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Psalms 4:1-9

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4 1 לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ בִּנְגִינ֗וֹת מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד ׃ 2 בְּקָרְאִ֡י עֲנֵ֤נִי ׀ אֱלֹ֘הֵ֤י צִדְקִ֗י בַּ֭צָּר הִרְחַ֣בְתָּ לִּ֑י חָ֝נֵּ֗נִי וּשְׁמַ֥ע תְּפִלָּתִֽי ׃ 3 בְּנֵ֥י אִ֡ישׁ עַד ־ מֶ֬ה כְבוֹדִ֣י לִ֭כְלִמָּה תֶּאֱהָב֣וּן רִ֑יק תְּבַקְשׁ֖וּ כָזָ֣ב סֶֽלָה ׃ 4 וּדְע֗וּ כִּֽי ־ הִפְלָ֣ה יְ֭הוָה חָסִ֣יד ל֑וֹ יְהוָ֥ה יִ֝שְׁמַ֗ע בְּקָרְאִ֥י אֵלָֽיו ׃ 5 רִגְז֗וּ וְֽאַל ־ תֶּ֫חֱטָ֥אוּ אִמְר֣וּ בִ֭לְבַבְכֶם עַֽל ־ מִשְׁכַּבְכֶ֗ם וְדֹ֣מּוּ סֶֽלָה ׃ 6 זִבְח֥וּ זִבְחֵי ־ צֶ֑דֶק וּ֝בִטְח֗וּ אֶל ־ יְהוָֽה ׃ 7 רַבִּ֥ים אֹמְרִים֮ מִֽי ־ יַרְאֵ֪נ֫וּ 1 ט֥וֹב נְֽסָה ־ עָ֭לֵינוּ א֨וֹר פָּנֶ֬יךָ יְהוָֽה ׃ 8 נָתַ֣תָּה שִׂמְחָ֣ה בְלִבִּ֑י מֵעֵ֬ת דְּגָנָ֖ם וְתִֽירוֹשָׁ֣ם רָֽבּוּ ׃ 9 בְּשָׁל֣וֹם יַחְדָּו֮ אֶשְׁכְּבָ֪ה וְאִ֫ישָׁ֥ן כִּֽי ־ אַתָּ֣ה יְהוָ֣ה לְבָדָ֑ד לָ֝בֶ֗טַח תּוֹשִׁיבֵֽנִי ׃

Psalms 4:1-8

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Answer Me When I Call 4 To the e choirmaster: with e stringed instruments. A Psalm of David. 1 Answer me when I call, O God of my f righteousness! You have g given me relief when I was in distress. Be gracious to me and hear my prayer! 2 O men, 1 how long shall my honor be turned into shame? How long will you love vain words and seek after h lies? Selah 3 But know that the Lord has i set apart j the godly for himself; the Lord hears when I call to him. 4 k Be angry, 1 and do not sin; l ponder in your own hearts m on your beds, and be silent. Selah 5 Offer n right sacrifices, and put your o trust in the Lord . 6 There are many who say, “Who will show us some good? p Lift up q the light of your face upon us, O Lord !” 7 You have put r more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound. 8 In peace I will both s lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord , make me t dwell in safety.

Psalms 4:1-9

lxx

4 1 εἰς τὸ τέλος ἐν ψαλμοῖς ᾠδὴ τῷ Δαυιδ 2 ἐν τῷ ἐπικαλεῖσθαί με εἰσήκουσέν μου ὁ θεὸς τῆς δικαιοσύνης μου ἐν θλίψει ἐπλάτυνάς μοι οἰκτίρησόν με καὶ εἰσάκουσον τῆς προσευχῆς μου 3 υἱοὶ ἀνθρώπων ἕως πότε βαρυκάρδιοι ἵνα τί ἀγαπᾶτε ματαιότητα καὶ ζητεῖτε ψεῦδος διάψαλμα 4 καὶ γνῶτε ὅτι ἐθαυμάστωσεν κύριος τὸν ὅσιον αὐτοῦ κύριος εἰσακούσεταί μου ἐν τῷ κεκραγέναι με πρὸς αὐτόν 5 ὀργίζεσθε καὶ μὴ ἁμαρτάνετε λέγετε ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν καὶ ἐπὶ ταῖς κοίταις ὑμῶν κατανύγητε διάψαλμα 6 θύσατε θυσίαν δικαιοσύνης καὶ ἐλπίσατε ἐπὶ κύριον 7 πολλοὶ λέγουσιν τίς δείξει ἡμῖν τὰ ἀγαθά ἐσημειώθη ἐφ’ ἡμᾶς τὸ φῶς τοῦ προσώπου σου κύριε 8 ἔδωκας εὐφροσύνην εἰς τὴν καρδίαν μου ἀπὸ καιροῦ σίτου καὶ οἴνου καὶ ἐλαίου αὐτῶν ἐπληθύνθησαν 9 ἐν εἰρήνῃ ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ κοιμηθήσομαι καὶ ὑπνώσω ὅτι σύ κύριε κατὰ μόνας ἐπ’ ἐλπίδι κατῴκισάς με

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Sermon outline

The LORD hears when we call to Him Introduction The Psalms give architecture to our emotions and experience, everything is TOWARDS GOD. Read them Think/meditate them - deliberate difficulties in the Bible to make us think Rehearse them Pray them Sing them ['to the choirmaster with stringed instruments']; e.g., Psalter pro app for time-tested arrangements. This Psalm cycles between a conversation towards men, towards himself, and towards God Difference between talking about being God-centred and actually being God-centred. eg cf child centred in function, though God-centred in form this psalm, an inner struggle to go along with the vain words of men and all those emotions, or to trust wholly in God. Trusting in God vs the many words and stress of people. Perhaps especially other Christians. 1. Don't worry about the vain words of men; instead, turn to our gracious God v1-2 v1 you have brought me into a wide open space. In distress again; calls to God again. Fluency in gospel life. v2 contrasts with v4; they talk and talk in v2. In v4 they're told to 'quake' , 'quiver' or 'be agitated' and do not sin...speak in your own hearts on your beds and be silent. 'vain' as in empty, pointless, valueless. No one would ever say they are doing this, but it's the actual truth of their behaviour; lies and vanity. Applications Christians getting hot under the collar when it comes to 'biblical worldview' issues, or similar. S urely a Biblical worldview is always about the God-ness of God! Isaiah 40 the nations are a drop in the bucket. God does not need defending! All we're actually doing is trying to defend ourselves! This is the link between the idea of 'anger' and 'quake/quiver, lots of words etc. True peace and shalom is found in having our gaze on God. The overwhelming number of [Christian] blogs, podcasts, etc. Why I lean more and more towards old books, because the noise has been removed and you can hear the signal. How's your speech? Full of vain words? Talk a good game? 2. Since God has set apart his people for himself, stop talking v3-4 v3 the LORD has set apart 'specially'; sense of special favour. And therefore he hears in a special way when I call. In v4 they're told to 'quake' , 'quiver' or 'be agitated' and do not sin...speak in your own hearts on your beds and be silent. In the Heb, there is no mention of 'anger'. But in the LXX it says 'anger', which Paul quotes in Ephesians 4: Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. 26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the devil. Ephesians 4:25-27 ESV 'silence' in the Bible: when God speaks, everyone else is quiet. This is not mere introversion vs extroversion. Applications How does anger manifest in your life [blatant rage? burnt out cynicism? depression? passive aggression]? How do you metabolise it [forgiveness, meekness, prayer, and appropriate action]? Gospel anger or not? Jesus is our example here. Righteous anger is a) always accompanied by grief, and b) directed at the actual perpetrator of wrongdoing, and c) is not a proxy on someone else's behalf [Leninist-Marxist fallacy]. He entrusted himself fully to God, not speaking to defend himself against the injustice and vain words of men. We get angry and defensive when we feel threatened. And what we feel threatened by shows what we really trust in and find our security in. So we should see our stress levels as a useful diagnostic indicator of our discipleship. Criticise my sermon/parenting/theology/friends/etc. Why should I get angry? Is my identity in them? Various Christian issues attract angry people because they're looking for somewhere to direct all the anger which has never been processed by the gospel. End times, abortion, creation, spiritual gifts etc. So much anger. people who attack and divide churches through their anger. It's not righteous anger if it's aimed at people who aren't to blame! [cf angry consultant yelling at the two of us who actually turned up. People who get angry at their GP because they're the only person in their whole life they can just go to and yell at, etc] Do you really know and rely on verse 3? Look at the cross and rest in this actual fact. 3. God's people can enjoy the life and sleep of trust, v5-8 v5 the simple goal and solution v6 many who say (again - lots of words). v7 joy in God for his own sake - how suffering reveals this. vs material pleasures and blessings. v8 in shalom I will together lie down and fall asleep. Link to Psalm 3. I'm a creature, and I know it, and you're God, and I know it. for only you O LORD make me dwell in security/trust/confidence. 'trust' a key word in the Heb How we have this life in Jesus Applications: why is God's favour for us in Jesus not enough? cf James and John wanting top spot. Jesus falls victim to this; he sings this Psalm. His honour was turned to shame. He called on God and in his hour of trial his prayer was not answered (in one sense; he committed himself to the Father). He knew that the Father always heard him. Work - He himself became the 'right sacrifice', so that we might always be able to put our trust wholly in God. Union - In his ascension the light of God's face is now always upon us, even if it appears veiled subjectively at times. v7-8 the joy is our constant reality, even though in tension and affliction in this present evil age. And it will be fully realised in the return of Jesus. Wrap-up The difference between talking about being God-centred, and actually being God-centred, lies in what we get angry about and lose peace over. True peace and shalom is found in having our gaze on God.

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