15. A Godly Man’s Devotional Life, Psalm 5

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Hymns: 319 It Is Well with My Soul, 318 Blessed Assurance, 321 He Hideth My Soul

 Psalm 5

1 To the chief Musician upon Nehiloth, A Psalm of David. Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my meditation. 2 Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray. 3 My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up. 4 For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee. 5 The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity. 6 Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the Lord will abhor the bloody and deceitful man. 7 But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple. 8 Lead me, O Lord, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face. 9 For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue. 10 Destroy thou them, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions; for they have rebelled against thee. 11 But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee. 12 For thou, Lord, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.

 

A GODLY MAN’S DEVOTIONAL LIFE

OUTLINE

(1) Prayer begun Early (v1-3)

(2) Troubles Brought before God (v4-6)

(3) Guidance Sought from God (v7-9)

(4) Joy and Blessing Prevailed (v10-12)

 

INTRODUCTION

The preface of the psalm reads, “To the chief Musician upon Nehiloth, A Psalm of David.” Nehiloth is from the word “to perforate” or “to bore through”, where it came to mean a pipe or a flute. So, it is probably a song intended to be sung with an accompaniment wind instrument, such as the horn, the trumpet, flute or cornet. (Treasury of David, CH Spurgeon)

How does a godly man resolve his problems? This psalm teaches us that it is through spirit-filled prayer.

  • Prayer Begun Early (v1-3)

1 Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my meditation. 2 Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray.

The psalmist began early to seek God. Before the day dawns, before the hustle and bustle of the day begins. He has awoken and was very focused to bring his petitions to God in his devotional time. His words were described as his meditations (whispering, faint utterance, softly spoken quiet or subdued expression of feeling, inaudible utterance) and his cries. It was a voice of weeping, a voice directed to the LORD. The intimate communion with his loving Father is pictured for us here. Notice the intensity of the supplication for the godly. He has no other recourse but his God.

Why should God answer our prayer? Because He is our King and our God, the King of our country is expected to hear the appeal of His own people.

Faith knoweth no other to pray unto fro help, save God alone, nor any other way to be helped, save by perseverance in prayer – for unto Thee will I pray (v2). [David Dickson]

3 My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.

There is that old saying, “When the outlook is bleak, there is always hope in the uplook.”

Philippians 4:6-7 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

The day that begins with God begins on a sure footing. All anxiety and fears and doubts are dispelled as God’s promises stabilized the heart for a new day. A heart strengthened to take any rude shock because it is founded upon God’s abiding presence and care for His people. He is able to see ahead while we can’t! We can trust His protection and foresight to guide us.

What are your morning thoughts? Are they a meditation upon the goodness and promises and presence of God? How can the people of God be fortified to live victorious for Christ on a new day?

There is one who wrote in May 2016, “The global economy is no Lazarus – the outlook is bleak”. There seemed no good hope what to do?

The people of God can expect our God to help us whatever the economic climate – Psalm 37:18-19 The LORD knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever. They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.

 Pilgrim’s Original Outlook

Before the Pilgrims sailed for America on the Mayflower, one of their number, Robert Cushman, wrote a disturbing letter to a friend—

“The outlook for the venture was bleak. If we ever make a plantation in the new world, God works a miracle! Especially considering how scant we shall be in victuals and most of all ununited amongst ourselves. If I should write you about all the things which promiscuously forerun our ruin, I should overcharge my weak head and grieve your tender heart. Only this I pray you: prepare for evil tidings of us every day. Pray for us instantly. I see not, in reason, how we shall escape.”[1]

 

(2) Troubles Brought Before God (v4-6)

4 For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee. 5 The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity. 6 Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the Lord will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.

His heart may have become faint as a result of the troubles that are confronting him. But he is composed and clear in his mind the trouble he is facing. He has a clear understanding of truth and falsehood. He knew for a truth that God is infinite, eternal and unchangeable in His justice.

The boastful (translated foolish) shall not escape God’s judgment for they speak deceitful words (leasing). He knew that God is holy the sinful man cannot stand before Him.

At the receiving end of evil, he was cornered and troubled on every side yet not perplexed. He knew that God is in control of the situation.

How can the people of God find peace in the heart being confronted with difficult people? It is by unceasing prayer, seeking the LORD’s mind and wisdom and peace to calmly handle what is to come.

Jesus gave these words of counsel to His disciples – Matthew 10:16-20 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.

He is saying to His disciples that the power that is endowed upon them would not grant them to be invincible but rather they are vulnerable to suffer at the hands of godless men.

Wolves viciously tear their prey these defenseless sheep. The wolf is a terrifying predator to the sheep. It presents a picture of terror and ferocity, a picture of beastly cruelty without pity. “Wolves” characterizes the world of men as being viciously wicked because it is filled with the propensity to sin. The combination of the two comparisons produces the idea of the helplessness of the apostles among wicked men. As sheep, they have no defense against wolves.

The unbelieving world itself is like a wolf in its hostilities to the disciples of Jesus. By the way in which our Lord Himself was betrayed, mocked, misjudged, unjustly tortured and finally crucified, died. We must have no illusion that the ministry of the gospel is a bed of roses.

Jesus tells us to realize that human nature is more wicked and corrupt than we think, the power of evil is greater than we suppose! Realize that not everybody will see what is good for them and believe what you tell them. Such disappointments will come. Not only will they not receive the message but will also put harm in your way.

Remember the disciples themselves have not experienced any form of persecution yet. Jesus is warning of the persecution to come. It is not to make them overly suspicious but rather to be cautious.

The disciples were being warned how their fellow Jews would do harm to them when they shared with faith with them and this comes in the form of scourging – under the Mosaic law, they can be whipped 39 of the maximum 40 strips. As they preach, they would face the hostilities of the Jewish courts. One such wolf was Saul of Tarsus before his conversion.

The people of God can cry to their God for help and solace in the face of persecution. Whenever there is any fear, look up, ask the Lord to strengthen and still your heart.

He sought the justice of God against his wicked enemies. [David Dickson]

 

(3) Guidance Sought from God (v7-9)

7 But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple. 8 Lead me, O Lord, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face. 9 For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue.

He appealed to God’s mercy. Coming before God in the fear of God knowing that he cannot hide anything from God, there is no escape from God’s ability to see through our hearts. The Spirit of God uses God’s Word to guide us to the path of blessing.

Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

From his own steadfast purpose and desire to continue in God’s service, and to walk uprightly, as the enemuy shall not have advantage of him by his miscarriage. [David Dickson]

He asked the Lord to grant strength to his heart to walk uprightly and surely. He will not fall prey to the deceit and the lies of the temper.

Just as Adam and Eve were tempted in the Garden of Eden by the serpent to believe that partaking of the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil will make them wise, spurned the warning of God that in eating, they shall surely die.

When Nehemiah was building the walls of Jerusalem, there was the enemies’ lure to stray from his steadfastness (Nehemiah 6:1-4).

1 Now it came to pass, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had builded the wall, and that there was no breach left therein; (though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates;) 2 That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief.

 When Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem and other enemies received news that the wall was completed and that the only thing remaining was to put in place the doors of the gates, they again attempted to thwart the work.

The attack was now centered on Nehemiah. The enemies wanted him out of the way. He was invited by Sanballat and Geshem to meet them at the half-way point between Samaria and Jerusalem for a dlalogue on the plain of Ono.[2] The object was to physical cause harm to Nehemiah so that he is put out of the way.

Nehemiah suspected mischief. The enemies wanted to lure him away from the work. It would impact the work when he leaves Jerusalem. He resisted. He refrained and declined their invitation. His leaving Jerusalem would leave the work unsupervised.

 3 And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you? 4 Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I answered them after the same manner.

 He remained steadfast in the work. He held on to the task before him. The devil could not defeat Nehemiah as a roaring lion, he tried to defeat us as an angel of light. He had spiritual discernment to see through the schemes of the enemy. Nehemiah would not be distracted, deviated or digressed from the work God has called him to do. Cole said well, “He resisted the devil by standing firm on his priorities.”

The psalmist in prayer sought God for a right way for him.

(4) Joy and Blessing Received (v10-12)

10 Destroy thou them, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions; for they have rebelled against thee. 11 But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee. 12 For thou, Lord, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.

There can be rejoicing in the midst of persecution and oppression with God. This peace and restfulness comes from God. It is a special gift for seekers. Have you experienced God’s gift of joy because you know God will take care of your problem?

This is the psalmist’s experience. The Lord compasses His people to protect them as “with a shield”. This is God’s promise to His people – His blessing and favour.

This is the triumph of faith in God. There is that quiet rejoicing in the midst of a storm knowing that the LORD is still on the throne. He will vindicate His Name.

Matthew 5:10-12 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

William Carey (1761-1854) is called the Father of Modern Missions for his contribution as a “peacemaker” to bring the gospel to India for 40 years. He was founder of Serampore College, the first Christian college in Asia. He was instrumental also in the translation of the first Bengali New Testament. This phrase “Expect great things from God. Attempt Great things for God” came from his most influential sermon from the text Isaiah 54:2-3, “Enlarge the place of thy tent…”

Dr George Smith testified, “The last days of William Carey were his best. His sun went down in all the splendour of a glowing faith and a burning self-sacrifice. Not in the poverty of Hackleton and Moulton, not in the hardships of Calcutta and the Sundarbans, not even in the fevers of the Dinajpur swamps…had the father of modern missions been so tried as in the years 1830 to 1833. Blow succeeded blow, but only that the fine gold of his trust, his humility, and his love might be seen to be the purer.”

He suffered most in his pioneering days but he never looked back! He was a true disciple of Jesus. He learned how to handle rejection to the gospel of peace he offered with such unconditional love to carry on persevering as Jesus had instructed His disciples in Matthew 10:13-14, “And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you. And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.”

 

CONCLUSION

Will you not learn from the psalmist to cast all your burdens before God because He careth for you? May the Lord bless you richly with peace and joy and comfort from the blessed Holy Spirit and indwells every believer.

[1] Encyclopedia of 15,000 Illustrations: Signs of the Times.

 [2] The plain of Ono was named after the town of that name (cf. 1 Chron. 8: 12; Ezra 2: 33; Neh. 7: 37; 11: 35). Where was Ono? It was near Lod about 25 miles northwest of Jerusalem, about 6 miles southeast of Joppa. As seen on the map “Postexilic Samaria and Judah,” near Ezra 2, Ono was near the border of Samaria, Sanballat’s home province. [Bible Knowledge Commentary, John Walvoord.]