Sermon

I love you, O Lord, my Rock

Grace Evangelical Church Newcastle - Sermons

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  1. I think you could say that David was in a good space when he wrote this psalm.

  2. And he thinks on the majesty and the glory and the power of God.

  3. And we have 50 verses to read together.

  4. So fasten your seatbelts.

  5. I hope you have the text in front of you.

  6. And let's see if we can identify with David and his thoughts.

  7. Psalm 18.

  8. To the choir master, a psalm of David, the servant of the Lord,

  9. who addressed the words of this song to the Lord on the day when the Lord delivered him from the hands of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.

  10. He said, I love you, O Lord, my strength.

  11. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock in whom I take refuge,

  12. my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

  13. I call upon the Lord who is worthy to be praised and I am saved from my enemies.

  14. The cords of death encompassed me.

  15. The torrents of destruction assailed me.

  16. The cords of Sheol entangled me.

  17. The snares of death confronted me.

  18. In my distress, I called upon the Lord.

  19. To my God, I cried for help.

  20. From his temple, he heard my voice and my cry to him reached his ears.

  21. Then the earth reeled and rocked.

  22. The foundations also of the mountains trembled and quaked because he was angry.

  23. Smoke went up from his nostrils and devouring fire from his mouth.

  24. Glowing coals flamed forth from him.

  25. He bowed the heavens and came down.

  26. Thick darkness was under his feet.

  27. He rode on a cherub and flew.

  28. He came swiftly on the wings of the wind.

  29. He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him.

  30. Thick clouds, dark with water.

  31. Out of the brightness before him, hailstones and coals of fire broke through his clouds.

  32. The Lord also thundered in the heavens and the Most High uttered his voice,

  33. hailstones and coals of fire.

  34. And he sent out his arrows and scattered them.

  35. He flashed forth lightnings and routed them.

  36. Then the channels of the sea were seen and the foundations of the world were laid bare.

  37. At your rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.

  38. He sent from on high.

  39. He took me.

  40. He drew me out of many waters.

  41. He rescued me from my strong enemy and from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me.

  42. They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my support.

  43. He brought me out into a broad place.

  44. He rescued me because he delighted in me.

  45. The Lord dealt with me according to my righteousness.

  46. According to the cleanness of my hands, he rewarded me.

  47. For I have kept the ways of the Lord and have not wickedly departed from my God.

  48. For all his rules were before me and his statutes I did not put away from me.

  49. I was blameless before him and I kept myself from my guilt.

  50. So the Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.

  51. With the merciful, you show yourself merciful.

  52. With the blameless man, you show yourself blameless.

  53. With the purified, you show yourself pure.

  54. And with the crooked, you make yourself seem tortuous.

  55. For you save a humble people, but the haughty eyes you bring down.

  56. For it is you who light my lamp.

  57. The Lord my God lightens my darkness.

  58. For by you I can run against a troop.

  59. And by my God I can leap over a wall.

  60. This God, his way is perfect.

  61. The word of the Lord proves true.

  62. He is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.

  63. For who is God but the Lord?

  64. And who is a rock except our God?

  65. The God who equipped me with strength and made my way blameless.

  66. He made my feet like the feet of a deer and set me secure on the heights.

  67. He trains my hands for war so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

  68. You have given me the shield of your salvation.

  69. And your right hand supported me.

  70. And your gentleness made me great.

  71. You gave a wide place for my steps under me.

  72. And my feet did not slip.

  73. I pursued my enemies and overtook them.

  74. And did not turn back till they were consumed.

  75. I thrust them through so that they were not able to rise.

  76. They fell under my feet.

  77. For you equipped me with strength for the battle.

  78. You made those who rise against me sink under me.

  79. You made my enemies turn their backs to me.

  80. And those who hated me I destroyed.

  81. They cried for help but there was none to save.

  82. They cried to the Lord but he did not answer them.

  83. I beat them fine as dust before the wind.

  84. I cast them out like the mire of the streets.

  85. You delivered me from strife with the people.

  86. You made me the head of the nations.

  87. People whom I have not known served me.

  88. As soon as they heard of me they obeyed me.

  89. Foreigners came cringing to me.

  90. Foreigners lost heart and came trembling out of their fortresses.

  91. The Lord lives and blessed be my rock.

  92. And exalted be the God of my salvation.

  93. The God who gave me vengeance and subdued peoples under me.

  94. Who rescued me from my enemies.

  95. Yes you exalted me above those who rose against me.

  96. You delivered me from the man of violence.

  97. For this I will praise you O Lord among the nations.

  98. And sing to your name.

  99. Great salvation he brings to his king.

  100. And shows steadfast love to his anointed.

  101. To David and his offspring forever.

  102. And I'm sure we look forward to Dave expounding that psalm to us shortly.

  103. Well good morning everyone.

  104. I was relying on that song to finish my sermon.

  105. But we'll see where it ends.

  106. That is a joke by the way.

  107. It is written.

  108. Congrats to Bo and Lay wherever you are.

  109. Yeah.

  110. Your grandson Thomas.

  111. That's wonderful.

  112. Why don't we pray as we come to God's word.

  113. Let's pray.

  114. Lord.

  115. As Alex prayed.

  116. I echo a similar prayer.

  117. That you would.

  118. By your powerful word.

  119. Not mine.

  120. That you would.

  121. Turn each of our hearts.

  122. To you.

  123. That you would teach us.

  124. What it means for you to be.

  125. Our rock.

  126. Our place of refuge.

  127. And that we would look nowhere else.

  128. And rely nowhere else.

  129. So Lord be with us now as we come to your word.

  130. In Jesus name.

  131. Amen.

  132. Well we all need a place of safety.

  133. To feel safe.

  134. To be safe.

  135. The only question is.

  136. Who or what rock.

  137. Do we take refuge in.

  138. Perhaps we would feel this need a bit more.

  139. If we lived in a country that was.

  140. In a time of war.

  141. But I even find this.

  142. Becoming a parent.

  143. My radar for safety just went nuts.

  144. As soon as I became a parent.

  145. I've got to be careful.

  146. Because I've got children listening.

  147. But.

  148. How I word this.

  149. But.

  150. The recent injury.

  151. Confronted me.

  152. How much I can't.

  153. Be that rock.

  154. I want to be.

  155. Even for my family.

  156. And.

  157. Every time we go to.

  158. A cremation.

  159. Or a burial.

  160. We are reminded of that ultimate.

  161. Question.

  162. Can I be saved.

  163. From that casket.

  164. It is a confronting.

  165. Image.

  166. This song.

  167. In Psalm 18.

  168. Is David.

  169. Looking back on his life.

  170. And we need to hear this song.

  171. So that at the end of our lives.

  172. We can look back.

  173. And we can sing.

  174. We can sing.

  175. With David.

  176. I love you.

  177. Oh Lord.

  178. My rock.

  179. This is a.

  180. What's called a messianic psalm.

  181. In other words.

  182. It's not about you or me directly.

  183. It is about.

  184. God's chosen king.

  185. Now does that make you lose interest?

  186. It shouldn't.

  187. It really shouldn't.

  188. Because.

  189. More important than whether God hears your prayers or not.

  190. Is whether God hears his king's prayers.

  191. That is much more important.

  192. Because.

  193. If God saves his king.

  194. He can save you.

  195. If God saves his king.

  196. He can save you.

  197. The king can save you.

  198. This is a messianic psalm.

  199. And we need to hear it.

  200. We need a king.

  201. Good.

  202. And great enough.

  203. Who can bring us into God's promised place of safety.

  204. That's what the promised land was meant to be.

  205. Or a picture of anyway.

  206. Safety from all our enemies.

  207. Safety even from death.

  208. So last week.

  209. In Psalm 17.

  210. If last week was David's cry.

  211. When he was still in the midst of the threat.

  212. The threat was very real.

  213. Psalm 18.

  214. Is David looking back.

  215. Just going.

  216. At the remarkable ways.

  217. God has delivered him.

  218. Through all.

  219. His afflictions.

  220. He cried out.

  221. In verse 7.

  222. Of chapter 17.

  223. Wondrously show your steadfast love.

  224. Oh saviour.

  225. Of those who seek refuge.

  226. And here is his song.

  227. Going.

  228. Wow.

  229. You heard.

  230. You heard my prayer.

  231. You wondrously showed your steadfast love.

  232. Getting into this psalm.

  233. I was.

  234. I was struck this week.

  235. You guys give me the best job in the world.

  236. Because I just have to.

  237. Just get stuck into God's word for the week.

  238. So.

  239. Thank you for that.

  240. But I didn't realise.

  241. Psalm 18 is.

  242. There are so many connections here.

  243. There's heaps of references in your outline.

  244. Go away and look.

  245. Look them up.

  246. This is a huge psalm.

  247. I didn't realise it until this week.

  248. It's.

  249. It's quoted almost word for word.

  250. At the end of 2 Samuel.

  251. So.

  252. When David wrote this.

  253. Certainly it was after.

  254. He was delivered from Saul.

  255. But.

  256. That doesn't quite matter.

  257. What matters is.

  258. It's.

  259. It's placed at the end of David's life.

  260. And he's looking back on all of it.

  261. And.

  262. And.

  263. This song.

  264. Is being sung.

  265. In reflection of all of it.

  266. So maybe he's thinking.

  267. Of the time he came in.

  268. As a young lad from the field.

  269. And.

  270. To his surprise.

  271. His dad's surprise.

  272. The prophet Samuel.

  273. Anointed him.

  274. Why did he do that?

  275. Maybe he was thinking.

  276. Of the time with Goliath.

  277. I've got a theory.

  278. I can't prove it.

  279. But I reckon.

  280. He might have chosen.

  281. Those five stones.

  282. Not because those stones.

  283. Represent faith.

  284. And hope.

  285. And all those other things.

  286. Maybe he.

  287. He chose five stones.

  288. Because if those five missed.

  289. He was gone.

  290. That's my theory.

  291. I can't prove that.

  292. But God.

  293. God delivered him.

  294. From Goliath.

  295. All the success he gave him.

  296. As a warrior.

  297. Against the Philistines.

  298. Who occupied God's place.

  299. The slightest misfortune.

  300. In any of those battles.

  301. And he could have been gone.

  302. Capturing Jerusalem.

  303. And his most ferocious enemy.

  304. Was internal.

  305. In the kingdom.

  306. Was Saul.

  307. Just hunting him.

  308. Just relentlessly.

  309. Hunting him.

  310. He even survived.

  311. The betrayal.

  312. Of his own son.

  313. Absalom.

  314. Perhaps the greatest salvation.

  315. He was looking back on.

  316. Was the Lord.

  317. Not putting him to death.

  318. Because of what he did.

  319. With Bathsheba.

  320. And Uriah.

  321. This is all of it.

  322. He's looking back.

  323. And he's seeing that God.

  324. Heard his cry.

  325. Heard his cry.

  326. Heard his cry.

  327. Heard his cry.

  328. Heard his cry.

  329. In fact.

  330. Even before David was born.

  331. This is a song.

  332. Celebrating that God heard.

  333. Heard his cry.

  334. If you go look that up.

  335. He heard his cry.

  336. And in her song.

  337. She says.

  338. The Lord will give strength.

  339. To his king.

  340. And he's celebrating that.

  341. God keeps his word.

  342. He heard his cry.

  343. He heard his cry.

  344. David's cry.

  345. And David can't help.

  346. But burst out in thanksgiving.

  347. Just full of emotion.

  348. And passion.

  349. I love you.

  350. Oh Lord.

  351. My rock.

  352. This is a song of thanksgiving.

  353. All the themes throughout it.

  354. The whole thing is thanksgiving.

  355. We see in verses 4 to 6.

  356. The overall reason.

  357. Death.

  358. Destruction.

  359. Sheol.

  360. The place of the dead.

  361. Were overwhelming.

  362. So many times.

  363. He was so close to dying.

  364. So many times.

  365. Like waves in the ocean.

  366. His head was barely above.

  367. What he was about to go under.

  368. I'm picturing like Luke Skywalker.

  369. In that garbage contraption thing.

  370. He was being confined.

  371. He was being squished in.

  372. That word distress.

  373. He was in a narrow place.

  374. He cried out to God in heaven for help.

  375. And the word for love here.

  376. Apparently.

  377. You don't find it being addressed to God.

  378. Anywhere else in the Old Testament.

  379. Like I don't know Hebrew well enough.

  380. But a commentator is saying like.

  381. You would be hesitant to use this word.

  382. But David uses it.

  383. He's gushing.

  384. It's really emotional.

  385. It's impulsive.

  386. And the picture here.

  387. The primary picture we see throughout this song.

  388. Is that God is a rock.

  389. He is a rock.

  390. And we've got to get into this.

  391. Because at first rock.

  392. I don't know what's so attractive about that.

  393. But we'll see.

  394. At the end of Moses' life.

  395. He too sang.

  396. Of God being Israel's rock.

  397. Henna.

  398. In her song.

  399. God is a rock.

  400. In these first few verses.

  401. We get lots of different metaphors.

  402. That elaborate on what it means.

  403. For God to be a rock.

  404. And it all points to one truth.

  405. David's God made him safe.

  406. That's what all these images are for.

  407. David's God made him safe.

  408. If we think of David's life.

  409. He probably at least recalled what happened in 1 Samuel 23.

  410. Before he was king.

  411. David hid at the place called the rock.

  412. When Saul was pursuing him.

  413. And he's on one.

  414. Him and his band of outlaws are on one side of this rock.

  415. This mountainous place.

  416. And Saul is on the other.

  417. And Saul's just about to get him.

  418. When a messenger comes saying,

  419. Saul.

  420. The Philistines are attacking.

  421. And so Saul has to withdraw.

  422. Just in that moment.

  423. You can imagine David just shaking with relief.

  424. The adrenaline still pumping.

  425. Just looking at this mountainous rock guy.

  426. I love you.

  427. Oh Lord, my rock.

  428. And not the literal rock.

  429. He knew who saved him.

  430. Coincidence?

  431. Lucky escape?

  432. No.

  433. No.

  434. This is God keeping his word.

  435. That he would be king.

  436. He called the place Rock of Escape.

  437. So what happened when David, about to drown in death,

  438. being crushed in from every side, cried out?

  439. An earthquake.

  440. Obviously this is poetry.

  441. But part of the power of poetry isn't exaggeration.

  442. Sometimes it's exaggeration.

  443. But part of the power of poetry is that it pictures profound truth.

  444. So don't try and imagine what God looks like here because it's a bit offensive to the eyes.

  445. It's burning coals and smoke and earthquake.

  446. It's not a literal picture.

  447. We should look at it through the lens of scripture, a biblical lens.

  448. The earth trembling.

  449. Thick darkness with the smoke covering.

  450. The Lord coming down from heaven like on a chariot.

  451. The cherubim are always associated with God's holy of holies.

  452. It's his total otherness.

  453. But that otherness came down.

  454. Certainly this is picturing Mount Sinai when God met his people on the mountain.

  455. Certainly it's picturing that.

  456. It might also be picturing the parting of the Red Sea and the plagues in Egypt.

  457. But what's crucial here is that it's the Lord himself who comes down.

  458. David sees his own deliverance as significant as the Exodus.

  459. When David cried out, what happened?

  460. The Lord came down.

  461. And he's angry.

  462. He's angry.

  463. God is angry, we're told.

  464. Because his chosen king is under threat.

  465. Now talking about God's anger might seem a bit unappealing in our day and age,

  466. but it is absolutely necessary for salvation, for safety.

  467. God's anger at evil is the other side of the same coin of salvation for the victim.

  468. God's anger at evil is the other side of the victim.

  469. God's anger at evil is the other side of the victim.

  470. God's anger at evil is the other side of the victim.

  471. God's anger at evil is the other side of the victim.

  472. To have safety, we need all enemies defeated.

  473. No more threat.

  474. That's the picture in Revelation.

  475. The gates are open.

  476. There's no threat.

  477. Zero threat.

  478. So all this cosmic drama would expect this kind of just, I don't know, a tsunami,

  479. something, some sweeping, huge display.

  480. But verses 16 to 19, it's all for him.

  481. It's all for one person.

  482. It's for his king.

  483. Look how many times the word me comes up in verses 16 to 19.

  484. He sent from on high.

  485. He took me.

  486. He drew me.

  487. Out of many waters.

  488. He rescued me from my strong enemy, those who hated me.

  489. They were too mighty for me.

  490. They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my support.

  491. He brought me out into a broad place.

  492. He rescued me because he delighted in me.

  493. All this for me?

  494. God's dwelling place in heaven was beyond David's reach for safety.

  495. But how wonderful that he came down.

  496. All for me, David is saying.

  497. I love you, O Lord, my rock.

  498. You delivered me from death.

  499. So why did the Lord hear David's cry?

  500. I think we've got three sections that give us why the Lord heard David's cry.

  501. And they all show that this God, his way is perfect.

  502. The first time we see in verses 20 to 26, he delighted in me, making me righteous.

  503. The second reason, verses 25 to 29, he saves the humble.

  504. And the third is because this rock, unlike other rocks, lives.

  505. He's real.

  506. So let's go through these three.

  507. Why did the Lord hear David's cry?

  508. Well, this is the trickiest one, the first one, isn't it?

  509. It's perhaps the most hard to understand.

  510. He delighted in me and he dealt with me according to my righteousness.

  511. Scripture is really clear.

  512. The Lord saves the righteous.

  513. In verse 41, we see the Lord ignoring the cries of the wicked.

  514. They cry out to God at that point.

  515. But because they're at cross purposes with God, he ignores them.

  516. I think this is more than a plea of innocence like we saw in Psalm 17,

  517. saying in this situation I'm innocent.

  518. Because he's looking back on his whole life and saying,

  519. you dealt with me according to my righteousness.

  520. How can David say that?

  521. It's not hard to understand for comprehension,

  522. but if you know your own heart and we know David's history

  523. as an adulterer and a murderer,

  524. how can he speak of being made blameless

  525. and you dealing with me according to my righteousness?

  526. I'm going to lean totally on John Woodhouse here.

  527. So he's ex-principal of Moore College.

  528. He suggests there's two keys to what David is saying.

  529. Firstly, David believed God's word through the prophet Nathan

  530. in 2 Samuel 12, 13, when God said through Nathan,

  531. after Bathsheba and Uriah,

  532. the Lord has put away your sin.

  533. He can describe his life without reference to his failures

  534. because he believed what God had said to him.

  535. I've put away your sin.

  536. The second key is that God forgave David,

  537. not because of David's commitment to God,

  538. but the other way around, God's commitment to David.

  539. The Lord, in his own gracious prerogative,

  540. chose to delight in David.

  541. He chose to set his delight on David.

  542. So I'm going to quote Woodhouse here.

  543. He comes to this conclusion.

  544. What puzzles us about this section is that David sees his life

  545. as God sees his life.

  546. That he really did make him righteous.

  547. Through his forgiveness, that he's put away his sin,

  548. that he's set his love on him.

  549. I love you, Lord, because you delighted in me.

  550. You really made me righteous.

  551. Blameless like you.

  552. So he saves the righteous.

  553. That's why the Lord heard David's cry.

  554. The second reason we see in verses 25 to 29

  555. is because he saves the humble.

  556. Not false humility,

  557. but those who are in need and they know it.

  558. So what is verses?

  559. There's some complicated verses.

  560. Well, they seem to be complicated.

  561. Verses 25 to 29.

  562. What's that saying?

  563. Someone I read this week seems to say,

  564. well, God is a rock.

  565. He is true to his word.

  566. And so if you tuck into his word,

  567. you'll find God is true to his word.

  568. But the crooked, you cross purposes with God,

  569. he is a rock.

  570. That is not going to end well with you.

  571. He's going to seem tortuous because you're crossing purposes

  572. with a rock.

  573. Good luck with that.

  574. So the humble person takes God at his word,

  575. that he's true to his word,

  576. that he is merciful,

  577. that he is a place of refuge.

  578. Come to this rock,

  579. he'll be a place of refuge.

  580. That's the humble person

  581. who trusts that God is true to his word.

  582. The proud, the haughty is the person

  583. who doesn't trust in God's word.

  584. They put their trust somewhere else.

  585. They're self-confident.

  586. They assert themselves.

  587. They seem to get ahead in life

  588. and so we think that they're okay.

  589. But no, God says in the end,

  590. the Lord's going to seem tortuous in the end.

  591. He saves the humble.

  592. He saves the meek.

  593. He saves the poor,

  594. the afflicted,

  595. the weak,

  596. the needy.

  597. So I hope you feel needy

  598. because God wants to be a rock to you.

  599. So he hears David's cry

  600. because he was poor in spirit.

  601. He tucked in to God his refuge.

  602. How did he tuck in?

  603. By taking God at his word,

  604. that he's going to be true to his word.

  605. So the Lord heard David

  606. because he chose to delight in him,

  607. making him righteous,

  608. because David was humble

  609. and tucked in to God.

  610. And he heard David

  611. because unlike other gods,

  612. this rock lives.

  613. Verses 30 to 34.

  614. Verse 31.

  615. For who is God but the Lord?

  616. And who is a rock except our God?

  617. He's quoting Moses' song here.

  618. Moses sings,

  619. For their rock

  620. is not as our rock.

  621. Our enemies

  622. are by themselves.

  623. They're crying out to this rock

  624. to save them,

  625. but they're by themselves.

  626. That is a scary place to be in my mind.

  627. You think you're in a safe place

  628. relying on this rock.

  629. Turns out you're by yourself.

  630. I don't want that to be true of me.

  631. Who is God but the Lord, Yahweh?

  632. Whether they be other gods

  633. of other religions

  634. or just some earthly thing,

  635. who is a rock but our God?

  636. Cry as much as you want

  637. to your bank account.

  638. It will not save you

  639. from that casket.

  640. It will give you

  641. the best healthcare in the world.

  642. It cannot save you

  643. from that casket.

  644. Our rock can.

  645. Who is a rock

  646. except our God?

  647. And verse 46.

  648. This rock,

  649. the Lord lives.

  650. He's the only rock

  651. who can truly deliver you

  652. because he has life in himself.

  653. David's many victories

  654. are testimony to this.

  655. He's just tireless energy.

  656. David was weak

  657. but he gave David the victory

  658. wherever he went

  659. because he delighted in his servant.

  660. This rock lives.

  661. That's why he heard David's cry.

  662. So there's why

  663. the Lord heard David's cry.

  664. But then we go on

  665. and see that it wasn't

  666. just mere survival.

  667. You,

  668. verses 35 to 45,

  669. David is astonished.

  670. You've taken me

  671. out of the waters,

  672. out of this confined place.

  673. Death was going to take me.

  674. You've just brought me

  675. into this broad place.

  676. How broad?

  677. You've made me

  678. the head of the nations.

  679. Whoa!

  680. Verse 43,

  681. you have made me

  682. the head of the nations.

  683. Now,

  684. we might think

  685. this section

  686. is a bit yuck.

  687. Like,

  688. I pursued my enemies

  689. and did not turn back

  690. until they were consumed.

  691. They fell under my feet.

  692. It would be so wrong

  693. if you and I

  694. desire this

  695. for our personal enemies.

  696. But there's a really

  697. simple and good reason

  698. this is good news.

  699. And we've touched

  700. on this before,

  701. that to have safety,

  702. all enemies

  703. must be destroyed.

  704. And it's the Lord's

  705. prerogative

  706. to have vengeance,

  707. not anyone else's.

  708. But he uses his king

  709. to carry that out.

  710. Only his king.

  711. Vengeance belongs

  712. to the Lord

  713. and he's going

  714. to create

  715. that place of safety.

  716. And he uses

  717. his righteous king

  718. to carry that out.

  719. I think we see this

  720. in historical terms,

  721. but obviously

  722. much more

  723. when you come to Jesus.

  724. In 2 Samuel 8 and 9,

  725. there's two great

  726. descriptions of David's reign.

  727. It must have been

  728. one of the best times

  729. in history

  730. and places to live

  731. when David was king.

  732. Now,

  733. 2 Samuel 8,

    2 Samuel 8:15

  734. verse 15,

  735. after,

  736. after,

  737. sorry,

  738. I got my head in order.

  739. God had promised Abraham

  740. the promised land

  741. of safety,

  742. but only a small patch

  743. was really given

  744. to Israel.

  745. But then under

  746. David's reign,

  747. we see him

  748. conquering that land.

  749. Now,

  750. remember,

  751. the reason it was

  752. taken from those people

  753. was because they

  754. were rejecting God.

  755. It was God's vengeance.

  756. It wasn't David's choice.

  757. It was God's choice.

  758. So David is providing

  759. that place of safety

  760. and then

  761. 2 Samuel 8,

  762. 15,

  763. this is how good

  764. David's reign was.

  765. David administered

  766. justice and equity

  767. to all his people.

  768. You want a safe place?

  769. You need someone

  770. in power

  771. who gives justice

  772. and equity

  773. to all the people.

  774. It must have been

  775. a wonderful

  776. government

  777. to live under.

  778. And then,

  779. more than that,

  780. I think chapter 9

  781. of 2 Samuel

  782. gives us a picture

  783. of verse 35,

  784. your gentleness

  785. made me great.

  786. You might expect

  787. David to want

  788. vengeance on Saul

  789. and what we find

  790. in chapter 9

  791. of 2 Samuel

  792. is that he searches

  793. for any surviving

  794. relatives of Saul

  795. but not to kill them.

  796. He finds,

  797. I'm going to get

  798. this name wrong,

  799. Mephibosheth.

  800. Martin,

  801. you can correct me

  802. with Hebrew here

  803. but Mephibosheth,

  804. he finds,

  805. and he summons him

  806. and he must have

  807. been trembling

  808. coming to David

  809. thinking,

  810. oh,

  811. I am an absolute

  812. goner here.

  813. No,

  814. this king,

  815. he gives him

  816. a place at his table

  817. like one of his sons.

  818. It was the gentleness

  819. the Lord taught him

  820. that made this king great.

  821. He removes all the enemies,

  822. he administers justice

  823. with gentleness.

  824. to provide that true

  825. place of safety

  826. and peace.

  827. So David finishes

  828. his thanksgiving

  829. in the final few verses.

  830. The Lord lives.

  831. Blessed be my rock.

  832. For this,

  833. I will praise you,

  834. O Lord,

  835. among the nations

  836. and sing to your name.

  837. Great salvation

  838. he brings to his king

  839. and shows steadfast love

  840. to his anointed,

  841. to David

  842. and his offspring

  843. forever.

  844. I was interested

  845. in that phrase,

  846. for this,

  847. I will praise you.

  848. Like,

  849. is it self-centered

  850. of David

  851. to praise God

  852. just because

  853. God saved him?

  854. Shouldn't he just

  855. praise God

  856. because,

  857. I don't know,

  858. attributes of God

  859. and things?

  860. Is it self-centered?

  861. No,

  862. it's not self-centered

  863. because it honors

  864. who God is.

  865. He is the only rock.

  866. To treat him

  867. as your refuge

  868. honors him.

  869. He's worthy

  870. of praise.

  871. This God,

  872. his way

  873. is perfect.

  874. The word of the Lord

  875. proves true.

  876. He is a shield

  877. for all those

  878. who take refuge

  879. in him.

  880. For who is God

  881. but the Lord?

  882. Who is a rock

  883. except our God?

  884. So,

  885. how can you and I,

  886. this has been a song

  887. about David,

  888. how can you and I

  889. have David's God

  890. as our rock?

  891. How can we sing

  892. with Moses,

  893. with Hannah,

  894. with David?

  895. Who is a rock

  896. like you,

  897. God?

  898. How can we sing?

  899. How can we have

  900. this rock

  901. as our God?

  902. Well,

  903. first

  904. is to recognize

  905. that God

  906. is committed

  907. to give a safe

  908. place to dwell

  909. in blessing,

  910. not to individuals

  911. on their own

  912. but to his

  913. king.

  914. That's what we see

  915. in those final verses.

  916. He is committed

  917. to his king.

  918. So,

  919. the way to have

  920. God come down

  921. from heaven

  922. using all his

  923. might to deliver

  924. you is to belong

  925. to God's king.

  926. All others

  927. who reject

  928. God's anointed

  929. and put their

  930. hope in other

  931. rocks,

  932. whatever that is,

  933. you will find

  934. in the end

  935. you're by yourself.

  936. you will find

  937. in the end

  938. that the Lord

  939. is

  940. torturous.

  941. But if you want

  942. this God

  943. as your place

  944. of safety,

  945. you need to

  946. belong to his

  947. king.

  948. Now,

  949. the second

  950. thing we need

  951. to learn

  952. from these verses

  953. is to recognize

  954. the promise

  955. to David's

  956. offspring.

  957. David was not

  958. good or great

  959. enough.

  960. He was part

  961. of the problem.

  962. He was part

  963. of the problem

  964. of sin

  965. and deserving

  966. death

  967. and he did

  968. die.

  969. From Solomon

  970. onwards,

  971. David's

  972. children

  973. failed to

  974. love the

  975. Lord.

  976. You could

  977. imagine

  978. Israelites

  979. in exile

  980. singing

  981. this psalm.

  982. They're being

  983. occupied by

  984. enemies.

  985. David's line

  986. is cut

  987. off.

  988. This psalm

  989. pushes us

  990. forward in

  991. hope of

  992. the son of

  993. David coming.

  994. The truths

  995. in this

  996. song,

  997. all the

  998. themes

  999. we've

  1000. seen,

  1001. they fit

  1002. better with

  1003. Christ,

  1004. don't they,

  1005. than David.

  1006. They're true

  1007. of David

  1008. but they're

  1009. more true

  1010. of the

  1011. Lord Jesus.

  1012. He could

  1013. uniquely say

  1014. the Lord

  1015. dealt with

  1016. me according

  1017. to my

  1018. righteousness.

  1019. He was

  1020. meek.

  1021. humble.

  1022. And yet

  1023. the Lord

  1024. didn't

  1025. rescue him.

  1026. He didn't

  1027. rescue him.

  1028. The waves

  1029. did overwhelm

  1030. him.

  1031. But our

  1032. hope is

  1033. that God

  1034. heard his

  1035. cry.

  1036. Hebrews 5

    Hebrews 5:7

  1037. verse 7

  1038. says,

  1039. In the

  1040. days of

  1041. his flesh

  1042. Jesus

  1043. offered up

  1044. prayers and

  1045. supplications

  1046. with loud

  1047. cries and

  1048. tears to

  1049. him who

  1050. was able

  1051. to save

  1052. him from

  1053. death.

  1054. And he

  1055. was heard

  1056. because of

  1057. his reverence.

  1058. David was

  1059. heard,

  1060. yes.

  1061. He was

  1062. prevented

  1063. from dying

  1064. up to a

  1065. point.

  1066. He

  1067. eventually

  1068. went into

  1069. the grave.

  1070. Jesus

  1071. was heard.

  1072. He went

  1073. into the

  1074. grave and

  1075. came back

  1076. out,

  1077. conquering

  1078. it.

  1079. And he

  1080. has made

  1081. this

  1082. Jesus

  1083. head of

  1084. the

  1085. nations.

  1086. He

  1087. will

  1088. defeat

  1089. all

  1090. enemies.

  1091. The

  1092. last one

  1093. is death.

  1094. And his

  1095. greatness is

  1096. his gentleness,

  1097. inviting

  1098. sinners to

  1099. come take

  1100. refuge in

  1101. me.

  1102. To have

  1103. God as

  1104. your rock,

  1105. you need

  1106. Jesus as

  1107. your king.

  1108. God

  1109. will

  1110. be

  1111. to have

  1112. him.

  1113. And

  1114. third and

  1115. finally,

  1116. I think these

  1117. verses also help

  1118. us recognize that

  1119. King Jesus wants

  1120. us to join him in

  1121. singing.

  1122. This is a song of

  1123. thanksgiving.

  1124. Romans 15

    Romans 15:9

  1125. verse 9

  1126. quotes verse 49.

  1127. For this I

  1128. will praise you,

  1129. O Lord,

  1130. among the

  1131. nations.

  1132. That among,

  1133. I don't think that's

  1134. just in front of,

  1135. that's in

  1136. fellowship with.

  1137. This king came for

  1138. the world and he

  1139. wants to sing with

  1140. his people.

  1141. His rule doesn't

  1142. just produce

  1143. begrudging

  1144. servitude.

  1145. I just have to

  1146. obey him so that

  1147. he gives me

  1148. blessing.

  1149. His rule

  1150. produces a

  1151. choir of

  1152. harmony,

  1153. singing with

  1154. him.

  1155. So when we

  1156. look back at

  1157. the cross and

  1158. the resurrection

  1159. and we look

  1160. forward in

  1161. hope of that

  1162. promised land

  1163. where all

  1164. enemies are

  1165. gone,

  1166. even death,

  1167. seeing what

  1168. God

  1169. wondrously,

  1170. he came

  1171. down.

  1172. He came

  1173. down,

  1174. even for

  1175. me.

  1176. Even

  1177. for me.

  1178. This king

  1179. wants to

  1180. sing with

  1181. his people,

  1182. all the

  1183. nations.

  1184. We love

  1185. you,

  1186. O Lord,

  1187. our rock.

  1188. Will you

  1189. pray with

  1190. me?

  1191. Let's pray.

  1192. Lord,

  1193. thank you

  1194. for coming

  1195. down in the

  1196. Lord Jesus

  1197. Christ so

  1198. that in him

  1199. we might find

  1200. ourselves under

  1201. his rule in

  1202. a broad and

  1203. spacious place.

  1204. knowing that

  1205. if you are

  1206. our rock,

  1207. we are safe

  1208. in every

  1209. sense of

  1210. that word.

  1211. So Lord,

  1212. teach us as

  1213. your people to

  1214. lean into

  1215. you and

  1216. treat you as

  1217. our rock

  1218. and to

  1219. increasingly

  1220. sing and

  1221. be

  1222. characterised by

  1223. thanksgiving

  1224. for all that

  1225. you have

  1226. wondrously done

  1227. for us.

  1228. In Jesus'

  1229. name,

  1230. Amen.

  1231. Amen.