Psalm 3 - The Hope of God’s Salvation

Posted on October 28, 2012 by Unknown

Jim's actual notes: “The Hope of God’s Salvation” (Psalm 3:1-8)Introduction

Brief review of the sermon series:  Psalms as meditations on hope (praise, gratitude, confession).  Looking at the psalms through the angle of hope.  What prompts the psalmist to hope?  What inspires hope in us?
Last week:  the psalmist finds hope in God’s word
Today:  the psalmist finds hope in God’s salvation
Read Psalm 3:1-8.
The superscription:  The psalm opens with a brief introduction of its own, placed just before the first verse in all caps, small font.  This is called the superscription.
The purpose of the superscription:  literally, “written above”
The musical instruments used
The musical tune
Any musical notations to inform playing/singing
Authorship/recipient
Occasion for writing/usage in worship
Historical context
A vigorous debate on the inspiration of superscriptions:
Universally acknowledged that they were added later (after the psalms had been compiled)
No consensus one way or another
The need to be cautious:  What is written in the superscriptions are very plausible explanations, but we should not rely on them too much for interpretation
The historical context:  David’s flight from Jerusalem when Absalom returned to the capital (2 Samuel 15-18)
Absalom’s exile from Jerusalem for murdering his half-brother
Absalom, by guile and deception, turned his countrymen’s loyalty away from David to himself
He returned to Jerusalem with the support of many Israelites and forced David to flee
This psalm could reflect the agony and anguish of David in the moment or perhaps upon later reflection of the situation.
The central theme (3:8):  Salvation belongs to the Lord!  That is the source of the psalmist’s hope.
I want to make 3 observations about how God’s salvation inspires God’s people with hope.





Outline
God’s salvation renders powerless the TROUBLES of life.  (3:1-2,8)
The glory of God’s salvation shines brightly against the dark backdrop of life’s bitter troubles.
An example:  The stars shine most brightly against the dark night sky.  Although the stars are always there, we do not see them until the night comes.
The word “salvation” (or its synonyms “deliverance” or “rescue”) necessarily imply that we are saved from something.  We are saved, delivered, or rescued from danger, from threat, from strife, from trouble.
Salvation becomes great and glorious and beautiful in the light of the trouble from which we are saved.  Therefore, we cannot have salvation apart from trouble and trouble magnifies the glory of God’s salvation.
What Psalm 3 would have us to understand is that our circumstances or situation in life, no matter how grievous or troubling, are not utterly hopeless.  The great salvation of God shines hope and truth into the midst of our circumstances.
T/S:  This was the perspective of the psalmist.
The reality of trouble (3:1):  The psalmist affirmed the reality of trouble in his own life and expressed the severity of that trouble.
Read Psalm 3:1
Notice that the psalmist has literal foes who are rising (lit., “increasing”) against him.  If this is set in the context of David’s flight from Absalom, 1 Samuel 15-16 make clear that as Absalom foments opposition to David, more and more join his cause and become enemies of David.
The emphasis on the word “many”:  The danger is real and this is no small or light matter.  The psalmist is grieved and distressed.
The taunt of trouble (3:2):  To make matters worse, trouble taunts him with lies that have the potential to suffocate hope from his being.
Read Psalm 3:2
Can you imagine the reality of the statement?  If the taunt were true and there were no salvation for us in God, we would be utterly hopeless and we would despair of life.  What is the point in living if there is no salvation available for me?
The basis for the taunt:
The Deuteronomistic theology:  
Life’s circumstances are based on one’s obedience and disobedience to God. Therefore, obedience to God resulted in blessing and disobedience resulted from God’s curse.
Circumstances revealed one’s posture toward God.  Therefore, success necessarily proved one’s faithfulness to God, while trouble necessarily proved one’s lack of faithfulness.
By looking at the circumstances and the trouble the psalmist is experiencing, the foes make the assumption that the psalmist has been unfaithful and, thus, God has cursed him by bringing trouble into his life.
A more familiar example:  Job
The psalmist’s own emotional experience:  Is the psalmist succumbing to his troubles?  This psalm is called a “lament”
A lament is a psalm that expresses the singer’s distress.
The psalmist, it seems initially looking back on this situation, based his emotions and his perspective on the basis of his experience.
The psalmist is interpreting his circumstances from the place of self.
If indeed the taunt of the foes is true, and there is no salvation for us in God, then, yes, life would be utterly hopeless and we would eternally despair.
T/S:  But the psalmist reminds himself of the truth that…
The triumph over trouble (3:8):  God’s salvation is for us and renders our troubles absolutely powerless.  Our circumstances are not utterly hopeless despite the trouble.  Why?
Psalm 3:3-8 provides the fuller answer, but skip to Psalm 3:8, the central verse of the text.
Read Psalm 3:8
The psalmist’s confession is that salvation belongs to the Lord and he will extend his salvation to whomever he wills.
The psalmist’s foes are impotent to stand against him or to proclaim that there is no salvation for him.  God has spoken otherwise.  The psalmist’s foes have no right to make such a claim nor do they have the authority to justify it.
Just the opposite:  Though the psalmist’s troubles seem overwhelming, God has intervened.  He has rescued the psalmist from his trouble and saved him.
We don’t know exactly how this salvation occurred.
In OT, salvation took on a primarily physical dimension (healing from illness, relief from famine, defeat of military foes, etc).  In this case, it probably is manifest in military victory.
Sometimes God still manifests his salvation in this way to us in our day by his grace.
The NT revelation helps us to see God’s salvation in light of his eternal plan for the ages, a plan not fully revealed in the Old Testament.  The NT helps us to see that our existence transcends this life.  What happens to us here in a physical sense, doesn’t matter that much.  The scope of God’s salvation is eternal.  So whatever trouble life’s difficulties bring to us in this realm, their impact is limited to this world.  Thus, God’s salvation overcomes all troubles.
The psalmist’s salvific standing before God helped him to see his circumstances for what they truly were and fueled his hope in God.  Likewise, our standing in Christ helps us to interpret our circumstances.  It does not change them, but it helps us to properly live in light of them.
Application:  If your troubling circumstances make life seem hopeless to you, look to Christ and find in his salvation hope that overcomes.
Do not dwell in the mire of your trouble:  loss of loved one, financial problems, broken relationships, terminal disease, physical disability, rebellious child.
Look instead to the greatness and faithfulness of God who has saved you, who is continuing to work out his glorious salvation in your life.
Matthew Henry:  “Is any afflicted with undutiful, disobedient children? David was; and yet that did not hinder his joy in God, nor put him out of tune for holy songs…  Let no unkindness, no, not of a child or a friend, ever be laid so much to heart as to disfit us for communion with God.”  Insert whatever trouble you are experiencing.  Do not despair, but know that your salvation gives you hope in God.
Of course, our greatest trouble we ever faced was the trouble of our own sin.  Psalm 3 points us to the revelation of the New Testament which reveals that we heaped sin upon sin in our own lives so that they greatly increased.  We heard the taunts of our sin and the world and demonic hosts that there was no salvation for us in God.  And we would have utterly and eternally despaired, except that God revealed to us that salvation belonged to him.  He was gracious to draw us to him and confer his glorious salvation to us through the sacrifice of his Son Jesus that atoned for our sin and gave to us a new relationship with God.  And now that salvation gives us hope, a hope whose confidence is in God, a hope that looks beyond the troubles of this life to the glory of salvation that extends for eternity.
God’s salvation renders powerless the troubles of this life.  God’s salvation reveals to us that our circumstances are not utterly hopeless.  The troubles of life are merely the dark canvas upon which the glory of God’s salvation is displayed.
“The Solid Rock”:
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.
When darkness seems to hide His face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.
His oath, His covenant, His blood
Support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.
When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh, may I then in Him be found;
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.
John Calvin:  “Although the whole world with one voice should attempt to drive us to despair, instead of listening to it, we ought to rather give ear to God alone, and always cherish within us the hope of the salvation which he has promised.”
T/S:  God’s salvation renders the troubles of our life powerless.  But, we also notice from the psalm that…

God’s salvation reveals the supreme FAITHFULNESS OF God.  (3:3,5,7-8)
The psalmist does not despair or wither in the face of the troubles against him.  He remembers that there is salvation for him in God.  Salvation belongs to the Lord.  And he meditates upon the character and activity of the God who saves.
The psalmist’s confession (3:3,8)
Psalm 3:8:  Salvation belongs to the Lord.
Notice what he says immediately after the declaration of his trouble:  Read Psalm 3:3
The psalmist declares what he believes to be true about the nature and character of God:
“The Lord is a shield about me”:  the shield as an instrument of protection, strength, might
The shield:  a regular hand-held shield.  It does not wholly enclose a person, but protects the arm and torso from weaponry and ammunition.
While the shield’s protection is vital to security, it’s protection is limited.  But the psalmist envisions Yahweh as an all-encompassing shield, a shield which fully protects in front, behind, over, under, to the side and all around.
God’s salvation is like a shield:  it totally and completely protects.  It reveals to us the strength, the might, the safety of God.
Again, from the NT revelation, we need to consider God’s protection from an eternal vantage point:  In Christ, we are safe.
John 10:28-29:  28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.  29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.
Romans 8:35,37-39:  35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? …  37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
“The Lord is my glory”:
The word also means “honor” and refers to the dignity or honor of a person.
In this context, the psalmist has been shamed by his foes and his circumstances.  He has lost all honor and dignity.
The psalmist looks to God to restore his honor.  He will scatter his shame and mend the brokenness that has come to him as a result of his troubles.
“The Lord is the lifter of my head”:
The lowered head reflects the dishonor and shame that comes from defeat.
The head lifted up signifies joy, glory, and victory.
As God works out his gracious salvation, he brings victory and lifts the head of the dishonored, downtrodden, and depressed so that they might experience the joy and triumph of victory.
The psalmist considers salvation in light of God’s nature to save, to show grace, to be merciful, to protect and defend his own, to honor, to restore, and to infuse with joy.  God’s salvation reveals his supreme faithfulness to us.
The psalmist’s reflection (3:5):  The psalmist does not simply make blanket statement about God; he also meditates on God’s past activity of salvation on his behalf.
The psalmist understands God as he does because of how God intervened in his life previously and revealed himself as a God of salvation.
While he does not recall specific instances, he does reference God’s answering his prayer in the time of his distress and God’s faithful sustenance (particularly in his sleeping and waking) in times past.
This is standard fare in the OT.  For the believer, God’s salvation is a promise.  But how do we know that God will act favorably in the present?  Assess God’s track record.  God’s faithfulness in the past assures his faithfulness in the present and future.
OT:  Frequent recitations of God’s saving acts in the past (e.g., Joshua 24:2-13) God’s saving work in Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Exodus, wilderness wanderings, conquest of Canaan, etc.
NT:  The supreme display of God’s saving work in life of Jesus Christ
The incarnation:  God sent his Son Jesus as a human being
His ministry:  He revealed the glory of the Father, the sinfulness of man, and the nature of salvation in all he said and did, without any taint of sin
His crucifixion:  He died upon the cross to atone for the sin of the world
His resurrection:  He conquered the power of sin, death, and hell once and for all.
All of God’s saving works are to be interpreted through this lens.  Meditating on God’s salvation reminds us of the faithfulness of God to see us through whatever trial of life we face.  God’s faithfulness in the past is the guarantee of his faithfulness in the present and future.
Application:  Rather than despair in hopelessness over your situation, meditate on God’s gracious salvation that is given to us Christ.  Recount his faithful acts toward you and view your situation in light of his faithfulness.  God’s past faithfulness to us inspires hope that he is still active and working for our good.
Romans 8:28:  And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
“Count Your Blessings”
When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your many blessings, see what God hath done.
So, amid the conflict whether great or small,
Do not be discouraged, God is over all;
Count your many blessings, angels will attend,
Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your many blessings, see what God hath done.
T/S:  God’s salvation is both a promise and a guarantee.  We see in his saving works his supreme faithfulness to us.  Finally,…

God’s salvation challenges us to TRUST him faithfully.  (3:4,7)
Our experience of God’s salvation means that we can trust him.  He is worthy of our confidence.
While this psalm is a lament (i.e., it expresses distress and grief over real trouble), it also exudes the psalmist’s confidence in God that leads him to radical trust despite the trouble he faces.
The psalmist’s dependency on God (3:4,7)
The psalmist sees the contrast between the supreme faithfulness of God on the one hand and the distress of his troubles on the other.  How will he act?  What will he do?
He calls upon God for help:
Read Psalm 3:4
He is helpless to endure this trial alone.
Only God is able to come to his defense and intervene in a favorable way.
His helplessness gives way to the radical intervention of God.  He calls upon God to act on his behalf.
The psalmist is completely dependent upon God and places his fate in his hand.
Read Psalm 3:7
The psalmist’s resolve to trust in God (3:6):  The psalmist resolves to trust in God and acts in accordance with that trust.
Read Psalm 3:6
“I will not be afraid…”:  Not a mental position or a positive affirmation, but a commitment which his actions will demonstrate.  He will act in fear, but in faith and confidence in God.
This is what trust really is:
Not an emotional resolve
Not an intellectual understanding
A confidence in God that leads one to act in light of such confidence
Application:  Our confidence in God and in his salvation leads us to greater faithfulness
In considering the greatness of God’s salvation, are you moved to greater faithfulness to God?
Does your confidence lead you to trust him more and more?
When the storms and troubles of life beat against you and all hope seems lost, when you see the Savior acting on your behalf in Christ, does your faithfulness to him grow?


Conclusion
Bro. Doug opened our worship service this morning by reading the account of the blind man Bartimaeus who called out to Jesus for help.  Blindness in the ancient world was a bitter curse—(1) You were despised and considered an account because it was believed that a person’s blindness was an act of God’s judgment for sins committed, and (2) You were utterly dependent on the merciful charity of others as you could not learn a trade or work.  Certainly Bartimaeus had heard about Jesus and in the midst of his despair, he called out to Jesus for help amidst his foes, the foe of his blindness, the foe of his poverty, the foe of ostracism, the foe of his sin.  But like the writer of Psalm 3, he recognized that salvation belonged to the Lord and besought the Lord’s help.  He cried out to Jesus using the title “Son of David”, a distinctly messianic title, a title that was infused with the promise of God’s salvation and that hearkened back to God’s saving works in the past among the people of Israel.  In that moment, Jesus heard the cry of Bartimaeus and he worked his wonderful power and beautiful salvation in Bartimaeus’ life.  God’s salvation had rendered his troubles powerless.  God’s salvation revealed clearly the character of God.  And God’s salvation challenged Bartimaeus to faithfulness, and so after receiving his sight, he got up and followed Christ along the way.
My friend, if you are not a Christian today, see the promise of God’s salvation extended to you.  See what God has done in the person of Christ and how he has wonderously saved others.  Hear his call and follow him today.
My brothers and sisters who are in Christ, our response is no different than the psalmist or Bartimaeus.  If you find yourself in a place of trouble, cry out to Jesus, remember the salvation that is ours in Christ, and walk in the hope that God’s salvation has given to us.  
Salvation belongs to the Lord!


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