I WILL TAKE HEED TO MY WAYS
PSALM 39:1-13
PSALM 39:1-13
Introduction:
The psalm is addressed to the Chief Musician, even to Jeduthun. He was one of those ordained by the King’s order “for song in the house of the Lord with cymbals, psalteries, and harps,” 1 Chronicles 25:6, “All these were under the hands of their father for song in the house of the LORD, with cymbals, psalteries, and harps, for the service of the house of God, according to the king’s order to Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman.” —Charles H. Spurgeon.
The occasion of it is thought, by some, to be the rebellion of his son Absalom; so Theodoret thinks it was written when he fled from Absalom, and was cursed by Shimei; or rather it may be some sore affliction, which lay upon David for the chastisement of him; (see Psalm 39:9,13, “I was dumb, I opened not my mouth; because thou didst it. 13- O spare me, that I may recover strength, before I go hence, and be no more.”) And the argument of the psalm seems to be much the same with that of the preceding one.” —John Gill’s Exposition
I. SORROW BURDENS DAVID WITH UNBELIEVING THOUGHTS vv, 1-2
A. David speaks within his heart:
1. I will be careful not to sin with my tongue, v. 1; Psalms 34:13, “Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.”
a. The tongue should be always an instrument of praise, Psalms 35:28, “And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long.”
b. The Lord should control the tongue, Psalms 45:1, “My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.”
2. I will bridle my mouth before the wicked, v. 1.
a. We should purpose that our mouth not offend, Psalms 17:3, “Thou hast proved mine heart; thou hast visited me in the night; thou hast tried me, and shalt find nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.”
b. Our word should be acceptable in the sight of the Lord, Psalms 19:14, “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.”
B. David was silent, but he could not remain silent, v. 2; Jeremiah 20:9, “Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.”
1. He held his peace “even from good,” Psalms 38:14, “Thus I was as a man that heareth not, and in whose mouth are no reproofs.”
2. David had to express himself, Acts 4:20, “For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”
3. A born-again believer cannot contain himself, Job 32:19, “Behold, my belly is as wine which hath no vent; it is ready to burst like new bottles.”
II. HIS GRIEF DEMANDS UTTERANCE vv. 3-6
A. David’s heart was hot demanding utterance, v. 3; Luke 24:32, “And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?”
Silence is an awful thing for a sufferer, it is the surest method to produce madness. Mourner, tell your sorrow; do it first and most fully to God, but even to pour it out before some wise and godly friend is far from being wasted breath. —Charles H. Spurgeon.
B. The Lord made David aware of his circumstances, v. 4; Psalms 90:12, “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”
1. David prayed that God would make him aware of the brevity of his life, Psalms 119:84, “How many are the days of thy servant? when wilt thou execute judgment on them that persecute me?”
2. He realized just how frail his life was, Jonah 4:8, “And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live.”
Think of eternity, and an angel is as a newborn babe, the world a fresh blown bubble, the sun a spark just fallen from the fire, and man a nullity. Before the Eternal, all the age of frail man is less than one ticking of a clock. Charles H. Spurgeon.
C. David decides that man AT HIS BEST STATE is altogether vanity, vv. 5-6; Psalms 89:47, “Remember how short my time is: wherefore hast thou made all men in vain?”
This is the surest truth, that nothing about man is either sure or true. Take man at his best, he is but a man, and a man is a mere breath, unsubstantial as the wind. Man is settled, as the margin has it, and by divine decree it is settled that he shall not be settled. He is constant only in inconstancy. —Charles H. Spurgeon.
III DAVID RECOGNIZES GOD’S DIVINE HAND WORKING vv, 7-13
A. My hope is in thee, v. 7; Psalms 38:15, “For in thee, O LORD, do I hope: thou wilt hear, O Lord my God.”
B. This is a fair sign when one begs for freedom from his sins, v. 8; Psalms 25:11, “For thy name’s sake, O LORD, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great.”
C. David is purged of his sullenness and sweetened with submission, v. 9; 1 Samuel 3:18, “And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is the LORD: let him do what seemeth him good.”
D. David’s silence in his sorrow did not prevent him from praying, vv. 10-13; Psalms 25:16-17, “Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me; for I am desolate and afflicted. 17- The troubles of my heart are enlarged: O bring thou me out of my distresses.”
1. His rebuke, v. 11; 1 Corinthians 11:32, “But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.”
2. Hear my prayer, vv. 12-13; Hebrews 5:7, “Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;”
CONCLUSION