Great is the Lord

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In a storm where is your first port of call? When troubles arise or a crisis takes place to whom do you turn? When you don't know where to go and what to do, what is your immediate response? Send a text? FaceTime or Skype? Phone a friend? Contact an agony aunt? Consult a crystal ball? Go on a silent retreat? If all else fails join the French Foreign Legion? Of course it might even include prayer or fasting. There are so many possibilities open to us. We may try many routes and consult many people, but completely overlook a ready resource that is near to hand. The book of Psalms. The strap-line of the news magazine 'The Week' is "All you need to know about everything that matters." And much the same can be said of the book of Psalms.

One of my favourite quotations from John Calvin is this: "I have been accustomed to call this book, I think not inappropriately, 'an anatomy of all parts of the soul' for there is not an emotion of which anyone can be conscious that is not here represented as in a mirror." And a modern commentator, John Eaton puts it like this: In the Psalms is "a natural outpouring of heart and soul – in need, in gratitude, in sorrow and in joy."

So here we have a divine compendium. An invaluable resource. An anatomy of all parts of the soul. A natural outpouring of heart and soul. All you need to know about everything that matters. Here are words to praise, to confess, to comfort, to awaken, to restore, to encourage, to build up. Words to fashion our own inadequate prayers. On the cross what did Jesus pray? Psalm 22: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me ...?" At the time of his greatest need Jesus recalled the words he had known since childhood. At the time of his greatest agony he made these words the substance of his prayer. In his need Jesus turned to the Psalms and when we are in need we should turn there too. When life is hard. When things get on top of us. When we are in despair seemingly unable to see where to go, and what to do.

The general introduction to the Psalter is Psalm 1 – the Psalm of the two ways – the Psalm that contrasts the believer with the unbeliever. The faith of the believer is confident and assured. Their walk with the Lord is a joy and a delight. And that delight is expressed (in part at least) in reflecting upon the Word of God. And that is what we should do in this sermon series on the Psalms. To make these words our words. To discover the will of God, the mind of God and the purposes of God. To find in God's word 'All you need to know about everything that matters' as we follow Christ in good times and in bad times.

1. The case (vv.1-10)

In the Psalter, 73 of the Psalms are attributed to David. Sometimes the title gives us the context - for example Psalm 51 follows on from David's adultery with Bathsheba. It provides us with David's confession and words for us to use as our confession. But Psalm 35 gives us no such strap-line and so we have to guess the context. It could be at any point in David's life, and most likely when he was active in the service of King Saul. Within his court David held a responsible position. But he had to watch his back. He had enemies. Those who resented his presence and were jealous of his position. Those who hated him and wanted to bring him down. Those who, given the opportunity, would have killed him.

And for you are you at present in a hard place? Here on Sunday (if asked) you will say that everything is fine, but on Monday morning it's a different story. At work there's someone who wants your job. Who makes life difficult? Who resents your presence? Who gossips behind your back? Who knows that you are a Christian and constantly tells you that your attitude isn't very Christian, is it? For you there is a mismatch between the theory on Sunday evening and the reality on Monday morning. Being on the frontline can be hard and discouraging. It can wear you down.

So what further can we discover about David's position? And how might it apply to us? David sets out his case in vv.1-10. It was clearly a nasty situation. David was opposed and discouraged. His enemies directed their anger against him. They set traps for him to fall into. They lied about him. They tried to humiliate him. They even plotted to kill him. And as a believer what could David do? Humanly speaking his enemies could strike at any moment. So what did he do? He prayed. He presented his case before the Lord. He called upon him to act and to act decisively. Look at his prayer (in vv.1-8):

My enemies fight against me:Lord, defend me and fight against them (vv.1-2).My enemies are like chaff:Lord, provide the wind and blow them away (v.5).My enemies are slippery customers:Lord, pursue them and overtake them and bring them down (v.6).My enemies try and catch me and trap me in a net:Lord, cause them to be ensnared (vv.7-8).

David's prayer was direct. We might think a bit too direct! Very un-Anglican! But in his praying he expected a divine answer. I wonder in our prayers do we ever pray expecting God to act and to act decisively? And even in his unhappy situation David praised the Lord in anticipation of his response. "Say to my soul, "I am your salvation"" (v.3) to protect me, and to give me victory. Why? Because ultimately his eternal security was in the Lord. And notice in this first section (and in each of the three sections) it ends with praise. v.9 "Then my soul will rejoice in the Lord, exulting in his salvation".

2. The plea (vv.11-18)

David had suffered for some time. He had been falsely accused. His enemies rose up against him. And since he couldn't defend himself he made his appeal to the Lord to intervene and to defend him. David's enemies gave false testimony (v.11). Instead of doing good, they repaid evil for good (v.12). David was numbed by their cruelty. It was as if he was bereaved, desolate and despairing. How could God let his situation go unnoticed and unpunished? There may be someone here tonight who feels like that: bruised, and numbed, and desolate? If that is you, then go directly to the Lord!

In all of this David acted honourably. He had been kind to his opponents. Justice demanded that his enemies would take notice and follow David's example of 'true and genuine love'. He identified himself with them, as though they were his own. Whatever trouble, whatever sorrow, whatever calamity, he was alongside them, bearing their grief and their burdens. And though they rejected him, he secretly prayed for them. His prayer was heartfelt. Privately with his head on his chest, which said (in effect), "I prayed for them just as I pray for myself". And as well as praying he put on sackcloth and fasted – a sign of humility, an acknowledgement of personal guilt and shame. David identified himself with his opponents. He took upon himself the sins of his enemies, in order to obtain for them God's forgiveness. Their attitude towards him was unjustified, while his towards them was loving and gracious.

Doesn't this remind you of the Lord Jesus, who bore in his body our guilt and sin and shame? His enemies verbally abused him. They beat him. They spat upon him. And yet he remained silent. And on the cross Jesus bore for us the punishment of sin and the full force of the wrath of God. Here in Psalm 35 we are given a glimpse of what was to come and what was to happen when a just man died on a cross in your place and mine. As Charles Spurgeon put it:

While Christ stands in the sinner's place, the believer stands in Christ's place. As the Lord looked upon Christ as though he had been a sinner ... so now the Lord looks upon the believing sinner as though he was righteous, though indeed, he has no righteousness of his own.

When David stumbled, his opponents rejoiced. His stumbling was not just tripping up on a stone, but he was pressed down by the calamities that had fallen upon him. He was broken by the experience. Emotionally when he was at his lowest point they assailed him more and more. David was shamefully treated and with utter contempt. They constantly poured out their venom upon him. Their opposition was relentless. They never gave up – even when they ate together at a banquet. The situation was intolerable. How could he bear it any longer? David cried out: "How long will you look on, Lord? Rescue me...[Help me. Save me from death]"(v.17). In all of his troubles was God just an observer unmoved by his situation? David felt alone and rejected. Again there are echoes here of the cross and of Psalm 22.17-19:

I can count all my bones, they stare and gloat over me; they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots. But you, O Lord, do not be far off! O you my help, come quickly to my aid!

In Psalm 34 David was fearful, and his prayers were soon answered (v.4). And in Psalm 35 David was fearful but his prayers remained unanswered. Was it that God had not heard him? Or that he did not care? Surely not! It was rather that he did not act immediately and his response was delayed. Yes, we believe that the Lord answers prayer, but not always as we expect and in a way that we have planned and told him what to do. We might see his lack of immediate response as not answering our prayer. But the delay might be to test us, to confirm our faith and to bring us more deeply to the Lord. This second section (like the first) ends with David giving thanks to the Lord (v.18). He anticipated what God would do. That in his good time he would deliver him and restore him. That his prayers would be heard and would be answered.

3. The resolution (vv.19-28)

In David's eyes things looked bleak. His enemies appeared to have the upper hand. They clapped their hands for joy when they saw him defeated. His humiliation was their delight. It was not surprising that he felt that God had deserted him. So he cried out: "Rouse yourself, Lord and act" (v.23). When all else failed David threw himself on the mercy of the Lord. After all he believed that God was sovereign. That ultimately he was in control of his life and circumstances. For yourself, do you believe that God is sovereign? Do you believe that he is in control of your life and your circumstances? Not just theoretically but in reality. So that wherever you are at present, know that he is in control – of your future, of your work, of your unemployment, of your singleness, of your relationship, of your marriage, your bereavement.

Ultimately God would defend David; he would maintain his righteous cause. As John Calvin put it, "It is... not simply a prayer, but a solemn appeal to God, that as he is righteous, he would manifest his righteousness in defending his servant" for his own good and for his own glory. When we are down, and feel forsaken and alone then we need to reflect upon the One in whom our righteousness depends. The One who binds up the broken hearted, and who restores the fallen and despairing and who meets us at our point of need. David's words were clear. "Let them be put to shame and disappointed altogether [those] who rejoice at my calamity!" (v.26). Let them be thoroughly ashamed of themselves. Their actions would only bring God's wrath upon them. David would be clothed in robes of righteousness: his enemies would be clothed with shame and dishonour. The Christian believer is clothed in royal robes we don't deserve. The cloak of righteousness wrapped around us by the One who bears in his hands the imprint of the nails.

The Psalm ends with praise as each of the three sections have done so. "Let those who delight in my righteousness shout for joy and be glad and say evermore, "Great is the Lord"" (v.27). This puts David's disappointments and anxieties and fears into a right perspective. Things had been bad. He had suffered much. But the Lord was in control and delighted his wellbeing. For us, journeying through David's experiences may not have been easy. Our own pain and sorrow might have been exposed. And as it says after some TV programmes, you may have been affected by some of these issues and want to talk to someone about them.

For the Christian the base line is perfectly clear. God is sovereign. Ultimately he is in control of our lives and our destinies. Sometimes our lives can be disordered, our circumstances at times too hard to bear, we constantly backslide and fail to be what we should be. But we believe that God in his mercy and goodness and love will not let us be defeated for we are eternally secure in him. We may be brought down and defeated by the monster within, but God will raise us up and restore us to himself. May that be so for you and me as we move on from Sunday evening to Monday morning. To commit our lives to him afresh in every situation and circumstance and to trust his word to us.

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