Can I Expect Deliverance?
Psalms 41
June 23, 2019
We hear a lot today about “breakthroughs” and “healings” and “deliverances” and things of that nature.
We hear a lot of confident talk
Particularly from the charismatic movement regarding healing in sickness and deliverance in bondage and things of that nature.
And sometimes the claims are so bold and outlandish
That they even cause us to shiver a little.
And certainly there are many problems we have
With the charismatic claims of health, wealth, and prosperity.
But perhaps an overlooked problem with the movement is that
They have actually caused faith in God to decrease.
• Because they claim healing and deliverance in so many areas,
• And because we clearly do not see their claims come true
• They actually produce more skepticism than they do confidence in our God.
And that is sad, because
A genuine believer most certainly CAN EXPECT deliverance from God.
In fact, that is what this Psalm is about.
It is a Psalm in which David is afflicted by the enemy,
But he is confident that God will deliver him.
In an even greater picture it is a prophetic Psalm
• About how our Lord was afflicted by the enemy, even betrayed by Judas,
• But He was also confident in the deliverance of God.
Verse 9, “Even my close friend in whom I trusted, Who ate my bread, Has lifted up his heel against me.”
That verse is said to have been fulfilled during the Last Supper:
John 13: 18 “I do not speak of all of you. I know the ones I have chosen; but it is that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘HE WHO EATS MY BREAD HAS LIFTED UP HIS HEEL AGAINST ME.’”
So clearly it is a Psalm of confidence
That God will deliver even from the vilest of enemies.
It is sung both by the lesser David and by the greater David.
But it is a song of expectation that God will deliver.
What I want to make sure you understand tonight
Is where the BASIS OF THIS CONFIDENCE comes from.
What I want you to understand
Is where the foundation of this assurance dwells.
YOU CAN HAVE IT TOO.
But it’s not from naming it or claiming it or sharing the post on Facebook.
We’re going to have a bit of a lengthy introduction and I’m going to ask you to turn to a lot of texts, but follow with me tonight.
I want to start with a very penetrating story that our Lord taught us:
TURN TO: Matthew 25:31-46
• This is the end of the sermon that is typically referred to as “The Olivet Discourse”. It is Jesus’ sermon on the end times.
• He closes the sermon with a series of parables and then this final revelation about the judgment.
(READ 31-46)
• You are likely familiar with that story.
• It is the Lord’s account of the judgment.
• It is very black and white.
We see the separation of the redeemed and the unregenerate.
It is a clear and distinct separation
No different than a shepherd separating sheep and goats.
Our Lord puts the redeemed on the right and the unredeemed on the left and then He pronounces judgment.
• Ultimately the redeemed “inherit the kingdom prepared for [them] from the foundation of the world”
• And the unredeemed are sent “into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;”
What has been confusing to some is the standard of judgment
Our Lord uses to distinguish between the two.
HE DOESN’T SAY (as many would expect)
• That the righteous get the kingdom because they followed Jesus
• And the unrighteous get judgment because they rejected the Jesus.
That would make sense to us from a gospel standpoint
Since He alone is the Savior.
INSTEAD JESUS SAYS that the righteous get to enter the kingdom
Because they cared for the poor
Whereas the unrighteous get judgment because they neglected the poor.
“for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.”
And some then have wondered if the Lord is teaching that entrance into the kingdom of heaven can be earned simply by helping the poor.
And the answer to that question is: NO
Salvation cannot be earned by a lifetime of benevolence.
The reason is because a lifetime of good deeds
Will not erase even one instant of evil deeds,
And regardless of our goodness, our sin warrants judgment.
The gospel message is clear, salvation cannot be earned by good deeds.
So what then is our Lord talking about?
It is this:
You cannot earn life by helping the poor.
However, you do prove life by helping the poor.
Benevolence is not a means of salvation, it is a fruit of salvation.
A man who helps the poor reveals his salvation is GENUINE,
Whereas a man who does not help the poor
Indicates that his religion is WORTHLESS.
James 1:27 “Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”
Religion that doesn’t care for the least is worthless religion.
And this is clearly articulated in Scripture.
TURN TO: Isaiah 58
• It is a great chapter outlining the difference between effective religion and worthless religion
• Because here we have people who are religious (fasting) and it isn’t working.
And they want to know why.
(READ 1-3a)
You see the question:
“Why have we fasted and You do not see? Why have we humbled ourselves and You do not notice?”
• Their religion wasn’t working.
• Their religion was not motivating God to respond favorably and they wanted to know why.
So God tells them.
(READ 3b-4)
Basically, because your religion is selfish.
You do what you do for your own benefit not the benefit of others.
And to that God then preaches the sermon.
(READ 5-14)
Now what you notice is that
God has very specific expectations
For what true religion is supposed to look like.
(6-7) “Is this not the fast which I choose, To loosen the bonds of wickedness, To undo the bands of the yoke, And to let the oppressed go free And break every yoke? “Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry And bring the homeless poor into the house; When you see the naked, to cover him; And not to hide yourself from your own flesh?”
And according to God, if you will do that
THEN YOU CAN START TO EXPECT YOUR RELIGION TO PAY OFF.
That is, you can start to expect that God will answer you and deliver you.
In fact, if you do those things:
(11) “the LORD will continually guide you, And satisfy your desire in scorched places, And give strength to your bones; and you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.”
So you see the same principles.
• Those who evidence the purity of their religion by helping the poor can expect
deliverance from God.
• Those whose religion does not involve helping the poor have only worthless
religion.
WHAT WE LEARN THEN IS THIS:
• Care for the poor is not only a great expectation of God, but it is also a true
fruit of genuine conversion.
BUT NOT ONLY THAT:
Because God promises to deliver those who help the poor,
OUR PARTICIPATION IN BENEVOLENCE
BECOMES A GREAT FOUNDATION FOR OUR CONFIDENCE.
What I mean is this.
Our confidence in God’s deliverance
Is directly proportional to our participation in helping the poor.
One more text:
TURN TO: 1 John 3:13-22
Now it is clear that on John’s mind throughout the letter
Is the issue of assurance.
9 times in the letter John uses the phrase
“By this we know…” (or one similar)
He even gives that great statement at the end of the letter:
1 John 5:13 “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.”
ASSURANCE IS ONE OF HIS GREAT THEMES,
And he is giving a great hint to it here.
He starts by
• Addressing something that typically attacks our assurance,
• And that is being hated by others.
(13) “Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you.”
Let’s be honest, no one likes to be hated.
And when people hate us for what we do
It can cause us to greatly question our motives.
But our assurance does not come from men.
AND THAT IS WHAT JOHN WANTS HIS FLOCK TO KNOW.
(14-15) “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.”
So John is very direct.
• You don’t get assurance from the world’s approval.
• But you do get assurance from knowing you love the brethren.
Well how can we know that we have loved the brethren?
(READ: 16-18)
• So clearly there John is linking our love of the brethren to our benevolent care of the brethren.
• We know we love our brother when we care for our brother.
BUT HERE IS WHAT I WANT YOU TO SEE:
Here comes the assurance
(READ: 19-22)
Did you catch that? It’s rich!
• Even when our heart condemns us…
• Even when we don’t feel saved…
• Even when we are aware of our failures and shortcoming…
There is a place we go for assurance
And that is to the fact that we help the poor.
Even in our darkest days of doubt it is our help of the poor
That assures us that we are God’s children in spite of our failures.
We know we are His by this.
Do you see the assurance?
• Even when I fail, I can still have assurance through benevolence.
• I can still have confidence of God’s deliverance because of benevolence.
I know that was lengthy, but that makes a perfect segue into Psalms 41.
Now, I want to look at this Psalm a little unconventionally.
That is to say, I don’t want to start at the beginning.
I want to actually start by looking at verses 10-12
DAVID’S CONFIDENCE
Psalms 41:10-12
It is certainly a request from David regarding his enemies,
But it is also one that is filled with bold confidence.
Consider verse 10 “But You, O LORD, be gracious to me and raise me up, That I may repay them.”
That’s a pretty bold prayer.
David not only gives his request, but his motive.
I want you to deliver me and I want you to deliver me
For the purpose of vengeance.
Many a commentary has trouble with that statement and rightly so.
It doesn’t really sound Christian at all.
Romans 12:19-20 “Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord. “BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD.”
We are aware of that command.
We understand the concept of trusting God to secure justice for us.
And look, it’s impossible to know David’s heart here,
But maybe that is what he means.
MAYBE HE MEANS THAT GOD’S DELIVERANCE IS THE REPAYMENT.
For example, “They really want to see me fall, well raise me up, that’ll show them!”
Some have suggested
• David intended it under the banner of him being the King whose job it was to meter out justice for evil doers.
I don’t really know what David is thinking here
Except to point out to you that David is clearly confident
In his right to be delivered and for his enemies to be punished.
There is no hesitation in David’s statement.
And he continues in confidence
(11) “By this I know that You are pleased with me, Because my enemy does not shout in triumph over me.”
There again, they haven’t even announced the results yet
And David is already standing in the victors circle.
• He has assurance.
• He is confident that God for him and that God will deliver him
• And that God will not let his enemies win.
And again:
(12) “As for me, You uphold me in my integrity, And You set me in Your presence forever.”
That is ultimate victory there.
Those three verses are not spoken like a man who expects to lose.
He speaks of vengeance, he speaks of vindication, he speaks of victory.
He is confident that it will be his.
Whatever is going on in the backdrop I just want to make sure that you see that David is a man who has assurance.
• Can you imagine assurance like that in your life?
• Can you imagine having such confidence?
• Can you imagine being so certain that God will deliver and vindicate and usher
out vengeance on your account and give you victory?
Well David clearly has it.
And of course with this also being a prophetic Psalm of the Lord
We can easily say that Jesus had this assurance as well.
SO DAVID IS CONFIDENT.
HE EXPECTS DELIVERANCE.
WELL, WHAT IS HE TALKING ABOUT?
• Delivered from what?
• Delivered from who?
Well let’s back up now to verses 4-9
DAVID’S CONCERN
Psalms 41:4-9
Here we find the struggle David finds himself in.
And there is a very important verse that I need you to see right out of the gate.
(4) “As for me, I said, “O LORD, be gracious to me; Heal my soul, for I have sinned against you.”
Ok, so now you can throw out righteous living
As the source of David’s confidence.
• David is a confident man in spite of the fact that he has sinned against God.
• David has assurance despite the fact that he is not perfectly righteous.
Jesus may very well be confident in His own righteousness, but David can’t be.
And I find this very interesting because
I am much more like David than I am like Jesus.
If David can have assurance in spite of being sinful, I want to know how.
Well we’ll get there, but first let me show you why he needs assurance.
And that is because: HE IS IN TROUBLE
(READ 5-9)
You can easily see there 4 problems David is facing.
• Now the backdrop is that he is sick.
• He has an illness and it is an illness that threatens his life.
And in the midst of this illness
We learn that the world is not rooting for David’s recovery.
We see: DISDAIN
(5) “My enemies speak evil against me, “When will he die, and his name perish?”
Well that’s special.
David is sick and the prayer request of his enemies
Is that he will just go ahead and die.
We see: HYPOCRISY
(6) “And when he comes to see me, he speaks falsehood; His heart gathers wickedness to itself; When he goes outside, he tells it.”
This is especially sweet.
His enemy actually comes to visit him when he is sick
As though he is a friend.
“How you doing David? You feeling ok? What’s your temperature today? Is that where they plug in your life support machine?”
And David knows that this man doesn’t care for him.
David knows that he is only there to fish for information to run back and tell the rest of David’s enemies.
He’s just trying to give them a timeframe as to when David might die.
We see: CONDEMNATION
(7-8) “All who hate me whisper together against me; Against me they devise my hurt, saying, “A wicked thing is poured out upon him, That when he lies down, he will not rise up again.”
That is to say that they all think he deserves what he is getting.
They are all like Job’s friends who assume that his sickness is deserved.
It is like those who sneered at Jesus and according to Isaiah 53 “Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted.”
• They know he is sick.
• They are sure he deserves it.
• They are waiting for him to die, and they are rooting for it.
We see: BETRAYAL
(9) “Even my close friend in whom I trusted, Who ate my bread, Has lifted up his heel against me.”
Even those who should care have bought the propaganda.
To David it feels as though everyone hates him.
So make sure now that you understand the scene:
• David is sick
• The world is against him
• He is not perfect, but has sinned against God
• But he is confident that God will heal him and deliver him and show up those who hate him.
That is confidence isn’t it?
That is assurance isn’t it?
I mean that is right up there with what John taught us when he said, “Don’t be surprised if the world hates you”
• Don’t let the world’s hatred steal your assurance.
• Don’t let the accusations of your heart steal your assurance.
Well David certainly didn’t.
He was confident.
WHAT IS THE SOURCE OF THIS ASSURANCE?
How could David be so certain that God would heal him and deliver him and silence his foes?
Well now let’s look at the first 3 verses of this Psalm.
DAVID’S CONVICTION
Psalms 41:1-3
Without breaking it down too much can you see the main point?
God cares for those who care for the poor.
In fact, there are 5 promises made on behalf of those who care for the poor.
• “The LORD will deliver him in a day of trouble”
• “The LORD will protect him”
• “The LORD will…keep him alive”
• “The LORD will sustain him upon his sickbed;”
• “In his illness, You restore him to health.”
Furthermore David knew that a man like that
Would not be given over to the desire of his enemies.
No wonder David could say:
“How blessed is he who considers the helpless;”
That person receives the blessing of deliverance,
Protection, care, sustenance, and healing.
Now, just so you understand the magnitude of that statement.
• We are now 41 Psalms into this book.
• In fact you may even notice that before Psalms 42 it says “Book 2”
• In this first grouping of Psalms David has used this phrase “How blessed” in only 5 Psalms.
Psalms 1:1 “How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!”
And if you remember that is referring to
The man who delights in the Law of the Lord.
And for that man there are promises.
Psalms 1:3 “He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.”
So to the man who delights in God’s word
God promises provision, production, perseverance, and prosperity.
And none of us question that because we know the value of God’s word.
Psalms 2:12 “Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way, For His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!”
There the blessing is for those who take refuge in Christ.
This is also the blessing of:
Psalms 34:8 “O taste and see that the LORD is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!”
And:
Psalms 40:4 “How blessed is the man who has made the LORD his trust, And has not turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood.”
And of course there the promise is that those who delight in salvation
Will be saved from wrath and judgment
But will be justified in the righteousness of Christ.
None of us argue with that.
We are certain of it.
Psalms 32:1-2 “How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered! How blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit!”
That is a man who leans upon grace
Instead of works or self-righteousness.
That man is promised forgiveness and justification.
So…
• If you delight in God’s word you can expect to be fruitful…
• If you take refuge in God’s Son you can expect to be saved…
• If you appeal for grace you can expect to be forgiven…
Do we question any of those things as being far-fetched?
Then don’t see this one as far-fetched either.
If you consider the helpless you can expect to be delivered.
What it screams to us is that God values those who value the poor.
• It reminds that God cares for those who care for the poor.
• It reminds that God delivers those who deliver the needy.
• It reminds that God raises up those who raise up the broken.
And is this not what Jesus taught us in Matthew 25?
Matthew 25:34-40 “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. ‘For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ “Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? ‘And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? ‘When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ “The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’”
It’s as though Jesus echoed this same blessing
At the end of the Olivet Discourse.
It is the same means of assurance
That the apostle John offered in his epistle.
You can have assurance if you care for the poor.
But let me ask you, since this Psalm is also a picture of Christ who no doubt suffered.
• Was He not delivered?
• Was He not protected?
• Was He not kept alive?
You say, “No, He died”
1 Peter 3:18 “For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;”
He was kept alive
• Was He not sustained?
• Was He not restored?
• Did God not raise Him up?
• Was He not avenged of His enemies?
• Was He not vindicated?
• Has He not been set in God’s presence forever?
God honored that!
Never was there another who cared for the poor and helpless
Like Christ did and God fully honored His word.
Of Christ we read:
2 Corinthians 8:9 “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.”
AND HE WAS BLESSED
• There is a blessing for those who care for the helpless and the poor.
• There is a promise of deliverance
• There is a promise of protection
• There is a promise of life
• There is a promise of sustenance
• There is a promise of restoration and healing
David certainly knows that.
That is why he is confident God will raise him up
Even though he has sinned against God.
He knows that God has given a magnificent promise that even sinners will be delivered if they care for the helpless.
And that takes us then to that final point of the Psalm
DAVID’S CHORUS
Psalms 41:13
That is why David ends in praise.
Because he doesn’t deserve to be raised up.
He doesn’t deserve to be healed.
It is a blessing only offered by the God of Israel.
• What other god would promise to be your nurse during sickness?
• What other god would concern himself with your infirmities?
• What other god protect you and keep you alive when everyone is against you?
Certainly not the pagan gods of Ammon or Philistia
Or Moab or Islam or Hinduism.
Those gods don’t care and they offer no assurances.
But our God does.
And for that David praises Him!
“Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, From everlasting to everlasting. Amen and Amen.”
God has given a tremendous blessing to His people.
• He has promised that if you will care for the poor then He will care for you.
• Praise God for that blessing and that promise.
