Morning Glory - Psalm 30
Psalm 30 ESV
Psalms 30 (ESV) Joy Comes with the Morning
A PSALM OF DAVID. A SONG AT THE DEDICATION OF THE TEMPLE.
1 I will extol you, O LORD, for you have drawn me up
and have not let my foes rejoice over me.
2 O LORD my God, I cried to you for help,
and you have healed me.
3 O LORD, you have brought up my soul from Sheol;
you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.
4 Sing praises to the LORD, O you his saints,
and give thanks to his holy name.
5 For his anger is but for a moment,
and his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may tarry for the night,
but joy comes with the morning.
6 As for me, I said in my prosperity,
“I shall never be moved.”
7 By your favor, O LORD,
you made my mountain stand strong;
you hid your face;
I was dismayed.
8 To you, O LORD, I cry,
and to the Lord I plead for mercy:
9 “What profit is there in my death,
if I go down to the pit?
Will the dust praise you?
Will it tell of your faithfulness?
10 Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me!
O LORD, be my helper!”
11 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
you have loosed my sackcloth
and clothed me with gladness,
12 that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent.
O LORD my God, I will give thanks to you forever!
This transcript is generated by artificial intelligence. It may contain errors, misidentifications, or omissions.
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Tonight we look at Psalm 30. We've looked at 30 psalms, at least we will after tonight. So, Psalm 30. Go ahead and find that in your copy of God's word. Psalm 30. A psalm. A song of the dedication of the house of David. Those are two sentences, I read it kind of strange. A song of the dedication of the house. Of David. There you go. I will exalt you. O Yahweh, for You have lifted me up, and have not let my enemies be glad over me. O Yahweh my God, I cry to You for help, and You healed me. O Yahweh, You have brought up my soul from Sheol, You have kept me alive,
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that I would not go down to the pit. Sing praise to Yahweh, You whose holy ones, and give thanks for their remembrance of His holy name. For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning. Now, as for me, I said in my prosperity, I will never be shaken. O Yahweh, by Your favor, You have made my mountain to stand strong. You hid Your face; I was dismayed. To You, O Yahweh, I called, and to the Lord I made supplication. What profit is there in my blood, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise You? Will it declare Your truth? Hear, O Yahweh, and be gracious to me. O Yahweh, be my helper. You have turned for me my morning into dancing.
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You have loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness. That my glory may sing praise to You, and not be silent. O Yahweh my God, I will give thanks to You, forever. This is the word of the living God. Amen. Here we have a psalm that is bracketed with praise. David begins with praise, and he ends with praise. And throughout he is calling others saints to praise. As I've been studying this psalm, I've been praying for a professor, a pastor theologian. He's not a pastor of a church, like a lead pastor, but he's a professor and he's written some books. That have greatly helped me. James Dolezal. He I would recommend him. You could find some of his sermons that he's preached at Ligonier or Founders or other places as well. And just, I mean, he's just going to blow your mind with the attributes of God. But take you to heights you didn't know
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you could go, and depths but just very helpful, dear servant of Christ. But he was out on a walk, some weeks ago, just in a morning walk, and he was struck by a car. And severe injuries. He's been in the hospital, under heavy sedation. Since then, and, you know, his wife put out a couple days ago, our family's been praying for them, and put out a update that he had been he was sitting up. She was so surprised when she came in in the morning as he was sitting up, and wasn't making a lot of sense, but was breathing on his own again. And so, he seems to have turned a good corner, but still praying. I don't have an update for the last two days, but as I've been studying the psalm, this is a psalm where David has faced a near-death experience. He's like almost dead, and the Lord brought him back, and healed him. Now, I'm certainly praying that for James and his life, that the Lord would spare him,
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continue to use him. But it was just in God's providence, just studying the psalm made me think, wow, this is what I'm praying for, that the Lord would raise him up. God raised David up in a time of when he was almost dead, near death, and what does David want to do after being brought out of this intense situation? Well, he wants to sing praise to the Lord. He wants to give thanks to the Lord, and he wants to recruit others to sing and praise God with him. And he wants people to reflect upon God's nature and His actions. And I can't help but think of James Dolezal and his ministry. He's been devoted to really theology proper, which is the study of the nature and existence and attributes of God. And so, here David is brought back, and he wants to praise God and His character. And others join with him. And so, continuing to pray. But here we have a very relevant situation,
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and kind of a near-death experience for David. When is this happened in David's life? Well, we're not entirely certain, because we don't have enough detail to pinpoint when this happens. It does happen in his life. Some connect it to 2 Samuel 24, around the time of the census. That's possible. It's hard to be certain, though, on that. But notice the superscription, which is what we call that little heading. Not the bold one that your editor of your Bible put in there, that's over every chapter, but the one that's just before it's usually like in a different font, slightly a psalm, a song, or the dedication of the house. Of David. And this is kind of an interesting one, because it's the dedication of the house. And that we've probably think the house probably refers to the temple. It doesn't have to, but it often does. So, we're like, old David didn't dedicate the temple.
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Solomon dedicated the temple in 1 Kings 8. So, what's going on here? And there's been loads of suggestions as to when they place this psalm, what's going on here. Some say, well, the house is David's palace in 2 Samuel 5. So that's what it's talking about. Or maybe it's a reference to the tabernacle, 2 Samuel 6. Or maybe, you know, one person says it's related to 2 Samuel 7. Here's what we're doing. We're just going chapter by chapter. And it's David wanting to build a house for the Lord, but God is saying, I'm going to build you a house. David, a dynasty. Others suggest it does refer to the temple, and that either David wrote it to be used for that future event, just like he made preparations in other ways for Solomon in light of the building of the temple. He wouldn't build it, but Solomon would, so he prepares things. Maybe he prepared a psalm to be used for that. Very possible. And interesting note, one writer said that the Talmud the Jewish Talmud declares that the Jews recited Psalm 30 during the festival of Hanukkah,
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commemorating the rededication of the temple in 167 BC by Judas Maccabeus after Antiochus Epiphanes had defiled it. Interesting. It's certainly not that late, because we believe in Davidic authorship. So, David wasn't alive then, just so you know. Also, some suggest it does that it's around the time of David's census, 2 Samuel 24, 1 Chronicles 21. And that maybe it was around there. And part of the reason for that is because it seems like this near-death experience is brought about in the psalm because of David's arrogance. You see that in verse 6, now as for me, I said in my prosperity, I will never be shaken. And so, well, not all suffering is the result of personal sin. It seems as though that may be the case in this passage, because David is in this condition because of his self-sufficiency. And he recognizes that in the midst of it, and he calls out for mercy from God and God, of course, delivers him out of this.
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So, some link it to that. That might be the case, but it's hard to be absolutely certain. Of course, what's interesting about that is the Lord gives David the options of what kind of a punishment that he will have. And David chooses for the Lord to bring that judgment. And for three days. And it stops at the threshing floor of Aruna, which is the location of the temple. So, there's all these things that we are trying to put together here. And figure out. One, a commentator I thought he tried to make it relevant, and he said it's like finding a picture of one of your family members you're going through pictures and you find a picture and it's like, you know, I forget what he said. It was like, Joe and Sally at the shop. And that's what it says on the back of the picture. And you flip it over and you look and there's Joe and Sally, but you're like, that's not the shop that I remember. What is this location? And you're trying to figure out, like,
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where are they standing? That's not the shop. And you're like trying to piece together the historical details based on what they wrote on the back. And it doesn't quite seem to fit. And you're like, okay, what's going on here? There's something, but I can't figure it out. And that's kind of what we have here is this situation where we're like, for the dedication of the temple, maybe it's as simple as David wrote it for the dedication and we can just stop there. Or, yeah. So, either way, the message nevertheless regardless of the historical context comes out very clearly. Psalm of praise in the face of David's near-death experience. So, as we walk through this, there really are five little segments five movements that we have in this psalm. And so, we're going to look at five appropriate reactions to God's restoring work in your life. Five appropriate reactions to God's restoring work in your life. The first is exaltation. Exaltation.
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In verses 1 to 3. Verses 1 to 3, we have exaltation. So, verse 1, I will exalt you. O Yahweh, for you have lifted me up. And have not let my enemies be glad over me. O Yahweh, my God, I cry to you for help. And you healed me. O Yahweh, you have brought up my soul from Sheole. You have kept me alive. That I would not go down to the pit. David praises God here. He extols him for bringing him up from the pit. From a near-death experience. He has a resurrection-like experience from Sheole. He says he will exalt God. The idea is to lift God up in praise. And what's interesting is David himself was lifted up out of a pit of sorts. It's like Joseph. Joseph was in the pit and he was lifted out. David is in the pit of like about to die and God lifts him out. So, it's like God lifted me out.
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I'm going to lift God up. David's enemies then are prevented from being glad over him. No doubt they would have rejoiced over his death. David writes a song when Saul dies and he says, "Tell it not in gath." I don't know how the tune was. Probably not that. But he says, "Tell it not in gath." Was a Philistine city. So, he's saying, hey, the news that Saul and Jonathan have died. Don't tell it in our enemies' city because they're going to rejoice that that happened. And so, of course, if David dies, the enemies will rejoice. But they can't rejoice though they want to because David has been brought back. He's been brought back from the brink of death. Christopher Ash says, similar to how Jesus's enemies rejoiced over his death. And yet that was short-lived. So, he observes that, that, you know, in Matthew 27, they're rejoicing over Jesus dying
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and then he conquers over his enemies Colossians 2. Putting them in an open shame. Well, verse 2, David says, "I cry to you and you healed me." He cries out to the one who can help him, the Lord God heard, God answered, and God healed. Most likely, physical healing is the point. Some have suggested a metaphorical idea. That is used in other places. For healing. But he does say he brought me you brought my soul from Sheole. You kept me alive. So, it seems as though David is on the brink of death and God rescues him from that. Peter Craigie says, "David had been so close to death that it was as if he were already dead." And from that grave situation, he had been rescued by God's act of healing. Interesting, interestingly enough, Hezekiah, a later king in the line of David, is given some extra years when he's on a sickbed.
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And Isaiah 38 speaks about that. Verses 10 to 20, Hezekiah is given more time. Jonah is on the brink of death. In Jonah 2, he is in the depths of Sheol or about to be. And God brings him out. So, you see these other near-death experiences where the person calls out to God and they are given life. Ash again, he says, "It is not difficult to see how this dramatic rescue might be fulfilled as Jesus the Son cries to his Father, descends into death and is drawn up in resurrection." So, of course, David doesn't actually die here, but he's close to death and God brings him back to health and life. And, but of course, the greater David of which David prefigures is actually dead and brought back from the dead.
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When God works so to bring healing from sickness, there's a response. David exalts and praises God. And we should too. We ought not to be like Asa. Who trusted the physicians alone and not to the Lord. Asa, another king. 2 Chronicles 16, verse 12. And Asa became diseased in his feet in the 39th year of his reign. His disease was severe. Yet even in his disease, he did not seek Yahweh. But the physicians. That is not a statement about whether you should seek a physician. You should absolutely seek a physician if you have a health issue. But the idea is that that's all he sought. That's all he sought. He sought the physicians and not Yahweh. So, we should recognize that medicine and the advances in medicine are really the Lord's grace. The Lord's common grace for us to benefit from. We should avail ourselves of that.
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But we shouldn't confuse and separate these to say like I went to the doctor, I went to the hospital and they helped me and I'm recovered. And just think, well, yeah, I didn't need the Lord for that. No, no, no. The Lord worked through that means to bring about healing, restoration. Boyce James Montgomery Boyce is a great quote. You can read it on your own time. Find his commentary. On just this reality of how God uses the means of medicine at times as healing. So, I heard Piper one time pray and this just stuck with me. He was praying for someone or some situation related to health. And he says, "Through miracle or medicine, bring about healing." I like that. Through miracle or medicine. And we may not know which one it was, you know, we can't like figure that out. But either way, we're going to praise God because we know his hand of providence directing medicines through doctors and their wisdom or through miracle we can pray the same.
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The Lord, through miracle or medicine we're asking you to bring healing. So, what is David's response? It is exaltation. Now, what we're going to see in this psalm is he works through it is he's this is the beginning is him praising and exalting God for having brought him back to life. On the brink of death. But he's going to reflect a different point about how we prayed in the midst of that. And so, this is not like a chronological psalm, so to speak, where it's like first this happened, then this happened. He's going to he's reflecting back on the whole instance. So, first you have exaltation. That then leads to invitation. Invitation. We have a change in address in verse 4. Now we have some plural imperatives. David calls on the other saints of God to praise with him. It's like David saying to the saints, "Assist me to proclaim." Right? That line in that hymn.
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So, verse 4, "Sing praise to Yahweh." That's a command. You, his holy ones, and give thanks for the remembrance of his holy name. Why? For his anger is but for a moment his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning. David is a praise recruiter. For Yahweh. You know, you have military recruiters. This is a praise recruiter. Come, praise with me. Join with me. He invites others to sing and give thanks to Yahweh. Calls him then to sing. As Christians, we're called to sing to God. Ephesians chapter 5. Ephesians 5 speaks to this. So does Colossians 3. I mean, the psalms are a big songbook. Full of theology. For every stage of life, every season.
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Ephesians 5, though, verse 18 says, "And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord." Always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God. Even the Father. So, what we have here are a variety of songs that we sing. There's Thanksgiving mentioned, like there is in our psalm. And notice that we speak to one another and we do we sing with your heart to the Lord. So, when we sing, corporately, we're singing to the Lord. We're also singing to one another. So, sing out. Right? Sing out. Because you're singing to those in the congregation. To encourage their hearts. It's almost like you're speaking truth to them. At this point in the service, as well as speaking this to the Lord.
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Like you're saying, "This is true about God," even though you're not looking at them. But then you're saying, "Lord, this is what I believe." You know, this is my prayer to you even. Colossians also, speaks to this in Colossians 3. Colossians 3, verse 16. "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, with all wisdom and teaching and admonishing one another, with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs." So, notice you're admonishing one another. How? With psalms, with hymns, with spiritual songs. Singing with gratefulness in your hearts to God. So, once again, there's singing and there's thankfulness and they're tied together. That's what David ties together. And here in Paul ties that together both in Ephesians and in Colossians. And notice a little switch that he made. In Ephesians, it's be filled with the Holy Spirit. In Colossians, it's let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. So, there's a connection there. We don't have time to kind of look into that. But just note that there's a connection between the filling of the Spirit
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and the word of God dwelling in you richly. So, the result of having the word and the Spirit filling you is that you sing. You sing out. Sometimes, I don't think in this group, but I guess for the recording, sometimes men are reluctant. I think to sing in corporately, publicly. And that shouldn't be the case. And even privately, like in their homes, you know, with family worship or things like that. Men should be leaders in any way. In every way. In their homes and in culture as well. But in singing too. This is not something that's like not manly. David is the one writing this song. Right? I mean, just read. David. Read about David's, you know, mighty man. I mean, so, here this is very natural for God's people, especially men, to be singing and leading out in that. One of my great delights. We were talking about this in the car on the drive in.
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We were listening to Bob Cofflin sing this song. At probably a together for the gospel. And one of the kids was asking, like, "Where was this?" You know? And it's like, they asked. It was at Shepherd's Conference. And Shepherd's Conference is great because there's like there's more than 3,000 men. But like if you get into the main room, there's like 3,000 men singing, you know, these different hymns. And it's like, whoa. And so, yeah, amazing. So, there's something about just hearty singing, truth, together, that is good for our souls. And so, David invites others to sing. Who's he calling to sing? Not just men. He says his holy ones, his holy ones. This is the word. It's the haseed. Haseed. Now, probably the one Hebrew word you know is hased. It's like loving kindness. And because you can like kind of, you know, get one of those going. Hased. But haseed is very related to it. So, it's kind of like you might say, like,
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the ones who've experienced God's loving kindness, they are the saints. And so, we have the holy ones. Have you experienced his loyal love in your life? Then sing about it. Let the redeemed of Yahweh say so. Psalm 107, verse 2. So, sing. But also give thanks. Thanks is a key aspect of our worship. Thanksgiving is like oil to an engine. It keeps the engine running smoothly and without seizing up. Thanksgiving to God in our hearts makes our heart keeps our heart from creaking and grumbling and complaining. And it keeps our heart running smoothly and satisfied. When early in our hearts, then our hearts get creaky. You know, they get complainy. You know, and whiny. But when we're full of thanksgiving, we're just overflowing.
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So, what is it that is the reason to give thanks and sing? Or we might say an evergreen reason to sing and give thanks. It's ongoing, always a source of thanksgiving. Well, it says, for the remembrance of his holy name. For the remembrance of his holy name. Now, this word remembrance, it's actually used in Exodus 3, verse 15, when God is revealing his covenant name. To Moses, and Israel by extension, Yahweh, I am. And he says, this is my memorial name. My name of remembrance. The name you shall know me by. And so, this is that same word his memorial name. So, for the remembrance of his holy name. The name of God is who he is. I mean, when you call out your name, you listen up because it identifies you, the whole you, who you are. And so, God's name really is a stand-in for all that he is. God is all that he has.
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He's not a conglomeration of various parts that are mixed together. He is simple. And so, his essence and existence are one. So, the name of God, that's who we praise. There is such a depth and delight in the knowledge of the holy one. He himself is an ever-flowing river of delights. Psalm 36, 8. They are satisfied from the richness of your house, and you give them drink of the river of your delights. While this passage is not speaking about God, it gives us a helpful image. Song of song says, your oils have a pleasing fragrance. Your name is like purified oil. Therefore, the maidens love you. God's name, for the believer, is a delight. I talked to some of you studying the attributes of God. And it's just so enriching. It's so satisfying. I love going back constantly to study
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the attributes of God, his nature. So, God's name, for the believer, is a delight. This is a major reason to sing and to give thanks to the Lord. Whoever your heart is growing cold, just begin to meditate on some of these attributes. Define what the attribute is. Think about, here's kind of my threefold, how I think about working through the attributes. Defend it. Scripturally, where is it in the Bible? And then delight in it. What is the application of this doctrine of God? So, what is the attribute of God, this characteristic that we want to pick out and study? And then where in Scripture? And then how is this delightful? And then just begin to give thanks to God for all the implications of that. But not only the character of God, the nature of God, but the actions of God. What God does. He also gives us reasons in this psalm
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to praise God for what he does, for his ways. Look at verse 5. For his anger is but for a moment. His favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning. This is the reason the saints are to join David and rejoicing. Two reasons. His anger is but for a moment. His favor is for a lifetime. That's the first reason. God's fatherly discipline may be painful, but it passes. His favor goes on and on for life. His anger and wrath are dealt with in a decisive way through the righteous atonement for sin that Christ made. And therefore, his favor for his people goes on and on. It's forever. In David's life, he experienced the temporary anger of God's discipline for the census. Whether that's the context of the psalm or not, that did happen in David's life. But he knew the favor of God
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throughout his life. Listen to what David says as he reasons about what he knows about God in light of that. Then David said to God, I am in great distress. Let me now fall into the hand of Yahweh, for he is for his compassions are exceedingly abundant. But do not let me fall into the hand of man. So, when God gives him these three options, he says, put me in the hands of God. God will discipline me, yes. But he will show exceeding compassion. Second, we're to sing and praise and thank God because weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning. The idea here of weeping lasting for the night is it's like weeping is going to book just one night to stay in the house. Is the idea. They're only staying one night. But joy will begin the new day. His mercies are always new. Now, what David doesn't I don't think he would want us
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to take this as though that he means sorrow, every sorrow only lasts for a 24-hour news cycle. Right? Here, it's gone. We all know that experientially, that's not true. He's making a comparison. He's giving cause for hope in prolonged suffering. One commentator, Plummer, he says, sharp as are the trials of the saints, they are but short. Sharp as are the trials of the saints, they are but short. We remember that our sufferings are always less than our sins. Psalm 103:10, he has not dealt with us according to our sins, and he has not rewarded us according to our transgressions. Listen to a couple of passages that are especially relevant to, I think, what David is getting at in this verse. I call this the title of this message, Morning Glory, Morning Glory, because that's what he's getting at. Weeping may last for the night, but in the morning, there is joy. There's glory.
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Isaiah 54, verse 7 and 8 say this, for a brief moment I forsake you. This is God speaking to Israel. For a brief moment I forsake you, but with great compassion I will gather you. In a flood of fury, I hid my face from you for a moment. But with everlasting loving kindness, I will have compassion on you. This is Yahweh your God. See the parallels there. With everlasting loving kindness, I will have compassion. His favor lasts for a lifetime. Though for a brief moment I forsake you. Or how about what Jesus said in John 16, verses 20 to 22? Truly, truly, I say to you that you will cry and lament but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy. Whenever a woman is in labor, she has sorrow because her hour has come. But when she gives birth to a child, she no longer remembers the suffering because of the joy that a child has been born into the world.
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Therefore, you too have sorrow now. But I will see you again in your heart will rejoice. And no one will take your joy away from you. Or how about what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:17 and 18? For our momentary light affliction is working out for us an eternal weight of glory. Far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. But the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. Really, is it a resurrection hope that we have of our bodies? That helps us to put time in perspective and our sufferings? It will bring the change to all of our sufferings. Christopher asks, does the death and resurrection of our king turn weeping into joy?
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Andrew Bonner wrote about this. He said, and they are expecting very soon their resurrection morning. When unmingled joy cometh, joy like that of their lords at his resurrection. So he's saying, we look, we view this passage through that lens, through that perspective of we weep now for the night, but joy is coming. That resurrection morning, David then invites the saints to join him in singing and thanking God for his person and his works. Said this before, but the saints of God have a way of doubling our joys and halfing our sorrows. When we're together, when we sing, you got to joy in your life. Saints come along. We rejoice with those who rejoice to doubles our joy. You suffering in life, we weep with those who weep. It halfs our sorrows. To be with the people of God. This is why it's essential that we live the Christian life together, together.
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Of course, we might make an application for those who are outside of Christ this is the total opposite. For his anger is but for a moment. His favor is for a lifetime. Well, his favor may be for a short time, for a moment, in common grace, but his anger is for an eternity. Weeping may last for the night, but joy comes in the morning. You might have a life of ease, of happiness, joy, in various ways. But gnashing and weeping will last forever and it doesn't have to be so. There's hope of forgiveness in Christ David comes to reflect on his own sin as a believer and recognizes how he had gone astray. In this next section, and so what is his response
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the next point is reflection, reflection. He reflects back on that time in the midst of his suffering. He recognizes sin in his life verses 6 and 7. What may have contributed to these circumstances for him personally. His self-sufficiency verse 6. Now, as for me, now that's important, because what David if David is implying what it seems like he's implying, it's important that he says, this is my situation. This is not necessarily everyone's situation. Remember that in John 9, they asked Jesus, is this man blind? Because he sinned or his parents sinned. And Jesus says, neither. It's not that situation. It's for God to display his glory. Job's situation, that was the problem with his friends. They misunderstood that his suffering wasn't the result of his sinning, but they took it that way. It has to be that way in their worldview. It seems that David is suffering because of his sin. That's what he's concluding here. But this is his situation. It's not always that case, but we can still learn from it. Now, as for me, I said in my prosperity,
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I will never be shaken. So David is confessing here having a heart posture of self-sufficiency. Well, God was blessing him. God has given. Now, David is, I mean, he has at the height of his kingdom, just many great blessings and prosperity. God had warned his people, though, in Deuteronomy against this kind of heart posture when God did bless them. He intended to bless them, but he didn't want them to misinterpret those circumstances. Deuteronomy chapter 8, verse 11, beware lest you forget Yahweh your God by not keeping his commandments and his judgments and his statutes, which I am commanding you today. Lest you eat and are satisfied and build good houses and live in them, and your herds and your flocks multiply and your silver and gold multiply and all that you have multiplies. And your heart becomes lifted up
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and you forget Yahweh your God who brought you up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. He led you through the great and fearsome wilderness with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water. He brought water for you out of the rock of Flint, in the wilderness. He fed you, manna which your fathers did not know. That he might humble you that he might test you to do good for you in the end. Lest you say in your heart, my power and the might of my hand But you shall remember Yahweh your God, made me this wealth. for it is he who is giving you power to make wealth. That he may confirm his covenant which he swore to your fathers as it is this day. Now, it will be if you forget Yahweh your God and walk after other gods and serve them and worship them. I testify against you today that you will surely perish. Like the nations that Yahweh makes to perish before you. So you shall perish
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because you would not listen to the voice of Yahweh your God. This is the warning. This is the warning. And of course, we have many other examples of this kind of heart posture. I mean, Nebuchadnezzar just happened to have a stroll one day looking out the city. Man, look at this place. Is this not Babylon which I have built? Right. And he's lifted up in his prosperity and what does God do? I hope you like grass for a diet. You know, you're on the all grass diet now for a while. And they're going to think you're crazy, you know, until you're humbled. And what happens when he after he is humbled? The first thing he does when he comes to his right senses, he praises God. When you're in your right mind, you praise God for his blessings. Here's another 2 Chronicles 32. 2 Chronicles 32, verse 25.
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But Hezekiah gave no return for the benefit he received because his heart was proud. Therefore, wrath came on him and on Judah and Jerusalem. So there's this danger of pride, of self-sufficiency. How does that manifest? How can that manifest itself? For David, he just had this heart posture. He looked out at all the blessings that God gave him, his kingdom, and he just had this thought, I'll never be shaken. I'll never be shaken. Now, that statement is one that is used positively at times. Where, like Psalm 15, you know, you will never be shaken, right? If you're trusting in the Lord. But it's also used in Psalm 10 of really the godless person who just says, I'll never be shaken. I'll never be moved from this high place. That seems to be what David is acknowledging here. A sinful lifting up. But one way this can express itself is prayerlessness. Prayerlessness is the ultimate test
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of or evidence of independence, lack of self-sufficient or, excuse me, self-sufficiency, a lack of dependence on the Lord. Just says, hey, I'm fine. I can do this myself. I don't need the Lord's help. I don't need to ask the Lord. I don't need to thank the Lord for what he's given me. I don't need to seek the Lord's help for what I'm about to do here. And so beware of prayerlessness when it begins to crop up in your life that it is an evidence of a growing self-sufficiency. And so David acknowledges that. Verse 7. O Yahweh, by your favor, you have made my mountain to stand strong. So now he acknowledges that God's work to establish him. But then he acknowledges as well that in this season of testing, he says, you hid your face. I was dismayed. What a statement. This gets at the heart of David. What really concerned him.
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This is what distressed him most. The loss of communion with God. The hidden face of God was horrible to David. James Hamilton, he says, life is to be found in Yahweh's presence, to be banished from Eden was to be banished from the realm of life. Because Yahweh was there. The tabernacle was a small scale symbol of the cosmos, which with Yahweh dwelling in its midst. The desire to build a temple was a desire to establish Yahweh's dwelling place in the midst of the people. Perhaps then the terror that David feels when Yahweh hides his face in verse 7 results from his fear that Yahweh will not, in fact, grant him the joy of his presence. Have you had seasons in your life where you felt the presence of God was absent or was distant? This sentiment that David has Lord, it seems like your face is hidden. Dismayed at that.
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Or are you in that season now? Does it feel like a season like that now? Let me encourage you with the words of the Westminster Confession of Faith. This is the section on assurance. Assurance of salvation. Notice what it says. It's kind of a long paragraph, but notice how pastoral they were as well. I mean, they understood the implications of their theology. They said this, true believers may have the assurance of their salvation diverse ways shaken. So different shaken in different ways. Diminished and intermitted as here's some ways by negligence in preserving of it too, by failing in some special or by falling into some special sin, which woundeth the conscience and grieveth the spirit. Number three, by some sudden or vehement temptation. Number four, listen to this, by God's withdrawing the light of his countenance
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and suffering even such as fear him to walk in darkness and to have no light. Yet are they never utterly destitute of that seed of God and life of faith that love of Christ and the brethren that sincerity of heart and conscience of duty out of which, by the operation of the spirit, this assurance may in due time be revived. And by the which, in the meantime, they are supported from utter despair. End quote. It's good. Why does God do that? We don't know. But he has purposes where he may, even for those who fear him, withdraw the light of his countenance for a season. What would that do for a true believer? Well, it would cause them to just seek him that much more, to draw near to him. Oh, God, I have to enjoy you. Why is this happening? John Flavel writes this, outward afflictions do but break the skin.
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This touches the quick. They, like rain, fall only upon the tiles. This soaks into the house. But Christ brings to believers substantial, matter of consolation against the troubles of desertion. He himself was deserted of God for a time that they might not be deserted forever. What a picture. Outward afflictions. It's like rain falling on the tile. It'll get it wet, but it's going to dry pretty quick. The sense of the loss of God's presence it's like rain soaking through your roof, into your house, soaking all of your stuff in your house. It's devastating. But Christ gives us that consolation. He's saying, he was deserted by God. He was forsaken so that we would never be forsaken.
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And so David acknowledges the self-sufficiency in his life. He acknowledges where the favor came from. God had had made his mountain to stand strong. He acknowledges the sin. This is what we ought to do. If we have sense that in some way we've become self-sufficient, there's some sin in our life, that's keeping us from enjoying that, your sins have hidden him from you. Then draw near. James four, draw near to God What else should you do if you find yourself and he will draw near to you. in such a situation? Well, David actually shows us by modeling it first in verses eight to ten, and it's the next section, supplication. Supplication. He asks the Lord. He reasons with the Lord and requests of the Lord mercy. And so this is what I was trying to say earlier. I think I said it too soon. David in the beginning of this psalm is saying, Lord, I praise you because you brought me out of the situation. Later he starts to reflect that his self-sufficiency
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and and pride may have led him into that and now he's going to say, what did I do in the midst of that difficult situation? What was I what was I praying? What was I saying? Hoping the Lord would bring me out of it. And that's what we're going to see now. This is his prayer in the midst of it. And then finally we'll see that again he ends by celebrating and praising God for that. He'll praise God forever. Notice two things here under supplication. First, his reasoned prayer. Verses eight to ten. To you, O Yahweh, I called, and to the Lord I made supplication. What prophet is there in my blood if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it declare your truth? Hear, O Yahweh, and be gracious to me. O Yahweh, be my helper. So verses eight and nine, he he shows the reasoning of his prayer.
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He reasons he gives God really cause to answer his prayer. These are three rhetorical questions, really all expecting a no answer. The gist of them of the three questions is to express David's desire to continue to praise God on earth. The dust does not declare like David will. He said, God, if I die, I won't be able to praise you. David obviously believes we've studied it before. In the afterlife, he believes that he'll be with the Lord. I won't be able to worship you in this life. But he wants to praise God here and now, among other people. He wants to be a witness and a testimony for God. He wants to live in bodied. As God intended it. And so he said, God, I won't be able to do that if what prophet will there be? Lord, don't you want another soul praising you on this earth? Spare my life then, and I'll praise you. And this is something important to see how he reasons. This actually is the way that a number of saints reason in the Psalms and Isaiah.
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I think it's Hezekiah reasons this way as well in his sickness, appealing that like, Lord, don't you want another worshiper still? If you kill me, there'll be one less worshiper on earth bodily praising you. Maybe you don't reason that way, but notice what David says about the assumption here. He says, it assumes that our whole rationale for existence is to offer praise to God. I like that. He said, by David reasoning this way in prayer, he's saying, God, this is why I exist. I exist to glorify you, to praise you. So don't take my life because I want to still do that on earth. He's appealing in his prayer to the glory of God. Thomas Watson said, prayer that is likely to prevail with God must be argumentative. God loves to have us plead with him and overcome him with arguments in prayer. Now, what he means is like reasoned arguments, not like, yelling at God, you know, we should never be angry with God. But we can agonize before God,
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and we should give arguments for why he should answer our prayers. And those arguments should be to glorify God's name, to make much of God. And that's what David does here. So that's his reasoning then. You have the request itself in verse ten. Hear, O Yahweh, and be gracious to me. O Yahweh, be my helper. This is such a simple prayer, for grace and help, be gracious to me, be my helper. I mean, sometimes we just have those sentence prayers. Lord, help me. Right now, you don't have time to like really think , you know, in some elaborate prayer, in the moment, but you just are like, Lord, help. Please be gracious to me right now. It's not the sophistication of our prayer, but the sincerity of our prayers that avails before God. So here is the supplication that David brings before God, his request. Finally, here's how the Psalm ends. His response is celebration.
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Celebration in verses eleven and twelve. Look at verse eleven. You have loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness. Here's a great reversal that's brought about for David and as a result, he celebrates. You have turned for me my morning into dancing. From morning at a near funeral, his own, to dancing as you would at a wedding. God has removed the clothing of mourning and placed upon his shoulders the robe of rejoicing and reveling. Christopher Ash, again, he says, the image of the Father God taking off my sackcloth removing not only the symbol, but the substance of grief and clothing his child with gladness is both true and moving. And this is really what Jesus spoke about in John 16:20, that God would make this great reversal.
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God does this temporary forest temporarily at times. But much more this will be your experience as one of the saints when we see the Lord coming, or in our in our going to be with him. What a day of reversal his coming will be. Verse twelve, he says, that my glory may sing praise to you and not be silent. O Yahweh, my God, I will give thanks to you forever God has done all this to lead his people to praise him. Now, David says, my glory. What does he mean? Well, it's likely a reference to his person. You can look at Psalm 108, verse one and eight. Likely refers to just David himself, his soul. And so my glory may sing that I might sing and maybe you even think about the glorified saint, right? In glory, even when we're resurrected, that we will sing and not be silent. We will sing forever. Resurrection is the prerequisite for singing and praising God
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forever and ever. How can you be silent when you consider all that God has done for you? Or in the life of another? David is recruiting based on things that God did in his life. So when someone else praises God for something in their life, you can join with them and praise the Lord. One commentator picks up on something Calvin said. They introduced it by saying faith changes our perception of time. John Calvin observes that by nature our own fretfulness and impatience under affliction makes every minute an age while, however long God's favor has been exercised towards us, our ingratitude is such that it seems like a very short time. The reverse is true. In the age to come, we will be able to describe our sufferings as this light, momentary affliction and to feel the eternal weight of glory for all eternity.
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Forever praise. First Peter two nine. You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Let me end with something I was reading this week. You know, John Piper has that. He's got a bunch of these little biographies, but they're all in one. Book now 20, it's like 21 servants. And I was reading the one on George Mueller. I love Mueller. He was the pastor of his church for 66 years. That's my ambition. I hope you can put up with me for that long. Some of you won't live that long. I guess. But 66 years. He had two wives. That both died before he did. Four children. Three of which died to two that were still born. One that died at one year's old. And then his daughter died, I think at 57.
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So he outlived her as well. He outlived his entire family. He died at 93, I believe. But when he he would his his wife Mary, his first wife, when she was sick, he reflects upon praying for her. In her near death experience. And here's what he says. The last portion of scripture, which I read to my precious wife, was this. The Lord God is a son and shield. The Lord will give grace and glory. No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. Now, if we have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, we have received grace. We are partakers of grace. And to all such, he will give glory also. I said to myself, with regards to the latter part, no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. I am in myself a poor, worthless sinner. But I have been saved by the blood of Christ. And I do not live in sin.
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I walk uprightly before God. Therefore, if it is really good for me my darling wife will be raised up, raised up again. Sick as she is. God will restore her again. But if she is not restored again, then it would not be a good thing for me. And so my heart was at rest. I was satisfied with God and all this springs. As I have often said before, from taking God at his word, believing what he says. End quote. Wow. May the Lord grant us such faith to trust him to say, Lord, I want this. And if you think it's good for me to have then you'll answer and give it to me. And if not, you know, that's what's good for me too. Father, thank you for your word. Thank you for our study. And Lord, grant us such a childlike trust
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that would depend on you in our greatest times of need. Or at least our perceived need. We're always needy before you. And Lord, as we look to you, we don't have a guarantee David didn't either that you would raise him up out of such a near death experience. But Lord, you have done that in lives and our lives. Some of us. And yet, Lord, may we praise you and commit to praise you no matter what, giving thanks to you. For all of your character, and all of your deeds towards us. Lord, remind us of who you are so that we might sing of you, give thanks to you. Help us to bear one another's burdens and share one another's joys. As David invited the saints to worship with him. And Lord, give us hope of that coming resurrection day. That maybe even soon you will resurrect our bodies.
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Bring us into your presence. Where we'll forever enjoy and praise you. In Jesus name. Amen. All right. Well, praise the Lord. What a great Lord's Day we've had. To feast on his word. To sing, to be with God's people. It's been a great day. The Lord's Day is great. Let me close us out here with a benediction. Now to him who was able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages. Long ages passed. But now is manifested. And by the scriptures of the prophets according to the commandment of the eternal God has been made known to all the Gentiles leading to obedience of faith to the only wise God through Jesus Christ. Be glory forever. Amen.