Introductory Comments
1. The richness of God’s word is how it speaks to us differently at different times. We can read same passage many times and yet be enlightened by it as if never read before. This happened to me as I read today’s passage, especially one verse..
Psa 4:7 You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound.
2. Today we listen to King David call out to God during one of the most distressing times of his life. We will see how, despite his situation, he can declare that his heart is filled with joy.
3. As we look at how David can have this joy, may each one of us be able to share in this joy regardless of the circumstances we may be facing in our lives.
Teaching
1. David calls out to God to help him and to relieve him from his distress. David was the king of Israel, but he was not in Jerusalem. He was on the run, having left Jerusalem with his men for fear of losong his life. What made things worse was who he was running from. David was being threatened and pursued by his own son, Absalom.
2. Absalom had become very angry when his sister, Tamar had been raped by his half-brother Ammon. And when his father failed to do anything about it, Absalom took matters in his own hand. He had Ammon killed.
3. And as time went on, he intentionally won the hearts of many of the people. They proclaimed him king at Hebron. When it appeared that he might defeat David’s army, David left Jerusalem. The situation did not seem very hopeful and so David calls out to God.
4. In verse one we see that he bases his prayer on three things.
a. First he says that God is the God of His righteousness (literal Hebrew). God is the possessor of righteousness (of that which is right), the author of righteousness and the vindicator of misjudged or persecuted righteousness. Whatever righteousness David possesses, he possesses in God. Whatever righteous or right he is looking for, he looks for in God. Whenever it seems that injustice or unrighteous acts are upon us, we can turn to God. He will do what is right.
And even if it seems otherwise, He is righteous and we can trust that His assessment of our situation is more correct than how we view the situation. We can place our trust in our righteous God. He will work things out for our good.
b. Secondly, David bases his prayer on his experience with God in the past. Our Bible says "give me relief from my distress." Many translate this passage in the past tense. "You have enlarged me when I was in distress."
The idea here is of an army that is being pressed in on all sides by a surrounding enemy. God has broken down the barriers, freed them and placed them in a wide, open space. In the same way, we could say that God has enlarged our hearts with joy and comfort when we felt imprisoned by grief and sorrow.
We call on God because He has rescued us in the past. O God, our help in ages past. Think of times of distress or darkness in your life. Was God there? Did He carry you through these valleys? Did He enlarged that constricted, hurting heart with joy or comfort? Because he has helped us in the past, we know we can call on Him today.
c. The third reason we can call on God is because He is merciful and hears our prayers. The situation David found himself was largely his on fault. He had failed to confront his sons and deal properly with the situation. He was not saying "Lord, I have done no wrong and they are all bad." He relied on the righteousness of God and not on His own.
If he had any claim it was because God had chosen him. Not his own goodness. Sometimes we may want to call out to God for help. But we know we have gotten ourselves into the mess we are in. And so we feel we have no right to cry out to God for help. Maybe so, but we can still call upon God. "Lord, I have done wrong, it’s my fault. But Lord, I need your mercy. I don’t deserve it but you are a merciful God and without your mercy I am lost."
In another reading, I was amazed at God’s mercy with Lot. Lot had gotten himself into a mess by deciding to live in Sodom. God sent angels to rescue him before Sodom would be destroyed. Lot hesitated, not sure if he wanted to leave the city. But the angels pulled him out, we could say dragged him out to safety.
Like Lot we do not deserve God’s mercy but we can call upon God to be merciful. Never feel you cannot ask God for help, regardless of why you are in trouble.
5. After calling on God, David turns his attention to those who are pursuing him. He does not address Absalom but those who are follow Absalom, including the wealthy class. They turned his glory to shame. The glory he had, he had by virtue of God choosing him as king. They though they were now ruling and that they were in charge, but they were fooling themselves. Instead of seeking after false gods, the original says they were leasing or lying. God had chosen David as king and although they might seek to remove him it’s a lie. They could even sit on the throne, but that would not make them king.
6. Reality is based on God and His choices. We must not let our circumstances fool us into thing that the evil around us is in control. In thinkingg that those who persecute us have more power over us than God. We are godly, not because of our own righteousness, but because God has chosen us as His people. And because of that we know that God will answer us when we call upon Him. It is not a meat packer, a premier or a boss that has ultimate control over us, but God Himself.
7. And so in verses 3 and 4, David appeals to his enemies. "You may be angry but think of what you are doing. You are sinning against God. When you are resting, search your hearts. You know the will of God. Are you doing His will? Offer right sacrifices and trust in the Lord."
8. They were sinning because they were going through the motions of making sacrifices, of worship. But they placed their trust not in God, but in their own actions.
Micah 6:8 He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
This is the sacrifice that is right and acceptable before God.
9. After this appeal, David speaks to another group. We have to read carefully to follow who he speaks to in the various verses. David looks at the men who are around him. Those who have remained loyal. They have become disheartened and they are asking "Who can show us any good?’ They feel that their situation is hopeless. Their faith has turned to fear and their hope to dispair.
10. As he looks upon them, David prays "Let the light of your face shine upon us, O Lord." "May your face, your favour again shine on them. May they be aware of His presence through this light as we are aware of the sun shining over us. And may this light be over us as a banner promising us a victory."
11. So far, in looking at all things, David does so in relationship to his trust in God.
12. In verses 7 and 8 David reflects upon his situation. It may have been harvest time. Those who followed Absalom were probably enjoying a rich and abundant harvest. And they had a rich store of these to fall back on. Meanwhile David and his men may have had little to eat. That would have added to their despair.
13. But as David thinks about this, he realizes something. That God has filled his heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound. They may seem to have all the blessings. their grain ande new wine may abound. The wicked seem to be prospering. Things may seem hopeless.
14. But David’s heart is filled with joy than far exceeds whatever joy they may have.
15. It is a joy that we can have at any time as well.
a. A joy that is constant and does not change with circumstances. We may look at others - they have no sickness, they have families that seem to be happy together, they have success, they have it all. But we can look at them and can say that we still have joy - for we have the Lord.
b. This joy is a joy that is given to us by God. David says that God filled his heart. It is a joy that passes understanding. It does not seem right to have joy. How can there be joy when life is ebbing away or everything is going wrong? I don’t know. It doesn’t make sense.
I have not experienced some of the struggles many of you have. But there have been times in my life when things seemed to be falling apart. And yet there was a joy I felt. A gift from God, a sense of His presence, a close fellowship with Him.
We may seem defeated on the outside but inside we have the joy of victory. As Paul said:
2 Cor 4:8-9 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.
c. This joy comes from God but it is also a joy that fills our heart. There is no room for despair or doubt or destruction. It is a overwhelming joy that takes right over. It is a joy that at times I have felt guilty for. How can I feel joy at this time? How can I rejoice when I should be crying? Is something wrong with me? No, something is right with me.
d. The joy is in our heart - deep within us, in the centre of our being. Protected from the winds and storms of change around us. Like seeing a storm come and wondering if we can weather it out. But then when it comes we feel its blast but we stand firm and secure.
c. This joy is greater. Joy is something we experience when the harvest is full, when the hog prices are high, when all is going well, when our prayers all seem answered, when our health is solid. God brings us joy through the many good things that we experience. But I believe that God sometimes sees that this joy can become something that becomes an end in itself. We start to live for joy - so we busy ourselves in getting and doing things that bring joy. But God knows the greatest, deepest, eternal joy we seek can only come from Him, can only be Him. And so He allows the storms to come, so we can again be awakened to the joy we have in Him.
16. And then we can also lie down and sleep in peace. Unguarded by man but guarded by God. For he will make us dwell in safety.
17. Friends, can you say with David:
You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound.
18. Think on God, on His righteousness, on His faithfulness, on His mercy. Call out to Him. Your problems are real. Call out to Him for help. But as you do, experience the joy of the Lord!
