Psalm 3

This morning we were at Psalm 3. Why don't we go ahead and have some coffee, we'll pray, and we'll get into God's Word. Let's pray. Father, we thank you so much for this day. We thank you for your Word. We pray now that as we read your Word, that you would apply them to our hearts, that we might look to you as our great Savior. In Jesus' name, Amen. Alright, here we go, Psalm 3. Oh, bring that up for you guys, here we go. Psalm 3. A psalm of David when he fled from Absalom his son.
Lord, how they have increased who trouble me. Many are they who rise up against me. Many are they who say of me, there is no help for him in God. Selah. But you, O Lord, are a shield for me, my glory, and the one who lifts up my head. I cried to the Lord with my voice, and he heard me from his holy hill. I lay down and slept. I awoke, for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around. Arise, O Lord! Save me, O my God! For you have struck all my enemies on the cheekbone. You have broken the teeth of the ungodly. Salvation belongs to the Lord. Your blessing It's upon your people. Well, we need to ask ourselves, A, what is this about? B, what's the best verse to summarize this? And C, what are we called to do in response to these words? So, A, what is this about? Well, when is this taking place? What's going on here?
Well, one of David's sons, Absalom, has made a coup. Absalom, his son, put himself there in the gates and he was judging before people. He stole the hearts of many of the people of Israel away from David. And then he even went into his throne room and he sat upon his throne and defiled some of David's wives. And this is not saying that David is okay because he had many wives. Actually, that was against God's law, Deuteronomy chapter, I can't remember if it's chapter 17 or 19, but one of them gives laws for the king and one of them is he shall not multiply wives.
And so, actually, let's take a second and talk about that for a second. Not everything we read about people, the Old Testament is given to us because we should emulate their character. That's very, very important. Not everyone given to us in the Old Testament is given to us that we might act like them. Actually, often it's quite different from that. Actually, It shows us more and more.
Why was all this going on to David? Because David was an adulterer. Absalom trying to usurp his father was specifically in regards to the reality that he had broken God's commandments and he had pulled away from leading his household well. That many of these trials and tribulations that were happening in David's life were a direct repercussion of his sin.
And so we see here David not as a model of a perfect man to walk, but if we're honest with ourselves, someone like you and someone like me, a sinner, not perfect, somebody who finds themselves sometimes in the pit that we dug for ourselves and having to cry out to God for help. And so what is this about?
David is on the run. David is fleeing from Absalom, his son. And he talks about how many are they who have increased to trouble me, right? David is literally running for his life, fearful for his neck, not knowing what's going to happen. And so the only place he can turn is to exactly where they said he can't turn. What does verse two say? There is no help for him in God. That's what the mockers said about David. But what does David do? What is David's only hope? He can't hope in himself to rescue him. He can't trust in himself, but what does he do? He turns, verse three and four, but you, oh Lord, are a shield to me. He turns to God and he says, God, you are a shield to me.
This is exactly what Ephesians chapter six tells us to do, that we're to take up that shield of faith. That it's God who looks upon us and He shields us and He cares for us. He says, my glory and the one who lifts up my head. It is not David who is glorious in himself, but it is God who is His glory. It is God who is honorable. It is God who is mighty. It is God who is holy, holy, holy. And it is this holy God who would not let him stay in the pit and in the mire, but would indeed lift up his head, would pick up his chin, that his days would not all be gloom and doom, running in fear, but that God is the one he knows can deliver him.
And so he says, I lay down and slept. I awoke for the Lord sustained me. There are times in our lives in which we feel like we can't sleep. I've talked to many of you who during this time of COVID, you've been so anxious and worried that sleep has been stolen from you. But the psalmist tells us, and we're going to get there in Psalm 127, that the Lord gives his loved ones sleep. Sleep is a blessing from God when we can say, Lord, I don't have it all together.
I can't control everything, but I know you do. And so there's no point in me being awake. There's no point in me toiling on my bed, worrying, mulling things over in my mind, because I can't add an hour to my life. I can't add an inch to my stature. And so, Lord, it's got to be you. It's got to be you. And this is what he says, right? I lay down, I slept, I awoke, for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid if ten thousands of people have set themselves against me. Why? Why does he say this? Arise, O Lord. Save me, O my God.
For you have struck all my enemies on the cheekbone. You have broken the teeth of the ungodly. Salvation belongs to the Lord. Your blessing is upon your people." I'm going to go ahead and highlight verse 7 and 8, underline that as what I think is at the heart of what's going on here. So this is where I want to talk to you, right?
David looks back at the time in which God had conquered His enemies. David looks back at a time in which God had conquered His foes. And we look back. We look back to God conquering our greatest foe, sin and death. It is Jesus Christ who is our shield. It is Jesus Christ, the anointed one of God, who has been given the nations. And so we need not run to Egypt. We don't need to run to government. We don't need to run to a principality or a powerful person.
But we go to Jesus Christ because it is Jesus Christ who conquered the grave. It is Jesus Christ who lifts up our heads. It is Jesus Christ who has defeated Satan. It is Jesus Christ who reigns supreme, who has who has crushed Satan's head and one day he will bring a complete victory overall. We have a great champion. And so Jesus even tells us this on the Sermon on the Mount. We did this when we looked at it in Matthew chapter 5 last year.
You don't need to worry. You don't need to worry. You don't need to stay up late at night. Be robbed of your sleep and your peace by anxiety. Don't worry yourself about what you'll eat or what you'll drink or what you'll wear. For your father knows you have need of all these things. He cares for the sparrows. He clothes the lilies of the field with their beautiful colors. And he's going to care for you.
So what is this calling us to do? To cry out from this believer's heart. Arise, O Lord. Save me. Salvation belongs to the Lord. Your blessing is upon your people. Let's pray. Father, we thank you so much that your blessing is upon us. Not because we are righteous in and of ourselves, no. But despite our unrighteousness, Lord, we pray that your Holy Spirit would bury these truths in our hearts, that we might lift up our eyes to you and rejoice in you, our shield, our glory, our conqueror, our king, and our savior. In Jesus' name, amen. Well, may you go today in peace, knowing that God is with his people. Bye.
Thanks for listening to this week's message from God's Word for You, a ministry of Sharon R.P. Church in rural southeast Iowa. We pray that the message would be used by God to transform your faith in your life this week. If you'd like to get more information about us, feel free to go to the website, SharonRPC.org. We'd love to invite you to worship with us. Our worship time is 10 a.m. every Sunday at 25204 160th Avenue, Morning Sun, Iowa, 52640. May God richly bless you this week.