of God. He allows that his enemies are great men (for such is the import of the Hebrew words translated –sons of men), but still he believes them to be foolish men, and therefore chides them, as though they were but children. (Spurgeon, 35)
(2) How long—that is, how long are you going to keep opposing God and oppressing me?
b. 2 How long, O you sons of men, Will you turn my glory to shame?
(1) The glory of David was to serve the Lord.
(2) God had given David earthly glory, and the opponents of David scoffed against him and mocked him, shaming the man that God had appointed.
c. The Specifications of the Charge—
(1) how long will ye love vanity, That is, how long will they treasure worldly, worthless things and ignore the true riches of God.
(2), and seek after leasing?(And seek falsehood?)
(3) The wicked critics of God’s man treasured and valued worthless, vain things of earth; they believed and promoted falsehoods.
(4) David boldly (after his initial prayer), moves to the attack, challenging the servants of ungodliness.
3. The Doctrine of Election Practically Applied—3 But know that the LORD has set apart for Himself him who is godly;
a. Knowledge of Truth is Vital
(1) David wants his opponents to know something. David is going to point out to them true doctrine which bears on this situation.
(2) Other servants of God have done this.
Dan 3:16-18 "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. 17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. 18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up."
Mat 26:52 But Jesus said to him, "Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.
Mat 26:53 ""Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels?"
John 19:10-11 "Then Pilate said to Him, "Are You not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You?" 11 Jesus answered, "You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.""
b. Knowledge of deep Truth is Vital and practical.
(1) In the midst of this very down-to-earth and practical psalm, David gets theological, and not only that, he gets theological with one of the deepest of doctrines.
(2) There is a depth of doctrine in the Christian life for which every believer must strive; there is a wisdom taught in the Bible for the mature believer which all believers should aim to acquire.
1 Cor 2: 6 However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, 8 which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory."
(3) The strange thing about this wisdom is that the deeper and more marvelous the doctrine, the more practical and useful it really is. It is when we begin to study and learn at this level that we really discover how the universe works.
(4) What is it David wants them to know?
c. Election—the Source and the act—the LORD has set apart for Himself him who is godly;
(1) The True Believer has been chosen and set apart by God.
Eph 1:3-5 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,"
2 Tim 1:9 "who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,"
1 Pet 2:9 "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;"
John 15:16 ""You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you."
Acts 9:15 "But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel."
(2) the LORD has set apart for Himself him who is godly; This is an act of God, and is therefore something that cannot be legitimately challenged by anyone—Rom 9:20 "But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God?
(3) Set Apart—
Acts 13:48 "Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed."
Gal 1:15 "But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb and called me through His grace,"
(4) For Himself.—1 Cor 6:19-20 "Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's."
(5) Objections:
(a) “I don’t believe in election.”
Ans.—Then you don’t believe the Bible, for it is full of the doctrine of election. For instance, John chapters 3, 6, 10, 15, and 17 make no sense if you disbelieve election. Romans chapters 8-11 are gibberish if election is not true. Ephesians chapters 1 and 2 must be struck from the Bible if election is not a Biblical doctrine, and it goes on and on. These are not isolated verses, but entire chapters!
(b) “It doesn’t seem fair.”
Ans.—“Fair” is a human standard which we invent and then want God to meet, putting God under our authority. That is not how the universe works—God has no authority over Him, and He has no standard which He must meet.
Ans.—If God says He has done it, He has, and if He has done something, it is right by definition.
(c) “I don’t care what you say, I can’t believe in election.”
Ans.—Again, then you don’t believe in the Bible.
(d) Well, “My Bible Says Whosoever Will.”
Ans.—Amen, it does, but that is not all the Bible says. The Bible also says, in great detail, and all through the Bible, that God chose to save particular individuals for Himself, that He did this from His good pleasure alone, and that those He chose, He will save. Both “Whosoever Will,” and “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world are true Biblical statements—we must believe both.
d. Election—the evidence— him who is godly
2 Pet 1:10 "Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:"
e. Election—the practical security of knowing you are chosen of God. The LORD will hear when I call to Him.
(1) God, who chose me, called me, saved me, and keeps me—He will certainly hear me.
(2) When I call—God may delay His answer, but His ears are never stopped to the pleas of His people.
4. Words of Godly Counsel to the Wicked.
a. The attitude of a sinner awakened to his need of salvation. "Stand in awe, and sin not:."
(1) “stand in awe” = “tremble”, the verse in the literal Hebrew can read, “tremble, and sin not…” Spurgeon comments here: “How many reverse this counsel and sin, but tremble not…”
(2) The sinner who is under conviction, who is beginning to be awakened to his or her lost condition, will have a change in attitude and perspective when it comes to the Gospel.
(3) David counsels those who oppose him, who despise him and the God he serves, to stand in awe of God, and not sin by their slanders against God and His man.
(4) David counsels them to consider and weigh their lost condition, and the awful price for staying in that condition.
b. David says, “sleep on it.” commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah."
A lost man or woman needs to take careful consideration of their state, not just offhandedly reject the Truth.
c. Sacrifice and Trust—
(1) 5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, For believers in the OT system, David is telling them to trust in the coming Redeemer, and to show that trust by attending to the worship of his day. The only true sacrifice of righteousness is the blood sacrifice of Christ.
Heb 9:26-28 "For ….. now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: 28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation."
(2) And put your trust in the LORD. After sacrifice comes trust. After atonement comes justification and reconciliation. The Old Testament believer was trusting in the sacrifice which was to come, and we look back to the sacrifice which has been done.
5. The Benefits of a Godly Life
a. The lament of the depressed believer—
6 There are many who say, "Who will show us any good?"
(1) Many—the nay-sayers and the detractors that David faced were more numerous than his supporters. Oh, when the kingdom was going well, the voices of dissent were muted or quiet, but whenever there was a crisis, then people began to be pessimistic.
(2) Lack of confidence in God! This is the charge that the believer is going to hear. This is the complaint that God’s man simply must ignore.
(3) We walk by faith, not by sight—
2 Cor 5:7
(4) "Who will show us any good?" Lostness really shows in times of drought. Lostness comes to light when the day is dim. Lostness runs to and fro when what is needed is a steady hand and a heart ready to stand.
“Never satisfied, their gaping mouths are turned in every direction, their empty hearts are ready to drink in any fine delusion which impostors may invent; and when these fail, they soon yield to despair, and declare that there is no good thing in heaven or earth. The true believer is a man of very different mold. His face is not downward like the beasts’, but upward like the angels’. He drinks not from the muddy pools of Mammon, but from the fountain of life above…” (Spurgeon, page 36)
b. The Plea for God’s Favor— LORD, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us.
* The key difference with the man or woman of God—in tough times, they pray. A proverb of society says, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going,” but the Truth is, when the going gets tough, the spiritually mature don’t get going, they fall to their knees.
c. The Remembrance of Past Help—7 You have put gladness in my heart, More than in the season that their grain and wine increased.
(1) The many are negative, because there is no past relationship upon which to base confidence.
(2) The many do not trust God.
(3) The many are happy with their big harvests and fat profits, but the man of God has his mind on God. The many are only pleased with the things of this world, but the man of Go wants God’s gladness, which is eternal, not the temporary, illusory happiness of this world.
d. The Confident Rest of a Child of God—8 I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; For You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety."
(1) I will both lie down in peace, and sleep as we noted last week in our look at Psalm 3, the child of God can sleep and have peace in the middle of the stormiest of times.
(2) The source of this confidence is knowing who God is, and having true faith in Him.
(3) You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety." It is not any spiritual attainment that we might have, nor is it any gift or talent of ours upon which we rest confidence. We have no abiding trust in Social Security, our pensions, or our personal wealth—our confidence rests in the character of Almighty God.
(4) You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety." God alone is the source, and the results of His protection are these:
* Safety * Perfect safety * lasting safety
1 Pet 1:4 “…an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."
Applications
1. If we are true believers, as God’s children, we can have confidence in Him.
2. This confidence comes to the mature believer who studies and learns Who God Is and What He Is Like.
