Post by arete on Mar 21, 2014 18:59:06 GMT
Introduction:
Should Christians get angry? Is there room for anger in a healthy, mature believer’s life? Yes. The Bible does not say that anger is always a sin. In fact, the Psalm this morning states, “Be angry, and do not sin.” The reason anger is an issue is that David is again lamenting before God that wicked men are a distressing him. They are angry with him and he is quite likely angry in turn. What we will find is that David doesn’t just sit in his anger, but turns to God for righteousness, grace and peace, joy and safety. God is a safe haven for us to turn in anger. If our anger is just, we turn to him in trust that he too is angry with sin and will act in righteousness. If our anger is sinful, we trust that God will turn our hearts to him. So let’s join David in his distress…
Context:
Psalm 4 is not easy to place within the life of David. Some believe that it is a follow up to Psalm 3 while he was on the run from Absalom. Unfortunately, we cannot know that for certain. The inscription attributing this Psalm to David is ancient. We know that it was set to stringed instruments (harp & lyre). We also can identify it as a psalm of lament. Remember, a psalm of lament: a psalm that expresses grief of one’s condition, including the lament, a statement of trust in God and an affirmation of praise to him. Let’s turn now to Psalm 4…
Body – Psalm 4 – ESV
Answer Me When I Call
To the Choirmaster: with Stringed Instruments. A Psalm of David
1 Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness!
You have given me relief when I was in distress.
Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!
2 O men, how long shall my honor be turned into shame?
How long will you love vain words and seek after lies? Selah
3 But know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself;
the LORD hears when I call to him.
4 Be angry, and do not sin;
ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Selah
5 Offer right sacrifices,
and put your trust in the LORD.
6 There are many who say, “Who will show us some good?
Lift up the light of your face upon us, O LORD!”
7 You have put more joy in my heart
than they have when their grain and wine abound.
8 In peace I will both lie down and sleep;
for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.
A Shout for Relief vv. 1-2
The first two verses are the lament part of the psalm.
David begins quite boldly with “Answer me when I call” (v. 1a). The language here is an imperative, or a command of sorts. The idea here though is not that David is demanding an answer from God, but confidently expects the same God who has answered him before – will answer him now.
David’s boldness is based in God’s person (v. 1a). He calls God the God of his righteousness. What does he mean by that? He means a couple of things. This is a rich statement of God’s person.
1. God is Righteous. God alone is always right and just. God alone acts triumphantly and rightly for his people and his children. His righteousness is expressed in his relationship with his people, like David, as a father to a child.
2. God is the source of David’s righteousness. David has no righteousness of his own. His right standing before God is a grace gift from God. We do not contribute anything to our righteousness or our salvation except the sin we desperately need to be saved from
David’s boldness is also founded on his experience of God (v. 1b). David has been distressed before. He paints quite the picture with this wording which means to be pressed into a tight corner. He dares to ask God for relief because God has cared for him every other hard time in his life.
In light of his relationship with God, David asks for grace and for God to hear him (v. 1c). This doesn’t mean that David thinks he has to shout to get God’s attention. He is asking for God’s grace to act on his behalf. David knows he does not deserve God’s help, but he knows that God is as full of grace as he is full of righteousness.
David wraps up his lament by moving from his shout to God to the source of his distress (v. 2). Once again, David is vexed by ungodly men. They reject the honor God has given him as king. They are full of empty words and lies. They seek to hurt him in some way and he knows that his only source of help and justice is God.
Illustration:
The name by which the Lord is here addressed, "God of my righteousness," deserves notice, since it is not used in any other part of Scripture. It means, [You are] the author, the witness, the maintainer, the judge, & the rewarder of my righteousness; to [you] I appeal from the [slurs & smears] & harsh judgments of men. Herein is wisdom, let us imitate it & always take our suit, not to the petty courts of human opinion, but into the superior court, the King's Bench of heaven. C.H. Spurgeon
Application:
You can take your distress to God and trust in his righteous response. He will answer you if you are his child. He will be gracious and act rightly. If you have been wronged, he is your comfort. If you are the source of your own distress or the distress of others, he is your loving Father. He is the one who can forgive and restore you or discipline you if you will not repent. He is faithful and gracious. When you are harmed or distressed or afflicted by hard times – turn to him quickly in prayer.
Set Apart to God vv. 3-5
These verses are the statement of trust that is the second part of a lament psalm. The switch from trouble to trust is seen with the “but” as verse three begins…
David contrasts the empty words and lies and trouble from men with his identity in God (v.3). God is the source of righteousness and he is the one who calls men to himself. He sets his children apart to himself for his service and his use. Wicked men have no claim to us.
David’s identity as a child of God means that the Lord hears him (.v 3b). This hearing is more than passive. It means that when David calls out to his heavenly father, the Father moves on what he has heard from his child. This should cause wicked men to pause. Godly men have a Heavenly Father who hears them when they are wronged and distressed by the wicked.
David moves to a general statement about sin and anger (v. 4a). This is spoken to the men who distress him, but is also true for all men. It is not a sin to be angry if anger is warranted. Some versions have “tremble” instead of “be angry.” Ephesians 4:26 quotes here and clearly identifies this as anger. Plus the language means an anger so intense the body trembles. It is not wrong to be angry with things that make God angry. But do not let anger at sin become an excuse to sin in turn.
David clarifies how to refrain from sin in anger (v. 4b). Take time to wait and rest and really consider why there is anger and how God would want you to respond. The silence here is the time to meditate on the cause of the anger and the righteous response to it. Be certain your heart, your motive is righteous before God and not a self-righteous response to others.
David knows that the best solution is to remain right with God even when angry (v. 5). David is likely angry himself as he is being distressed by others. Still, he makes the right sacrifices to atone for his sin (which Christ has accomplished, but we still need to repent when we sin by our actions, inactions, and disposition.) Also, David trusts in God – to do what? To act righteously and justly and to exact his will on the situation that is causing distress and anger. God will answer the cause of the lament.
Illustration:
The world needs anger. The world often continues to allow evil because it isn't angry enough. -Bede Jarrett
Application:
Your anger is part of God’s image that you bear. As such, you should be angry with what makes God angry. Anger is not inherently wrong. Anger tells us that something isn’t right and needs to be made right – but not right in our eyes. Since anger is so strong and we can turn it to sin so quickly, take time even in anger to be certain you are not sinning in your response. When you sin, repent.
Safety in God vv. 6-8
These verses end with the affirmation and praise that is the final part of a lament psalm. This is where we see the hope that is found in God even in the midst of hard times.
David knows there are times when you wonder if you will see any good come from a situation (v. 6). When there is distress and wickedness and you’re angry – even when you haven’t sinned and know that God will make things right – you can wonder why he takes so long. You cry out for God to turn his face toward you because it feels so dark.
David knows that how he feels doesn’t change who God is (v. 7). God is the source of our joy. We’re not talking a limited source, like when you might just add a few gallons to the tank to squeak by. God is an abundant source of joy for the believer even in hardship. He gives more true joy than the fake joy that can be found in material comfort or much wine. He is the one who fulfills us so deeply that those without him try to fill their heart with other things.
David is at peace with God (v.8a). This means more than he is not in conflict with God, though he isn’t. God has set David apart in righteousness. David also experiences the “shalom” of life – the idea in this word being the richness and fullness of life – what the New Testament calls eternal life. David is so secure in God, that even in distress, when David lies down, he goes right to sleep.
David knows that God is the source of peace and safety (v. 8b). The idea here is that of security. David is secure in God both in life and in salvation. He lives in that security. When you have that security and really live in the reality of it, then what fear is there of wicked men and earthly distress?
Illustration:
Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me; all day long an attacker oppresses me; my enemies trample on me all day long, for many attack me proudly. When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me? (Psalm 56:1-4)
Application:
You have access to God’s joy and peace and safety even in trials & tribulation. It may seem that he is slow or not moving. How you perceive it or feel the trial is not as important as who God is. He is your source of joy in hard time, of peace in the midst of conflict, and eternal safety when wicked men threaten. When God is for you, then what can man possibly do? When trials come run into God’s arms for his tender care.
So What? What do we do now that we know this?
Psalm 3 & 4 have stressed that hard times and distress are present even for God’s children. The world is a fallen place full of fallen people. But God has not left us to face it alone. If we are his children, we have a heavenly father who is our strength and shield.
When hard times & distress come, turn to him for righteousness. He will act rightly. If you are part of the distress, he is the one who makes you right. Trust in him for justice and for repentance.
When distress comes, be angry, but do not sin. Your anger is valuable when it is captive to the will, mind and nature of God. Anger helps us identify sin and injustice and every other thing in opposition to God’s person and character. But keep that anger in submission to him. Do not fall into sin, but when you do, fall before him and he will forgive and restore you in repentance.
Finally, above all else, in distress and hard times, you have God as Father. Even when you don’t understand how and why things are so bad, never doubt that he is good. Trust in him fully. He will bring joy to your heart, peace to your mind, and help you feel the safety and security that is always there, because he is faithful…
Benediction
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." (Romans 15:13 NRSV)
Should Christians get angry? Is there room for anger in a healthy, mature believer’s life? Yes. The Bible does not say that anger is always a sin. In fact, the Psalm this morning states, “Be angry, and do not sin.” The reason anger is an issue is that David is again lamenting before God that wicked men are a distressing him. They are angry with him and he is quite likely angry in turn. What we will find is that David doesn’t just sit in his anger, but turns to God for righteousness, grace and peace, joy and safety. God is a safe haven for us to turn in anger. If our anger is just, we turn to him in trust that he too is angry with sin and will act in righteousness. If our anger is sinful, we trust that God will turn our hearts to him. So let’s join David in his distress…
Context:
Psalm 4 is not easy to place within the life of David. Some believe that it is a follow up to Psalm 3 while he was on the run from Absalom. Unfortunately, we cannot know that for certain. The inscription attributing this Psalm to David is ancient. We know that it was set to stringed instruments (harp & lyre). We also can identify it as a psalm of lament. Remember, a psalm of lament: a psalm that expresses grief of one’s condition, including the lament, a statement of trust in God and an affirmation of praise to him. Let’s turn now to Psalm 4…
Body – Psalm 4 – ESV
Answer Me When I Call
To the Choirmaster: with Stringed Instruments. A Psalm of David
1 Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness!
You have given me relief when I was in distress.
Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!
2 O men, how long shall my honor be turned into shame?
How long will you love vain words and seek after lies? Selah
3 But know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself;
the LORD hears when I call to him.
4 Be angry, and do not sin;
ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Selah
5 Offer right sacrifices,
and put your trust in the LORD.
6 There are many who say, “Who will show us some good?
Lift up the light of your face upon us, O LORD!”
7 You have put more joy in my heart
than they have when their grain and wine abound.
8 In peace I will both lie down and sleep;
for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.
A Shout for Relief vv. 1-2
The first two verses are the lament part of the psalm.
David begins quite boldly with “Answer me when I call” (v. 1a). The language here is an imperative, or a command of sorts. The idea here though is not that David is demanding an answer from God, but confidently expects the same God who has answered him before – will answer him now.
David’s boldness is based in God’s person (v. 1a). He calls God the God of his righteousness. What does he mean by that? He means a couple of things. This is a rich statement of God’s person.
1. God is Righteous. God alone is always right and just. God alone acts triumphantly and rightly for his people and his children. His righteousness is expressed in his relationship with his people, like David, as a father to a child.
2. God is the source of David’s righteousness. David has no righteousness of his own. His right standing before God is a grace gift from God. We do not contribute anything to our righteousness or our salvation except the sin we desperately need to be saved from
David’s boldness is also founded on his experience of God (v. 1b). David has been distressed before. He paints quite the picture with this wording which means to be pressed into a tight corner. He dares to ask God for relief because God has cared for him every other hard time in his life.
In light of his relationship with God, David asks for grace and for God to hear him (v. 1c). This doesn’t mean that David thinks he has to shout to get God’s attention. He is asking for God’s grace to act on his behalf. David knows he does not deserve God’s help, but he knows that God is as full of grace as he is full of righteousness.
David wraps up his lament by moving from his shout to God to the source of his distress (v. 2). Once again, David is vexed by ungodly men. They reject the honor God has given him as king. They are full of empty words and lies. They seek to hurt him in some way and he knows that his only source of help and justice is God.
Illustration:
The name by which the Lord is here addressed, "God of my righteousness," deserves notice, since it is not used in any other part of Scripture. It means, [You are] the author, the witness, the maintainer, the judge, & the rewarder of my righteousness; to [you] I appeal from the [slurs & smears] & harsh judgments of men. Herein is wisdom, let us imitate it & always take our suit, not to the petty courts of human opinion, but into the superior court, the King's Bench of heaven. C.H. Spurgeon
Application:
You can take your distress to God and trust in his righteous response. He will answer you if you are his child. He will be gracious and act rightly. If you have been wronged, he is your comfort. If you are the source of your own distress or the distress of others, he is your loving Father. He is the one who can forgive and restore you or discipline you if you will not repent. He is faithful and gracious. When you are harmed or distressed or afflicted by hard times – turn to him quickly in prayer.
Set Apart to God vv. 3-5
These verses are the statement of trust that is the second part of a lament psalm. The switch from trouble to trust is seen with the “but” as verse three begins…
David contrasts the empty words and lies and trouble from men with his identity in God (v.3). God is the source of righteousness and he is the one who calls men to himself. He sets his children apart to himself for his service and his use. Wicked men have no claim to us.
David’s identity as a child of God means that the Lord hears him (.v 3b). This hearing is more than passive. It means that when David calls out to his heavenly father, the Father moves on what he has heard from his child. This should cause wicked men to pause. Godly men have a Heavenly Father who hears them when they are wronged and distressed by the wicked.
David moves to a general statement about sin and anger (v. 4a). This is spoken to the men who distress him, but is also true for all men. It is not a sin to be angry if anger is warranted. Some versions have “tremble” instead of “be angry.” Ephesians 4:26 quotes here and clearly identifies this as anger. Plus the language means an anger so intense the body trembles. It is not wrong to be angry with things that make God angry. But do not let anger at sin become an excuse to sin in turn.
David clarifies how to refrain from sin in anger (v. 4b). Take time to wait and rest and really consider why there is anger and how God would want you to respond. The silence here is the time to meditate on the cause of the anger and the righteous response to it. Be certain your heart, your motive is righteous before God and not a self-righteous response to others.
David knows that the best solution is to remain right with God even when angry (v. 5). David is likely angry himself as he is being distressed by others. Still, he makes the right sacrifices to atone for his sin (which Christ has accomplished, but we still need to repent when we sin by our actions, inactions, and disposition.) Also, David trusts in God – to do what? To act righteously and justly and to exact his will on the situation that is causing distress and anger. God will answer the cause of the lament.
Illustration:
The world needs anger. The world often continues to allow evil because it isn't angry enough. -Bede Jarrett
Application:
Your anger is part of God’s image that you bear. As such, you should be angry with what makes God angry. Anger is not inherently wrong. Anger tells us that something isn’t right and needs to be made right – but not right in our eyes. Since anger is so strong and we can turn it to sin so quickly, take time even in anger to be certain you are not sinning in your response. When you sin, repent.
Safety in God vv. 6-8
These verses end with the affirmation and praise that is the final part of a lament psalm. This is where we see the hope that is found in God even in the midst of hard times.
David knows there are times when you wonder if you will see any good come from a situation (v. 6). When there is distress and wickedness and you’re angry – even when you haven’t sinned and know that God will make things right – you can wonder why he takes so long. You cry out for God to turn his face toward you because it feels so dark.
David knows that how he feels doesn’t change who God is (v. 7). God is the source of our joy. We’re not talking a limited source, like when you might just add a few gallons to the tank to squeak by. God is an abundant source of joy for the believer even in hardship. He gives more true joy than the fake joy that can be found in material comfort or much wine. He is the one who fulfills us so deeply that those without him try to fill their heart with other things.
David is at peace with God (v.8a). This means more than he is not in conflict with God, though he isn’t. God has set David apart in righteousness. David also experiences the “shalom” of life – the idea in this word being the richness and fullness of life – what the New Testament calls eternal life. David is so secure in God, that even in distress, when David lies down, he goes right to sleep.
David knows that God is the source of peace and safety (v. 8b). The idea here is that of security. David is secure in God both in life and in salvation. He lives in that security. When you have that security and really live in the reality of it, then what fear is there of wicked men and earthly distress?
Illustration:
Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me; all day long an attacker oppresses me; my enemies trample on me all day long, for many attack me proudly. When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me? (Psalm 56:1-4)
Application:
You have access to God’s joy and peace and safety even in trials & tribulation. It may seem that he is slow or not moving. How you perceive it or feel the trial is not as important as who God is. He is your source of joy in hard time, of peace in the midst of conflict, and eternal safety when wicked men threaten. When God is for you, then what can man possibly do? When trials come run into God’s arms for his tender care.
So What? What do we do now that we know this?
Psalm 3 & 4 have stressed that hard times and distress are present even for God’s children. The world is a fallen place full of fallen people. But God has not left us to face it alone. If we are his children, we have a heavenly father who is our strength and shield.
When hard times & distress come, turn to him for righteousness. He will act rightly. If you are part of the distress, he is the one who makes you right. Trust in him for justice and for repentance.
When distress comes, be angry, but do not sin. Your anger is valuable when it is captive to the will, mind and nature of God. Anger helps us identify sin and injustice and every other thing in opposition to God’s person and character. But keep that anger in submission to him. Do not fall into sin, but when you do, fall before him and he will forgive and restore you in repentance.
Finally, above all else, in distress and hard times, you have God as Father. Even when you don’t understand how and why things are so bad, never doubt that he is good. Trust in him fully. He will bring joy to your heart, peace to your mind, and help you feel the safety and security that is always there, because he is faithful…
Benediction
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." (Romans 15:13 NRSV)