When You Believe God Will Judge
Psalms 57
December 15, 2019
Tonight we come across a Psalm that has a special link
To 4 other Psalms in the Bible.
Psalms 57, 58, 59, and 75 all have a common distinction.
In the subheading we read that they are “set to Al-tashheth”
This is a Hebrew phrase that means “Destroy Not”
This is somewhat interesting distinction since,
As you will eventually see, every one of these 4 Psalms deals with,
To some degree, the coming judgment of God upon the wicked.
For example in Psalms 57:
• (3) “He (God) reproaches him who tramples upon me.”
• (6) “They dug a pit for me; they themselves have fallen into the midst of it.”
Psalms 58 is much more direct:
• (6) “O God, shatter their teeth in their mouth; break out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord.”
• (10) “The righteous will rejoice when he sees the vengeance; he will wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.”
Psalms 59 continues the thought:
• (5) “You, O LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel, awake to punish all the nations; do not be gracious to any who are treacherous in iniquity.”
And even Psalms 75 says:
• (8) “For a cup is in the hand of the LORD, and the wine foams; it is well mixed, and He pours out of this; surely all the wicked of the earth must drain and drink down its dregs.”
But you see my point.
These 4 songs are all set to the tune of “Destroy Not”
And yet all of them speak about God’s coming destruction of the wicked.
Obviously then
We know what David DOES NOT MEAN by this tune or setting.
David is NOT implying that God should not or will not destroy the wicked.
For that is clearly not what he says in the songs.
Then what is the point?
The point of these Psalms is one that we find over and over in the New Testament.
And it is best articulated by the apostle Paul:
Romans 12:19 “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.”
When David sets these 4 Psalms to the tune of “Destroy Not”,
He’s not talking to God, he’s talking to you.
It is a cry for you to have enough faith to endure suffering
And allow God to be the One who deals with your oppressor.
• It is a call for you to trust God and turn the other cheek.
• It is a call for you to trust God and go the extra mile.
• It is a call for you to trust God and not demand your coat back.
• It is a call for you to trust that God will one day do the vindicating.
That is the common theme of all 4 of these Psalms.
Namely to trust that God will one day judge and so you don’t need to.
That is why I entitled tonight’s sermon on the 57th Psalm,
“When You Believe God Will Judge”
Because in reading Psalms 57 we know that David believes God will judge, and we know that because David defers to God for it.
And this perhaps opens for us
An uncomfortable way of EXAMINING OURSELVES.
We are people who would no doubt claim and defend our theology that we certainly believe that:
• Jesus will return
• Jesus will set up His earthly kingdom
• Jesus will judge the living and the dead
• Jesus will reward the righteous and destroy the wicked
But it may also be true that while we believe this theologically, we struggle with it practically when refuse to suffer unjustly.
• When people wrongly oppress me…
• When people wrongly persecute me…
• When people wrongly portray me…
• When people cheat me…
• When people take advantage of me…
• When people in effect slap my cheek or take my coat…
How I respond to such things indicates whether or not
I believe God will one day vindicate the righteous.
• If I instantly fly off the handle and fight back…
• If I return with my own verbal assault…
• If I slap their cheek right back…
• If I “take my own revenge”…
Then it is apparent that I don’t think God will actually do it.
You probably never thought of an absence of meekness
As a testimony that God is not a just Judge,
But that’s exactly what it is.
And that is really the heart behind Psalms 57.
“Destroy Not”; as in, don’t take your own revenge, but let God do it.
And on that note, I would remind you that
GOD MOST CERTAINLY WILL DO IT.
When we read the New Testament, we are often confronted with realities of Christian suffering and persecution.
• We read warnings of parents betraying their children and children their parents…
• We read warnings of being dragged before kings and rulers…
• We read warnings of being kicked out of synagogues…
• We read warnings of being hated by everyone…
• We read warnings of being killed…
And we even see some of those warnings fulfilled in Scripture.
We know the abuse of God’s children by this world is a real thing.
But in all those warnings, and in all those instructions about suffering, we are also GIVEN TWO VERY IMPORTANT WORDS.
Matthew 10:22 “You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.”
Jesus certainly speaks of persecution and endurance,
But if you’ll notice He also gives a time reference phrase.
He says, “to the end”.
That is to say, this won’t go on forever.
There is an end that is coming.
Perhaps you remember the parable of the tares of the field who corrupt God’s world with wickedness and evil.
Matthew 13:49 “So it will be at the end of the age; the angels will come forth and take out the wicked from among the righteous”
Later in Jesus’ ministry the disciples asked Him about this coming end.
In that Olivet discourse we get statements like these:
Matthew 24:6 “You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end.”
Matthew 24:14 “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.”
There is always a coming end.
There is always a day of consummation.
This is not an indefinite experiment that is going on.
The Scripture speaks of a definitive end to all of this.
And this end comes as a day of vindication for God’s people.
Romans 16:20 “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.”
Revelation 3:9 “Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie — I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you.”
Perhaps you remember even in the book of the Revelation (6:9-11)
• As those souls are seen under the altar who are crying out “How long, until you vindicate us..?”
God tells them to wait just a little while longer
Because it is not yet the end.
But then we see the end don’t we?
Revelation 19:1-2 “After these things I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God; BECAUSE HIS JUDGMENTS ARE TRUE AND RIGHTEOUS; for He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting the earth with her immorality, and HE HAS AVENGED THE BLOOD OF HIS BOND-SERVANTS ON HER.”
That is the coming of the Lord Jesus and the judgment that He brings.
There is a coming end and vindication for God’s people.
And if you believe that, then you can obey Paul’s command
To never take your own revenge but to leave room for God’s wrath.
If you believe that God is a righteous Judge
Who will save His own and judge the wicked
Then you can listen to what David says here and “Destroy Not”
But leave that responsibility to God.
That is what this song is about.
It is a song of genuine faith in the fact that
GOD WILL EXECUTE JUSTICE SO I DON’T HAVE TO.
Now you will also notice that this Psalm comes with a specific setting.
“A Mikhtam of David, when he fled from Saul in the cave.”
David did this a couple of times, but when you study this Psalm
It makes which time this Psalm is referring to obvious.
READ: 1 Samuel 24
So there you have the famous story.
• David on the run
• Saul in pursuit
• David receives the opportunity to kill Saul
• But David refuses to take revenge
It is the events of that story that inspire this Psalm.
We’re going to break it down into 3 main points tonight.
#1 DAVID’S CONFIDENCE
Psalms 57:1-3
This Psalm begins in like fashion to the 56th.
“Be gracious to me, O God, be gracious to me”
You’ll remember from last time what David means by this introduction.
“gracious” there is CHANON
Which means “to stoop down in kindness to an inferior”
We again see David as the humble man on the floor,
Unworthy to come before God
But counting on God’s marvelous mercy and pity as he does.
One thing we did not discuss last time in regard to this phrase, but that is worth mentioning is the OBVIOUS THEOLOGY TO SUCH A REQUEST.
If you are in danger and you go to God
And ask Him to deal with the situation out of His mercy and grace
THEN THERE ARE CERTAIN THEOLOGICAL ISSUES AT PLAY.
It is obvious, for instance,
That David believes God to be sovereign and able to help.
• If David doesn’t believe God to be able to help in the situation then why ask
Him?
• If David doesn’t believe God to be sovereign over His circumstances and
powerful enough to change them, then why ask?
Secondly, it is obvious
That David believes God to be merciful and gracious, or why ask Him?
The simple point I am making here is that
A REQUEST FOR GRACE IS AN ADMISSION OF SOVEREIGNTY.
The request for grace depends upon the belief that God is sovereign.
If you don’t believe God is sovereign
You’re going to have a tough time asking for grace.
David obviously believes God to be sovereign.
And the reason David twice appeals for God to have mercy on him here
Is because David has set God up as his only hope.
“For my soul takes refuge in You; and in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge until destruction passes by.”
David is currently in a cave, but it is obvious that
He doesn’t think much of the cave as a means of safety.
One might even be tempted to look at that cave as a trap
Since if you are detected there is no way to escape.
That is why David speaks of God as His “refuge”
And the poetic imagery is that David is going to hide “in the shadow of Your wings…until destruction passes by.”
You’ve probably heard of the story before of the mother hen
• That hid her babies under her wings as the hawk flew overhead,
• Or the story about the fire and the mother hen who had died, but the chicks
that were under her wings survived.
That is what David refers to here.
The cave won’t protect him, God will.
The cave won’t hide him, God will.
And then comes the great statement of David’s faith.
(2-3) “I will cry to God Most High, To God who accomplishes all things for me. He will send from heaven and save me; He reproaches him who tramples upon me. Selah. God will send forth His lovingkindness and His truth.”
The theological statement is easily identified here.
David is going to “cry to God”
And the reason is seen in the fact that David calls Him
The “God who accomplishes all things for me.”
That is an interesting distinction.
• If you’ll notice in your Bible, the words “all things” are italicized which means they aren’t in the Hebrew text.
Literally the phrase is simply,
“To God who accomplishes for me”
It is left without an explanation as to what exactly God accomplishes.
The Bible translators simply chose to leave it wide open
And put “all things” in there.
But things like that intrigue me.
• The word “accomplishes” is GAMAR (ga-mare)
• And it means “to end” or “to complete”
David here says that He is hiding in God because
“God is the one who “ends” or “completes” for him.”
It immediately brings a gospel reference to our minds
As we heard Jesus on the cross say, “It is finished”
It is the same mentality here.
• God will do this.
• Not “through” me but “for me”, David says.
The battle is real, the danger is real, but God will end it.
So you already see then that David is looking to “the end”.
And here is what David is confident God will do in the end.
(3) “He will send from heaven and save me; He reproaches him who tramples upon me. Selah”
Two things David is confident God will do in the end.
• He will save me
• He will vindicate me
Do you see that?
And then we just see the word “Selah” which refers to a rest or a pause, and when David picks back up the song he restates those same truths.
“God will send for His lovingkindness and His truth”
• His “lovingkindness” speaks to my salvation.
• His “truth” speaks to my vindication.
SO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU HAVE HERE.
You have David hiding in a cave and he is confident
That God will both hide him and put an end to his current threat.
He believes that God will save him.
He believes that God will vindicate him.
He is confident that God can handle it
Because God is the “God who accomplishes all things for me”
Since David is currently on the run from Saul and hiding in a cave;
That makes this song all the more real doesn’t it?
It is quite a confidence that David is expressing in God.
But, as you know,
• We have often heard the saying that “Talk is cheap”.
• It’s one thing to “talk the talk” it’s another thing to “walk the walk”
David is about to get his opportunity to put his money where his mouth is.
We read 1 Samuel so you know what happens next.
• Saul enters the cave to go to the bathroom.
And do you remember the advice that David received from his friends?
1 Samuel 24:3-7 “He came to the sheepfolds on the way, where there was a cave; and Saul went in to relieve himself. Now David and his men were sitting in the inner recesses of the cave. The men of David said to him, “Behold, this is the day of which the LORD said to you, ‘Behold; I am about to give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it seems good to you.'” Then David arose and cut off the edge of Saul’s robe secretly. It came about afterward that David’s conscience bothered him because he had cut off the edge of Saul’s robe. So he said to his men, “Far be it from me because of the LORD that I should do this thing to my lord, the LORD’S anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, since he is the LORD’S anointed.” David persuaded his men with these words and did not allow them to rise up against Saul. And Saul arose, left the cave, and went on his way.”
Well there you have David passing with flying colors don’t you?
• He had every opportunity to take matters into his own hands.
• His friends were even telling him that this was some sort of divine providence, namely that God had delivered Saul to David so David could kill him.
But understand something here.
• God did deliver Saul to David, but not for David to kill him.
• God delivered Saul to David to test David’s faith.
Just because circumstances align
Does not mean we are permitted by God to break His commands.
God commands us not to take revenge.
• Just because it looks like your enemy has fallen into your lap does not give you the right to break that command as though God was making it ok.
David passes the test.
He doesn’t kill Saul.
But what does happen here is even greater.
God confirms David’s faith.
David’s Confidence
#2 DAVID’S CONFIRMATION
Psalms 57:4-6
You will notice that as this stanza begins David is still in great danger.
He describes it in very poetic fashion.
“My soul is among lions; I must lie among those who breathe forth fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows and their tongue a sharp sword.”
Obviously it’s poetic language.
• They aren’t actual lions & They don’t actually breathe fire
• Their teeth are actually arrows or spears & Their tongue is not actually a sword
It’s figurative language to speak of a very dangerous foe.
It is poetic language to speak of a very destructive enemy.
It is an enemy that will not hesitate to devour David.
HE’S IN REAL DANGER.
And we must pause here just for a second
To make a FURTHER APPLICATION.
The presence of danger does not discredit the commands of God.
God tells us not to take our own revenge.
He does not qualify it by saying, “unless it’s really dangerous”
We are to follow the example of our Lord here.
1 Peter 2:23 “and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;”
Peter tells us that Jesus is our example.
• No matter the hostility.
• No matter the danger.
• We are to bear up under it as people of faith who trust that God will fix it all in
the end.
1 Peter 4:1-7 “Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. For the time already past is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles, having pursued a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties and abominable idolatries. In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excesses of dissipation, and they malign you; but they will give account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For the gospel has for this purpose been preached even to those who are dead, that though they are judged in the flesh as men, they may live in the spirit according to the will of God. The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer.”
Did you hear Peter?
• Embrace suffering…
• Don’t give in to sin…
• Don’t be surprised when the world attacks you…
But Peter also says
• That “they will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living
and the dead”
• And that “the end of all things is near”
They are simply asking you to not let hardship
Cause you to disregard the expectation of God.
So the danger is real… Just endure anyway.
THAT IS WHAT DAVID IS DOING.
He is trusting God even though he’s in a lot of danger.
BUT THEN SOMETHING VERY ABRUPT HAPPENS.
In one verse David goes from
Talking about how bad the danger is to praising God.
Without any warning or any transition we simply read:
(5-6) “Be exalted above the heavens, O God; Let Your glory be above all the earth.”
In an instant David goes from lamenting to praising!
David is announcing the glory of God!
“Be exalted above the heavens, O God!”
We would ask, “Why?” or “What happened?”
And David tells us in verse 6.
“They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down; they dug a pit for me; they themselves have fallen into the midst of it. Selah”
What did he just say?
They fell into their own trap!
It’s reminiscent of Haman being hung on the gallows that he built for Mordecai.
• They were setting traps for me everywhere.
• Their hope was to catch me unware.
• Their plan was to sneak up on me and kill me.
But would you look here?
Saul just fell into a trap!
What happened?
Saul entered that cave to go to the bathroom!
Now, certainly we note that
David DID NOT take sinful advantage of that situation and kill Saul.
That is NOT WHY David is rejoicing.
David is rejoicing because God just confirmed in David’s mind
That He is more than able of handling Saul.
• David was stepping out in faith that God could hide him and protect him and save him and vindicate him.
• After Saul walked into that cave and back out David was more certain than ever before that God could do it.
And that is why after Saul leaves DAVID DOES THE UNTHINKABLE.
He actually comes out of the cave and confronts Saul!
1 Samuel 24:8-12 “Now afterward David arose and went out of the cave and called after Saul, saying, “My lord the king!” And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the ground and prostrated himself. David said to Saul, “Why do you listen to the words of men, saying, ‘Behold, David seeks to harm you’? “Behold, this day your eyes have seen that the LORD had given you today into my hand in the cave, and some said to kill you, but my eye had pity on you; and I said, ‘I will not stretch out my hand against my lord, for he is the LORD’S anointed.’ “Now, my father, see! Indeed, see the edge of your robe in my hand! For in that I cut off the edge of your robe and did not kill you, know and perceive that there is no evil or rebellion in my hands, and I have not sinned against you, though you are lying in wait for my life to take it. “May the LORD judge between you and me, and may the LORD avenge me on you; but my hand shall not be against you.”
If you are still afraid of Saul
You don’t come out of that cave until Saul is long gone.
But David isn’t.
He is now more confident than ever
That God is able to bring this to an end in His timing.
God just confirmed David’s faith.
That, by the way, is why in chapter 26
When David gets another opportunity to kill Saul
It is even easier for David not to take it.
1 Samuel 26:8-11 “Then Abishai said to David, “Today God has delivered your enemy into your hand; now therefore, please let me strike him with the spear to the ground with one stroke, and I will not strike him the second time.” But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him, for who can stretch out his hand against the LORD’S anointed and be without guilt?” David also said, “As the LORD lives, surely the LORD will strike him, or his day will come that he dies, or he will go down into battle and perish. “The LORD forbid that I should stretch out my hand against the LORD’S anointed; but now please take the spear that is at his head and the jug of water, and let us go.”
David knows that God will end it in His time.
You see that his faith has been confirmed.
David is not the only one to have received such confirmation.
Consider Paul:
2 Corinthians 1:8-10 “For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life; indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead; who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, He on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us,”
• Paul was in a dark place when God broke in and confirmed his faith as well.
• God delivered him from “so great a peril of death”
• And taught Paul not to trust in himself, “but in God who raises the dead.”
Paul saw that God will in fact save and vindicate.
Which is why Paul closed with a statement in faith saying,
“And He will yet deliver us.”
We see that conviction again in his last letter.
2 Timothy 4:18 “The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”
• That is why Paul didn’t feel the need to lead a revolt and bust out of prison.
• He knew God would take care of him.
Isaiah spoke of the same:
Isaiah 35:3-4 “Encourage the exhausted, and strengthen the feeble. Say to those with anxious heart, “Take courage, fear not. Behold, your God will come with vengeance; The recompense of God will come, But He will save you.”
What a promise!
And it is a promise for every believer.
You don’t have to take your own revenge, God will do it.
Just trust Him.
Well now David’s faith is stronger than ever.
David’s Confidence, David’s Confirmation
#3 DAVID’S COMMITMENT
Psalms 57:7-11
“My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast;”
That is to say, “I’m not moving from this”
That also helps us understand why David was so angry at the Amalekite who eventually killed Saul.
2 Samuel 1:14-15 “Then David said to him, “How is it you were not afraid to stretch out your hand to destroy the LORD’S anointed?” And David called one of the young men and said, “Go, cut him down.” So he struck him and he died.”
Now you understand why David was angry.
• He saw this man’s behavior as an act of defiance and an act void of faith.
• He should not have stepped in and performed a deed which was for God and
God alone to do.
David is committed to the fact that
Destruction in is not for him to accomplish,
But for God to accomplish on his behalf.
His steadfastness reminds us of that great 1 Corinthians 15
• Where Paul talks about how Christ was risen from the dead, and how we will be raised, and how Christ will rule.
In fact, at one point Paul says:
1 Corinthians 15:24 “then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power.”
That whole chapter is written in view of the end that is coming
Which sees Christ returning, judging, and reigning victoriously.
And based on those realities, the chapter ends with an admonition that we be steadfast.
1 Corinthians 15:58 “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.”
Because we are confident that God is able to save and vindicate, We remain steadfast in trusting Him alone to do it.
That is where David is.
And David is steadfast in his praise of God for this.
“I will sing, yes, I will sing praises!”
• Are we grateful to God for being our salvation and vindication?
• Are we grateful that God will one day bring our enemies to an end?
• Are we grateful that vengeance is the LORD’S?
Then praise Him for it.
Sing His praises!
(8) “Awake, my glory! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn”
It is the picture of David praising all night long and into the morning.
• Don’t go to sleep.
• Wake up!
• Praise the Lord!
(9-10) “I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to You among the nations. For Your lovingkindess is great to the heavens and Your truth to the clouds.”
Here is an interesting concept.
• David is here praising God for God’s deliverance.
• David is here praising God for being His savior and vindicator.
• David is here praising God for sending lovingkindess and truth.
David could not have been praising God for those things
IF he had taken matters into his own hands and sought his own revenge.
And this goes back to the point of the Psalm.
It is the “Destroy Not” tune.
Don’t take your own revenge.
Let God bring things to His rightful end.
And you praise God for His ability to do that.
But if you take matters into your own hands
It merely reveals that you have little faith that
God can and will save or that God can and will bring justice.
IN OUR COUNTRY,
We hear the police reminding us not to take the law into our own hands.
• And we know that if we do that that we can also be found guilty under the law.
But why do people do it anyway?
Answer:
They do that when they have little confidence that the police can bring about justice.
Now do you understand what we are saying about God
When we do the same?
That is why I tell you,
• When you really believe that God will judge;
• When you really believe that God will save;
• When you really believe that God will vindicate…
Then you don’t take your own revenge,
And instead you praise God for His promise to do it for you.
That is what David is doing.
And he closes with the same theme he started his song of praise with:
(11) “Be exalted above the heavens, O God; Let Your glory be above all the earth.”
So we also then follow the example of David, and the example of Jesus, and the example of the apostles
Who also endured a great hostility against them
But who did so without taking revenge
Because they believed that in the end
God would save them and vindicate them.
The church is called to sing this same song and follow this same pattern.
