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Remember these are only notes. So don't expect good grammar of even perfect spelling!
The psalms are not carefully put together pieces of theological writing - spontaneous expressions of joy, anguish, doubt, faith, complaint, praise. not ordered.
In Psalm 116, David has been through a low period, but not complaining.
Air of ¨ touching gratitude, and ¨ infectious delight, and ¨ determined joyous commitment to God.
His prayer has found an overwhelming answer.
Begins: `I love the Lord because he has heard my voice and my cry for mercy I will call upon him as long as I live.' Life long commitment. ________________________
He'd been through a hard time: 3 the cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came upon me; I was overcome by trouble and sorrow.
Psalms: - death or hades or hell - aggressive - seeking to get hold of us and drag us into their snare!
Clutch at the living attempting to waste them with sickness or crush them with despondency.
Fear of death - all ages. Should the preacher be giving morbid threats? - No. but also not ignore for it is relevant to all of us.
- Hebrews: `those who through fear of death have been subject to life long bondage.'
It is only before the foot of the cross that we can come face to face with our mortality and overcome it with resurrection hope.
Death should not be a black hole but a doorway - may be its approach will be difficult - like the cross of Christ - but... Entrance to ...
In N.T. Paul addresses death and grave in name of Jesus Christ - died and risen. Where oh grave is your victory, where o death is your sting?
Victory over grave = Resurrection.
Sting of death of sin.
When we face our own mortality we realise that in many ways we have not been what we should have been.
Bereavement - guilt that I was not what I should have been towards the one who has now gone.
Cross. ======================= David's trouble was uncertain.. · Physical illness – · also sorrow. Hint of spiritual anguish.
Calls on the name of the Lord: 4 then I called on the name of the Lord: "O Lord, save me!" A very simple prayer. `he who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.'
Followed by outburst of praise. 5 the Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion. ========================== 6 the Lord protects the simplehearted; when I was in great need, he saved me.
He identifies with the simple hearted.
Simple yet this Psalm shows he has deep understanding.
Paradox: deeper our understanding of God more simple our faith.
Reason: deeper one goes into word of God and the greater one's understanding. - the greater one's sense of awe and wonder - humbling experience. stretches the mind but also humbles the heart. Jesus: unless you turn and become like little children .." ==================== Vs 7 he addresses his soul: `be at rest o my soul'. · act of will. · Tell ourselves.
· If we spend our time in self-examination · - am I happy? · am I at peace? · is my soul at rest? · we will use religion to attempt to justify ourselves. Self-absorbed and fanatical religion that actually becomes destructive of true humanity. But we must tell our soul to be at rest for the right reason.
The rich fool told his soul: `take your ease' But it was for the wrong reason you have many goods laid up for many years..
Jesus: you fool.
But here: Take your ease because the Lord has been good to you.
How?
Vs 8 salvation spread out: 8 for you, o Lord, have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling.
1. Soul from death. N.T. without the grace of God, our body may be alive but we are dead in trespasses and sins. reconciled with the source of its life.
2. `eyes from tears' `blessed are they that mourn they shall be comforted.'
deeply grieved about the wickedness of the world.
Comfort will finally come.
To the eye of faith we can already see God's purposes being worked out before our eyes.
Rev 21: New Jerusalem - wipe all tears from our eyes.
3. Feet from stumbling. jude 24: `now unto him who is able to keep you from falling'
Purpose of this salvation: 9 that I may walk before the Lord in the land of the living.
To walk before the Lord is what the N.T. calls `walking in the light'.
¨ Demanding: wholly exposed to the Lord. ¨ Reassuring: wholly befriended by the Lord.
How did he come to find answer to his prayer?
To answer he reflects again on his past trouble. 10 I believed; therefore I said, "I am greatly afflicted."
I believed and therefore I spoke of my trouble.
Some kind of religion: If I have faith - I shouldn't have spiritual problems or if I do I should keep quiet about them. (mustn't let the side down).
Here opposite. Because I believe, I spoke about my problems.
Faith in God is not contradicted by feeling crushed or disillusioned and saying so . It may in fact vouch for faith's survival.
Body that is alive - can feel pain. =========== Now he turns to his response to the Lord. 12 how can I repay the Lord for all his goodness to me? Ans: 13 I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord.
cup of salvation. (Psalm 23: my cup overflows.)
Cup is provided by God and I am going to take hold of it.
What does cup signify?
Cup of God is used in two ways in Psalms.
1.cup of salvation and blessing. Also 2. Cup of the wrath of God. Psalm 75:8 in the hand of the Lord is a cup full of foaming wine mixed with spices; he pours it out, and all the wicked of the earth drink it down to its very dregs. (niv)
Wine taster. Stagger.
Cup of wrath of God will be poured out on the nations of the world.
In God's love for his people he gave the cup to his own beloved Son so that we might drink the cup of blessing.
Exchange of cups. Gethsemane. As he staggered: take this cup from me. Nevertheless not my will but thine be done.
`I thirst'
if any man thirst let him come to me and drink.
What must we do?
As this Psalm says: take hold of the cup of salvation.
The free gift is offered.
It is for us to take hold of it as a precious gift from God.
So how do we respond?
1. Take what is offered. And also vs 14: I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people.
What vows?
¨ Minister: ordination vows ¨ Marriage: ¨ baptism: ¨ Ordinary church members.
Prayer, Bible, Church, dedicated to the Lord and witness.
`in the presence of his people' - not only private.
We didn't make a conditional vow.
God's sent his Son while we were yet sinners.
Did we commit ourselves to be regular attenders if 1. We like the minister. 2. No friends are coming for tea. 3. If the garden isn't needing trimmed. 4. If everyone in church is nice to us. 5. If we agree with everything the church does..
Do you know why we must never be careless?
Because our life and death are precious to God. 15 precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. Either means 1. Those who die faithful to the Lord are precious to him.
or 2. The death of a saint is costly to God.
Matt 10:29-31 29 are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your father. 30 and even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 so don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Close: 18 I will fulfil my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people, 19 in the courts of the house of the Lord-- in your midst, o Jerusalem. Praise the Lord. ================================= If any of the above has assisted you
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