REMEMBERING
PSALM 38:1-22
Introduction:
The most wonderful features in this Psalm, are the DEPTH OF MISERY into which the psalmist gradually plunges in his complaints in the first part of it, the SUDDEN GRASP AT THE ARM OF MERCY AND OMNIPOTENCE that is made in Psalms 38:8, “I am feeble and sore broken: I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart.” And the EXTREME HEIGHT OF COMFORT AND CONSOLATION that it reaches in the end. —Benjamin Weiss.
As we study this psalm let us REMEMBER how the Lord has dealt with us during our life.
I. REMEMBERING PAST TRIALS AND PAST DELIVERANCE
A. The Rebuke of the Lord for sins, Psalms 6:1, “LORD, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.”
1. David was very aware of his sins, Psalms 88:15, “I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up: while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted.”
2. David felt God’s wrath as being hard upon him, Psalms 88:7, “Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves.”
B. God hides His face from us for a moment because of our sins, Isaiah 54:8, “In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer.”
1. God will not look upon our sin, Habakkuk 1:13a, “Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity:”
2. God’s “EVERLASTING KINDNESS” is seen in His mercy, Jeremiah 31:3, “The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.”
3. God has given us “EVERLASTING CONSOLATION” through His grace, 2 Thessalonians 2:16, “Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,”
II. REMEMBERING THE DEPRAVITY OF OUR NATURE
A. Remembering our sins, God’s rebuke IS RICHLY DESERVED, Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”
1. Every man walks after the IMAGINATION of his EVIL heart, Jeremiah 16:12, “And ye have done worse than your fathers; for, behold, ye walk every one after the imagination of his evil heart, that they may not hearken unto me:”
2. The evil in man’s heart brought about the FIRST destruction of this earth, Genesis 6:5, “And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”
B. David saw that HIS SINS were a heavy burden TOO MUCH FOR HIM, v. 4; Psalms 69:1-2, “Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul. 2- I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.”
1. Job questioned God about his sin, Job 7:20-21, “I have sinned; what shall I do unto thee, O thou preserver of men? why hast thou set me as a mark against thee, so that I am a burden to myself? 21- And why dost thou not pardon my transgression, and take away mine iniquity? for now shall I sleep in the dust; and thou shalt seek me in the morning, but I shall not be.”
2. The Lord invites man to come unto Him with his burden of sin, Matthew 11:28, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
a. The Lord has borne our sins to the Cross, 1 Peter 2:24, “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”
b. God is satisfied with His Son’s sacrifice for our sins, Isaiah 53:11, “He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.”
III. REMEMBERING OUR MANY ENEMIES
A. His enemies laid SNARES for him, Psalms 119:110, “The wicked have laid a snare for me: yet I erred not from thy precepts.”
B. His enemies SOUGHT his HURT, Psalms 35:4, “Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul: let them be turned back and brought to confusion that devise my hurt.”
C. His enemies spoke MISCHIEVOUS THINGS, Psalms 64:3, “Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words:”
D. His enemies DEVISED AND IMAGINED DECEITS all the day long, Psalms 64:5, “They encourage themselves in an evil matter: they commune of laying snares privily; they say, Who shall see them?”
IV. REMEMBERING OUR GRACIOUS GOD
A. The Lord is our HOPE, v. 15; Psalms 39:7, “And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee.”
1. That He will HEAR us, Psalms 38:15, “For in thee, O LORD, do I hope: thou wilt hear, O Lord my God.”
2. That He will ANSWER our prayers, Psalms 138:3, “In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul.”
3. That He will have MERCY on us, Psalms 123:1-3, “Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens. 2- Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the LORD our God, until that he have mercy upon us. 3- Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us: for we are exceedingly filled with contempt.”
B. The enemy is STRONG, vv. 19-20; Psalms 73:4, “For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is FIRM.”
1. They call EVIL GOOD, Isaiah 5:20, “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!”
2. They have NO LACK of resources, Psalms 73:12, “Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches.”
C. Hurry to HELP ME, Lord, vv. 21-22; Psalms 71:12, “O God, be not far from me: O my God, make haste for my help.”