Sermon

Life on the Run

July 4, 2010 Carrigaline Baptist Church - Sermons

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Psalm 57.
Psalm 57 is on page 576.
So when you've looked that up, then turn to Psalm 142.
Because that's going to be the other one.
Psalm 57.
And then Psalm 142.
All right?
We all got there?
Okay, let's read then Psalm 51.
57 starting at verse 1.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge.
I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.
I cry out to God most high, to God who fulfills his purpose for me.
He sends from heaven and saves me, rebuking those who hotly pursue me.
God sends his love and his faithfulness.
I am in the midst of lions.
I am in the midst of the earth.
I am in the midst of the earth.
I am in the midst of the earth.
Men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens.
Let your glory be over all the earth.
They spread the nets for my feet.
I was bowed down in distress.
They dug a pit in my path.
But they had fallen into it themselves.
My heart is steadfast, O God.
My heart is steadfast.
I will sing and make music.
Awake, my soul.
Awake, heart and lyre.
I will awaken the dawn.
I will pray to you, O Lord, among the nations.
I will sing of you among the peoples.
For great is your love reaching to the heavens.
Your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens.
Let your glory be over all the earth.
And then turn to Psalm 142.
And Amy's going to read that for us.
Psalm 142.
I cry aloud to the Lord.
I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy.
I pour out my complaint before him.
Before him I tell my trouble.
When my spirit goes faint within me,
it is you who know my way.
In the path where I walk,
men have hidden a snare for me.
Look to my right and see.
No one is concerned for me.
I have no refuge.
No one cares for my life.
I cry to you, O Lord.
I say you are my refuge,
my portion in the land of the living.
Listen to my cry,
for I am in desperate need.
Rescue me from those who pursue me,
for they are too strong for me.
Set me free from my prison,
that I may praise your name.
Then the righteous will gather about me
because of your goodness to me.
As I say, over the summer,
we're looking to do the plan.
And we have two speakers today.
And next week, Michael is going to be preaching.
I'm going to pray for him,
and for us,
and then we'll be.
Listen carefully.
Father, thank you for your word to us.
Thank you for the Psalms,
for all that they teach us
about you,
the world in which we live,
and about the struggles that we go through.
And we pray that through this morning,
we would have a bigger picture
of the great God that you are,
your faithfulness,
and your love.
We pray for Michael,
help him to communicate well.
And we pray that you would pour out your spirit
upon him and upon us,
that we may see you
and understand you better,
and that our lives will be changed
as a result.
We ask this in Jesus' name.
Amen.
It's nice to be back with you
once again in Cargilline.
And we're going to be looking,
as I say,
at these two Psalms this morning.
The background of these two Psalms
is this.
If you look at the title of both of them,
you'll have the idea of David being in a cave.
The title of Psalm 57 is
When He Fled from Saul into a Cave,
and Psalm 142,
the title of it,
When He Was in the Cave.
And we can identify the time
when David was indeed
hiding from Saul in a cave.
David left Gath,
we read in 1 Samuel 21, 2 and verse 1.
He left Gath and escaped to the cave
of Adelam.
And then in 1 Samuel 24,
and verse 2,
we read that Saul took 3,000 chosen men
to look for David.
And we read that a cave was there.
And Saul went in to relieve himself,
and David and his men
were far back in the cave.
And it's out of these experiences
that David writes these particular Psalms.
He's not enjoying a package holiday.
He's not at a tourist spot,
which he has booked over the internet.
He's in one particular place,
in a public toilet,
hiding from Saul.
He's in hiding.
His life is literally on the line.
Death stares him in the face.
And he writes down his experiences
in the words of these Psalms.
And it gives us an idea
of what life was like,
an insight into what life was like
on the run.
Life in a cave,
which he refers to
as a prison.
I'm not going to look at these Psalms
verse by verse,
but I want us to have an overview,
as it were.
I want to think that we might learn
something of David's experience,
that we might also learn for ourselves,
how we can be helped
in times of difficulty.
But also I trust these Psalms
will enable us to look to Christ,
who entered into time for us
and knew what it was himself
to suffer similar privations.
Now we notice as far as
David's circumstances were concerned
that there was
a physical assault
of his life.
There were physical repercussions
because he was being chased
by Saul and his men.
If you look at Psalm 57 and verse 6,
he says,
they spread a net for my feet.
And he goes on to say,
they dug a pit in my path.
Psalm 142 in the latter part
of verse 2 says,
in the path where I walked,
men have hidden a snare for me.
And he goes on to say in verse 6,
listen to my cry,
for I am in desperate need.
Rescue me from those who pursue me,
for they are too strong for me.
Set me free from my prison.
David can understand something
of what he is going through
even as you read these.
Many of you have been involved
themselves with hunting.
You know that there is
the stalking of the prey.
There's the looking for the creature
that is at the end of your sights.
And that's what David is.
He's at the end of Saul's sights.
He's at that position
where he's soon to be taken.
He's soon to be held captive
or even worse,
put to death.
If you look at the 1 Samuel,
you discover that 3,000
of Saul's chosen men
have been sent out
to look for David.
His elite,
the elite from Saul's army,
his commandos,
if you like,
his SAS.
President Obama
and other leaders of the war
in Afghanistan
have ordered a surge.
The desire is
to hunt down the Taliban
and to destroy their capabilities.
And something like that
is happening here.
Saul has urged a surge.
And David
is the prey.
He wants to bring
his influence
to naught.
Remember,
people have said
Saul has killed
his thousands
but David is
tens of thousands
after David
had killed
Goliath.
And now
Saul is at him,
snapping at his heels.
And David can feel
their breath
on his back.
The nets are there
to trap him.
He's been hunted
like a wild animal.
And it's obviously
physically draining.
His cave,
he tells us,
has become
a prison.
There's physical
discomfort
of life
on the run.
Those are
David's circumstances.
This physical
assault
upon his
very life.
But it doesn't
stop there.
It's not just
that he's being
chased
and he's indifferent
to what is
happening to him.
There's also
the mental
pressure
and that's
very much
part of his
experience
at this time.
Psalm 57
and verse 6
I was
bowed down
in distress.
Of course
he was.
Verse 2
of Psalm
142
I pour out
my complaint
before him.
Before him
I tell
my trouble.
When my
spirit,
he says,
grows faint
within me.
Verse 3
of Psalm
142
and verse 4
of that
fame salt.
Look to my
right and see
no one is
concerned for me.
I have no
refuge.
No one cares
for my life.
Do you get
the picture?
This mental
assault.
It's not just
physical hurt.
He's feeling
it inside.
Mentally,
he's in
turmoil.
He feels
alone.
And if you
delve into
further into
David's
background at
this time,
you discover
some of the
reasons why
he was having
this mental
pressure.
It wasn't
just the
physical
assault of
Saul and
his men,
but also
he was
hearing news
from time
to time
of what
was going
on out
there away
from the
cave.
In 1
Samuel 22
and verse 6,
he discovered
that Saul
had put to
death 85
of the
Lord's
priests.
Not just
the priests,
but also
their wives
and their
children were
put to
death.
Because Saul
believed that
they had
sided with
David.
David had
turned up
and he'd
been handed
bread.
He'd been
given the
sword of
Goliath.
Therefore,
the priests
are in
league with
David and
Saul has
them all
put to
death.
And a
man by
the name
of Abiathar
escapes and
tells David
what has
happened.
And this
is what
he says
in 1
Samuel 22
and verse
22.
I am
responsible
for the
death of
your father's
whole family.
He's
weighed down.
You see
the mental
pressure.
He may
not be
responsible,
but he
feels he's
responsible for
the death of
all these
priests and
their family.
So there's a
physical assault,
there's a
mental pressure.
death of
God.
But then
there's
something else
as we
consider his
circumstances.
There was a
spiritual battle
going on,
wasn't there?
A battle is
going on
between Saul,
who at this
time has been
rejected as
king because
he disobeyed
the Lord's
command,
and David
who has been
anointed in
his place.
In 1
Samuel 15
and verse
26,
Samuel says
to Saul,
you have
rejected the
word of the
Lord, and
the Lord has
rejected you
as king over
Israel.
And in
verse 35 of
1 Samuel
15, it
says, the
Lord was
grieved that
he had made
him king,
that is Saul,
over Israel.
And then we
go on to
read in
16, 14 of
1 Samuel,
that the
spirit of
the Lord
had departed
from Saul,
and an
evil spirit
from the
Lord tormented
him.
So Saul
had been
utterly
rejected.
Saul had
been put
to one
side.
God
has said,
no more
will you
reign over
my people.
He had
been rejected,
cast out,
if you like,
from God's
presence.
Saul.
And we
read in
that account
that Samuel
no longer
met with
Saul.
That showed
that God
was not
going to
talk to
him anymore,
because he
rejected the
word of the
Lord.
And you
remember,
in his
place,
David had
been anointed.
1 Samuel 16
and verse 13,
so Samuel
took the
horn of
oil and
anointed
David in
the presence
of his
brothers.
And from
that day
on the
Spirit of
the Lord
came upon
David in
power.
So here
is the
man.
Saul,
the
spirit
departed,
but David,
the spirit
had been
given,
and in
power he
goes out
to do the
Lord's
business.
So what's
happening here?
it's not
just a
physical
thought upon
his body.
It's not
just that he's
suffering mental
pressure.
There's this
spiritual battle
going on
between the
forces of
evil and
the forces
of God.
And the
psalmist
David brings
it out.
In verse
4 of
Psalm 57,
he says,
I'm in the
midst of
lions.
I lie
among
ravenous
beasts,
men whose
teeth are
spears and
arrows,
whose tongues
are sharp
swords.
The imagery
is powerful.
Spurgeon
commenting on
this particular
verse says,
the teeth
of these
men are
canine,
leonine,
wolfish,
devilish,
and they
are.
And their
tongues are
sharp swords,
no weapon
is so
terrible as
a tongue
sharpened on
the devil's
grindstone.
And this
was the
case,
this spiritual
battle,
the rejected
Saul and
the anointed
David.
Did David
deserve the
treatment he
was going
through?
What had he
done wrong?
Hadn't he
served Saul?
Hadn't he
killed his
enemies?
Hadn't he
sung to him
sweet songs
when he was
in the depths
of despair?
Even when
he had an
opportunity to
kill Saul,
he had held
back.
He was the
innocent party
pursued by
the guilty.
This was
David,
the anointed
of God,
the man
from the
tribe of
Judah,
the one
that would
be the
ancestor of
the man
Christ Jesus
according to
the flesh,
the one
who would
come into
the world
as king
of kings
and lord
of lords
and all
the principalities
and powers
are at work
to destroy
David.
It is
a spiritual
attack.
So as we
see David's
circumstances,
we see
the physical,
we see the
mental,
and we see
the spiritual.
And they're
all intermingled,
which is
often the
case.
Isn't it
true in our
own experience?
When we
suffer physically,
it affects
us mentally,
and we
find ourselves
at times
in a
spiritual
battle.
Psalm 57
and Psalm
142
are the
experiences
of a real
person
who is
going
through
the
mill.
And we
can
identify
with him.
We might
say with
him,
Psalm 142
in verse 4
says,
look to my
right and
see,
no one is
concerned for
me,
I have no
refuge,
no one
cares for
my life.
We may
feel like
that,
but the
truth of
the matter
is that
we do
have one
who knows
and who
does
understand.
One
who
identified
with us,
who
suffered
physically,
who
suffered
mental
turmoil,
who fought
a spiritual
battle against
the principalities
and powers.
And there
is a
parallel here
surely
with David's
life.
David the
anointed
of the
Lord,
David's
son,
the Lord
Jesus Christ
who was
also
David's
Lord.
And people
spread a
net for
him.
And as
David
suffered
all these
torments,
when the
Spirit of the
Lord came
upon him,
so our
Lord and
Saviour,
when the
Spirit came
upon him,
also suffered
those same
torments.
Think of the
Lord Jesus
in his
suffering
physically,
when he
was here
upon earth,
perhaps not
in a
cave,
but he
says in
Matthew 8
and verse
20,
the foxes
have holes
and the
birds of
the air
have nests,
but the
Son of
Man has
nowhere to
lay his
head.
God
and we
begin,
when he
begins his
ministry,
he's out
in the
desert doing
battle with
Satan himself.
And as we
go through
his life,
we see the
awful physical
suffering of
Calvary at
the time of
his crucifixion,
when people
plucked out
his fear,
when they
beat him,
when they
scourged
him,
when they
thrust that
crown of
thorns on
his head,
and then
nailed him
to the
cross at
Calvary,
as Jesus
knew what
it was for
men to
spread their
nets for
him.
The physical
suffering of
our Savior
must never
be underestimated.
But think
also of his
mental suffering,
as he goes
to Calvary,
he prays in
Gethsemane.
Matthew 26
and verse 37
says,
he began to
be sorrowful
and troubled.
My soul
is overwhelmed
with sorrow
to the point
of death.
What is
happening?
Why this
anguish?
Well, he's
being hunted
down, isn't
he?
Just like
David.
Religious
leaders have
laid their
nets.
They're out
for his
blood.
But much
more than
that, he
was fulfilling
the prophecies
of the Old
Testament
concerning
himself, that
he was
numbered with
the transgressors.
He was
about to
endure the
wrath of
God against
sin.
And as David
cried out to
the living
God, so he
cried out to
the living
God.
God, as
David was
innocent as
far as the
crimes that
Paul was
accusing him
of, the
Lord Jesus
was certainly
innocent of
the crimes
that he was
being accused
of.
And as the
psalmist says,
I cry out to
God most
high, to
God who
fulfills his
purposes for
me.
Jesus
prayed that
in a way
that no one
else could
do.
He suffered
physically, he
suffered mentally,
and he
suffered
spiritually.
Father, if
you are
willing, take
this cup from
me, yet not
my will but
yours be
done.
There was
that spiritual
battle.
The greatest
battle of
all surely
took place
on that
hill far
away where
stood an
old rugged
cross.
And all
the powers
of darkness
were arrayed
against him,
and the
experience of
the psalmist
was his,
and more
so, no
one cares
for my
life.
And the
one who
died says,
my God,
my God,
why have
you forsaken
me?
Can we
understand
that?
No, we
can't.
But it
happened.
And as the
psalmist
overcame, so
he overcame.
As Saul, as
David had the
victory over
Saul and
established his
kingdom, so
the Lord Jesus
conquers the
principalities and
powers to set
up a kingdom
that will
know no end.
And you
and I, if
we are in
Christ this
morning, are
part of that
kingdom that
will know
no end.
We are
found in
Christ, and
we shall
overcome in
him.
But we
think of the
physical suffering,
the physical,
as far as
David was
concerned,
his condition
his place
there as
he suffers
physically, as
he suffers
mentally, as
he suffers
spiritually.
And think of
the parallels of
our Lord and
Saviour, Jesus
Christ, in his
life.
But think also
of David's
confidence.
Where is
David's confidence
through this time
of difficulty
deep and
trial?
Well, his
confidence is
in the
living God.
And is
brought out
again and
again in
these psalms.
Psalm 57
and verse
1.
Have mercy
on me, O
God, have
mercy on me,
for in you my
soul takes
refuge.
I will take
refuge in the
shadow of your
wings until the
disaster is
past.
And then in
verse 3,
He sends
from heaven
and saves
me, rebuking
those who
hotly pursue
me.
God sends
his love
and his
faithfulness.
And then in
verse 7,
My heart
is steadfast,
O God,
my heart
is steadfast.
I will sing
and make
music.
And if you
go to Psalm
142 and
verse 1,
you will see
the same idea
coming through
there.
His trust and
his confidence
in the
living God.
In verse 1,
He says,
I cry
aloud to
the Lord.
I lift up
my voice to
the Lord for
mercy.
And in
verse 2,
He says,
I pour
out my
complaint
before Him.
Before Him
I tell
my trouble.
And verse
5,
I cry
to you,
O Lord.
I say,
you are
my refuge,
my portion
in the
land of
the living.
The situation
is difficult,
but David
doesn't see
the situation
as hopeless.
He sees
the forces
that are
arrayed
against him
as powerful.
but there's
refuge for
him.
He has
that protection
of the
wings of
the almighty
God of
Israel,
the Lord,
Yahweh,
the sacred
name.
The Jews
were so
afraid of
using this
name for
God that
they had
substituted
the name
Adame.
It is
the eternal
God,
the great
I am,
the unchangeable
God,
the covenant
God who
was and
is and
will continue
to be
faithful to
his people.
And there's
David's
confidence in
this God.
Psalm 57

Psalms 57:3
verse 3,
God sends
his love
and mercy.
He's a
God of
grace.
He couldn't
expect mercy
from Saul,
but mercy
could be
expected from
the God
of mercy.
so he
makes his
appeal to
him.
He had
no strength
to deliver
himself.
His enemies
were too
strong,
but the
Lord could
rescue him.
There was
no freedom
for him
apart from
that which
the Lord
could provide.
He fled
to God
alone.
He hid
himself
beneath the
wings of
the eternal.
God
wanted
refuge,
not the
cave.
And that
was a
shore
refuge.
And we
were over
in England
recently.
We stayed
in a house
and we
were looking
out on
a meadow.
The grass
was long,
but I gather
it had been
cut earlier
in the season.
And when
they finished
cutting the
grass,
they noticed
that a
pheasant
was there.
They built
his nest
in the
grass.
The mower
had gone
over it.
It was
still in the
grass,
protecting the
chicks.
The chicks,
sad to say,
had also
died.
It wasn't
a shore
refuge.
The hen
had done
all that she
could to
protect,
but it
was inadequate.
but the
wings of
the
almighty,
what
protection?
We can
never be
taken away
from that
protection if
we are found
in Christ.
And David
knew that.
The wings of
the almighty,
the sovereign
God,
are a
sure refuge.
You are
my refuge,
he says in
verse 5 of
142,
my portion
in the
land of
the living.
All that
he needs
is found
in the
living God.
Or as he
puts it in
verse 10
of Psalm
57,
for great
is your
love,
reaching to
the heavens,
your faithfulness
reaches to
the sky.
No wonder
he can say,
my heart
is steadfast.
Think of
that,
of a love
that reaches
and a
faithfulness
that reaches
to the
skies.
We cannot
measure the
heavens,
they're too
vast.
The scientists
speak to us
of life
years because
the distance
is so
great.
Well,
in the same
way, we
cannot measure
the love of
God.
It reaches
the skies.
Surely, it's
what the
Apostle Paul
was speaking
about when
he spoke
about the
height, the
breadth, and
the length
and depth of
the love of
God in
Christ Jesus.
Is your
heart
steadfast
this morning?
Is your
confidence in
the living
God?
And when
we think of
David's
confidence in
the living
God, he
is also
assured as
to his
future.
When he
says in
Psalm 57
and verses
1, the
latter part,
he says,
until the
disaster is
past.
It's not
going to be
here all
the time.
It's
passing.
The best
is yet
to be.
He goes
on to say,
I cry out
to God
most high,
to God
who fulfills
his purposes
for me.
Has he
not been
anointed
as king?
Will God
allow him
to be
killed by
Saul?
So he
looks beyond
the present
circumstances
to a
God who
works his
purposes out.
Saul's
kingdom
will grow
less and
less, and
his influence
will grow
less and
less, where
David's
influence will
grow and
grow.
should we
have the
same
confidence
as David?
Well, of
course we
should.
How can we
have that?
Well, I urge
you to look
to Christ.
He too
was in a
cave situation,
but his
confidence was
in God.
He faces
the cross,
but he
looks beyond
to resurrection.
Hebrews 5
and verse 7
says,
During the
days of
Jesus'
life on
earth, he
offered up
prayers and
petitions with
loud cries and
tears to the
one who could
save him from
death, and
he was heard
because of his
reverent
submission.
And the
same God
who fulfilled
his purposes
bringing David
to the throne
brought David's
greater son to
the throne of
glory, where
he sits in
throne for you
and for me,
where he ever
lives to make
intercession.
Our future
is ensured
because of
him.
We shall
reign with
him.
We are
more than
conquerors
through him
who loved
us and
gave himself
for us.
And all of
this should
cause our
hearts to
rejoice.
For as David
bears his
heart before
the Lord,
telling the
Lord exactly
how it is
with him,
he doesn't
forget to
praise God.
Be exalted,
he says in
verse 5 of
Psalm 57,
O God,
above the
heavens,
let your
glory be
over all
the earth.
And he
goes on to
say,
I will
praise you,
O Lord,
among the
nations,
I will
sing to
you among
the peoples.
He's not
so concerned
with his
circumstances
that he
forgets the
glory of
God.
He remembers
that that is
his chief
end, to
glorify God.
And that
should always
be our
concern,
that God
should be
glorified,
even in our
difficulties.
and in our
trials and
tribulations.
Here and
now,
should be a
preparation for
that great
day, when
we shall
praise the
Lamb who
sits upon
the throne.
And remember
him, when
he suffered
his physical
and mental
suffering,
and he
took on
the powers
of darkness
and triumphed
over them.
he too
praised God
and longed
for the
glory of
God.
Father, he
says, the
time has
come.
Glorify your
Son, that
your Son
may glorify
you.
So as we
come to the
end of our
time together
this morning,
may we be
enabled to
say with the
psalmist, my
heart is
steadfast, O
God.
My heart is
steadfast.
I will sing
and make
music.
Awake my
soul.
Awake harp
and lyre.
I will
awaken the
dawn.
I will
praise you, O
Lord, among
the nations.
I will sing
of you among
the peoples.
For great is
your love.
Reach into
the heavens.
Your faithfulness
reaches to
the skies.
Be exalted,
O God,
above the
heavens.
Let your
glory be
over all
the earth.
Let's pray
together.
Father, we
thank you and
praise you
that we have
these psalms,
a real
experience of
real people.
Thank you
too that we
have a
saviour who
entered into
time and
suffered and
died in our
place.
Thank you
for all that
we enjoy in
him.
We pray, O
Lord, then,
that we will
go from this
place rejoicing,
in all that
you are,
the
great,
the almighty
God.
Amen.
Thank you.