Psalm 4

 Psalm chapter 4

You guys know I like to do studies that bring in doctrine. Doctrine is what we believe in. It’s basically a teaching on what we believe..  you can kind of think about it as theoretical. But I also desire to offer some practical things that you can do that you can implement and live out. So hopefully, we’ll get the meaning and understanding from what Psalm 4 says, but hopefully we’ll also get something we can live out practically.

Sometimes, when we don’t have the answer to some question, it can interrupt our sleep.   Tonight, I plan to offer you a cure for insomnia.   I just hope it isn’t my message that’s the cure.

With that in mind, let’s pray for the Lord to help us understand what’s being said and to be able to put into practice what is being taught.

Psalms 4:1-8 (NASB95) 1 For the choir director; on stringed instruments. A Psalm of David. Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved me in my distress; Be gracious to me and hear my prayer. 2 O sons of men, how long will my honor become a reproach? How long will you love what is worthless and aim at deception? Selah. 3 But know that the LORD has set apart the godly man for Himself; The LORD hears when I call to Him. 4 Tremble, and do not sin; Meditate in your heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah. 5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, And trust in the LORD. 6 Many are saying, “Who will show us any good?” Lift up the light of Your countenance upon us, O LORD! 7 You have put gladness in my heart, More than when their grain and new wine abound. 8 In peace I will both lie down and sleep, For You alone, O LORD, make me to dwell in safety.

Psalm 4, traditionally recited at night, is the evening counterpart to Psalm 3’s morning prayer.    Sort of like how we teach our kids to pray, when they’re little. “Now I lay me down to sleep…”   Perhaps the earliest version was written by George Wheler in his 1698 book The Protestant Monastery, which reads:[1]

Upon lying down, and going to sleep.

Here I lay me down to sleep.
 To thee, O Lord, I give my Soul to keep,
 Wake I ever, Or, Wake I never;
 To thee O Lord, I give my Soul to keep for ever.

A later version printed in The New England Primer goes:[2]

Now I lay me down to sleep,
 I pray the Lord my Soul to keep[;]
 If I should die before I 'wake,
 I pray the Lord my Soul to take.

 In Jewish thought, sleep itself is not simply rest, it is a “small death,” like a miniature death, where you surrender your soul into God's hands. This idiom of “sleep” representing death, is a new testament concept as well.   Which makes sense, since most of the new testament was written by Jewish authors.   But in 1 Corinthians 11:30 it says, For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep.

And in 1 Corinthians 15:51 it says, “Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed,

So let’s think of this for a sec.  Why do you think sleep represents death?

And so, psalm 4 becomes a liturgy of trust in the LORD, at the day’s end.  We at Calvary Chapel may not tend to be very into “liturgy”.   In fact, some of us, in the “evangelical” christian tradition, may even pooh pooh the idea that there is value in liturgy.  Where liturgy is kind of a formula or a ritual that you do by rote, by memory.   Maybe we look at liturgy kind of like a “fake it till you make it” kind of a thing.   But I think there can be value in following a certain prescribed routine.   At least as a way to get started.  Repetition is a way I learn things.   Anyways, for what it’s worth, that’s what I think.

You guys know, I’m a software engineer.   More than once, I’ve laid down in bed to go to sleep, and I have some problem I’m trying to solve at work.  I’ll pray about it, and go to sleep and my mind (by God’s creative design) will keep working on the problem while I sleep.  Sometimes I’ve dreamt about it.  Then I wake up and think to myself, Oh, yeah, that’s the solution.  I’ll write it down or go to work and write it down, and sure enough.  The LORD made our minds to be able to work and the LORD speaks directly to our mind while we’re asleep.

“Answer me when I call…”

David’s opening line is bold. He isn’t demanding instant results, but he shows a confidence that God hears, even in silence. We also see some similarities between psalm chapter 4 and Psalm chapter 3 you'll notice here that it begins with David referring to God in a special way and I want you to see this in verse 1 he says answer me when I call Oh God of my righteousness I want to talk about that. Let’s re-read the verse Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved me in my distress; Be gracious to me and hear my prayer.

“when I was in distress”, David is talking in the past.   In the midst of a severe trial, David says, “be gracious to me and hear my prayer”.  Now did you notice that David refers to God as O God of my righteousness? This is another of David's declarations of faith. He is declaring that God can be depended upon as a judge to judge properly and righteously even when men cannot.   We don’t think of God as a “judge” too much. Why?   Because God’s judgement was poured out on Jesus.   God’s wrath towards us was all used up (so to speak) on Jesus.  That’s why we can be confident and have this close intimate faith in God.  God is now our friend.   We’re not presumptuous, we know God and His character.   And we trust in that.

Here's the point; David is going through a situation where men are turning against him but he's saying to God as he opens up this prayer Lord you are the one who judges my situations without negative influence without turning away from the truth and I know that you see the real facts of what's going on and I now that justice is going to triumph in the end I know that it's going to triumph in the and David comforted himself with those kind of statements

I want us to think about our attitude in prayer.  Do we have confidence that God hears and God answers, no matter what the circumstances, no matter what the ultimate outcome?   This really boils down to knowing God’s character; that He’s gracious and kind and generous and giving and caring and gentle.

Verse 2 How long, will my honor become a reproach?   In other words, I stand for you LORD.   I boast in You.   Yet, I receive dishonor and reproach.   My question for us, Are you confident enough in God to live your faith out loud?

I know this gets said a lot, but we still live in a country that has “freedom of speech on the books”.   We are allowed to talk about our faith.  We’re aren’t put into jail, or hit or spit on, like Paul, Peter, and even Jesus Himself.   Okay, I’ll admit the soil is getting harder.   The climate toward spiritual things is getting colder.   You might get mocked, or scorned, or rejected or ignored.   You might even lose a friend by talking about your Savior.  But that’s a small price to be consistent with your faith.   If we really believe that someone goes to hell without turning to Christ in faith, we would do more to encourage and invite others to faith in the Living God.

Please reflect on this: what’s more important, your friendship with someone, or their eternal salvation.   I’m not saying we should be obnoxious about it.   We can be “winsome” and try to win some (that’s probably been said before, but that just came to my head).

I will have to say, one of the things that really encourages me is when I hear your stories of boldness and how you have shared your faith with someone.   We’re told to speak the truth in love.   The bible says to preach the word, in season and out of season.   That’s just about all the time.

All of this amounts to giving glory to God.

Here are some scripture references that bless me…

1 Timothy 1:17 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen

Revelation 5:12-13 Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice,

“Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.

Revelation 7:11-12 11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying,

“Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”

Verse 3 But know that the LORD has set apart the godly man for Himself, David says, “But know”, knowing something or someone, really knowing is more than just something that goes on mentally in your brain.   It’s experiential.  When you are little, your parents tell you don’t touch that, it’s hot.   What do you do?   You touch it.   Then you know for yourself.   When someone says they used to believe in God, but they don’t now.  Ask them, did you know the LORD?   The best they can say is that they “thought they knew” God.   You can press it, but did you know God?   If they’re honest, they’ll have to say, no. 

You and I can know that the LORD has set us apart, because we’ve experienced conversion.   We’ve been changed.   We’ve been born again.

2 Corinthians 5:17-18 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation,

Verse 4 Tremble, and do not sin; Meditate in your heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.   Other translations say “be angry and do not sin”.   The word “tremble” is well, have you ever been so mad that you were shaking.   This is quoted in Ephesians 4:26 26 Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and do not give the devil an opportunity.  Here in context, David is speaking to those who have maligned and gossip about him and betrayed him.   He still has a heart for these guys.   He says, go ahead, be angry, but don’t let that anger become deep seated bitterness.  Even though their anger had become that. These words are meant to confront wicked men as a warning against their anger overflowing into violence. James 1:19-20 This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.

Also in this verse, “meditate in your heart, on your bed and be still”.  One of my little pet peeves is when someone promotes meditation for the health and emotional/psychological benefits.   Usually, it’s my company, or the medical community or some TV program that recommends meditation.   What they’re really recommending is eastern or Hindu meditation.  Yes, there might be some health benefits.   There might even be some emotional/psychological benefits, but spiritually it is very dangerous.   Eastern meditation teaches that the practitioner must empty their mind.   Here’s what the bible says can happen when you do that, Matthew 12:43-45 “Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came’; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order. 45 Then it goes and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation.”

An empty mind is open to demonic influence.

Christian meditation is about filling your mind with the scriptures.   Thinking about the goodness of God and all that He has done.

The reason I warn about eastern meditation is because I new someone who started out with yoga, for the health benefits and it led him into the Hindu practices and believing in reincarnation.

Verse 5 says  5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, And trust in the LORD. This might be a little difficult for a Christian to understand.   We are taught that Jesus’ sacrifice was a one and done.   He died once for all we’re told in Hebrews 7:27 who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself and 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

Every other religion is a system of works to earn righteousness.   They are all about do, do, do (if you get my drift).   But true biblical Christianity is about “it is finished.”

So the ultimate meaning of this can be found in Romans 12:1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

The reason this kind of a sacrifice is acceptable is because it is accomplished by faith and performed in the Holy Spirit.

Verse 6 Many are saying, “Who will show us any good?” Lift up the light of Your countenance upon us, O LORD!

Here in verse 6 he is saying there are many who say who will show us some good in other words people are looking for a change in their circumstances and for some kind of hope in challenging times and so they ask the question you know who can who can show us some good who will lead us into times of prosperity times of peace it sounds to me like the cry of our culture today doesn't it and you know what it's going to continue to be the cry of our culture and it is going to lead the people of this world right into the hands of the Antichrist system because they are going to continue to cry out and say who can show us some good and he's gonna come along and he's gonna say I can. people today want to be happy and they're constantly yearning for to see something good in life and that’s natural but the trouble is they want they want blessing and they want happiness without bending their knee to the Lord you know they're looking for blessing without coming to him who blesses and understanding his word and understanding that God who created this earth and created the people who live upon it knows best how they should live and instead of people looking God in the eye and saying no I'm not going to live the way you tell me to live they want to live their own way and yet they still want to be happy and that's just not gonna happen

Verse 7

notice David's answer to their question of you know who can show us some good David says light up the light of your Face (or your countenance) upon us Oh Lord. David knew that it was God and God alone who's gonna who can deliver what our hearts need and want the most and listen as David ends this Psalm now speaking of the benefits of knowing and and trusting God look at verse 7 you have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound here now David is describing the joy that is in his heart from knowing the Lord to the joy that people go through when they're in times of prosperity and you and I when he says there when their wine about he doesn't necessarily mean when the wine is flowing and you're happy because you're drunk he's talking about when the harvest comes in because they had their vineyards and their grain fields and when there was a prosperous harvest there was great joy because they knew that they were gonna be well set for the next year and so David understood that from a cultural standpoint and yet he challenges by saying that the joy the Lord has placed in my heart exceeds that of a worldly joy that is predicated upon some nice thing that just happened to you we might look at this different you know you've put more joy in my heart then when they get a big fat raise and go out and buy a nice house and a nice car or or or something like that you know you've put more joy in my heart then those people can experience why because their joy their happiness is based on temporal changing circumstances.

you have a great harvest one year wonderful the next year is a lousy one what happened to the joy from the year before?

Verse 8 8 In peace I will both lie down and sleep, For You alone, O LORD, make me to dwell in safety 

have you ever been up all night worrying have you ever been unable to get to sleep because you just had this adrenaline rush of some thought that just went through your Head?

David knew what it was like to have those kinds of fears but he also knew what it was to have the joy of the Lord in his heart that caused him to be able even in the midst of difficulty to lie down and not just lie down but to sleep to fall asleep because he knew that he knew that he knew his safety was bound up in the hands of the Lord

This will take some pressing in.  it will take some effort to put your mind on the LORD when it would rather worry.

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