Does Your Soul Have A Refuge?

It's been so refreshing for me to be in the Psalms this summer.

I hope it's been that way for you as well.

Lord willing, this will be our last sermon on the Psalms for this summer.

And then, Lord willing, again, maybe next summer we'll pick up with Psalm 8,

which is a wonderful place to start again in the Psalms.

So Psalm 7.

Well, as I read this, keep in mind, this is God's very own word.

It's his inspired, inerrant, infallible, clear and sufficient word for you, for his people.

Once I'm done with the reading, I'll say this is the word of the Lord,

and you can respond, thanks be to God.

Psalm 7.

Shigion of David, which he sang unto the Lord,

concerning the words of Cush, the Benjamite.

Verse 3.

O Lord my God, if I have done this, if there be iniquity in my hands,

if I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me,

yea, I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy,

let the enemy persecute my soul and take it.

Yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth

and lay mine honor in the dust.

Selah.

Verse 6.

Arise, O Lord, in thine anger.

Lift up thyself because of the rage of mine enemies

and awake for me to the judgment that thou hast commanded.

So shall the congregation of the people compass thee about.

For their sakes, therefore, return thou on high.

The Lord shall judge the people.

Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness

and according to mine integrity that is in me.

Verse 9.

O let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end,

but establish the just,

for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reigns.

My defense is of God,

which saveth the upright in heart.

God judges the righteous

and God is angry with the wicked every day.

If he turn not, he wet his sword.

He hath bent his bow and made it ready.

He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death.

He ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors.

Behold, he travaileth with iniquity

and hath conceived mischief

and brought forth falsehood.

He made a pit and digged it

and has fallen into the ditch which he made.

His mischief shall return upon his own head

and his violent dealing shall come down

upon his own pate.

Verse 17.

I will praise the Lord according to his righteousness

and will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.

This is the word of God.

Thanks be to God indeed.

You may be seated.

Let's pray.

Let's pray.

O Lord, you are our shelter.

You are the rock of ages that was cut open

so that we can hide ourselves in you.

Our shelter, Jesus Christ, is alive.

Lord, draw us into your presence

inside the house of your Father in heaven

and speak to us, your children.

May we take your truth from your word like children eating with their family dinner.

May it be a delight to our souls.

May you satisfy us once again.

Speak to us, Lord.

You preach to us.

May we pray that you will give us hearts to hear.

May every word of my mouth and may the meditations of our hearts be pleasing in your sight.

For Christ's sake we pray.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

beloved congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ,

does your soul have a refuge?

Does your soul have a refuge?

I want to draw your imagination to this real family

in northern Brazil

with a child that's too soon to be three,

if my calculations are correct.

And her name is Cristina.

Cristina's family is from Venezuela.

And her family had to flee Venezuela as refugees

before she was even born.

Venezuela was plagued by hyperinflation.

All those with some education

that could maybe keep the economy going

had left the country.

And now the lower middle class

has no other options for survival

but to run into a new nation,

to cross a border and hope for a new start.

When her family first arrived in northern Brazil,

they joined one of three camps,

refugee camps set up on the parks of the town.

And in these camps,

they experienced hunger,

they experienced physical harm,

and many were tempted to even sell themselves

just to get enough money to feed their family.

Over time, God provided for this little family

a shared home,

a very small apartment with two bedrooms

for six families.

And it was better than being out in the tents,

but even there,

their physical safety,

theft,

and a lack of medical care

made those living conditions almost impossible.

See, refugees, by definition,

they know they're in danger.

Refugees know they need to find refuge.

Refugees know danger is so real

that they live with a constant fear.

You could say they're crippled by fear on every side,

a fear of sleep,

sleeping at night because you could be attacked,

a fear of not being able to have the medicine

that your family needs,

a fear of being rejected

by those you're living with now in this foreign country,

maybe a fear of being kicked out of that country

by the government,

and certainly fears about the future.

Will they ever feel safe?

Refugees know that they need refuge.

Well, the context of Psalm 7

is that David has been driven out of his nation,

and he's living in the wilderness

among the foreigners like a refugee.

And the Lord taught David in the wilderness his need.

Look how David describes his need in verses 1 and 2.

He feels danger, not only physical,

but he's talking about danger for his soul.

See, in verse 2 he says,

the enemy wants to take my soul

and tear me to pieces.

And so look at what David says in verse 1.

What he says, it sets the tone for the whole psalm.

He says,

O Lord my God,

in you I take refuge.

And that's his call to the whole nation.

O people of God,

this is for you too, church.

You are the people of God.

You need a refuge for your soul.

That's the message of Psalm 7.

I think that David wrote this psalm

after he had been spared,

after God preserved him

and brought him back into Israel.

And he looks back on what God taught him

through that time.

So it's a theological reflection

of one of the hardest moments in his life.

And I've tried to cluster these verses

into five theological reflections.

I'm going to give them to you

in the form of questions.

So listen for five questions

as we move through these verses

and one response at the end.

So the first theological reflection

is this.

Are you aware

that your soul

needs refuge

from the enemy?

Look at the superscription

to this psalm.

It's a psalm of David

which he's saying to the Lord

concerning the words of

Cush,

a Benjaminite.

That means that this man

who's bringing a lot of trouble

on David

is from a different tribe

than David.

He's from the tribe of Benjamin.

And at the end of the book of Judges

we see

the wickedness of the tribe

of Benjamin

was so great

that all the other tribes

gang up against Benjamin

and go to a civil war

with Benjamin

and nearly annihilate them

because their wickedness

was so evil in the land.

Well, the people wanted

a king after their own heart

and they chose Saul

because he was tall

and handsome.

He would be a king

that all the other nations

would be impressed by

and guess what tribe

Saul is from?

He's from the wicked tribe

of Benjamin.

The Lord says

you want to be like

all the other nations?

Have it your way.

So Saul is surrounded now

by the army

that's most loyal to him.

The closest you get to Saul

is going to be

the blood relation.

Those also from the tribe

of Benjamin.

So this would have been

earlier in David's life

before David ever became

the king

before he ever took on

the throne

and before David himself

ever abused the power

though he would.

This is at a different point

in his life.

So when David stood then

before the nation

and sang this psalm

unto the Lord

these are spirit-breathed

reflections.

Listen to verses 1 and 2.

O Lord my God

in you do I take refuge.

Save me from all my pursuers.

Save me from those

that persecute me.

Deliver me

lest he tear my soul

like a lion

tearing my soul apart

rending it in pieces

with none to deliver.

Well David is picturing

Saul like that lion.

That lion chasing down

a deer in the Middle East.

When it catches that deer

it's going to use

its claws and its teeth

to tear the flesh

apart of that deer

and to devour

the insides

of that deer.

That's what David

is going through.

Saul is coming after me

and he wants to devour

my soul.

Let me try to describe

for you why

from 1 Samuel 22

it's a good comparison

of Saul like this wicked lion

preying on the innocent.

1 Samuel 22 says

that Saul was there

sitting on the top

of a hill

like a place

from which he would rule

he's sitting in the shade

under a tree

and he has a spear

in his hand.

Can you picture him?

And all of his servants

were standing about him

and then Saul speaks

to the tribe of Benjamin

he says

hear now people of Benjamin

will the son of Jesse

give every one of you

fields and vineyards

will he make you

all commanders

of thousands?

Give your allegiance

to me

not to Jesse's son David

that shepherd boy.

So Saul is

wooing the hearts

of the people of Israel

and especially those

in the tribe of Benjamin.

So he goes to hunt down David

drives him out of the land

and in these

these four chapters or so

1 Samuel 22

through 26

David describes himself

as a dead dog.

That's what it's like

to live in the wilderness

being hunted by Saul.

He describes himself

as a flea.

I'm a nobody Saul.

These men around you

are twisting it.

They're trying to accuse me

of things I've never said

or done.

I'm being falsely accused.

I'm a nobody.

And he calls himself

a hunted bird.

See David knew

he was a refugee.

He was in danger

and he needed

to find a fortress.

He needed to know

his soul would be safe.

He needed a refuge.

The first step for us

is just like David

it's to confess.

We cannot save ourselves.

Our souls are hunted.

There is an enemy

like Peter describes

Satan

like a lion

seeking whom

he may devour.

I think that

we run the risk

of being most vulnerable

when we feel

most comfortable.

Isn't it easy

for us to forget

that there is a spiritual

battle going on

for our souls

and there is an enemy

who wants to devour

your soul

and destroy

your life.

And if the enemy

gets David's soul

it will

be torn apart

torn to shreds.

So God

must be the one

to save David.

He has none else

to deliver him

he says.

Does your soul

have a refuge?

Are you

still trying to build up

a fortress

of your own making

to protect

your own soul?

or are you aware

that your soul

needs shelter

from God alone

to preserve

your soul

your life

from the enemy?

I think that's

the first reflection

David brings

to the people

of God.

Oh Lord my God

in you

I take refuge.

The second question

is this

does your soul

and does my soul

deserve

God's refuge?

By our own merit

we know that it doesn't.

But notice

how carefully

David examines

himself

in the next few verses.

Verses 3-5

David says

Oh Lord my God

if I have done this

if there is iniquity

if there is wrong

in my hands

if I have repaid

my friend

who was

at peace with me

with evil

or plundered my enemy

without cause

let the enemy

pursue

and persecute my soul

and let him

overtake me

and let him

trample my life

and tread me down

to the ground

into the earth

let him lay

my honor

in the dust.

See David knows

that if he's a hypocrite

if he is

a rebellious

lawbreaker

that does not

fear God

that's exactly

what he deserves.

So David is really

he's under pressure

from unjust saw

and he's appealing

to the higher throne

the higher king

of God

who is just.

Rebellious criminals

don't deserve

God's refuge

and as long as

David is proud

and refusing to repent

and running away

from God

he doesn't deserve

to be spared.

he does not deserve

to find refuge

in God.

Now the good news

is that

David would be

reflecting on the temple

the sacraments

the blood that would be

spilled

and those things

would be counted

to him as righteousness

because he was putting

his faith

in the future work

of Jesus Christ

and now we can know

from the full counsel

of God's word

that if your soul

is clothed

in Christ's righteousness

that means he has

washed you

with his very own blood

and you do stand

before the throne

of God

not condemned

any longer

because you have

repented

you have run

and found refuge

in Jesus.

Now

when God has

washed you clean

and he's put on you

the garments

that are white

of his own righteousness

clothing you

scripture does tell us

to keep your heart

to not defile

what God has made pure.

So

do you see

this glorious truth here?

The Lord clothes you

with his own righteousness

you don't earn it

because we can't

we can never deserve

his sanctification

and his righteousness

but when he does

clothe you

he does teach you

through his spirit

working in you

to not defile yourself

that's the whole message

of the book of Revelation

to the church

do not defile yourselves

in the world.

If you've

acted unjustly

then your soul

deserves to be

hunted down

trampled

and buried.

There's no false

sense of security

if you're standing

in your own

righteousness.

Your soul

needs

a refuge

that is not

of your own making

but if you have

put your trust

in Christ

you need to

keep your heart

you need to

do like

David here

and ask God

to search

all of you

search your conscience

and let him

expose what it is

you need to confess.

Let me give you

just three short

verses from

all of the Bible

to confirm

how important

it is that we

search our conscience

and lay it

before God

just as David

has done here.

2 Corinthians 1.12

Paul writes

and he's writing

to the church

as a fellow Christian

he says

our boast is this

the testimony

of our conscience

that we have

behaved with

godly sincerity

by the grace

of God.

1 John 3.21

Beloved

if your heart

does not

condemn you

have confidence

before God

you see how

important it is

for you to

approach the

throne of glory

you don't want

to be injuring

your conscience

you want to be

able to approach

God

saying

God search

my heart

and I will

surrender

I will repent

of anything

you show me

and that's not

a new message

that's what God

has told his

people all along

Proverbs 4.23

says

keep your heart

with all vigilance

for from it

flow the springs

of life

keep your heart

John Flavel

was an English

Puritan

who suffered

much persecution

he was exiled

he was thrown

in prison

he was prohibited

from preaching

and during that time

he wrote

much of what we

have today

and he would

have been tempted

to seek revenge

just like David

had opportunities

two different times

to take Saul's

life

listen to how

John Flavel

encourages the

Christian now

who has suffered

injustice

Flavel said

by revenge

you might

destroy one

enemy

yet when

Christ's love

constrains you

you conquer

three enemies

three enemies

what are they

number one

you conquer

your own

lust

number two

you conquer

Satan's

temptation

number three

by God's grace

you may conquer

your enemies

heart

see when

Christ has

clothed you

with his

righteousness

it's the

love of

Christ

working in

you

that

constrains

you

when your

soul is

found

refuge in

God

you

want to

trust

him

from his

mighty

fortress

to be

the avenger

you don't

want to

touch it

you want

to leave

it

to the

Lord

praise the

Lord

that

by the

work of

Christ

we can

pray like

David

oh Lord

in you

do I

take

refuge

the third

reflection

do you

know

that your

soul also

needs to

find refuge

from God's

own justice

so you need

refuge from

the enemy

you need

refuge in

the fortress

of God

alone

you don't

deserve to

be in

that fortress

except by

his grace

and you

don't have

a right

to be in

his refuge

in his

fortress

unless the

justice of

God is

accounted for

because the

wrath of

God is on

the evildoers

so here

David is

drawing a

line in

the sand

it reminds

me of

Psalm 1

which sets

the tone

for the

Psalter

there are

two ways

to live

while he's

he's talking

about his

need for

refuge by

the grace

of God

over here

there's a

stern

warning

for those

who are

opposing

God

over here

the wrath

of God

is against

those who

do not

repent

look at

verse 7

David says

let the

assembly of

the peoples

be gathered

about you

look at

this assembly

he says

and return

on high

oh Lord

another

translation

says

so

shall

the

congregation

of the

people

compass

thee

about

and for

their

sakes

return

thou

on high

saying

Lord

when the

people

are not

trying to

conquer

by their

might

but when

they're

repenting

when they're

coming before

your holy

presence

to your

temple

receiving

your grace

through the

shed blood

of the

sacrifice

may you

then look

at them

may you

dwell with

them

as they

repent

verse 8

he says

the Lord

judges

the peoples

judge me

oh Lord

according to

my righteousness

and according

to the

integrity

that is

in me

he said

I'm

I'm

with

those

who

repent

I'm

with

those

who

who

take

your

gift

of

righteousness

but here's

the contrast

the other

side

verse 9

oh let

the evil

another

translation

says

let the

wickedness

of the

wicked

come to

an end

and but

may you

establish

the righteous

and the

just

you who

test

you who

try the

minds

and hearts

see David

is saying

that all

people will

be gathered

before the

Lord

and his

favor will

be on

those

who

God

declares

righteous

but upon

those who

do not

repent

they will

get his

wrath

and there's

no one

that can

stand before

the Lord

and plead

self-righteousness

because the

Lord knows

the mind

and the

heart

the King

James uses

a difficult

word

it says

the heart

and the

reins

but reins

is spelled

without the

G

so it

really is

maybe a

closer to

the Hebrew

it's talking

about the

kidney

the Lord

knows the

heart

and he

knows the

part inside

of you

that's even

deeper

the kidneys

so Hebrew

poetry

it's so rich

you know

the soul

is what is

in focus

in all of

Psalm 7

this is a

spiritual

insight here

and the

Bible teaches

that you have

an outer man

and an inner

man

your inner

man

your soul

is searched

by God

every part of

the inside

of you

God

knows

thoughts

hearts

soul

kidneys

see God

knows you

through and

through

and David

is saying

Lord

judge me

search my

motives

look at my

actions

in this case

I've been

falsely accused

I have nothing

to hide from you

because you see

it all

already

search me

through and

through

you show it

and I will

repent

and may all

those who

gather around

your holy

gathering around

the temple

of the Lord

the shed

blood of

sacrifices

may they all

be searched

by you

and may we

all repent

and confess

our sin

and trust

once again

to receive

your grace

this wonderful

picture from

the Old Testament

it's also

preparing us

for the coming

judgment of

God

God will

search every

soul

the living

and the dead

all will be

assembled

before God

nothing will

be hidden

God will

have it all

in front of

him

and God

will weigh

your righteousness

in the balance

of his

just scales

he will

search your

mind

your thoughts

your hearts

your motives

and mine

we will be

laid bare

so let's be

like these

repenting

Israelites

that turn to

the Lord

now

and they say

Lord search

me I

confess my

sin to

you now

and it's

so refreshing

that we can

do this as

a gathered

body

at least

every week

we can do

this privately

as often

as God

by the

spirit

leads us

to confess

our sin

see any

that God

finds righteous

the promise

is that he

will establish

them

they will not

be driven

out of the

land of his

kingdom

and all

who are evil

and wicked

God himself

will bring

to an end

there will be

no apocalyptic

fort that you

can you know

go into

no bunkers

where you

can hide

from the

coming

judgment

of God

when Jesus

Christ

comes with

the army

of heaven

he will

judge

the living

and the

dead

so you

must

take your

refuge

in him

now

confess

your sin

and repent

to him

now

and you

will find

refuge

in him

does your

soul

have a

refuge

the

fourth

theological

reflection

is this

for those

who refuse

to repent

now

they are

in rebellion

and those

in rebellion

against God

they are

raging against

God

and it's

futile

it is

futile

to rage

against this

mighty fortress

this refuge

this shelter

of God

he uses

language of

war and

battle here

I skipped

verse 6

on purpose

because I

want to

show you

how it's

connected

to what

God

does

so look

at verse

6 next

verse 6

David says

arise oh

Lord

in your

anger

lift

yourself

up

against

the

fury

of

mine

enemies

because

of their

rage

he says

awake

awake

for me

he said

Lord

you have

appointed

a

judgment

these

people

rebel

against

you

and it

feels

to me

that

you're

asleep

that

you're

sitting

down

says

Lord

do you

see

my

injustice

I'm

with

those

who

repent

please

rise

now

in

our

defense

and look

at how

this gets

answered

in the

next

verses

starting

at

verse

10

David

now

beholds

the

fortress

of

God

fighting

back

in this

battle

bringing

his

judgment

in verse

10

he says

my shield

is with

God

my defense

is with

God

who

awakes

for me

he saves

the upright

in heart

verse 11

God who

judges

the righteous

is a

righteous

judge

now here's a

difficult phrase

listen to what he says

in verse 11

a God

who feels

indignation

a God who

feels anger

every day

says God is angry

with the wicked

every day

verse 12

if a man

does not

turn

does not

repent

then God

wets his

sword

he sharpens

the blade

of his

sword

he says

God's

bow and

arrow

are ready

to be

released

he has

readied

and bent

his bow

verse 13

he has also

prepared for him

his deadly

weapons

instruments

of death

he has

ordained

his arrows

with fiery

shafts

against

his

persecutors

that's the

fortress of

God

that's how

David describes

God going

to war

against the

unrepentant

now the

the difficulty

here is

what does

it say about

the nature

of God

God is

angry

every day

is God

fighting an

offensive

aggressive

war

or is

God

defensive

is God

is God

the one

from his

fortress

defending his

people

I think

this is

answered in

verse 6

would you

look there

with me

see David

appeals to

God

to rise

up

because

of the

rage

of the

wicked

he says

rise up

against

the fury

of mine

enemies

so the

enemies

are the

ones

that are

aggressing

and he's

calling on

God

to defend

we found

refuge in

you and

your

fortress

mount

those

walls

fire

back

at the

enemy

who's

raging

against

you

this

reminds

me

of

Psalm

2

remember

it's

the

nations

that

rage

against

the

Lord

and

his

anointed

and

the

king

sits

on

his

heavenly

kingdom

and he

laughs

what about

that

difficult

phrases

says

every day

God's

anger

is against

the

wicked

every day

that man

rages

against

God

God's

justice

takes up

arms

to defend

his

kingdom

so it's

the foolish

nations

raging

against

God

and it's

God

protecting

those

inside

of his

fortress

it's

a

defensive

battle

and

every day

that man

rebels

and rages

against

God

on high

God's

wrath

goes

back

against

them

because

God

is

just

do you

remember

last week

I mentioned

how John

Calvin

prayed

how long

oh Lord

so often

sometimes

that was

all he

could

pray

this verse

also

gives

comfort

that

how

how long

oh Lord

well

every day

God

is

defending

you

every day

God

is

firing

back

at

the

enemy

God

is

your

strong

fortress

and it's

futile

to rage

against

his

kingdom

Calvin

commented

every day

it may

be asked

why God

frequently

delays

his punishment

of evil

but the

scripture

certainly

celebrates

God's

patience

this is

not to

say

that a

day

passes

when God

relaxes

his bow

against

man's

sin

Christ

never

ceases

to execute

his office

of judge

so

Calvin

wrote

never think

of the

patience

of God

as his

approval

of evil

in verse

11

David

says

God

is

the

righteous

judge

and

in verse

12

he says

if

rebellious

men

do

not

repent

then

God

sharpens

his

sword

why

rage

against

the

kingdom

of

God

on

heaven

his

bow

is

bent

against

evil

his

blade

is

being

sharpened

it's

like

God's

spiritual

forces

have

dipped

the

tip

of

the

arrow

and

kerosene

and

touched

it

to

the

torch

and

that

bow

is

bent

back

it's

ready

to

be

released

in

defense

of

his

people

who

take

refuge

in

him

if

you

do

not

take

refuge

in

Christ

you

are

joining

those

ranks

of

demons

who

rage

against

the

high

king

of

heaven

and

it's

futile

and

that's

why

we can

do

what

we're

told

in

1st

Thessalonians

4

3

things

do

not

remain

proud

in

our

pride

we're

raging

against

God

instead

we need

to

run

inside

his

unshakable

fortress

we need

to trust

that he

has

all the

weapons

needed

to

protect

us

and

it

is

futile

for

the

enemy

to

try

to

touch

even

a

single

soul

that

is

hidden

in

Jesus

Christ

your

soul

needs

a

refuge

and

you

need

to

find

that

refuge

in

Christ

well

here's

our

fifth

theological

insight

you

also

need

refuge

from

yourself

David

says

in

verses

14

through

16

that

there

is

so

much

evil

remaining

inside

of

us

that

no

one

can

really

dispute

that

the

fact

that

you

need

refuge

from

the

own

evil

that

remains

inside

of

you

the

devil

is

bent

on

tempting

and

flaming

up

the

remaining

sin

of

the

flesh

while

we're

in

this

world

you

need

God's

protection

even

from

yourself

he

says

in

verse

14

behold

the

wicked

man

conceives

evil

inside

of him

and is

pregnant

with

that

mischief

and he

gives

birth

to

lies

he

brings

forth

falsehood

verse

15

the

wicked

man

makes

a

pit

digging

it

out

and

falls

into

the

hole

that

he

has

made

for

someone

else

his

own

wickedness

shall

return

upon

his

own

head